Lazarian Wordsmith's Blog, page 11

This AM - The French Woman went live

My fourth book The French Woman went Amazon Kindle live this morning,

When I check with Amazon it can be bought in a lot of countries even Japan - in the English language though, So am I a language teacher as well as a writer?

It's the first in my 20 Minute Read project.

For a long time I hear people saying I don't read books, or I don't have the time to read books.

Others think they are reading but in reality they are skimming and their eye lights on every third or fourth word only.

Then they do a review that the plot is complicated or wandering.

So here's my attempt to provide a good read in a short time.

Just remembered a while ago that some publisher is now providing abridged books - some of the classics and even Hawking's A Brief History of Time - the film is over an hour of entertainment.

So I'm on the right track with my 20 Minutes reads. At least they are mine - they have my start - my middle - and my ending.

https://t.co/EPACze1PKT

Well! Make up your mind - will ya. Is my book good or is it bad?

I revived a glowing review of In The Wicker Wood that encouraged people to buy my book.
I received a terrible review of In The Wicker Wood that warned customers about buying the book, and encouraged them not to buy it.
Well I hear you all say what's wrong with that?  We need to take the rough with the smooth.
I would: if both reviews were not written and posted - albeit a few months apart by the same reader/reviewer.
The Self Same Reviewer.
A while ago I stopped participating on the Createspace Discussion Forum because the same person kept telling me on a Monday I was a great writer and then on Friday when I disagreed with something he said - I was a terrible person, writer and human being.
We call people like that by several names in Ireland but mostly we say they are Flaky.
But the real answer is simpler. The first review was flattering to me and flattering to the writer since the piece was more about showing how well read this person thought he was. I said that on a Tweet at the time and got a nasty reply back.
The glowing comments on my work was also an attempt to get me to join his Buddy Review Club.
The second review was posted a few months after I pointed out inconsistencies in logic in his second book, and suggested it should be re-visited.
Now Mr X has a new book for sale.
And I am about to release my next two offerings on Amazon Kindle
The project is a series of 15 Minute Reads.
The first is titled Caged Bird and is a one act play. The second is a rewrite of Buteo buteo, the story of love lost, despair, and resurrection of the mind.
Interesting times!

As I grow older and wiser, I'm getting smaller!

Don't panic, don't panic - I only mean my books will be smaller from now on for a while. I will be Kindling 12,000 or 15,000 word efforts.
You see although the sequel to In The Wicker Wood is progressing and I have a first draft  ready, I have decided, as I usually do,  to park the work for a few weeks.
A friend has asked me to help him with his first book. At present he is reading a copy of WW and because he is a not a regular reader, he seems to be skimming or not understanding the plot and the characters.
When you are asked - "Where did the drugs go to before the police arrived?"
You reply "Remember the shawlie, the fish lady who was in the alley with a barrow, she flinched them."
"Missed that."
So you come home and have a look at the book and you see.....By the time the heavy gang of Gardai arrive....at The Bootery...Watcher had emptied it of the drug consignment.....
I'm having second thoughts. Not about WW: about helping him. No risk - no blame.
So then I did a bit of reading to relax and came across Nathan Meunier's e-book, "Write Short Kindle Books".
So I went back to Streets of Birdsong (short stories and poetry). I assembled a book and last year used it to try and learn how D2D worked. It worked fine but, I was not happy with the book and later I withdrew it.
Now I am having a look at rewriting and perhaps re-titling that and making a small Kindle and selling it for 99 Cents, or 99P.
Thanks Nathan, but the problem with your advice is that when my brain waved this brainwave notion and I acted on it. It means I will have to go back, next week, and finish your book for the marketing and promotion advice.
Nah Nathan, - only joking.

Thanks to Leonard Cohen and Sharon Robinson for the idea.....That Everybody knows.

First published in The Knowledge Seekers & The Land Of Cudhabeen. 
Blogged now in Tribute to the Master Muse.


The Man Who Strangled The Celtic Tiger
Everybody knows that the Jig's explodedEverybody knows, but keeps their fingers crossed.Everybody knows that it's nearly overEverybody knows us good guys lost.Everybody knows we just can't fix-itThe poor stay poor – the rich stay rich.That's how it goesEverybody knows.
Everybody knows that the country's sinkingEverybody knows that the Builders lied.Every Bank's got this terrible feelingLike their daddy or their cat just died.
Everybody's rootin' in their pocketsNo one can buy a bar of chocolateOr a single roseEverybody knows.
Everybody knows we tried hard babyEverybody knows that we still do.Everybody knows I'm from the faithful countyAnd I like to take a pint or two.Everybody knows I hit the streetsThere were so many people I just had to meetBut, I kept on my clothesThat Everybody knows.
I kept on my clothes, Everybody knowsI kept on my clothesEverybody knows.
I wrinkle my nose, Everybody knowsThat I wrinkle my nose
Everybody knows.

