Alexander Hope is the hero of THE SEA LORD CHRONICLES, published in 2012.

The year is already passing in a blur, and so is the book biz. Publishing has changed so much from the days when I shopped manuscripts around to agents and worried about things like return postage, manuscript boxes, and using rag content paper to make a good impression.

I would consider myself a “hybrid” author as described by Robert Bidinotto because I continue to have books come out with established publishers, and yet I’ve also Indie-published two novels. What’s a writer to do in this confusing time but just try to improve his craft and offer readers an entertaining, quality book, no matter who publishes it!

Last year saw TIME REICH, FIRST VOYAGE: THE SEA LORD CHRONICLES and GREAT STORMS OF THE CHESAPEAKE come out. What’s on tap for 2013?

Here goes …

Finish a major GHOSTWRITING and editing project that I’ve undertaken. We’re going to Indie publish this memoir, so it’s quite a process. But this individual has a life story well worth sharing that will be inspiring to many others. I know it made me see things in a new way. We’ll be launching the memoir first as an ebook and then releasing the print version (hopefully) by summer.

Welcome THE HOUSE THAT WENT DOWN WITH THE SHIP to my list of published books. Number nine! This is the first in my “Delmarva Renovators” mystery series about the crew of an online home improvement show that has a habit of having dead people turn up on the job site. This story is set in the waterfront town of Chesapeake City, Maryland. I’ve really enjoyed working with my wonderful publisher Bella Rosa Books in helping to make this book better. The book should be out in spring/summer in both print and ebook.

Revise a stand-alone mystery/suspense novel that I actually wrote years ago, and which caught the eye of an agent, but the time wasn’t right for the book. I’m thinking that 2013 will be the year for this book, which has a working title of BEACH BODIES. Not everyone is on board with that title because they think it sounds like a workout or diet book, so we’ll see! What’s a hoot is that the technology has changed so much since I first wrote this story that I keep finding “artifacts” mentioned such as the characters using a “pay phone” or driving a “Chevy Cavalier.” Remember those, lol? This is a pretty heavy duty revision that will see the location of the book changed to Rehoboth Beach, the nation’s summer capitol. Sounds like a great beach read, if I do say so myself!

My shiny “toy wagon” for the year … the book that I am slowly getting started on … is another World War II thriller. One of the main characters is related to Lucas Cole from SHARPSHOOTER and his commanding officer just happens to be descended from Brendan Mulholland. While their ancestors were bitter enemies during the Civl War, these guys will be fighting on the same side, taking on a crack SS sniper in the hedgerow country near the Normandy beaches.

Here’s hoping you also have a great year reading and writing!