Let's Make a Date!

If you've been "bugging" me about when my next book comes out, I've got a deal for you. I've promised that it would probably be sometime this fall or winter, and I'm gonna stick by that. Typos or no typos. But seriously, no typos. *crosses fingers.

As Labor Day seems to signal the end of summer, the start of school and of course Pumpkin Spice Lattes, I figured, why can't it be the start of something special for us, too? So, here's the plan. Next Thursday, one week from today, check back right here, and I'll have posted the title for my next book.

You'll get the whole book, eventually. But for now, just the title. And maybe a short synopsis.

Deal? Good. Then it's a date!

It's been a while.

My most passionate readers have been on my case for not having anything new for them to read recently. Not that they're going to be satisfied with a blogpost, but the blog has been a barometer of sorts. My mind has been so overwhelmingly absorbed in the world of my next book I haven't had anything to put up here. 

Well, here I am, writing a blog. Which means the next book is almost ready. Almost. I don’t want to rush things. My excitement to share it with you is growing. But it needs just a skosh more work.

So, be on the lookout. You’re going to see an explosion of social media action from me after being in my writing cave for too long. First I gotta shave off my man beard. That happens in caves, right? 

Hooray for Dandelions

It has been a joy to see Lincoln inundated with dandelions this spring. I suppose my cynical side didn’t expect any to pop up, since they need pollinators to propagate and the nation is seeing a decline in honeybees. The return of the weed is what gives me hope that in our future, there’s still food.

If you follow my twitter, you might have seen that I came across a statistic that one third of America’s honeybees were wiped out this past winter. That’s not good. The same source stated that one third of all our food is directly or indirectly made by bees. (Dairy products aren’t pollinated, but come from cows which are overwintered on crops which require bee pollination, like alfalfa.)

It makes me angry to hear of a certain seed company who is just ravaging the agriculture industry, driving out family farms by leveling law suits against them for using patented seeds, which have been genetically modified to include neonicotinoid insecticides (a chemical linked to Colony Collapse Disorder as traces have been found in the empty hives).

This week’s blog doesn’t have a big word for you, just a big concept: weeds are good.

Dandelions are an important food source to honeybees. That’s why they’re so prevalent during the summer months. Their invaluableness to the bees is rewarded by being pollinated.

I have urged all of my family and friends to let the weeds grow this summer. And I encourage you to do the same. Help the bees out and let their numbers build back up.

Their future and yours depends on it. 

My Lips Are Sealed

"You want to sell me what?
How did you get this number?"

My life has been extremely blog-worthy of late, and yet, I’ve shared none of it due to a new character in my life. Recent encounters with this character have quickly and succinctly proved that he might need to borrow some of my own adventures (the better ones too) for his own. Sadly, that means I can’t share with you what the telemarketer tried to sell me this week.

You’d laugh. But if I told you now, when one of my characters is put in a similar situation in a future book, you’ll think I’ve run out of ideas.

But see, that’s what writers do. They become so consumed with an idea that they must write about it.

In the forward to “East of Eden,” (both the book and the forward I highly recommend!) I discovered that Steinbeck was inspired by his own divorce, his own relationships with his children, etc.

Now of course, a conversation with a telemarketer isn’t as grand as the themes in “East of Eden,” but it’s my story. And when the details flow in unison with ideas, I'll have created something more than a string of words.

Reticent -- reluctant to communicate, reserved

Recalcitrant -- disobedient, unruly

Tacit -- silence, especially a portion of music

Vicarious -- by means of substitution for another

Debacle

Get your FREE copy on
the iBookstore!

Debacle - when you realize just moments after you order 250 business cards that there was a typo; my Thursday last week.

One of my book distributors tipped me off to an interesting statistic not too long ago. He told me that indie book authors who offer at least one free title along side their paid titles see an increase in sales.

I thought, great, my mom has been telling me for such a long time to release this Christmas story, this will be easy. Then, I thought, wait, how will I let people know that I have a free book. About ten people read this blog, and they already know, so...I decided to order business cards.

I designed the front side of the card to have a picture of the book and a little blurb about it and in BIG PRINT it said “Get your FREE copy.” On the backside, I put a QR code to take my unsuspecting--I mean, prospective--reader instantly to the iBookstore to claim a copy.

I worked really hard on the design, making the background of the card look frosty to compliment the cover of the book. It looked pretty cool.

When it came time to order the cards online, I made sure to triple-check my work for typos. I didn’t see any so I clicked the box which said, “I verify that everything is spelled correctly and that after I place my order it cannot be changed.” No biggie, I thought. I’m a good speller.

