Charles Atkins's Blog, page 2

Coming December 2013, my first Urban Fantasy Go To Hell W...

Coming December 2013, my first Urban Fantasy Go To Hell What would you give to cure mankind's suffering?   Dr. Spencer Williams, a brilliant young researcher, is on the verge of that discovery.  Haunted by the freakish suicide of his famous mother, he is driven to find a cure for the illness that ended her life.  Blessed--or cursed--from birth with second sight, Spencer's personal grail is within his grasp.  Through a secret mix of blood magic and genetic engineering, he has synthesized Marvan, a miraculous medicine that could leapfrog mankind to the next evolutionary phase. But Spencer has huge hurdles to clear.  Getting a new drug to market takes big bucks.  And how exactly is he supposed to keep Marvan's unique formula a secret?  As word of his discovery leaks out, powerful players want a piece of the action.  Hell, they want it all.   Spencer must make the choice, does he go with the devil he knows or the devil himself? 

Coming December 2013, my first Urban Fantasy Go To Hell ...

Coming December 2013, my first Urban Fantasy Go To Hell What would you give to cure mankind's suffering?   Dr. Spencer Williams, a brilliant young researcher, is on the verge of that discovery.  Haunted by the freakish suicide of his famous mother, he is driven to find a cure for the illness that ended her life.  Blessed--or cursed--from birth with second sight, Spencer's personal grail is within his grasp.  Through a secret mix of blood magic and genetic engineering, he has synthesized Marvan, a miraculous medicine that could leapfrog mankind to the next evolutionary phase. But Spencer has huge hurdles to clear.  Getting a new drug to market takes big bucks.  And how exactly is he supposed to keep Marvan's unique formula a secret?  As word of his discovery leaks out, powerful players want a piece of the action.  Hell, they want it all.   Spencer must make the choice, does he go with the devil he knows or the devil himself? 

The following link takes you to a piece in today's Hartfo...

The following link takes you to a piece in today's Hartford Courant.  I'd originally entitled the piece, "Why Your Insurance Company Wants you Dead."


http://articles.courant.com/2012-10-19/news/hc-op-atkins-insurance-rules-dangerous-for-mentall-20121019_1_substance-abuse-medication-lethal-doses

The attached link is to a recent piece I wrote for The Ha...

The attached link is to a recent piece I wrote for The Hartford Courant.  It's one small piece of the much-larger healthcare crisis in this country.  While there is ample blame to be shared around--and physicians can help themselves to a double portion--the insurance industry has woven tremendous and unnecessary cost into the system.The Insurance Denial: A Study in Passive-Aggressive Behavior

Starting this fall I'll be on the road with day-long trai...

Starting this fall I'll be on the road with day-long trainings on the topic of Bipolar.  These are CU/CEU events through Premier Education Solutions, Inc. (PESI).  The first six will be in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Ohio.  To see the flyer click on this link Flyer for bipolar training

http://www.amazon.com/The-Bipolar-Disorder-Answer-Book/dp/1402210574/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342431766&sr=8-1&keywords=the+bipolar+disorder+answer+book

As these get closer I'll post information about the materials to be covered.

The first three dates are:

Shelton, CT
Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Cromwell, CT
Thursday, September 20, 2012

Warwick, RI
Friday, September 21, 2012

To order copies of The Bipolar Disorder Answer Book, or to get the e-version, purchase locally or on-line.
The Bipolar Disorder Answer Book

Let's E-Publish a Book Step Two: My New Name

Okay, I've decided to E-Publish my novel GO TO HELL, a just-written urban fantasy. My next thought is to do this under a pen name.

Why?

Here goes, first this book is a new genre for me--urban fantasy. GO TO HELL is a Faustian tale with a variety of supernatural beings, including Lucifer and a sexy pair of succubae. It's quite a departure from my previous real-world mysteries and thrillers.

I've also done a couple non-fiction books where I--or probably the publisher--decided to leave the MD at the end of my name. Charles Atkins, MD made perfect sense for books on Bipolar Disorder, Alzheimer's and Dementia. And Charles Atkins was fine for mysteries and thrillers. Also, back in the day (some time last month) when thinking about bookstore shelving was important, having a name begin with A was good.
But first let's be frank...or Sheila, or Harry, there are other reasons for me to pick a nom de plume. They all apply to varying degrees. Charles Atkins is not a bestseller. This does matter in the world of publishing. It's tremendously important in traditional publishing where your advance, and whether or not someone is even willing to take a risk on your next book has everything to do with your sales numbers. So even if I weren't looking to e-publish it's not unusual for a mid-list author to pick a new name in an effort to re-start a career. Like wiping the slate clean. Sure, Charles Atkins isn't a best seller, but maybe Germaine Floxbottom will be.

