Q&A with Terence Taylor
I’ve got a real treat for you all today. Good friend and stellar author Terence Taylor has stopped in to chat a bit about his Vampire Testament series, his experiences in publishing, and his latest project QUITTING CHRISTMAS.
A little background: Terence is a novelist and a television writer whose work has appeared on PBS, Nickelodeon, and Disney. I met him back in 2004 when we both signed copies of the original DARK DREAMS anthology at Zane’s (yes, that Zane) bookstore in Maryland. Right away Terence was a stand out, the warmest and most energetic guy in the room. He gave accounts of his experiences in TV (as a 24 year old self-professed comic book geek he had me hooked the minute he mentioned writing an episode of the Spider-Man cartoon series) and gave a memorable reading of his short story “Plaything” (my personal favorite from the collection).
His work appeared in the DARK DREAMS sequels and you can currently find the first two novels in his Vampire Testament series (BITE MARKS and BLOOD PRESSURE) where ever books are sold. Folks, I can’t recommend these novels enough. There’s a reason why they’re both enjoying a 5-star average rating over on Amazon. Terence Taylor is the kind of writer readers often wish they’d stumble upon. And he’s the kind of writer I want to be when I grow up.
Without further adieu, the man himself:
LRG: Terence, thanks for taking time out to answer some questions. What are you working on now?
TT: Something wildly atypical, but very personal…it’s a satiric social comedy about a wildly varied group of bohemian friends in Park Slope, called “Quitting Christmas”, about a guy who lost his life partner ten years ago on Christmas and decides he can’t face the holiday with all its relentless cheerfulness again that year. He announces to all his friends by drunken e-mail that he’s quitting Christmas — they have to deal with his absence from their holidays as they realize that the only thing that’s kept them in one piece for the last ten years was holding him together. So as he sets off on a journey of self-discovery and healing, they all have to face feelings they’ve suppressed about his lover’s loss, their friend, as well.
It started out as a highly fictionalized story about the emotions behind losing my partner of six years 17 years ago, but grew into something bigger as I passed the halfway point. He died a day after Christmas, and for most of a decade after that I was a basket case every year from October, when he started fading, through the end of the year. I was working on the third novel of the Vampire Testaments, which is set twenty years in the future, and extremely dark. When the anniversary depression came up this year, instead of sinking into it, I decided I was finally ready to tell my story, even if through a fictional character’s eyes. I started writing everything I was feeling and going through as I worked out my setting, characters and their histories. I plowed through the first two hundred pages in two months.
It slowed down by the time I’d written enough to hit my mid-novel crisis. I see now on my third novel that it’s an inevitable stage when you’ve written enough to realize that what you’ve done so far may not be what you started out to write. I went through an almost paralytic month of organizing my notes and completed pages, fully outlining and re-evaluating the whole thing before I decided it was still the book I started, but that I’d taken on a bit more than I intended to at first. I’m back on track now, but more realistic about what it will take to finish. I had this crazy idea that it was a fast book I could knock out over the holidays — it’s turned out to be a massively therapeutic experience, as I’ve had to put everything I’ve learned about dealing with the loss of a loved one at a major holiday down in a way that makes sense, tells the story, and in the end, reinforces for me all the things I need to remember each year at that time.
It’s been a trip — it’s my first “non-genre” novel, and I feel like I’m working without the safety net of those conventions to save me. In a horror, sci-fi or fantasy novel there are certain marks you know you have to hit, certain plot points you know you have to write if you’re stuck on a chapter that’s more subtle, or needs work. There’s someplace to go. Of course, after I’d been writing it for a few months I read reviews of other books that reminded me I’m still in a genre — it’s just not paranormal. It’s both the “getting over grief” and “Bah humbug, wait I love Christmas after all” genres…so who knows, maybe I’ll wake up in a year to find myself transformed into a black gay Nicolas Sparks…I could do worse. I am looking forward to getting back to book three of the Testaments, though, and finishing that story. So I haven’t abandoned horror.
