Decommissioning the Doorway Press store

Over the next week or so I will be decommissioning the Doorway Press store website. Doorway Press is my publishing imprint for C.H. Cobb novels. Visitors to my author website, chcobb.com, will no longer be directed to Doorwaypress.com when they press a ‟Buy Now!” button under one of my books. Instead, they’ll be directed to the appropriate page on Amazon, where they can purchase the book as a normal Amazon transaction.

The Doorway Press website was a means by which folks could buy the books directly from me if they wished (I get a much better financial return when you buy my books from me). For the last year there’s been no traffic on that site, so I am cutting my web hosting expenses and shutting it down, though I will keep the Doorwaypress.com domain name.

The name ‟Doorway Press” (as well as the doorway logo) is significant. I intend my novels to be a ‟doorway” inviting the reader to re-examine some of the modern myths of secular thinking even while being engrossed in an action-packed story. The best representatives of that agenda are The Candidate and the Outlander Chronicles series, particularly Outlander Chronicles: Phoenix. While all my books are written from a thoroughly Christian worldview, the Falcon series (book 1 is Falcon Down) does not display quite as strong of a philosophical apologetic as the others.

As far as ‟works in progress,” at present I am not working on any full-length novels. I’ve been tinkering on and off with several different short stories, but that’s pretty much stalled out for the time being.

You can still get books directly from me by contacting me by text, email, or Facebook. All my books are available at Bread of Life Christian Bookstore in Greenville, and of course, on Amazon. Most of my books are also available in the Greenville Public Library, however, I think some of them might have walked off.

While the Doorway Press store has been shut down, the mission continues:

The Mission of Doorway Press

DOORWAY PRESS IS THE PUBLISHING IMPRINT OF INDEPENDENT AUTHOR C. H. COBB.

FICTION

It is the mission of Doorway Press to publish well-written, exciting tales that captivate the reader on the strength of the story and characters alone. If you find a Doorway Press book hard to put down, we’ve done our job.

Along the way, we also want to provoke questions in the reader’s mind about life, death, meaning, purpose, faith, and postmodern myths of Western society, without bogging the story down in philosophical baggage. If you find yourself taking a second look at your most cherished beliefs after reading a Doorway Press story, we’ve done our job.

NON-FICTION

It is the mission of Doorway Press to publish well-written, interesting books and studies that properly represent the truths of the Bible as they have been understood since the Reformation. If you have gained a greater love and understanding of Jesus Christ, and a greater passion for the glory of God after reading a Doorway Press non-fiction, we’ve done our job.

The Outlander Chronicles Series

Set in the future, but not futuristic, the year is 2120 when the Outlander Chronicles series begins. The global population is sliding south of eight million souls. Global warfare eighty years earlier had involved biological weapons; a near mass-extinction of the human population was the result. The diminishing, scattered population is inadequate to sustain any manufacturing, mining, electrical generation, refining, communications, or transportation. There are no governments, national or local. Separated by nearly a century from the world that was, the survivors’ knowledge of the old technologies has virtually disappeared.

Here and there, tiny knots of population—the Townies—have coalesced, people banding together for safety. Opposing them are small gangs of violent raiders (Anarchs and Slavers), who make surviving in an already-intolerable environment almost impossible.

Surrounded by the rusting ruins of the former world, a young man (Jacen Chester) decides there must be more to life than avoiding death. He determines to challenge the status quo and to found a community committed to the rediscovery and revival of art, education, and technology. Jacen encounters a mysterious stranger (Hakim Abdul al Malik), an older man who ultimately becomes Jacen’s mentor, instructor, and protector. The two join forces to pursue Jacen’s dream. But they must first survive the predations of the violent groups, and their own deep disagreements with one another.

The Outlander Chronicles series is a coming-of-age adventure in which Jacen’s most deeply held views on life, religion, and morality are severely challenged by the raw, bleeding edge of life and death. As his community grows and experiences tragedy and disastrous setbacks, Jacen’s developing leadership skills are put to the test.

Book #1, Outlander Chronicles: Phoenix, chronicles the beginning of the relationship between Jacen and Hakim, and the growing community they establish.

Book #2, Outlander Chronicles: Pegasus, traces the community and the many challenges and heartaches they face as they travel toward their chosen destination near the ruins of Denver, Colorado.

