Chicago

Random Author Ramble: Taking liberties, shoutouts, and being too “clever”


What started this meander was thinking about research put into fictional books. It’s true there are some great fiction novels that practically exude “this author researched the heck outta this” and then there are others that exude “aw, come on, that would never happen, what is this, Sci Fi?”.

My own personal style? I’m somewhere in between. As some of you know I love, looooove, love things having to do with American gangsters–usually old school gangsters of the Luciano and Capone sort. I also love the rich history of the FBI and other crime-fighting branches of the US Government. Everyone and their dog knows by now that I love the history of Chicago and the history of Nebraska (the two of which have quite a long history of being connected). My family’s from Chicago, I’ve heard tons of interesting stories. I grew up in Nebraska (for the most part) so I’ve an inherent knowledge of that unique whatever that makes up a Nebraskan.

Does that mean I am 100% accurate all the time in my books? Of course not. And, I will confess, intentionally not. Why? Because I’m telling a story, a fictional story. I took some liberties. Quite a few liberties, as only the purists will know. *waves* Sometimes this is to protect the truth, but most of the time it’s because I think that’s our right as authors, in essence, to say, “Yeah, but what IF it were to happen this way?” So, some things are made up and some things are shout-outs. Some things would never happen (particularly with regard to some of my law enforcement characters), and others are as accurate as I can make it. As a reader, I have always enjoyed sorting out what is an actual place, person or thing, versus what the author just made up. So when I write, I write as that type of reader.

For instance, in The Good Life there’s Castle Corner. Which does not exist. Nor does Anderson Adventures. Yet I have shout-outs to all sorts of places that do exist like The Cornhusker, and Karma nightclub, Lo Sole Mio, Runza, Valentino’s, Mahoney State Park, Roncalli Catholic, and yeesh, many, many more Nebraska things. And while Ashland absolutely does exist (I love that town!), I didn’t even bother to try to be accurate in any shape or form. It’s alternate universe Ashland and Gretna, where the Anderson and Valentini families run amuck. Well, not amuck, but dispense shenanigans on the regular. So, when I write, I’m saying have fun on your scavenger hunt of hidden meanings and clues, but don’t take it so seriously!

Unfortunately, I have discovered there are some readers who find that confusing. For instance, just today I was asked about this passage at the end of The Good Life:

“Mmm, I dunno, I usually go for the scruffy nerf-herders instead of peace-keepers,” she pushed him up and tapped the St. Christopher medal around his neck.
“But I sense the force is strong with you… Get it? Because you’re on the force…” She dissolved into snorts on her way to the door.

I can totally understand, based on the dialogue, where the reader might ask, oh, is a St. Christopher medal for law enforcement? And no, I have had to answer a number of times already, that is St. Michael, the patron saint of law enforcement. St. Christopher is the patron saint of travelers. I was trying to be clever that Kyle was Demi’s home port, so to speak, after her travels away from Nebraska. But, as my inbox would suggest, I was too “clever”, meaning not clever at all. Haha! Ah well, I’m sure there were plenty of you who didn’t pay it any mind. Just like I’m pretty sure by now my friends connected to the Omaha Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have learned to just “go with it” and have a chuckle at their fictional counterparts. I’m just telling a story here, people!

What was my point?

As usual, I have no real point except to admit that I enjoy when people discover/recognize my nods to history and real places and people that, yes, I did, on purpose, flirt with the “that would never happen” and I was trying to be clever with hidden meanings. I’ll just have to hope my readers forgive me when I fail miserably, haha!

What about you, as a reader or author, how accurate do you like your stories to be?

 

 

 

SPECIAL DELIVERY (A Kiki and James missing scene from First, I Love You) #NSFW 18+!


Special Delivery is a Kiki Downey & James Hoffman missing love scene from First, I Love You. (18+ NSFW!)

