M.L.S. Weech's Blog, page 91

Ripping off the Best to be the Best

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On occasion, I’ll stand in front of my students and discuss the problems I’ve faced in writing or in the Navy.  I’ll tell them about challenges with how I approach a story or how I deal with something when I struggle.

I look at these young men and women, hold my head up high, and say, “I cheat.”

If one looks around enough, they tend to see the same things happen over and again.  I don’t get as angry when people say, “there are no original stories,” anymore.  Oh, those who say that have poor english skills, but that’s because that’s not what they necessarily mean.  Usually, they’re talking about plots.  The originality should be the voice and vision of the author.

When I tell my students that I cheat, I wasn’t talking about violating the UCMJ or even academic standards.  I was simply expressing that I make every effort to learn from others so I don’t make the same mistakes.  That’s one of the reasons so many of my blogs focus on my mistakes.  There are a lot of people trying to make their mark in the world, and I don’t want them falling for the same tricks I’ve fallen for.  I don’t want them making the same mistakes I make.

[image error]I also like to take inspiration.  One of my favorite things is to put stories in an imaginary blender and see what original concepts come out.  I’m currently doing a read-through of an upcoming book, 1,200.  The glimmer moment (idea) came from a story I was covering for the Navy.  You see, there were (at that time) 1,200 homeless veterans in the city of San Diego.  So I took that actual issue and ran with it.  Remember that blender I told you about?  One thing that always seems too convenient to me (though I do it, too) is the arrival of the Mentor or Impact Character.  (Sometimes one man fills the same role.)

A little boy makes some glass disappear, and here comes a giant to explain the boy’s a wizard.

A farm boy buys some droids, and they just happen to belong to the man who can teach him about the Force.

There’s a million of them.

For the most part in my life, I’ve been blessed.  I’ve had some amazing mentors in my life, but I’ve also had to figure a few things out on my own.  So when I was brainstorming for 1,200, thinking about how to make this more interesting, I took away the mentor.  What an original idea!

[image error]No it isn’t.  I TOTALLY stole that from The Great American Hero.  It’s about a guy who finds a super suit, but it doesn’t have any instructions.  I’m not even going to lie.  I applied an interesting concept in a different way.  So when my main character (whose name is probably going to change) discovered his powers, he was on his own.  This book is less dark than Caught, but still much darker than Journals.  So I took a concept, and made it my own.  I do it all the time.  And even if the plot police shine a light in my face, I’ll tell them, “Yeah, I did it! And I’d do it again!”

Heck, I think about what I can steal all the time.  I even steal from my day job.  We teach our Sailors about host nation sensitivities and cultural concerns.  The Navy takes great care to make sure its Sailors understand we’re representatives of our country and how to be good guests in all of the countries we visit.  This is true even in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other nations we’ve operated in.  The Navy knows it’s Sailors must be better people than those we’re there to protect others from.  That means we have to train our Sailors in what to think about.  I was about half-way through preparing that lesson plan a few years back when I realized it’s no different than what an author has to think about when worldbuilding.  Academic concerns lead me to hold back the majority of the list, but a few include cultural values and religion.  I’ve even mentored a few Sailors who want to be authors on this concept.

I steal from other authors.  I do not plagiarize.  If a magic system does something interesting, I file it away in my mental file cabinet.   The concept to New Utopia was heavily inspired by Valley of the Wind.  The trick is more about how you apply it.

[image error]Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Matthew Leistikow, assigned to Fleet Combat Camera Group Pacific, leads Sailors in a wedge patrol formation during patrol familiarization as part of the Fleet Combat Camera Group Pacific Summer Quick Shot 2011. Quick Shot is a semi-annual field training exercise intended to train combat camera personnel to operate in a combat environment. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class David A. Brandenburg/Released)

As I sit and look at 1,200, there’s a LOT of work I have to do.  I’m glad the Brown Pipers are enjoying it, but I still think there are some genuine issues to work out.  (If you remember my blog on discover writing, 1,200 is one of the last two books I wrote by discovery writing. Sure, I had some idea where I was going, but I didn’t outline at all.)   But the concept is working pretty well.

There are video blogs out there who explain a lot of your all-time favorite movies and songs are, in fact, not the original tales you thought they were.

What do I steal?

Parts of a concept:  I may not take the entire premise, but I do look for an element that fascinates me.

