Davis Summerlin's Blog, page 5

One time in New Orleans

I'm going to do something a little different in this post. I'm going to share a small scene frommy upcoming novel 'The Love Frog.' The scene is subject to change during the editing process, but at the moment this is how it exists. Now, I've mentioned this novel before in a few previous posts, but just as a refresher, or to the millions of new readers that haven't heard. 'The Love Frog,' is my wife Victoria, and my true love story.After the exerpt, I'll talk briefly about what was going on in the scene. I'll do this with any posts of this kind going forward. With that said here we go. ***I never saw an option for size when it came to the milkshakes. Like the breakfast portions, these were on the larger than large side of sizes. Two glasses shaped like physical manifestations of a crescendo were placed before Victoria and I. Each was filled with a light chocolaty mixture. A cloud of whipped cream sporting a cherry crown sat atop each glass. Victoria smiled. I took my glass. Victoria took hers. We clinked the rims together and took our first sip. It was cold, creamy and sweet, generally what I’d expect from a milkshake. It was good, but not mind boggling, which I suppose is a unfair expectation of anything. I looked to Victoria. She smiled with a hint of a whipped cream mustache. She looked to me and then around the restaurant. Her eyes moved from place to place, lingering in some spots more than others. Her eyes moved back to her milkshake. She raised it for a second drink. I did the same. It tasted better the second time. Before I had completely pulled it from my lips I peered out the window and caught a glimpse of an old white haired man crossing the street. A gray haired woman clutched his arm as she crossed alongside him. I coughed and struggled to contain the milkshake in my mouth. My chest tightened. The elderly couple took another step. ***I saw a green and white house at the end of a dirt driveway. A large pond rested a few yards from the house with a clean wooden dock stretching a good ways in. A cow lay beneath a tree at the far side of the pond. Its name was Gale. The elderly man sat at the head of a large farm-style table. He asked me to pass the corn. His wife, the gray haired lady, could be seen in the kitchen just beyond. She had just finished placing the ensemble of pies she’d baked early that morning along the counter which overlooked the dining room.***Maybe they’ll move on, I thought as the couple finished crossing the street. I hoped they were headed to the shops further up the road. I wasn’t so lucky. The front door opened. Mr. and Mrs. Sanderson walked in. The same Mr. and Mrs. Sanderson from the middle of nowhere Texas walked into the Camellia Grille in New Orleans. Two others followed. I hadn’t seen them before. An older man dressed in maroon, and who I assumed to be his son, dressed similarly and was I guessed to be in his late twenties. I held my milkshake close like a masquerade mask. How am I going to get out of here without them seeing me? I thought. Then the Sanderson’s and their friends sat down next to Victoria and I. Shit, I thought. I exchanged my milkshake mask for a nearby menu, a more believable disguise as I could only chug an empty glass for so long before people became suspicious. I began running through escape plans. Luckily I’d already asked for the check when our milkshakes were delivered. I also had a mean five o’clock shadow, more than I’d ever had while the Sanderson’s had known me. Perhaps that would give me the five seconds I needed to pay the tab and get Victoria and I out the door. We’d parked right out front. “Did you go to A&M?” I hear come from the seat to my immediate right. The pieces of my makeshift plan crumbled and crashed upon the floor. “Davis, they went to A&M!” Victoria exclaimed. I lower my menu mask. I extend my hand to Victoria’s new friend, the youngest member of the Sanderson’s group (I don’t recall the boy's name.)Mr. Sanderson and I made eye contact. I introduced Victoria. The elderly couple and I exchanged hugs. We engaged in pleasantries without going into too much detail. I wanted it to remain pleasant after all. The check came. I paid it. After a solid five minutes of conversation I bid them farewell and Victoria and I made our way to the car.“How did you know them?” Victoria asked. I almost laughed before cluing her in. “Those are my ex-fiance’s grandparents.”***Victoria and I celebrated our first anniversary together in New Orleans. We weren't married then, but I'd already begun drawing plans of an engagement. At the time this was somewhat terrifying. But, in hindsight, I love the idea of my soon to be fiance/wife unknowingly inviting the family of my ex-fiance to essentially eat with us. It's especially funny, because Victoria is generally an introvert. It's not usual for her to start up a conversation with a complete stranger. She did it for my benefit, which is sweet.It just so happened that one time she initiated conversation, it happened to be with someone I was actively trying to avoid.