LRG: The Vampire Testament novels span several decades, from the recent past to the very near future. If you look at a similar time frame, how have you seen your writing evolve, and where do you see it going?
TT: I suppose my last answer says something about that…the biggest difference in my fiction writing in the last decade is that I consider myself a storyteller now, rather than a wordsmith — the language of my work is tighter, leaner, smoother, and says more with less. When I wrote scripts I used to tell the story as cleanly as possible, and describe everything clearly enough to be built, cast, propped and shot from my script, essentially so that anyone reading it could see it in their heads. I kept some of my work habits from then when I moved into fiction, but used to be more concerned with the right words, the proper phrasing. It’s only now as I answer this that I realize that all I’ve done is apply the priorities I applied in scriptwriting to my fiction — tell the story well, make the characters convincing, and give the readers what they need to see it in their heads, with as few words in the way as possible.
As I move forward I want to get better at that — I like writing that involves me, sucks me into a world so deeply that when I’m done I feel I’ve been someplace else. If anything, that’s the direction I see my work going in, getting better at that, and expanding the kind of story I write. I’d like to do more social satire, and there’s an epic fantasy novel I’m planning to write after the third Testament novel. If I‘ve learned anything else in the last two years of seeing my first novels come out, it is that you have to keep moving forward. Once a book is out, it’s done — you have to be on to the next book by then, well into it.
LRG: Many of us writers have big ideas of what our careers should be, but those ideas sometimes clash with what the publishing industry really is. What’s been your biggest reality check during your time in the industry? And, on the flip side, have there been any major positives that were totally unexpected?
TT: Don’t write to get rich, that’s the first thing I always say to any aspiring writer. Love it or drop it. If the actual act of writing isn’t payment enough, move on. There are so many other things I learned since “Bit Marks” came out…the biggest is that there’s only so much you can do to sell your novel, and if you make promotion a full time job, you lose track of the real job — writing. I spent last year freaking out over sales and trying to jump through flaming hoops of PR to the books, and got half the third novel done.
There were lucky accidents that benefited me — like a friend loaning Whoopi Goldberg her copy of the first book, and having her love it enough to mention it in People magazine. But there was also the almost empty reading for the second book at Hue-Man, and other experiences that just wake you up that the road ahead will not be smooth, downhill, or dry of tears. Friends get tired of cheerleading and stop showing up, book readers don’t come out to readings until you have a following, and it gets exhausting trying to cover all the bases of social media. There is only so much I have to say to Facebook or Twitter.
Publishing your first book changes everything and nothing. It’s rare that a first book will sell so many copies that the author can sit back and write on that dime for the rest of their lives. By the same token, you’re not the same writer you were once you’ve gone through the process of completing, selling and publishing your first novel. It’s like dating. Once you get a good one under your belt, you can’t wait to get out there and do it again. It’s addictive, and if you’re a “real writer”, that is, someone compelled to tell stories and keep telling them, that first taste of exposure will only encourage you to continue.
The only way to keep my writing going in the direction I want it to go, which would be one day actually supporting me, is to write my ass off. The more I write, the better it gets, and the better the chance that one day I may write something that sends everyone back to see what I wrote before. The worst thing that happened after the first book came out is that I didn’t write a bestseller that got me rich so I could lay back and relax. Nonetheless, it was still a damn good book that thousands have enjoyed, with a second that maintained the same level of storytelling — if not better, because I learned lessons the first time. The best thing that happened is that I wrote a book that a major publisher printed and got into bookstores and airports across the country, and they paid me to write the second within a year. Doing that proved more to me about what I can and can’t do than anything else on the journey. I said after the first book was done that I wasn’t a novelist yet — I was a guy who had written a novel. Writing the second and working on my third, I now feel that I am a novelist because I can repeat the process and produce new books.
