Blog
Browse the archive from the left and open any entry directly, or scan recent posts in the grid.
Dreamwriter Release Announcement
October 6, 2026
Written by AGdR Press’ Comms TeamClay Weill’s new novel, Dreamwriter, releases from AGdR Press on October 15, 2026. The paperback is already available on Amazon for $25. The Kindle edition is still processing, and bookstores and libraries may order through Ingram.What would you do if a magical Call…
The Missing Day Forty – Day Forty One
October 11, 2025
What the hell happened to Day Forty. I wrote it. I posted it. It was about feeling like I was a marooned sailor on a desert island. I remember because I couldn’t figure out if it was desert or dessert. And I was too proud to look it…
In Praise of Sandwiches – Day Thirty Nine
October 9, 2025
I really like sandwiches. I like other kinds of food as well. But sandwiches never disappoint. I like it when people other food on a sandwich. Chicken-Parm sandwich –better than chicken-parm. Chicken Salad sandwich –better than chicken salad. It works with non chicken foods too. Salmon burger –better…
The Gift of a Canceled Meeting – Day Thirty Eight
October 8, 2025
There is a crystal blue sky today. The birds are singing in my back yard. My puppy dog is cuddled up next to me. And I’m getting ready to visit Brix. Feeling pretty good right now. I was supposed to go to a meeting this afternoon; it got…
Teaching, Heat, and the Dream of Cooler Weather – Day Thirty Seven
October 7, 2025
I was without internet this morning, so I’m latter today than normal. It was a good teaching day. I fed young minds the seeds of knowledge and then guided them through the intricacies of the day. Or I lectured longly and boringly to a captive audience that couldn’t…
I Love a Monday – Day Thirty Six
October 6, 2025
I love a Monday. Started early this morning with a early Dr. appointment. Settling in for some creative work right now. Got some record keeping to do later. Hoping to work out after that and then make dinner for my family after that. I should be a great…
Everyone Is Feeling Better – Day Thirty Five
October 5, 2025
Everyone is feeling better. It’s been more than twenty four hours since a heartbeat in this house, there are ten heartbeats in this house –five human, five animal –like I was saying it’s been more than twenty four hours since a heartbeat in this house has thrown up…
Sick Dog, Same Routine – Day Thirty Four
October 4, 2025
Up early this morning taking care of a sick dog. She has an upset tummy, but is fighting through it like a champ. Walkers? Still barked at. Squirrels? Still chased. Little brother dog? Still bullied. It’s just today there is throw up between the activities on Girl Dog’s…
Writing, Routine, and a Week Interrupted – Day Thirty Three
October 3, 2025
It’s been a frustrating week in that I have not had time to write since Monday. My medical stuff that I mentioned. Family medical stuff last night. I’m out of routine and I hate that. I may be able to salvage some time this afternoon, but I’m not…
Why I Love October – Day Thirty Two
October 2, 2025
I love October. I love fall. I love cool weather. Not bitter cold, but fall cool. Grey afternoons. Warm fires. Cookies and holiday cheer. Halloween is coming. And the best, Thanksgiving. I’m already working on my menu. Christmas is good too. But I’ve always been a little disappointed…
Colonoscopy Prep, Briefly – Day Thirty One
October 1, 2025
Prepping for a colonoscopy as we speak. That is all. *posted from bathrooms unknown
A Month Adrift on the Internet – Day Thirty
September 30, 2025
I’ve been adrift on the interwebs for a month now. I don’t feel worse. I might feel better. If nothing else there is hope and effort and at least a one in a billion chance of something really good happening to day. It’s easy to despair. It’s easy…
Nearing the End of Brix – Day Twenty Nine
September 29, 2025
Monday. (I still love Mondays.) It’s gonna be a great day; it’s gonna be a great week. I should finish chapter eleven of Brix this week. I’m very excited because there are only twelve chapters in the entire project. I would say book, but I think Brix will…
Deadlines and a Partner’s Return – Day Twenty Eight
September 28, 2025
My partner and friend is back in town. He was traveling in Europe over the last two weeks. His return was my deadline for some of the deliverables I wrote about a few weeks. I have cognitively planned those items, but not yet completed them. Not to 100%….