Next, there's the matter of the content of the new book. While primarily an entertaining read; it's also a parable and contains quite a bit of social commentary. GO TO HELL is a fun look at the whorish nature of the relationship between physicians and the drug companies. It's the story of a doctor selling out the human race for profit. In his case, it's with the best of intentions, but the result is the same. In truth, doctors are heavily influenced by the big pharmaceutical companies. Ethical boundaries are crossed and no one seems to notice, or if they do, it's rapidly dismissed with--"it's in the patient's best interest" or "just because I go to the free dinner, sporting event, show...Caribbean cruise loosely disguised as a continuing education event, doesn't mean my medical decisions are being influenced". Right, so what does this have to do with my name? While a smaller point, I do think the book's content can create a distraction for my day job. And so the nom-de-plume offers a separation between me the author and me the doctor.

I don't see a tremendous downside to using a pen name. I guess you don't get the same ego rush from seeing your name on the book jacket--or whatever it's now called on an e-book. I think that's a small thing. And yes, there is something to be said for your grandmother leaving copies of your book scattered around her apartment for all her friends to see, but I've had that experience. It was great. It's time to move on.

And now to pick the new name. Some have recommended I go with an anagram of Charles Atkins. Unfortunately Larches Skinta, Carl Shetkains, Harel Catskins etc aren't doing it for me. So...what I've chosen is an amalgam of family names. My Dad's in particular. He doesn't use his first name--Jaspard. I think it's rather groovy, and for urban fantasy it's got a slightly freakish edge. So I'm taking Jaspard and combining it with my mother's maiden name--Marks. There we go, I'm now a new person, or at least a new author or...whatever. GO TO HELL by Jaspard Marks, that should work.

As a psychiatrist I don't want to over think what it means to rename yourself. Or worse still, split myself into two people. Maybe a better context is to think of this as starting a new business or product line. There's Charles Atkins, Charles Atkins, MD, and now--new for 2012--Jaspard Marks.

Let's E-Publish a BookStep Two: My New NameBy Charles Atk...

Let's E-Publish a BookStep Two: My New NameBy Charles Atkins
Okay, I've decided to E-Publish my novel GO TO HELL, a just-written urban fantasy.  My next thought is to do this under a pen name.  Why?  Here goes, first this book is a new genre for me--urban fantasy.  GO TO HELL is a Faustian tale with a variety of supernatural beings, including Lucifer and a sexy pair of succubae.  It's quite a departure from my previous real-world mysteries and thrillers.  
I've also done a couple non-fiction books where I--or probably the publisher--decided to leave the MD at the end of my name.  Charles Atkins, MD made perfect sense for books on Bipolar Disorder, Alzheimer's and Dementia.  And Charles Atkins was fine for mysteries and thrillers.  Also, back in the day (sometime last month) when thinking about bookstore shelving was important, having a name begin with A was good.  But first let's be frank...or Sheila, or Harry, there are other reasons for me to pick a nom de plume.  They all apply to varying degrees.  Charles Atkins is not a bestseller.  This does matter in the world of publishing.  It's tremendously important in traditional publishing where your advance, and whether or not someone is even willing to take a risk on your next book has everything to do with your sales numbers.  So even if I weren't looking to e-publish it's not unusual for a mid-list author to pick a new name in an effort to re-start a career.  Like wiping the slate clean.  Sure, Charles Atkins isn't a best seller, but maybe Germaine Floxbottom will be.
Next, there's the matter of the content of the new book.  While primarily an entertaining read; it's also a parable and contains quite a bit of social commentary.  GO TO HELL is a fun look at the whorish nature of the relationship between physicians and the drug companies.  It's the story of a doctor selling out the human race for profit.  In his case, it's with the best of intentions, but the result is the same.  In truth, doctors are heavily influenced by the big pharmaceutical companies.  Ethical boundaries are crossed and no one seems to notice, or if they do, it's rapidly dismissed with--"it's in the patient's best interest" or "just because I go to the free dinner, sporting event, show...Caribbean cruise loosely disguised as a continuing education event, doesn't mean my medical decisions are being influenced".   Right, so what does this have to do with my name?  While a smaller point, I do think the book's content can create a distraction for my day job.  And so the nom-de-plume offers a separation between me the author and me the doctor. 
I don't see a tremendous downside to using a pen name.  I guess you don't get the same ego rush from seeing your name on the book jacket--or whatever it's now called on an e-book.  I think that's a small thing.  And yes, there is something to be said for your grandmother leaving copies of your book scattered around her apartment for all her friends to see, but I've had that experience.  It was great.  It's time to move on.
And now to pick the new name.  Some have recommended I go with an anagram of Charles Atkins.  Unfortunately Larches Skinta, Carl Shetkains, Harel Catskins etc aren't doing it for me.  So...what I've chosen is an amalgam of family names.  My Dad's in particular.  He doesn't use his first name--Jaspard.  I think it's rather groovy, and for urban fantasy it's got a slightly freakish edge.  So I'm taking Jaspard and combining it with my mother's maiden name--Marks.  There we go, I'm now a new person, or at least a new author or...whatever.  GO TO HELL by Jaspard Marks, that should work.
As a psychiatrist I don't want to over think what it means to rename yourself.  Or worse still, split myself into two people.  Maybe a better context is to think of this as starting a new business or product line.  There's Charles Atkins, Charles Atkins, MD, and now--new for 2012--Jaspard Marks.