I returned to New York in 2001 to finish the first novel, after decades of picking at it. Coming out of the last ten years with two novels done and published — that feels good. I mean, I came back to Brooklyn with a goal that I exceeded…I can’t complain. I can only hope the future keeps bringing pleasant surprises.
LRG: What’s your take on all the recent buzz surrounding eBooks and independent publishing? Would you ever consider going indie?
TT: It makes me wonder what word on the street was when Gutenberg invented the printing press and started turning out bibles like popcorn… People committed to the past always fear progress. It’s the reason there’s so much conflict in the world today. The old guard is desperately trying to hold on across the board as the world grows beyond them.
Leslie “L.A.” Banks talked to me after the fun “Beyond Blacula” group reading (which I promise to get up online soon) about a YA novels series she was working on and thinking of releasing as an e-book on her own. She asked me what I thought, and I said, you go girl, because she’s a best-selling author with a loyal readership who could totally do well with that, and get all the dang money instead of a 10-15% royalty on sales that are hard to track. Zane used her success to start her own publishing house, for her own books and those of other writers she can promote. Why not go straight to e-readers?
I’ve had a free serial novella up on my site for months, quite a fun one, but have no comments or sign that anyone’s reading it. For me to put a new novel of mine up online and hope for the sales I got for the first book through St. Martin’s is certainly possible, but it takes a lot of work to fan the flames of demand. I think Leslie and other popular authors could so ace online sales or e-books, as Zane could, and am amazed some of them aren’t dropping out of the existing system to do so. I think James Patterson may be releasing a new book only electronically…maybe someone else. The modern age allows almost anyone to find a way into print — what we forget is that all writers are not created equal, and that some shouldn’t be in print yet. The system of agents and publishers did filter that flow, albeit to their own advantage.
All of that said, I have many stories I’d love to do online, in various forms — audio plays, short films animated and live-action — and have a site registered for that. I see this as an age of change in all media — publishing, film and television — and all because of digital media and web access. Anyone can do almost anything today and have it seen, and I’m still amazed that so few seem to be getting that and taking advantage of it — though they may be and we just aren’t hearing about them yet. I think in the next ten years we’re going to see a massive paradigm shift after the dust settles, in all entertainment media except maybe live shows. This is a rare time when people with talent and tech skills can get in there, do what they do and get it out there. So I certainly see releasing a novel independently as an e-book or vook, but I also like the network of distribution and major reviews a major publisher can command, so I wouldn’t cut that option off entirely, either.
I’ll keep writing novels and sending them to my agent, trying to get others to publish them and pay me, but I also intend to explore new media options. I’ve worked in TV for years and can shoot and edit, and while I’ve lost interest in most broadcast media in the age of “reality” bull and complex competition game shows that pit contestants in assorted fields against each other until one’s left standing, I find myself more attracted to the possibilities of digital media and what you can do at home. So as I continue telling stories, I think how I tell them will expand beyond printed fiction, and I’d rather control my own content by airing shorts on a website and soliciting others’ work than try to get a series on TV.
LRG: If you fell asleep Rip Van Winkle style, and woke up in the distant future where no one knew what a book was, what 3 pieces of literature would you want to have in your knapsack to show the people what they’ve been missing?
TT: Sounds very Eloi, a planet of the blond, beautiful and dumb with libraries of crumbling books and spinning talking disks. Hm. George Orwell’s 1984, one of my favorites, because it addresses the reader directly right up front, pulls you in, and encompasses a full range of human emotions, good and bad. The same applies to Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, which changed my life when I read it at 26, the age of the protagonist, and got it like a mind bullet from his brain to mine. And a copy of something magical and optimistic — The Wizard of Oz, or Alice in Wonderland…you’d have to balance the Orwell and Ellison.
Terence, wow, what a great interview. Thanks so much for stopping by. And that epic fantasy you plan to write when you’ve finished The Vampire Testament…can’t wait, man. Hell, can I volunteer to be a beta-reader? (Yeah, I put you on the spot in public…LOL!!)
