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Merchant of Justice!
Today, the second book in the Jack Merchant Medical Mystery series is avaiable on all platforms in paperback and ebook format.
Much to my dismay, I held in my hands a jury summons. I was surrounded by the destruction of my home at the time. A day before, I had arrived back at my house after a trip to discover a pipe had burst in my ceiling and flooded the entire first floor of my home. There was no way I could show up the next day for jury summons! I sent an urgent message to the jury selection manager and my summons was delayed by six months. I put that date on my calendar, hoping against hope I would not be summoned. That hope was shattered and I appeared for my jury summons on a hot July morning.
Along with the 50 other odd people I sat in an aging courtroom hoping my name would not be called. I was in the first twelve called to the jury box. The experience of being asked personal questions and being told to “always tell the truth” almost threw me into a panic mode. I looked at the witness stand. Over a half a dozen times, I had sat in that very witness stand being grilled in an adversarial fashion by an attorney. Each time, the setting was a malpractice suit in which I was only a witness. But, one time, it became painfully obvious I was being set up to be added to a law suit. That story prompted the opening chapters of “Merchant of Justice”.
Of course I was selected for the jury. I was pulled into a horrific story of unrequited love, greed, and subsequent murder. That experience became the foundation for Dr. Jack Merchant’s next story. In “Shadow Merchant” Dr. Merchant, a local radiologist, is accused of murdering his wife and the story unfolds as he tries to clear his name. In the process he becomes a consultant to the local medical examiner.
In “Merchant of Justice” he has settled into this role rather uncomfortably. His practice partners are not so happy about the prior year when he was recovering from losing his wife. And now, he becomes “the 13th juror” on a murder trial. Reluctantly and not by choice, he fills his roll as an alternate and soon becomes a voting member of the jury. As the trial unfolds, his travails and hardship take second place to a growing realization he may know the perpetrator! Dr. Jack Merchant once again finds his life in danger as he seeks true justice for victims of wrong doing!
“The 2nd Demon: Tales of the Grimvox”
I received an email recently asking if “The 4th Demon” was the last book in “The Chronicles of Jonathan Steel”. It is NOT. The fact is, 2024 has not been a friendly year for my writing. Back in January, 2024 we went to Walt Disney World for the International Art Festival at EPCOT. The week were gone proved to be another “snowmageddon” in our deep south location here in northwest Louisiana. The temperature plummeted to 9 degrees that Tuesday night.
Three years before, a similar event took place and we had a pipe freeze in the attic above our garage. The ensuing flood took out the garage ceiling. We were at the house when it happened and found it promptly. Now, digging through frozen clay, ice, and snow to find the water turnoff valve was a chore but we managed. I had a cut off valve put in the attic to cut off water to that pipe which supplied only one faucet outside.
Well on that night in January, the cut off valve froze! Wednesday about 6 PM I checked out doorbell camera from our room in Disney World to see if we had lost power. Plenty of power but I saw water running across our front porch into the yard! A friend up the street was kind enough to check and we were able to let him into the house. The pipe had burst AGAIN and had taken out the ceiling over my study! Lots of computer equipment and memorabilia, etc. were taken out by the flood. Our entire first floor was flooded.
Read the rest of this entryThe House on Buckner Street
We sat around our dining room table and I listened in amazement at my parents’ stories. The year was 1999 and I had taken my parents many photos and produced an old fashioned slide show for one of their anniversaries. Now, I wanted to hear the stories behind those photographs. I pointed my video camera at the screen as each black and white photo appeared. A carefully placed microphone in the center of the dining room table picked up the running commentary from my mother, father, and my brother as they related their memories.
We passed through photographs from the 1920’s and the 1930’s and arrived at the beginning of the 1940’s. It was at this point, the comments became more serious. My father and mother moved from the tiny country town of Saline, Louisiana to the big, bustling town of Shreveport in 1941. They rented a house “on Buckner Street” with many bedrooms. My father went to work for the post office. My mother worked now and then, children’s needs permitting, at the downtown Sears & Roebuck department store.
Then, December 7, 1941 happened. The world turned upside down and changed forever. What became known as World War II began. My father was slated to be drafted in June, 1942 but a bill by Congress passed restricting the upper age limit for draftees and my father was too old to be drafted. Just thirty days from deployment. And it helped he was a federal employee at an important government entity, the post office.
