Independent Bookstores Still Exist!

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Glenn

 

  As you know, I didn’t have much luck with getting my three books on the shelves of my local library but I’m fortunate to have them in a bookstore! Check out the photos. Talk about a great feeling…. There they are on the top shelf for the world to see—and of course, to buy.

 

Back to the Books is located in beautiful Manitou Springs, Colorado in the shadows of Pikes Peak! It’s owned and operated by Jon Renaud, an independent author himself. Back to the Books is the only bookstore opened for the sole purpose of bringing the works of independent authors from around the world together in one place. Back to the Books has assembled an incredible collection of unique books for the residents and visitors of Manitou Springs and the surrounding communities to enjoy. He also has an online bookstore as well.

 

Thank you, Jon Renaud, for having the courage to open an independent bookstore dedicated solely to indie authors. If you are on vacation in Manitou Springs, stop by and browse through Back to the Books.  Tell Jon you heard about his store on my site! And while there, pick up a copy of Solomon’s Men, Year of the Ram, or The Cobra and Scarab. The books are signed too.

 

Reference to my blog article “Another Gut Punch to Indie Authors” about how I tried to donate books to my local library and discovered they didn’t want self-published books; I received so many good emails and comments from readers and authors that I was asked by Sandra Valente of SSBookFanatics to guest blog.

 

You may want to read “My Library Won the Battle, But Lost the War….” on Sandra’s site. It is an interesting follow-up to “Gut Punch.”   And be sure to leave a comment for Sandra. She’s every author’s best friend. She’s a beautiful person who is a reader and reviewer. From the volume of books I understand she buys, she could probably open her own bookstore.

 

So, if you are in Manitou Springs, be sure to stop in, take a break, and browse the wonderful selection of indie books at Back to the Books.  And don’t forget to read the follow up to “Gut Punch.”

 

Good luck to all in your writing projects!

 

Glenn

Categories: General | Tags: , , | 6 Comments

Another Gut-Punch to Indie Authors

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Glenn

But does my library love me?

   Excuse me while I stand on my soap-box for a moment. Sometimes I just need to vent…and this is one of those times.

I’ve always been a strong supporter of education and literacy. Whether you are a child or an adult, the importance of good education and the ability to read is critical. Individuals and society as a whole benefits from it, and the future course of a nation depends upon the decisions of well-informed, well-read citizens.

The drop-out rate from high schools across our country remains high. When I learned of a local program to counsel students returning to complete their educations, I volunteered to be a mentor. I also volunteer as a “Reading Buddy” at an elementary school to assist children that have home-life problems associated with their reading skills. And being a writer, literacy is one issue I rank at the top of my concerns.

I’ve always been a strong supporter of public libraries. The Internet may have decreased their usage and forced many branches to close or reduce staff, but I believe a good public library system establishes a knowledge center for communities to build upon. From youth I’ve always considered a library to be a valuable resource for everyone.  

As a writer, especially being an “Indie-Author,” I already have a sufficient number of obstacles to overcome without adding my local library system to the fray. Aside from the writing, editing, publishing, and marketing headaches of moving my novels from computer to reader, (and of course, battling the constant stigma of being unpublished by big houses), I’ve taken my share of hits. Recently, my own local library gave me a gut-punch that left me frustrated.

In December of 2011, still relishing the author’s joy that accompanies the release of a new novel, I took a copy of each of my three novels (brand new, mint condition, and autographed) to the Brazoria County Library System branch library in my small town of Alvin, Texas. The librarian was gone but the assistants accepted my donations and stated they would be processed into the system for citizens to read. I left with a great sense of having made a contribution to my community. One day, I thought, someone may come, read my books for free and enjoy themselves.

In March of 2012 I happened to be in the library for a meeting. While there I checked their computer system for my works and couldn’t locate them.  I asked the assistants where my donated books might be and they in turn passed the search information on to the head librarian. Fast forward now to today, the end of April, two full months after not receiving a word from the librarian, I received a polite “gut-punch” letter attached to an email:

(even more aggravating is receiving a letter with your name misspelled after giving them your business card)

Dear Mr. Glen Starkey;

 I apologize for not contacting you sooner concerning the three books you donated to the Alvin Library… I deeply regret to say that it looks like your donation has been misplaced.  It may be your books were mixed in with other donated items and given to the Library League for its book sale…

 …All donations are received with the understanding the items become the property of the library, and that acceptance is not a guarantee the items will be placed into the collection.  The items must follow the same evaluation criteria for library purchased items. This would include reviews from recognized review sources and the item would also need to have an acceptable binding that would take the stress of being circulated…

 …The cataloging of donated items takes time and special handling, especially if it would require what is termed “original cataloging.”   Since your books appear to be self- published, there is not an available cataloging record in the correct format from a vendor for downloading into the library’s catalog. This special handling comes at a price and that is why there is a $10 per item charge to cover the cost. Hundreds of items are ordered, received, and processed each month which takes priority over specialty cataloging…

 …want you to know how much your interest in the library is appreciated.  The library system wishes you good success in your writing career.

They lost my books or they dumped them into the pile of unwanted, discarded library books to sell. Not only that, the librarian goes on to state they were unacceptable because they are self-published, probably did not have acceptable binding, and did not have “…reviews from recognized review sources.”  THEN, she has the audacity to say the library requires a $10 per item fee to process them because they are self-published. But she ends it all with a kiss: “The library system wishes you good success in your writing career.”

   Give me a break! Barnes & Noble won’t stock their shelves with Indie-Author books—and my own local library will only stock their shelves with my books if I pay them $10 per book. How did I reply? As calmly as I could.

