It's Dave, man. Open up.

By Dave White

Hi, Do Some Damage readers, I’m back.

And, to be honest, it feels like I never left.  It’s Sunday night, when I’m writing this, and I promised Steve Weddle, I’d have a post to him by the end of the weekend.  And I have no idea what to write about.  This was how it felt every Monday night when, around 10 o’clock at night, I realized I had a post to write.

I’d always freeze up.

The reason wasn’t the obvious one:  writer’s block plus a deadline.  No, it was often the problem of having too much to write about.  But not knowing what fit.  That was my problem, and it was the problem I feel permeates the blog-o-sphere.

When I left Do Some Damage, I wasn’t writing . . . not fiction, anyway.  I was working on graduate school papers, I was working on Rutgers blog posts, and I was working on raising a baby.  So, I wasn’t really thinking about fiction.  I had some ideas, and I had some opinions, but they were insular to the small-ish crime fiction internet world.

Which was the exact people I’d been writing to for nine years in some for or another.  But I wanted to move beyond that.  I wanted to catch the eye of the casual mystery fan.  I wanted to scream to them about Marcus Sakey or Jay Stringer or Russel McLean or Steve Weddle.  Get those books in front of the casual fans’ eyes.

And I didn’t know how.

The only thing I knew is seeing the headline “How to Write a Sex Scene” for the 8 billionth time on a blog wasn’t going to do it.  So, I stepped down.

But now I’m back, just for this week.  My old books are being published by a brand new publisher in the fantastic Polis Books.  Very soon, they’ll even be putting out a brand new Jackson Donne novel:  NOT EVEN PAST.

I’m back in the game.  I’m excited.

But I’m still faced with the same age-old problem.  I have too much to write about, and I don’t want to lecture you about writing.

Guess I’ll stick to Rutgers posts.

However, I did want to check in and say hi.  I miss you guys.  But the people who took over for me are doing fantastic work.  I still read every day.

And if you haven’t checked out my books, it’s a great time to do so.  WHEN ONE MAN DIES is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and iBooks.  The second Jackson Donne novel is available in the same places.

I hope you’ll give them a look.

What I Want For My Son

A month ago today, my wife and I were blessed with the birth of our son. Happy and healthy, he's changed out lives, for the better. And, as I assume every parent has done at one point or another, I've tried to take stock of what I want for him as he goes through this life.

-I want him to be happy. To smile, joke and enjoy each day. I know there will be good days and bad days, but I don't want him miserable. I want him to find the silver lining. Going along with that, having my sense of humor wouldn't hurt.

-My wife's smarts and organization. Goes without saying, if he has those things, he's got a step up already.

-I want him to witness something historic. It seems particularly appropriate to talk about this today. In my lifetime, I've seen two space shuttle explosions, the Berlin Wall come down-along with the end of the Cold War. One of the worst terrorist attacks in history. The election of the first black President. An impeachment. Some moments I was able to comprehend, some I wasn't. Some I still haven't. But I'd like him to see something, and at that moment take the time to realize what he's seen.

-A world ruled more by logic, intelligence and critical thinking. One where the sound bite falls along the wayside, and people start to debate again. A listen to the whole debate.

-Love. I want him to find love. The love of friends. The love of family. The love of his life. The love of his dreams.

-Choices. I want my son to have options. And I want him to be able to make those decisions as an informed person.

-This post boils down to something very simple. I want him to have more good and bad. And the goods are great and the bads aren't all that bad.

Isn't that what we all want?

Good luck, Ben. I'll be here for you.