Electronic publishing will not improve income for authors. There isn't much hope that the Australian Society of Authors will get its way. The ASA wants 35 per cent return for ebooks. With an expectation of $10 for a new novel that is $3.33. That is a much more than traditional paper publishers pay. Trying to manipulate the electronic medium for more profit is not on. Book publishers have been paying only 10 per cent of the sale price for years. Demand is only high now because many old favorites are available for free. Most consumers are prepared to pay only cents for new work. The same thing will happen as happened with music. Some will buy books then distribute them online for free. When Internet book publishing matures consumers will pay only what they pay now to get a song from iTunes - $0.99.
Publishing firms are selling more new books in ebook format than paper, but this is the honeymoon period. As sells mushroom, profit margins and price will crash. Don't forget the danger of pirated copies being sold from China through eBay. What authors see as "fair" is not what distributors see. They would rather pay authors nothing than to sell at a loss.
Mick Jagger has recently admitted to the UK press that he hasn't made much from CD sales of Rolling Stone material over the last ten years. Furthermore, profit from Internet sales of songs is extremely small.
Book distributors no longer hold a monopoly. They cannot charge exorbitant prices as in the past. With Amazon and even Google pressing for more book sources - cheap ones at that - authors may ignore traditional publishers and do deals with them. The price will surely fall then.
Some fact about the publishing world, or e-Publishing versus Print Publishing
With the advance of the internet, a lot of people wonder, ‘What is e-publishing about?’
And it’s a legitimate question. Here are some answers from an e-Published author.
Before an author can submit to an e- publisher, the book must be finished. That makes sense because an e-publisher needs to know how many words are in the manuscript. And there is also the little known fact that some people write a great beginning, but can’t finish a book. Then there is the time factor to consider. No matter the stories out there, most of the big print publishers look at a proposal and have many steps to go through before the decision is made to buy the book. It takes time, as much as two years. So there's time to finish the book.
I’ve mentioned time. With most e-publishers we’re talking weeks, perhaps two or three months before a decision to buy is made. That’s quite a difference from the one to two years I’ve mentioned with big print publishers.
I have to mention postage costs for the author. Many of the major print publishers want a hard copy of the work. Only a few editors insist on e-mail, so there's the cost of postage. And mailing a full 90,000 word manuscript costs money. With e-publishers everything is handled over the internet.
I’ll pause here and mention something called vanity publishing and POD. Vanity publishing is when an author agrees to pay to have the work published. It’s given the name because, let’s face it, the reason the author wants the book published is a boon to his or her personal feelings. They want their name in print, or want the information they've researched available with their name attached. The new electronic machines available to print books at once, POD (Print On Demand) make it all possible. But I contend you don’t want to have to pay to have someone to buy your hard work.
Everyone wants to talk about “Money”. I hate to say this, but very few authors get wealthy writing a novel. Oh there are exceptions, but by and large most authors have to have one or two other jobs to support their talent. And here's why.
With a print publisher, the author is offered an advance against royalties, if they decide after a year or two that they want the book. However, if the book doesn't get finished, they want the money back. Let’s say they decide to buy the book, you have your advance in two, three or four installments, then the book is released. You wait for the first royalty check. And surprise, surprise. After they subtract the amount paid in the advance, they withhold anywhere from a fourth to half for something called reserves.
This is what the most people don’t know about print publishers. Their business model, especially with paperbacks, says they can print so many copies, but if the copies don’t sell in a month or two, the bookstore can rip the cover from the book, throw away the rest, return the cover to the publisher and get what they paid for the book returned to them. The story is a bit different with trade paperbacks or hard copies, but they don’t print many of them. So after the advance, you wait a while, sometimes a long while for whatever money the book nets. Also there is the percentage of royalties on each copy. Most digital publishers pay three to four times the amount of percentage when compared to a major print publishers.
I have to mention the cost of buying an e-book compared to a print book. E-books are much cheaper. They don’t involve print expenses, paper and distribution costs. You don’t have
to spend money on gas to go to the store to buy the book or pay the shipping costs if you order the book from an online store. If you have a cell phone with internet connection, you probably can read the book on you phone, or on your computer unless you splurge and buy a reader.
Which brings up distribution. No one can deny the major publishers have a lock on bookstore and chain store distribution. But with the internet and more and more place available to purchase digital reading material the means of distribution are slowly changing. No matter the method of publication, an author must promote his or her work. Again the internet seems to be the most effective means of communication.
One last point. With e-publishing, the book is available for a long, long time. If you here about an author who is recommended, if the book is in print, and several months, or years old, you may not be able to get a copy. Not true with e-books. Several of my original e-published books are still available on the internet. As long as the publisher and I agree the books can be bought they can be purchased. If you like one of my books, others are available for sampling. But not least is the fact that with e-publishing that book can be sold worldwide, so if you travel and want a specific author, if they write for the e-market, their books will be available.
So there you have it. The reasons I like being an e-published author. And yes, I do have the credentials to compare. My first six books were purchased and printed by a major print publisher.
My next ten books are e-published book. I plan to have all the rest of my literary endeavors also available in digital format.
You can find Allison on the web at www.AllisonKnight.com where you can find out her latest news, books and more.