My friend Hemingway

Nearly everyone in America has heard the name Ernest Hemingway. He is without a doubt one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. He's definitely had the most influence on me as a writer.But the first time I decided to pick up one of his books was actually after watching a movie.Midnight in Parisaffiliate linksThis is scene in which Stoll manages to capture Hemingway's voice. I mean voice the way writers do. The voice is near monotone, yet the spoken words are absolute and simple. They border on ridiculous.Stoll manages to capture other aspects of Hemingway throughout the rest of the movie, such as his love of boxing and alcoholic tendencies. But what got me to pick up Hemingway's, 'The Sun Also Rises' was that voice.affiliate linkAs I read, I imagined the narrator speaking in the same deadpan tone as the one featured above. It made the first book highly enjoyable, but also educational.One of the best compliments I have ever been given as a writer is that my writing is very 'Hemingwayesque' (No, I'm not going to try using that word against you in Scrabble). I began a personal project several years ago, to read all of Hemingway's work. I'm not finished. But I've realized several things about Hemingway and myself as a writer:1. The first being that I genuinely enjoyed his work.His writing is unlike anything I've read before or since. There can only be one Ernest Hemingway, no matter how many try to imitate and copy. Which brings me to my second realization. 2. I wanted to learn. Being The modern day Hemingway isn't a desire of mine. But learning from him is very much a goal.Taking elements of his writing and adding them to my own in effort to create something unique and new is my current and ongoing goal. (If I had to attribute my writing style to another author's it would be a blend of Ernest Hemingway and Mitch Albom, but we'll save that for another time)3. He's someone I'd like to be friends with.There's something special about someone that sees life in absolutes and lives life to the extreme. However, with him being dead for the past fifty seven years, reading his work is the closest thing there is to hanging out. Other than going to his grave, which I haven't looked for and won't because that's stupid. 4. The last thing, and perhaps part of my reasoning for all of the above is his ability to personify this word.Terse Terse: Abrupt, concise, curt, brusque.I am not a fan of flowery or overly detailed prose. Obviously that is a personal preference. My wife, Victoria, for example loves when an author gives lots and lots of description. The more the better. And obviously that's not just Victoria. As writers and readers the importance of describing the scene is hardwired into us from an early age. As a writer we are taught to address all five senses in order to give the reader as much information as possible. What is the character tasting? Smelling?Hearing? Seeing? Feeling? We are encouraged to hit as many of those sense descriptors as possible when able. Hemingway addresses the senses (I'm not saying he doesn't) but he does it in a targeted way. Meaning, that if the color his characters' shoe laces, or the smell of a one time acquaintance's breath doesn't add to the story in a meaningful way, Hemingway doesn't include it. I, as a reader am okay with not knowing what Waiter number three's breath smelled like, unless it's powerful enough to make Jake Barnes retch (which adds to the story). "If I started to write elaborately...I found that I could cut that...ornament out and throw it away and start with the first true simple declarative sentence I had written" -Ernest HemingwayHemingway's ability to use terse but effective language not only keeps the reader engaged with the more important elements of the story, it also acts as a challenge. For instance, in describing a scene in which one of his characters is walking across a cobblestone path near the cathedral of Notre Dame, he refrains from describing the famed cathedral. Why does he do this? Surely the cathedral is more worthy of describing over the cobblestones. Hemingway challenges the reader through his lack of description. He was saying:"If you want to know what Notre Dame looks like, go see it for yourself."I love the idea of Hemingway subliminally challenging people through his writing. The concept of the challenge fits Hemingway's personality.This is what the cathedral of Notre Dame looks like by the way."In order to write about life, first you must live it."- Ernest HemingwaySo, now that I've shared my interest with Ernest Hemingway, I'm curious. Have you read any of his work? If so which is your favorite? Do you like him? Do you hate him? Have any of you noticed the same thing in regards to his subliminal challenges? Would you be his friend, or steer clear of him? Let me know in the comments! Also, if you want to stay up to date with everything Dice Book Publishing related, click the link 'here' to sign up to our mailing list!