Fantasy elements:  I was going to say I steal magic systems, and I steal those, but then I realized I steal pretty much any ONE aspect of fantasy element if the mood suits me.

Elements of characters:  I wrote about this in my blog about character development.

What don’t I steal?

Entire plot lines:  Valley of the Wind inspired New Utopia, but New Utopia is built around a few separate issues.    Though others do this (and it’s not illegal or unethical), I don’t.  I don’t because I’d be too tempted to draw more and more from the source of said inspiration.  For instance, I borrowed the concept of the magic system in New Utopia from Mistborn.  It’s different enough, but I keep a very stern hold of myself.  I only take small parts.

[image error]Let’s talk about blending again.  I mentioned it above, and this is something I do in pretty much every stage of life and writing.  I steal all of these great things, and then I take them all apart and put them back together like a Lego hodgepodge creation of my very own.  I don’t actually know where I got the technique from, but I haven’t seen anyone who approaches it quite that way.  So maybe that’s the one original thing I bring.  I’m not saying I’m the only one who steals, I’m just saying that’s my particular twist on burglary.  If you do it the same way, let me know.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

New Panel

I just wanted to let you all know I’ve added a new link to my panels page.

I had the privilege to join Authors Heidi Angell and J.B. Taylor for a fun discussion about the first two episodes of the new season of Doctor Who and its spinoff Class. You probably want to jump to the 30:51 mark as we had to hash out some technical difficulties, but that’s when the discussion begins in earnest.  If you want to see it, You just jump straight to it here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwiSyVea_KU&feature=share

Thanks for reading

Matt

Announcing the March Book Cover of the Month!

The March Book Cover of the Month bracket has just wrapped up. This was a very tough bracket from my point of view. We had some heavily-supported authors and some tight races. We didn’t break a ton of records, but still had a solid month. We had a total of 2,808 votes. The last round had 190 votes. It was a pretty close contest, but someone has to win.

The March Book Cover of the Month is…

[image error]This image and all associated images are used for review purposes under fair use. The intent is to draw attention to the product.

 

The Door Keeper by Steen Jones! If you’re curious about how I felt about the book, check out the Facebook post that I posted when this book first landed on the bracket, here.

Let’s look at the stats!

I’d have to say this is a bit of an upset. This isn’t because Door Keeper isn’t a great cover; I only select covers that are great to go into the bracket. I say it’s a bit of an upset because Frank Dorrian had such a huge following. In terms of pure numbers, To Brave the End actually had a total of 348 votes, which is more than the 288 (yeah, that much more) than Steen had through the tournament.  But Dorrian had a strong Elite8 and Final4; however, Steen had the stronger finals, and that’s how tournaments work.  She brought her following when it mattered most, wining 107 to 83.

[image error]All is not lost for Dorrian.  He’ll receive the last (reentry) bid in the April Book Cover of the Month. If you liked his cover, you’ll have another chance to get him some recognition next month.

Now, for this month’s winner…The Door Keeper is Steen’s first novel.  Here’s the Amazon blurb.

Amazon:

(START BLURB)

Adventure. Love. Destiny.

Single mom Eden Saunders has learned that tragedy is simply a part of life. Her mother died during childbirth, and her husband was killed just three years after they married. On a journey to discover where she comes from, Eden inherits the key to unlocking new worlds from her deceased mother—including the world that should have been her home. The only thing stopping her from exploring them is the fear of leaving her daughter behind. Caught up in the circle of legacy, Eden discovers the mother-daughter bond that even death cannot break.

In discovering where she truly came from, Eden inherits a key from her deceased mother that opens doors to different worlds beyond her imagination, including the world that should have been her home. The only thing stopping her from exploring them is the fear of leaving her own daughter behind. T he Door Keeper explores the circle of mother/daughter legacies, and the bond that unites them; a bond that even death can not break.

(END BLURB)

As always, I’ve purchased the book and added it to my TBR. (For those who are new to the deal, I buy the Book Cover of the Month to read and review in the future. I bought Manning’s cover, Howard’s cover, and Deyo’s cover, and they are also on my TBR. (I’m reading Manning’s book now. Look for a review on that probably in the next two weeks.)

Here’s Ms. Jones’s Facebook page. Give her a like if you’re curious about her work.

