A great collection of well written books from fellow ASMSG authors.
So I wrote the first words for the third book in The Downey Trilogy today called Third Time’s The Charm.
YES, I know I should be editing, revising, and proofreading Second of All, and I swear I am, but this morning on my walk it was like I could hear Mickey’s gravelly baritone laugh in my head and I just had to put it down on paper. Or the digital equivalent as it were.
I also thought the title might be a wee bit of comfort to my poor long-suffering beta readers to remind them and you faithful fans and friends of my deep and abiding love of the happy ending, and *spoiler?* the importance of the bittersweet chaotic Act II.
How can you properly appreciate the sunshine without having experienced the darkness first?
As always…just my rambling opinion. 😉 But as I was reminded by my fellow author (and I rather think, friend) Penelope when we write we put out a portion of our hearts, minds, and souls and simply have to hope that you understand what it was we were trying to “say”.
Wishing you all a fantastic and blessed day!
❤ 🙂 ❤
So Second of All is all written, off to my beta-readers then I’ll be editing, revising, proofing etc.
As those of you who “like” my Facebook page know I’m working on a short story for the Thanksgiving holiday which I will post for free at all the usual channels. Yay for freeness and gratitude! 😉
In the mean time, I’ve added a new (slightly SPOILERY) teeny tiny excerpt from Second of All under its tab to the right there —>
Enjoy!
I know I should be writing, and I have been, will be, so on, world without end…
But you all can blame my beautiful cousin Andrea for this flight of fancy. I spent some time just fiddling with a concept for the cover art for Second of All. So here’s an idea. The Celtic cross was designed by Aris Dervis (I don’t own it!) and if you all like it I will enquire as to whether I can use it on the next cover:[[ UPDATE!!! Aris said I can use it yippeee! So I’m thinking you’re looking at the cover for Second of All! ]]
So, after much cajoling by family members and friends who love the feel of a physical book in their hands I decided to give you that option for First, I Love You. Behold:
Coming soon, via CreateSpace. Hopefully we will all be happy with the end product as, obviously, I’ve never used a POD before.
Anyhoo, that sales rank on the digital version is kinda sad, but in my defense, I’ve been writing and editing more than I’ve been promoting, and I really think that has to take priority right now.
Speaking of which, here’s a little snippet from Second of All (unedited):
Once they’d reached the living room, Seamus took out a pipe made of glistening rosewood. Its entirety, except for the inch portion that would rest in a person’s mouth, was intricately carved in a twisting woven knot work pattern. Seamus handed the pipe to Mickey and Mickey took it, wondering what it meant.
Seamus sat on the blanket covered chair by the large console television Mickey’s great uncle Bruno had given Mickey’s father. Mickey twirled the pipe in his fingers and let the silence stretch. The feel of the wood in his hands seemed to keep his mind blissfully free of thoughts, the act of tracing the interwoven lines making his fingertips vibrate with an energy he couldn’t explain.
“Tis yours. Made it fer ye. Yer man of d’family now, time to put childish tings away,” Seamus said softly from the chair.
“Can you teach me how to carve like this?” Mickey found himself saying as if it were any normal day. As if today weren’t the day his father had died, the day his hopes of going to college like none in his family had before him died, the day his childhood died.
“Aye. That and more,” Seamus replied enigmatically.
Intriguing? Confusing? Exciting? I’d love to know what you think. 🙂
Ha! Yeah I went there.
Anyhoo, I have decided whoever invented Pinterest is made out of pure EVIL. Eviiiiiiil. As if I need any more timesuckers in my life! As. IF!
I find myself endlessly window shopping thinking about what would make good background shots for cover art or if I could just find a guy who is the perfect Tommy Gates. I mean that one I posted the other day is really very much how I picture James Hoffman (only of course James would have slightly darker skin tone).
Oh Hell, let’s just look at it again shall we?
Mmmmmn…
But anyway, in addition to the lovely pictures of shoes, and dresses, and food, and architecture, you get little gems like this:
Lord…
I suppose there’s things for straight males to look at as well… perhaps tools or … something.
Is that a Honduran cigar? Cuz I got a guy … No really… I do.
😉
/Random Over
And that’s a good thing. I think. Or so a small but loyal group of people tell me. 😉 I’ve also read two books in the last week, been to a couple community events, survived family drama, and balanced my checkbook (immensely easy as 0-0 always = 0).