Can you tell us a little about how you started writing; was it something you have always wanted to do?
I was born a writer and have done it since I learned to make letters. My parents say that I began telling stories long before I could write, and as a child I wrote all kinds of little tales for friends and cousins. I was in the 8th grade when I wrote my first "real" story. It was a historical western about a woman from the east who travels to the wild, Wild West to teach school in a small town and falls in love with the sheriff. I wish I still had it because I'd love to see how my 13 year old brain worked out the romance!
Who or what has been your biggest influence as a writer?
I think it's been some of the classic authors like Theroux, Fitzgerald, Steinbeck, and many others. Modern authors like James Patterson, Stephen King, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Karen Marie Moning are great influences. As far as people I know, Jill Noble, (Noble Romance Publishing), has been one of the biggest influences I've had. She has literally taught me the business of writing. I also have a great group of author friends who are not only great authors in their own right, but also the ones I can go to with questions and get honest answers--sometimes too honest, but that's what I love about them!
Your work is very popular with readers and reviewers; how does it feel to have such positive recognition for your work?
Is it? lol That's flattering. I just hope I can provide a few hours of enjoyment for people, take them away from real life for a while and drop them into a fantasy that will leave them feeling a little better than they did when they began.
What do you consider to be the key elements of a great story?
That depends on genre of course, but basically, the story line has to be intriguing, moving, and one the reader can relate to. Also, it never hurts to have a hunky-dunky hero and a fiesty, beautiful heroine!
Could you tell us a little about how you develop your characters? Who has been your favorite character to write? The most challenging?
My characters tend to write themselves. The voices in my head begin and the characters come to life, as real as any actual person I know and that makes it very easy to write them. A fave character? That's like asking me which of my children is my favorite. I don't really have favorites, but if I had to pick one, it would be Lucian in Deadly Dreams. He was also the most challenging. Lucian is gorgeous, but he's also the bad guy. I wanted to make the readers understand him, but also hate him. And I think I succeeded because I've been told he gives everyone nightmares!
Please tell us about the projects you are currently working on; what can readers expect to see in the coming months?
Oh my. Ancient Blood, as you know this is a werewolf story and the sequel to Blood Line, which comes out May 31, 2010 from Noble Romance Publishing. On June 15, 2010 I have a short story called Winter's Night coming from Untreed Reads, and I'm excited about this because this is my first non-romance story. On July 26, 2010 the second book in the My Soul To Keep Trilogy, Caleb, is coming from Noble Romance Publishing, followed in August with the third book, Arion, and on September 10, 2010 Closure is coming from Champagne Books. In the meantime, I am contributing to The Wine Diaries by William Maltese. My husband, Nathan and I will be touring local Oklahoma wineries, sampling and writing about the wines made here. Most people aren't aware Oklahoma produces wine, but they are my favorite wines and I've wanted to write a book about them for some time, so when this opportunity presented itself, I jumped at it!
I also write two monthly columns for The Pagan & The Pen. The first is called The Eggshell Effect and is about domestic violence. The other is called What Women Want/What Men Need and deals with the many nuances of the battle of the sexes.
Where can readers find out what's new and how can they contact you?
Everyone is always welcome to drop by my website and leave a comment or question on the guestbook. http://www.riemcgaha.com If anyone would like to email me, (I always answer my email), rieanswers@gmail.com
What is your favorite movie of all time? The one where you can watch it and still get affected at the same spots each and every time? There's quite a few actually. My all time fave has to be It's A Wonderful Life, the b&w version of course. There's an old western called China 9, Liberty 37 that I can watch over and over, but I think it's out of circulation or the title changed, I haven't been able to find it anywhere, or at least not the original version. I found the G version and it's just not the same. But I can watch the romantic comedies over and over and never tire of them!
If you were stranded on a deserted island, what 5 things would you have with you?
My husband. My laptop. Rum. Rum. Rum.
What is your favorite way to relax after a hard day working and writing?
Refer to last three items on previous question! LOL
What is the one era you would love to go visit and why?
I am a huge American history buff and I would love to see this country before the white man arrived. I would also love to visit ancient Egypt, Scotland, and Ireland.
What is one historical figure you would love to chat with and why?
Abraham Lincoln. I have always loved American history and Mr. Lincoln is a man who made a real difference in this country and I'd love to pick his brain! I'd also love to chat with the founding Fathers, Martin Luther King, Jr., Hadrian, Mary Queen of Scots, and my list goes on.
Out of all your books, do you have a favorite one? If not, then which one is closest to your heart?
Yes, I have a favorite and it's currently in the hands of a publisher as I wait to see if it's going to be picked up. It's called Cross The Line, and it's set right after the Civil War.
What is coming from you in 2010? Anything you want to do a shout out about?
Right now I'm concentrating on Ancient Blood since it's next up for release. I have a contest going on and everyone who enters wins a copy of Blood Line, and I'm also giving away an Ancient Blood T-shirt and a poster signed by me! This contest is very easy to enter, and readers can go to my website and click on the Ancient Blood tab, or the direct link is www.riemcgaha.com/ancientblood.htm
Ireland was her destination, where she would visit her beloved Colin's final resting place—the last place she'd been before making the choice to remain in human form. Now that she'd decided to live again, she would begin here, as well.
