Between the Lines: Mary Poppins

It's that time of year where the winds have changed. Summer is breezing out and Autumn is blowing in. Now you know that whenever the wind shifts, a certain nanny is headed our way. Mary Poppins has dropped in, which is always a nice change. So please let's have a big warm fall welcome for Mary!

 Greg:  Welcome Mary! Thank you so much for coming by. Your timing was perfect.

Mary:  Naturally. I must say, what a perfectly blustery day it is. I haven't seen such wind since Bert the chimney sweep overdid it on the chutney at my Uncle Albert's. Frightful!

Greg:  Yes, well fall certainly can bring in a chill. But let's forget about that for a while. Tell us all a little bit about your charges at number 17 Cherry Tree Lane.

Mary:  The Banks? Marvelous family, simply marvelous! Mind you, they were in a frightful state when I first encountered them.

Greg:  Really? What was the matter?

Mary:  Well, where to start? The head of the family, Mr. George Banks, was positively too involved with work. He never had any time for his family. His wife, Winifred, had absolutely no head for managing a household. I don't know how they made it as far as they did before I came along.

Greg:  What about the children?

Mary:  I'm afraid the children, Jane and Michael, were in the worst state of all. They were always acting up. They went through so many nannies trying to get their parents' attention that they had developed quite a nasty reputation among London's domestic class.

Naturally, it was only a matter of time before they came to my attention, and I had to take matters into my own hands.

Greg:  It sounds just like calling in the Marines, or maybe the paratroopers.

Mary:  Quite so. I descended on them with the East Wind. Naturally, the parents put up a little bit of a fuss, but I managed to maneuver around them quite nicely. Grownups can be a frightful bore without even putting their minds to it, and I must say that those two put half a mind to it at least. I'm not sure what that means exactly, but it sounds good.

However, Jane and Michael were another story. Children are frightfully clever, and no one gives them any credit in that regard, or just about any other for that matter. They were veterans of the Nanny Wars, and were determined not to surrender. I knew perfectly well what was going on in their little heads, so I laid the cards on the table, spit spot. 

Greg:  What did you do?

I started pulling all sorts of things out of my carpet bag. That got their attention. It told them that here was someone out of the ordinary who was not to be trifled with. The next step was to alter their way of thinking. They looked at work as, well, work. I taught them to make a game out of it. That way, they got their work done and had a bit of fun at the same time.

Of course Bert was a big help. He can be very charming when he wants to be.

Greg:  Bert? Oh yes, good-natured, jack of all trades chap. What's the story with you two? In the film, it looked like sparks were flying.

Mary:  A proper girl does not talk of such things. Bert and I are just good friends. We could never be anything but, what with me flitting about to different children's homes all the time. I am far from ready to settle down in one place for the rest of my life. And Bert is hardly ready for that sort of life, either. He still enjoys a night out with the boys dancing on the rooftops too much for my tastes. No, he is not ready to settle down either.

Still, if we both were ready, then I think Bert would be a fine choice. He is gentle and kind, charming and really quite funny in an oafish sort of way...but I digress. No, there's nothing there at all, really.

Greg:  Okay, if you say so. We'll leave it at that for now. You say that Mr. & Mrs. Banks were really no trouble, but is that really true?

Mary:  I said they were no trouble to maneuver around and get my foot in the door. Later on they proved to be quite a bother, Mr. Banks in particular. You see, he had this frightfully annoying idea that work was more important than anything else, his family included.

He stuck to that misguided notion for a long time, but I was able to change his mind on that score. Bert was very helpful in that regard, for Bert takes the entirely opposite point of view. Yes, in the end he came to realize that his family was more important than anything else in his life. When that happened, my work was done.

Greg:  Perfect! Well, thank you so much for stopping by. You've made this dreary day a little brighter by chatting with us for a bit.

Mary:  It was my pleasure entirely, Greg. Now, I feel the wind is changing, so I must be off. Do look me up when you're in London. I have to drop in on Bert, there's something I think I have to speak with him about...

A Writer's Week #86: Getting the Word Out

I've said this before and I'll say it again, my favorite part about being a writer is writing. I'm at the point now where even if no one read what I wrote, I would still do it. Of course, I'd rather that kids everywhere could read my books, but I'm working on that. However, there are other tasks that are necessary and those tasks are what I worked on this week.

