John E. Carson's Blog: The Phoenix, page 2
June 11, 2017
I KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE SOMEWHERE
The follow-up to "Your Wildest Dreams" the 1986 hit song by the Moody Blues, "I Know You're Out There Somewhere" earned Justin Hayward the 1988 Ivor Novello Award for Composer of the Year.
Of all the songs he had written, the guitarist for the iconic band said that this was his personal favorite.
If you are not familiar with the band or the song, you may want to look them up.
I chose this topic for my blog because while I am a relatively obscure author and in no way even close to having the success of the Moody Blues, the title of this song and the words echo two sentiments I have about my latest release, Scruffy.
A short novel, Scruffy is a quick read with a deeper purpose than just entertainment. This book is my personal favorite and I am proud to have written it. PTSD,TBI and related issues directly contribute to the average of 22 suicides a day among veterans of combat; and while those issues affect the civilian population as well, the overall numbers are higher among veterans.
While many programs exist to help treat persons suffering from these conditions, Scruffy highlights one therapy that has been proven to help lower those numbers.
As to the title of this blog post, I know that most authors have fans they never hear from; indeed, I myself do not usually contact or rate authors I like or follow. Life is busy; especially for writers who must balance their creative time with marketing their work once it is written.
A portion of the proceeds of every copy of Scruffy that is sold will be donated to establishing a chapter of Pets for Vets in Huntsville, Alabama and funding it once it is operational.
So, I am asking all of my fans and followers to take a few minutes to order this book and after you have read it please leave a review. This is an easy way to help a serious cause and maybe even save a life-or two.
I know you're out there somewhere-somewhere you can hear my voice; let me hear yours.
Of all the songs he had written, the guitarist for the iconic band said that this was his personal favorite.
If you are not familiar with the band or the song, you may want to look them up.
I chose this topic for my blog because while I am a relatively obscure author and in no way even close to having the success of the Moody Blues, the title of this song and the words echo two sentiments I have about my latest release, Scruffy.
A short novel, Scruffy is a quick read with a deeper purpose than just entertainment. This book is my personal favorite and I am proud to have written it. PTSD,TBI and related issues directly contribute to the average of 22 suicides a day among veterans of combat; and while those issues affect the civilian population as well, the overall numbers are higher among veterans.
While many programs exist to help treat persons suffering from these conditions, Scruffy highlights one therapy that has been proven to help lower those numbers.
As to the title of this blog post, I know that most authors have fans they never hear from; indeed, I myself do not usually contact or rate authors I like or follow. Life is busy; especially for writers who must balance their creative time with marketing their work once it is written.
A portion of the proceeds of every copy of Scruffy that is sold will be donated to establishing a chapter of Pets for Vets in Huntsville, Alabama and funding it once it is operational.
So, I am asking all of my fans and followers to take a few minutes to order this book and after you have read it please leave a review. This is an easy way to help a serious cause and maybe even save a life-or two.
I know you're out there somewhere-somewhere you can hear my voice; let me hear yours.
April 9, 2017
They Were All Unknowns
A lot of people are a little stuck-up when it comes to their book buying choices. I hear comments such as, "I only read Best Selling authors," or "I only read Non-Fiction".
Many a novice writer can be discouraged by comments like these and at that tender age in their writing life, rejection of any kind can clip their wings and send them crashing to the ground.
Writing is a daunting task and takes more work than many people realize. Contrary to popular belief, words do not just magically pour from an author's fingertips. There are many stages of development for both the writer and the story he or she is telling, and even a seasoned author must fight the voices of the Great Critic-the one inside their own head that tells them they are not good enough.
Reviews are hard to come by, but oh, so important to an author. Good or bad or somewhere in-between, they are valuable feedback that can help a writer learn or encourage one to keep on going.
There is nothing more gratifying to an author than to know their work has been read, and hopefully, liked by the reader. Sincere praise of one's efforts is always appreciated in any endeavor, especially in writing, and when people come up to me and say they really liked, Scruffy, or one of my other titles, it is confirmation that I have accomplished the mission.
The feedback on Scruffy has been very positive- and I hope it continues to be- but I am not so egotistical that I cannot learn from a harsh review and I am dogged enough to keep writing if I do get one.