Ganda traveled by ship. She wasn't up to giving flying a try. Not just yet.
As the Irish coast came into view, her hands shook. She took a deep breath as she took in the stunning sight. The rocky shores, the lush, green valleys shrouded in mist—shimmers of rainbows formed by etches of sunlight gave the land an otherworldly, magical quality.
Although, all those thousands of years ago, the land hadn’t been called Ireland and hadn’t been populated either. She and Colin had loved the place for that very reason. The island had been their paradise where they were alone and in love. As Ganda disembarked from the ship and stepped onto the dock, a pang of loss filled her. Though the island had changed, there was a familiarity to this place that felt welcoming.
Thoughts of Jessie filled Ganda’s mind. What would she have done without her dear friends who had helped with the travel arrangements? The ticket for the ship, the hotel, all the reservations made from Jessie's laptop computer, everything had been set up for Ganda before she left the states. She checked into her hotel, staying only long enough to shower and change. When she’d finished dressing, she returned to the lobby, where the doorman hailed a cab for her. She handed the driver the address and settled into the seat, gazing out at the passing landscape as they sped toward the country.
The cabbie pulled into the cemetery drive and stopped. Ganda asked him to wait. Hesitantly, she emerged from the cab and walked across the grass, a gentle breeze caressing her face. Her hands shook violently; she slowed her pace. Inhaling deeply, she held her breath for a moment, then exhaled slowly as she stood before the gravestone and read the inscription. Her husband's name, Colin . . . next, the eulogy, Beloved husband of Ganda . . . the date of his death but not his birth was carved into the stone. So old, she thought, and weathered by centuries of rain and wind. Kneeling, she placed her hand on the stone, tears rolling down her face.
"Oh, Colin, I've missed you so very much. So many years have passed, but I feel as if you left me only yesterday. I tried to join you my love, but . . . ." She sighed. "I guess I didn't have the strength. I hope you know how much I love you. Then and now."
She rose, kissed her fingertips, then pressed them to the stone. "Till we meet again, my love." She turned away and returned to the waiting cab.
Being a writer, I often think about things to write about. Lately, I've had occassion to think on the writing itself, the act of organizing words into sentences, and sentences into paragraphs, and the phenomena of how all us writers came to the craft differently.
I know one such who is a dream writer. His ideas don't come to him except when his thoughts are suffocated by sleep, then, while his conscious mind is dormant, his unconscious self plays at author. When he wakes, he takes these ideas and writes them down, spinning the ideas like a loom. Sometimes he removes the gossamer fog of sleep, sometimes he doesn't. Another writer I know tends to things as they come to her. Scenes, and sentences, out of her mind and onto the page as they occur in the cinema of her mind. Later, she pieces them together in a puzzle-like tapestry. And of course I write like I write, in purposeful order with shields all around my thoughts, warding the chaos of other stories pushing in for my attention, against an hourglass draining of time.
But for every writer I know, I've met half a dozen others that wanted to be, or used to be, but they allowed something or someone in their life to discourage them. Someone told them how they did things was wrong. But, the amazing thing about writing, I've found, is that there's no wrong way to do it. There are effective methods, strategies, and techniques, trends that flow in and out of popularity, but so long as the words get on the page in an intelligible fashion, who cares how they got there? I would even say that there being so many different kinds of storytellers is why storytelling is such a wonderful method of expression.
So I write this for you, the third kind of writer: not the one that is, or the one that might have been, but the one that could be. You won't be able to please everyone, and I'm personally still on the fence about whether or not one should even try. But if it's in you to write, then don't let a small detail like thinking you're doing it wrong get in the way of that. Someone once told me that "writer's write." I spent two years at a technical college writing short stories around my class notes before I happened upon that nugget of wisdom. Hopefully, you will spend less time figuring that first lesson out. The second lesson was "get it all down before you realize it's rubbish."
But that was my second lesson. It may not be yours, which is another beautiful thing about it all. Of the two friends I mentioned, and myself, once we all learned the first rule, we branched into different directions, ultimately sizing up our own specific hurdles as wordsmiths, and attempting to leap over them. Just something to think about. But don't think about it for too long. There's an empty page out there somewhere hungry for words.
Nowadays you can't have a serious discussion about writing and book promoting without hearing the word brand thrown into the conversation.
What is branding, and why is it necessary for writers to use this technique? Take a moment and think of your favorite authors. What is it about their stories that keeps you into a repeat customer? Why do you search for one particular author first, before checking out someone else who may write in a similar manner?
When I began writing historical romance, I defined my style simply, Where romance begins…. I wanted readers to understand no matter what dramatic, treacherous or humorous events occur in the plot, I would never shortchange them on the romantic development of my main characters. Where romance begins…, is the tag line upon which I build my particular brand of romance.
Eventually I branched out to paranormal erotica under the pen name Marie March, and soon realized the WRB tag line, while perfect for my historical novels, didn't necessarily speak to the unrestrained sexual element of my shorter works. I needed a tag line that packed a bit more oomph, something that set my paranormal erotica apart from others writing in the genre.