From the bargain counter.... In The Wicker Wood

For the next seven days, from 31st. August my second book is available for .99 cents or pence or whatever, from Amazon.UK and Amazon.Com, as a Kindle Countdown Deal..... enjoy.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wicker-Wood-Where-Secrets-Buried-ebook/dp/B00U1SPJ3O/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

or from:-

https://www.amazon.com/Wicker-Wood-Where-Secrets-Buried-ebook/dp/B00U1SPJ3O#nav-subnav

Backstory (Draft) from the new book "Here Lies ...Deirdre Rachel Eames".

Anna Collins stood and waited while her Granddad Willie Collins, continued the ritual of breaking a pony. She watched while the animal trotted in circles, first one way then the other, while he halted, stood, and then ran and cantered and trotted again, all the time she strained her ears to hear the commands given or see the signals thrown from the hand down a long rein to the halter, but was unable to determine any instruction at all. In truth, in the brightness of the day she could not even see the rein. Yet there must be one otherwise how could the man control the animal.Yella Man Collins, was a small, hunched man, with an over big head, long out-sticking ears and a crop of wild red hair that at times stood high on his head, or lay matted tight after he took off his green bonnet:. You could never call his head gear a hat, or a cap, only a long triangular bonnet. When he was in argumentative mood his beard and his ears bristled and moved with a motion known only to their owner. Daideo Willie, liked people, on lookers, who came to watch him train ponies to be mesmerised at his skill, without rein, or whip, or spoken command to control the pony.Anna knew that this illusion did not tell the story of the long hours under the full brilliance of a cloudless full mooned sky when those implements were used to train the animal to a stage where they were not required.Fairy magic dust Willie called it. Anna's dad called it fairy cuteness.Daideo, greeted her as usual, “Well Geartla. How's the care?”Like always she replied, “I have no care.”Then he chuckled and finished the statement for her, “That's right, You lot, the family, are my care. Today's task, Anna, is for you to start writing down the story of my secrets. No! A manuscript, Bedad. It will contain the secrets of the Rath Mór, the fairy home. I'm old now well over the allotted span.”“How old are you Daideo? No one can tell me.”“That's because I never told any of them. Let's say that the span of a man's life is long behind me, and the span of fairy life is nearly over.” “I thought fairies were immortal?”“That's what we tell the humans, but in my case living here, a changeling, among the humans has shortened my years. But that's old piseogs! We need to start the telling.”

This is me being serious: it's not my new name, just a comment.

It's time to get serious – become a serious person that is.
So from now on I am a serious person.
I will no longer ask the Window's Help desk, who ring unannounced because there is a problem with my windows, when I have an Apple system, if they are bringing my meals on wheels? And inform them I don't like Zoup.
Then when the lady or gent, well abled – that's not what I mean! Well enabled to work or look for work, stops me in the street and asks if I can spare any cash? I will reply that no I can't but not to worry about me that I will be fine. This reply is prompted by an urban legend that lots of beggars are let loose on the streets of the capital in an organised scam to enrich their masters, usually a Godfather figure in the clan.
I won't get annoyed when a news reader says two men were shot, in the leg, in a gangland feud. This cracks me up – two men sharing the one leg! And what part of the city is gangland?
When someone, a “writer” on the Createspace Forums asks how long should a paragraph be? I will resist replying if you don't know that, wait 'til you get to a chapter end - never mind a bloomin' book ending.
“Are there any poets on here?” is another Forum Title I hate because they continue to post some song lyrics that could not be improved by the music of Mozart, or indeed Johnny Cash. (Could he sing? I don't think so, just drawled the lyric.)
Then there's the book aimed at pre-teens that is full of grammatical and punctuation errors, that was read by my friends who say its good, complete with the missing ' in what is meant to be it's.

Oh I could go on – but from now on I'm a serious person! I am, I am...am am am. (Raspberry Sound like Milligan.)

That's O'Reilly from Drung!

Frank drove his wife mad, when on holidays and he saw someone he thought he knew.
She knew he was mistaken, but off he'd race.
“Just a minute, while I say hello.”
Over he would go to a complete stranger and strike up a conversation. It never mattered to him that it soon became obvious that they were not acquainted. A foreign language response usually revealed that.
But still he persisted in “recognising” strangers and approaching them.
Sometimes they walked away, but sometimes he seemed to trap them and proceeded to engage in one-sided conversation.
“I mind the time at the fair when your brother Joe bought the calf that the brother, mine that is, fancied. Boys oh boys: there was some language in the car on the way home. Truth is, however that the calf was better off on the rich grass of Meath, that the whin fields of Cavan”
Then he would return to Mary, his wife, with a smile and a comment “Terrible jokers them O'Sullivans. Cat men!”
Over years he persisted, no matter where they were, he would see familiar faces from familiar places.
Finally the family came together and banned him from approaching strangers. He would still recognise strangers but was prevented from approaching them.
“You know the rules, the girls have told you, more of those auld ideas and it's away they will put you – the nursing home.”
Frank was miserable, but over the years he accepted the facts. He was mad, he knew, to be at that crack all those years. How people he accosted must have laughed at him later, when they told the tale of the Mad Irishman.
Eventually, at years passed he just wore out, the well tuned walking engine, the mind that had been curious dimmed, and eventually he just died. One day he just shut his eyes, his breathing stopped, and they found him in the chair in front of the television. He looked content. In fact he seemed to be smiling in death.
He was dead, he knew that, the pains were gone, the fog in his head had cleared. Truly dead – that's it. Here in this bright grass-filled field, buttercups dancing in a slight wind. A warm wind. Jeepers warm? Hope this is not the place below!
A path led away towards a hill. There was a big wall up there, and gates – the Pearly Gates?
A man was walking towards him down the hill, on the path. A large crowd of men and women followed slowly.
Frank looked at the man. That's O'Reilly! From Drung. But it can't be he was just imaging things again. The man was smiling and offered an out-stretched hand, as he now hurried up to him.
“Frank. Don't you know me? O'Reilly – from Drung. They have been waiting for you.”
“Who?”
“All of them. The ones you saved.”
“Saved?”
“When you came up and talked to them when they were down. Suicidal, some of them, and you went up to them and started talking. They did not understand you, but that big sun blotched, ruddy face, and that smile, and the hands waving, enraptured them and took their minds off their troubles. Some laughed afterwards, not knowing why they did. Relieved maybe. They went back to their lives – the one you saved for them. Eventually like all of us, the years caught up on us. They are here now to welcome you.”
“To Heaven?”
“To our paradise. The Man inside wants you come in and talk with him.”
“Will I know him? Will I be able to talk to him?”
“Frank, you have been recognising him all your life, and you have been talking to him, sometimes even for him, all your life.”