Please do not hesitate to leave a review of my new book; I will appreciate the time you took to do so.
And to all the literary blue-noses who only read the Best Seller lists, remember that before they got there they were all unknowns.
Many a novice writer can be discouraged by comments like these and at that tender age in their writing life, rejection of any kind can clip their wings and send them crashing to the ground.
Writing is a daunting task and takes more work than many people realize. Contrary to popular belief, words do not just magically pour from an author's fingertips. There are many stages of development for both the writer and the story he or she is telling, and even a seasoned author must fight the voices of the Great Critic-the one inside their own head that tells them they are not good enough.
Reviews are hard to come by, but oh, so important to an author. Good or bad or somewhere in-between, they are valuable feedback that can help a writer learn or encourage one to keep on going.
There is nothing more gratifying to an author than to know their work has been read, and hopefully, liked by the reader. Sincere praise of one's efforts is always appreciated in any endeavor, especially in writing, and when people come up to me and say they really liked, Scruffy, or one of my other titles, it is confirmation that I have accomplished the mission.
The feedback on Scruffy has been very positive- and I hope it continues to be- but I am not so egotistical that I cannot learn from a harsh review and I am dogged enough to keep writing if I do get one.
Please do not hesitate to leave a review of my new book; I will appreciate the time you took to do so.
And to all the literary blue-noses who only read the Best Seller lists, remember that before they got there they were all unknowns.
February 28, 2017
A New Leash On Life
By popular demand, the serial story, Scruffy, which has appeared throughout the last year in the Old Huntsville magazine, is being released as a novel on March 15th by CBA Publishing.
Written from the heart, Scruffy tells the story of a homeless veteran of the war in Iraq and his struggle with PTSD. Having migrated to the west coast in search of warmer winters he finds that not all the residents of the city are sympathetic to the plight of the homeless; a point driven home when he is attacked one night and finds a knife blade at his throat.
Weak, hungry and outnumbered, only a miracle could save him now. And from out of the dark alley comes a growl and the snapping of jaws.
PTSD/TBI and related issues are large factors in the rate of 22 suicides a day among veterans in the USA, and Scruffy was written to help call attention to the Pets for Vets program and the need for a chapter here in Huntsville, Alabama.
A portion of the proceeds from every sale of the book will be donated to the Pets for Vets organization and help give both a veteran and a shelter animal a new leash on life. (For more information go to WWW.PETSFORVETS.COM or pick up a copy of the Old Huntsville magazine's March issue.
Written from the heart, Scruffy tells the story of a homeless veteran of the war in Iraq and his struggle with PTSD. Having migrated to the west coast in search of warmer winters he finds that not all the residents of the city are sympathetic to the plight of the homeless; a point driven home when he is attacked one night and finds a knife blade at his throat.
Weak, hungry and outnumbered, only a miracle could save him now. And from out of the dark alley comes a growl and the snapping of jaws.
PTSD/TBI and related issues are large factors in the rate of 22 suicides a day among veterans in the USA, and Scruffy was written to help call attention to the Pets for Vets program and the need for a chapter here in Huntsville, Alabama.
A portion of the proceeds from every sale of the book will be donated to the Pets for Vets organization and help give both a veteran and a shelter animal a new leash on life. (For more information go to WWW.PETSFORVETS.COM or pick up a copy of the Old Huntsville magazine's March issue.
January 5, 2017
January Made Me Shiver
The snow and cold that has much of the nation in the grip of its icy fingers kept the attendance of the first session of the Creative Writing Class of John E. Carson to a minimum today but that did not stop us from launching the twelve week program, Painting With Words and welcoming a new member to the class.
As a writer there is no sharp, defining edge from one year to the next; always working on projects in motion, the calendar exists only for setting goals and deadlines.
The March 2017 issue of The Old Huntsville Magazine will mark twelve consecutive months of being published in their pages-an honor I have not yet had in my writing life to date.
Though 2016 ended with new milestones for me-a news interview, the release of two new books and being featured in Senior Life Magazine-2017 promises to equally exciting.
The launch of CBA Publishers and its first two releases, Senior Moments-An Anthology and Dale Wittschen's book, A Wish For Christmas will soon be followed by two more new releases in the works now.