Thank you for the information.

I have always been an advocate for literacy, volunteering as I do with our school district as a “Reading Buddy” to assist elementary children, promoting reading and education at every turn for adults as well as children. 

It is truly disappointing to read your letter and find that because my novels are “self-published,” they are considered below your standards. Although they are distributed by Ingram and doing well internationally on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Sony, and a list of other booksellers, it is unfortunate my own local library cast them out, loses them, or sells them as books no longer needed.

Yes, it’s ridiculous I cannot donate my novels to my own community library, and my stomach is still sore from yet another “Indie” gut-punch, but it won’t slow my writings or my advocacy of education and literacy.

Maybe equality is the lesson to be learned here. While I want my Indie-published books to be reviewed and treated equal with ‘big house’ books in public libraries, and to receive equal treatment in book stores, we should work toward equal education and literacy for all, regardless of a person’s station in life. But, maybe that’s all in a perfect world scenario.

Thank you. I shall now return my soap-box home to its closet.

Glenn

Categories: General, Writing | Tags: , , | 39 Comments

The Man with the Paranormal Midas Touch: Micheal Rivers

Posted on April 15, 2012 by Glenn

Paranormal Thriller

     Paranormal Thriller Author of “Verliege,” “The Black Witch,” “Moonlight on the Nantahala,” and “Ghosts of the North Carolina Shores”

Today, I am truly honored to have Mr. Micheal Rivers, a great paranormal thriller author, as the very first author to be interviewed and presented on my site. Not only have I read several of his books and written unsolicited reviews, but I have also come to know Mr. Rivers as an excellent gentleman and man worthy of being a friend. These accolades of fine character and authorship are well deserved by him and not stated simply for this interview.  He is a former (there really is no ‘former’) U.S. Marine, Vietnam veteran, and founder of the Smokey Mountain Ghost Trackers of Western North Carolina.  Having stated this, let’s take a moment to learn more about him:

Q:  First, thank you for allowing me to interview you.  I realize you have a busy schedule and appreciate you taking this time with me. As an accomplished author now with four published novels and more works in progress, how did you start upon the literary path of being a writer? Was there anything in particular which steered you toward this endeavor?

MR: You are very welcome Glenn, it is always a pleasure to talk with you. I wrote for quite awhile actually. During my travels there were times when I sat in motel rooms or places I was visiting and found myself writing for whatever reason. In some of the regions I just threw what I wrote away because the sweat soaked the paper and made it almost unreadable. There was just something inside screaming to get out so I just put on paper. I never thought what I had to write was something someone would want to read until some of my work was submitted without my knowledge. It spiraled from there.

Author Micheal Rivers

Author Micheal Rivers

Q:  You are well known as a paranormal thriller author which is a challenging genre. Have you ever given thought to writing in different genres?

MR: Yes, I have many times. I may write something in the near future other than stories about ghosts. I have two already sitting in the To Do pile that was started in the late 90’s, just never got around to finishing them. Both of these books may give you a big surprise LOL. If you like stories about men in dangerous places you’ll like them both. One is based on a true character and some of his exploits.

 

Q: “Verliege” is an intriguing thriller…murder, suspense…wrongful prosecution of a man…I’ve only read the first chapter so far and have enjoyed it. If you will, please share some insight on the creation of “Verliege.” Readers always wonder how an author gets ideas.  How did this novel come about? How did you develop it? Research it?

MR: I have an above average interest in history and archeology. Castles are a fascination in themselves with the architecture and the history behind them. I have seen a few castles and want to visit more when the opportunity arises. My first wedding was at the Nagagusuku castle ruins in Japan. This started the ball rolling wondering what could have happened there. Interesting fact, a famous pilot crash landed his plane there during WWII and was still on the grounds of the castle in 1972. The castle Verliege is a combination of four different castles in its present state. The rumors of all castles being haunted bring out ideas that you wish you could use them all but it isn’t possible. I had to put together a fictional penal institution and from there take the reader to the castle. It was the research from hell LOL. I had to build a castle, a town and the correctional facility from scratch. From this point the characters had to interact with the setting instead of the other way around.

 

Q:  An experienced author understands the importance of self-discipline in their writings, daily time scheduling, and book marketing. What recommendations do you have for aspiring writers in reference to these matters or others concerning writing?

MR: Good question Glenn. The first thing I would say is do not follow my lead on this. I am as disciplined as a bear who discovered a honey bun. Book marketing takes a lot of time and covers too much of a day. I would rather sandpaper a lion’s bottom than do marketing. The way I write is to catch the wave so to speak. When the ideas begin to flow I write at that time. I write late at night mostly and sleep comes when I have to. I would advise new writers to make their outlines and follow them until they find out what works best for them. I start an outline but little of it is used. My story board is the most important to me. A picture you may find on my story board has nothing to do with the story. But it is what sparked the idea and develops into story line. Example: A dead bird nailed to a door in an old village equals the line and train of thought peasant’s roost. The visual from there is a long story. Write what you know, varying from this will stand out to a reader quickly. If you have never been to Africa you may find yourself in a bad spot writing about it.

The Black Witch

Q:  As an Indie-Author, where do you see the future publishing industry heading? New writers always have questions whether to first go traditional – agents, the big houses or the Indie route. What would you advise someone who talks of wanting to write a novel one day?