Let's E-Publish a Book: Step One: Deciding what to Publish

Let's E-Publish a Book
Step One: Deciding what to Publish
By Charles Atkins

Every journey begins with a step...at some point I'll Google that and find out who said it. But here's the journey...or at least the goal. I've decided to e-publish a book, and to recreate myself...a part of myself?...as a writer of urban fantasy. To start, I've been very fortunate in my writing career. No, I'm not a best seller, but I've had quite a few books published. This is a big deal, in the passing age of publishing with its crushing rejection, where getting an agent and a book deal(s) were hurdles that many authors were never able to clear.

This is all changing, perhaps it already has. With the radical shift in the publishing paradigm from 'few can get published, to everyone and their granny can get e-published' it's time to rethink my life as an author, what I want to write and how I'm going to get it to readers. So, the journey starts. I may take some short cuts, but I know I'm not the only one figuring this stuff out.

Here's the plan. And yes, I find it's good to map these things out, like writing an outline for a new novel. The plan may go to pieces, and the steps taken can diverge wildly from what was intended. Still, a map is a nice way to get started.

Step 1. Decide what I'm going to publish:
I've got a few ideas on this one, but two books that aren't far from being publishable spring to mind. First is a Faustian tale of a young doctor who creates a pill that alleviates all human suffering. Sadly, it comes at a cost and the devil--yes, Lucifer himself--will have his due. The other is a lovely--albeit meandering multi-generational saga where once a generation a child is born with the ability to heal. It often doesn't go well for that child as the book dips in and out of a beautiful fantasy realm based on Gypsy--and other--folklore. Those are the two front runners. And clearly where I'm taking some serious short cuts--I've got a couple books ready or near-ready to go.

Choice A, entitled--GO TO HELL--is essentially ready. It's with my agent and has received quite a bit of rejection. That said, the rejection has been strangely positive. One editor wrote back, "if this had been ten years earlier my answer would have been different." Other comments have been similar, no form letters saying thanks but no thanks. All thoughtful responses about why they're hesitant to give the green light. At the end of the day it's because they're not certain the book will make money. People are nervous and publishing books--at least the old way with paper and ink--is expensive. E-publishing--at least in my naive head state is cheap, just format, post and publicize. For the sake of these blog pieces I'll be meticulous about actual costs.

Choice B--My multi-generational sage will require a rewrite. I've written and rewritten this one so many times, I just need to pull my head around two ways it can go, commit to one and haul my butt through its many pages to smooth and tighten--about a month's work...maybe two.

I've a third choice as well, but this book is not yet written and I just finished a fifty--or so--page outline, which needs lots of work.

Clearly, the easiest is to go with
Choice A. Yes, baby has just taken his first step. I'm going to e-publish GO TO HELL. Now what?

Let's E-Publish a BookStep One: Deciding what to PublishB...