To all you readers out there, remember to check out BITE MARKS and BLOOD PRESSURE. Terence’s vampires DO NOT SPARKLE, and that’s how it should be.
Later, gang. 😉
SCREAM 4: Spoiler Free
My wife and I checked out SCREAM 4 (or SCRE4M if you prefer…I don’t, but you might) last Friday, and I can’t seem to get this film off my mind, so I decided to pass on this semi-obsession to you. You’re welcome.
First, just like my post on WOLVERINE: OLD MAN LOGAN, this is NOT a review per se. I liked the movie. I thought it was plenty of fun, and despite what some critics and the box office receipts indicate, I’m going to say it was the best installment since the 1996 original. With the exception of a very effective joke based on the movie-within-the-movie, STAB, I think you could easily view 1 and 4 back-to-back and enjoy a complete viewing experience without missing a beat. But, I digress.
I really want to talk about the experience of the movie itself, and how it wasn’t quite the nostalgic booster I thought it was going to be (and how maybe that’s a good thing).
When the original SCREAM premiered, I had no interest in seeing it. It looked stupid to me. I was 16, so a lot of stuff looked stupid to me in my infinite teenage wisdom. It was by my cousin’s recommendation (or maybe I should say abduction since she just about dragged me to the theater after seeing–and raving about–it the night before) that I made it to a Saturday showing. I won’t go into any big recap about Drew’s shocking death in the opening scene, or the crazy number of red herrings, or the big dual reveal. I’ll just say I was impressed (like the rest of Teen America), and by the time I made it to college and SCREAM 2 premiered, I needed no prodding.
What I remember most about the SCREAM craze of the 90’s was the rush of knockoffs, each one demonstrating the Principle of Diminishing Returns. I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER was the best riff (mostly due to Father SCREAM Kevin Williamson’s involvement), and URBAN LEGEND was the first–but certainly not the last–weak entry into the scrum. Despite the sense of “I’ve seen all this before” they were all event films. I’m talking fun, crowded theaters. Audience chatter that was enjoyable instead of annoying. Friday Night Premier of the new SCREAM-like film = Mandatory Date Night.
With the SCREAM franchise returning after more than a decade, my wife and I went to the Friday late-show (a practice we abandoned years ago after seeing a group of rowdy teens assault a guy who had the gall to ask them to stop talking) with hopes of the same frenzied excitement from our high school and college days. Well, you know the saying ‘you can’t go home again’…the same pathos felt appropriate when we arrived at the theater and found it less than 3/4 full. The waiting crowd was listless, almost irritated, as if they’d really wanted to see Rio, the current box-office champ, but found all showings sold out and settled for this obscure scary movie instead. In the dim theater, smart phones glowed like plutonium on THE SIMPSONS and I spotted more than a few games of ANGRY BIRDS in play through the previews.
As the film progressed, my wife and I laughed at jokes that few in the theater seemed to get and we silently communicated (because married people are telepathic) our guesses of who the killer was while many of teens in attendance seemed bored by the whodunit. Perhaps they were too enthralled with level 25-3 of ANGRY BIRDS…it is a toughie.
The movie ended to bland audience reaction, and I heard some teenager (probably an infinitely wise 16 year old) pronounce, “That was stupid”. At that moment, the oddness of it all hit me…along with my decision that SCREAM 4 was a fantastic and satisfying film. Because the subtext of the murder mystery bled (pun intended) beyond the confines of the silver screen. This movie was about the very thing me and my wife had just experienced in a disconnected theater of teens who couldn’t stop texting long enough to realize the filmmakers were painting a very unflattering portrait of them.
This movie is NOT for the latest generation of teens and every frame was like a subliminal message out of THEY LIVE flashing that very sentiment. We got the inside joke, the one Wes Craven, Kevin Williamson, and Ehren Kruger threaded throughout the entire film so blatantly, and it was damned funny.