MR: Technology is not just the wave of the future. Books will always be here but in these times and the future, reading a book electronically will be for the man of the future. Something will come within the next few years that will make even the Kindle obsolete, but you will still be reading the books electronically. Agents and the big six are trying to find a way to assimilate now. As far as writing a novel is concerned I think everyone should be aware writing is not a part time job. It is a profession that limits you in a lot of ways with long hours. Socializing pretty much goes out the window except in small spurts. I would advise new writers to go indie in the beginning and test the waters to see if their style is accepted by the public. Unless you are an exceptional writer the large houses won’t even talk to you. Beware of agents!!! The good ones are hard to get and the bad ones will take your money and you’ll see no benefit from anything they have done. Mostly with this type agent they are waiting for you to make the money so they get paid for doing nothing.

 

Q:  You are a ghost hunter with the Smokey Mountain Ghost Trackers of Western North Carolina. Most people have seen the popular televisions shows. How did you get interested in the paranormal? How does television compare to real ghost hunting? Has there been any particular incident to make the hair rise on your neck and arms?

MR: I grew up in a haunted house. Many have said this, but this house was definitely no joke. With my ancestry I was taught how to interact with the paranormal or spirits. We learned they were a fact of life and were looked on as being no different than visiting your neighbor. Always show respect to the spirits so the elders teach. I wound up collecting stories from other countries while I traveled and had experiences. I wanted to know what else was out there besides the ghosts at home. In my opinion Ghost TV will never compare to the real deal. There are things they miss while trying to shoot an episode as well as other things I will not go into. Incidents that raised hair, you bet and more than one. I have never been near or seen anything that actually scared me, not even combat. But I will say there have been several instances where ‘things’, for lack of a better word, stopped me in my tracks. Case in point I came face to face with something in the Belgian Congo that passed through me and kept traveling. The other men there couldn’t believe what we were seeing and to describe it would take a miracle. I have a million stories on the paranormal from all over. My favorite was the child from Bom Bom island in Africa.

 

Moonlight on the Nantahala

Q: Your website shows a project in progress: “Appalachian Mountain Folkore.” Will this have a paranormal basis? Can you give us some information on the book?

MR: Appalachian Mountain Folklore will be released by my other publisher (Schiffer Publishing Ltd) later in the season. It covers folktales and lore from the mountains of North Carolina. There are a few tales in here that are rarely heard and all are written from the aspect of the way the Native Americans interacted with the Europeans of the times. Two are from tales passed through my family. A lot of paranormal elements in this one for sure.

 

Q:  Where can readers contact you, find your books, more information about you, and keep informed of your future events?

MR; I would love to hear from anybody who wants to say hello or has a question for me. You can contact me at michealrivers.com http://bit.ly/kcThdo    and my books may be found at Amazon.com    http://amzn.to/uHpPD6   It was great privilege to be here today and thank you for your service. I do want everyone to know through the years a lot of Marines have given their life for others, they are not forgotten. They have passed from us and now they all are standing their post in a military manner safe guarding those they left behind. For those who are not aware Semper Fidelis is not just a quote; it is the essence, the life, and the soul of a United States Marine for eternity.

 

Again, thank you, Micheal, for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I know we’ve had to skip a lot of questions, but possibly another day we can have a “Micheal Rivers, Part Two” interview.

And before closing, I want to thank you as well for your service in Vietnam as a U.S. Marine.

Semper Fi,

Glenn 

 

 

 

Excerpt for Verliege

 

Near the center of the cemetery the mausoleum beckoned them to draw closer. From their position they could not see the front of the mausoleum. Two sides could be clearly seen, appearing unusually clean. Emery did not approach the mausoleum immediately. He stood squinting in the morning sun, trying hard to find a reason why the stone structure had not aged over the years.

He had learned early in his career not to advance too quickly upon a scene that did not feel right. Raising his camera to his eye, he adjusted the long-distance lens to bring the mausoleum closer. Something was wrong. The stone was too perfect in every way. He could not find a single flaw.

Weis spoke softly. “We may find something of interest within the tomb.”

Emery spoke without taking his eye off of the mausoleum. “I think we should skirt around it and approach it from the front. It doesn’t feel right to me. Take a look through your camera and tell me what you see.”

Weis raised his camera and inspected the walls of the mausoleum carefully. “I don’t see anything unusual.”

Emery laughed lightly. “Look again. The stonework has not aged a day. There are no cracks or signs of erosion as there should be.”

Weis looked once more, realizing Emery had been correct in his observations. Carefully they walked in a large circle to enable them to see the front of the mausoleum. Standing a safe distance away, they saw that one of the doors was partially open, allowing them to see the darkness of the interior.

Stepping slowly forward toward the open door, each man prepared himself for a possible intruder. Emery approached the open door at an angle to help protect himself. Time slowed to a crawl. Reaching for the door to open it farther, Emery’s fingers had barely reached the handle when it slammed shut violently.

They both jumped back away from the door, and Weis fell over a broken headstone behind him. A loud moan echoed through the air around them.

Weis gained his feet, shaking his head. “I am not going in there. Whatever it is, I’m happy to leave it in there.”

Emery grinned. “Sorry, Weis, but I have to see what the moaning is about.”

He reached forward and jerked the door open with a vengeance. Shining his light inside, he found the mausoleum empty except for the neatly stacked burial coffins. Emery turned, questioning what he was seeing. “There is nobody there, Weis. I guess the moan was the rusty hinges and a little imagination.”

Weis disagreed. “The door was shut before we heard the moan. Do you think you can tell me who shut the door? I think not. It is too heavy to close on its own. I’m leaving.”

Emery watched as Weis started to walk away. The incident had shaken him badly.