I am starting to strongly believe in existence after death.

We were a bunch of pals, who started our real living together – in our teenage years of discovery.
We went to films: tennis club hops, later dances, fell in love, fell out again and finally went our separate ways.
And then young and with a life ahead of her, in another land, Deirdre died.
We had danced together, talked together and went on walks but were not a couple. She and Joe were that.
But her death – even if it was twenty or so years later affected me in such a way that I sought memorial solace, by giving her another life in poems and stories and eventually as a central character in my first book.
I often thought about her and my other companions of our Bog Midland Prairie, Pine Wood Rambling Days, shuffling among the leaves, or climbing the banks to walk along the railway lines and canal tow-paths, or gathering pocket money working the turf banks.
A few nights ago, just drifting to wakefulness alert, a girl came to me into my arms and cuddled me. She was vivacious, full of life and I tingled in her embrace. I felt warm and secure. She apologised for going away, and said she was back now. But I knew she would go away again. She mentioned a name, a boy-man's name.
I awoke wondering – why did I meet and cuddle Shamie? He was at school with me, we were good pals, and then he went away to England. Why am I dreaming of him now?
The day passed and the images were re-run and solidified in my thinking. Eventually I realised the girl was Deirdre.
And then I remembered Shamie had died about a year ago. But why was he bringing this girl to me in my dreams. Then I realised that Shamie, had been married to Deirdre's older sister.
What impact did, this dream sequence, have on me?
Well – the sequel to In The Wicker Wood is now on the back burner, and I'm back completing the book version of Here Lies...
The “…” is important since it will be followed in the book by an inscription on a headstone.
As usual with my writing there is a BIG Clue to the start and end of the book in the “...”.

Like Frankenstein's Monster - Georgie is becoming aware!

He had toughed it out: persevered. Won back his sanity: if ever it had truly been lost, that is. At first it had been confusing, sometimes he was faking it, and sometimes he believe the Duchess was truly there – in control. Mostly in control? He didn't want to kill again: his soul was clean after his confessions. He meant to keep it that way. When he was in control of his personalities; that's what the shrink had said, when discussing him. Believing he was out of earshot, or that Georgie was drugged and not responsive. “He has a dual personality condition,” he had explained, “and the old woman is dominant. As a man I don't think we will see Bowen again.”Dream on Crap-head. I am here all the time just waiting.
Befriending the old boys in the day-room was easy. What old codger does not want to have female company. Getting their trust and access to their wardrobe took a little time. Finally Georgie found it convenient to start appearing in the day-wards as a visitor. “The Major here to visit me Uncle Nigel, Ya know.” The staff were far to busy and lazy to bother checking anything out. He was not able to get off the premises though and had to go back to a convenient closet, empty toilet – wherever he had stashed the dress, and appear once again as the deranged stumbling, leaning on the walls Duchess.As the months passed, and it appeared he was not recovering, his accommodations changed. He was moved to a small cell and his personal minders left. “I know who sent you to mind me, and why.” He often muttered. Now they had been withdrawn. So the Chief had given up. Stopped fearing that Georgie would spill the beans, reveal his secret. Tell where the treasure was stashed. Sometimes he felt like a pirate abandoned on an island, with a treasure map and a cross drawn to mark where the booty was hidden. It is hidden in my mind, and now I am starting to remember more, I have to be more deranged and then I will be safe. Until I get out of here. As time passed the staff became comfortable with the visitor. “Here again Major. Visiting Nigel?”“Why not dear boy. It cheers him up I think. Me too. Dashed rain will come again soon. Must get back to my charitable works. What!”
Then one day an old dear he had also cultivated was very poorly – near the end it seemed. Georgie had an idea, of how to get away, outside, free. And when he considered the plan it appeared so simple – a child, even a frail old Duchess could carry it off.