While the country rides out the winter storms and people find legitimate reasons to stay home I will be joining them and using the time to catch up on my reading and writing.
And I realize as I write this that all the shivers I feel are not just from the cold.
As a writer there is no sharp, defining edge from one year to the next; always working on projects in motion, the calendar exists only for setting goals and deadlines.
The March 2017 issue of The Old Huntsville Magazine will mark twelve consecutive months of being published in their pages-an honor I have not yet had in my writing life to date.
Though 2016 ended with new milestones for me-a news interview, the release of two new books and being featured in Senior Life Magazine-2017 promises to equally exciting.
The launch of CBA Publishers and its first two releases, Senior Moments-An Anthology and Dale Wittschen's book, A Wish For Christmas will soon be followed by two more new releases in the works now.
While the country rides out the winter storms and people find legitimate reasons to stay home I will be joining them and using the time to catch up on my reading and writing.
And I realize as I write this that all the shivers I feel are not just from the cold.
November 5, 2016
SENIOR MOMENTS
As busy as this year has been for me I have finally reached a moment in time when I can stop and catch my literary breath.
Not that I am any less busy and soon will be taking on still more tasks I'll talk about in a future post.
It has not always been easy to be both a writer and a reader; a person only has so much time-until now.
Officially being released on November 18th and 19th at the Huntsville-Madison County Senior Craft Fair, a new anthology, written entirely by seniors but not just FOR seniors, will be available via Amazon across both the USA- and the waters that surround us- and North to South in Canada and Australia as well.
With content composed by both published and new authors, Senior Moments has something for everyone and every person's budgeted reading time. Short stories, vignettes, and the wisdom gleaned from lifetimes of experience, the amazing lives of each of these writers is woven into a collection that will amuse, entertain and enlighten audiences everywhere.
I am honored to be a part of this first ever anthology and proud to announce the first official publication of CBA Publishing. CBA-Carson/Brown Associates is excited to present this exceptional work and the talented, amazing writers of John E Carson's Creative Writing Class; from aerospace engineers to doctors, teachers, travelers and home makers to journalists and reporters, the class has been filled to near capacity every week by those who continue to be students of life.
Take some time out before the busy holidays and catch your literal breath with Senior Moments.
Oh, it makes a great Christmas gift too!
Not that I am any less busy and soon will be taking on still more tasks I'll talk about in a future post.
It has not always been easy to be both a writer and a reader; a person only has so much time-until now.
Officially being released on November 18th and 19th at the Huntsville-Madison County Senior Craft Fair, a new anthology, written entirely by seniors but not just FOR seniors, will be available via Amazon across both the USA- and the waters that surround us- and North to South in Canada and Australia as well.
With content composed by both published and new authors, Senior Moments has something for everyone and every person's budgeted reading time. Short stories, vignettes, and the wisdom gleaned from lifetimes of experience, the amazing lives of each of these writers is woven into a collection that will amuse, entertain and enlighten audiences everywhere.
I am honored to be a part of this first ever anthology and proud to announce the first official publication of CBA Publishing. CBA-Carson/Brown Associates is excited to present this exceptional work and the talented, amazing writers of John E Carson's Creative Writing Class; from aerospace engineers to doctors, teachers, travelers and home makers to journalists and reporters, the class has been filled to near capacity every week by those who continue to be students of life.
Take some time out before the busy holidays and catch your literal breath with Senior Moments.
Oh, it makes a great Christmas gift too!
August 31, 2016
A Brand New Day
September 1st marks the beginning of a new brand new day for the Creative Writing Class at the Huntsville-Madison County Senior Center. New students are scheduled to arrive and I am looking forward to greeting them with a cheerful "Good Morning!"
Though there will be no 'brr-inggg' of a school bell, I know I will be awake before my alarm goes off in anticipation of the first class of the third session of A Reason For The Rhyme-Creative Writing A-Z.
The response I have received from the previous class has been enthusiastic and heart warming and I have enjoyed fulfilling the life-long desire I have had for teaching; sharing what I have learned and encouraging others. It is never too late to pursue your dreams, especially in writing.