If you look me up on MySpace, I bill my erotica as stories that feature sinister, yet sexy vampires, earth and sky Faeries, Fallen Angels, and nubile Nymphs with a heat rating that falls anywhere between sensual and scorching. Although this description reads well for MySpace, how could I begin to translate everything into a succinct memorable tag line?
After some thought, I whittled down the above descriptor to three words--you read that correctly. Remember, a good rule of thumb is KISS!Keep it simple sister! Think of any annoying television jingle and you will understand why the rule of three works. For example, one magazine ad that sticks in the corner of my brain is, got milk? It's certainly clear what the advertisers are pushing, and with two simple words, the entire dairy industry is represented.
In the end, branding plays a large part in an author's success; it's what initially draws a reader to your work. Staying true to your brand is what the reader expects, and ultimately, the reason that keeps your readers coming back for more.
Can you tell us a little about how you started writing; was it something you have always wanted to do?
I fell into writing quite accidentally. When I was nine, I wrote my first poem, one for my mother in honor of Mother’s Day. She read it and cried. It was called “Mama” and in its silly rhymes I told her how much she meant to me. My father read it next and pretending to be offended, he said, “I know it’s not Father’s Day yet, but would you write me an early poem called “Papa”?
My parents encouraged me right from the start that writing was my gift and the only way to thank God for it was to show I liked the gift by using it.
Two or three years later I started writing short stories. My father was a natural story teller. If he wanted us kids to learn something important, he’d couch it in a kind of make-it-up-as-he-went-along parable. Instead of “Don’t talk back,” he would say, “Once there was this boy, let’s call him Marco, who talked back to his mother so much one day she ran away from home.”
In those early days I also read quite a few comic books. They definitely taught young readers how to write a story!
Please tell us a bit about your latest/upcoming book(s). What inspired it? Is it part of a series?
Flashing My Shorts is the title of my newest book. It’s a collection of 164 short-short stories about life, love, humor, horror, crime, science fiction--name it! I wrote it because it’s the kind of book I myself enjoy reading. In this modern day of rush and run, I am certain others love this kind of book as well. They can read a story or two or three, put the book down, and come back to read some more new stories. Kind of like smorgasbord fare. Tables and tables of one-bite foods to sample. And judging from the many customer reviews at http://www.amazon.com/Flashing-My-Shorts-Salvatore-Buttaci/dp/0984259473 I would say lots of readers are particularly enjoying Flashing My Shorts.
I do intend to write more flash-fiction collections. In fact, I’ve half-written the next one called Flashes of Memory.
Who or what has been your biggest influence as a writer?
I am one of the blessed who has had more than a few who influenced me as a writer. First and foremost, my parents. To them I add three English teachers who helped remind me that one needs to learn the craft of writing to be a writer. To do otherwise would be like a pilot taking off from the roof of a building without a plane! He might get lucky and fly, but chances are he won’t make a safe landing. In grade 6 it was Sister Rita Damien who encouraged her students to write and then read their stories in front of the class on rainy lunch hours. My friend George Newman drew pictures to match my stories and while I read them, he’d hold up picture by picture so the class could squint and nod.
In high school it was Sister Marie Augusta whom we called “The Word” for two reasons: “My word!” was her favorite expression, and she loved the words of great literary classics which I pretended to hate so my stickball buddies wouldn’t think badly of me. And lastly there was Dr. David Rogers, my creative-writing professor, who taught me that a writer who does not revise is not a writer at all.
What do you consider to be the key elements of a great story?
A good story is like a well-baked cake: all the ingredients need to be present for it to taste good. I feel the same way about stories. If a writer has a fantastic plot but the characters are weak and indefinable, the plot falls on its face. If the writer does not include foreshadowing early on in the story, often the ending is not acceptable. Readers need to be given some tiny hint of the outcome or, like the ancient Greek playwrights, those writers will be accused of pulling a “deus ex machina,” a contrived resolution nobody saw coming. For a story to be worth reading, it must include the required ingrdients: plot, a character or more, a problem to be resolved, suspense, setting of time and place, point of view, theme, and resolution. A good story also contains a well-balanced mix of narration, dialogue, description, persuasion, and exposition. Of course, all of these requirements become more demanding the shorter the short story.
Could you tell us a little about how you develop your characters?
Because I believe in the need for a strong story opener, a hook to pull in readers right from the getgo, I first come up with a beginning. One sentence. Then I construct a problem from that one opening sentence and I express it as a problem. For example, if the opening sentence I come up with is “The dawn rose without the usual ball of orange sun.” Now I place that sentence into a genre--science fiction-- and express the problem perhaps this way: “Will Gantry Ward break the code of the Sun Thief or will the new Earth perish too?”