Flu Shots, Writing, and Birthday Weekend – Day Twenty Seven
September 27, 2025
Wrote. Got a flu shot. Worked out. Not the best decision I’ve ever made. I wrote well though. And that’s always nice I’m really looking forward to the weekend. Gonna spend time with the family. It’s wife’s birthday. There will be a party with cake and the ice…
Doctor Visits and Permission to Talk About Myself – Day Twenty Six
September 26, 2025
I’m feeling reflective today. Probably because I’m going for my checkup later. Some people dread going to the doctor, probably because they are afraid of bad news I suppose. But I rather enjoy it. The doctor’s office is one of the few places I don’t feel badly talking…
Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream and Teaching Day – Day Twenty Five
September 25, 2025
Wrote. Worked Out. Made Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream. Yesterday was a good day. Today is a teaching day. I’m fired up. It’s fun talking to my students. Keeps young. Tomorrow is going to be another great writing day. All is well in my very small corner of the…
Back Under the Sea with Brix – Day Twenty Four
September 24, 2025
Going to get to write today. Life has conspired against me with sick children and sick parents (my parents, not me), so I haven’t visited Brix in a week. But today I’m heading under the sea. As soon as I finish this, actually. I’m fired up. It’s going…
Writing Into an Empty Room – Day Twenty Three
September 23, 2025
I’ve deleted all the spam comments from the site. I had been neglecting that so it took a while. But now that there are no pending comments the stats page is at the top of my dashboard. And this page tells me that zero people have read any…
In Defense of Monday – Day Twenty Two
September 22, 2025
I love a Monday. I hear a lot of TGIF, but I love a Monday. To me Mondays are beginnings. I don’t know what’s going to happen this week. It’s exciting. Could be awesome. That applies to both the real world and the imaginary world. In the real…
Depression, Exercise, and the Trouble with Sitting – Day Twenty One
September 21, 2025
I have no thoughts this morning. It happens to me sometimes. My depression is often cyclical. And there are days when everything just slows down. Exercise helps. Which sucks, because I really love sitting. The only thing I love more than sitting is laying. So I will go…
Nightmares, Fall Weather, and a Book Festival Logo – Day Twenty
September 20, 2025
Feeling really good today despite more nightmares last night. I’m ready for the weather to turn fall-ish around here, but otherwise it’s beautiful out. Crystal blue sky. Freshly cut grass smell across the neighborhood. No breeze, but I’m sure fall is coming. I got the logo for the…
Nightmares and the Stories the Brain Tells – Day Nineteen
September 19, 2025
I’ve been having violent nightmares for the past several weeks. Could be the new house I’m living in. (Don’t end a sentence with a preposition.) Could be the new drug my doctor prescribed. Could be my brain trying to work through the Trump administration. (I wonder if I’m…
Writing, Teaching, and Pizza Night – Day Eighteen
September 18, 2025
Wrote. Worked Out Went to the Doctor. Yesterday was a good day. Today is a teaching day. Working hard to enlighten young minds. It’s nice to be around people who aren’t cynical and depressed all the time. Wife is going to be out tonight, so it’s pizza night…
Deadlines and a Depressive Episode – Day Seventeen
September 17, 2025
Taught. Napped. Watched TV with my daughter. Yesterday was a good day. I have a long list of things to do today. Writing is at the top, but working on my deliverables is not on the bottom. Mr. Monts will be home from Europe on the 23rd. So…
Plans, Deliverables, and Bookstores – Day Sixteen
September 16, 2025
Plans and Deliverables. Plans and Deliverables. Plans and Deliverables. I am most successful when I am in a book store. So the plan should be to go to book stores. The deliverable would be a list of local book stores that I (Monts) need to contact. The next…
A Week of Action, Maybe – Day Fifteen
September 15, 2025
I’ve fallen into a familiar pattern when it comes to marketing. A bit of research followed by a lot of nothing. This week is going to be different. This week is going to be a week of action. I am going to concentrate on plans and deliverables. Plans…
The Perfect Shabbat – Day Fourteen
September 14, 2025
Yesterday was the perfect shabbat. Watched three movies. Made some apple bread and then some turkey burgers. Didn’t think about work at all. I got to spend the whole day in the company of my wife. The day couldn’t have been better.
Marketing, Hopelessness, and Unappreciated Artists – Day Thirteen
September 13, 2025
The feelings of hopelessness are just beginning to set in. (Don’t end a sentence with a preposition.) Soon will come despair. It’s usually at that point that I give up with the marketing efforts. It takes a little bit of rationalization. But not a lot. It starts with…
Back to Brix – Day Twelve
September 12, 2025
Didn’t think about work at all yesterday. I was teaching. Today I will spend time noodling, reading, imagining. I’m looking forward to the book festival in November. I’m excited to return to book stores here and there. This has always been a problem of managing dreams and expectations….