Fighting Fantasy

This past Thursday, my wife and I hosted thanksgiving for both our families. As we were celebrating I walked by a conversation between my father in-law and my brother. They were talking about Victoria and my wedding, specifically my brother's speech.My brother was my best man. This meant, that in keeping with tradition he had to give a speech. His speech began something like this:"For the last four or five years, Davis and I have been hanging out every Friday night. Just so you know...we're huge nerds!" This garnered a laugh from our guests. But it's true. My brother went on to give brief details of our Friday night adventures to our local comic book store to play our favorite card game: Magic the GatheringHe talked about one of our favorite car ride games, the highly sophisticated and complex game of Who would win? He even hinted at our attempts to play tabletop role playing games. Moral of his story was that I like classically nerdy things.My wife Victoria, is not a classic nerd. Her eyes glaze over when I talk about my hobbies that reside in that realm, but nevertheless (and this was my brother's point) my wife was willing to learn and at times even enjoy my hobbies in order to spend time with me. It was a sweet speech. But the reference to it got me thinking about all our attempts at playing Role Playing Games (RPG's).It all began one night when I was up late watching Netflix at my parents house several years ago. For some reason I felt like looking for a horror film (very rare for me). I found something that looked promising:DARKNESS RISINGScary title right?! I clicked it. The first eight to ten minutes were...disappointing to say the least. The beginning ran like something I could have made with my camera phone and a group of friends with a lot of time on their hands. The first eight minutes consisted of: cheesy lines/accents, plastic weapons and armor, and worst of all: death scenes consisted of someone getting hit with a plastic weapon and pretending to die.Just before I turned it off, the screen shimmered and the scene changed. A group of middle age men sat around a round table with a bunch of paper and dice. I recognized a few of them. They were the same actors from the scenes before. It was then that I realized I'd also misread the title.DORKNESS RISINGThings just got interesting.Below is a youtube video from The Dead Gentlemen,the production company, and their trailer for Dorkness Rising. Now finding this on a whim is probably one of the best things I've stumbled across...ever. I've watched it dozens of times, and it still makes me laugh. Below is an affiliate link for it on Amazon Prime. Even if you don't use the link below, I highly recommend checking it out. Click picture for linkBut one thing that this movie did other than provide hours of entertainment, was ignite my brother and my interest in playing an RPG. Not the typical video game RPG's that are everywhere these days, but the classic table top RPG as seen in the movie. That being said, neither my brother and I had much experience with it. So I looked up a beginners guide on Google, and found a beginner friendly system. I wrote a brief story for us, drew out a map, and we played for a few hours until we were comfortable. *Fun Fact!That same dice system that I originally found to introduce my brother and I into table top RPG's is also what inspired my upcoming Dice Books!*After we became comfortable I started building upon the system, making it more advanced and allowing us more options for customization. We created characters like Plork, the shape shifting platypus.Plork Or Ronin, the Knight Templar werewolf.Ronin Playing as such dynamic characters through whatever the campaign was always a good time. We would have done it more had time constraints not got in the way.Enter Fighting Fantasy.Fighting Fantasy is not only a niche genre of books, it is also a series of books by Steve Jackson. Fighting Fantasy is like the Google of Solitaire Adventure books...it's in the name. Above are affiliate links to some of Steve Jackson's most acclaimed books. For those of you who enjoy classic tabletop RPG's but struggle to find the time, perhaps pick up one of these books. The fighting fantasy genre allows the reader to experience that a rich fantasy world, through the eyes of unique characters on your own time. Stay tuned for Dice Book Publishing's own contributions to this genre. We've started writing one, and have been kicking around ideas for another.At the moment I've had to shut down the shop for maintenance. But as soon as that's out of the way be sure to sign up to our email list for special coupon codes to be used in our improved shop!Thank you for reading!Davis SummerlinFounder of Dice Book Publishing Contact@dicebookpublishing.com

Amazon, Nook, and Kobo. The modern day faces of Lannister, Targaryen, and Stark?

