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There are some cities and towns that fall under the radar and should be visited by curious travelers. Some folks refer to them as hidden gems. Occasionally my wife and I take long weekend trips to va…
There are some citie…
There are some cities and towns that fall under the radar and should be visited by curious travelers. Some folks refer to them as hidden gems. Occasionally my wife and I take long weekend trips to various areas within a reasonable driving distance and we discovered a gem in Greenville, S.C. The small city is about 365 miles from our home in Frankfort, Ky., about a six-hour drive depending on the route (we took the scenic route through eastern Kentucky, crossing parts of southwestern Virginia, and east Tennessee). Main Street While Greenville proper has a population of about 72,000, the metr…
Michael Embry
August 14, 2024 It's been a while since I've posted a blog. That's going to end today.I'm unsure why there's been a drought since Dec. 7, 2023. It's been frustrating. I've had things to write about, especially Travel…
It's been a while si…
It's been a while since I've posted a blog. That's going to end today.I'm unsure why there's been a drought since Dec. 7, 2023. It's been frustrating. I've had things to write about, especially travels to various places, but I haven't been inclined to put those trips down in words. Maybe it's a little laziness on my part. I plan to rectify that in the coming weeks.I have been writing, though. I'm working on the seventh novel in my John Ross Boomer Lit series. I also post book reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, and other sites. I also edit the monthly newsletter from Wings ePress. You can check it …
Michael Embry
July 19, 2024 
It's been quite a while since I've posted something here. My apology. I could use the excuse that sometimes life gets in the way, but that would be a cop-out. A writer should write, regardless. I h…
It's been quite a …
It's been quite a while since I've posted something here. My apology. I could use the excuse that sometimes life gets in the way, but that would be a cop-out. A writer should write, regardless. I have been writing, but not on this platform since last May.First, I had the sixth book in my John Ross Boomer Lit series, Cradle of Conflict, published on Dec. 1. Anyone who has written a book knows that there's a lot of writing that goes into the final product, from drafts (I had seven), to edits, to rewrites. So that took up a lot of my time until I wrapped it up in early November with my editor …
Michael Embry
December 7, 2023 
I haven't posted a blog in about three months. That's a long time in cyberspace. It was my plan at the start to have a minimum of one post per week and usually exceeded that number. But sometimes l…
I haven't posted a…
I haven't posted a blog in about three months. That's a long time in cyberspace. It was my plan at the start to have a minimum of one post per week and usually exceeded that number. But sometimes life gets in the way of intentions. It's not like I've been in a vegetative state, even though I'm a vegetarian. I'm still working on the third rewrite of the sixth book in my "John Ross Boomer Lit Series." It hasn't come along as smoothly as the previous entries, but still, there's progress. I'd like to finish it in a few weeks to submit to my publisher for publication later this year. It might b…
Michael Embry
May 27, 2023 A week ago I returned to a manuscript that had been in a file folder for nearly a year. I had put it aside for various and sundry reasons. For those who don't follow my blog, I'm working on the s…
A week ago I returne…
A week ago I returned to a manuscript that had been in a file folder for nearly a year. I had put it aside for various and sundry reasons. For those who don't follow my blog, I'm working on the sixth book in the John Ross Boomer Lit series. I confess that it's been a rocky return to the manuscript. I work on a chapter each day with edits and rewrites. The problem is that I'm still not sure I like where the story is headed.I originally thought I could build on the 40k words and finish the first draft in a couple months. Perhaps that'll happen once I get into a groove. My big concern is t…
Michael Embry
February 8, 2023 
It's been nearly a year since I saved the manuscript for my next novel on the hard-drive. I put it aside for reasons that I'll keep to myself. But on Feb. 1, I reopened it to begin work on the sixt…
It's been nearly a…
It's been nearly a year since I saved the manuscript for my next novel on the hard-drive. I put it aside for reasons that I'll keep to myself. But on Feb. 1, I reopened it to begin work on the sixth book in my John Ross Boomer Lit series. It's my hope to have a complete draft finished in two months. I've written more than 41k words so my first task is to read what I've already written and go from there. So far it's been almost like going over another writer's words. That's good because I'm giving a reader's eye to the story.I'll be making edits and rewrites along the way as the story comes…