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Special Delivery can also be found in A World of Romance Anthology:

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SPECIAL DELIVERY

By Genevieve Dewey

Kiki Downey changed the wording on the last sentence of her blog post for what she hoped was the last time then hit . She was pretty sure her copy editor was only making her submit yet another draft to him because she had turned him down for a date again. He never cared what she wrote in her blog before and this nit-picking was the only change in the routine. She doubted he had developed a sudden love for wedding coordinations.

She crooked her head. On the other hand, maybe he’d finally found The One. Even a beady-eyed, sweaty-palmed rodent like him could find love.

She sighed. No, if he had found someone he wouldn’t have tried to grope her the last time she went over to the Sun-Times building. She really didn’t want to have to talk to the Editor in Chief about him. She knew for a fact her boss was terrified of Daddy and she liked to think she had this job because she possessed a keen sense of fashion and not because she had a mobster for a father… and grandfather… and cousin… and Godfather…

The knock on her door jerked her from her meandering thoughts and she popped up to answer it.

“Who is it?” She asked as she undid the bolt.

“Special Delivery!”

Kiki brightened. It was only a week past her birthday. Maybe it was a late present. She opened the door to see Agent James Hoffman with a smirk on his face. He slouched against the door jamb with one hand in his pocket, the other holding a take-out bag.

“You always answer the door without looking first?” James asked. “What’s the point of asking who it is if you’re just going to open the door for every Tom, Dick, and Harry anyway?”

Kiki let out a nervous giggle. Her heart started racing and she could feel her cheeks flooding with red. A visit so soon after their hook-up on Sunday? She slowly smoothed the front of her velour track suit—to make sure it was showing all the most important parts, of course—and opened the door wider.

His smirk morphed into a frown and he stopped the super-sexy broody slouch thing to walk past her into her apartment.

“Seriously, Kiki, you shouldn’t open the door without looking first. And you should keep your latch on, too,” James continued as he set the takeout bag on her coffee table.

Kiki sighed. She had enough men in her life being overprotective worrywarts she didn’t need her new… Hookup? Co-conspirator? Whatever he was… nagging her. She grabbed her hair and twisted it into a loop in back as she walked over to the divan and flopped onto it. She enjoyed the way his eyes followed her every move.

“I’ll keep that in mind… um… what was your name again?” she asked, trying hard to keep the smile from her lips. She tamped down the shudder of pleasure at the predatory look in his eyes.

He chuckled. “Play nice, kitty cat, and I might share. I only have a half hour before I have to be at the Federal Building.”

“Share what?” She purred, running the zipper up and down slowly on her track suit. “And you know you’ll never make it in time. Besides, it’s rather presumptuous of you to think I’d want to play anything. I’m a busy girl.”

“You want me to go, Katherine?”

She shivered at the use of her given name. Of course she didn’t want him to go, and he knew it. But she did have somewhere to be this afternoon, too. She was going to meet up with Tommy’s mother Mary. Mary’s support would further James and Kiki’s mutual goal of convincing her brother Tommy to let Daddy back in his life. James insisted doing so would help his and Tommy’s current case, but Kiki was only going along with it because having Tommy back in the fold—Detective or not—was the one thing Daddy wanted most. This sex-on-the-side thing between her and James was supposedly a separate thing entirely. She’d never dated a DEA Agent before; it’d be a nice change of pace being with one of the so-called ‘good guys’… assuming he wasn’t just using her.

Kiki hopped back up to grab the takeout bag and swing it playfully.

“So, what’s on the menu, Agent Hoffman? Taco? Clam? Sausage? Hot dog and a donut?”

His whole body shook from laughter. He snatched at the bag but she sidestepped him and deliberately rubbed up against his back as she danced away.

“Now, I know you haven’t forgotten my first name,” James drawled, turning around and shoving his hands back in his tight jeans. “After all, it was on your lips so many times the other night.”

His dimpled grin and twinkling eyes had her breath catching. He was so damn sexy even out of his formal wear. And the black shirt and leather jacket he was wearing with jeans seemed to highlight the contrast of blue eyes and black hair. He started walking toward her and she started backing up.