It’s at this stage I turn to character building. Gantry Ward. In my head I imagine what this man of the 26th Century looks like. Considering evolution, I see him as close to eight feet tall, broad in the chest and shoulders. Like all Earthlings, he is bald. The language he speaks is a kind of stilted English in a commanding voice. What are his strong points? What is his main weakness? I imagine what he would wear, how he walks, what’s important to him, etc. Then I look to invent the antagonist whom I call “the sun thief.” What is his appearance? What are his strong points? What is his weakness? Is there a love interest here? If so, I invent the woman Gantry loves or the sun thief loves or both love. Okay, maybe it’s not a woman at all. After all, it’s the 26th Century. Maybe one or both are in love with some robotic contraption. I try to see the entire story develop in my mind before I continue past the first sentence. When the story is done, I read it through, read it to my wife for feedback, then it’s back to my computer to tighten the story. I get rid of all unnecessary words, uninteresting or excessive description, change dull unrealistic dialogue. I try to do as much a hatchet job as possible. When I feel it’s my best, I give it a file name, save it in my 2010.STORIES folder, and then look for a market to which I can submit it.
Who has been your favorite character to write?
I have the first draft of a novel I wrote called Carmelu the Sicilian, which I am in the process of editing towards a final draft. I love the guy! He starts off evil as hell and we watch him change through the book--a kind of St. Augustine of Hippo!--until he reaches saintly proportion. What he shows us by way of honor and true respect teaches us that we can all become better persons. We can all learn to see what life should really mean to us.
The most challenging?
The ScienKing, Donnelly Noonan, in my working novel Denver-under-Dome, is my most challenging character because he is so self-absorbed and maniacal, he is able to persuade survivors of post-bellum Denver (on an parallel world) that nothing exists, nothing matters, except science according to what he allows science to be. It’s hard to write about a character who possesses no redeeming qualities, one whose end we anxiously await and perhaps applaud.
Please tell us about the projects you are currently working on
Right now I am working to promote the sale of my new book Flashing My Shorts. I just know if folks ordered and read a copy, they would thank me. It’s worth the read. My publisher Phil Harris at All Things That Matter Press published it because he believed in it as much as I did. And he worked with me so that what’s between the book’s covers pleases both of us. Oh, if all publishers treated their authors like Phil Harris at ATTMP!
I am also editing my novel Carmelu the Sicilian. It is the story of a man who does what no other man has been able to do: end the media’s rampant bias against Italian Americans. And he does it without violence but rather within the law.
When the book is ready, I intend to promote it to those Italian American organizations who have already expressed a desire to publish it or finance its publication. As a member of the Italian American One Voice Coaltion, I have worked hard with people like Dr. Manny Alfano and Unico National President Andre DeMino to oppose TV horror shows like Jersey Shore and The Sopranos. My book will be one more voice in that struggle
To end the media’s ethnic bias against Italian Americans.
what can readers expect to see in the coming months?
If they do a search of “Salvatore Buttaci,” they’ll see many of my published poems and stories. I write daily and I promote my work as much as I can. I am the Editor of The Poem Factory at http://sambpoet.webs.com/ I post my “Poems of the Week” there and forward them to members of the site. I also invite poets to submit to our two annual issues, summer and winter.
Where can readers find out what's new and how can they contact you?
I wake up each morning between 8:30 and 9:00. I get to the computer about 10:00 a.m. and after checking e-mails and replying to them, I write for about three or four hours. Later on in the day I will do some more writing for about another two hours. Often, while watching TV, I’ll do a crossword puzzle, then write some more for about an hour.
How do you balance your personal and writing time?
I’ve been retired from teaching since July 2007, which allows me more time than in the old days when I wrote at 5 in the a.m. and again in the evening for a couple of hours.
I keep a notepad in my shirt pocket, so you might say I am always writing!
Everything needs limits, even writing, so I try not to overdo my time away from my wife.
It’s not fair to her to share little time together. I love writing but I love Sharon more.
Who or what has been your biggest support?
Sharon. I thank God He got us both to meet and commit to a lifetime together. Though she herself does not write, she is an avid--no, voracious--reader and a darn good critic. I never write anything without reading it to her. She has been my biggest support and my biggest inspiration. Did I mention I have written over one thousand poems to her during our thirteen years together?
Which author(s) is your favorite?
My favorite poets are Stephen Crane, Edwin Arlington Robinson, John Keats, Leonard Cohen, and Langston Hughes. Cohen is my favorite poet.
My favorite novelists: William Goldman, Ernest Hemingway, Leon Uris, Ray Bradbury, and Frederic Brown. William Goldman is my favorite novelist.
And who has most influenced you work?
The Canadian poet Leonard Cohen. When I sometimes feel empty of words, unable to write, I pick up one of his collections and by the time I’ve read ten or eleven, I am off to writing ten or eleven of my own!
Do you feel your writing is character driven or plot driven? How do you balance these two elements?
Character-driven. I like to get inside my characters, show readers what makes them tick or explode or just sit there in the bus depot waiting for their train to come in. It’s like being a people-maker, bringing characters to life who never lived before except in my head. Plot is important. Without it you have no story, but characters carry the plot and solve the story’s problem.
Hollywood came calling for one of your books and offered you the choice of picking which book they would make into a movie, what one would you choose and who do you see playing your characters?
I should be so lucky! Well, I would pick Carmelu the Sicilian. I don’t know which actors I would want to play Carmelu or any of the other characters, but I do know which actors I would not choose: those Italian American actors who performed in films that denigrated Italian Americans!
Here are two of the 164 elections from Flashing My Shorts.