Book #3, Outlander Chronicles: Icarus, records Jacen’s and his community’s response to a horrific disaster, as well as the dangers of employing technology not fully understood.

The Outlander Chronicles series is available on Amazon in both Kindle and print formats, as well as from your local independent bookseller (through the Ingram catalog). Signed copies are available from the Doorway Press store. See all the C. H. Cobb novels at my website.

Writing Update for Outlander Chronicles: Icarus, book three of the series

Three years ago next month (October, 2018) I started writing Outlander Chronicles: Icarus. Within two months I gave up--the story just was not coming. A year or so later I gave it another brief shot, only to give up again. The story just wasn't working and I wasn't happy with what I had written. I pretty much gave up on a book 3 of the Outlander series.

After several years off from working on the Outlander series, finally this past January I picked up the tale again, pretty much starting from scratch, (although I was able to use some scenes from my earlier attempts with significant re-writing).

Now I am a little over 1/3 of the way to my target word count of 100K, and I am excited about the tale--it's developing into a great story.

I'm also a little nervous. Normally I know how I want the tale to end before I even start writing it. Not so with Icarus. This is the first novel I've written without being sure exactly how I'm going to "land the plane."

I've often said that, as an author, I don't find out what's happening next in my tales until I actually write the scene. If you've read Outlander Chronicles: Phoenix, you're aware of a pretty shocking event near the end of the book (no spoilers, please) (and by the way, some of my readers STILL haven't forgiven me!!). I did not know that event was going to happen until I was actually typing the words. It was unplanned.

Not true with respect to the endings of my books. I know the ending when I'm writing the opening scene (although I haven't the foggiest notion of how I will get from 'A' to 'B').

Right now, the ending of Icarus in my mind is a blank page. Guess I'll find out when I get there...

More than an adventure story

Imagine what would happen if an extremely contagious and deadly disease (genetically-engineered smallpox) was released in the atmosphere over four major cities in a criminal act of biological warfare? Suppose there was no known cure. What would the world look like eighty years later?

This is the world of Outlander Chronicles: Phoenix. The year is 2120, and the global population has fallen south of eight million souls, a population inadequate for manufacturing, mining, refining, power generation, or even government. The scattered remnants of humanity have divided into two groups: on the one hand, tiny communities trying to scratch out a living using rudimentary agriculture, and on the other, vicious lawless gangs that survive by raiding the communities. Both scavenge abandoned, decaying cities looking for what few material goods have survived eighty years of rot, neglect and exposure to the elements. The future looks more like the distant past—there’s nothing sci-fi about it.

A young man—Jacen Chester—decides it is time to try to replant civilization. He meets a mysterious stranger, an older man named Hakim. Hakim begins to mentor Jacen, teaching him how to survive in a world of violence and anarchy. The two men could not be more different, however. They must first learn how to survive their own sharp disagreements.

Outlander Chronicles: Phoenix is much more than a fast-paced action-adventure novel. Amid the gunfire and fighting are serious philosophical discussions about God, faith, forgiveness, the source of morality, secularism and more. The story could be characterized as a “parable of forgiveness disguised as a shoot-em-up.”

The tale does contain heart-stopping violence but not any obscenity or skin scenes. Readers ranging in age from early teens to senior citizens have found it to be gripping and hard to put down. The premise of the tale along with the characters, the plot line, the action, and the arguments around the campfire combine to make this novel far more than the average mass-market paperback.

If you’re looking for a great read with a little more meat in it, Outlander Chronicles: Phoenix should be on your list. A sequel has also been released, Outlander Chronicles: Pegasus.

Both books are available from Amazon in print or Kindle formats, or from the Doorway Press store, from Bread of Life bookstore in Greenville, or from your favorite brick-and-mortar bookstore through the Ingram catalog. You can see all my books at chcobb.com.

Enjoy the beach, the lake, or the recliner with a good book!

Are you looking for some fun summertime reading?

Would you like some action-packed page-turners that don’t require you to wash the filth out of your brain when you’re done with ‘em? Maybe something with a little more substance than your average pulp fiction? Let me suggest a few ideas. By the way, if you are already ON vacation and forgot to bring a good book, all of these can be ordered on Kindle and enjoyed on your tablet or smart phone using the free Kindle App. You could be reading in ten minutes!