In this scenario:Amazon = House Lannister.Kobo = House StarkBarnes and Noble's Nook = House TargaryenHouse LannisterAmazon is king. This is no secret. Just last week I was watching "The Patriot Act" with Hassan Minhaj, where he did an entire episode on Amazon. I also just finished up a documentary on Netflix about the nineties, where Amazon earned itself a shout out referencing its beginnings.Perhaps my memory is shorter than most, but I had completely forgotten that Amazon began as an online bookstore. Compare that to today, where you can buy anything from books, bananas and garbage bags to cars, tanks, and nuclear weapons (I'm not sure about the last three...but probably). The point is, Amazon began in Jeff Bezos's garage, but quickly became a contender for the Iron Throne which was then held by House Targaryen or as we know them Barnes and Noble. Well Davis, what's your point? Are you saying Amazon kills its competitors through acts of murder and assassination, or commits acts of adultery that produce children born of incest, or that...Whoa there! Hit the brakes there Floating Bold Font(FBF). To be honest my Game of Thrones analogy gets pretty thin when looked at too closely. The only similarity I'm actually drawing a line between these three companies is their power shifts. After that perhaps I'll answer the how they did it and why. I doubt it was any of the above (but who knows). Back to Amazon, and what its dominance means to the rest of us, or rather...to me.Dice Book Publishing is a publishing company (if you didn't know that...darn). That being said, I really only care about what Amazon can do for me and Dice Book, and it's done a lot.Until recently Dice Book Publishing had an exclusive distributing contract with Amazon for all of its eBook sales. This allowed me to retain a 70% royalty rate, and be a member of its KDP Select program, allowing Kindle Unlimited subscribers to read 'If Only' and giving me a cut of the profits.Amazon has allowed me to become the 'Z list' celebrity that I am and has done a lot for the publishing industry as a whole.However, while Amazon is still killing it in the publishing space, it doesn't have to be. What I mean by that is that Amazon's diversification of products and services has given Amazon security. It no longer has to be 'The Best' it just has to be 'Good enough,' and that's fine.'Good Enough' has gotten Amazon the #1 ranking in terms of book sales in both the US and the UK. To be honest, that's probably not going to change anytime soon. That being said, I'm no longer exclusive with Amazon.Omg! Didn't you just say Amazon was #1?! Didn't you just say you had a 70% royalty deal?! Why would you leave?!I'll tell you FBF. Like I said before Amazon is now in the 'Good Enough' game. It is no longer the best when it comes to the publisher and arguably the consumer. Now this post isn't about me telling you who is the best, but I am going to name a few contenders, and let you know my intentions for each Great House...I mean company. The next company after Amazon is likely the one you have all heard of, Barnes and Noble and its e-reader the NOOK.House Targaryen( Barnes and Noble)Barnes and Nobel was the king of book sales before Amazon came along. The NOOK e-reader is its attempt to reclaim what it's lost. It has all the same capabilities that any comparable kindle device would have. NOOK is currently #2 in American book sales, and had a decent foot in the UK as well until they decided to close their international branch.NOOK initially began as a separate company, a subsidiary of Barnes and Noble.NOOK, the John Snow of this article wasn't born with all the rights and privileges of his father.He wasn't even allowed to have the same name. This distance was met with the perception that Barnes and Noble was trying to do just that...distance itself. This made investors cautious, and is potentially why it under-performed in relation to other e-reading companies. But NOOK is no longer estranged. It has been reclaimed!It is now NOOK by Barnes and Noble. So while the NOOK is now only available in the U.S, it now has all the power and resources of America's largest book store! ...(Amazon excluded). Now, Dice Book Publishing has yet to enter into distribution agreements with NOOK, but will do shortly after entering this next distribution company, Kobo.House StarkKobo is the premier e-reading company of Canada. It is also the company that has surpassed the titan of Amazon in the e-reading and publishing space. While nearly all e-readers provide similar functions and features, Kobo is rooted in one industry. In order for them to compete and succeed against a company like Amazon, their goal is most assuredly to 'Be the Best.'Although their e-readers like all e-readers give similar experiences, Kobo has attempted to go a step further by listening to its customers and anticipating their ideal experiences. One example of this is the company's use of Overdrive, allowing you to borrow e-books from your local library for free. Another is the water resistance feature. *Below is an affiliate link. If you choose to purchase anything I will get a small kickback.*But wait! Doesn't Amazon and Barnes and Noble both have water proof devices of their own?Why yes FBF, both of these other companies now have their own versions of water resistant devices. However, Kobo was the first to create such a device. Kobo also offers a non-exclusive ,uncapped70% royalty rate to all of its authors priced at 2.99 or above. This non exclusivity has many authors (including myself) opting out of Amazon's exclusive KDP Select programs in favor of the friendlier Canadian Competition. Kobo will continue to innovate. Not only will it remain at the forefront of the industry in innovation, but their market share is growing as well especially globally. Their international markets are out competing Amazon in several countries, one of, if not the most important country being India. If Kobo continues to strengthen its position in India, that country alone with its population of 1.34 billion could be enough to challenge Amazon for the Iron Throne.The Iron ThroneSo, like I said I am no longer exclusive. This means that instead of a 70% royalty deal, I have a 35% royalty deal. However, I can now distribute to other retailers, including my own store. I don't know if you realized this, but Dice Book Publishing now has a store! I currently have the EPUB version of If Only for sale through the Dice Book Publishing store. However, my store doesn't support MOBI files (the file type that Kindle devices read).EPUB is the file type all other e-readers other than Kindles use such as:Nook by Barnes and NobleandKoboFor those of you that have a kindle, all books within the Dice Book Store will also sport affiliate links to their respective Amazon sales pages. That way you can continue to support Dice Book Publishing without converting to an entire new device. There is sure to be a lot of excitement coming down the pipeline. Here's a list of what's to come:1.In the next week or two 'If Only' and all future works will become available on all e-reading devices through consumers distribution channels of choice, including those mentioned in this article as well as many others via a new partnership with Draft 2 Digital. 2.I will be creating two new imprints under the Dice Book Publishing umbrella to better distinguish upcoming collections.One imprint will house upcoming children's books. There are two already written and I am in talks with Illustrators.The other will become the new home of our realistic fiction collection including 'If Only' and the upcoming work 'The Love Frog'While Dice Book Publishing will continue to remain the publishing house of all, as an imprint it will begin to venture into works of fantasy and solitaire adventure books.3.This is less of a point of 'what's to come' and more of a thank-you to all the new subscribers of the Dice Book Publishing email list. For those of you that haven't, consider joining at our Home page. Before the release of any of these upcoming titles I will be sending my list an email about being a potential beta readers.Those readers will receive advance review copies (Arcs) of the books and will play a critical role in the future of Dice Book Publishing.To those that join the list but opt out of the beta reading group, you will still always be the first to know of promotions and launches so that you never have to pay full price.

