The operating system on my computer has gone insane, so there might be a slight delay until the next post -- we are hopefully getting a new computer today/this weekend, and thus the problem shall be resolved. Sorry for the inconvenience, but things will be back on track by next week.

*** This is probably my next off-line project. No Man an Island started more than a decade ago, and only became an online novel because I wanted to get feedback on my writing. The Surprising Life and Death of Diggory Franklin is specifically an online story, designed for short cliffhanger chapters that run in a serial, it's not a complete novel but instead an ongoing story.

*** More of the Western that connects to NMAI, check my previous blog posts for chapter one***

The rough-worn cowboy led the priest to a local livery, striding through the open doors with a shaky swagger. He gave a loose salute to the hostler working there, shoeing a horse in one of the stalls. The gunman walked to a different stall, grabbing a saddle off a hook.

“If you’re coming with me, better grab that saddle and buckle up.” The gunslinger pointed at the next stall and the equipment there. Inside was a black horse, gently padding at the dirt, eager to be out.

I am temporarily suspending writing on "The Surprising Life and Death of Diggory Franklin." This should only be a few weeks. The reason is that I haven't been home all week, I've been visiting my father in the hospital as he is in the last stages of terminal lung cancer, and he lives in a different city. I'm home visiting my wife and kids today, and then heading back tomorrow.

So I've been without Internet access for more than a week, but I'm back online now! There will be updates in the coming week, my apologies to anyone this has inconvenienced.

There have been a number of changes: one, I have actual internet now, and am no longer depending on borrowing wi-fi. Second, a parental family member has stage four lung cancer that is in their bones, so things are chaotic and stressful here. Third: still no schedule for updates but I WILL STILL BE UPDATING on a "when time permits" basis.

With everything so crazy lately, I haven't had as much time for writing as I might like. Here's more of the No Man an Island sequel, so that readers have something this week. Hopefully I'll find more time this weekend for Diggory, as there are a lot of exciting developments around the corner!

With Rhia off at school, I had the house temporarily to myself. Considering she had been home all weekend, this meant that I spent my morning cleaning. I got laundry started, and started on the dishes from the night before.

The snow tore at me, almost knocking me over as I came out the door. I tightened my scarf around my face, leaving just a slit for my eyes. I bent low, fighting the wind, and plodded through the snow towards the graveyard.

It had only been snowing for maybe an hour, and the worst of it had only been in the past thirty or forty minutes. Yet it was already higher than my boots. Not much longer, and it would likely be knee high. I stumbled a few times in the wind, and tripped completely when I bumped into something hard.

GRrrrrrrrr! I am still sick. Here is more of the possible sequel, just until I find some time to write. SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Five:

“When’s Halloween, Mommy?” Rhia asked me as we got closer to the school.

“In three weeks.”

“How much is that?”

“A lot. Twenty-one sleeps.”

“Twenty-one! That is a lot!” She said it like it was years away. To her, I suppose it seemed that way.

“Why, honey?”

“I want to be a fairy for Halloween. Like Tinkerbell!”

“That is a wonderful idea.”

We reached the edge of the schoolyard. Rhia saw her friends gathering by the swings.

Sorry everyone: I'm not feeling too well so there isn't a Diggory update for Friday. I'll try to pick things up next week. In the meantime, here's more of the No Man an Island sequel. Hope you enjoy!

Three:

I woke up when my number-one daydream rolled out of bed. Ethan got up at the crack of dawn to feed the cows and chickens every morning. I ran my fingers down his back and he looked over his shoulder at me with a soft smile. He turned and kissed my palm, and then my wrist, and then left for his chores.

What do my readers think of Adult Content?

This is a serious question, undertaken after serious reflection -- jokes about Matt notwithstanding. Web Fiction has a small (but growing) audience. My own writing seems well-respected, but the audiences appears not just small, but teeny-tiny. I've given some thought to what makes Web Fiction succeed.