THIS UNNAMED GEOLOGICAL formation is the likely result of wind, rain and time eroading away surface material to expose what at one time would have lava (magma) that had cooled and solidified. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
COMING INTO OR out of the Chisos Mountains, this is the northwest view and is several miles south of Panther Junction and the headquarters for Big Bend National Park. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
THE CLARET CUP is covered in barbed spines and blooms a reddish, cup-shaped flower from about April to June or July in Big Bend National Park. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
THIS VIEW FROM a formation called, “The Window,” looks out from the westside of the Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
INDIAN HEAD MOUNTAIN and its southern region offers this “leaning” wall of geology at the western boundary of Big Bend National Park. The rocks of the foreground are boulders ranging from man-sized on up. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
MASSIVE AND TOWERING, this wall of the geology is at least a couple of hundrend feet high and situated in the Indian Head area of Big Bend National Park. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
WIDE-OPEN PANORAMAS and mountainous terrain such as this are routine along roadside in Big Bend National Park. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
THE SOUTHWEST SIDE of the Chisos Mountains, also known as the Chisos Mountain Basin and home to the lodge in Big Bend National Park. Copyright © 2011 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
A FALLEN TREE is an impassable barrier in an otherwise debris-free dry riverbed in Big Bend National Park. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
INDIGENOUS TO TEXAS, New Mexico and Arizona, Javelinas in Big Bend National Park genetically differ from swine. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
LOST MINE TRAIL in Big Bend National Park, looking southward over Juniper Canyon, the Chisos Mountain’s Northeast Rim and into Mexico. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
A TREE SILHOUETTED against the night sky as seen from Chisos Basin in Big Bend National Park. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
THIS VIEW EAST of a volcano is an illusion of the setting sun streaming through the Chisos Basin area behind Casa Grande Peak in Big Bend National Park. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
WRIGHT MOUNTAIN in background at Big Bend National Park. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
A VIEW WESTWARD after sundown from the Indian Head area of Big Bend National Park. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
A CAMERA COMPENSATION for the limited light after sundown provides this view westward from the Indian Head area of Big Bend National Park. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson/Camera One. All Rights Reserved.
SANTA ELENA CANYON after sunset, as seen from the Chimneys in Big Bend National Park. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson/Camera One. All Rights Reserved.

DL Tolleson.com

Author, Photographer, Researcher, Artist, Adventurer and Buccaneer Extraordinaire

“Or at least that’s the plan each morning after coffee.”

Publication History: 2004 Archived Blog. Copyright © 2004 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved. Excerpts from this work are permissible if author attribution is included. However, beyond this no part of this material may be reproduced in any form or by any means without written permission from the author.

Commentary: Some or all of these blog entries may have been revised and/or updated as stand-alone topics available via the Compendium. Any such revised and/or updated topic may reflect a title differing from the original entry archived on this page. This will be noted in a Commentary atop any such revision and/or updated topic, along with a reference to the original entry archived on this page.

—DL Tolleson

The Great American Novel Blog

NOVEMBER 2004

First, I must apologize for having made no further headway on the Karns Gray sequel, The Canard Solution. As indicated in the September 2004 entry I am still roughly about 93% into the novel. The delay is the result of my meeting the Publisher’s deadline for a “co-authored” novel on which I’ve spent nearly 2000 hours of the last four or five months working from sunrise until the wee hours of the morning. Don’t get me wrong—it was blast! It was a heck of a concept on which I thoroughly enjoyed working. The resulting story isn’t the typical “Tolleson” character study, but it is bang-up plot boiler.

I actually took time away from the keyboard today and stopped in my old high school (R.L. Paschal) to look at the wall mural I painted during the year of (and year following) my graduation. Okay, so it wasn’t exactly a vacation, but it was the first time I’ve been more than two miles from my house in a while!

Everything else is pretty much the same. I’ll finish up The Canard Solution shortly, and then turn my attention back to efforts regarding The Gray Stopgap movie. In related news, the publisher has incorporated a film rights company called Lighthouse Entertainment, L.C.C., and perhaps that will cross paths with The Gray Stopgap. Stay tuned for more.

SEPTEMBER 2004

Where to begin? Since the January B&N “Staff Recommendation” (you can find it on the News page) there’s hasn’t been a lot “officially” happening with The Gray Stopgap. As far as I can tell, most—if not all—of the movie rights negotiations mentioned in the January 2004 update (see the “Old Hat” Section below) have not yielded results. However, we (the Publisher, PR Rep and me) have begun an unusual process of soliciting the interest of the movie industry by approaching specific actors, directors and producers. One of my personal choices was an actor named Steve Jasgur (The “30-seconds Listerine guy”) who responded that he found the novel “quite good” and while noting it would be a financing challenge, said he “would gladly wish to be considered for a role.” More to come, I’m sure.

With regarding to writing, the Karns Gray Sequel title has changed to The Canard Solution. I’m still projecting a mid-2005 release date, but perhaps a tad latter. In the meantime, if you’ve seen the Main page of this site, you know that I am now involved in co-authoring the first novel in a new series. I’ll have more about this later.

As is obvious, the site has underwent yet another change. What can I say? It is a process of evolution. Drop a line with regard to whether the site is improving.

JANUARY 2004

The Gray Stopgap received another “Staff Recommendation” at a third Barnes & Noble bookstore, this one on University Drive in Fort Worth, Texas. If you would like to read the Press Release, there is a link to it in the news feed on the MAIN page of this site and on the NEWS page.

The last year or two has seen MAJOR changes in my life, including my aunt and my mother having passed away. A real estate deal necessitated moving from my 13-year residence and my employment of 13 plus years—along with a relationship of something like 15 years—ALL went the way of the dodo. Throw into the mix that Hollywood has done its share by being coquettish with regard to The Gray Stopgap and you have a minute sample taken from the tip of my iceberg. And so, in the midst of all of this turmoil—and more—I’m having to concentrate on marketing the novel, writing a film treatment, writing a sequel and keeping the wolf away from the door. I enjoy writing, but circumstances aren’t always conducive to so doing. In other words, it is NOT always easy, and until recently I never really reflected upon how important “peace of mind” was to my creative process. But still, given the disheveled nature of things, I’ve managed to remain fairly unflappable. I’m not whining, mind you. Just letting you know why I’ve been slow in getting new work out.

On The Gray Stopgap movie front, changes continue almost monthly. While there is no news from my L.A. publicist, the publisher is negotiating several Lighthouse titles with a film maker who will be “representing” those titles elsewhere (as I understand it). In relation to this I have just finished creating a three page “movie proposal.” Meanwhile, the film treatment is nowhere near finished.

By way of transition, nothing has developed out of the events referenced in the July 2003 entry.