The Lake house

I have a lot of updates since my last post. But that's not what this post is about, not yet anyway.I just finished taking my three month old daughter June to the doctor on my own today. I'm watching her finally get her nap after a rather hectic morning. As she sleeps I'm looking around my house, at the pictures and memories (strategically placed by my wife" throughout the space. I'm looking at from June and the memories and can't help think how perfect my life has been. I don't mean 'perfect' as in free of strife, I've had plenty...who hasn't. I mean 'perfect' as in almost magical. Last night during dinner I had the movie The Lake House playing in the background. The movie is about a pair of people that begin to write to one another and realize that there is a literal time gap of two years between them, yet they've found a way to send messages to one another through time. I've seen the movie before. I thought it was okay at the time, not really for me. Somehow I'd actually forgotten that key aspect of the movie, the element of magic that tied it together. Now in the movie that 'magic' seems to be as much a barrier to the couple as it is a boon. The bridge, or portal, or whatever it is that enables them to communicate connects the two, but also seems to be keeping them apart at the same time. Spoiler alert it all works out in the end.Back to me.Growing up I watched my parents and used them as a rubric or road map for what I expected out of life. My parents both went to Texas A&M. They met, they fell in love, they got married, and they had me and my siblings. Never let it be said that I can't paraphrase. From where I sat, that way of doing things seemed to work out just fine. So by the end of my senior year at Texas A&M I was engaged. Not to my wife Victoria but to another. Spoiler alert, that didn't work out.That plan I'd had the bulk of my life fell through. Sure, there weren't a lot of details and specifics to the plan, but it was my long term plan and at the time the only long term plan I'd ever had. So with that out the window I spent a good amount of time (four and a half years in fact)...waiting. Now I didn't just wait. I worked my way up at my day job. I worked on several versions of "If Only" and learned what it meant to be an adult. But eventually I began to feel resigned. There didn't seem to be an end in sight to that waiting game. I felt resigned, because I felt like I was okay with that. Now I'm not an old man, and I was even younger then so that felt like a very old way of thinking. To look at one's life and think "I guess this works." Thankfully, the night I truly felt that resignation my wife walked through the front door. Now you can read in more detail about our love story in my book "The Love Frog" but the release date is still pending.But to paraphrase, Victoria and I had run in the same circles for years. Our mutual friend had matched us in her mind when Victoria was fifteen years old. However, not only did that match not come to fruition for another ten years later, but Victoria and I never met despite our mutual friend's attempts. From the night Victoria and I met to now has been magic. Finding out later that on multiple occasions we were in the same place, same day just at different times over the course of ten years is crazy to me. Now, when I look around our house and at our beautiful little June, I'm humbled.I'm humbled when I think back to my plan of: meet someone, then marry them, versus the incredibly precise, carefully crafted and designed architecture that was the magic that brought me my perfect girls Victoria and June.While Keanu Reeves and I might not have much in common, like in The Lake House all I had to do...was wait.