The artist for this cover is Meghan Brim.  I’ll reach out to her and see if she’d like to have an interview later on in the week.  I don’t have a website of info for her just yet, but I’ll be sure to give you everything I can once I (if I) contact her.

The April bracket is ready to go and will launch on May 1.

I will continue to identify and select covers for each day from Amazon’s New Release section for fantasy and science fiction. If you follow and like my Facebook page, you can see what covers will make the bracket.

Thanks for reading

Matt

Betas Wanted: Sojourn in Captivity Update!

[image error]This is a very rough concept sketch of Elele. She actually doesn’t look much like this save for her figure and the wings.

For those of you who follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you’ve seen how happy I am to have completed the third draft to Sojourn in Captivity! I truly feel this is the best thing I’ve written so far (which I honestly hope to say each time I write something). Now that I’ve had an editor take a look at it, it’s time for what I call my Beta Draft.  That means I need beta readers!

I’m sending out the call for any interested beta readers. I tend to like between 5-20 betas. In my mind, the more people who read it, the more feedback you get.  The more feedback you get, the more certain you can be about certain aspects of the story.  I’d like to send out the draft (31,000 words) Saturday, and I’d ask that you send your feedback (and a few very short questionnaires I have for each segment), by May 6. (That would mean you need to read at least a segment every other day.)

Sojourn in Captivity is a prequel, I guess it’s more of a novella now, but I’m calling it a short story, to my Perception of War space war science fiction/fantasy sequence.  He’s an off-the-top-of-my-head blurb:

Elele’s course in life was altered when Adhol (her planet’s name for God) arrived three years ago. Her life remained relatively normal even though she couldn’t travel to the Gernis home planet of Welt, where she was supposed to study with the greatest mathematical minds in the galaxy. She’s still her father’s favorite child. She’s still gotten everything she’s ever wanted that was within her school’s or family’s power to give. That’s all about to change. Since Adhol’s arrival, he’s used his power to elevate her people from vestigial-winged, slender beings known as Seferam into the membrane-winged, monstrously sized Var’lechen.  It’s supposed to be the greatest blessing a Seferam could ask for. It’s supposed to be when a Seferam evolves into a form that more closely resembles their god. There’s only one problem, Elele doesn’t want to transform. When she faces her god, she’ll discover that not only is her life about to change forever, but her family’s had secrets that she’ll have to come to understand before its too late.

I’d be honored if anyone cared to give it a read.  Please reply below or send me an email if you’re interested.

Thank you for reading,

Matt

 

March BCOTM Finals!

[image error]The semifinals are over, and that means we’ve narrowed down our vote to the final 2!  We ended with 94 votes. This pushed us to 2,618 for the month. As always, I’m grateful to everyone who came out to support these covers, their designers, and the authors who wrote these books.

Let’s talk about it:

The Closest Contest:

 

I can honestly say they were both close depending on how you look at it.  The Door Keeper by Steen Jones beat The Burning World by Isaac Marion won by 10 votes (63 percent of the total). To Brave the End by Frank Dorrian only beat Age of Myth by Michael J. Sullivan by 60 percent (11 votes).

Most Voted On Contest:

Dorian’s match was the more voted on of the two with 55 total votes (more on that below).

[image error]Most Votes:

Dorrian’s book cover has taken every round since the Sweet 16. He’s rolling along, but I think Jones will give him a run for his money. I’m looking forward to seeing who wins.

As always, the top runner up for the round gets the chance to try again, and, for the first time, that lucky cover is once more Age of Myth. I’ve never had a book cover appear on more than two BCOTM brackets before. But Age just keeps hanging around. Age had 22 votes to Burning Wolrd’s 14, so is why Age gets the chance to try again.

A note on the tournament itself. I’ve spoken to a few authors, and it’s pretty demanding having a round-by-round that goes on for some three weeks. I’m going to try a few things in the next few months (the next few brackets) that I hope increases participation and limits how much these authors have to work to rally the troops.  I don’t want this to be work or annoying to anyone.

Next month, the first thing we’ll try is a shorter time period. It will still be a round by round, which is something I’m a fan of. It lets me highlight covers multiple times, and usually lets a different cover shine each day I do an update blog. I’m going to try a single-vote tournament in June, just to see how it goes.  What I want is the best blend between max participation and exposure for these artists and authors.  Once I try a few things, I’ll let the one I feel is best run for a while before I change things up.