But sad, too.
Every year we age, we slowly slide up and out of the demographic that Hollywood targets, and SCREAM 4 was like an hour and forty minutes of a dying man deciding not to go quietly. In retrospect, the film played like a last hoo-rah for my generation of movie goers disguised as something else. Just like Ghostface it paraded around in the costume until the Final Act Reveal, then unmasked and showed its true identity. I dug that.
So, we didn’t get the nostalgia we were looking for, but I was happy to see that the filmmakers hadn’t forgotten about us. Money talks, and people are calling this movie a financial disappointment. I don’t know, though. I’m hoping word of mouth spreads, and more of those kids I used to bump into at the popcorn line back in the day will find babysitters, gas up the mini van, and get out to a show to let Wes, Ghostface, and company know that we appreciate the shout out. Even if it is the last.
I certainly hope it isn’t. Maybe in another 10 years we’ll get SCREAM 5 and the newest crop of teen starlets will see that no mid-life crisis or prostate exams can keep us down.
After all, there will always be some young hot blonde to slice up in the first reel, but the 90’s will never die.
Wolverine: Old Man Logan
This is not a review. If you came looking for a review, what you’ve found is a gushing love fest for a story I just read. Sorry. You can avoid the lengthy monologue below if you’re not into comics. If you are into comics, all you really need to know is BUY THIS BOOK TODAY!! You’ve been warned…
My love of storytelling came from comic books. As a kid, I wanted to be a comic book artist. Teensy problem: I couldn’t draw. Seeing that as a huge hurdle on my path to art superstardom, I decided to focus on the other part of the medium, the writing.
But I never lost my affinity for the realm of 4 Colors. I’d spend weeks going hungry at school so I could take my accumulated lunch money to the local comic book store and give it to the social malcontents who ran it (another story for another time). Me and my friends would engage in serious bartering sessions to get rare, prized issues of this title or that title. You would’ve thought we were trading Fortune 500 stocks.
I still have boxes of those very same books that came into my possession during various 5th, 6th, and 7th grade lunchroom sessions. I admit, with no shame at all, that I was a comic book geek.
Sadly, as an adult, I have not been able to engage in the hobby like I used to. Mainly because of inflation (a single issue of any given book is now roughly equal to 1 gallon of gas). Also, what was groundbreaking and heartwrenching to a a kid in the 90’s, is cliche to an adult in 2011. (Captain America is dead?!? Oh, wait, he died in ’07, but he’s going to come back just in time for the release of the Captain America film this summer. Whaaatttt? Didn’t see that coming…)
Occasionally, I’ll peruse the Graphic Novels section of my local B&N, and I might run across a compilation of some particular storyline that I’ll pick up just for kics. Usually, I end up disappointed. It’s all stuff I’ve seen before.
Until I read Wolverine: Old Man Logan by Mark Millar with art by Steve McNiven.
Wow. I can’t give this book enough praise. No spoilers here, but I can honestly say it’s THE most satisfying superhero story I’ve read in the last decade (keep in mind, I haven’t necessarily been paying attention, so if you know of something as good or better than this book, please point me to it so I can spend some hard earned money).
Wolverine, the biggest badass in the Marvel Universe, is an old, pacifist farmer with a wife and two kids 50 years after the supervillains defeated the heroes and took over America. Strapped for cash, her reluctantly goes on a road trip with his old buddy Hawkeye (now blind, but still likes to drive), to get the rent money he owes his landlords, the Incredible Hulk’s Hillbilly (“Green” Neck) grandchildren.
I felt like crying tears of joy after I read the first page. And the 50th page. And the last page. A true masterpiece…
Storytelling like that makes me simultaneously thankful I have eyes and jealous that I may never, ever come up with a concept THAT good.
If you ever picked up a comic book in your life, I highly recommend this book.