My many uncles were not so fortunate. Those men whose experiences in life were mainly spent behind the swaying backend of a plowing mule suddenly found themselves sent far away to Europe or to the Pacific. The wives, mothers, and children ended up coming to “the house on Buckner Street” as the war waged on. Sisters would move in to a room at my parents’ house until they found a job and moved into an apartment. My father enclosed the back porch and made two additional bedrooms for more migrant relatives.
The colorful and at times, painful stories all came out at that dining room table. Stories of hardship and sacrifice. Stories of lost loves and missing relatives. Stories of the grit and resolve of “the Greatest Generation”.
These men and women lived through the harsh times of the Great Depression which prepared them for the necessary sacrifices of the years ahead as the world plunged into war. They were ready, prepared having learned how to use everything in the pig but “the oink”. A generation of true patriots who loved God and loved freedom and loved their country.
We will not see their like again, I fear. But they were there when this country needed them.
On this day, December 7th, Pearl Harbor Day I salute my parents’ generation for most of them have gone on to their eternal reward. And they have left us with haunting memories and fading photographs and a legacy we can only begin to appreciate.
That session at the dining room table inspired me to write a play, “The Homecoming Tree” produced in 2005. In 2016, I released my novelization of that play and it is available to purchase at all book sites. I never imagined that simple hour spent around the dining room table would lead to a book that some of my readers say they re-read every Christmas.
Here’s to Lena and Slayton Hennigan and the example they set for me and my generation and generations to come. I love you and miss you. Thank you for your quiet, constant example of hard work, sacrifice, and unconditional love.
Tip #3: MAKE time to write!
Tip #3: You Don’t FIND time to write, you MAKE time to write!
My good friend Marilyn once asked me how I found the time to write. I simply replied, “you don’t find time to write, you make time to write.” This wasn’t a lesson I learned from John Maxwell. This is a lesson self taught. I mentioned in a previous post about being a dreamer versus making your dream come true. As I pondered on HOW I could make a novel come true, I stumbled across NANOWRIMO which begins TODAY.
National Novel Writing Month helps you fulfill that DREAM of finishing a novel in one month. When I first learned of this method, I tried it out. I failed. But, the next July after completing “Conquering Depression” with Mark Sutton in the summer of 1999, I set aside the month of August to write a novel. I started it on day one and finished it on day 31. That novel became “The 13th Demon: Altar of the Spiral Eye”.
Since then, I have learned these powerful lessons:
Make Writing a PRIORITY not only for yourself, but your family unit. Read the rest of this entry
Tip #2: Don’t Be a Dreamer!
TIP #2: DON’T BE A DREAMER!
We all have dreams.
I had a friend years ago who has since passed away, sadly at the age of 38 from lung cancer. He was one of the most creative people I have ever met. Every day, he would call me at work and start off our conversation with:
“Bruce, I have this great idea!” At which point he would share with me what really was an incredible idea! I would get excited about his idea and as the day progressed I would begin to unpack the idea and come up with ways to make the idea a reality. By the time evening came, this idea had become more than a gestating thing for me.
The Perfect Place to Write!
Check out my blog post on Just the Write Charisma about the most inspiring place to write:
http://justthewritecharisma.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-simple-writing-life.html
Don’t forget to check out the adventures of Jonathan Steel at www.steelchronicles.com or 11thdemon.com for book orders.
Why, why, why do I Write?
I am a published author.
It is a dream I have had since I was 13.
My first published work didn’t occur until I was 40.
But, during the intervening years I wrote over 100 plays performed by the drama team at my church.
Now, I have two fiction books published by Realms.
I have a book on depression that has been in circulation since 2001.
There is a possibility my co-author and I will have a new book deal today and possibly a book series to write.
I have tasted rejection too many times to remember. I have a framed letter of rejection signed by Isaac Asimov from a story I submitted to his magazine in 1973.
I have self-published two books.
I have been “released” by my latest publisher.
I have been through two agents and I am now no my third agent.
I have been duped, hornswaggled, conned, ripped off, and taken advantage of by more publishing schemes than I can remember.
But, I still have my day job and I plan on keeping it.
So, I am sitting here on the balcony of a condo overlooking the emerald green waters of the Gulf of Mexico wondering why I keep doing this. Below me, an eager, fresh faced kid has scrawled in the white sand “Don loves Joanne” with the word “loves” represented by the image of a heart pierced by an arrow. Beside those huge words is a fading admonition from another love stricken person, “Bye Retta”. The letters are barely visible having been filled in by the fierce winds of the last three days.