MILITARY/ESPIONAGE THRILLER: The Falcon Trilogy: Falcon Down, Falcon Rising, Falcon Strike.

Major Jacob “Falcon” Kelly is shot down by the Soviet Union and captured in a hi-tech kidnapping during the Cold War. He is the chief test pilot for a new, super-secret F16 weapons package, and the Soviets intend to interrogate him to learn its secrets. They’ve detained him at a secret GRU facility in Siberia, but whether or not they’ll be able to hold on to him is another matter. He has some skills of which they are unaware.

Of Falcon Down, Kirkus Reviews said:

“Cobb has clearly done his research on multiple counts and, like Tom Clancy or Dale Brown, masterly intertwines military technology and behavior into a tightly plotted narrative in which every development follows logically and smoothly from what came before. This deft touch extends to the characters . . . .”

An Amazon reader says of Falcon Rising, Book 2 of the Falcon trilogy: If you want a book you can put down, this might not be for you! I loved this book and the first book (Falcon Down) in this series as well! C.H. Cobb transports and entangles you alongside his characters with such vivid detail. I felt like I was one step behind them the whole way through this action-adventure. Can't wait for the next one!

Of Falcon Strike, an Amazon reader says: Cold War Russia in the 80's with all of the intrigue and eavesdropping, plus the US military at its very best. The reader gets a front row seat for the back room discussions of both sides with clear descriptions that provide a vivid mind picture of all the action. Plenty of unexpected twists and turns with several places to hold your breath waiting for the worst to happen.

Another reader comments: The third book in the Falcon series does not disappoint! It was as engaging as its predecessors. I could not put it down. The final battle was epic. Make sure you read all 3.

POLITICAL THRILLER: The Candidate:
Henry Marshall is a principled Christian conservative blogger who is convinced that both major parties have abandoned the Constitution. His intention is to be nothing more than a political gadfly, but his friends won’t allow him to stay on the sidelines, and his enemies don’t intend to allow him to live.

Journalist and author TJ Martinell said:

“Penned before the 2016 election cycle and the Trump phenomenon, The Candidate is a political thriller that unwittingly earns a place within the alternative history genre for its exploration of how far a man can go armed only with a message – and how far those within the establishment will go to stop him. . . . [M]any of the aspects of the plot seem prophetic, rather than slightly fanciful.

A pastor by trade, Cobb’s writing reflects extensive background knowledge of mainstream media, political strategy, the military, and of course constitutional history; each chapter begins either with a Bible verse or a passage from the Federalist Papers. The technical preciseness gives vital story subplots a sense of authenticity and realism.”

POST-APOCALYPTIC ACTION/ADVENTURE: Outlander Chronicles: Phoenix.

The year is 2120, but life in the USA—and around the globe—has been reduced to primitive survival. Eighty years earlier, a biological weapon of mass destruction caused a global smallpox pandemic, leaving only eight million survivors scattered around the entire globe. Jacen Chester, living near the ruins of Philadelphia, PA, decides that there must be more to life than mere survival. He determines to restart civilization and culture. He is aided by a mysterious stranger, and opposed by murderous groups.

One reader remarked about Phoenix: Dystopian fictions are so extremely popular and common right now that I made the mistake of lumping Phoenix in with all of the other ones, before having read it. What this book offers, from the beginning, is what others have a hard time offering. And that is a message of hope. [Amazon reader review]

Outlander Chronices: Pegasus
Book 2 of the Outlander Chronicles series. The Phoenix community has the mistaken notion that upon crossing the Mississippi west into Iowa, their troubles will be over. Little do they know that the worst challenges lie ahead of them.

[Pegasus is due for a June 15 release (print version) and July 10 (Kindle version). It will be available in print and Kindle versions, from Amazon and bookstores everywhere, as well as from my website.]






NON-FICTION DEVOTIONAL STUDY: A Prayer of Moses.

Psalm 90 is explored paying particular attention to the backdrop of the remarkable life of its author, Moses. Two themes in the psalm create a dramatic tension: divine wrath and grace. Jesus Christ is shown to be the necessary answer to Moses’ prayer. Suitable for groups or individuals.