Weis was glad he had taken pictures of the open door before it had slammed shut. It was hard for him to shake the feeling that there was someone close behind them as they made their way back across the bridge. Turning back toward the cemetery when he was at the foot of the bridge, he glimpsed a large black shadow disappearing into the trees.

 

Categories: interview, Writing | Tags: , , | 9 Comments

Do you REALLY challenge yourself?

Posted on March 28, 2012 by Glenn

"Do you call yourself an author, Twinkle Toes?"

There are a variety of challenges – finding time to write, making daily word counts, keeping up with the promos for your books, staying alive on social media networks, and a hundred more which could be listed…But I’m not talking about any of these.

Let’s fast forward ahead in life and say you already have a couple of novels under your belt. They received good reviews and you feel you’re on the road to churning out more literary greats. The challenge I’m referring to here is: “Have you really given your best writing to your readers?”

Writing is a creative process and a tough one to boot. Possibly you only remain within one genre or like me crossover into several…but regardless of the genre, your novel needs to be compelling. The dialogue must have sufficient meat to it for a reader to chew on for days. The action must course a reader’s veins with the force of a raging adrenaline rush. And when the last page arrives, the reader must be addicted to your words and direly in need of more, so much in fact they go in search of your next novel.

At any moment in time there are hundreds of free eBooks you can download to fill your Kindle, Nook, or iPad. As any writer should, I read a variety of these works. I’ve found diamonds in the rough with these free eBooks, and I’ve discovered a lot of junk promoted as “5 Star Reviewed” books. I found the common denominator in the “5 Star” junk was quantity and quality: the author appeared to have been writing solely to accomplish some daily quota of word quantity rather than write for daily quality.  There was evidently no personal challenge to push the author. The author seemed to be rushing to make parts fit, rushing to get to the end, and definitely rushing to get their book released.

The authors did not challenge themselves.  The writing was bland or mindless. It didn’t make the reader pause and think about the passage just read. And of course, the poor writing was another nail in the proverbial indie-author coffin.

  To challenge yourself as a writer means to create to the fullest extent of your mind’s abilities. Do your readers feel your book as they read? Have you given them something that truly sticks in their minds? Good books do that. Good books are not written based upon fads of the day.  They withstand the test of time and make their readers return another day to read them once more.

I’ve repeatedly read “The Assyrian” by Nicholas Guild and “The Wolf’s Hour” by Robert McCammon. With Guild’s books I always wondered if he mentally burned himself out with that book because of the strength and depth of his dialogue, and the thought processes he put into their creation. McCammon’s book was intense from beginning to end and maintaining such an energy level throughout the entire book must have drained him as well.

Challenge yourself to write a novel that is not your normal genre. You would be amazed at what you will learn about yourself and your ability to write. 

I read an article by McCammon about how horror novels had moved away from being what ‘true’ horror novels should be. In brief, he stated they had become nothing more than blood and gore spectacles because that was an easy way out for the writers. His complaint was that writers were failing to invoke the mental terror aspect which should be ever present. Failure to do so only left a ‘rubber-stamped’ bloodletting which was the easy way to write…. When the writers couldn’t think of good storyline to invoke fear in a reader, they simply had some nutcase run around slashing throats.  As I read McCammon’s article it struck me: the authors had not challenged themselves to create the best story possible.

Take some time to examine your work.  Look at your recent writings and be brutally honest with yourself about it overall. What separates your novel from a great writer in the genre you’ve chosen? What is missing within your writings? If you look hard enough, you may find it is the level of creativity – the challenge to produce a better work than the last.

Categories: General, Writing | Tags: , | 10 Comments

MIA, Part 2: Author Robert R. McCammon “The Wolf’s Hour”

Posted on March 10, 2012 by Glenn

 

In Part 1 I discussed the highly acclaimed author Nicholas Guild being MIA, Missing in Action, from the literary world since 1995. He seemingly vanished without word to his readers and to this day has not returned to his writings. Along with Mr. Guild, I mentioned another well published author that walked away from his profession. His name is Robert R. McCammon. Fortunately for readers he returned, and has since been diligently churning out great works as before. Although he’s off the MIA list, I want to discuss his absence.

Nicholas Guild and Robert McCammon, as I previously wrote, unknowingly were my mentors. Two other authors, Wilbur Smith and David Morrell, were major influences on my writings as well.  But Guild showed me through “The Assyrian” how historical fiction should truly be written, and from McCammon’s “The Wolf’s Hour,” I studied and learned so much about the craft of writing.

Born in July of 1952 (a month before me) McCammon received a BA in Journalism from the University of Alabama in 1974. While he was in college and beginning his writing career, I had been to Vietnam, was being discharged from the Corps and starting on the streets as a police officer. A highly acclaimed, award-winning, international author, he wrote from 1978 to 1991, stopped for 10 years and returned in 2002 to his writings. While searching a list of his achievements, I lost count at 23 novels, assortment of collections, anthologies, and essays.  Have you ever heard of the prestigious “Bram Stoker Award?” Well, McCammon had the idea to start the Horror Writers Association where the award was born. (Aspiring horror writers owe him more gratitude than they will ever realize.)

While he was turning out his first string of published books, I was banging my head against the wall trying to complete my first book. A well-published friend and I were having a relaxing afternoon talk about writing and the industry when she handed me a book and said, “Read this then read it again if you want to learn the craft.”  That was my introduction to McCammon’s “The Wolf’s Hour” (pub: 1989.)  I looked at the paperback and thought she had gone crazy. A man is a werewolf who is a spy who fights Nazi’s in World War II. But my friend never steered me wrong in the past and certainly had not this time. “The Wolf’s Hour” was tightly written, had excellent action and dialogue, was an intense read, and it immediately became my craft textbook.

