Sad Day-A-Z Challenge comes to an end What do we do now

First off, I would like to thank everyone who visited my site for the A-Z Challenge. I really had a great time posting and reading other posts-some very funny, some thoughtful, some…just out there. I regret I had to fade at the end, but the real job beckoned. Kudos to everyone who participated, and a hardy THUMBS UP to those who made it to the end.

I have been busy writing a few things. I recently started my major re-do of my web site (Haven’t touched it in years). It’s starting to take shape. One of the major issues I’m dealing with is linking all of my networking sites together. I’ve hired a promotion service to help me out with this. I’ll let you know how it goes. You can visit my website at:    jamesrtate.com

I’m also very happy to say that I’ve finally broken the proverbial ice and began writing the sequel to BLOOD BIAS. The working title is BLOOD VISION. There might be a pattern here. The book will feature Reese Glockman—the Chief of Police of Ferguson Texas—and quite a few other characters from the first book. While I’m on the subject, the early reviews of BLOOD BIAS have been GREAT! But I urge everyone who reads it to go to Amazon and post a review. I’m still looking for that review from a total stranger. I’ll be keeping a running word count on this blog. I’ll also be throwing out lines from different parts of each chapter. Just enough to keep you guessing, and coming back I hope.

My plans for the future of this blog are coming together. I read somewhere “If you can’t say something useful in your blog, don’t say anything”. I took it to mean that if you want to keep readers coming back, don’t just chat about trivial things. You have to have relevant content. I understand and want to do that.

I’ve been to several conferences and writers groups—enjoyed every one—but often found myself wishing the speaker would give a visual representation of the point they were trying to make. So, I’m going to dig up some of my conference material and see if can spread a little light on the world of writing, and perhaps speed up the learning curve for my fellow authors.

So raise your glass and let’s toast to it. You promise to keep coming back, and I promise to provide something useful and hopefully entertaining for your week.

“Clink, Clink, Clink, Clink!”

BLOOD VISION wd count: 1600

  

Teaser for new novel!!

I’ve really enjoyed visiting with the other Bloggers from the A-Z challenge. I’ve met a few kind fellows and fellowettes (is that even a word?), but have yet to write a SINGLE word for my BLOOD BIAS sequel, working titled; BLOOD VISION. Until last night! Wohoo! The prologue is off the ground. So instead of writing useless babble on my blog and not getting anywhere with the novel, I’m going to convert the useless babble into updates and teasers for the book. I don’t know what my fellow bloggers will think about it, but at least I’ll feel better at the end of the day.

So here goes.

Today is the letter U. Here is a sentence from last night’s work.

“The guy holding the gun didn’t answer, just stared blankly under the shadow of the street lamp, the whites of his eyes bright and piercing against the blackened backdrop of his chiseled face.”

I know the letter U is buried in the sentence, but hey, I’m working with this the best I can. Now here’s the kicker for tomorrow; the letter V must be used from NEW work from the night before! I’m looking forward to the challenge. See you tomorrow.

 Current word count for BLOOD VISION: 265

  

Saturday and Crawfish!

S is for Saturday

I know! That was too easy, but hey, it’s been a busy week. Saturday is the day we get to catch up, to do the things we haven’t had time or the energy during the week to do. Sometimes we even get to do things we want to do. I know! What a brilliant idea! A very good friend of mine is having a crawfish boil today. Realizing that this may be read by people from other states or perhaps other countries, I feel the need to explain what a crawfish boil is, and why we eat these small crustaceans that burrow into the mud (also called mudbugs).

It’s actually a Cajun tradition. Us Texans, especially the ones living close to the Louisiana border, are smart to catch on to a good thing. So, what we do is get a couple of sacks of these live ‘critters’, a few sacks of red taters, maybe a few onjons’, as the Cajuns say, and definitely a passel of corn-on-the-cob.

First thing to do is get a BIG pot of water boiling over a propane burner. Add at least a large bag of spicy seasonings. As the water boils, it will dissolve the pepper and spices to create a powerful elixir for the crawfish, one that will darn near have the little buggers dancing on your plate! Okay, I’m embellishing here. The point is, it’s how much of this pepper-spice mix you put on your crawfish that determines how Cajun you really are. Me personally, I like them middle of the road, with just a good kick to-em. I know plenty of people who like em so spicy, their sweat turns red! Honest!

Crawfish really are good on a Saturday afternoon, chased down with a cold beer, with a bunch of friends trying to forget the work week. By the way, I have a friend who does large crawfish boils for large groups, companies and plant workers or corporate big guys. He usually does THOUSANDS of pounds at a time. Bon’ appetit.     

A-Z Today we are going for R

R is for Riveting

There are no sweeter words to the ears of a writer than “I couldn’t put it down”. All those long hours of writing, editing, second guessing, and self doubt are washed away in a single phrase from one of our readers. In a word, they found the story Riveting. As I worked through what I might say in this blog, I tried to remember the last story I read that was riveting; an “I can’t put it down story”. I’ve come up with a few suggestions. But before I get to those, I am blessed to be able to say that the early reviews of my book are all about the “I can’t put it down” phrase. They say, no matter what your personality is, that you have to learn to toot your own horn if you want to sell your books. So I’m blaring the horn as loud as I can. It is a very good feeling to know that people are reading my work and are putting off other important things to see what happens next. Thanks to everyone, so far. Keep spreading the word.

All right! Here are a few books I found to be so fascinating in one shape or form that I couldn’t put it down. Forgive me if Stephen King steals the show.