And now, I rather think, I’d like some feedback.
Would you like another excerpt from Second of All or more character background facts? A little of both?
Yes, I’ll keep writing either way.
Oh, and also, plus, too, in addition, I’m thinking of dusting off an almost completed short story I abandoned about Thanksgiving. Might just put that up for free if I can make the time. How about them baked apples?
As always, remember my motto:
Never settle for less than the best in booze, shoes, and men!
especially when they leave you alone…
People often compare writing to childbirth and it’s true that there is a huge cathartic relief to getting an idea that’s been festering in your brain out on paper (or pixels as the case may be). But likewise, when life gets in the way it’s like Braxton-Hicks contractions sending you to the hospital only to be sent home, tired and disappointed.
That’s what last week was like for me. It seemed like all the other hats I had to wear were preventing me from getting the time to wear the writer hat. And I am convinced there is nothing more frustrating than not being able to complete a thought due to constant interruptions. It leaves you with this sense of scatter-brained impotence. That’s the danger of being a one woman band. I’m a mother, housekeeper, friend, community member, ad hoc nurse to sick children, wife, daughter, sister, apparently on every political phone list known to mankind, AND writer, editor, promoter.
But sometimes you need that certain special someone in your life to remind you that the very connections (wife, mother, etc) that spread you thin are there to help you when you are stretched too thin.
Yesterday my husband (possibly for his own sanity’s sake due to having to live with my constant moaning) took all distractions but the sick kid away for an entire afternoon and evening, and bribed said sick kid into leaving his mother alone with Star Wars movies and games allowing me to get not only some writing done but some editing and … the biggest shocker of all … READING!
I feel like I gave birth to triplets!
Huzzah! … Drinks all around … I just might get this sequel out by January after all!
*smooches*
… are the cure for the writer blues. And quite possibly everything.
I have to preface the rest of this post with a disclaimer so I don’t offend the wrong people. True, those of you who know me know I don’t usually concern myself with such things, other people’s opinions of me are their problem. Two farts and tinker’s damn are three currencies more than I care about what people think of me. But, it’s best not to bite the hand that feeds you. Or takes royalties from you in exchange for allowing you to sell books … whatever. But the last thing I want to do is insult or belittle a book retailer selling my book, with whom I would like to have a long and fruitful relationship. Because I would — like fruits in our relationship, that is — which I hope eventually gets to be less one-sided. And then we’ll be back to being besties.
“In such cases as these, a good memory is unpardonable.” — Elizabeth Bennet, Pride and Prejudice
Oh, the babbling again. Fine, I’ll get to the point.
After I released my book it took my distributor forever (alright, fine, a month) to get the book out to Apple and Barnes & Noble, meanwhile Amazon was happily providing my book to the masses. Then, immediately after stocking the book, Apple and B&N and all the rest of the retailers (except, of course, Amazon with whom I get to deal directly) had it shelved in with all the poetry and plays. Why yes, it is rather like Shakespeare … with gangsters … only not.
“God damn fucking tragedy is what that was.” — Mickey Downey, Second of All
‘Oh dear’, I said (in the highly sanitized Disney historical revision of events) and sent a politely worded missive to the distributor reminding them it is a Fictional novel, to be classified as Fiction & Literature. They directed me to change my genre classification and added, perhaps “romance” should be the category.
A rose by any other name…
Alright. *Kanye shrug*
Of course there is romance in the book. Actually a good bit. But if anyone is expecting in this first book the classic boiler plate ‘boy meets girl, love and banter and sexy situation ensue followed post haste by the ubiquitous Happily Ever After’, they will be sorely disappointed. As would anyone thinking they will be getting poetry or a broadway play. But hey, I’ll play the game. Click went the finger stroke of the near real time digital age.
That was three weeks ago. Still no change.
So, yesterday in a fit of immense gratitude to Amazon I dropped the price of my book to $3.99 and shall commence, henceforth, actively leading people to purchase the book from them until Apple and B&N and Smashwords start actually communicating with each other faster than the Platte runs in September (or molasses in January for my southern fried friends). In fact, I might just start participating in their periodic giveaway and monetizing programs.
“It’s not personal. It’s business.” — Michael Corleone, The Godfather
Genevieve Dewey 