“How come you aren’t wearing a suit and tie? Isn’t that standard Federal Agent gear?”

“In general, drug runners don’t care how we look when busting their door down. All that matters is the gun and the handcuffs.”

“That’s kinda hot, maybe you should show me how that works sometime.”

He laughed outright then he shrugged out of his jacket and shoulder harness, all without stopping his menacing approach. Oh, please let him be for real, and not just another manipulator, Kiki thought. James made a grab for the bag but she hid it behind her and kept backing up down the hall. He only deepened the grin and started taking his shirt off.

Kiki bit her lip to keep from panting. Holy cow, he was… wow… ten times as amazing in the daylight. His hands swiftly unzipped his jeans and he managed to simply walk out of them and his shoes. She was so mesmerized by him that the crunch of the takeout bag smacking the end of the hallway wall startled her. She barely had time to register the thunk of it hitting the ground before his hand hooked behind her and yanked her flush up against him.

She frantically started to tug at her track suit. Why was she still wearing the damn thing? It didn’t matter anyway. He made short work of it and then she was soaring through the air in to her bedroom. She would have sucked her breath in at the swooping sensation in her tummy except his tongue was in her mouth and who could think about breathing anyway?

Her hands sunk into his short black curls and she wrapped her now naked legs around his waist. She thought he would set her down on the bed but he turned at the last second and sat on the edge. His lips finally left hers to explore her neck.

Oh, how she loved his neck kisses. It was some strange combination of kissing, licking and nibbling that made her feel like ice cream melting in July. She wanted him to lick her all over and eat her up. Literally. The way his fingers gripped her ass and pressed her up against his cock, his hot breath and his efficient mouth… this man played her body like it had been special-ordered just for him.

His tongue licked along her collar bone and he rubbed her wetness against his cock some more. His shaft was hitting her clit just right and he seemed to know when she was ramping up towards an orgasm because he would painfully grip her hips and stop just as she got there. She began to whimper from the teasing and he chuckled again, damn him.

Well, two could play that game.

She stopped gripping his shoulders and started running her fingers up and down his back in a half scratching, half tickling manner. He shuddered as her finger teased his crack.

“Say my name,” he demanded.

“Oh, how terribly cliché of you, Agent Hoffman,” Kiki snickered and licked her lips. She watched his nostrils flare a bit and he bit his lip for a brief moment. Then he stood up and tossed her on the bed. She rolled over to crawl further up the bed but he trapped her face down and straddled her, hands pinning her wrists. She could feel his cock prodding at her ass.

“James!”

“Ahhh…see? Now, that wasn’t so hard,” he snickered then started nibbling at her back.

It didn’t hurt at all, just sort of made her tingle all over. She squirmed underneath him and he let out a groan. He lifted one hand up and yanked the drawer open on her nightstand to grab a condom. Her heart was beating so fast in her chest her ribs ached. She wasn’t ready for any backdoor action if that was what he was going for. On the other hand, he had done things to her the other night no one had ever dared before and she had enjoyed every single delicious second.

He let go of her other wrist and raised her hips. His cock entered her and she sucked in her breath. No, no backdoor action yet, but she felt suddenly dizzy from the strange sense of disappointment that brought. No one had ever made her wonder or want to know what that would be like before.

Suddenly his mouth was next to her ear and he whispered, “I haven’t been able get the other night out of my mind. I can’t stop thinking about you.” His husky voice seemed to immobilize her. He licked her earlobe. “About all the things I want to do to you…”

His fingers trailed lightly along her sides and she squealed from the tickling sensation. Her legs trembled and she felt gooey and helpless in an erotic sort of way.

He licked along her spine as his hips set a demanding pace. She grabbed the comforter underneath her and pushed back so he would have better penetration.

“Katherine…” he let out in a sort of whispery groan. It was simply amazing how he managed to make such a stodgy old name sound sexy.

“James… please… I need to touch you,” Kiki said.