Book can be ordered from the publisher at the publisher’s site:
to unleash my alter ego, a not-so-amicable American from Paducah, Kentucky. I poured the rest of my Malbec, tossing the wine down as if it were Kentucky scotch, and then stood slowly to my wobbly feet. “Garçon!” I called. My waiter lifted the corner of his thin lip the way folks do when they’re exasperated; I knew he preferred ‘Señor,’ but if I could summon the waiters in Paducah with ‘Garçon,’ sure as hell some faggy oil-haired Buenos Aires pretty boy could skip to the loo and respond to any name I damn well chose. “Si, Señor, more wine?”
I nodded, sat down again, gave him back my own sneering lip. When he asked if the clean plate of sardines and oysters needed replenishing, I let my mouth crumble into a drunk man’s frown, my heavy head falling chin to chest for a sleep-hungry moment. When I looked up, Garçon was swishing towards the bar, Maria and Carlos had vanished, and San Cristóbal was just a barrio of loud diners and foul-mouthed drinkers, so I threw down an undeserved tip of eight pesos and headed out the door pretending Maria was tugging my arm towards the Hotel San Cristobal. #
War Hero
“Crazy Joe” Devlin was a war hero, but to neighborhood kids like me, he was free entertainment. If wisdom was mine back then at thirteen years old, I would’ve praised Joe, thanked him for his military sacrifices at Normandy Beach. Certainly I would not have been party to the verbal abuse we heaped on shell-shocked Joe just for laughs.
One late July afternoon Johnny Reichling lit a firecracker and tossed it in the air. Two things simultaneously happened: (1) “Crazy Joe” dove into Mrs. Minogue’s hedges; and (2) my father was walking towards me on his way back from work at the bakery.
“Follow me,” Papa ordered. He yanked my arm. I followed.
“What’re you doing?” he asked, his dark-brown eyes squinting in anger. “That man got hurt bad in Europe, protecting our freedom over here. And you treat him that way? Make a fool of him and of me too?”
Papa grounded me for a week. He made me write an apology letter to give Devlin.
“Back up this letter by respecting Joe from now on,” Papa said. “Your friends. Let them be stupid, but you’re my son.”
When my one-week “house arrest” ended, I sought out Joe Devlin and handed him my letter. Basically, it said I was sorry, that I would never be cruel again.
Joe read the letter. I watched his eyes dart from line to line, his hands tremble. Then Joe said, “Sir, half my men died on the beach. The wounded need a medic quick. I’ll take that gunner out myself.”
He shoved my letter into his shirt pocket and saluted me. He stood at attention, waiting. Hardly breathing or blinking. Finally I saluted back. The war hero nodded.
Many authors refer to the writing process as an almost magical means of getting their thoughts onto paper for eventual publication. I say “magical” because each author seems to have his or her own way of translating those thoughts into the wonderful prose we all treasure. They expound on their individual methods at conferences and conventions, pointing out both the benefits and, often, the drawbacks of their techniques. However, if each author has his or her own writing process, how is a budding author with dreams of book signings, library visits, and being featured at the above mentioned conferences and conventions ever to find the way that suits them? It is my hope that this article will offer a little hope to those suffering in the wasteland that writer’s block often feels like.
The most common piece of advice that new writers usually receive from seasoned professionals is “write what you know.” That’s fine, in as far as it goes; you can’t very well write about something you know nothing about, so stick with things you do know intimately and/or in which you have a strong interest. However, I don’t feel that “write what you know” goes far enough. I think a better bit of advice is the old adage “know thyself.” If this seems a little too broad to be of real practical value, please bear with me. Some authors have been able to make writing their primary source of income, and they treat writing like a regular job. In fact, a very prolific science fiction/fantasy author makes writing a 9-to-5 job: he enters his home office at 9 AM sharp, spends the first hour on correspondence (fan mail, emails from his agent and publisher, etc.) and phone calls; writes at his computer for three hours, takes an hour for lunch, writes at his computer for three-and-a-half hours, uses the last half-hour for more correspondence, and leaves his office at 5 PM sharp. Now, while this is great for him, most of us just haven’t reached the point where we can depend solely on the income from writing (at least not yet, but I still have hope). If you have not yet hit it big, you have to work your writing time around your regular work schedule, household chores, family issues, etc. Besides finding the time to write, there are other things to consider. Do you like to write in a quiet atmosphere, or do you prefer to have music or some other noise in the background? Do you have a special room or corner that is your “office,” or do you write anywhere you can find the space amidst all of your family’s stuff? Do you write in spits and spurts, or do you have nonstop, marathon writing sessions? Do you wing it, or do you have a plot outline written down that you stick to rigidly? As for myself, I use a laptop computer on a small table at my couch, have the TV running to listen to in the background, use a flexible plot outline (I know key points in the story and where they fit in, and I fill in the “spaces” in between those points in moving from one point to the next), and when I hit a patch of writer’s block (knowing what I want to say, but not exactly how I want to word it), I pause and play a few hands of spider solitaire before going back to writing (letting it percolate in the back of my mind as I play the card game). So you can see it’s not “just write what you know,” but also “know thyself” that’s important to today’s author. Of course, I also need to know what to write, and for that I need to do some research.
