Author: sassevn

• When we all were farmers

  I was chatting with a colleague yesterday, and he was reminiscing about his summers as a kid, visiting his relatives’ farm in Vandergrift Pennsylvania – only about a thirty minute drive from where I grew up. His stories about playing in the barn with bales of hay brought me back to the days when all […]

  sassevn

  January 30, 2023

  american culture, Life

  life, nostalgia

• Checking in/Looking Ahead

  It’s been a whirlwind few weeks as the holiday season flipped to the new year, and I found myself thrown back into the desert in Jeddah to finish up my final semester of teaching theatre here. Yes, it’s time to move on. Moving on to what is the next big question. I’ve jumped into some […]

  sassevn

  January 21, 2023

  Indie Author, Life

  indie author

• Skip the Big Guys … If You Can

  Buy local. Support local. Help the independent. Swim against corporate hegemony! You know … we all think it. We like the idea of supporting local as much as possible. Heck, I’m an independent author, so I clearly understand the appeal of supporting individuals to use their passion to survive and thrive. But it sure is […]

  sassevn

  December 31, 2022

  Life

  support local

• A Vigil for a Starry Night

  

  I end up posting this on Christmas every couple of years. It’s a short Christmas performance piece, which I have stripped away the descriptions and left only the message behind. I think it’s a beautiful, poignant, and fitting message on this frigid Christmas Eve 2022. Merry Christmas! A Vigil for a Starry Night by Mark […]

  sassevn

  December 24, 2022

  10-minute play, Writing Excerpt

  Christmas story

• What more could a writer want?

  Every once in a while I receive a review from a reader of one of my works that makes it all worthwhile. What’s the it? The writing process, the production of the book, the maddening and frustating promotion process, the long wait for sales, the doubts and dreams which altenate in my mind … and […]

  sassevn

  December 21, 2022

  Indie Author, Writing Process

  reviews, writing process

• Best Christmas Gift (sort of)

  When I was a boy, one of the greatest and memorable days of every year was when the Sears Christmas Catalogue arrived in the mail. The full-color pages created a wonderland of wishes for this starry-eyed country boy. They had it all: the latest toys, games, and sports equipment. They even sold the full sets […]

  sassevn

  December 19, 2022

  Life

  Christmas, christmas gifts, Christmas story, nostalgia

• My Christmas Collection

  I guess it’s no secret that I love Christmas. I’ll be travelling back to the U.S. in two days to celebrate the holidays. I’ve written quite a bit about Christmas. I just published my first Christmas novel recently. I’ve previously published three completely different and unique Christmas short stories on Kindle. Two are historical fiction […]

  sassevn

  December 14, 2022

  Indie Author, Promotion

  christmas books

• Limited Sale!

  Here’s your chance to grab some great Kindle books for cheap! THE AFRICAN CONNECTION – Book 2 of THE FORGOTTEN CHILD TRILOGY is free on Kindle through December 11. And, my brand new Christmas novel CHRISTMAS IN ’45 is discounted to only $0.99 through the weekend. Grab yourself a copy and pass the word on […]

  sassevn

  December 10, 2022

  Indie Author, Promotion

  christmas books, fantasy, new christmas novels 2022

• Why a Writer’s Brain

  I was in class the other day. One of my students was reading one of my scripts out loud that his group will be performing in the coming weeks. At one point he stopped and looked over at me and asked, “How do you think of this? This is good. I never would have thought […]

  sassevn

  November 25, 2022

  Indie Author

  generating ideas, novel planning, novel writing, writing ideas, writing process, writing tips

• A Night at the Famed Gabziadze Theatre

  Finally, on my third attempt, I was able to attend a marionette theatre show at the famed Gabziadze Theatre in Tbilisi, Georgia. The other two times I was there I found myself shut-out because of a sell-out. The theatre is a quaint place which seeps in reverence for the theatrical traditions of the stage. These […]

  sassevn

  November 3, 2022

  Reviews, drama

  gabziadze theatre, marionnete, puppet theatre, Tbilisi