I’ve got to tell you: Dan Brown is one fine thriller writer.  I just finished Deception Point.  For those of you who enjoyed The Da Vinci Code, consider his other books.  Two that I’ve read, Angels & Demons and Deception Point are better, I think, than even his bestseller, The Da Vinci Code.  From a writer’s point of view, Brown does it well; you can learn an awful lot by noting his techniques.  He cleverly foreshadows events that make you slap yourself on the forehead when you later find out what happened.  He generates interesting characters, uses innovative technology in a realistic way, and crams a lot of action into a short period of time.  His books take place over a period of about one day, give or take–which makes his books a lot like a written form of the TV show, 24.  Has anyone read Digital Fortress?

I’ve received word from the American Meteorological Society (AMS) that my essay, “A Meteorological Fiction” will appear in the December issue of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.  This essay discusses my transition from a research scientist for the Naval Research Laboratory to a writer of fiction.  Once the article has been published, I will include a copy on this web site under the page, “Recent Articles.”

I had a successful book signing this past Saturday at the Oakridge Borders in San Jose, California.  I sold 28 books, almost equally divided between Category 5 and Prophecy.  Several previous readers of Category 5 came in to buy the sequel.

Today, October 8, 2007, is the official launch date of my new web site. Jeniffer Thompson and her team from Monkey C Media worked with me to produce a web site that I am proud of. The development took several steps. First, we spend hours together (on the phone) looking at various web sites that I liked and didn’t like. Then, after we developed a backdrop that seemed appropriate for the themes of my book, she painstakingly created a site to which she adapted everything from my old site (and more) that I had developed myself. Please take note of the pages listed (to the right) after you click on Blog. I didn’t fully appreciate the flexibility I would have in creating new pages there myself. Many of the pages there are also linked to items on the home page.

Jeniffer did a great job and I would recommend her to others who might be considering a web design.

Many of you know that my professional life, before I retired, revolved around meteorology and my work with the Naval Research Laboratory. The professional organization with which I’m affiliated is the American Meteorological Society (AMS). Recently, I was asked to write a book review of “Hemingways Hurricane: The Great Florida Keys Storm of 1935″ by Phil Scott. In addition, I was asked to write an essay concerning my transition from meteorology to writer, particularly since my first book, Category 5, had a meteorological base. I called the essay, “A Meteorological Fiction.” Both the review and essay should appear in upcoming months. If it’s legal, following their publication, I will include copies of those articles on this web site.

Yesterday, I completed my third Borders signing for Prophecy; consecutive signings at San Jose Oakridge Mall, Sunnyvale, and yesterday, Milpitas. I sold, respectively 30, 43, and 29 books which is pretty good for me. The 43 figure is a new nonDecember record. Interestingly, I sell about equal numbers of Category 5 and Prophecy. Because Prophecy is a sequel (although it can stand on its own) many readers want to start with the first one–which makes sense.

When I do book signings, I often get asked what a thriller novel is. I usually say that a thriller is an exciting genre of fiction that is fast-paced and often has the world hanging by a thread.

Here is a definition (from the web) that I think is a good one:

A thriller is a novel of suspense with a plot structure that reinforces the elements of gamesmanship and the chase, with a sense of the hunt being paramount. Thrillers can be spy novels, tales of geopolitical crisis, legal thrillers, medical thrillers, technothrillers, domestic thrillers. The common thread is a growing sense of threat and the excitement of pursuit.

Today I signed a contract with Jeniffer Thompson of moneyCmedia to redesign my web site to give it a professional appearance. Those of you who have thought that my current site looks a bit hokey won’t be able to say that in a month or so. Ms. Thompson has an excellent reputation.

Today I instituted a new feature on my web site, putting in the Google Earth satellite images for most of the locations in my book, Category 5. Next on the agenda will be the comparable ones for Prophecy. For all locations pictured, I visited those locations and took the GPS coordinates using a Magellan Meridian Platinum handheld GPS receiver.

My book has been on the Amazon.com website for about a week now but hasn’t yet made the Barnes and Noble one; hopefully soon. Because the book made the Amazon site, it should therefore also be available for order at any bookstore.