Quick Q&A with Brandon Massey
I’m starting something new here on the blog. I’m reaching out to my favorite authors, authors I’ve just discovered, and any author in between to participate in a quick Q&A session just for the hell of it…
I LOVE talking shop with anyone who’s willing to listen (most of the time that’s other writers) and I know there are people who like to know more about the process from the inside.
I hope to feature a different author AT LEAST twice a month. Most of the writers I’ve met are gracious, open people who like exploring new forums. Maybe over time, this can become a favorite hang out for notable wordsmiths. The literary version of Inside the Actors Studio.
Without further delay, our first author, Brandon Massey…
Brandon is the author of a dozen acclaimed novels. His latest, COVENANT, is a real thrill ride, as I’ve stated before.
LRG: A lot of writers have a goal of getting published. Beyond that they tend to target sustainability. I would say you’ve accomplished both, so what sort of goals do you set for yourself now?
BM: My primary goal these days is keep growing as a writer, and for me, that means writing pretty much every day, reading constantly, and seeking out new life experiences and insights. That last point is especially important. I’ve found that I get my best ideas by ripping a cloth from something that I’ve personally experienced or have some knowledge of, and using that as the basis for a story.
LRG: What has been your greatest accomplishment during your time in the publishing world? What about your biggest disappointment?
BM: Probably my greatest accomplishment is that, for the most part, I’ve always written exactly what I wanted to write, and I’ve managed to find an audience for my stories. That is extremely gratifying. I’ve never paid much attention to following the fads. I write the kind of stories that I’d like to read, and fortunately, a number of people other than myself enjoy them, too.
Biggest disappointment? Definitely realizing that traditional publishing is basically like gambling. Talent and hard work has very little to do with success in that realm. It’s all about the numbers and someone’s subjective (and unproven) opinions of what’s worth publishing.
LRG: eBooks and Independent Publishing…a lot of people make it seem like we’re living in the Publishing End Times. What’s your take?
BM: I don’t think the so-called Big Six Publishers are going anywhere. I think they will adapt to the new delivery models. Furthermore, so long as there are writers who want to be taken care of, who want to avoid the business aspects of publishing, traditional publishers will always have a crop of writers from which to pick.
With that said, I do think you’ll see independent authors continuing to carve out a niche for themselves, simply because the channels have been opened. A few will earn fortunes, a number will earn a good living, and still more will make “hobby money.”
The most gratifying thing of all? Writers finally have options now.
LRG: You fall through a time warp and land at the feet of a younger version of yourself as they type “The End” on the first novel they/you will ever publish. What would you say?
BM: Start on the next book. Immediately. Don’t get hung up on one project. Keep moving and building momentum.
Brandon, thanks for stopping by and giving us a little insight into what you do.
Remember everyone, COVENANT, is the new novel and you NEED to add it to your collection. It’s available in paperback and on your favorite eReader.
Clowns at Midnight
“Nobody likes a clown at midnight” – Stephen King
How can such a simple statement sum up why that man is so good at what he does? But I digress, the I-LOVE-STEPHEN-KING post I’ll save for another night. For now, let’s talk about Clowns at Midnight…or, to really get to the heart of it, Mundane $&*# that’s scary as a #*@$…
In reality the creepy old house in your hometown is probably scary. It’s dirty, it’s got rats and roaches, and if you poke around the foundation long enough with a stick, you’ll find some crackhead’s discarded underwear (or maybe that’s just my hometown). The problem is there’s really nothing compelling about that kind of scary. It’s obvious. There’s literally yellow tape on the door that says KEEP OUT.
Sure, there are a thousand movies where teenagers (really 30 year olds) go into this exact environment and die deservingly horribly. They are dumber than us. That’s not scary. That’s Natural Selection.
What’s scary is the stuff there’s no warning for. The stuff you can’t reason your way around, or avoid. Or worse, the stuff you’re totally aware of, but someone more powerful than you drags you there anyway (like parents taking their kids to the circus to see those creepy guys in the white makeup and blood-red grins).