But that’s all future stuff, and the Finals have just begun!

They last until midnight of April 22. (That’s about 48 hours).

Head over here and vote!

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Book Review: Hidden Magic: The Portal Opens by C.C. Rae

[image error]This image and all other images were taken from C.C.  Rae’s website for review purposes only under Fair Use doctrine. It’s done with the intention of bringing attention to the author and her work.

Spolier Free Summary: The Portal Opens looks to be the first book in a series, though I’m not positive. The ending certainly leaves potential for one. (Don’t worry, if you’re one who hates cliffhangers such as myself, this story doesn’t have one. It’s a complete arc that doesn’t leave you frustrated.)  C.C. Rae writes a story in which the main character, Nicole, discovers a portal to the world of magic. Once the portal opens, Raiden, a seer from this magical world literally stumbles into her. They, and a dragon named Gordon, have to find out why the portal has opened. This reveals secrets and consequences that set up an interesting plot.

Character:  So I have to admit a bias here. This is absolutely a YA book.  With that said, there are some aspects of YA storytelling that I’m personally not a fan of, but fans of YA don’t mind at all.  The biggest issue is the decision making and reactions of the characters.  I liked this aspect least of all the parts of this book because it’s just hard to believe everyone would just roll with some of the things that happened in this story. I don’t find YA in general believable. Now, this is a personal bias of mine, and I want it known that this isn’t a break from what most YA does. I’d just appreciate the genre more if the characters didn’t just roll with the plot so easily. I’m most angry at the father in this story. I’m not blessed to be a father, but I’m an uncle, and there’s no way on earth I’d just roll with things the way this main character’s dad rolls with things. If you like YA, and you don’t mind this aspect, go for it because there are some very cool aspects to this book. While hard to believe, the characters are indeed proactive. I wouldn’t exactly call them sympathetic, but I’l give mad props to Gordon. He’s the character I was most drawn to, but he has the least air time.  Why read a book outside of your genre? Because you have to stretch. I admit my bias in this review because I can not like rap music but still appreciate what it does well.  My distaste for the genre in general doesn’t erase my ability to give credit to what the author does well.

Exposition: This was very well done. Rae doesn’t bombard the reader with blocks of exposition. It’s probably the strongest aspect of the book. Readers can follow the characters and world building without be buried in mountains of explanation or info dumping.  This is impressive because this is Rae’s debut novel. She lets readers enjoy the book, and that’s a big asset to this genre.

[image error]World building:  Bonus points for Rae here.  You see, she and I are both from Yuma, Arizona!  Why does that matter? The book is set in Yuma.  Now I have to deduct a point because I’m a Criminal, and she sets the scene closer to Cibola High School.  (At least it wasn’t Kofa.) I know…that doesn’t mean much to you dear readers, but imagine a book set in your hometown? Wouldn’t you geek out? I did.  Oh…That reminds me, I discovered this book while home on leave. I met Miss. Rae at a local bookstore and bought her book (with an autograph of course).  So she has my support! Now that the home town angle is sufficiently covered, the world building is interesting.  The idea the our world and a magical world goes back to the days of Lewis. What I like is the explanation for this, and how that explanation drives the plot by providing conflict. I’d hope that future books explain more of how the source of the portal came to exist, but that’s what series do. The magic system is fairly soft right now. But I’m okay with that because magic is more of a source of strife and conflict than plot resolution.

Dialogue:  I tie this to the character a lot. Because the characters react the way they do, the dialogue falls a bit short for me. It’s not wooden, and the characters each have a distinctive voice.  But most of the conversations do tend to revolve around explaining why the characters are reacting the way they are. This is a solid aspect of the story and has the potential to get very good.

Description: This is solid. It’s not vivid or entrancing, but it’s not overly vague. I probably could have used a bit more detail here and there, but I’m way more glad I didn’t get a description of every blade of grass or article of clothing. The characters are visually stronger in my mind than most settings (though the location of the final conflict is pretty clear to me).

Overall: This book is an interesting rendition of a common YA Fantasy trend. The plot is the strongest aspect of the book. I think readers of YA will enjoy this book most, but it doesn’t quite transcend the genre like some other books in the genre do. It’s a fast read with some pretty cool moments.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

March Book Cover of the Month Final 4!