I am very much aware that my work as a writer is much like the latter. It will fade with time and no one will remember a word I have written after I am long gone. Although I am thinking positively, there is the distinct possibility that every word I have ever written will be gone shortly after I am gone. My name may never grace the halls of fame along with Isaac Asimov or Ray Bradbury or Mark Twain.
Why do I keep writing, then? Why do I lose sleep at night constructing the latest story. Why do I watch people and try to discern what makes them tick so I can create a new character? Why do I sit in misery trying to plan my next step now that I have been “released” by my publisher? Why, why, why?
Reason #1 — I realized early in my life that God had given me a gift, or a curse, however you look at it. I can’t not write. And here is the thrust of what God has shown me. I have NEVER been able to be successful as an author by writing the story that I wanted to write. I have only been successful when I wrote the Story that God wants me to write. This has required me to redefine the word “successful”. It’s not about money. It’s not about fame. It has to do with Reason #2.
Reason #2 — At the recent Platform conference, I was pleased to hear over and over again that if a person focuses on changing people’s lives, they will be successful. Touching one person’s life in a positive way can NEVER be reduced to a dollar figure. My good friend Chan told me once, “I don’t always get to be the closer. But, I will put a rock in their shoe.” There are times I get immediate feedback from something I have written and I learn that someone’s life has been altered in a good way. But, I will never see the end result of that tiny alteration. Only God knows how that ripple will change a person’s life way down the line. With our depression book alone, Mark Sutton and I have received countless emails telling us the book “saved my life”. You cannot put an earthly value on that! It has eternal value only. And, my friend, when I realize this, I can only rejoice that God has used something that came out of my brain to change the course of someone’s life. But, that “something” didn’t happen in a vacuum and that brings me to Reason #3.
Reason #3 — Every successful endeavor that has occurred in my life was totally unplanned. In fact, the plans I had for my life have never come true. But, the plans that God has for my life have come true. Over and over and over. Time and time again, doors opened; windows opened; opportunities fell into my lap; “coincidences” happened. And, when I followed the voice of God, my endeavors have always been a success. I never planned on having depression. God turned my experience into a book that has changed lives. I never planned on writing drama. God took those stories and changed people’s lives. I never planned on having such deep doubts about Christianity that I would become an apologist. God has taken my teaching and has changed lives.
Why do I write? Because it is God’s mission for my life. And, as long as I seek to be a part of the Work that God has for me to do Today, then I will continue to be “successful”. Successful, not in the world’s view, but in God’s view. I have always said that a person should seek to be involved in something that will outlast his life; something that will have eternal consequences. I am hoping that one day, when I am sitting at the feet of Jesus in the Beyond someone will put a hand on my shoulder and thank for me that play I wrote or that book I wrote or that blog post. And, there is no earthly reward to even begin to compare to that!
Tell me — Why Do You Write? Why Do You Indulge in Your Passion?
The Writing Life — Overwhelmed??!!!
Recently at a book signing, I was asked the question that all writers get. “What is the writing life like?” or “How do you find time to write?”
Let me give you a snapshot of my life, right now. I never anticipated the writing life would be like this. I feel overwhelmed much of the time. But, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Let me say at the outset what I tell anyone who asks about time management. You don’t FIND time to write, you MAKE time to write. If you are serious about writing, you MUST sit down and carve out very specific times in your week to write. Some authors choose to write for a specific period of time, say, six hours a week. Other writers choose to write a certain number of words per day, say 1000 words per day. It doesn’t matter which pattern you choose. The point is to set aside a time for writing and then WRITE. Don’t check email. Don’t read blogs. Don’t read a book. WRITE. From the moment you sit down before your computer or your legal pad, WRITE, WRITE, WRITE!
Eventually, you will find yourself surrounded by DEADLINES. Some may be self imposed. Others are imposed by your publisher or a deadline for a blog for which you write. Deadlines are GOOD. True, they are a necessary evil, but they force you to MAKE that time to write.
Now, I find myself dividing my time between FOUR processes. First, there is the process of IDEAS. Second, there is the process of ROUGH DRAFT. Third, there is the process of EDITING. And, finally, there is the process of MARKETING.
Let me give you a sneak peak of my past two weeks.
In the IDEA area, I have already shared my experience at the International Christian Retail Show. In the aftermath of a divine appointment at the ICRS, I am in the process of developing ideas for not just one book, but an entire book series. This means research into the subject matter; examining competing works; looking for that unique “hook” that will make this book different from others; and collaborating with my co-author and mentor on the final content of a book proposal.
