GPS and the Muse

Sometimes we writers hand pick our main characters, conjuring up exactly whose story we wish to tell. And other times they choose us. For my latest work-in-progress I had every intention of writing about a girl from China. I really wanted to tell her story so I summoned her, plying her with promises of creative freedom and all the fruit flavored candy her heart desires.I waited (somewhat) patiently for her to show up. Then it happened. One morning she arrived.

"Howdy," she said.  

Howdy? What the??

She went on. "I reckon I'm  not who you were expecting."

"Not unless you're from Asia."

"No ma'am. Fraid not."

"Maybe southern Asia?"

"No, ma'am. Not me. I'm southern all right, but not from Asia."

"Look, no offense, but I think you have the wrong writer," I told her.

"Nope. The Muse sent me to you. Said you'd have Skittles."

Those darn Muses. Where would they be without their charming sense of humor and lousy sense of direction?

I threw up my hands. "Well, I suppose since you've come all this way from..."

"Alabama."

"Alabama, then I ought to see what it is you have to say."

"Candy first. Story later." she said.

So that's how it came to be that I met the latest star of my literary show. Let the record reflect that she and I have gone on to become fast friends and despite the drawl, I think I can write her tale with a decent amount of conviction. With any luck one day in the near future, y'all will let me know whether or not I done good. 

(Reckon she's under my skin already...)

Waiting on the Waves of Change

With the arrival of summer, I've been beach bound once again, book in hand, bottle of lotion and blanket at the ready. It's a quick escape. A working daycation. Many writers find inspiration at the shore, among the sand and sea. It helps me, too. Even as I sit back and read, seemingly in a state of utter relaxation, inside I am plotting and planning and charting my course, wondering what the waves of change have in store for me. And when they might happen to come along. The beach is really a perfect place for reflection and for working on being patient, for as any writer can attest to, waiting is a major part of the game.

So many kind folks have been asking me lately when my next book will be released. The simple reply is I don't know. I've written two more since WISHLESS and the third one is currently in production. My agent is handling these titles and working tirelessly to get us "out there" once again. The plain truth about publishing is it's not a game for the impatient. We wait for editors to read our work. We wait for responses that sometimes don't come for months and months if at all. It's a lot like watching the waves from a distance and waiting for one to get close enough to wet your toes. They roll in. They roll out. They get close. Really close. But often not close enough. So we move our chairs, shift position, try to get as near as we can. Yet we can't control the water. And we can't control the answers. They'll come when they're good and ready. And not a minute before.

Sometimes it gets so hot on that sand. The breeze quiets down and the sun is blazing and you have to get up from where you are and stroll down to the waters edge and wade in. Take matters into your own hands and barge right up to those waves. Meet them head-on. Then you're wet and you cool down a little and you can return to your reading and your planning and your waiting. For those answers.

If only they were more like the waves...

A Child's Heart

The child and her father sat on the grass, looking up at the sky. "Daddy," she said, "where does the sunlight go when the night comes along?"
"In your hair," her father answered.
"And where do the stars go when it's morning once again?"
"In your eyes," he replied.
She turned her small face toward his. "Where do you go all day when we can't be together?"
"I'm in your heart," he said and then added, "Always."

Happy Father's Day.

Indie & Small Press Hopping

Oh how I love to give props to those wonderful folks who bring us some awesome titles not churned out by huge presses! As WISHLESS was produced by a smaller publishing house, I can relate to the hard work these modest companies do for their authors. I also take my hat off to those brave writers who have forged this turbulent road to publication all on their own. What a monumental undertaking! Many of these authors have gone on to achieve fabulous success. Folks like Deepak Chopra, Mark Twain , Beatrix Potter and John Grisham just to name a few are among those who self-published their work at one point or another. By far my fave crazy-talented Indie author is Crystal Cattabriga, author of SAVING BOBBY and GOD BLESSED THE BROKEN ROAD series. Crystal has graciously agreed to offer a signed copy of SAVING BOBBY to one lucky winner here. Naturally we also have a signed paperback copy of WISHLESS waiting too ;) Just visit the Rafflecopter below!

While you are here today be sure to check out the Review Crew Giveaway below. There could be a $50.00 gift card in your future in return for your humble opinion!

Thanks to Kathy at I'm A Reader Not A Writer for bringing us yet another awesome hop!
http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/2012/03/indie-author-giveaway-hop-sign-ups.html

Check out Crystal here: https://www.facebook.com/crystalcattabriga and here:http://crystalcattabrigabooks.blogspot.com/

Money Honey - The Contests are Coming!

Howdy Hooksters! This August marks one year since the release of WISHLESS! It's hard to believe after all the waiting and waiting for Book Baby to arrive it's already almost 12 months old. In order to celebrate we are holding a special giveaway contest over on our Facebook page! If you've already read the book all you have to do to enter is leave a short review on either Amazon, B & N or Goodreads and provide the link here or on FB. That's it! The prize pack this time includes a $50.00 Amazon e-giftcard and a few surprise goodies too! If your review is currently posted just let me know. And for those of you who haven't read it yet - there's plenty of time. The drawing will be held on August 14th. Thanks again for all of your wonderful support!!


https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wishless/232063146839096

Writer's Wings

Just this week the wonderful world of writers lost another of its brethren. Ray Bradbury, the famous sci-fi, horror and mystery novelist left us at the ripe age of 91. It made me wonder if there's a special spot in heaven for those folks who spend their allotted time here on earth in search of the elusive Perfect Sentence. I have to  presume there must be. After all, there just has to be some sort of Writers Nirvana, an eternal payoff for those of us who toil and trouble our lives away in the treacherous business of words. If so, then what does Writer's Heaven look like?

I imagine in Writer's Heaven every desk has an inspirational view. If its the ocean that gets your creative juices flowing, then it's the ocean you will have. If it's green, open spaces, you'll have that too. In Writer's Heaven there is no shortage of pens or paper and the laptops never need to be plugged in - the batteries are everlasting. The clouds in Writer's Heaven not only have a silver lining, but they are encased in books, hundreds and hundreds of them, in your genre of choice. There are Quote Rainbows with the very best things ever recorded on paper etched into the colors. You can write for as long as your heart desires in Writer's Heaven without wasting precious time with such mundane mortal things as eating, sleeping and using the bathroom. (You're an Author Angel, remember?...Wings and all that jazz...)

Author Angels don't write for six-figure publishing deals. They write for the joy of it. They write because it's what they were born to do and somehow they always knew it would stay with them even after they traveled to that great typewriter in the sky.

Rest peacefully, Mr. Bradbury. And to all those wordsmiths who have gone before him. Write on. Guess I'll see ya on the flip side.