1)  The Drawing of the Three—the second book in the Dark Tower series by S. King. Before there was Being John Malcovitch, King did the Drawing of the Three.

2)  Gone Baby Gone—Dennis Lehane. Writer of Mystic River. Super drama in these investigative mysteries delving into human frailties.

3)  The Long Walk--A short by Stephen King for kindle readers. Teenage boys sign up to walk till they drop-or are shot by the government. Last one walking, wins--but have already lost.

4)  Any book by Robert Crais—His Elvis Cole detective series is outstanding, fast paced with a smart-ass attitude.

If you notice, these are not deep intellectual readers, they are fast-paced fun books to read. Stephen King fast paced? Yes. Not all of his books are 700 pages. And he engrosses you in the character.

Any recommendations on your end of the world?

A-Z answer Questions-chance to win a copy of my book

Q is for Questions

I’ve decided, with
this blog about the letter Q, to poll my viewing audience. I know you weren’t
expecting a quiz, but I promise this one will be easy. If you come across a
question that is too difficult, just glance over the shoulder of the person
sitting next to you. There really is no right or wrong answer. So why take the
test? Just admit that now you’re curious about what I’m going to ask and let’s
move on.
Great!

First Question:
Have you written a book or novella you are trying to sell? See, this is easy.

Second Question:
Did you self publish?

Third Question:
How long has it been available and how are sales? Not trying to get personal
here. A simple-Lousy or Super or anything in between will do.

Fourth Question:
What has been your best marketing tool so far?

Question Five:
What would you have done differently if you had a time machine? (concerning
your publishing, not who you married or whether you would have put down that
five thousand dollar bet at the craps table)

And finally: If
you are not published, do you have something in the works and what genre is it?

Thanks for Playing.
The most creative comment will win a free copy of my murder/Mystery BLOOD BIAS
if you’re interested.

P is for Persuade-

P is for Persuasion

I have discovered the secret to getting return bloggers! Leave them hanging! Sorry for the delay. Something about trying to make a living got in the way. This writing thing isn’t paying very well. YET! I’ve already sold thirty copies of BLOOD BIAS and it’s in its infancy! Wohooo!
So, back to the story. I’m in NYC. I’ve got my pitch tweaked and re-tweaked, my speech all rehearsed, and confidence in my approach.
The first agent, we pitched as a group. I thought mine went very well. Our job here was to Persuade (hence the letter P) this royalty of the writing world sitting at the head of the table to ask us for a copy of our manuscript based on our pitch. It’s like delivering a query letter face to face. Can you picture it? Day one; no sale! I spend the evening re-tweaking my tweaked pitch, Say that three times fast! Never mind. Focus here people.

Day two, editor one says no. Okay, I can do this! Second editor says YES!!! I’m ecstatic. At the meet and greet with fellow authors that night, I’m in very good spirits. An editor from a well known publishing company has requested my full manuscript! Day three results in another no. Well, at least I have ONE. All in all, I’d call it a success.

Here’s the plot twist, if you will. I remember two authors getting requests from three out of four. Their pitch was GREAT! Their story Idea was well received and everyone thought their book was a guaranteed seller.
WRONG!
When I returned home, I contacted these authors about looking over the first few chapters, just to see what the fuss was all about. I was shocked! The writing was, to be kind, not very good. I could not believe what I was reading. So what is my point? SIMPLE.

Pitch conferences are useless—even though I had a wonderful time, and would do it again—what really matters is your writing. I don’t care how much your promotion budget is, who you know in the publishing business, or who you slept with to get a stellar review, the bottom line is: YOU MUST HAVE A GOOD BOOK! Sales will fizzle, your friends will avoid you, people will say nasty things about you on Facebook!. You have to have a good book!

Enough Said!
And NO, I didn't get a publishing contract. These editors obviously don't know what the hell they're doing.

My trip to NYC and the letter O

O is for Overrated?

If you notice; I’ve put a question mark at the end of overrated. No, that’s not a typo missed by my word program. About a year and a half ago I went to New York City to attend a Pitch and Shop Conference. What is a P&S Conference? Glad you asked. This is a conference where you go to pitch your book idea to different agents and editors. For three days you brainstorm with a moderator in a group setting with other determined authors, and refine your pitch.

You’re getting the idea. You hone the two paragraph ‘Blurb’ that you would put in your query letter or any other medium used to get the attention of an editor or agent. I had researched conferences and had seen numerous posts about a Pitch and Shop conference, all of them very positive. So off I went.

Let me back up here a second and say that I had to submit some information and be selected for the conference. I don’t remember exactly what it was that I submitted, but I know it was not part of the book I was pitching. I think it might have been the synopsis and some information about myself. If I recall, the price of the conference was around $600, but it was in NYC, the publishing hub of the modern world—OK, maybe I’m getting carried away there.

Anyway, off I go, armed with an enthusiastic attitude and a list of pitches I’d been working on. I arrive at the conference in downtown Manhattan early and greet my fellow ‘pitchers’ as they arrive. The list was amazing. There were lawyers, grad students, psychologists, people who wrote for magazines, and there was me; a high school graduate with no background in writing, and the only degree I held was a ‘working man’s PHD’ from doing woodworking most of my adult life. Needless to say, I was in heaven. I was surrounded by other serious authors, about to go face to face with four editors and agents, armed with a finely tuned pitch, from what I believed to be, a very good book.

This is getting a little long, so I’ll finish this up with the letter P tomorrow.

Have you been to any conferences you would recommend?