Chris Cobb’s exegesis of Psalm 90 is solid and sobering. In a world that takes sin lightly, Christianity needs to hear the message of this Psalm which Chris Cobb has brought to life. [Dr. Brent Aucoin, President of Faith Bible Seminary,

Lafayette, Indiana]

All the books above can be purchased in print or Kindle format on Amazon, or can be ordered at your local bookstore (in Greenvlle, OH, at Bread of Life Bookstore). You can order signed print copies from me at www.doorwaypress.com or chcobb.com

Colorado Adventure, Part 4

Friday was a planned cabin day, with a side trip to Buena Vista so Doris could do a software download using the free Wifi at The Roastery. Here’s a couple of nerds in their cabin, glued to their laptops. We are both enjoying downtime.

It was a beautiful day. This is the scene from the deck.

On the way to BV we decided to take Lost Canyon Road. In this country, if you see a dirt road, and it’s not posted, you can take it. So I did. It ended at a gate and a barbed-wire fence. This was the view down the road we’d just come. Click on the picture for a bigger view.

This sign was posted on the gate.

We decided not to enter the gate.

On the way home from BV, we encountered a herd of about 40 mule deer, including quite a few bucks.

Saturday was a cabin day as well, because we wanted to watch the Iowa-Perdue game (Iowa won! Yay!). I spent most of the afternoon sitting on the cabin’s deck reading Outlander Chronicles: Phoenix.

“Why,” you ask, “would you read your own book?” I know—it might seem a little odd, but I had to refresh the characters in my mind in order to begin work on Outlander Chronicles: Icarus. And, no, I have not done any writing yet. 

Sunday we went to a great church: ClearView Community Church. Really enjoyed worshiping our mighty God with this group of believers.

After church it was time to do laundry. We found a laundromat through Google called “The Missing Sock,” but managed to get lost finding it. Apparently they have multiple streets named Antero Circle. After finding the wrong one, we kept looking and found the right one.

Does the view from your Laundromat look like this?

Didn’t think so.

Well, Monday is the great 4WD adventure over Weston Pass to Kite Lake. But that will have to wait for Part 5 . . .

Change-up in the book schedule

The release date for Outlander Chronicles: Icarus is being pushed back by one year--now scheduled for December 2016. It has been bumped by a story I have been toying with for about six months: a political thriller titled The Candidate, about a plain-spoken, non-lawyer, conservative/libertarian blogger who is talked in to running for President. I am hoping, Lord willing, to publish The Candidate in December of 2015--just in time for our real presidential election coming up in 2016.

I apologize to those of you who have been urging me to get the next Outlander Chronicles tale done. I really enjoy the Outlander series myself, so the next book will get done. The only reason I have bumped it back is because I am hoping that The Candidate will do well in an actual election year.

None of this affects Falcon Strike, which is on schedule for a release this December.

Bye-bye Barnes and Noble!

Rats! After struggling for several hours with the Nook platform, I regret to say that I am abandoning the Barnes and Noble NOOK. However - if you have a NOOK, and want a copy of one of my books, be sure to read to the end of this post. As always, Kindle copies are available on Amazon.

Two reasons why I am ditching the B&N platform.

#1, When I look at my book on the Nook for PC it looks perfect. When I look at it on the Nook Previewer on the author site, it looks terrible. C'mon, B&N! Both of these viewers are your software! Get your act together!

#2, There is currently a maelstrom of discontent among Nook authors. B&N is messing around with the Nook author's site (transfering everything from PubIt! to NOOK Press). It is a fiasco.

As an independent author who holds down a full-time job, I want to spend my discretionary time WRITING not playing with the bits and the bytes, or xhtml.

If you have a Nook, and you want to read one of my books, use the contact form on my web site and I'll be glad to email you the file directly. If it works on your Nook, you can pay me. If it doesn't, delete the file and we won't worry about it.

Falcon Down update

At long last, the editing on Falcon Down is complete. It should be available in the next thirty days, in print, Kindle, and Nook formats. You will be able to pre-order a signed print copy on my web site within a week!

What's the schedule on future books?