"The goal is to keep her alive today...maybe fold some laundry" - Victoria Marie Summerlin

"It's okay," I whispered as I stroked my wife's hair. "Now you can just sit back and let them take over. I'm proud of you," I smiled. Victoria let out a breath, then nodded. A woman in baby blue scrubs and a matching hairnet walked into our labor and delivery room."We can't take all the pain away," She said. What a *****, I think (insert your favorite five letter word of vulgarity, I'd share mine but I'd like this post to be as PG as possible.)***We'd come as a precaution...just to make sure everything was okay with Victoria and the baby. Our nurse Misty ran a test. It was negative. The baby wouldn't be coming today.We still have time,I thought. I remember asking my wife what we should get for lunch afterwards. Misty came back. "So turns out there was some confusion with the test result. You're having your baby today," Misty said. Victoria's amniotic sac had ruptured. Victoria's mouth drops into an excited smile. Huh? I thought. Misty wheeled Victoria into a labor and delivery room. She was put on an IV. Our doctor came and told us the game plan. First on the agenda 'pitocin.' A red flag went up. I looked to my wife. She nodded her head as our doctor spoke. Her eyes were locked and attentive. They were also wide."I've heard bad things about pitocin," I said, voicing my wife's unsaid concerns. The doctor nodded. She explained that under normal circumstances she wouldn't utilize the drug, but under these circumstances it was necessary to jump start Victoria's contractions as the risk for infection was high due to the ruptured amniotic sac. "We're starting the dose at two milliliters," she said. "A normal hospital would generally start the drip in the fifty milliliter range. We don't want to do that, we just want to give her body a soft nudge in the right direction," She explained. I looked to Victoria. Her eyes had normalized. I nodded. They started the drip.It started small, as did Victoria's contractions. The drip was gradually increased, but never going above eighteen milliliters. Somewhere in between Victoria had opted for an epidural. I stood in front of her, holding her focus and bracing her as she fought through the pain of its insertion. She could no longer eat or drink for the remainder of her labor. Her only relief were the spoonfuls of ice chips that I fed her throughout the night.After some time had passed our doctor returned. She stopped the pitocin drip, and to inserted a balloon catheter, another technique that would hopefully prompt my wife's cervix to dilate further pushing its two centimeters gradually to four. Hours went by. Our obstetrician went home. A new doctor came in to take her place. A brusque woman with what may have been a Russian accent. This new doctor removed the balloon. We'd made it to five centimeters...halfway there.A few hours later the Victoria's water was forcibly burst. Gushes of water and blood. Victoria couldn't see from her position high on the bed. I was glad for it. She laughed, not having the words to describe the feeling. Her contractions worsened and continued to do so."I don't know how much longer I can do this," Victoria said to me several hours later.***That was twenty seven hours ago. After twenty seven hours of continuous non stop pain, thirst, hunger and total lack of sleep the Russian doctor returned telling us that a C-section was the only way forward. Victoria's eyes widened. The grip she held around my hand tightened and her lips pursed into a tight line. The Russian doctor exited.Victoria began to shake. Her lip picked up a slight tremble. "It's okay," I said stroking her hair. After a few moments her tremble subsided. Her shaking disappeared. She let out a long calming breath, locked eyes with me and nodded. Then in came the witch of an anesthesiologist and broke my wife's calm. The anesthesiologist described our 'pain management options' and described what my wife could 'expect to feel.' I thought she'd be made to feel nothing. My wife's wide eyes confirmed this was what she'd expected as well. However, that wasn't the case. She'd feel 'pressure' and lots of it. Admittedly this wasn't the worst thing in the world. Especially considering what all was about to happen, and what that would most likely feel like.Nevertheless...choosing your first words to be "we can't take away all the pain," to an already terrified soon to be mother awaiting major surgery was crappy bed side manner if I'd ever seen it. Her instructions to me began equally as brusque, but something in my sleep deprived eyes must have changed her tone. While noticed, the damage to my wife's calm had been done. It was damaged further when they wheeled her away and told me to wait for ten minutes...someone would come for me when they were ready.At this point it was debatable whose calm was more rattled. I stood alone in a now empty hospital room. I dawned my own pair of baby blue scrubs, matching hair net and booties. I pulled my surgical mask down below my chin. Then I waited. I moved from one end of the room to the other. I repeated this process once, twice, and after what must have been fifteen years of pacing the anesthesiologist returned."You ready to be a dad?" She chirped. Maybe, I thought. I nodded my head. "Well follow me," she began walking down the familiar hallway towards