I read several anthologies of short stories each year, fantasy and science fiction both. Some of these recur each year, like Writers of the Future and The Year’s Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2020, and others are one-time publications.

People in the publishing industry say that anthologies and collections do not sell well, even for the big shot writers; readers want a full novel and not a snack-sized collection or anthology. I can’t speak to the numbers, but I do my part to support these writers as they offer their stories for me and you to enjoy.

What do you think of collections and anthologies of short stories? Do you read them? On what basis: by favorite authors, by affordable price point, how?

to read a book or two. Throw a log on the fire and snuggle up with a blanket and that novel or nonfiction book you’ve been waiting to peruse. Old books or fresh off the press, you know you want to soak them up.

Sit down, open your book of choice, and have a grand old time.

I made up my mind to write another Jack Whitstone novel next year, and I am now rereading the first three books in the tetralogy. It’s surprising how smoothly the early books read, and that is always pleasing. I have a working title for it, but this will probably change as the project goes.

In this new book Jack is still mentally ill, but the voices are easing off and the endless depression has given way to higher hopes. He does house blessings and exorcisms and makes a pretty penny. He and his girlfriend have quarrels when Jack’s voices start acting up, making his illness doubly hard to deal with.

I will make comments about the work as I get along. Happy holidays, everyone!

The anthology of ghost stories I’m currently reading is rolling right along. It started with haunted castle stories, and now it has moved on to a spook wind storm and a ghost living in an old tower. In the final stories of the anthology there are cars and land line telephones, etc. So far the stories are fun to read and give the reader a sense of the scope of ghost stories over three centuries. I got this book through the library, and I am having a good time reading it.

We are well on our way to Christmas, and to celebrate I am reading an anthology of ghost stories from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Why, you may wonder, am I reading this stuff now instead of back in October? Because I am doing research for a book I plan to write next year, and I need ghost ideas. Ghosts, revenants, poltergeists, banshees, hauntings, and so forth are grist for the mill, so to speak.

It’s the perfect time of year to curl up with a good book and enjoy the holidays!

The public library near me has re-opened after a long bout of Covid-19, and I have started reading library materials again. Covid has wreaked havoc in San Diego, where I live, with closed restaurants and closed libraries and required face masks on public transport. I’ve had my shots and feel good, but I can’t help wonder if the disease is getting ready to go another round.

I have been flipping through a book called Masks of the Spirit, which is a study of uses for masks among the Native peoples of Mesoamerica (southern Mexico and northern Central America). This is potent stuff and very interesting. The Native peoples of this region are still alive and kicking, and they make their way as best they can in the modern world.

I finished reading Sherman Alexie’s book Reservation Blues, about a group of Spokane Indians who learn to play instruments and give a go at success as an all-Native American band. I would call this a fantasy, because there is magic, but not much magic. There is the Devil’s guitar and an ancient shaman named Big Mom, and so forth. I have seen the book called magical realism, which might be a better characterization.

The characters, both male and female, are interesting, and their struggles to become a successful Native American band are amusing. One of the band members sells out his friend, who commits suicide as a result. I liked the characters and wished them well in their struggles. I won’t tell you how it goes, but some win and some lose, and some lose forever.

The storytelling is first-rate; Alexie’s style is accessible and fun to read. He employs humor frequently, though this is not a comedic story. You’ll get a funny take on reservation life and can chuckle throughout the book. Good stuff!

Well, folks, for the last week I have been jotting down ideas for future stories. This is a touchy subject because I feel obligated to develop a story once I have written down its idea, even if months have passed since I jotted the idea onto a 3×5 card.

Sometimes I write the idea down and don’t return to it for years. Most of my novel-length works go like this; for example, I had the idea for a prose poem set in the Middle East, and it was a year before I sat down and developed my fantasy military novel, Forward Base Down. I also worked out the basic plot lines for the next two books in the trilogy.

Ideas are pretty easy to find, much harder to develop. Some authors stick to the same half a dozen basic story lines and rarely try anything new, while others try new things with every story. Just about anything that happens is fuel for new tales. So catch those ideas and jot them down for future development…

I have continued to read Reservation Blues, by Sherman Alexie, and it is a fun read. In genre it is a fantasy with light fantasy elements but just heavy enough to keep you wondering if some serious ass-whooping is going to take place at the end. The Devil, his magic guitar, and an ancient medicine woman have all entered the story, and I am eager to see how it ends.

I have finished putting my short story collection together and have edited it. Now, on to ordering a finished copy and proofing it. This takes a long time; Amazon needs more than three weeks just to print a copy and send it my way… I have seen pictures of the print-on-demand machines; they are big and do the whole job of printing covers and inside pages. How many books does Amazon print each day? Sometimes my books arrive in three or four days and sometimes three weeks. That seems like a long time.

In any event, I am pushing on to the finish and am making my slow way. I will keep you up to date.

In another direction entirely, I have been hooked on my art book, In the Temples of My Fathers, which you can find here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Temples-My-Fathers-Randal-Doering/dp/1546654437 It’s a bit pricey but is a work of art in the style of the Maya people of Mesoamerica; I did the paintings and the captions (in ancient Mayan glyphs) and all the texts. Took me fourteen years to complete the work, and I hope you take a peek at the insides on Amazon (“look inside”).