Also, in the IDEA area, I am working on two other fiction books and two other non-fiction book series ideas. Two publishers have expressed an interest in these books. And, if I don’t get something to them soon, they will move on.
In the ROUGH DRAFT area, I am finishing up my fourth book in the Chronicles of Jonathan Steel for Realms. I turned in my third book in December and I have until the end of this year to complete my final draft of “The 10th Demon: Children of the Bloodstone”. I am setting aside an entire week in August to write everyday for six days.
In the EDITING area, I can count on spending January through April of each year heavily editing the book that will be released in October of that year. This editing process consists of an initial edit for story substance. I work with my editor and his suggestions are legion, but always right on the money. For two months, I will rewrite and edit the final draft to fit my editor’s suggestions. This takes hours and hours of my time. After this initial edit is done, my editor returns the line edit.
The line edit is a tedious line by line edit for such things as grammar and spelling. My editor(s) will make suggestions and I have to go through the document line by line and either accept or reject the suggested changes. Line by line. The entire manuscript. Literally, thousands of changes. Yes, it is tedious and it takes days! Now, once this line edit is done it is now April and I’ve been working on this final manuscript for at least three months. But, it doesn’t end there. Along about July, the galley proofs arrive.
The galley proofs are the final printed version of the book with the layout, fonts, pagination, title page, etc. Once again, I have to go through the entire book, word by word. On my first book, the software program used to lay out the book omitted an entire three pages. If I had not gone over the manuscript word for word, I would have missed it. Once I approve the galley proofs, the book is on the way to the printer and it is out of my hands.
In the MARKETING phase of the book, which covers the months from April through the release in October there is a LOT to do. First, I have to pick key scenes from the book that might be useful for the cover. Since I am an artist as well as an author, I visualize the cover and I make suggestions of exactly how a prospective cover will look. I am very fortunate to have the graphic team working on my books at Charisma. They produce some awesome covers and it is as if they have read my mind.
Second, once the cover is on its way to completion, I have to think about the back of the book and come up with “copy”. This is the blurb, or “sound bite” that will hopefully motivate a prospective reader to open the book and read the first paragraph. It is the “elevator pitch” so to speak. Once the back copy is completed then it is on to the endorsements.
Third, beginning in June, I must come up with a list of prospective authors who are asked to read my book and give me an endorsement. This is the trickiest part of the deal. Without good endorsements, my book will languish in limbo. Advice time. If you are an author, become a member of a blog tour in your genre. For instance, I am a member of the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy blog tour. This means that I have to read a book once a month and post a three day review on my blog. So, in addition to the other tasks in the MARKETING section, I must maintain and update this blog often. The blog tour drives readers, and authors, to my website. I contacted some of these authors and some of them agreed to read my manuscript and provide an endorsement. I have discovered this process is VERY important. If you just give your publisher a list of possible authors to endorse your book, the author is very likely to delete the request and never give it another thought. Also, I’ve learned to remind the author there is a deadline for the endorsement!
By late July, the upcoming book is done and in the hands of the printers. Now, the promotion phase begins. I am now looking at how to promote the release of my next book, “The 12th Demon: Mark of the Wolf Dragon” for its October release. Note that my first book was released in October, 2011; the second book is being released in October, 2012 and I have worked on it most of this year; the third book final draft is waiting for editorial evaluation in late 2012 and will be given back to me for editing in January, 2013; and I am currently writing the fourth book for completion by December. Literally, I juggle four books in a year’s time.
You see why I feel overwhelmed. My main concern is to make the time for each one of these important phases. And, it is amazing how many “things” I spend my time on that can be eliminated from my schedule. I do miss reading books. It is very difficult to work into this kind of schedule the simple pleasure of spending time with a good book. Now, when I read, I feel the pressure to hurry up and finish the book so I can post a review. I very seldom have the time to just sit down and savor a good book. I do miss that.
So, there you have it. I am currently in the IDEA phase; the ROUGH DRAFT phase; and the MARKETING phase. I can forget about heavy EDITING until January. But, it is coming and I’m loving every overwhelming minute of this journey. It can be done if you are willing to make the commitment and to pay the price of long, hard hours of work. If you have the passion to be a writer and the discipline to be a published author then go for it. When I get an email from a reader of “Conquering Depression” telling me the book “saved my life” it makes it all worthwhile.
Bruce Hennigan 
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