First of all, I was featured in a wonderful article in my local weekly paper, the Citizen News. Here's the article (unfortunately, they don't have an electronic outlet yet):

It really was an excellent article. Thank you so much Ellen Burnett and Amanda Nisly!

I have also been blessed with a run on Amazon reviews for both The Deliverers 1 & 2! Right now, Sharky & the Jewel has 26 reviews (22 of them 5-star) and Order of the Crystal Lion has 8 (6 five-stars). Thanks so much to all of you who have read and reviewed the books--it is much appreciated. For all of you who have not written a review, what are you waiting for? It's quick and easy. All that's required is that you have an Amazon account and that you have bought a product on Amazon. So, hop on the bandwagon.

I really don't like to talk about myself, and that always holds me back when promoting my books. However, I am currently lining up a few appearances/signings over the next few months that are pretty exciting. I will update you as soon as I have details. So, that's what's going on in thee publicity department. The Deliverers 2 has had a soft opening without a lot of fanfare, but now that it has some reviews piled up, I'll be appearing here and there to promote it. 

Now, for my favorite part, the writing. I have begun research for the as yet unnamed Deliverers 4. That book will incorporate time travel back to the American Revolution as Eric and friends will have to put a stop to someone who is trying to end Eric's world saving activities by changing history. Since I'll be writing about our world 230 some-odd years ago, that puts a little added pressure on me. I won't be making up a world where anything goes, I'll have to be reasonably accurate--although the main town where the action will take place is made up and many of the people are, too, they'll be based on real places and people. It's going to be fun to write, but also a challenge. I'll keep you posted.

Rewriting and editing on The Golden Dragon of Ang continues to move along. I still believe I'll be finished with it all by mid-October. I've had to rewrite a couple of scenes that were too calm. Now they're more action-packed. There are some other, minor things I'll have to tweak, but I don't think there's anything major left, except perhaps for the ending. I'll have to see how that reads when i get to it, I'm a little doubtful. I need to make sure it sets up book 4 properly. 

Well, I guess that's it for now. Have a great week, and I'll let you know how I made out with the editing next Friday!

What's Marissa Reading? Divergent

My niece Marissa has updated me on the latest book she's been reading down in sunny Florida, and I thought I'd share what she has to say about it with you. It's always interesting to hear about what she's been reading, because her interests are so diverse. You never know what it will be. This time, she's reading a book about life in the future: Divergent, by Veronica Roth.

Here's what Marissa says the book is about.

This book takes place in the future. There are 5 factions, Erudite, Amity, Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, and Tris Prior must choose one  to decide the rest of her life. But it's not as easy for her as it is for every other 16 year old in the community. All the 16 year olds take an aptitude test to show which faction they would fit best in. But Tris's test was inconclusive, meaning that she could fit into multiple factions. And that is dangerous. It means Tris is Divergent. She must choose between factions and she has narrowed it down to Dauntless (the brave) and Abnegation (the selfless and the faction that she was born into).

Tris decides on Dauntless and she must face many of her fears, train to be strong, and get used to things that she wasn't allowed or supposed to do in Abnegation. During and after her fierce training she learns more about the people she is with and something dangerous going on between the factions.

What did Marissa like best about the book?

I liked how it was in the future and the new things that we don't experience everyday. Also there is constant action and something that leaves you on the edge of your seat.

Was there anything Marissa did not like?

There was nothing I didn't like!!!!

So, how did Marissa like the book?

She gave it five out of five baby giraffes.

Between the Lines: Sherlock Holmes

This week we're talking with that master of deduction, Mr. Sherlock Holmes. Now, let's see what we can deduce from his conversation.

Greg:  Good evening. It is a singular honor to be speaking with this week’s guest. He has solved some of the most baffling cases in history, always through outstanding feats of intellect and deduction. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present Mr. Sherlock Holmes. Welcome Mr. Holmes.

Holmes:  Thank you.

Greg:  Tell me a little about your early life.

Holmes:  I don’t like to talk much about myself. It could give my enemies valuable information with which to do me injury. However, since I am retired and most of my enemies are jailed or dead, I shall indulge you just this once, although I shan’t go into too many specifics.

I was born in England in 1861. My ancestors were country squires, but the thought of lounging around on an estate all day never held much appeal for me. So, after sitting two years at Cambridge, I left school in 1880 to fight in the Second Anglo-Afghan war, where I was wounded.