• The Psalm 90 study is coming out this summer.
• Falcon Rising, book 2 of the Falcon series will be available by December 1. It's already written, but just needs editing. Book 3 is also written, and should be available by next June, after extensive editing.
• Outlander Chronicles: Icarus will be released sometime in 2015.

Hunkering down over our laptops

Doris and I have spent the day each banging away on our laptops, and tomorrow will be more of the same, as we enjoy this New Year's holiday.

She's working on her PensofTwins website. I'm working on learning how to properly use Open Office (OO) styles so I don't keep trashing my novel as I'm writing it.

Such a sob story. OO trashed my book. Well, let me rephrase that. I did some boneheaded something or other that wound up clobbering the formatting in my new novel, Falcon Down. It was a product of my own ignorance (the boo-boo, not the book). Major league pain-in-the-neck.

So I've spent the day reading the manual for OO, determined to work with the product rather than fighting against it, and I'm setting up styles to format the book properly as I write. This is going to wind up being a valuable use of time, and a good experience, but I am champing at the bit to do more WRITING, not clutzing around with my word-processor. I hope to get back to actually writing more on the story some time tomorrow.

Doris has spent the day working on her website, learning arcane trivia about beginner's level HTML, style-sheets and what-not. She would rather be DRAWING and doing art and photo work. But it's a good experience for her, too, and she is slowly building her website. I love their logo, by the way. Diane designed it. Take a look.

Anyway, I suppose we make quite a pair. Believe me, the nuts don't fall far from the tree, either. When we had the kids here for Christmas it looked like a Dell sales event, with laptops everywhere. What a bunch of geeks.

 But it's been a good day, today, and what we've been working on had to get done, and the holiday has given us a break from the church ministry.

The fruit of Doris' labor can be seen at PensOfTwins.com, and her cards and my book Outlander Chronicles: Phoenix can be purchased from DoorwayPress.com.

Me? Small business? You're kidding!

I just awoke to a new reality. I have a small business. Me. ME! I haven't got enough business sense to balance my checkbook, but I am a small business man. Well, a tall small business man.

And that means that when the two candidates were talking about small business, they were talking about people like me. I still can't quite get my arms around that fact. 

What on earth are you talking about, Cobb?

I'm talking about the fact that I've got Doorway Press, which published my book, Outlander Chronicles: Phoenix. If that sounds like a rather cosy relationship, it is. My publisher does anything I ask him to do, which is really convenient. But then, on the other hand, I have to answer to my publisher's wife. Wonder how many other authors have to do that?

I've got an Ohio vendor license. I have to file a Schedule C. I've got a business checking account. I've got a handful of web sites. I've even learned what it means to run in the red (I've given away far more copies of OCP than I've sold; let's just put it this way: it hasn't made the New York Times bestseller list, even though its author's wife, and its publisher's wife (odd how that works), thinks it should).

Anyway, I hate business. I can't be a small business man! Wait, let me explain that. I love business and want businesses to be overwhelmingly successful and profitable. I just don't want to be involved with it. I don't mind if you're in bidness. I just don't want to be in bidness myself. But, I am. Oh, brother. Oh, bother.

My business moves along at glacial speed because my real job and ministry is being a pastor. Bidness is just something I do on Mondays, and sometimes late at night. I don't like bidness; I'd rather write. Haven't spun three words together today. Been workin' on Christmas decorations and bidness. Okay, that's not entirely true:  I did write this post. About bidness. Oh, bother!

And my bidness just took the next step. We're now selling on the web: my book, and Doris and Diane's notecards. Check 'em out here. Doris and Diane's website is called PensofTwins.com. At the moment, the only thing there is their logo. But as soon as they get down to bidness, you'll be able to see their drawings.

Outlander gets an eighth review!

Ken Snell posted a great review of Outlander Chronicles: Phoenix (OCP) on Amazon, giving the book five stars. You can read the review here. Full disclosure: Ken is my son-in-law's dad (but the review was unsolicited).

Sales of OCP have been very slow. The problem is that there is very little visibility to hook someone who's looking for a good book to read. Without an expensive marketing effort, few know the book is even there.Word-of-mouth accounts for almost all the sales.

Amazon reviews are helpful, because they provide additional information and credibilty for the person who just happens to see a title that catches their interest while browsing.