[image error]We’re down to four, and I think it’ll be a tough round!

We picked things up a bit. This round had 314 votes, which brings us to 2,524 for the month. I’d love to see us break 4,000 for the month, but as long as you’re supporting the covers you love, that’s all that matters.

Let’s look at how this round broke down:

The Closest Contest:

Last month’s runner up, Age of Myth by Michael J. Sullivan, just finds a way to win every round. It’s always close, but Sullivan always comes through. He managed to beat Empress of the Fall by David Hair by just 10 votes (barely 57 percent of the votes in that match).  That was the closest match no matter which way you measured it.

[image error]The Largest Victor:

I’m not an odds man myself, but I’m thinking whoever wants to make it to the finals is going to need at least 65 votes.  And only two people have been hitting (and passing) that mark so far. This week The Burning World by Isaac Marion beat Gilded Cage by Vic James by a sound 44 votes, and at 79 percent of the votes, that takes the cake no matter how you slice it.

Most Voted On Contest:

As dominant as Marion’s victory was, his match didn’t garner the most support. That distinction goes to To Brave the End by Frank Dorrian vs Ahe’ey by Jamie Le Fay. That match was well ahead of the rest with 106 votes. I’ve seen Mr. Dorrian’s posts on FB and Twitter. I’m much obliged for your support, and your readers are doing a fine job of backing your outstanding cover.

This was still a slower than usual round. (Honestly, we’re only three months in, so it’s not like there’s a “usual” yet.) Still, all the contests had at least 60 votes, which is pretty respectable in my opinion.

Least Voted On Contest:

The Door Keeper by Steen Jones vs Asharielle by Kathryn Cook racked up 63 votes. It was a pretty close match, with Jones only wining by 14 votes.

[image error]Most Votes:

Marion came on strong, but Dorrian wins his second round of the tournament with the most votes.  He earned 64 for the round and is sitting at 232 for the tournament (That’s 16 votes more than Marion at the moment).  I hope this motivates Jones and Sullivan’s fans: It looks like an epic head to head between Dorrian and Marion unless someone pulls of an impressive upset. For those rooting for those underdogs, remember to share the tournament and ask your friends to support.

The Final 4 ends at the strike of Midnight, April 20. That’s only 2 days, so call your friends, share my posts, get your readers engaged!

The good news for those who made it into this round is that one of you is already guaranteed a bid in next month’s bracket if this month doesn’t work out for you. The top vote-earning runner up will automatically go in for the April bracket, so every vote counts in this round.

Get out there and vote!

Thanks for reading,

Matt

March Elite 8!

[image error]Hello everyone! The Elite 8 is here! The Sweet 16 had 457 votes, which puts us at a total of 2,210 votes so far!

Let’s go over some numbers:

 

The Closest Contest:

Empress of the Fall by David Hair narrowly defeated The Secret of Spellshadow Manor by Bella Forrest. It was the closest match both in terms of votes (only by 7) and percentage of votes (55).

The Largest Victor:

Frank Dorrian has thrown down the gauntlet. He racked up an impressive 82 votes.  His book, To Brave the End, defeated The Lich by Adam Vine by 55 votes (75%). In fact, Dorrian earned more votes than any single match. (So needless to say his match had the most votes, and Dorrian’s book received the most votes).

Least Voted On Contest:

Night Lights by Helen Harper vs Gilded Cage by Vic James only received 53 votes. This was a slower round than usual, but we were bound to level off after three consecutive record breaking months. Fifty votes in a contest isn’t anything to balk at, but, as always, I’m going to ask that when you rally your voters, please ask them to vote in each match.

 

[image error]To Brave the End is the current leader in total votes due to his amazing support. The Burning World isn’t far behind, but rest of the pack is.  The number three vote earner so far (Asharielle by Kathryn Cook) is 46 votes behind.

There’s still time to support your favorite book cover.

The Elite Eight lasts until April 18, so things should pick up with less time to vote between rounds.

Head over here and vote!

One last thing.  I’ve gotten a bit of feedback that says the tournament is too long. I want the authors to have enough time to drum up support, but I don’t want it to be taxing.  Do any of you have any ideas or recommendations? Is the tournament too long? How many days do you think you need?