Stephen King built a career out of noticing when the stuff that’s not supposed to be scary is just about running someone out of the room. It’s not a bad observational skill to have, particularly in the wordsmith game, regardless of genre (I don’t care if you’re writing romance, comedies, or adventure tales…real people should exist in your stories, and real people have fears).
Here’s one of mine (my wife laughs and laughs at this): Wet Tissue.
(get your WTF moment out of the way)
I’m not really afraid of wet tissue paper. I just find it disgusting. It makes me cringe, with it slimy mushiness. By no means do I plan to write a novel about Evil Wet Tissue, but I can focus on the sensation it brings out in me. I can apply it to something else slimy (tentacles?), and I can make my character feel fear.
And maybe my readers, too.
Just something to think about. At midnight. While the clowns are surrounding you.
Do any of you have off the wall fears/deep dislikes? Let’s hear ’em
Know the business, part 2
Hey, Future Independent Authors out there…check out this conversation between J.A. Konrath and Barry Eisler. Great information.
Know the business…
I wanted to write something fun this week, but a more serious topic presented itself.
An author friend of a friend just had their book “accepted” by a “notable publisher”, but in order for them to move forward with the contract and have their book published, the author must come up with…wait for it…THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS by the end of the month. The author reached out to her contacts (one of which is a buddy of mine) soliciting donations to make her dream come true.
So, you’re probably wondering why I’m not naming this “publisher”. There’s a couple of reasons.:
1) What they’re doing isn’t illegal (but it should be) – Though they actually call themselves “Co-Publishers”, they openly admit to being a vanity press on their website, and as part of that admission they come right out and say you’ll have to pay if your book is “accepted”. So, no lies are being told.
2) If I have to call my lawyer, I better be having as much fun as Charlie Sheen – I don’t know if I’d be crossing any legal lines if I actually called the publisher out here. And I don’t want to find out, so I’m staying mum on names. That silence, however, brings me to the point of the post.
Writers…guys…you gotta listen when I say this. LEARN THIS BUSINESS. I know what it’s like to want to see your words in print, and I know how good it feels when someone who’s supposedly legit says you’ve got what it takes, but you gotta use common sense. In what world does a 30K Publishing contract that has THE WRITER PAYING THE PUBLISHER make sense?
Money should go TO the writer.
If you plan to pay (and there’s nothing wrong with that…particularly in the changing publishing climate) understand that you can publish your book for a hell of a lot less than 30 Grand.
Do your research, and don’t get all googly eyed at the first company that manages to slip the word “bestseller” on their home page. A good place to do your homework and filter out the scams is Preditors & Editors. Remember, no one cares more about your career or well being than you. Act like it.
This has been a PSA from your Friendly Neighborhood Writer-Man.
March Announcements…SPREAD THE WORD!!
Hey, gang. Just wanted to make a few announcements to start the month off right. Before I do, though, I want to thank each and every one of you who helped make February such an incredible month for my two books. I’ve received a lot of email, and some great reviews over at Amazon and B&N that I will be eternally grateful for. I love hearing from readers, so feel free to reach out to me any time: lrgileswriter [at] gmail [dot] com
Now, a little housekeeping…
- LIVE AGAIN received stellar reader reviews all through February. To celebrate I’m doing a FIVE STAR FICTION SALE. LIVE AGAIN will be available on Kindle and Nook for just .99 cents through March…spread the word!!
- Sign up for the L.R. Giles Newsletter (check out the right-hand panel at here at www.lrgiles.com) for access to exclusive contests and the latest news on new books and events.
- What’s next? I’m putting together a short story collection for the summer along with an epic fantasy collaboration with fellow author Becky Rodgers Boyette. Becky and I go waaaayyy back. Yes, when you check out her site, you’ll see we have two totally different styles. Each of us brought something different to the table and our unique perspectives meshed surprisingly well to create a story filled with romance, action, adventure, and, um, the apocalypse. Stay tuned for more details. 😉
That’s all for now. Again, be sure to sign up for the newsletter. And I’m looking forward to another great month with you all…later.