The writing life has never been more rewarding for me and I am also looking forward to continuing my relationship with the Old Huntsville Magazine. The September issue will contain another installment of my serial story, Scruffy as well as a feature story on Vietnam-The War Less Talked About.
And though the numbers click higher age-wise, I have never felt younger. It is true for me that the past has served simply to prepare me for the present and I will awake tomorrow looking forward to another brand new day.
Though there will be no 'brr-inggg' of a school bell, I know I will be awake before my alarm goes off in anticipation of the first class of the third session of A Reason For The Rhyme-Creative Writing A-Z.
The response I have received from the previous class has been enthusiastic and heart warming and I have enjoyed fulfilling the life-long desire I have had for teaching; sharing what I have learned and encouraging others. It is never too late to pursue your dreams, especially in writing.
The writing life has never been more rewarding for me and I am also looking forward to continuing my relationship with the Old Huntsville Magazine. The September issue will contain another installment of my serial story, Scruffy as well as a feature story on Vietnam-The War Less Talked About.
And though the numbers click higher age-wise, I have never felt younger. It is true for me that the past has served simply to prepare me for the present and I will awake tomorrow looking forward to another brand new day.
February 28, 2016
Old Huntsville
I am honored to announce that I will be published in the March and April editions of the Old Huntsville magazine. With a large and loyal following locally and nationwide, the Old Huntsville magazine has a long and distinguished history.
The story appearing in the March 2nd edition kicks off my involvement with two great organizations; the American Legion Post 237 in Huntsville, Al-which I write the Newsletter for-and Pets for Vets-an organization devoted to helping both shelter animals and our nations veterans. Every match they make saves two lives.
The City of Huntsville, like many others faces two crisis situations, first of which is the number of veterans requiring service or companion animals and the city's animal shelters which according to a recent article are running at nearly 100% capacity.
With over 35 Chapters in the United States, Pets for Vets, an all volunteer organization, has helped to lower the suicide rate among veterans suffering from PTSD and TBI and related issues. You can look them up at www.pets-for-vets.com
Pick up a copy of the March and April editions of Old Huntsville and I will see you there!
Author's note: The serial story, "Scruffy" has proven so popular in the Old Huntsville Magazine that people have asked where they can read the whole story without having to wait between episodes. I am happy to announce that the novel, "Scruffy" will be released this coming October and $1.00 of every sale will be donated to Pets for Vets. Stay tuned for details on how to order your copy.
The story appearing in the March 2nd edition kicks off my involvement with two great organizations; the American Legion Post 237 in Huntsville, Al-which I write the Newsletter for-and Pets for Vets-an organization devoted to helping both shelter animals and our nations veterans. Every match they make saves two lives.
The City of Huntsville, like many others faces two crisis situations, first of which is the number of veterans requiring service or companion animals and the city's animal shelters which according to a recent article are running at nearly 100% capacity.
With over 35 Chapters in the United States, Pets for Vets, an all volunteer organization, has helped to lower the suicide rate among veterans suffering from PTSD and TBI and related issues. You can look them up at www.pets-for-vets.com
Pick up a copy of the March and April editions of Old Huntsville and I will see you there!
Author's note: The serial story, "Scruffy" has proven so popular in the Old Huntsville Magazine that people have asked where they can read the whole story without having to wait between episodes. I am happy to announce that the novel, "Scruffy" will be released this coming October and $1.00 of every sale will be donated to Pets for Vets. Stay tuned for details on how to order your copy.
February 1, 2016
A Book for My Brother
Sometime in January of 2016, my brother Mark was attacked and left unconscious in the snow of Pueblo, Colorado as his van was stolen.
Fortunately he was found and taken to a hospital in Colorado Springs where he awoke after several amputations due to frostbite.
The loss of all of his toes and buttocks would have been severe enough but due to Gangrene he is losing the front half of both feet this month.
Mark's family is raising money to help pay the costs and start a new life and I am creating a fundraiser called A Book for My Brother.
The proceeds from every book I sell, whether on Amazon, Createspace or in person will go towards his recovery. If you would like to help look me up on Amazon or Facebook or go to Caringbridge.com and Mark Carson2.
Thank you.
Fortunately he was found and taken to a hospital in Colorado Springs where he awoke after several amputations due to frostbite.
