Month: April 2017

I’ve delayed posting to my blog this week because I really can’t think of anything to say this week. Writer’s block on my blog. It happens to the best of us, I presume. I’m still working on my second novel. Still waiting to be assigned an editor by my publisher, Oghma Creative Media. I still have a job in the city. I’m still going to my critique groups. It’s a good thing history doesn’t write itself because it would be a snooze-fest right now.

On Saturday, May 6, I’ll be at the public library in Farmington, Arkansas, for their local author fair. I even made it on their calendar. You can check it out here. Hope to see you there. You can pick up my business card, or trading card, even sign up to follow my blog. And I won’t charge a dime for any of it. Although, you should bring some money to purchase books from my fellow authors.

I do have an idea which, I hope, would increase traffic to my little corner of the Internet. It involves photos of models for Bill’s Cajun House of Pleasure. I have to look into this further and see how feasible it is to do. I’m starving artist, you know.  If it works out, it’ll be a great promotion item, just like “a romp in the swamp.”

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What I’m Reading – Many readers I know like to inquire what their favorite author is reading. At the end of each blog post, I’ll let you know what I’m reading. I may not be a published author yet, but I hope my choice of reading material inspires you to read.  I’m still reading Kathleen O’Neil Gear and W. Michael Gear’s Sun Born.  I encourage you to read a variety of topics.

 

I continue to wade into the waters of self-promotion while my publisher reviews my manuscript to determine how much work needs to be done on it. This week I designed a sixteen by twenty poster for the upcoming book signing at the Farmington Public Library. Even though I don’t have a book to sign, I’m still going with the poster, a blow up of my business card, business cards and trading cards to drum up interest for my forthcoming book. It’s exciting to do, but I believe it would be more enjoyable having an editor and working on the manuscript instead of patiently waiting.

This summer I’ll be helping my niece rewrite her chapter book. She’s ten and has a good idea for a story. The first thing I’m doing is helping her with her character names. She has several that are very similar. The best way to do this is through a character sheet. If you can’t answer every question on a character sheet, you don’t know your character all that well. Granted, your secondary and extremely minor characters do not need the level of detail as your main character, but it’s always good practice to know everything you can about your characters. This way, when they take over the story, you’ll know why.

Lastly, as an FYI, I still have a lot of earthworms to move. (See my Facebook post about National Earthworm Moving Day from a few weeks ago.) If you need dirt, good clean, rock-free dirt, and want to fulfill the lifelong dreams of country earthworms, be a part of National Earthworm Moving Day. You’ll be happy in moving the earthworms, and their habitat, from my yard to yours.

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What I’m Reading – Many readers I know like to inquire what their favorite author is reading. At the end of each blog post, I’ll let you know what I’m reading. I may not be a published author yet, but I hope my choice of reading material inspires you to read.  I’m now reading Kathleen O’Neil Gear and W. Michael Gear’s Sun Born.  I encourage you to read a variety of topics.

So what is on your mind? I’ve been sharing pieces of my life and journey to being an author with you for some time now. How do you like my blog posts? Anything you want more of? Less of? Think I have no talent and I’m wasting valuable Internet space? Think I’m better than George R.R. Martin, Steven King, James Patterson, J.K. Rowling and Joan Collins combined? I’d appreciate knowing your thoughts.

Writing can be a great joy. It can also be a pain in the butt. It also gives you dilemmas and deadlines. My current dilemma is the Ozark Creative Writer’s conference. You’ll recall I went to it last October in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and pitched my manuscript to my publisher, Oghma Creative Media, and others. This year, the conference is the same weekend as the thirtieth (30^th) annual 52 Plus Joker Playing Card Collector convention in Erlanger, Kentucky, just south of Cincinnati, Ohio, and home to the US Playing Card Company factory. I was leaning toward going to northern Kentucky that weekend. This week, I found out two of my favorite authors, Kathleen O’Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear, will be the keynote speakers at the writer’s conference. Decisions, decisions. What to do now? Where will I go?

I do know one thing. History doesn’t write itself. And no matter what I end up doing, it’ll be a great time wherever I go. Come see me at the Farmington Public Library in Farmington, Arkansas on May 6. Get the first scoop on next summer’s beach read; it’s a romp in the swamp.

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What I’m Reading – Many readers I know like to inquire what their favorite author is reading. At the end of each blog post, I’ll let you know what I’m reading. I may not be a published author yet, but I hope my choice of reading material inspires you to read.  I’m still reading Pope Francis’ Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love).  I should finish it this week. I encourage you to read a variety of topics.

What a fabulous month I had. I pray yours was awesome. As you recall, thirty-one days ago I emailed my manuscript to my publisher. I’m still waiting for an editor to be assigned to my manuscript. Hopefully, that will happen soon, and I can share with you the journey my manuscript takes to become a book you want to buy. As soon as there is movement, I’ll let you know.

Also, as you recall, I spent spring break with my girlfriend in Texas. We visited Palo Duro Canyon State Park and Caprock Canyon State Park. As our time in the canyons wrapped up, the official buffalo herd of Texas meandered to the watering hole just thirty feet from the parking. It was amazing to watch the buffalo drink, fight and scratch themselves in the dirt. What a blessing to share with my girlfriend. We spent the rest of the week in the Fort Worth area where we danced, walked, attended Mass and did other things. A great week indeed.

I judged a writing contest at my local library this month as well. I wasn’t the sole judge. The winners are scheduled to read their entries tomorrow at 2:00. Come listen to them at the Springdale Public Library in Springdale, Arkansas. The Boone County writer’s roundtable at the library in Harrison was canceled. I hope that disappoint a great many of you. I am scheduled to be at the Farmington, Arkansas, library on May 6. I hope to see you there.

I have a great life right now. I thank God for all his blessings. After all, history doesn’t write itself.

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What I’m Reading – Many readers I know like to inquire what their favorite author is reading. At the end of each blog post, I’ll let you know what I’m reading. I may not be a published author yet, but I hope my choice of reading material inspires you to read.  I finished reading  An Unwelcome Quest. My review is on Good Reads. I’m now reading Pope Francis’ Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love). I encourage you to read a variety of topics.