A Writer's Week #38: 50k and Still Writing

Writing a book is a journey. Sometimes it's long, sometimes not so long. When I wrote The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel, it took a long time--over five years. The book I'm currently writing, The Deliverers 2: Order of the Crystal Lion, has taken less time--ten months so far.

I've documented most of the writing process for The Deliverers 2 in these A Writer's Week posts. It's been fun to bring you through the process, and I'm looking forward to one day going back to read them all and relive the journey. I hit a milestone in my writing this week. I've finally reached 50,000 words--50,300 to be exact.

The original Deliverers is about 53,000 words, and I think The Deliverers 2 will wind up being longer than that. Last week, I'd hoped that I would be able to finish the first draft this week, but I stumbled upon an interesting scene that gives Stig a chance to be a little vulnerable, which is something different for him. So, I'm a little behind where I thought I'd be right now.

Still, it's coming along, and I hope that in a couple of weeks the first draft will be done, and editing can begin. I still have not read the whole book all the way through yet. I know there are some continuity issues that will have to be fixed, as I changed some things in the middle, and haven't gone back to change the beginning yet. I'm looking forward to revisiting the beginning of the book now that I know this new world a little better.

Things are also progressing on the production of the audio book version of The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel. Narrator Jimm Singer and I have been communicating back and forth. I've sent him background material on most of the characters, and he's sent the first 22 pages to me to listen to and review. It's sounding really good. I can't wait for you to hear it.

For the last couple of days, the Kindle version of The Deliverers was free. I gave away a decent number of copies. Thanks to all who downloaded a copy! Please let me know what you thought of it after you read it. If you think of it, please write a review on Amazon. The more reviews, the better.

Next week looks to be another exciting week. I'll be sure to tell you all about it next Friday.

What's Abigail Reading? Junie B. First Grader Boo...and I Mean It!

Well, Abigail is on a Junie B. Jones kick lately. It's really great to see a child latch on to a book series and fall in love with it. It happened this summer with Christian and Harrry Potter. Now Abby is enjoying the exploits of this precocious first grader. This week, she read Boo...and I Mean It!. Let's see what Abigail though about it.

Here's what Abigail says the book is about.

"It's about a girl named Junie B. Jones. Her middle name is Beatrice, but she just likes B because it sounds good. It's around Halloween and she doesn't want to go trick or treating because this boy named Paulie Allen Puffer told her five bad secrets about Halloween--candy corn is not candied corn, real monsters and witches go trick or treating on Halloween, do not carve pointy sharp teeth in your pumpkin or else it will roll in your room while you're sleeping and eat your feet, bats like to land on your head and live in your hair, and black cats can claw you to shreds.

"Junie wanted to dress as Squirty the Clown because she could scare away all the monsters. She would be able to do this by using seltzer to squirt them. She learned this by watching the circus. She went as Squirty, but there was a slight problem. She couldn't get seltzer, because her mother did not want her squirting people.

"She scared her grandmother by hiding behind her wall and jumping out and saying boo. Her grandmother got scared because Junie looked just like Squirty, who had squirted her at the circus. After she was done trick or treating she felt better. She wasn't scared any more."

Here's what Abigail liked best about the book.

"I liked when she scared her grandmother. Her really yelled!"

Was there anything Abigail did not like about the book?

"I didn't like when the whole class laughed at her because she didn't like Halloween. I like Halloween because you get candy."

So, how did Abigail rate Junie B. First Grader Boo...and I Mean It!, by Barbara Park?

She gave it four and a half out of five dolphins.

What's Better Than Free?

So, what's better than free? Nothing, that's what. Tomorrow and Thursday, The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel will be free on Kindle. Spread the word, tell the neighbors, your family and friends. I really want to make a splash with this. As a banker by day, I don't usually like to give things away (well, besides toasters), but in this case I'm making an exception.

I want to get the word out about the book, and what better way to do that than to let people read it for free?  I am hoping that people will then read it, like it, and spread the word. So please, check it out and get it tomorrow or Thursday. Then, read it and let everyone know what you think of it by posting a review on Amazon. Thanks in advance for doing this, and please spread the word.

Here's an excerpt from the book to whet your appetite. This is chapter six, Sharky:

      Captain Burt Sharky glared at the trembling pirate who stood before him. His left hand fidgeted with a ring on his right hand. The jagged red stone set in the ring glowed with a blood-red light. He was seated in a high-backed chair in the middle of his audience chamber, a gloomy hall where the pirate captain held court while at his island base.

      Sharky was six and a half feet tall. He wore breeches and black boots that came up to his knees. A red frock coat covered a yellowed linen shirt. His head was covered by a blue and yellow bandana from under which jutted shocks of fiery red hair. His eyes were a piercing green, and the beard on his scarred face was as red as his hair.