No matter how much you think you know about a topic, you can always do with learning some more. You never know when some little tidbit that you learned in some book or from a class or even from some conversation may be useful. I thought I knew a lot about ghosts from reading stories about real ghost, documentaries, and even a couple of encounters of my own, but I learned something new about ghosts in Charleston, South Carolina, while watching another documentary on TV. Lo and behold, I was able to devote a whole chapter in my novel, A Host of Ghosts, based on one of the ghostly legends of Charleston. For another example, I already knew a good deal about motorcycles when I needed one for a chapter in my novel, The Once and Future Now. I needed a bike that was fast and light, but powerful enough to carry two people while handling the stunts I required of it. The answer? Research. And despite what I had already learned about the Irish Republican Army and its efforts to expel the British from Ireland and eventually seek a peaceful resolution to the conflict, I need more information on the key players and operations of the IRA, as well as information on MI6, particular towns and locations in Ireland, France, and England, and the Hellfire Club. What did I do? Research. With a little studying of the information I collected, I was able to see the novel play out in my head as if I had a movie screen in my mind playing the action in front of me. All I had to do was write down what I saw as it happened. Even if you’re creating a world or universe from whole cloth, what happens in that world/universe still have to make sense within the rules you set up for it as well as rules that your readers will understand. Willing suspension of disbelief (which you expect your readers to adopt if you write science fiction, fantasy, horror, or some combination of them) only goes so far. Learn something about ecology, sword fighting techniques, battle tactics, medieval technology, blacksmithing, farming, woodscraft, etc. if you are going to write a fantasy novel. After all, you can’t believably have deadly swarms of giant monsters attacking and wiping out whole towns in a medieval setting without understanding why they are attacking, what they normally feed on when not attacking a town (is there enough wildlife in their normal territory to support those large numbers), what kind of organizational system do they use (pack, flock, herd, etc.), how they have been repelled if this has happened before, etc. You also need to know something about how a large city and a small village work in a medieval setting in order to make your settings and characters more real for your readers. For example, is the town/city large enough to have a mayor, a healer/doctor, a priest (or even more than one temple/church and, thus, more than one priest), a tavern, an inn, a town guard or militia, etc? The same is true for science fiction settings and characters. To be consistent in your rules for your universe, you have to have the background information firmly in place and in mind before you write. Research, research, research.
I hope that this helps you find the way to your own writing process, your own method, steps, and procedures for writing your articles, short stories, and novels.
Okay…so I stretched this a little. Actually, yesterday was National Tell a Story Day…but work with me on this!
As a child, I enjoyed books of adventure, and then as I grew, biographies caught my attention. In High School, I was fascinated by Shakespeare (no kidding!). I loved his “thee” and “thou” words, along with lines I sometimes couldn’t figure out. But, he intrigued me enough so that in college, I took 5 or 6 Shakespeare courses as electives.
Then, I discovered romance books and was hooked. I got started reading Barbara Cartland and Georgette Heyer books, and couldn’t find enough to keep me busy. From there I went on to read contemporaries and paranormals. Life is good as long as I have a romance book to read!
Tell me a story with a good plot to hold my interest, and a blossoming romance exploding with passion. I want to “see” your story in my head, and “feel” the heroine’s emotions. I want to relate to her, no matter what her age is…or mine. Romance has no age boundaries.
Tell me a story of a hero and heroine who know each other already, or have just met. Unrequited love and the desire to have someone love you set the stage for many romance books. The chase is all part of the rocky road to love.
Tell me a story of an adversarial hero and heroine thrust upon each other because of some situation. That thin line between love and hate can be crossed, enough so that fighting ceases and lovemaking begins. Fighting a powerful attraction dissipates as passion takes control.
Tell me a story that has a “black moment”…that awful turn of events that split the hero and heroine, and their relationship appears to be doomed. Let me want to scream at them to settle their misunderstanding, mend broken hearts, and enjoy each other’s embrace once again.
Tell me a story of their first encounter/or having already met. Add what’s wedged between them to cause heartache, resolve their differences, and give me that “happily-ever-after” I want to read.
I pattern my books after these desires. I know what I want in a romance book, and use these elements in my books. In my two erotic romance books, I take the passion and lust to greater heights, adding graphic details of the hero and heroine’s journey to love.
Whatever your preference in reading…sweet, sensual, erotic, etc., romance books…choose books that tellYOU a story and transport you into the hero and heroine’s love affair!
Where you an avid reader as a child? What type of books did you enjoy reading?
I read anything I could get my hands on-learning to read from comic books then started on the Hardy Boys, the three investigators, Tom Swift, Tom Quest and finally the Doc Savage Series ( I loved the series characters). I also loved anything by Andre Norton and am still waiting for them to make her version of The Beastmaster!
Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story.
Gaslight Occurrences: The Steampulp Adventures of Augustus Argent is a collection of connected stories about a Victorian investigator of the unusual who fights supernatural menaces that menace the English Empire. Think Sherlock Holmes meets Dr. Van Helsing J. His Watson is a swashbuckling Scotsman named Jack Stone who is a bit more physical than Sherlock’s good doctor.