Victoria's operating room. "Do you know what you're having?" The woman asked. "We don't," I responded. The fact did nothing to calm my heart, but replaced some of the festering fear with genuine excitement."Oh really?! I love that!" The woman exclaimed. "Do you have any bets going?" she asked. "We do actually. I think it's a boy, my wife thinks it's a boy too but she's hoping for a girl. If it's a boy I decide where we eat on our next dinner date, and if it's a girl my wife decides," I relay as we turn the corner. Despite going through two tours of the hospital and spending several hours wandering the halls, I had not been allowed in this particular part of the hospital. Two double doors rested on both the right and left side. The two on the right were open."My money is on boy," the woman said placing her bet. Her imaginary prize being a local steakhouse. We walked through the double doors. We entered a large operating room. Six or seven doctors and nurses surrounded a large metal table. A long blue surgical curtain hung from two poles on either side. I spotted my wife on the left side of the curtain. She was laying on the table, the curtain rested on her neck, obscuring her view of the rest of the room. "Let's sit by your wife," the anesthesiologist said.The two of us made our way to my wife's head. I pulled up a stool and sat next to her. Her eyes were wet at the corners. Her eyes met mine. They were wider then I'd ever seen them. She remained silent."It's okay," I said stroking her cheek. I looked slightly to my right. My wife's arms were extended and strapped down on either side of her, like a chrome crucifix. I heard a pop. I turned in the direction of the sound but realize it was just my knuckles popping as they made an involuntary fist."Okay, we're going to start," the anesthesiologist said."Okay," Victoria's voice broke. From my place by her side I can see the tops of the doctors and nurses begin to move. I turn to Victoria. He face contorts in confused discomfort. She remains silent. "You're going to feel like a grown man is sitting on your chest," the anesthesiologist informs us. Victoria nods. I see two women suddenly rise above the rest. Their arms begin pulsing frantically up and down, and side to side. "It hurts!" Victoria gasped. Her eyes wince shut. Her strapped down arms clench into fists but remain fixed to the chrome. I feel my shoulders tense. I look towards the anesthesiologist. She's standing...just standing. I hear another familiar pop as both my hands tighten. Then I hear a baby's cry."Oh!" Victoria gasps. Her eyes shimmer as she listens. "What is it?" Victoria asks. I can't see from my seated position. "Go on take a look daddy," the anesthesiologist prompts. I stand. Peering over the light blue curtain a see a baby hovering over a literal pool of blood. I focus on the baby, struggling to find the identifying gender markers."What is it?" Victoria asks again. "I can't tell," I say cocking my head. The woman holding the baby moves her closer to me, bringing the screaming infant to our side of the curtain. "Well," the woman holding the baby says. She angles the baby for me to see."It's a girl," I say."June," Victoria whispered before closing her eyes and falling asleep. ***The next three nights at the hospital went by fast. Between learning essential parenting skills like: changing diapers, swaddling, giving sponge baths and learning proper feeding techniques, I also looked after Victoria, whom in addition to having a C-section, also had adverse effects to the morphine.Ultimately, these effects manifested themselves as light hallucinations, lasting for just shy of a twenty four hour period. Thankfully, the hallucinations were a welcomed addition to the attending nursing staff. Humor was found in many of the following statements uttered by my wife while recovering from the morphine:1. Victoria: "Do you think they'll stop her?" Nurse: "Who?"Victoria: "We're having a fundraiser at our school to support this to foundation. We're selling lemonade. I just want to make sure they wont stop June from selling."Nurse: (Looks to me and back to Victoria confused) I think she'll be okay."2. Nurse: "So how are y'all doing?"Victoria: "I'm doing good. I'm four centimeters dilated. I'm getting induced in the morning."Victoria's Mom: "Victoria, you already had the baby, she's right there (she points to June in my arms). Victoria: "I know." (Victoria turns back to the nurse.) "I'm getting induced in the morning."3.Victoria: "So how do ......................................" (She looks at me) "What do you think?"Me: "How do what?"Victoria: "Oh my! Was I not saying anything?"4.Victoria: "When foontill krite bine the hamster?"Victoria's Mom: "What?"Victoria: "Uhg you're worse than Davis,"Eventually the effects wore off. We entered the hospital Friday afternoon, we were discharged Tuesday afternoon. Our first night at home was both exhausting and relieving. Exhausting for all the stereotypical reasons that newborns are exhausting, and relieving in the sense that we were finally home. That made it better. Wednesday morning Victoria and I sat on the couch. She looked at me and said:"The goal today is to keep her alive...maybe fold some laundry."Mind blowing Side note! In the kindle version of 'If Only' is available for just .99 all week. Click below to get your copy if you have not already done so!

