News From the Author

Talk, talk, talk. Everyone wants the deals on Amazon, the search inside, the author pages, the reviews, the free shipping, the affordable e-book prices, yet they don’t want the brain and muscle to be allowed to choose what it wants to eat.

I’m an author in Virginia, with a small press, writing awards and great reviews. Sales on Amazon for me mean people in Alaska chose my books, know who I am as a writer. As long as the ‘big six’ choose to advance huge sums for ‘potential best sellers’ and spend money on lunches to bid on books and big book stores only order from one national distributor, I’ll side with Amazon, and let the ‘big six’ bemoan the state of book selling. They’re using the wrong model and eventually they’ll see the light. Amazon sells over 65 % of the books in this country, hard back, trade paper or e-books. They’ve just started Amazon Encore to vertically integrate the market, and publish their own authors. I don’t have a business degree, but I’d take 65% over 35 % of anything anywhere anytime.

Writers work and work into the dark of night in their hideaways to create the perfect story, the perfect book, and then they are buffeted about like rooftops and electric lines in Katrina in their attempts to find a traditional publisher with enough clout to get the word out about the book. BUT . . . sometimes the dream happens.

Someone with muscle, marketing ideas, a marketing budget and a national sales network falls in love with the writer’s story and decides to help that writer make a dent on the reading world. It’s happened for Catcher, Caught. I’m sworn to secrecy with an international publisher (under a non-disclosure agreement) and had the offer outlined by an enthusiastic Acquisitions Editor. The only other thing I can tell you is watch out in 2010. This is the real deal. Details when they’ve okayed it, probably February or March. Here’s a possible new first line for 15 year old Daniel’s (Of course I’ve edited since the Amazon award, what writer could resist.):  “You can drown in a bathtub. In two inches of water, everyone knows that.”

Try this and see what the WORDLE inventor has posted online for anyone to create and post:

Cancer in tumor was all dead when they removed the tumor on Sept 9. Sorry to have been so sporadic in my communications these last five months. Now with radiation looming but successful third surgery, I am feeling relieved and more confident that we are going to beat this thing.

Book news: I’ll be appearing at the International Public Vaccine Conference sponsored by the National Vaccine Information Center run by Barbara Loe  Fisher on October 2. WHITE LIES is reviewed on their website, recommended reading for parents as inspirational. Cedar Creek and I have donated some books and I’ll be signing at the Author’s Corner, talking to parent advocacy groups.

And Sept 22, I’ll be at Heathsville Library to hear a writing friend talk about his mystery thriller set in the Northern Neck. Larry Holcombe’s book is fast ride through political intrigues surrounding our government’s research on aliens. 7 pm, if you’re in the neighborhood.

Good news (and boy do I need it with the cancer diagnosis and chemo starting today): CATCHER, CAUGHT moved up from quarterfinals (500 out of 5000) to semi-finals (100) on April 15. Read the excerpt and reviews at :

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001UG3A64

If you can leave a comment, the judges will be reading those and considering as they make their decision to end up with 3 finalists for Seattle ceremony third week in May.

My most recently completed manuscript, CATCHER, CAUGHT, has been selected as one of 500 quarterfinalists in over 5000 entries for the AMAZON BREAKTHROUGH NOVEL CONTEST.The novel about a 16 year old boy with leukemia is set in Essex County, VA. In the midst of his illness, Daniel considers Holden Caulfield from Catcher in the Rye his confidant and friend, working through his issues in a similar way and ending up in NYC as Holden did in this coming-of-age story.
Here’s the link to my excerpt, a free download in the Amazon shorts department. All of the excerpts from the quarterfinals are posted. And if you want to read the pitch from each author, click on ’see more editorial reviews’ on each entry’s page. Comments will be helpful to authors, and judges will read, though they are not making their decision based on the comments of Amazon reviewers.

Here’s my link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001UG3A64

Hit control and click, it will take you right there for the download if you have an Amazon account. If not, you need to open one to be able to read the entries. Looking forward to reading your comments.

Regular entries of news items and issues on vaccine controversy are posted at www.ageofautism.com, a site worth following for an honest inquiry into the new research on the effect of vaccines.

http://www.ageofautism.com/2009/03/news-alert-from-wbai-99fm-in-nynjct-autism-and-vaccines.html

A Prayer for the Dying by Stewart O’Nan

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
A powerful little book along the lines of The Road, but set back in history, a diptheria epidemic in the mid-West. First person, almost conversational to himself as the events unfold. Understated, resonates with graphic images and emotions.

View all my reviews.

This morning I took a break from screenplay writing about cowboys and went to hear the Cowboy Poet of Florida at the local branch library. Thanks to the Palmetto branch Friends of the Library for sponsoring the program. My favorite from the wise old cracker cowhunter was “When This Old Hat was New.” With a few groaners mixed in, Hank touched on 9-11, motherhood, uncles, campfires, skeeters, famous Florida crackers Jacob ‘Jake’ Sommerland and Bonaparte ‘Bone’ Meisel.

Funny and heartfelt, a very worthwhile program of history and poetry to a packed room.

This review’s been posted on the Internet BookWatch and Wisconsin BookWatch for librarians and bookstores.

It’s never too late to form something special. “Waltzing Cowboys” tells the story of an old cowboy who begins to understand his own mortality and fix his life’s wrongs, starting with the son he never met who lives across the country. A tale filled with interesting characters, “Waltzing Cowboys” is an intriguing read and a drama of humanity.

Short and sweet.