Even though I consider him to be my craft mentor, I’ve never met him nor have I read all of his works. One day at a bookstore I heard he was no longer writing. I checked with friends who advised me they heard through the publishing grapevine there were problems and he chose to stop. Not having an Internet to search for information as we do now, I let the matter drop. I had stopped my writings as well, (no need to rehash it, see Micheal Rivers.com interview) and so I was left with only my well-worn copy of “The Wolf’s Hour.”

The average person goes to a bookstore, finds a shelf lined with their favorite author’s novels and thinks, “Wow, they have the easy life! They just write books and don’t have to bust their butts like regular people do every day!”  The perception is a make-believe world, fantasy at its best. Even today, my closest, non-writer friends have little concept of how much effort I put into writing a novel.

Highly acclaimed authors such as McCammon are placed on pedestals, separated from us common mortals. Their fingers upon a keyboard have a Midas touch and they do not suffer with daily headaches and concerns as ‘we’ do. Well, along with dressed-up rabbits laying colorful eggs at Easter, this is another misconception. (Everyone knows rabbits don’t dress-up.)

Recently, after searching for information on Guild and finding limited articles, I grew more curious about McCammon’s absence. I located his website. Everything I wanted to know was there, written by him, straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. I discovered other sources of information but primarily remained with his personal writings—because they were from the heart—or his writer’s soul.

McCammon’s early years held the same life tribulations as others have endured: divorced parents, lived with his grandparents, wasn’t athletically oriented, basically became a loner, and turned to writing to fill the voids of life. He started as a journalist, underwent the frustrations all aspiring writers encounter, finally became published, and later found himself in the same boat as other authors—exasperated by the antics of big publishing houses and concerned with the direction of his writings.

He found himself gradually moving into a confinement established by editors. Some of his story ideas were balked at, and when he discussed sequels to books such as “The Wolf’s Hour,” he was given poor advice which compounded later discouragements in his life. Confinement is nothing more than caging an author. I believe an author should write the stories swirling in their heads, regardless if you cross into different genres or vary from an editor’s path. For McCammon, he evidently felt the same because confinement began to wear on him. Another frustrating factor was the path he saw the horror genre taking.

Where before he had seen depth and true story to horror writings, he realized they were becoming mere exercises in the spewing of blood, guts, and gore. I liked his reference to them as ‘rubber stamping and cookie cutter.’ Even to today this is evident in numerous horror books written with page after page of pure bloodletting without a foundation of worthwhile storyline. Hollywood held a majority of this blame, while some publishing houses followed suit solely in the pursuit for profit. Well, money is the name of the game though, right? But it’s not right when publishers say “they know what the people want.”

In McCammon’s personal writings about his discontent and self-doubts, I took note of a true author. One who enjoyed his work being published yet was concerned about its literary worth. I saw a man who looked for writings to last the test of time, not simply be a fad and quickly forgotten.

I’m sure other issues were involved, personal issues, because when he gave his farewell, he mentioned returning to family pursuits, being a father. That was admirable. Writing is a lonely task. You must spend long hours separated from others in order to think, create, and release pent-up, pulsating ideas onto paper.

Some of the articles I read about McCammon mentioned depression. Battling depression is as easy as standing on the beach and trying to hold back the waves of the ocean. I know because my father suffered with it before he died.

The more I read about Mr. McCammon, the more I respected him. And in his recent website article, “My Calling,” he openly discusses his absence and return. It takes a lot of courage to tell the world as he did that he had shortcomings and doubts about himself as a writer. Very few people will ever mention their shortcomings. But, read it yourself. There’s a lot you as a writer should digest.

I found myself making comparisons to Mr. McCammon. Okay, so I don’t have over 5 million of my books in print as he does, but there were some similarities. He gets his ideas from anywhere, even a dream. One of my books came from a dream. He doesn’t work from an outline. Neither do I. He sees the story in his head and writes what he sees.  Well, ditto. Sometimes I’m surprised at what comes next as I write too.

Yes, Mr. McCammon, as you said, “…writing is the mystic journey that cannot be shared by anyone else… It is a solitary trip, with an uncertain destination.”

Robert R. McCammon is a fine man. I’m glad he’s off the Missing in Action list.

He’s the kind of man I’d enjoy sitting on the porch with, smoke a cigar and share some Jack Daniels, and have a leisurely conversation about the world in general—one of those talks where you right all the wrongs and walk away happy.

Until that day, all the best to you, sir.

Glenn

Categories: MIA, Writing | Tags: , , , | 4 Comments

Missing in Action, Part 1: Author Nicholas Guild, “The Assyrian”

Posted on March 4, 2012 by Glenn

 

“MIA” Missing in Action: a casualty category assigned to the status of armed services personnel reported missing during active service, generally during combat environments.

Whenever asked what authors and books have made their greatest impression on me, I always answer: Nicholas Guild “The Assyrian,” Robert McCammon “The Wolf’s Hour,” Wilbur Smith “River God,” and David Morrell “First Blood.” Each is a highly acclaimed, award-winning, well-published author in his own right. Their combined books stacked one atop the other would be almost as tall as me. And no, I haven’t read every book they published, but have managed to read quite a few.

These are authors I respect for the depth of their research and unique qualities of writing. They have served as my mentors of the craft. Each year I pull out their books, reread them as if for the first time then reverently place them away until the next year. Finding some of these authors’ books in print today is almost impossible unless you wish to pay several hundred dollars (I searched the Internet for a copy of “The Assyrian” and it was selling for $360.)  Fortunately, many of their books are returning to publication in eBook formats at lesser costs.

