3-9-26: Finishing up new Novel

There's a particular kind of silence that comes with being deep into the trenches of work. Not emptiness — more like pressure. The feeling of something being built.

I've been living inside that silence for a while now, writing and editing my new novel, Heaven or Las Vegas (I’m unsure if I’ll keep that title, but until I decide to change it, I’ll continue honoring the Cocteau Twins). A book I've been circling for years without knowing it. The kind of story that only reveals itself to you slowly, and only if you keep showing up.

Editing has been a process of excavation — removing everything that isn't the book, until what's left is true.

Current listening to: Charley Crockett; Geese; Jaime Wyatt (On a Country kick at the moment)

Recently watched: Train Dreams (film); Daredevil: Born Again (The MCU has sucked me back in!)

Currently reading: There, There by Tommy Orange (an excellent collection of short stories about the city of Oakland, CA from the perspective of its Indigenous inhabitants)

8-29-24: Christian Hendrix Switching Gears

Now that the publication of “You Can’t Go Home Again” is complete (thank you to all the kind reviews and purchases and conversations!), I am looking to move onto the next thing.

In my last news post I mentioned going back to my first novel “A (Prom)ise.” While I do love this book, I feel after going through another draft, that it is not quite ready for publication. I’m sad to say that I will have to reshelve for another time or can afford to hire an editor (lol!).

However, I have completed the short story I have been working on this summer, and came up with an approriate title “Dereliction of Duty.” I am passing it around right now and hope to obtain some good feedback, but truthfully, that will likely be shelved afterwards too. While I do have a good collection of short stories going, I want to publish them all at once in a short story anthology at some point in the future. Maybe I can share an excerpt on the site at a future date.

What has me most excited right now is the new novel I’m working on, tentatively titled “Heaven or Las Vegas” (Yes, like the Cocteau Twins song!). I haven’t been this excited about a new book in a long while and I think the writing process will go quicker than it usually does due to the enthusiasm I have for the project.

I hope to share some more work on this website soon, so please stay tuned. One thing I would also like to start with these columns is to share the current art I am consuming, as that is what drives me and my creativity. So I will end these posts accordingly:

Current listening to: Atmosphere discography; Captain Beef Heart discography; Suicide discography.

Recently watched: Strange Darling (film); Reservation Dogs (Season 3)

Currently reading: Ender’s Game (I know, I’m a little late to this one, but I’ve never read it!)

Christian is currently editing his newest novel, tentatively titled “Heaven or Las Vegas” to have it ready for publication in the next year or so.

Christian is definitely not playing video games, staying out late, listening to loud music or any of those other things that rot your brain…