Half price monkey paws (and other great not-so-great deals)
It’s no secret that “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs and “The Tragic History of Dr. Faustus” (think Faustian Deal) are works that have fascinated me from childhood. They’ve directly influenced two of my own stories (LIVE AGAIN and “Wilson’s Pawn & Loan”) and continue to intrigue me to the point that, well, I’m writing about them right now…
There’s something in the idea of THE DEAL. The Ultimate Bargain. Get everything you ever wanted…for a small fee. Have all your dreams come true, even if you’ll have to trade them for nightmares much sooner than you think.
Stories like Paw and Faust are cautionary tales. Whether the writers intended them to be labeled as such (you’d be surprised how little writers–at least the ones I know–consider the possibility of their work having any lasting cultural/social appeal) we may never know, but there are definitely warnings there. Of course we know the obvious signs, but wouldn’t the Devil or the guy selling poisoned wishes adapt with the times?
Sure, we all have sense enough not to wish on that furry, badly preserved paw. And we all know better than to ever shake hands with that horned guy in the suit with the faint wisps of smoke rising off the shoulders. What about the loan officer telling you to get the dream home? What about your new boss who tells you to just ‘massage’ the numbers a little, because, hey, there might be a bonus in it for you?
The things these stories warned us about a century ago are still real threats. Which is why I love the power of such well told tales. They’re timeless. Not just because of the words on the page, but because of the idea behind them. They’ll always be bad deals, and suckers willing to give up everything for them.
That’s why it’s never hard to suspend disbelief when you read/hear/see such stories. We get our kicks out of believing the character is so much more naive/greedy/evil than us. We’d NEVER fall for such a trick. When really, we all have.
Don’t believe me? Fine, fine…you’re too smart for me.
Since I’ve got your attention, though, care to take a look at the items I’ve got right here in my trunk? I’m sure there’s something that will suit your needs.
And the prices are sooooo reasonable. 😉
Indie Spotlight: Piety and Murder
This week I’m featuring a taut thriller by a former Green Beret. Yes, I do make some interesting discoveries deep in the Indie Publishing Rabbit Hole. The book is Piety and Murder by Thomas Rowe Drinkard. Available in the following formats: Kindle | Nook.
Description: Mack Brinson has two major problems. He is trying to recover from the long trauma of losing the love of his life—his wife Song. Now, his only family, Song’s mother Huong, is being systematically, and legally, bilked by a sleazy televangelist’s organization.
When Brinson goes to the smarmy preacher’s headquarters in an attempt to stop the thievery, he is physically threatened.
Brinson is a former Green Beret and isn’t intimidated. He goes after the preacher in an attempt to gather embarrassing information. When he gets too close, someone tries to murder him in a running gunfight on the Lake Ponchartrain Bridge.
Along the way, Brinson meets a woman, Pattie, who finally begins to dissolve the emotional walls he has erected. He begins to learn how to love again.
There is an unseen hand behind the preacher’s organization. The face of the antagonist is unclear, but when Huong is kidnapped, Brinson has to call on his old Special Operations contacts to find the kidnapper and rescue her.
The face of the man behind the televangelist finally becomes clear and shocking. Vengeance: slow and awful lies ahead.
My take: This suspenseful thriller, written with prescisely detailed prose, and cast with unique characters, delves into a phase of life rarely covered in other books featuring protagonists that boast membership in the Special Forces. Mack Brinson is retired, Post Mid-life, and shares a Southern home with his dog and dead wife’s mother. Rambo this guy is not, and that’s the strength in this tale of duty and vengeance. While Brinson’s days of parachuting into some jungle warzone may be behind him, there’s still plenty to fight for when a smarmy televangelist threatens what’s near and dear. Timely and telling, Piety and Murder is a nice addition to your eReader of choice.