It was the truth; she needed to feel his strong chest muscles and watch his eyes as he came. It was the only time his face had betrayed any vulnerability with her in the short time they’d known each other. And really the only time since she’d met him Saturday that she had felt even remotely in control.

He let out a quick breath and pulled out. He flipped her so fast her hair got caught but the pain of it left her as soon as he entered her again. She was denied the pleasure of watching his face, though, because his mouth was on hers in a bruising, ferocious kiss. She moved one hand to his head to yank on his hair, and the other to his ass to rest a finger between his cheeks. His mouth left hers and she could hear his breath hitch.

“God, stop, baby—I can’t—I won’t be able—” He struggled to get the words out. His pace doubled and his face cramped up in a panicky expression.

She knew he was about to come and was fighting it. The way he needed her was nothing short of intoxicating. She clamped her muscles around his cock and came apart watching his face battle for control.

He groaned with his own release and it vibrated against her body.

“Ahhh,” she sobbed as the force of it had her coming a second time. She gripped his hips and pressed him against her one last time to keep the waves of sensation coming.

His arms holding himself up were trembling slightly and he dropped his forehead to hers. He let out a shaky laugh then kissed her quickly and rolled off.

Kiki stretched lazily like a cat, enjoying the soporific after-glow.

James sat on the edge of the bed and grabbed his underwear.

“Shit,” he mumbled as he looked at his watch.

“What?”

“Gonna be late,” he muttered as he quickly started gathering his clothes.

She sighed. So much for any post-coital cuddling. She followed him into the living room, not bothering to get dressed. Let him see what he was leaving, so he’ll come back for more, her mind whispered. It sounded a bit like her mother’s voice and that was more than a little disturbing so she plastered a cheerful, carefree, don’t-worry-about-me mask on her face.

He was dressed and fastening his holster in record time. He checked his phone with a frown, face otherwise completely free of emotion. He looked up briefly as he turned the knob on her front door and a quick blink was the only reaction to her still being naked. He flashed that devastating grin.

“Call you tonight?” he asked and shut the door before she could answer.

Kiki blinked at the door in the sudden silence. The door opened again.

“Latch the door,” James said and slammed it shut.

She sighed and retrieved the take-out bag from the hallway. She looked inside it and saw her favorite Portillo’s sandwich.

Bring her something, followed by a quickie? Check.

Immediately after, consult watch and phone for work? Check.

Ambiguous promise of future hookups? Check.

Yeah, so far, dating a Federal Agent wasn’t too much different than dating one of her father’s ‘employees’.

The bright side?

The sex was amazing and unlike the men who worked for Daddy, she wouldn’t ever have to worry about sending him care-packages in the clink. And if James was using her, well, she could tell herself she was using him as well. Plus, she perked up, they had known each other less than a week and he had already sent her half a dozen texts, had sex with her at least that many times, called her once, and made her breakfast. Come to think of it… this might be her first ever real grownup-type relationship.

She smiled and grabbed her phone to call Mary.

It was time to get cracking on James and Kiki’s ‘mutually beneficial’ plan, and maybe she could get all of her wishes.

–Copyright 2013, Genevieve Dewey

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#ASMSG #BYNR Nov > NEW BOOK RELEASE: Third Time’s The Charm (Downey #3)


THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM

The Downey Trilogy #3

Adult Contemporary Fiction: Family Drama/Romantic Suspense

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Once to Begin, Twice to Bind, and Third Time’s The Charm…

Of all the things Mickey Downey has accomplished in his life, successfully quitting his vices is the one thing he hasn’t been able to master. For the first time Mickey is free to have both Mary and Tommy in his life, yet he’s never been closer to being pulled back into the criminal world. While Tommy, Ginny and James work overtime to expose a nefarious plot threatening all of them, Kiki and Maeve Downey are hatching their own plots to make Mickey’s dreams come true. With shenanigans afoot in every aspect of Mickey’s life, he may be forced to pick up the weapons he promised Mary he would leave behind in order to protect his children. Can Mary finally accept he might never truly be free of it or will Mickey’s enemies once again succeed in tearing them apart?