Michael Embry
February 1, 2023 
It may seem odd to many boomers and other old folks, but I don’t fear death.Now in my mid-70s, I’ve reached many of the goals set many years ago. I never expected life to go on forever — and wou…
It may seem odd to m…
It may seem odd to many boomers and other old folks, but I don’t fear death.Now in my mid-70s, I’ve reached many of the goals set many years ago. I never expected life to go on forever — and wouldn’t want it to. After so many trips around the Sun, it can get kinda boring.But have you ever considered a few of the positives about kicking the proverbial bucket?No more filing state and federal income taxes. That means no longer have to keep track of everything you do during the previous years before filing.No more having to replace vehicles, appliances, and other devices.No more grieving o…
Michael Embry
January 30, 2023 
Embarking on another year, it's my intention to make it better than the previous one. It's not always the case because most things are beyond my control. So, in that case, I simply try to go with t…
Embarking on anoth…
Embarking on another year, it's my intention to make it better than the previous one. It's not always the case because most things are beyond my control. So, in that case, I simply try to go with the flow and encounter things as smoothly as possible, although bumps along the way can snap one out of a stupor. So here are some of my goals, not resolutions, for 2023:Get back to my novel, the sixth book in the John Ross Boomer Lit series. It's been sitting dormant for about eight months. I've written more than 40k words so I need to read and rewrite from the get-go.For many years, I've planned…
Michael Embry
January 1, 2023 
This year wasn't the most productive for me. I reached a few of my personal goals. I don't know if it's age or what. Perhaps I don't have the stamina and motivation. I don't know if that's attribut…
This year wasn't t…
This year wasn't the most productive for me. I reached a few of my personal goals. I don't know if it's age or what. Perhaps I don't have the stamina and motivation. I don't know if that's attributable to growing older or simply limited interest in doing things. Only time will tell.On the writing front, I didn't have many posts here, probably the fewest ever. As mentioned before, I don't want to post something for the sake of posting something. It's a waste of my time and of readers as well. I do plan to write more about music and travel. There's such a glut of posts out there about writing…
Michael Embry
December 31, 2022 
I'm a member of Goodreads and always participate in its Reading Challenge every year. This year's personal challenge was to read 30 books; so far I've exceeded that at 32 and still have a couple more …
I'm a member of Good…
I'm a member of Goodreads and always participate in its Reading Challenge every year. This year's personal challenge was to read 30 books; so far I've exceeded that at 32 and still have a couple more on my bookshelf.As a writer, I'm a voracious reader. I believe reading makes me a better writer. I think all writers feel that sentiment about their writing. While I love books, I also read newspapers, magazines, blogs, and various Internet sites. Even cereal boxes. Here are the books that claimed some of my precious time this year.I spent an inordinate amount of time reading about our disgraced …
Michael Embry
December 22, 2022 
It's been six weeks since I posted anything on this blog site. For those who are subscribers, I apologize. For others, I will return at some point in time. Bear with me. The point I want to make to…
It's been six week…
It's been six weeks since I posted anything on this blog site. For those who are subscribers, I apologize. For others, I will return at some point in time. Bear with me. The point I want to make today is that I'm not going to post something for the sake of posting something. If I don't have anything to say, I'm not going to fabricate some line that is a waste of my time, and more importantly, of yours! I do intend to get back to regular posts, after the holidays and when I have the time to write something worthy of your time. As many of you probably know, I try to avoid politics. It's not…
Michael Embry
December 19, 2022 
Asheville is a jewel in the Blue Ridge Mountains, a small city with big appealDowntown AshevilleMy three-day visit to North Carolina in October exceeded expectations. I knew some things about the city…
Asheville is a jewel…
Asheville is a jewel in the Blue Ridge Mountains, a small city with big appealDowntown AshevilleMy three-day visit to North Carolina in October exceeded expectations. I knew some things about the city, such as the famous Biltmore Estate, and did some research on other places to experience.For many years, while traveling to places in the southeast, I would drive past the Asheville exits on the interstate. Looking back, that was my loss. But I'm glad I was able to overcome the foolish decision of my younger years. Yep, live and learn.Blue Ridge Mountains It's hard to beat driving to that area o…
Michael Embry
November 1, 2022 