The loss of all of his toes and buttocks would have been severe enough but due to Gangrene he is losing the front half of both feet this month.
Mark's family is raising money to help pay the costs and start a new life and I am creating a fundraiser called A Book for My Brother.
The proceeds from every book I sell, whether on Amazon, Createspace or in person will go towards his recovery. If you would like to help look me up on Amazon or Facebook or go to Caringbridge.com and Mark Carson2.
Thank you.
December 27, 2015
New Year-New Opps
I think the reason Christmas comes before New Years is to give us hope that we will see the fruition of our hopes and dreams in the coming year.
Every winter is followed by Spring and the seeds we have planted throughout the last year have taken root-some will blossom as we continue to cultivate our gardens and new ones will be planted as the year progresses.
I am happy to report that my writing efforts in 2015 have prospered; the American Legion Post has asked me to continue writing for them and the Senior Center anthology project was also a success-sales exceeded our expectation by 40% and I have been asked to continue as the Creative Writing Instructor for 2016 from January-December.
Beyond that are several writing projects close to my heart; A story of finding my Uncle Arthur-who died in WW2; a serial about a soldier suffering from PTSD and the dog that befriends him-part of my effort to bring a "pets for vets" program to Huntsville; and a photo/story book about my dog, Mr. Freckles.
As a writer it is essential to know where you are going and I am blessed to have this road map rather than just resolutions. In the past I have made and unmade many resolutions which never bore fruit and along the way I have learned that we must plan and work ahead-it is easier to stay in motion rather than get in motion. The longest part of any journey is taking the first step.
New year-new opportunities; remember, last week's new business is this week's old.
And who knows what other opportunities will come our way in 2016 as we travel our own unique paths as readers, writers and the unique people we were created to be?
Every winter is followed by Spring and the seeds we have planted throughout the last year have taken root-some will blossom as we continue to cultivate our gardens and new ones will be planted as the year progresses.
I am happy to report that my writing efforts in 2015 have prospered; the American Legion Post has asked me to continue writing for them and the Senior Center anthology project was also a success-sales exceeded our expectation by 40% and I have been asked to continue as the Creative Writing Instructor for 2016 from January-December.
Beyond that are several writing projects close to my heart; A story of finding my Uncle Arthur-who died in WW2; a serial about a soldier suffering from PTSD and the dog that befriends him-part of my effort to bring a "pets for vets" program to Huntsville; and a photo/story book about my dog, Mr. Freckles.
As a writer it is essential to know where you are going and I am blessed to have this road map rather than just resolutions. In the past I have made and unmade many resolutions which never bore fruit and along the way I have learned that we must plan and work ahead-it is easier to stay in motion rather than get in motion. The longest part of any journey is taking the first step.
New year-new opportunities; remember, last week's new business is this week's old.
And who knows what other opportunities will come our way in 2016 as we travel our own unique paths as readers, writers and the unique people we were created to be?
September 18, 2015
New Release
The first ever anthology from the creative writing class of the Huntsville-Madison Senior Center will be available for purchase at the Senior Center's annual Craft Fair fundraising event to be held on November 20th-21st from 9am-4pm both days. Among the authors included in this book are Joyce Ann Ashford and Patsy Trigg. The event will also feature my previous books from the Ramblin' Rose Series and my best selling book, Last Resort.
Published by Carson/Brown Associates this anthology features something for everyone from the many talented writers of my Creative Writing class and is entitled A REASON FOR THE RHYME. The book also serves as a yearbook for the class with pictures and bios of the authors. Special pricing these two days at the event!
For those readers outside of Huntsville, Al. the book will be available on Createspace as well.
Check it out and add some variety to your fall and winter reading.
Published by Carson/Brown Associates this anthology features something for everyone from the many talented writers of my Creative Writing class and is entitled A REASON FOR THE RHYME. The book also serves as a yearbook for the class with pictures and bios of the authors. Special pricing these two days at the event!
For those readers outside of Huntsville, Al. the book will be available on Createspace as well.
Check it out and add some variety to your fall and winter reading.
The Phoenix
Now the author of eight published novels and many published poems I am proud to write for The American Legion in the monthly newsletter of the largest Post in Alabama where I live with my wife and co-
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