Wilbur Smith and David Morrell remain quite prominent in the public’s eyes today. They have websites and generously communicate with their readers, especially Mr. Morrell. Robert McCammon returned from a lengthy absence, is accessible to his fans, but more will be coming on this fine author in my next blog article, “Missing in Action, Part 2: Author Robert McCammon, “The Wolf’s Hour.”    But what of Nicholas Guild?

I recently completed a reading of “The Blood Star” (pub: 1989), the sequel to Guild’s “The Assyrian” (pub: 1987.) When you are wrapped within the intensity of a great author’s writings, you find yourself divided while reading their works. On one hand you anxiously devour each page, yet on the other, a sense of dread enters you because the last page is drawing near and the story will end. Nicholas Guild showed me how historical fiction should truly be written. For that I am eternally grateful.

From 1975 to 1995, Nicholas wrote 11 novels. His last work, “Angel,” supposedly contains a dedication to Susan Sheridan with a rather cryptic passage from Dante’s “Devine Comedy” that translated as best I can ascertain to, “…In the middle of the path in my life, I find myself in darkness…”

I found this odd, especially with it written on his last novel. Then my former police side kicked in with its questioning, investigative nature. So many years have passed without further word from Guild. I wondered where he was today. Why had he stopped writing? Why had he seemingly fallen off the ends of the earth? No man so prominent within a professional community as he was, vanishes without reason.

What began as a simple exercise to satisfy my curiosity quickly became an intriguing puzzle and analysis of a man’s mental state. With all of its pros and cons, the Internet is an amazing tool. I found his basic bio and assorted reviews of his novels. Guild obtained his PhD at the University of California at Berkeley in 1972 and as other authors have, moved on to become a professor of English Literature at a university. Connecticut was given as his last known residence where he was enjoying life with his family. Eleven novels, his writer celebrity growing, and all came to a screeching halt in 1995 after the release of “Angel”—then he vanished like a magician upon a stage who swirls a black cloak around himself and disappears before your eyes in a cloud of smoke.

I read articles and reviews about him until my head throbbed. I realized before me was the answer as to why he had stopped writing, only the water was too muddy for me to see through. Taking a walk to think, I recalled experiences with my agent and editors of publishing houses during the same period (80’s into the 90’s) that Guild was rising in public popularity. I remembered conversations with well-published friends and the industry stories they whispered as if spies were about us.

The publishing world may appear massive and magical from an everyday reader’s perspective but in actuality, it’s a small world where few secrets exist. Editors changed employment at the big houses so swiftly then that it became the norm. Most editors were quite young during that time, not long out of college, and believed they knew what the public truly wanted and how they thought. The big houses often played favorites with their authors which created dissension over matters such as advertising and printing runs. New book ideas were often killed by editors, and authors wanting to write in different genres were frowned upon, balked at, and argued against with fervor. There was often tight-fisted reign upon authors in terms of story revisions and the next book to be written. While some of these actions proved beneficial for the industry, others became detrimental. Such was the publishing world’s environment during those years. I hope it is different now.

But the muddy water began to sufficiently clear, allowing me to see possible reasons why such a gifted writer as Nicholas Guild had turned away from his talents and became missing in action. I jotted notes upon paper and began to study each:

  1. Had the depth of his research, thought, action, dialogue, and characters become so demanding that by the end of the book he was mentally drained? Once you read “The Assyrian” you will fully understand the intensity I speak of here.
  2. Did he want to break away from his original genre path but found confrontation with his publishers?
  3. Did it reach a point whereby editors were attempting to overly control his writings?
  4. Although his writings were well acclaimed, did he discover he was not equally favored by his publisher as they had provided for with other in-house authors?
  5. Were there physical illnesses, some medical issue such as cancer or Alzheimer’s Disease involved which forced him to abruptly stop writing?
  6. Or did he simply ‘burn out’ from the constant combat in mini-battles with publishers and chose to retreat into an educational world of literature where there appeared to be fresh air for the long term?

These are all assumptions on my part. There is nothing concrete to base an answer on. But my gut feeling tells me he willingly chose the fresh air at the cost of being declared missing in action.

Wherever you are, Mr. Guild, I wish you the best in all of your endeavors. If by some miracle you should ever read this, I respectfully say, “Thank you for being one of my mentors.”

Sincerely,

Glenn

 

Categories: MIA, Writing | Tags: , , | 4 Comments

Two More Awards! A Great Way To Start The Day.

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Glenn

I’ve been running pretty hard lately trying to complete a novel, keep up with book marketing and a dozen daily tasks. There doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day or the needed energy to complete my activities. But just as I began to feel slightly burned out, I received two awards—“The Versatile Blogger” and “The Liebster Blog” (which I’m told originated in Germany and means ‘favorite’ or ‘dearest’.)

“First, I want to thank the Academy…” Oh, sorry. That’s the opening of my speech when I receive the Oscar for ‘Best Book Developed into a Movie’ award. (Okay, so I made the award up…like you haven’t either?)  Now, returning to reality:

To be thought of by your peers is quite uplifting to one’s soul, but to be recognized by a fellow writer in any form is truly an honor.  Sandra Valente, host of the international SSBookFanatics website, ( www.SSBookFanatics.blogspot.com ) did so with her nomination of me.

Sandra is well known by so many of us. She is a beautiful, thoughtful, and caring person. Her reviews of our books are intriguing novels within themselves. Absorbing the stories as every author hopes a reader will she then presents her honest opinions with such narration that you, as the author, are left stupefied by the grace of her words. The writing of a review—a review worthy of being read—is no easy task. Anyone can write, “…it’s a page turner, a must read…” but when you serve meat and potatoes along with it for the reader to chew on for days, you have accomplished a monumental feat!