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Book Review: Fortress Beta City by J.R. Handley

[image error]These images were provided by J.R. Handley and are used with is content. Any reuse without his permission is in violation of his copyright.

Spolier Free Summary: Fortress Beta City is the sequel to The Legion Awakes. As book two in the Sleeping Legion saga by J.R. Handley, it picks off where book one left off. Sergeant Lance Scipio wakes from cryo sleep once more to find the world has changed yet again. The White Knights have apparently abandoned Tranquility-4, and his planet has become a battleground between two strange forces. In one corner, unidentified Marines he’s unsure he can trust. In the other corner, the Hardits whose rebellion started at the end of book 1. He has to discover what these new Marines want; Stop his city from dying, drowning, or starving; and find a way to protect his Marines. Those missions will force Lance to take on a role he’d never imagined having before.

Character:  I mentioned in my review for Legion that Lance is the only character I could really hold onto.  While I still think the reader has too many characters to track, things calm down, and we do get to know more of the other characters. I remember GG, a Junton commander. Basil has an amazing hero moment!  Nhlappo is an interesting character as well.  Those characters create an effective base and allow the reader to grow closer to the characters around them. I’d say that’s a definite improvement.  Lance sort of disappears near the end of the book (not literally, like a spoiler, but his air time sort of falls off). The action is so quick, the reader shouldn’t really mind. Besides, I was more interested in GG’s arc at the time. This isn’t unexpected in a series. You’re going to meet a cast of characters, and some books may shift from character to character. I’m most looking forward to Nhlappo’s confrontation with Spartika. If book 3 delivers that, I’m a happy guy. I’d still like a bit more air time for those characters and fewer cuts to other characters, but as long as I have these guys to follow, I’ll be loyal to the series.

Exposition: This was the biggest area of improvement from book 1 to book 2. It’s been a while since I actually finished the book, but I tend to purposefully let a bit of time pass between reviews. This allows me to focus on the thoughts that really stick and let go of whatever raw emotions I might have had. In this case, I can’t remember the info-dump sections I could from the first book. Most science fiction books require segments of info, but this had a better blending of showing vs telling. I mentioned that there are still a bunch of characters we only catch fleeting glimpses of, but those characters provide the reader scope, perspective, or, in this case, information. I’d call that a fair trade.

World building:  I still think fans of Human Legion will latch onto this more quickly, but I was able to track this story pretty effectively. Now, part of this is because one source of conflict is the survivability of the planet. This clever source of conflict allows a nube like me to get familiar with Human Legion terms and characters as I learn about the story. I didn’t feel nearly as lost in this book as I did at times in book one. Part is because I have a book under my belt, the other is because of that particular plot line.

[image error]Dialogue:  In terms of catching the feel of the military banter and back and forth, the dialogue is solid, but this might be one of the weaker areas of the book. Basil and Lance have distinct voices to me, but the other characters don’t quite stand out to me. They’re all interesting, and, to be honest, voice in dialogue is a challenge for me. I think a lot of the reason I’m seeing it has more to do with how much I’m working to improve my own skill is forcing me to see what others are doing.  I just wanted to note a potential bias and explain it. Voice is a challenge, but the dialogue is still witty with plenty of clever back-and-forth.

Description: This is the strongest area of Handley’s writing. He gives the reader what he needs without taking away the readers imagination. He has a nice mix of active verbs and carefully placed adjectives that help the reader visualize through observation instead of narration. He does himself a credit with how he draws the reader in with scenes and action sequences. Action scenes are key in science fiction combat books, and Handley has that part down.

Overall: This is a fantastic sequel to the first book. It’s better, more action packed, and more emotionally powerful. The connection to the characters is higher, and the action sequences feel even more realistic. If the first book was interesting, this book will probably get you hooked on the series.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Some Dream-Come-True Moments

[image error]The B2B Cyber Convention just wrapped up. I’ve been super busy these past few days, but I wanted to take a moment to share some things (one of which was truly amazing).

The first is a story I’d like to share with you all.

I’m a creature of habit. I do my laundry on the same day. I eat at the same place every Friday. I work the same schedule every day. I like routine. The thing about routines though is you tend to have this expectation that every day, week, and moth will work out exactly the same. Most times, when there’s an interruption to my routine, I’m actually quite difficult to deal with.  But sometimes, it’s just wonderful.