I was belly-aching about the slow sales to Ken in an email, and he reminded me of an important piece of theology that I need to keep in mind: "Rest assured of one thing.... every copy sold has the Lord's plan stamped on it; one day, you'll learn what that plan was for each copy and person!"
It was very encouraging to be reminded of that truth!

I've been working steadily on my next novel, Falcon Down while Doris and I have been on vacation, and reached an important milestone: I am over half-way finished! The manuscript is over 41,000 words in length to date, of a planned 80,000 total. Sometime this fall I anticipate being able to display the cover. 

I've also made progress on my Psalm 90 study, and still anticipate releasing that this fall.

A new review of Outlander Chronicles: Phoenix

A new review of Outlander Chronicles: Phoenix has been posted on the Captivated Reading book blog. You can see it here. It's a great review, and the blogger, Christy P., puts her finger directly on the aspect of Phoenix that distinguishes it from other post-apocalyptic novels, which is the presence of hope.

It's a great review, and I encourage you to check it out on her blog. The review will also be posted on Goodreads, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon sometime this weekend.

Thank you, Christy!

New Review for Outlander

Finally! Someone has written a new review of Outlander Chronicles: Phoenix, and posted it on Amazon.

Okay, time for the disclaimer: he's a good friend of mine, Dr. John Marshall. He has a PhD in History, and teaches at Eastern University in Philly. His specialty is Western intellectual history.

I am honored that he reviewed my book, and doubly honored by what he had to say about it:

“This is a well paced voyage into a future devastated by biological warfare. The survivors are divided between those who seek to retain a moral code and thereby rebuild civilization, and those who don't. Combining thought-provoking dialogue and brisk action, this book is a must-read for anyone who wants a peak into what the world could become if the west's moral force continues to erode.”

Many thanks, John!

Creative Writing update

Thought I'd provide an update on my writing efforts (aka works in progress).

Psalm 90: A Prayer of Moses the man of God. 
I've been working on re-assembling my sabbatical project into 13 study sessions of roughly equal length, so that it is suitable for a Sunday School quarter. It has proven to be more difficult than I first imagined. I am presently working on Session 11, which will take me through verse 15 (of 17) when it is complete.I hope to finish the structural part of the re-write in the next three weeks. Then it will go into final editing. Still have not done the cover design. Realistically, it will be early fall before it is published (by Doorway Press, of course).

Outlander Chronicles: Icarus
The only thing I am actively doing for the second book of the Outlander series is research and plot formation. I recently completed reading The Industrial Revolutionaries by Gavin Weightman in order to get a notion of what the Phoenix folks will be up against as they seek to resurrect technology. I will continue to do reading research, but will not do any significant writing until the Falcon series is published. I'd say we are at least three years, maybe four, out before serious writing on this project resumes. However, I enjoy the characters in this series and can't wait to involve them in their next trials and challenges. I will give you a hint of what is coming: familiarize yourself with the myth of Icarus, and it will give you an idea of from where the troubles of the Phoenix group will come.

Falcon Down
I'm really excited about this first book of what will be four in the Falcon series. I am within shoutin' distance of one-quarter of my word count for the first book (planned word count is 80,000 - I am currently at 17,000+). I have a complete, three-part novel of 200,000 words, unpublished, that will be carved into three books, and which will comprise the final three books of the four-book Falcon series. Falcon Down is functioning as a prequel.

The series is set in the Cold War era in 1986, and is a military/espionage thriller with lots of action and plot twists. The first and fourth books take place largely in the Soviet Union, the second and third are concentrated in Alaska. There is a great deal of research going into the project, down to such trival matters as the tail numbers on the aircraft I am using, or the construction of aircraft fuel-level senders. To be sure, you the reader are not subjected to such mind-wearying details; I am just ensuring that the tale, the plot and subplots, and the action are as authentic as possible.

I'd love to imagine that Falcon Down would be done in time for Christmas, but I think that's a little optimistic, probably by about six months. So lets say, June of 2013.

And what about Outlander Chronicles: Phoenix? How is it faring in the market?
It's selling, veeery slowly. I think I've given away more than I've sold at this point, but that's to be expected. An advertising piece for the book is being stuffed in the convention bags for the Christian Home Educators of Ohio conference that will be held June 21st-23rd in Akron. We hope to get a bump in sales from that. We had an excellent book-signing at Bread of Life bookstore here in Greenville in March, as well as a good author-interview on JoyFM at the end of February. But marketing is not my forte, and until I do better in this area sales will remain sluggish. We've gotten a lot of very positive reader comments. To this point, we've gotten no big-name reviews.

