Kyle Michel Sullivan's Blog: https://www.myirishnovel.com/, page 162

Zeroing in...

Okay...here we go...
I'm liking this layout for A65 more and more. I tried it with the book at an angle and Casey more upright, but it was hard to read the title on the real Alice's spine. This version just feels better, though it still needs cleaning up and maybe a bit of adjustment in the spacing. I also think I may have a bit too much room at the top...but I'll think about that tomorrow.

This work took most of the evening. Doesn't help I'm working on my old Mac Mini. It's a good little computer but it's struggling to handle a file this size. Right now, in Photoshop psd, the image is just under 200 megs...which isn't all that big, these days. But I've had this little beast for 12 years, so...

I was thinking of asking another antiquarian book dealer to read the story and give me feedback on the archivist aspect, to make sure Adam's right and proper, but it's getting into book fair season. We start picking dealers up for the San Francisco Fair and Miami Map Fair, next week, then comes the big boy -- Pasadena -- the following week. No one will be able to focus.

I just don't want to send the story out thinking I know everything I  need to know about archiving and researching rare volumes only to find I made a stupid assumption and everyone thinks I'm an idiot. That would hurt the book and I want anything but that, right now. I've worked too hard on it.

This may well prove something I always say about myself -- that I know just enough about something to get me into trouble.

I've been thinking, again...

After I'm done with A65, UG and P/S, I may shift The Cowboy King of Texas into a romantic comedy novel, just to see what happens. I could also do it with Find Ray T, though that has more adventure  and suspense in it than romance and comedy. I guess it all depends on if A65 is a hit.

I'd like to make enough money to live on from my books, something nowhere near possible, right now. I guess another possibility is turning Blood Angel into an erotic horror piece and Carli's Kills into something damn close to torture porn. Then there's Darian's Point's three stages to write. That's another direction to go.

I guess this means I'm close to being done with A65. The more I look at the mock-cover I did, the more I like it. I can start pulling that together, now. In fact, I like it more than the artwork I paid for. That now seems garish and not really suited for the book...not even the paperback. My mistake for asking it be done too soon...though I thought at the time I was close to being completed.

It's funny, but I now can't picture anyone else playing Adam but Daniel Radcliffe...if it ever gets made into a movie. Big if...but still, fun to think about. Dream about. Picture in my mind's eye. I think that's what influenced my choice of model to use on the cover. I don't know his actual name but he's got a nice mix of cute and nerdy going.

There are some dark aspects of the story...but I don't think they overshadow the fun. I hope they don't. Of course, it's not like I'm going to reign them in. They're there to enhance the positive aspects and fun parts. Counterpoint to emphasize. Shakespeare liked to do that, albeit in his tragedies, mainly; put in comedy to give the audience a break.

Hmm...another step in my writer's ego -- comparing myself to Shakespeare...damn, I can be arrogant.

Took all weekend to get to this point...

I think I finally have the basis for The Alice '65's dust jacket. After trying a number of sketches in various media and poses and re-workings, I surrendered to the reality of my artistic limitations and went to Shutterstock to build up a new possibility...and this is what I came up with. It's a rough mock-up but I like it.

I was already using this model for Adam's face in my sketches; I just didn't have a photo of him with the right expression and pose...nor was this guy in anything but that plaid shirt. Then I tried a composite -- shifting his head from another pose onto this one -- and it worked well. So well, it changed my mind about the shirt. This could be what he wears on the plane and during the final confrontation, once he's back in his own clothes. It is a rather Adam shirt.

Casey -- I'd looked at a number of female poses and found one I could sketch in the right way but not a face...until I looked this time. I like this woman's off-beat prettiness and like how her hair is, but I had to go through 12 pages of her before finding one I could use that didn't have the top of her head chopped off...and I still had to flip the image to get her doing it the right way.

Gertrude was easy; I just had to make do with a black jaguar to find one on a white background. You can still make out the spots. I'd need to adjust that...but that's an easy fix, as well.

What matters is, it gives the cover a playfulness I wanted. One friend suggested tilting the image of the book...and I may try that. I also need something brighter with the font; right now it just sits there. Still, I'd like to hear if anyone else has anything to suggest about it.

By the time I was done, I had a nice little headache and eye strain from the computer screen, so I removed my glasses and watched Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and realized something about the first two films I hadn't noticed -- not once in them is Harry ever held like a child should be...with love and care and attention. Not until Sirius Black does just before he leaves. Granted his aunt and uncle are vile people, and truth is they should have been reported for child abuse, but no one else holds him or comforts him or anything along those lines as a parent would their child.