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It is necessary to read First, I Love You (Downey #1) and Second of All (Downey #2) prior to reading Third Time’s The Charm.

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And now, An EXCLUSIVE (never before seen) excerpt from Third Time’s The Charm:

When her gaze finally lifted to his, his face was blank. The only emotion vaguely present was resignation. The same little devil that had prompted her to invite him to supper with Jack and Claire on her last visit took over. She lifted her chin.

“I’ll stay with you. Ten minutes for every question you answer truthfully.”

“Why? So you can act outraged again and run away?”

“Run away?” Mary’s heart was running so fast in her chest her ribs actually ached. “I’m not running away. And I’ve a right to be upset with what you’ve told me.”

His eyebrows contracted faintly but he continued to stare at her blankly. She walked forward and grabbed the box from his hands. She knew it was his surprise at the action more than anything that had him letting loose.

“These are mine. You meant them for me. You might want to lie to yourself they were meant for you, but the lying to me stops today. Now,” Mary finished firmly.

She ignored the slightly outraged, stunned look on his face and marched towards the door.

“You want to know the truth, Mary?”

She turned back around at the marked anger in his voice. He had only rarely been angry with her. They had fought like cats and dogs that last year they were together but he had always fought with a detached sort of disdain and condescension, only rarely with anger.

He stood up slowly, his eyes burning, nostrils flaring.

“Well, here’s the truth, Mary, and don’t go crying because it’s not what you wanted to hear. I’m as sick of that as you are of the lies. The truth is I didn’t want to retire. Not the first time, not this last time, not ever. I moved mountains to try and be with you and Tommy and it didn’t work. Then I asked you what would work and did that, and all it’s done is put all of us at risk, and you’re still playing games. Tormenting me.”

“Tormenting you!”

“Yes, Goddamn it! Dates, conditions, games. Here’s some more truth, Mary. I hate being retired. I hate relying on Carlo and the fucking cops and I hate being good. I miss the rush of making money, being in charge, breaking the law. Is that enough truth for you? When will it be enough sacrifices for you? When are you going to sacrifice something for me?”

Mary thought maybe it was the trembling from her emotions but it took her several seconds to really grasp he’d said that. She continued to stand there for a full minute. How could he be so clueless?

“Sacrifice? Are you serious? I sacrificed my entire life to be your mistress. The first four years of our child’s life were spent living a lie. I sacrificed the joy of a family unit, I raised our son alone.”

“By choice.”

“I have been alone because I couldn’t risk anyone finding out who his father really was! I sacrificed my young and pretty years on the RUN! I sacrificed finding love and having a real family, having more children. Now I’m a dumpy middle aged woman with a grown man for a son. I just sold the home I worked myself to the bone to earn to move here! I sacrificed everything!”

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About the Author:

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www.GenevieveDewey.com

(Get missing scenes and supplemental flash fiction!)

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Genevieve Dewey is the author of The Downey Trilogy and the Downey spinoff short romances featuring Katelyn & Dominic (The Bird Day Battalion and The V-Day Aversion). She is a wife, mother, sister, friend and Anthropologist. She is also an unapologetic lover of chocolate, bourbon, high heels, guns, and spending hours getting lost in research. Gen lives in Nebraska with her husband and three children. Her books include:

The Downey Trilogy

First, I Love You

Second of All

Third Time’s The Charm

Short Romances

The Bird Day Battalion (Free everywhere!)

The V-Day Aversion

Coming Soon

The Good Life ( A Dom & Kate Novel)

A wee bit of #RandomGen on a fine Thursday…


I was thinking… periodically I come across blog posts, or articles or whatever that talk about research put into fictional books. It’s true there are some great fiction novels that practically exude “author researched the heck outta this” and then there are others that exude “aw, come on, that would never happen”. My own personal style? I’m somewhere in between. As some of you know I love, luuuurve, love things having to do with American gangsters–usually old school gangsters of the Luciano and Capone sort. I also love the rich history of the FBI and other crime-fighting branches of the US Government. I also love the history of Chicago and the history of Nebraska (which have quite a long history of being connected). My family’s from Chicago, I’ve heard tons of interesting stories. I tried to throw some shout-outs, if you will, to those histories in my Downey series. BUT, I’m telling a story, a fictional story. I took some liberties. Quite a few liberties, as only the purists will know. *wink* I think that’s our right as authors, in essence to say, “Yeah, but what IF it were to happen this way?”