Swimming Against the Social Media Tide – Day Eleven
September 11, 2025
A new study came out citing the ills and popularity of social media. I am truly swimming against the tide. If I may take a moment to feel sorry myself, advertising is less effective than it used to be across the board. Several industries are less successful, especially…
The Social Media Roadblock – Day Ten
September 10, 2025
And I’ve reached the road block of Social Media. I’ve been here before. I’ve just forgotten. Conventional wisdom is the best most effective way to find the imaginary readers I’ve identified is on social media. Bookstagram and Booktok were repeatedly mentioned –mostly by posts on platforms owned by…
A Good Day and the Search for Readers – Day Nine
September 9, 2025
Wrote. Worked Out. Made Dinner. It was a good day. I did not do any additional marketing. But tomorrow is a new day. Today is a wash, today is a teaching day. Maybe I can sneak in some research. Or spend my time crafting my message. That should…
Finding the Imaginary Audience – Day Eight
September 8, 2025
Okay, I’ve identified my ideal audience. I did not like the exercise. Next I have to locate them, craft a message for them, and then get that message too them. Doesn’t sound so hard. Also sounds like something I would normally procrastinate. We’ll see what happens this week.
Who Are My Readers? – Day Seven
September 7, 2025
A new week means new goals. It is time to be proactive, gear up, and do some things I don’t like doing. The first thing I have to do is identify, well, you. Who are you? At the moment you’re imaginary. But that’s okay. I have a great…
Old Westerns and a Quiet Shabbat – Day Six
September 6, 2025
Good Shabbas. Spent the morning cleaning windows and running errands. Not the holiest of activities. But very satisfying. Watching movies later. Got some seventy year old westerns. I find it weird to watch a film where all the people in it are dead. I do this often. I…
Being Boring and Writing Interesting Characters – Day Five
September 5, 2025
I feel like I’m being boring. I feel like I’m being boring probably because I am boring. I lead a very routine, rather milktoast, life. And I like that way. I spend a lot of energy making sure my Characters are not boring. Brix is not boring. Brix…
Mistakes, Progress, and the Books Dashboard – Day Four
September 4, 2025
It bothers me that on day two, I switched from words to numerals –Day 2 instead of Day Two. Then I switched back on Day Three. I thought about going with Day 4 and claiming that even days would be numbers and odd days would be words. But…
Adulting, Money, and No Time to Write – Day Three
September 3, 2025
I can’t find the path to edit the books in progress section of this website. I may not be very smart. I will contact my IT help desk today. But it’s quite frustrating. Almost a frustrating as not being able to write today. Don’t think I’m going to…
Wrote, Worked Out, Taught – Day Two
September 2, 2025
Woke up Wrote Worked Out Yesterday was a good day. Today I will be in the classroom siphoning the optimism off of my students. And imparting knowledge to young minds. Later I’ll be having dinner with my wife and walk around the block as the sun goes down….
Writing Into the Void – Day One
September 1, 2025
So coming soon I will be a book festival in Baton Rouge. To prepare for this event I am committing to returning to this website on a daily basis to provide updates on things going on. I fear I am screaming into the void and not speaking to…
Hashi Choices
March 26, 2025
I’ve been hesitant to post this entry because it raises some uncomfortable questions. But here goes anyway.I am very concerned about representation in literature. I think more people need to see more characters that look like them, sound like them, and value what they value in our popular…
Flint Choices
February 7, 2025
More ChoicesCharacters have always been easy for me to create. I find the process a bit like shopping with a giant catalog of demographic facts, stories, and traumas and then playing mix and match with these things until you have interesting people.Character creation has always been my favorite…
Choices
January 15, 2025
My first writing professor told me that the act of writing was really the act of making decisions. I not only believed him, I took this lesson to heart. After I finished writing The Bread Will Rise, I decided I wanted to write a Chamber Piece –a Chamber…
Launching a webpage
November 26, 2024
Launching a webpage is never an easy task. Multiple decisions need to be made pertaining to formatting, color scheme, content, and security. However, once those decisions are made, the website doesn’t just spring into existence like Aphrodite rising from foam. A website is built like a city, one…
Beginnings
June 27, 2023
Launching a webpage is never an easy task. Multiple decisions need to be made pertaining to formatting, color scheme, content, and security. However, once those decisions are made, the website doesn’t just spring into existence like Aphrodite rising from foam. A website is built like a city, one…