Son-of-a-bitch, that broke my heart.

Took all day, but...

Getting the right position and feel for Adam to be used on the dust jacket of A65 took all day. Literally. I think I reworked it two dozen times, just to get it right -- shifting his legs a bit and then his feet and then how the suit coat flows and his face and which hand to have grasping the vine and on and on. I'm still not completely happy with the coat's empty arm and may play with that more, but this is pretty much what it is.

I re-roughed the full layout, coming up with a good set-up for Casey's positioning -- her being a bit in front of him -- and Gertrude stays where she is and works even better there. But it's just in rough pencil. I did this in ink because I'll be using it to set the colors on the artwork. I'm not going to outline in black, like a graphic novel. I want it more raw than that.

I think I'll also rotate him a little bit counter-clockwise. Give him more of a Tarzan swinging in the vines feel. I thought for a bit about having the vine run between his legs, but I tried it and that was just too much. Giving a hint of being pigeon-toed was enough.

Off to Houston, tomorrow, so won't get more art done till I'm back on Thursday...after NYC and Boston. The life of a travellin' man.

And now, after looking at this sketch while I type, I can see where the right panel of the suit coat should flow a bit differently...give it more the feel of a cape...so diminish the left coat arm...

Jeez, I wonder how many times I'll redo the color art before I'm satisfied?

So much for a day off...

I did some scrambling, today, to rearrange the return from my trip to Houston. I'm now headed to NYC from there and up to Boston then returning to Buffalo. A lot of dancing about to get it all settled, but I finally did, even though it's a tight schedule. I hate things like that.

I also had an eye exam at three so piddled out in the 4 degree cold to get there before dropping by the office to pick up some things I'll need for next week. So I didn't get started on A65 till nearly 5. It would've been faster for me to be at the office all day and leave for the ophthalmologist from there. Good thing is, I've still got 20/20 vision.

At least some decisions have been made. The hardcover edition of The Alice '65 will be 196 pages long in a 5.5x8.5 inch size, costing $23.95.  The paperback will be 260 pages in a 5x7 size, costing $11.95. Ebooks will be $1.95, as usual.

I've pretty much settled on this basic layout for the hardcover's dust jacket. I'll work on the synopsis and details to go into the front pages during the trip. Won't have a lot of free time, but I'll be getting there. My next travel plans are not till the end of January, so there's all those days to work.

Of course, I also want to see a proof to make sure it's coming out right, so that adds time. And a lot also depends on when I get some kind of idea from the antiquarians whether or not I did them right. As I've said, before, I know just enough to make me dangerously certain I  know just enough...

...and their silence equals discontent...

Referencing a good movie...

Got nothing to say, but this review is just what I needed...and I do like the move a LOT more than the David Suchet on...plus I can't even think about watching that version with Kenneth Brannagh and his ludicrous mustache.

It's glam fun and even Agatha Christie liked it...

Closer...

I did another soft polish on The Alice '65, including changing the last line because it felt wrong. Tacked on. Going through it, this time, I realized I'd been missing a great moment between Adam and his father that I could tie back into, about Adam eventually finding someone he loved while his older brother, Connor, would not. Connor's too locked into superficial things while Adam uses reading to open windows into new worlds for himself.

I also removed a couple more moments of unnecessary repetition, which tends to make things stronger. Right now, the book is 65,500 words, still, but when put into Times New Roman type it's under 200 pages, even when there's 1.5 spaces between lines. It should wind up being a nice light book to read, quick and easy...I hope.

I learned today that Louis Collins, who had a book shop in Seattle and ran the Seattle Book Fair, was hit by a heart attack, yesterday, while walking his dog. He died before he go to the hospital. This is rough. He's the guy I always dealt with when in Seattle, very calm and even keeled. He loved books and getting them into the right people's hands, and he'd been consolidating his shop with the assistance of Bill Wolfe, whom we've used to do some packing jobs in Seattle. Louis will be much missed.

Several members of the antiquarian trade have died, recently -- Bill Daily, Charlie Cox, Fred Bass...I guess it should be expected since all were well up in age, but it's still not easy to deal with. The only positive thing about it is, it makes me want to work harder to meet my goals. Louis seemed to be in good shape...better shape than me. You never know when you're leaving this world, so stop dilly-dallying.

Words to kick you in the ass by.

Got back A65's edit...