What was my point?

I have no real point (ha!) except to say I deeply enjoy when people discover/recognize my nods to history and real people but, yes, I did, on purpose, flirt with the “that would never happen”. That’s the point to telling a yarn…

 

Speaking of #RandomGen… did you know Al Capone’s older brother Vincenzo–“Jimmy”–lived in Homer, Nebraska? Yeah, for realsies. Went by the name of Richard Hart. And–get this–he was the town Marshall for a while.

I know, right?

Sometimes the truth really is stranger than fiction.

HAVE A FANTASTIC THURSDAY!

*smooches*

Gen

 

 

An Interview with #poet Original Clyde Aidoo


Well, my loyal blog followers, you’re in for a treat today because I asked my good friend and Chicago poet Clyde Aidoo to come shoot the breeze with me about his Art of Mind Trilogy. Known as Original Clyde Aidoo, the Philosopoet of the Inner and Outer Spaces, he’s been one of my strongest supporters since before I typed my first sentence. PS–I promise to keep my over-the-top love of the Chi-Town to a minimum.

Gen: A little bit about you first, OC. Have you always lived in Chicago?

Clyde: I have. I’m originally from the Southside in the Englewood area. Then I moved to the South Suburbs of Chicago at 13 and have stayed there since. But it’s funny you ask that, G, because actually, and I’m sure this will be very disappointing for you to hear, but I will be relocating to Las Vegas, Nevada this year. So goodbye, Windy City, hello Desert Sun.

Gen: Argh! How could you betray my mud town like that, OC?! Naw, I kid. I’m a little heartbroken though, since I didn’t get to see you the last time I was there. But, speaking of Chicago, is there a particular place or setting where you get your best writing ideas?

Clyde: I would definitely have to say downtown Chicago. I feel that when I am around people and naturally observing people and my surroundings, I am usually hit with ideas. That is one of the many reasons why I am moving to Vegas. In many ways, Vegas is the epicenter of the world. Year round, seven days a week, there are people from all 50 states and hundreds of countries getting a taste of Sin City. Any place that brings so many different people together in their most primal, uninhibited and natural state, is a place where I want to be….and the Showgirls don’t hurt, either…

Gen: HA! Actually, I have been to Vegas a number of times and the fact it is 24/7 on, on, on, makes it a place I would never want to be. But, on the other hand, as a fellow people-watching fanatic, I hear you there. And I can see how it would inspire you. One of the things I think makes your writing unique is the way you pair it with art. Are there songs that also get your poetic juices flowing?

Clyde: Yes, absolutely. My creative inspiration really can be sparked at any moment. I could be watching a movie that makes me think about a larger theme or issue outside of the film that I have either experienced first-hand, or that I am fascinated by. I am hypersensitive to the devices of everyday life. I am never actively searching for ideas, but I always remain open and ready for them. And with music, sometimes I’ll hear a song and I’ll get this creative volt just CHARGE through me. There may not be a concrete idea for me to write about, but it just inspires me to the point where I’m like, “Man, I may not have any ideas right this moment, but when I write again, I want to write like THIS!” And that’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve always wanted people to feel how I feel listening to a great song whenever they read my poems. That is why I am so obsessed with rhythm. I am a tenant of rhythm. And there are so many songs that have got my juices flowing and a great many of the artists have been referenced at one point or another in the trilogy, including a few specific song tributes. Like “Supermassive Black Hole Ablaze” in Art of Mind III. Whenever I hear “Supermassive Black Hole” by Muse I become possessed.