And since I did such an amazing job on the design, I upgraded to glossy paper, because I wanted to look as professional as Stephen King (if Mr. King wrote Christmas stories...for free).

Not five seconds after I placed my order, I got word from a friend that the QR code I made was invalid. Instead of taking a prospective reader to the iBookstore they simply would have gotten an error message.

So that was fifty bucks down the drain.

I took a deep breath and walked away from my computer.

I reasoned I could still use the front of the cards and pass off the back like it wasn’t my fault or that it was a joke or maybe that I was technologically inept. But I would still feel foolish. If I had an agent or a manager they wouldn’t let this happen. They would order another batch and make sure they worked. I bet Stephen King never ordered business cards with a bad QR code.

So, after taking the night to relax and forget about my debacle, I generated another (working!) code, placed another order, very aware that I could not change one iota after I hit “print.”

During my debacle, I was reminded of my childhood favorite, Mr. Rodgers. I have several books about him on my shelves because of how highly I regard him. Mr. Rodgers never sought to be famous, he sought to make a great television program for kids. What made him famous was the fact that no one else was doing what he was doing and he was doing it with brio.

I don’t know if I should tell you this or not, but during my time of trial this week, I wondered if I was making these cards solely in order to become famous, or if I was making them because I wanted people to experience the catharsis I experienced when I wrote. I came to the conclusion that I won’t famous anytime soon, if ever, nor am I seeking fame. What I’m putting into these cards, I won’t see as a monetary return, I know that. But I will see an influence on my readers. And that’s what I’m striving for.

I’ve heard from several readers already, moved to tears by “Luminary.”

And if these business cards help me reach one more reader who needs my words, I’d gladly go through two debacles for them. 

Luminary

Claim your FREE copy
on the iBookstore

Call me crazy, but as soon as the Fourth of July gets swept out of the streets, I start playing Christmas music. It's never too early.

And today, less than two months before the big day, I celebrate the release of my newest title, "Luminary," a Christmas short story. You can find it for FREE on the iBookstore.

I wrote the story two years ago as a Christmas gift for my mom. She's been encouraging me ever since to give it to you, my readers, so, here it is.

In addition to listening to album after album, I read Christmas story after story. I think I've seen every take on Christmas, ever cliche and trite aphorism out there. So often, the protagonist in a Christmas story must learn to give, or to forgive. When I began my own story, I wanted our protagonist to learn to be forgiven.

Enjoy it! Pass it on to a friend. And Merry Christmas, from me to you.

Transmogrification

What do a purple sweatshirt, a scissors, googly eyes and a couple yards of polka dot fabric have in common? My Halloween costume!

Transmogrification -- the altering of appearance into something extremely scary or funny; the donning of a Halloween costume.

Thanks to Squashland Produce
for these amazing pumpkins!

This is the very first year that I have made a Halloween costume. I should qualify that one year in college I did dress up by attaching our dorm clock to a string of beads and stealing a crown from the theatre department closet (I went as Flava Flav), but this is my very first costume involving sewing. And I’m very thankful to my Mom for helping me.

Growing up, we were forbidden from celebrating Halloween as it was a day to celebrate the Devil and as good Lutherans, such as thing would surely lead to apostasy. Instead, my parents gave us bags of “Reformation Candy,” so that we didn’t feel left out.

I never felt left out. I felt superior to the other Christian children running around like heathens, dabbling in the occult. I remember one girl in jr. high who was particularly appalled that I had never gone trick-or-treating and planned on forbidding my children from doing the same. I was equally appalled that a good Lutheran girl would think so nonchalantly of a day dedicated to witches and demons.

Since then, my view of Halloween has changed. The meaning of any day can change over time just as it can through how it is celebrated. Just as Christmas began as a pagan festival of winter, just as Cinco de Mayo today has little to do with the battle of Puebla, just as St. Patrick’s day has more to do with green beer than to do with driving snakes from Ireland, Halloween has changed from its origins.

Some might say that Halloween is worse today than long ago, because bad people use the day to do bad things like slip razor blades into apples, and poison into candy bars. Others say that Halloween is better because it promotes community togetherness: neighbors get together and meet each other over the premise of children seeking candy.

I’m in neither camp. A day is a day. It can be used for good or ill. For me, it is a time of year when the trees lose their beautiful façade and reveal a twisted nature beneath while mankind dons twisted masks to hide souls barer than the branches.

And the next day, All Saints Day, serves to remind me that there is nothing to fear.

Want to see my costume? I’ll be posting pics of my transmogrification on twitter later in the week!