Featuring the writing of Buzz Anderson
The original title for Five Hundred Moons was In the Name Of. Throughout the entire writing process that was the name of the book. I even had my daughter-in-law design the cover art with that title in bold print. I assumed most people would add their own opinion as to what In the Name Of stood for, with the Father, meaning Father Junípero Serra, as the obvious fill-in-the-blank choice. So, what’s in a name?…
Since I published Five Hundred Moons, several people, including some I’ve known since third grade, have made the comment, “I didn’t know you could write so well,” or posed the question, “How did you learn to write?”…
At a recent bookstore reading, a person was so engaged in conversation that she accidentally spilled some red wine on a copy of my book. Unfortunately, she did not purchase said book. I am offering this slightly baptized edition to a random person. Just go to my Facebook page and like and share.
I’ll draw a name in a couple of weeks and send the signed copy to anywhere in the USA. Salud!…
I recently spoke at the Watsonville Rotary Club about Five Hundred Moons. I had told the president that if he was ever in a bind about a canceled speaker I could fill in at a moment’s notice. In just two weeks’ time, such an occurrence materialized.…
On June 27, 1981, at 5:00 pm I stood next to the altar in the Mission Carmel Basilica, waiting for my bride to appear from the courtyard about a hundred feet down the center aisle. Below me, entombed in stone crypts, were the bones of three men—Father Juan Crespi, diarist of the Portola expedition and a strong ally of Junípero Serra; Father Fermin Lausen, priest and successor to the presidency of the California Missions; and Father Junípero Serra, the man most influential in inaugurating the Spanish and Catholic colonization of California. Little did I know these three men would one day play a central role in my novel, Five Hundred Moons.…
I believe I’ve mentioned before that writing a novel is much easier than marketing a novel. Short of hiring a literary agent, which would be my last resort, I’ve been muddling along with some personal outreach, a few print interviews, some social media presence, a book talk or two, and a book signing …
While traveling along the Central Coast, Jennie and I took a trip down to Anzo Borrego Springs to see the wildflowers. Unfortunately, rainfall in the desert has been so sparse this year that we were mostly treated to cacti, dry shrubbery, and the occasional ocotillo bloom.…
Jennie and I took a short road trip down to Oceanside a few months back. The brief trip was a spur-of-the-moment getaway…
When I first saw the printed and bound copy of my book, I was overjoyed. Four-plus years of writing, researching, and editing had finally come to fruition. Little did I realize my adventures in book writing were just beginning.…