Gen: I loved all your books but there was definitely something about this last one, an energy to it that really jazzed me. I can tell you poured a lot of your heart and soul into it.

When did you first start writing?

Clyde: I was either 9 or 10. I used to sort of have my own WWE magazine. I swear I was the most meticulous 10-year-old child with my action figures. I took it more seriously than most would say a child should. I had weekly programs that started at a precise time, I had backstage interviews as well as matches, and I had my own magazine where I’d write 50 pages every other month or so about the happenings in my fantasy world. Hell, I even had a record book of every single match that I did with the results. Yeah, I was pretty OCD.

Gen: I’m sorry, but that’s super adorable. I know guys hate it when I call them adorable, but, it doesn’t count when it’s in reference to Young Clyde, right?

Clyde: I think that is a question better answered by Young Clyde. And unfortunately, Young Clyde cannot come to the phone right now. He’s out playing somewhere far, far away.

Gen: Ha! So, what made you write the first Art of Mind?

Clyde: Wow, many things, G. You know it was just a point in my life where I had all this pent up…STUFF in my mind and soul and I had no outlet. I had nowhere to put it. And in reading someone like Emily Dickinson, who is one of the biggest pioneers for “going all in,” I decided that I should lay out some of my demons on the page, too, and see what happens. From there, I was sparked by the influence of music, everyday life, and other muses.  I wanted to write about things that no other poet would dare write about in a way that they wouldn’t dare write it. Subjects that most would feel are not worthy of being written about in language that was unfiltered and unpretentious. I wanted to celebrate art…all the different kinds of art, as well as the art that we take for granted the most, the art of our thoughts. And every satirical, whimsical, or poignant piece that I’ve written was a thought that I had and held, and found art in, and I found fit to include in my museum of ideas.

Gen: What would you say is the biggest difference between Art of Mind I and Art of Mind II?

Clyde: I think Art of Mind I carried more torment. I was in a darker place with Art of Mind I, I’d say, and I think that out of all three volumes of Art of Mind, Art of Mind I addressed themes like loneliness and isolation the most. I feel that Art of Mind II branched out more to where it was more evenly distributed between matters concerning my struggles and objective philosopoems to the world. It wasn’t until Art of Mind III where I feel there was a perfect balance between discussing my own personal journeys and struggles while also commenting on…well, anything and everything else. The little things that go unnoticed as well as the big issues, like mortality. Art of Mind I is probably the rawest of all the three volumes. It really was like a journal. A man and a page with no restraint and no regard. In Art of Mind II, I mellowed out and had more peaceful verse but with the same bravado I became known for my by readers in the first volume.

Gen: Yes! Actually one of the poems in Art of Mind II you reference a soap opera we both used to love, General Hospital, and how wouldn’t it be nice if we could all just serendipitously meet on the docks when we’re meant to like in a Soap? I loved how you managed to take something so Pop-Culture and weave a universal human desire so seamlessly.

Clyde: Thanks, G. I feel that Pop-Culture influences us all in so many ways…I know how much it influences me. And something that I’m proud of is that I don’t limit myself to the Pop-Culture that everyone knows or that people think I “should” be referencing. When I gave that poem the green light into Volume 2, I could picture a lot of eyes rolling, like, “This guy just wrote a poem about a soap opera.” But hey, I feel there is a connection between ALL forms of art with everyday life. There are connections to be found in often disregarded platforms such as soap operas to our lives just like a big-budget motion picture or a primetime television program. I feel that as artists, we have to be open and honest to anything and everything that inspires us, even if there will be some eye rolls that come with it.

Gen: I absolutely agree! My dear blog followers, you can get Art of Mind I & II at Amazon and other major online retailers.