      "Repeat that, Fishbane," he snarled. "I don't think I heard ye aright."

      "Well, Cap'n," Fishbane twisted the hat he held in his trembling hands, "me an' a few o' the lads went t' scout the village, same as we always does. We landed on the beach t' the south an' climbed up t' the top o' the ridge.

      "Things was bustlin' there, but it didn't seem like the usual goin's on."

      "Aye, ye said that afore, Fishbane," Sharky growled. "But what were differ'nt about it?"

      "Well, sir, there were a lot more comin' an' goin' from the iron mine fer one thing. An' a bunch o' farmers was clearin' trees and such from the two ridges above the harbor mouth, an' they was buildin' stone walls up there. The net mender an' a group o' others was weavin' a 'uge net. An’ later on, I saw her an’ a group of villagers in the jungle practicin’ arch’ry."

      "Archery, anythin' else?" Sharky spat.

      Fishbane's ruddy face twisted in concentration, then he brightened. "Oh yeah, I almost fergot. I waited ’til night and snuck down to the blacksmith’s. I looked in the winder and, they’re forgin’ weapons!"

      "Yer sure of that?" Sharky twisted the ring on his finger.

      "Aye, Cap'n, it were just like I said.”

      "All right, Fishbane, that's all. Ye done good. Go get yerself some grub."

      "Thank'ee, sir," Fishbane made an awkward bow, turned and fled.

      "Marrow!" Sharky bellowed.

      Out of the shadows came a thin figure. He ambled over to the captain's chair without a trace of fear. Cruel eyes stared out of an emaciated head, which looked like a skull. He was Sharky's first mate, and the men were almost as afraid of him as they were of the Captain.

      "You called, Captain?" Mr. Marrow's voice was cool as ice.

      "Ye heard that weasel's report?"

      "Aye, sir."

      "The swine're up t' somethin'," Sharky grumbled.

      "Undoubtedly, Captain," Mr. Marrow agreed.

      "I'm a-thinkin' they're fixin’ on settin' a trap," Sharky played with his ring.

      "Perhaps the sheep seek to become wolves," Mr. Marrow's eyes held an icy gleam.

      "They wouldn't dare!" Sharky bellowed, slamming his fist down on the arm of his chair. "They ain't never been no trouble afore! Who could o' stirrred 'em up?"

      "Well, that blacksmith, Cordon, he’s always been belligerent, and then there's the Lord Mayor himself," Mr. Marrow suggested.

      "Oh ho!" Sharky barked. "Them Endrias 'ave always been sheep. They've no stomach fer fightin', never 'ave, never will. And that goes fer the rest o' 'em. They dance t' Endria's tune, they does. It ain't never gonna change."

      Mr. Marrow's eyes narrowed, and he cocked his head to one side. "Hmmm, Charles Endria may be made of sterner stuff than you give him credit for. His family has always been independent."

      Sharky scowled. "Don't be daft, man. He's a sheep--they're all sheep I tell ye!"

      "And yet it seems they're setting a trap for us at the next Tariff," Mr. Marrow pursed thin lips.

      "Aye, so it seems." Sharky's eyes narrowed, and a cruel smile curled his lip. "But they don't know we're on to 'em, eh, Marrow? They may be playin' at bein' wolves, but in the end, sheep they'll be. They'll turn tail an' run."

      "And if they aren't just sheep?" Mr. Marrow asked.

      "Then we'll wipe 'em out," Sharky hissed.

Monday Interview Series: The Scarecrow

Now that fall has arrived and elections, both local and national, are coming up in a couple of months, I am growing thoroughly sick of all the political ads. I'm not one to get political, especially in this blog, but it seems to me that we would be better served to be led by folks who check their egos at the door and use their brains.

Instead, all these politicians do is talk, talk, talk and rake each other over the coals. This reminds me of something this week's interviewee once said--"I've noticed that some people without brains do an awful lot of talking," which I think sums up modern day politics perfectly.

Okay, I'm down off my soapbox. This week, I'm talking with someone who claims they have no brain himself, but who seems to me to be very wise. Of course, I'm referring to the Scarecrow from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Greg:  Thank you so much for coming over to chat with us a bit. What have you been up to?

Scarecrow:  Oh, quite a lot, actually. It's really been a whirlwind since I met Dorothy--no pun intended.

Greg:  Yes, well you certainly had an adventure what with meeting Dorothy and the Tin Man and the Lion, and nearly being burned by the Wicked Witch.