To know she looked at my writings, my blog, as having the versatility to garner readers’ interest was quite uplifting, and to realize she considered me as a ‘favorite’ or ‘dearest’ means much more.

Now comes my time to select 5 authors and award them the recognition they so rightly deserve.  (Sorry, but I chose 6…) What are the rules?  Quite simple:

  1. Recognize the person who awarded you.
  2. Consider all the people you know.
  3. Select five nominees who you feel display an abundance of qualities and versatility.
  4. Let them know they have been selected.
  5. Post the award on your blog.
  6. And last but not least, bask in the pleasure of recognizing fellow authors, their talents, and spreading good karma to them.

Without further ado, here are my nominees and recipients.

These fine authors were chosen after reading their blogs and enjoying the content, observing how they so freely assist their fellow authors on social networks, and taking note of their excellent writing skills. There are many fine authors to choose from but today I cannot list them all.

  1. Kirkus MacGowan, @KirkusMacGowan.
  2. Eri Nelson, @Dearharts.
  3. Virginia Lee, @Dagonsblood.
  4. Patti Roberts, @PattiRoberts7.
  5. Jeff Bennington, @TweetTheBook.
  6. Belinda Witzenhausen, @BWitzenhausen

Visit each of these fine authors. See for yourself why I have chosen them. Learn more about their projects and review their blogs. It is through this process we learn from one another.

Wishing everyone the best in their endeavors!

Categories: General, Writing | 10 Comments

Book Review: “The Black Witch”

Posted on February 18, 2012 by Glenn
“A gripping tale of a ship of doom….”

“The Black Witch” by Author Micheal Rivers

The gripping tale of a ship of doom…

First, understand I am not one who enjoys being at sea aboard a vessel of any size. I like the ocean and best appreciate it when viewed from shore. But I do enjoy a good nautical tale, especially one with a paranormal theme, and respect the addiction and love many hold for sailing the seas.

The descriptive depiction of the ship drew me into this story then the lure of the sea as felt by its seafaring crews came next. I was drawn into the seemingly hypnotic grip which the Black Witch laid upon all that neared her. Unique in build, a magnificent vessel with a truly mysterious background of fatal voyages, I soon discovered I wanted to learn more about the coming journey of the doomed, assorted passengers. With a ghostly foundation being well set by the author, I wondered how each would fare, curious what trials were to be set upon them.

The spectrum of characters is well balanced.  Their diversity at first leaves you interested in how they will interface, yet by the novel’s end each retained an appropriate part in what became horrific experiences.  Whether you believe in the devil or not, the demon that walks the ship plays havoc with your thoughts, leaving you disturbed at how he plies upon the weaknesses of mankind, taking pleasures as he desires against anyone’s will.

In truth, I became so absorbed in my reading at one point that I startled when my dog stood and nosed me for attention.  I found myself wanting to know what lay next for the passengers and how much worse their plight could be—and when I believed I knew what might come, something different occurred to my surprise.

So for those readers who love an adventurous seafaring tale with a depth of paranormal blended tightly within, The Black Witch is worth the read. And if I were to ever buy a boat, which I doubt, it surely will not have the name “The Black Witch” painted along its sides.

Glenn Starkey

Categories: Writing | Tags: , | 2 Comments

Kreativ Blogger Award: My Nominations

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Glenn

Kreativ Blogger Award: My Nominations

 

My thanks to Micheal Rivers for nominating me for the Kreativ Blogger Award! To be noted and have been chosen by this best-selling author of Ghosts of the North Carolina Shores, The Black Witch, Moonlight on the Nantahala, and Verliege is truly an honor for me. As a writer his works are gripping, adventurous, and thrilling. As an individual he is a true gentleman, always willing to provide assistance to authors in need at every turn. Congratulations on your nomination, Micheal, and may you have the best of fortune with your works!

Now, as part of being nominated for this award, I have to: (1) nominate 6 others for the blog award and (2) share 10 things that readers might not know about me.  Choosing 6 from the hundreds of excellent authors I am honored to know has been challenging to say the least. But these authors struck personal chords within me with their devotion to the writing craft, the unselfish acts of kindness and assistance to others they have performed, and yet never asking for anything in return. I thank each one for their humanity.

The spotlight now shines on:

  1. Jo VonBargen: @JVonBargen http://twobitbard.weebly.com Jo is a true poet, writing wonderful prose with deep, heartfelt inspiration. Her work is dedicated to bringing attention to spousal abuse, and she’s been courageous throughout the most trying times of her life.
  2. Harvey Burgess: @HarveyBurgess http://kisshergoodbye.authorsxpress.com Harvey continually displays the finest qualities through his encouragement, kind words and assistance to others. His personal principles are of the highest caliber and he is a fine author.
  3. William Potter: @WilliamPotter68 http://www.williamrpotter.com William founded the (IAN) Independent Author Network to assist and promote his fellow authors, especially Indie-Authors. He asks nothing in return and provides a valuable outlet and resource for so many of us. An excellent author in his own right, he understands the value of “paying-it-forward.”
  4. Edward Medina: @loboed13 http://www.wix.com/loboed14/author Edward has a diverse and superb background containing a wealth of knowledge he continually shares with others. Always having a kind word and positive message for others, he remains a true friend to all within the writing community. As a writer his works illuminate the world of imagination in every reader’s minds.
  5. Chi Yon: @Asperger_Mom http://aspergermommy.blogspot.com Chi Yon, to me, is a magnificent example of a devoted parent as well as a “life-coach” to so many with children having the Asperger Syndrome. No greater love can there be than that of a mother’s love to a child. After reading her blog, I view her as an inspiration and a light to guide other parents when darkness seems to have fallen about them.
  6. Dawn Torrens: @Torrenstp http://dawnsdaily.com Dawn continually provides kind words and positive assistance to her fellow writers. Her blog speaks from the heart about many troubling, personal matters, yet always can be found the love of a mother for a child. She writes with honesty, a virtue to be admired.