The premise is that a document was created by sorcerers in the court of Elizabeth the first that prevented the island nation from being invaded by things of the occult-called the Solomon Doctrine-it is what stopped the Armada but the forces of darkness are always trying to breach the occult defenses. Queen Victoria even features in one story as the guardian of that generation’s version of the doctrine. She swings a mean chair at a bad guy I might add!
I wrote it because I love the Holmes books and Hammer movies and saw a perfect way to blend them both. (Hammer did a Hounds of Baskervilles, in fact). I love a good old-fashioned adventure and romance.
How would you describe your creative process while writing this book? Was it stream-of-consciousness writing or did you write an outline?
I wrote the Whitechapel Murders attributed to Jack the Ripper first and gave itmy own occult spin. It was intended as a stand alone, but part way through the story I realized I had a whole lot to tell about Argent and Stone and began writing tales before and aftrer that story. I have a long career to document with the two of them so expect more books.
Did your book require a lot of research?
Oh boy, yes! I’m one of those guys who yell at the History Channel if they get something wrong so I didn’t want to make a mistake. Street maps of anywhere they went, music they might hear, type of snacks they may eat, clothing, etc. I cursed myself daily for picking a period story but in the same time, I loved doing the research because it makes the stories so rich and layered.
If you could have any vice without repercussions, what would it be?
You really didn’t just ask me that did you? I live a pretty disciplined life-no alcohol, cigarettes, drugs-and no desire for them so my vices are pretty tame to most standards. I’ll give a safe answer in public and go with my main vice: ice cream! I’d love to eat it without having to do sit ups to pay for it!
What is the funniest/most embarrassing/scariest story from one of your book signings or events/conventions?
I’m afraid I don’t have any funny/scary stories for this. I love conventions and have had only good experiences.
If you could have been the servant to any famous person in history, who would it be and why?
I would have loved to be a student of Mussashi Miyamoto-Japan’s Sword saint/painter. I am a student of the sword in many cultures having taught western swordsmanship for thirty years and read his book “The Book of Five Rings” every year, discovering new truths in its words.
What do you see for the future of publishing and e-books?
I just sold a novella to a magazine that described itself as a ‘digi-pulp’ as it is made for the i-phone and electronic readers. That is the future. The New York giants are slowly beginning to get it but I think it is too late for them. Bookstores are dying in their current incarnation. We in the b world are at the right place in the right time if we can capitalize on it.
Which of your characters do you love/hate/fear/pity the most and why?
I love all my children-and hate all my villains-even if I understand them. But I imagine if I could only write one character/series again it would be my Dr. Shadows character. He is an adventurer who begins his stories in 1937 and I will eventually follow him to his death in 1974 and into his son’s contemporary adventures (I’ve written a novel ‘Secret of Wolf Island’ about Jon Shadows out at Gypsy Shadow Publishing).
He, like myself, has a Koren based martial background and is involved in the events leading up to and during World War Two in the far east. Mysteries, adventures and spy stories in the pulp tradition.
A Hex of Shadows-the first collection is out from epress-online, inc. now though only for a limited time. Have four books written and are shopping them to mainstream publishers.
Do you get along with your muse? What do you do to placate her when she refuses to inspire you?
I have never had writer’s block-I don’t allow myself that luxury. I am a writer. I have a word count to make each day and I am merciless on myself. I also work on several projects at once so if I ‘slow down’ in the process or need to figure something out I switch gears and let my subconscious go to work.
My muse, Saga-the Norse goddess of stories-is a lovely lady.
Do you have another book in the works? Would you like to tell readers about your current or future projects?
I have a collection of stories about a husband and wife team-Moxie and Mai Donovan-who investigates weird crimes in the 1930’s-but with alight touch. Think the Front Page meetes White Zombie.
He’s a reporter and she’s a showgirl. Bela Lugosi even shows up in two of the stories as a good guy. The book is called Deadline Zombies and is out from BooksforaBuck in May.
I also have the next Exceptional book in the works-#4 in the series fromWhiskey Creek Press. They are bio-enhanced bounty hunters in the year 2030. A pure thriller/adventure series.
Have you ever experienced weird cravings while you write? If so what kind?
Define weird? I keep snacks in the house and never feel any guilt about indulging. I just wish I had a milkshake machine.
If we asked your muse to describe you in five words, what do you think it would say about you?
Tenacious, faithful, focused, dedicated and just a bit mad.
Gaslight Occurrences:
The Steampulp Adventures of Augustus Argent
Publisher: Whiskey Creek Press
http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com
available at Amazon.com and Fictionwise.com
Who can the Crown call when a hideous curse has been caste on a nobleman in Regency England? Who will throw down the gauntlet when the fog bound Victorian streets of Whitechapel are the hunting ground for a subhuman, monster? Who can stand and fight when a bloodthirsty vampire rises from the tomb in the Kentish Marshes? Doctor Augustus Argent, Sorcerer Supreme and Agent without portfolio for the Crown that’s who! Since Elizabeth the Great had a secret cabal of witches create the Solomon Document to protect England from invasion the forces of evil conspiracies and the horrors of Alchemists have threatened the sceptered Isle. Join Doctor Argent and his swashbuckling aid Jack Stone as they protect the empire of England from the forces of darkness in pulse pounding, pulp-style action and romance.