Every other Friday, I go to the same place to cut my hair. I eat at the same place as I do every Friday. I check to see what movies are out that I might want to see. I stop by the book store in the mall just to see what may have gotten released without my knowledge.  That’s when I head over the my hair place.

This particular Friday, I arrive to find the woman who does my hair isn’t available for  awhile.  I don’t think much of it. I arrange a time later that evening with her. I’m about to head out to knock a few items off my to-do list when someone taps me on the shoulder.

One of the other employees caught my attention and pointed to the woman he was working with.  The woman smiles and points at me.

“Aren’t you that author?”

(PAUSE)

You see, my whole life, I’ve always wanted to be, “That Author.” That identification may be on the top three list of things I want to put on my tombstone.  When The Journals of Bob Drifter was first published, my sister bought me a personalized pen.  When she gave it to me, I told her it was a life dream of mine to have someone approach me and ask for my autograph.

So when Karen asked me that question, she quite literally made one of my life’s dreams come true.

(RESUME)

[image error]A picture of me and Karen after the autograph!

I don’t really remember much after that. My euphoria made it pretty hard to think straight. I said yes.  She said that she’d recognized me from my book (Journals). Since I’m a regular at Rafet’s (the place I get my hair cut), I thought to plop a copy of the book there so people could read it while they wait for their haircuts. Now, that book has been there since Bob got published (two years now).  Turns out, at least one person had been chipping away at it!

So we chatted for a while. She told me the book really grabbed her attention. We exchanged contact information, and, yes, I gave her an autograph.  I originally gave her an autograph on a sheet of paper (which I tell my students to always have on their person). The establishment actually gave her that copy of the book, so I later signed that one and grabbed a selfie with Karen.

The world is a wonderful place sometimes. A guy can just be going about his day, and suddenly God smiles on someone. The little things are usually more special than the big. That moment will fuel my dream to be a “successful” author for quite a while.

So to those of you a litter earlier in their journey than I am, I say you have to remember it’s a marathon. You have to work. It’s not an overnight thing. This isn’t the realm for instant success. But if you keep at it, and you’re consistent, you’ll get these little moments that mean so much. My sales are still right about where they normally are, but I found a fan and a new friend. If you’re reading this, Karen, I say again, Thank you!

[image error]That was how my weekend started! I posted on Friday about the Brain To Books Cyber Convention 2017.

The first cool thing was how many more authors I met. I got to hang out more with Joshua Robertson, who I met a few months ago and got to know a bit better when his book Anaerfell was up for Book Cover of the Month. I also met so many other cool authors: My internet is really acting up, so I can’t really link them all like I want.  But just a few are: Heidi Angell (she’s not THAT kind of angel), Richard White, A.L. Mabry, Suzanna J. Linton (a fellow Dragonriders of Pern fan), Tim (again, my internet isn’t letting me find his last name), and Joe Compton. I PROMISE I could go on for days. I don’t know how many panels or group chats I did. What I DO know, is I’ll be adding a page to this website soon. I’ll add those videos, because they’re fun for readers, writers, and authors trying to figure out marketing.

Angela B. Chrysler and I had an idea at about the same time. I’d been trying to figure out a use for Youtube, and so she created Nerd Rage, which will be a monthly Youtube event we do. We’ll film them the last Saturday of every month. There may be a time or two we can’t all make it, but for the most part, there’ll be a handful of us just needing out about whatever topic Angela pulls out of a hat. (No, I mean that literally.) If you can’t wait for me to get around to loading what videos I’ve already been a part of, you can look at those and everything else here.

[image error]Which leads me to my last thought of the day. I’d mentioned that one of the events I was taking part in was a covers war. I’m very proud to announce that Caught won the cover war for horror and thrillers! I have to admit, I campaigned pretty hard to win. I was a big fan of my cover, and I wanted it to get recognized. It turns out, a bunch of my Facebook friends and a few of my Author/Wordpress friends (Hi JR! Hi Corey!) came to offer me support! Look, it’s basically just bragging rights, but it’s like I said, the little things make all the difference sometimes. So I wanted to end this post with a huge thank you for that support in giving that cover some love. Thank you all.  Now, I have a short story to revise, another short story to write, two books to write and a series to get started on. All by 2018.  So…I’m off.

Thanks for reading,

Matt