When Center Point publishes Brass in the Desert in September, I will have published eight-two books. That novel, perhaps my last, is a poignant story about some lonely prospectors in the arid Nevada back country, and their struggle to survive. It will appear in various formats. I didn't start writing fiction until midlife, and after that I wrote steadily and hard.

Some of my books were published under pseudonyms or for author franchises. Some are mysteries, most of them written as Axel Brand. One is a novella. One is a memoir. In addition, I have published nine short stories, all of them dealing with the American West. Another, just completed, is a contemporary short story about a medical mystery, and I have submitted it to Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. I would be thrilled if that legendary publication would take it, because it is the first writing I have felt good about since I suffered the grand mal seizure in 2014. Publication of that story would be handing my life back to me.

I want to thank all my readers for staying with me during these difficult months when the troubles of age ganged up on me. You have been most kind to me. There are many people who helped me along the way, and to each of you I send my appreciation.