 Now for 10 things readers may not know about me:

  1. I worked in the Texas oilfields for 5 years as a roustabout, digging ditches and repairing oil wells. (The old saying “It never rains in the oilfield” means more than you realize!)
  2. After three and a half years in the Orient, I received my Blackbelt in Goju-Karate in Tokyo, Japan. (I was the only non-Japanese student in my dojo.)
  3. I used to speak fluent Japanese. Attended U. S. State Department Language School. (Forgot most of it though due to not speaking the language much here in Texas.)
  4. Raised Appaloosa horses for several years. (You live with Murphy’s Law of “What can go wrong will go wrong” when you raise large animals!)
  5. I’m told my maternal grandfather rode and fought alongside of Pancho Villa.
  6. I wanted to be an artist as a profession and still have oil paintings hidden in my closet to one day give my grandson. (I don’t think my son has ever seen them!)
  7. In addition to being a “reading buddy” to elementary school children, I’ve also been asked to mentor young men and women that dropped out of school and are attempting to return and obtain their GED’s.
  8. I am a Master Mason, member of the Masonic Order in Texas.
  9. In 1979, while a police officer, we evacuated people for 3 days around the clock due a tropical storm dropping 46 inches of rain on us within a 24 hour period. It was a North American record according to the National Weather Service. (We kept looking for Noah’s Ark to appear!)
  10. I hate ships and being out at sea. (And spent 6 months aboard a ship while in the Marines!)

So the “Kreativ Blogger Award” is now passed on to the 6 wonderful people I previously noted. Best wishes and Good Luck to each.

Categories: General | 4 Comments

BookMarketingBuzzBlog Interview with Glenn

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Glenn

The Creative Mind

http://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/interviews-with-publisher-literary.html

Interview With Novelist Glenn Starkey

 

What are the challenges of being a novelist today?

The greatest challenge is writing a novel worth reading. Accomplish this and the rest is procedural in terms of marketing your book. You can obtain help from mentors, friends and even hire people to promote your project, but if you do not have a book worth reading, you have no foundation to build upon.

What is your newest book? Why did you write it?

I am presently completing my first “sci-fi” based book “Amazon Moon.” As an action-adventure and historical fiction novelist, I wanted to challenge myself with a new creative path of writing — a hard hitting action-adventure that ends with a science-fiction twist. While some authors choose to remain within a single genre, I want to be known as an author that can cover a spectrum of writings and always turn out a quality story regardless of the genre.

What do you love most about being a published author?

I love writing a novel and receiving comments from men and women readers around the world telling me how much they enjoyed the story. When they begin telling me how much they loved the characters, the action, the storyline, and so forth, it truly makes my day! I then realize how I achieved my goals of being an author, capturing a reader’s soul, and making them want to read “one more page” before stopping for the day. I had one reader state, “I hate you!” Just that alone stunned me then I smiled as I read, “…you made me miss so much sleep because I loved your book and couldn’t stop until the end.”

Any advice for a struggling writer?

Honesty with yourself about your writing skills and perseverance in your efforts is important. First, study the craft by reading a wide variety of books in different genres. Second, write and complete your book before worrying about advertising, marketing, book sales and promotions. Third, get your book read by at least ten non-related people so you have a feel for your writing ability—and don’t argue with their review of your work. Analyze their comments and find the norm of problems they presented to you…then fix the problems whether it is your poor writing skills or a weak storyline. Fourth, be prepared for a bad review down the road. It doesn’t mean you are a bad writer. Remember, not everyone likes the same things in life.

Where do you see the book industry heading?

The first computers filled a room with their monstrous sizes and used IBM punch cards and reels of magnetic tape for their data. Fast-forward from that point and today your cellphone is a mini-computer with far more abilities. Your cellphone is a mini-computer. You can read a book or write one using your cellphone if you wish. Now look at the book industry. It has moved from ancient printing presses with all their labors to electronic distribution of books via “eBooks.” The evolutionary society we live in, courtesy of technological advancements, combined computers and the publishing industry so tightly that it leaves future developments a wide open race.  We have become a demanding society which expects technology to continually change—and do so swiftly. There should always be readers and a demand for well written books, but the medium we will be using is anyone’s guess. I am of the generation that still loves to “hold” a book in hand, but my grandson will be of the generation that relates more to an eBook than a hard or soft cover novel. Neither is best or wrong; it is simply how we have evolved and what we have learned during growth.

For anyone in search of a definitive answer about the future of the industry, they will be disappointed to learn there is no set answer. There will be more of a lean toward electronics such as eBooks, but the love of physically holding a book will remain for several more generations. I do firmly believe though that “big house” publishers will gradually lose their domination over the publishing industry. I believe “indie-authors” and “indie-publishing” are forces to be reckoned with.

For more information about Glenn Starkey and Solomon’s Men, Year of the Ram, and The Cobra and Scarab: A Novel of Ancient Egypt, please consult: http://GlennStarkey.net

 

Categories: interview, Writing | Leave a comment