The Reading Lists – 2024 – David’s List

Author stephenpatrick1 Posted on January 15, 2024Categories Holocaust Engine series, Our process, The Writer's Life, Uncategorized

One of our mutual traditions is the reading list. Some are to inspire, others to critique. Some are for fun, some just jumped off the rack at us and others, well, just seem to deserve a read. Here’s David’s list. The covers are below and any comments are welcome! 1) 3 Alexander Kent Age-of Sail books. 2) Lord of the Dead by Tom Holland. 3) The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu. 4) The Great Wizards of Antiquity by Guy Ogilvy. 5) … Continue reading “The Reading Lists – 2024 – David’s List”

Writing Wednesday #4

Author stephenpatrick1 Posted on October 7, 2020Categories Our process, The Writer's LifeTags , , ,

Who sits in your co-pilot’s chair? When you set down to create at a desk, laptop, easel or workbench, do you have a partner? We’ll share ours below, but we’d love to see yours in the comments section, including any suggestions for keeping that co-pilot happy. *** David Rike and I write as a team; brainstorming, plotting and scheming across a variety of mediums. However, when it’s time to set down the story in ink, our writing practices diverge quite … Continue reading “Writing Wednesday #4”

What’s that sound?

Author stephenpatrick1 Posted on October 5, 2020October 5, 2020Categories Our process, The Writer's Life, Thought ExperimentTags ,

One of the scariest elements of a good horror story is the anticipation, the furious flight of an imagination trying to explain what is to come. Fireside ghost stories are full of these experiences as the storyteller builds to a reveal. Today’s question. What horror story (novel, TV, movie or campfire tale) built the best suspense for you? Was it satisfying to discover what was causing the “tap, tap, tap” sound coming from the roof of the car? Or did … Continue reading “What’s that sound?”

Writer Wednesday #3

Author stephenpatrick1 Posted on September 30, 2020September 29, 2020Categories Our process, The Writer's LifeTags , , , , ,

“How” do you write? For my writer friends, what is your preferred method for putting it all down for your reader? Ours are at the bottom, but please drop yours in the comments. We want to see inside your process. Pencil + paper? Ink + notebook? Chisel + stone Fire + blanket In the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Not at all (writing words down robs them of the freedom to be what they want to be) DAVID RIKE: … Continue reading “Writer Wednesday #3”

Reviews are in

Author stephenpatrick1 Posted on September 24, 2020September 24, 2020Categories Holocaust Engine series, Our process, The Writer's Life, UncategorizedTags , , ,

The first reviews for The Holocaust Engine are in: “…a chilling community horror adventure like no other, and one which leaves you with a lump in your throat throughout. Author team David Rike and Stephen Patrick have crafted one of the most interesting and original virus-style thriller novels I’ve read in a long while. As a horror fan, I felt that the violence, threat, and suspense were in excellent balance throughout the novel, with different aspects of fear coming through … Continue reading “Reviews are in”

A Long-Expected Party

Author stephenpatrick1 Posted on September 22, 2020September 17, 2020Categories Our process, The Writer's Life, Thought Experiment, UncategorizedTags , ,

Today is Hobbit Day, the annual day to celebrate the marvel and majesty of Middle-Earth. Whether you came to his work through print, screen, games, film or just meme’s, today’s the perfect day to turn our thoughts back to the Shire and the journey that J. R. R. Tolkien set out for us. Today’s question: What do you think of J. R. R. Tolkien and what he built for us? After you read ours, drop your thoughts and reflections in … Continue reading “A Long-Expected Party”

When pen hits the page

Author stephenpatrick1 Posted on September 20, 2020September 20, 2020Categories Holocaust Engine series, Our process, The Writer's LifeTags , , ,

Today’s “Writer’s Life” post explores the “when” of our writing: When do you write and why? DAVID RIKE: I like morning best.  I’ve found I only have a certain amount of creativity each day and if I don’t use it writing I wind up exhausting it just in the other details of my day. STEPHEN PATRICK: Morning before the family is awake and late at night when they are asleep are my most productive times. I’m a big fan of speech-to-text, … Continue reading “When pen hits the page”

Writer Wednesday

Author stephenpatrick1 Posted on September 16, 2020September 16, 2020Categories Holocaust Engine series, Our process, The Writer's Life, Thought ExperimentTags , , , , ,

One of the best things about being a writer is having writer friends. The creative churn of new releases, WIPs, and discussions about what they’re working on is inspiring. To celebrate the release of “The Holocaust Engine” by Evolved Publishing, I want to hear what my friends are working on. Drop your links, or even thoughts about that new WIP in the comments below. Show us what’s out there and what’s coming.

Take a Look Around: A Tour of www.holocaustengine.com

Author stephenpatrick1 Posted on September 14, 2020Format GalleryCategories Holocaust Engine series, Our process, Survival, The Writer's Life, Thought ExperimentTags , , ,

With the release of “The Holocaust Engine”, here is a guide to our corner of the web. This post should help you get started with what you may find here and why you should take a look around or subscribe to keep up with our updates. http://holocaustengine.com/ has three goals: Provide a home for news and insights related to “The Holocaust Engine”, our thriller trilogy set in Key West, FL. Provide a platform for deeper dives into the book for … Continue reading “Take a Look Around: A Tour of www.holocaustengine.com”

The end?

Author stephenpatrick1 Posted on September 13, 2020September 13, 2020Categories Our process, The Writer's Life, Thought Experiment, UncategorizedTags , , , , ,

All good things must come to an end, but some endings are better than others. We started this journey to our launch date talking about famous first lines. While we hope this journey never ends, it made us think about last lines. Sometimes they are the perfect bow on a perfect package. Othertimes, they leave us wanting more. Books, movies, whatever comes to mind, we’d love to see yours in the comments. Here are a few of ours: “The creatures … Continue reading “The end?”