It turned out fairly good. I had a couple dozen typos, found two typos my editor didn't notice, had questions raised about three points, but everything else was intact. There were also a couple of points where I deliberately misused a word -- like having Adam say, "A bit of sleeps sounds lovely." That's him speaking, not incorrect. But there were a couple other spots where it was just a bit too precious, so I changed it to the correct grammar or use of word.

I've gone through and updated my current draft; now I just need to hear back from one of the British dealers to fill me in on how close I am to reality for them. I don't want to put this book out into the world and have them laugh at me for thinking I knew what I was talking about...because reality is, I only know enough to be dangerous.

I also want to send a copy over to Publisher's Weekly to see if they will do a review, and prep some publicity in advance of the actual publication. Right now, I'm aiming for mid-late February, depending on how long it takes to get everything in order...including the cover art.

I guess this means putting UG aside, for the time being. A65 is of paramount importance, and I have UG a lot closer to completion, now, so I can come back to it fairly easily. From this point, it's time to start in on the covers and formatting.

I just hope I'll be doing completely right by this one...

First post of 2018...I know, very original...

More done on UG, today. I connected two sections near the end and added more to them. There's still a lot more work to smooth them out and I have some repetition in them, but that goes away as I do rewrites...normally. We shall see. I have one final chapter to add to the end, then comes building the bridge between where I left Dev and Kenneth and where Dev finally figures it all out.

Also did some pimping of my published books on Tumbler. Start the new year off right, for them. A bit more cleaning done, too. Not as much as is needed, but I honestly don't care. I have A65 and UG to concern me, right now, and will worry about vacuuming and sorting through paperwork after I'm done.

I did iron and watch Miracle on 34th Street, after dinner. Colorized. Sacrilege, I know, but it was interesting to see how inept the colorization was. Maureen O'Hara's red hair kept going brown, and it seemed everyone was in monochromatic tones -- all blue or all aqua or all brown or all gray. The story and acting are still so strong it didn't matter; it was just a different way of looking at the movie.

I'm trying to get into A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole and I do not like much of it. It's one of those books you feel like you need to read...but I absolutely despise Ignatius Reilly and his extreme selfishness and bad manners. Maybe it'll get better -- I normally give books I don't care for 100 pages to get me -- but I doubt it.

I will say some of the other characters are interesting -- an old white man who accidentally gets arrested, a black guy who's arrested for nothing and winds up working at a bar for next to nothing -- but the main character and his mother are grating on my nerves, and that Italian cop is just ludicrous.

If this is what it takes to win a Pulitzer, I'll never get one.

Last post of 2017

I can't say goodbye to this year fast enough. The only truly good thing about it, so far as I'm concerned, is I republished The Lyons' Den with a cover I liked and for a decent price. The rest of the year's been chaotic and intense, to say the least.

I don't count The Alice '65 in 2017 because I'm still waiting for my editor to get back to me with her corrections and comments, and then comes getting someone in the UK Antiquarian market to read it to make sure I haven't fumbled the story. When I do get it published, it will be a joy.

Same for Underground Guy, but for different reasons and aimed at a very different audience. Today I wrote a section where I was going to have Devlin apologize to one of his victims in hopes of making his situation smoother; instead, he blackmailed him. Just popped out. I tried to mitigate the brutality of that but in going over it I have to admit...doesn't work any other way. Dev needs this taken care of, now, now, now, so no time for niceties.

I did make a couple new friends online, this last year, but I'm still pretty much isolated here in Buffalo. I haven't met anyone I want to be friends with, or whom I'm around long enough to have it just develop. I'm going to change that.

2018 is the year of getting rid of the GOP...relegating that vile organization to history, if at all possible, so I'll need to be part of a group to have any effect. I'm going to begin volunteering once or twice a week to help bring that about.

I'm also going to join the Y, again, as part of Silver Sneakers. It's free and I want to build up my stamina and get rid of my excess weight. I've cut back on a lot of food intake, but that's done very little. I'm going to work up an exercise routine I can do, even on the road. Nothing major, just activity since I sit at a desk writing and at work, too damn much.

I'm not calling these resolutions; they're more like lifestyle choices I'm making. My only true personal goal in 2018 is to finish a first draft of Place of Safety so I can start my never-ending rewriting process. I've been at this story for too damn long and used too damn many excuses to avoid it. Not anymore. I'm now comfortable enough in my writing ability to face it and work it to completion.

Again, not a resolution, just a goal I've waited years to set.