Pictures from the book-signing

On March 24, I had my very first book-signing at Bread of Life bookstore, here in Greenville, Ohio.

I had no idea what to expect. Because I am a complete unknown (outside the fact that the folks who go to my church know me) I had visions of no one showing up, sort of like the scene in National Treasure II when Riley is sitting alone at his book-signing and the passersby are ignoring him.

Then I found out my crew was coming, Doris, Dani, and Lauri, and Luke and Rori, so I figured it would not be so bad.

Then folks from the church began to show up (thank you, BFCers!). Dani is shooting this pix, and Doris is watching the grandkids in the children's play area, which is why you don't see them here. The bookstore owner, Don Smearsoll is at the lower right. Thanks, Don and Susan, for making the Cobb clan comfortable and welcome, and for the publicity and all the little extras to make this a success!

Rich came by, and had me sign his Kindle. Couldn't believe it. That was a first!

Thank you to all who came, and to all who bought books (we sold seventeen!).

Brad was there! (Click the picture to see a larger version)








 Grace, Elijah, and Beth came.

Steve bought a copy for a friend.

 

 Rick and Cheryl, and others, were there as well.





A real big thanks to Doris, who has not only endured my foolishness, but constantly encourages me in my writing, even though it eats up large chunks of the time I have at home.

Book-Signing

Saturday morning from 10:30 until 12:30, I'll be signing copies of Phoenix at the Bread of Life Bookstore, 107 West Main St, Greenville, Ohio.

This is my first signing, so for me it will be very special.

Thanks in advance to any who come, and thank you to the Smearsoll's for allowing me to do this signing! See you there!

My website is moving...

Within 24 hours, www.chcobb.com will no longer bring you here.

My blog will continue to be available here at chcobb.blogspot.com, including new posts.

However, I am creating a website at www.chcobb.com, and www.doorwaypress.com to support my writing efforts. You will always be able to access this blog through the Bible Fellowship Church website.

Hope this does not cause too many problems!

I'm changing gears for my next writing project. . .

Ever since finishing Outlander Chronicles: Phoenix I've begin gathering material for a new novel entitled The Candidate. It is about a plain-spoken, conservative blogger who finds himself as a viable candidate in the presidential election. I had hoped to finish the rewrite of OCP in time to get The Candidate done prior to the 2012 election. Didn't happen. So I'm putting it on the back burner.

I am excited about writing book 2 of the OC series, but there's a tale I've got to tell first.

My first novel was actually Makatozi's Revenge, a military-espionage thriller set in the Cold War, in 1986. The book is complete, and sitting on my shelf. It's a great tale. If you're curious about it, ask Carol Williams, she graciously read it.

But I can't publish it, because it is an unauthorized sequel to Louis L'Amour's Last of the Breed. The estate of L'Amour is not presently granting rights for that sort of thing, and many in the industry predict they never will.

So, I am going to write and publish my own prequel to MR. It will be a very different story (different from L'Amour's tale), but it will have the same general idea: an Air Force officer is kidnapped by the Soviet Union and manages to escape and make his way back to the U.S.A. Then I'll retool and retitle MR to fit the details of its new backstory.

Book 2 of OC (which is likely going to be titled, Outlander Chronicles: Icarus) will probably be completed between the above mentioned prequel, and the retooling of MR. I might attempt to write them concurrently, because it is another tale I just can't wait to tell!

Outlander Chronicles: Phoenix is finally available in print!

Just approved the proof copy tonight!

It is also available for Kindle and Nook.

NOTE TO BFCers! If you are planning on getting a copy of the print edition, get it at the church bookstore!! It will be cheaper there, and all proceeds for sales in December and January will go to support the mission clinic, Clinica de Iglesia Bautista Betania in Honduras. There will also be a copy available in the church library for loan. Ann Fields will be able to take orders as soon as this Sunday, but I don't expect the books to arrive until the week before Christmas. There will be one copy (my proof copy) on display this Sunday.