It will be a star-studded gathering of authors at the 41st annual Kentucky Book Festival on Saturday.Around 150 authors, including yours truly, will take part in the day-long event at Joseph-Beth Bo…
It will be a star-…
It will be a star-studded gathering of authors at the 41st annual Kentucky Book Festival on Saturday.Around 150 authors, including yours truly, will take part in the day-long event at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lexington. It runs from 9:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. This will be my 11th appearance as an author, beginning in 1985 when it was called the Kentucky Book Fair and held in Frankfort. Newspaper journalist Carl West founded the fair in 1981. I also served on the executive board for six years, until it moved to Lexington in 2017 under the auspices of the Kentucky Humanities Council. This year…
Michael Embry
October 27, 2022 
I always take a notebook or notepad with me when I travel. I usually write about a day's events after I return to the hotel, but sometimes I'll put down thoughts on the bus or when there's a break a…
I always take a no…
I always take a notebook or notepad with me when I travel. I usually write about a day's events after I return to the hotel, but sometimes I'll put down thoughts on the bus or when there's a break along the way. I don't trust my mind to remember everything I've seen or heard over a busy day.My notebookI also keep a small spiral notepad in my camera bag so I can jot down information about where I took a photo. I find it valuable, especially when I return home and begin sorting through the hundreds of images I've taken at various stops along the way. So, here are some of my scribbles from my r…
Michael Embry
September 11, 2022 
One of my joys when traveling is to go off the beaten path and explore places that expand one's experiences in life. While Banff, Glacier, and Yellowstone national parks are certainly highlights of my…
One of my joys when …
One of my joys when traveling is to go off the beaten path and explore places that expand one's experiences in life. While Banff, Glacier, and Yellowstone national parks are certainly highlights of my recent guided tour, it was several side trips that added richness to the journey.Head-Smashed-In Buffalo JumpAfter three days in Banff, the bus headed south in Alberta, Canada, to Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site. The name of the place puzzled me, but learned that it was about the three Blackfoot tribes and their relationship with the buffalo for over 6,000 ye…
Michael Embry
September 9, 2022 
Yellowstone National Park had been on my travel bucket list for many years and it certainly lived up to expectations in August as a fascinating and unforgettable place to visit with its geysers, can…
Yellowstone Nation…
Yellowstone National Park had been on my travel bucket list for many years and it certainly lived up to expectations in August as a fascinating and unforgettable place to visit with its geysers, canyons, colorful springs, waterfalls, and assorted wildlife. Steamy geysersI was concerned when flooding ravaged parts of the park on June 12, washing out roads and damaging infrastructure about seven weeks before my tour was scheduled for a two-day visit. But give credit to the National Park Service staff for making the needed repairs that opened most of the park for tourists. Yellowstone is the …
Michael Embry
September 4, 2022 
Glacier National Park is a wonder to behold.Red Jammer Unfortunately, my visit to this majestic park was for only a few hours, boarding a 1936 vintage Red Jammer at St. Mary with 11 other passenger…
Glacier National P…
Glacier National Park is a wonder to behold.Red Jammer Unfortunately, my visit to this majestic park was for only a few hours, boarding a 1936 vintage Red Jammer at St. Mary with 11 other passengers and traveling the Going-to-the-Sun Road to Logan Pass. But along the way, you can't help but marvel at the mountains, valleys, waterfalls, and wildlife that passes before you along the way. Encompassing about 1 million acres, it was designated a national park in 1910.Glacier National ParkYou also see scores of hikers who get off the beaten path to explore the beautiful region of North America, s…
Michael Embry
September 1, 2022 
In the weeks before arriving in Banff, I read several travel guides, travel blogs, and watch informative and entertaining videos on YouTube. Before I travel anywhere, I do a lot of homework …
In the weeks befor…
In the weeks before arriving in Banff, I read several travel guides, travel blogs, and watch informative and entertaining videos on YouTube. Before I travel anywhere, I do a lot of homework to familiarize myself with the destination. I believe it enhances a trip because it provides a roadmap, so to speak, of places I want to see on my adventure. For those who might be unfamiliar with Banff National Park, it is Canada's oldest national park, created in 1885 as Rocky Mountains Park. It is in Alberta, a western province, and about 80 miles from Calgary.Gondola on Sulphur Mountain…
Michael Embry
August 29, 2022 