Upon my return from the war, I decided to apply my immense powers of reason and my ability to disguise myself to use as a consulting detective. I had always had a talent in this line. In fact, it was while at university that I had first used my powers of deduction to solve a number of trifling cases that had been puzzling the local constabulary.

Greg:  How did you meet Dr. Watson?

Holmes:  As I said, I had been working as a consulting detective in London, but times were hard. Financial difficulties required that I advertise for a boarder. Dr. Watson turned up on my doorstep the day after I posted the ad in the Times. Wonderful bit of serendipity, that.

He and I lived and worked together for a number of years, quite successfully, until he decided to get married. After his wife’s untimely death, Watson returned, and I was happy to receive him. He has chronicled all of my most formidable cases.

Greg:  You’ve got a reputation as quite a clever fellow. It’s said that you can deduce anything about someone just by looking at them.

Holmes:  Quite.

Greg:  What can you deduce by looking at me?

Holmes:  That you love muffins, and that you have been through quite a lot to obtain one.

Greg:  How do you mean?

Holmes:  I mean that you set out for the bakery in your automobile, but ran out of petrol on the way. You found that your cellular phone was dead, so you hiked to the nearest telephone, and rang the automobile club. You were picked up and transported back to your car, where you refilled the tank. You then purchased a muffin and a medium cup of coffee for yourself and the driver as a thank you.

Greg:  That’s remarkable Holmes! It’s almost like you were there with me through the whole ordeal. How did you deduce it?

Holmes:  Elementary. First, the crumbs on your shirt, and your slightly portly physique pointed to an overindulgence in sweets. Next, the mud and drops of petrol on your shoes were indications that you recently journeyed on foot and had filled your petrol tank. Behind you, I see that your cellular telephone is being recharged, which lead me to believe that you were unable to use it to telephone for help.

Greg:  Incredible, Holmes. But how were you able to sort out the bit about the automobile club and that I had bought the driver a treat?

Holmes:  Quite simple, really. On the table at your elbow lie your automobile club card and a receipt from a bakery. The receipt shows that you purchased two muffins and two medium coffees.

Now, while it is entirely possible that you  purchased two muffins for yourself, I do not think that even you would have purchased two coffees for yourself alone.

So you see it was really quite an obvious deduction. All one has to do is observe the clues.

Greg:  You’ve solved a great number of cases over the years. Which has been the most satisfying?

Holmes:  My cases have involved many lofty, even royal, personages throughout the years. While these have carried a certain amount of satisfaction, I find that I am most satisfied when dealing in cases involving the common man, for it is there that we see both the worst and the best that humanity has to offer.

Greg:  Well thank you so much for spending some time with us. It was most enlightening.

Holmes:  Yes, I am sure it was.

A Writer's Week #85: Feeling a Draft

I got a lot done this week. For one thing, I was interviewed by my local weekly paper. It was a great conversation and the article should be in next week's edition. I also signed up for a show in mid-October, so I'll be hitting the road selling some books shortly. I'm also looking for some other venues in November. 

There are also plans in the works for a book signing. I got the go ahead from a friend of mine here in town. It will be on a Saturday from 1 to 3 in the afternoon. I just have to decide on a date between now and Christmas. Does anyone have any insight on which weekend is best for selling between Thanksgiving and Christmas? The day after Black Friday would seem to be most obvious, but I'm wondering if people might be away or flocking to the mall...

Now for the biggest news this week--on Monday I completed the first draft of The Golden Dragon of Ang!!! It turned out pretty nicely. I honestly think it's the best of the Deliverers Series so far. Of course, I know of two sections that will need extensive rewrites, and there are a couple of other elements I want to strengthen, but all in all it's a great story.

Here are the final statistics on the first draft (I know, bear with me. I'm part banker, statistics are important to me)--62,951 words, 62 chapters, and 273 pages. After the rewrites, the word count will probably be a little higher. Interestingly enough, this time I think I nailed the first chapter right out of the gate. Those of you who have been following this blog for a while may remember that I totally rewrote the first chapter of the first two books at least once. In the case of Sharky and the Jewel, it was twice.

This time around, I'm not sure I am totally satisfied with the final chapter. I haven't read it yet, and won't until I work my way through the editing process, but I didn't have a warm, fuzzy feeling as I was writing it. We'll see if my impression was correct when I get back to it. Artist Daniel Vogel has completed the maps and will be working on the cover in the coming weeks. If all goes well, book 3 will be out in February! As always, I'll keep you in the loop. Have a great weekend!