Scarecrow:  Ooh! Let's not talk about that. It certainly was scary, like being trapped inside my worst nightmare. Still it wasn't all bad. I got to meet Dorothy and made some wonderful friends. Oh yes, and don't forget that the Wizard gave me some brains. I was a real dolt before that.

Greg:  Oh I don't know about that. You seemed to come up with some great ideas before you got anywhere near the Emerald City. For instance, who was it that got the trees to throw apples at you? Who came up with the plan to get into the Witch's castle? And, who chopped the rope that dropped the chandelier onto the Witch's guards? That wasn't the work of a dummy.

Scarecrow:  That was just luck. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time is all. Besides, things didn't really start to take off for me until after the Wizard gave me my brains.

Greg:  Really? How so?

Scarecrow:  Well, you see, just before the Wizard took off in his balloon, he appointed me to rule in his stead. Now you can imagine how scary that was for a humble country bumpkin like myself who had only had his brains for a very short while. Of course, I did the best I could. Folks seemed to be reasonably happy with the job I did.

On the whole, I felt I did an okay job. Of course after a while there was this coup by General Jinjur, so I guess things might not have gone as smoothly as I would have liked. I was able to get help from Glinda the Good Witch on that occasion, so things turned out okay in the long run.

Greg:  That sounds exciting. Things seem to have worked out well for you. Are you still ruler of Oz?

Scarecrow:  It's funny how things work out. You see, I was almost happy that I got ousted. Once I was restored to power, I wasn't really happy. Then Ozma came along. I was more than happy to pass the job along to her, and to become one of her advisors. I found it was much easier to offer advice than to actually have to make a decision.

Greg:  Yes, well good for you. I'm glad you finally found your happy place. And after all, didn't the Tin Woodman declare you the wisest man in Oz?

Scarecrow:  It was very kind of him to say, and I must admit there is some truth to it. Not to sound conceited, but people do come to me from all corners of Oz and beyond ask for my advice.

Greg:  Really? Well, how very nice for you. And what are you up to these days?

Scarecrow:  I am currently outstanding in my field.

Greg:  Oh yes, and what field is that?

Scarecrow:  No, no, you misunderstand me. I've gone back to my roots. I've returned to thee field where Dorothy found me, and I can usually be found out standing in it. Get it? I'm usually out standing in my field? That's a little bit of brainy humor. Now if you'll excuse me, there are some crows that need outsmarting. Bye, now!

A Writer's Week #37: Busy, Busy, Busy

This past week was a busy--and productive one--at Deliverers Publishing Headquarters. Let's see, where to begin? Oh yes, I've finally managed (after more than nine months) to come up with a name for the sequel to The Deliverers. Are you ready? The name of the new book is (drum roll) The Deliverers 2: Order of the Crystal Lion. Cool title, huh?

The Order of the Crystal Lion is a secret society that works as a sort of underground resistance in this civil war that's being fought on the next world that Eric, Stig, Kate and Hallo go to help.

Anyway, I'll be giving you some more details as the book gets closer to completion and is edited, rewritten, etc. That brings me to my next bit of news. This week I was able to get even closer to finishing the first draft of Order of the Crystal Lion by writing 3,000 words. That brings me up to 49,000 words, 54 chapters and 215 pages! Boy, it's really coming along. I'd like to complete the first draft by the end of the month, but something tells me it might not be done until early October. Then, of course, I'll have to edit it and do some rewriting. Still, I'm getting very close now, so my excitement is growing.

On the Sharky and the Jewel front, Jimm Singer sent me take one of the first 18 minutes of the audio book. It sounded fantastic! I made a few suggestions and there were some points that he was not entirely pleased with, so Jimm took all that and went back to the studio to produce take two. I received that a couple of days ago and was really blown away. Jimm's got the tone and feel of Eric and Stig down. His narrative voice sounds just right. I even got a couple lines of the Gatekeeper, and he sounds promising.

It really is wild to hear someone else reading my book. He's taken the characters and the story and brought them to life in a way that I never could. I've heard Eric and Stig's voices in my head for years now, and it's really freaky--in a neat way--to hear them brought to life by someone else. I am so stoked to hear the rest of the book. I'll keep you all up to date on the whole process as it moves along.

Also, keep an eye out for a promotion coming up next week. I've lowered the price of the Kindle version of The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel to 99 cents from now until the middle of October. However, next week on the 26th and 27th The Deliverers will be FREE. Tell all your friends and neighbors. Tell your family. I want to get everyone talking about this. This is a perfect way to get the word out about the book and generate some buzz. So please, tell everyone you know about it. It's a great story that deserves to be read and enjoyed by children (and adults) of all ages!

I'll let you know how it all went next Friday. Talk to you then!