Let's E-Publish a BookStep One: Deciding what to PublishByCharles Atkins
Every journey beginswith a step...at some point I'll Google that and find out who said it.  But here's the journey...or at least thegoal.  I've decided to e-publish a book,and to recreate myself...a part of myself?...as a writer of urban fantasy.  To start, I've been very fortunate in mywriting career.  No, I'm  not a best seller, but I've had quite a fewbooks published.  This is a big deal, inthe passing age of publishing with its crushing rejection, where getting anagent and a book deal(s) were hurdles that many authors were never able toclear.
This is all changing,perhaps it already has.  With the radicalshift in the publishing paradigm from 'few can get published, to everyone andtheir granny can get e-published' it's time to rethink my life as an author, whatI want to write and how I'm going to get it to readers.  So, the journey starts.  I may take some short cuts, but I know I'mnot the only one figuring this stuff out.   Here's the plan.   And yes, I find it's good to map thesethings out, like writing an outline for a new novel.  The plan may go to pieces, and the stepstaken can diverge wildly from what was intended.  Still, a map is a nice way to get started.
Step 1.  Decide what I'm going to publish:I've got a few ideas onthis one, but two books that aren't far from being publishable spring tomind.  First is a Faustian tale of ayoung doctor who creates a pill that alleviates all human suffering.  Sadly, it comes at a cost and the devil--yes,Lucifer himself--will have his due.  Theother is a lovely--albeit meandering multi-generational saga where once ageneration a child is born with the ability to heal.  It often doesn't go well for that child asthe book dips in and out of a beautiful fantasy realm based on Gypsy--andother--folklore.  Those are the two frontrunners.  And clearly where I'm takingsome serious short cuts--I've got a couple books ready or near-ready to go.  
Choice A, entitled--GOTO HELL--is essentially ready.  It's withmy agent and has received quite a bit of rejection.  That said, the rejection has been strangelypositive.  One editor wrote back,"if this had been ten years earlier my answer would have beendifferent."   Other comments havebeen similar, no form letters saying thanks but no thanks.  All thoughtful responses about why they'rehesitant to give the green light.  At theend of the day it's because they're not certain the book will make money.  People are nervous and publishing books--atleast the old way with paper and ink--is expensive.  E-publishing--at least in my naive head stateis cheap, just format, post and publicize. For the sake of these blog pieces I'll be meticulous about actual costs.
Choice B--Mymulti-generational sage will require a rewrite. I've written and rewritten this one so many times, I just need to pullmy head around two ways it can go, commit to one and haul my butt through itsmany pages to smooth and tighten--about a month's work...maybe two.
I've a third choice aswell, but this book is not yet written and I just finished a fifty--or so--pageoutline, which needs lots of work.
Clearly, the easiest is to go with Choice A.  Yes, baby has just taken his first step.  I'm going to e-publish GO TO HELL.  Now what?

Vultures at Twilight (Severn House)From psychiatrist and ...

Vultures at Twilight (Severn House)From psychiatrist and author Charles Atkins comes the first in a new Mystery Series!"...a too-hot-to-handle thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats." --Booklist"...will keep readers turning the pages until the dramatic conclusion."--Publisher's Weekly
Something wicked has come to Grenville Connecticut a town famous for antiques and the systematic fleecing of its well-heeled elders as they down-size, sicken and die. Clearly, someone is unhappy with the status quo as high-end antique dealers are being murdered in gruesome--yet fitting--ways.
          When a severed finger shows up at the Friday night auction, unlikely heroines Lil Campbell and Ada Strauss have to wonder--where's the rest of the body?  A question that leads to festering small-town secrets, and the unraveling of a mystery that shows all is not well in a town famed for its postcard perfect New England charm.
          For Lil and Ada, the murders take a personal turn as unspeakable accusations are raised against Lil's dead husband and she becomes the focus of the killer's rage. And to make things worse--or better--the two friends are forced to confront powerful feelings for one another that threaten their idyllic lives.
Charles Atkins is a board-certified psychiatrist and  author.  He writes fiction and non-fiction, including the Barrett Conyors forensic thriller series as well as books on Alzheimer's and Bipolar Disorder.   Dr. Atkins has written hundreds of articles, columns, and shorts stories for professional and popular magazines, newspapers, and journals.  He's been a consultant to the Reader's Digest Medical Breakthrough series, and his work has appeared in publications ranging from The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) to Writer's Digest Magazine.  He's been twice featured in the New York Times, as well as many other publications.Visit his website and blog at:  www.charlesatkins.com and www.charlesatkinsmd.blogspot.comISBN:9780727881410