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Clyde:  I’d also like to take this moment to point out that while both Art of Mind I and Art of Mind II have the parental advisory sticker on them, both books are perfectly safe to read for virtually all readers. I just felt, “Why should the bands and musicians get to use the cool sticker and we authors don’t?” Especially those musicians who say like two curse words in the whole album! When I saw that Gwen Stefani had the sticker on one of her CDs, I knew right then that I was justified in having it on my book covers. Plus, it goes along with the heavy music theme for the series. But yeah…you should try it, too, G. The Downey Trilogy goes wayyyy harder than any of these rappers and musicians! Just read a James and Kiki love scene. Geez…

Gen: Hahaaaa! Yeah, there’s language, death, violence, sex–actually the sex in First, I Love You is blink and you miss it compared to my shorts and hot shots! But then, I do have a parental advisory on my hotshots…

BUT, rambling aside, back to the reason you’re here: Art of Mind III. Tell us a little more about the recently released Art of Mind III, and where it’s available.

Clyde: Art of Mind III is about growth. It’s about my growth not only as a person, but as an artist. It’s about the love that is out there in the world all around us. It is about withstanding life’s struggles and running another lap. It’s truly a book that came straight from the heart and touches on a wide variety of themes and subjects, as is the case with the previous two volumes. But it’s not just my story; I honestly believe there is a little bit of everyone’s story in this one. I know that is a large claim, but in my heart that is how I feel about the book.

Art of Mind III is available at all online retail outlets.

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Gen: So, my friend, do you already have an idea for your next book?

Clyde: Let me tell you, G. Words cannot express how excited I am about the project I am working on right now! I am hoping and projecting it to be released around the summer of 2015. It is a brand new series and is taking my career in a brand new, extremely exciting direction. It is still poetry, but it is a drastic change from the Art of Mind series. And I am also simultaneously working on chapbooks that may be released alongside this new series or beforehand in 2014. Originally, I didn’t know if I was going to retire from poetry after Art of Mind III, but I feel that I have so much more to say, and I cannot wait for this new series to take off. When I look at one of my heroes, Sam Cooke, who was taken from us too soon at the peak of his career, I know that I owe it to myself to write until I can’t write anymore and to carry on to my full potential, whatever that may be. Which is why every book I put out, there is a growth. A constant evolution. And with this new series, I assure you, you will see another giant leap. I want to be someone where, if I should be taken from this world before my time like Sam, the world will have no doubt about whether or not I would have continued writing or if I had more to say. They would already know that I would have continued, and like Sam, I would have only got better.

Gen: Outstanding! Now Clyde, I know I warned you, maybe you didn’t believe me, but I like to round out my interviews with some ‘just because’ sort of questions.

If you could pick a dessert to describe yourself what would it be?

Clyde: Apple Pie á la Mode. I’m hot and cold.

Gen: Oh my cheese. You are, at that. Haha! If you could live anywhere on the planet (regardless of cost or practicality) where would it be?

Clyde: Vegas.

Gen: Twist the knife, OC, twist it. If you were a superstar what would be the biggest cause you would champion?

Clyde: Self-Expression.

Gen: Nice! If I came to Chicago for a day where would you take me?

Clyde: Vegas. Oh, wait, you meant in Chicago…um…probably over to Gibson’s Steakhouse on Rush Street or the House of Chicken and Waffles on the Southside. Then for a stroll down Michigan Avenue. I tell you what, I may be moving but I’ll always be back in Chicago…because there aren’t many cities on this planet that can hold a candle to summertime in the Chi. As, of course, you know, G.

Gen: I do know, Fall’s not too shabby either. And the way they turn the river green for St. Paddy’s in Spring, and Winter…yeah, no, Winter in Chicago sucks balls. But, I’ll try and not think you just said that so I’ll stop shooting eye-daggers your way. Well, Mr. Original Clyde Aidoo, thank you for visiting my blog! Please come back, don’t be shy.

That’s all for today, folks! I’d normally provide you all with Social Media Links but as of yet us friends of Clyde have not managed to get him on to Twitter or a fan page on Facebook or anywhere else, but never fear, we’ll keep working on him! *wink*

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BUY links for Clyde’s poetry:

At Amazon:

Art of Mind

Art of Mind II

Art of Mind III

At Barnes & Noble:

Art of Mind III

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