A Mother, a Grandmother, an Artist...an Author?

When I was about ten years old I spent a week with my grandparents over the summer.My grandparents lived in a quiet suburban neighborhood. There were no kids to meet and much less to play with. The house was quiet. My grandparents hobbies included reading and gardening. Relaxing right? It's a trip better suited to the man I am today than to the boy I was then. That being said, I made several lasting memories that week.The first being my grandmother and I sitting in the dining room watching the biggest snake I'd ever seen coiled around some unseen prey. To be honest, at that point I don't think I'd ever seen a snake in real life. Grandma and I watched as we ate lunch, and though curious neither of us were brave enough to investigate beyond the closed sliding glass door. My next memory happened later that afternoon, when my grandfather came home from his job at the university. My grandmother pointed to the snake which had remained coiled for the better part of the day. At which point, my grandfather opened the screen door, grabbed a shovel and promptly cut the snake's head off. This was the first and only time I'd seen such an event in my life. I remember a mix of feelings. Feelings of regret and awe. Regret for the snake, but I was in awe of my grandfather's bravery and quick action.Those memories are strong. But the ones that came after are life changing.My grandma was an artist. Her paintings are hung throughout her house in Bryan/College Station. A winter day overlooking an old log cabin hangs above the fire place. A violet flower amidst woodsy branches hangs above her favorite couch. A painting of their dog Angel hangs above the doorway guarding the guestroom. But what many don't know is that she was also a writer. That summer I was still mastering the art of typing. Grandma Ganna let me practice on her computer. She encouraged me to "write a story." In between visits to the video store, walking the dog with Grandpa and watching cartoon network, I wrote. I wrote and Grandma Ganna encouraged me to keep writing. At the end of my trip before leaving she gave me a book. It was a 'How to get published' book, with tips, strategies and literal mailing addresses of various literary agents. It was a dream of hers to one day be published, and as I understand it she got very close. Unfortunately on 05/19/2018 at 06:25pm I watched my Grandma pass away.On the long drive home I reflected on every memory of my grandmother I could. I thought of her smiling as she used to watch American Idol (she especially liked Taylor Hicks.) I thought of her little arguments between her and my grandfather, after which without fail the two of them would laugh at the silliness of whatever they had been arguing about. And more than anything I remembered the sight of her. She has a constant image in my memory. She sits on her love seat beneath her violet flower reading a book. The books in her hands change. The dog sitting beside her would shift through the years. The background in the window beside her would move from winter to summer, from fall to spring. In every setting there she'd be sitting with a book in her hand, a concentrated look on her face. I'd like to honor my Grandma who did more for me than she knew. One of the benefits of owning my own publishing company is that when I see a gem, I can do something about it. So with that being said, as soon as I'm able to work out the legal side of things, and provided my grandma's old works can be recovered, Dice Book Publishing will be happy to announce the newest addition to our team: soon to be published author, Anna Summerlin.

What I've been doing?

Howdy! I know it's been a while since I've posted. Last post was in January and I summed up 2017 and announced the soon to be born Baby Summerlin in 07/25/2018 (unless they come early).So what have I been doing for the last four months?Reading and Writing. It's no secret that reading makes you a better writer, and I really need to bring my A-Game for my next book: 'The Love Frog''The Love Frog' is a love story...ours. No not you Valued Reader, my wife Victoria's and mine. So despite having lived it with me, Victoria is most likely going to want to read it, thus the necessary A-Game. Hence (at least somewhat) all the reading. So since I've been reading so much, I thought I'd take a minute to write a few reviews and provide some links to some of these books. Now, the majority of these books aren't anything like "If Only" or my upcoming "The Love Frog" novel, both of which are based in reality. Pretty much every book I've read within these past few months have been related to the Fantasy genre."Wow! That's really irresponsible of you! Don't you have a baby on the way? Shouldn't you be reading dad books instead of wasting your time reading all these fiction books?!"Whoa, pump the brakes Valued Reader. Yes you are absolutely right. I do have a baby on the way. Since you mentioned it here are the two books I've read in that particular arena.Note: If you're not interested in baby books...skip this sectionBaby BooksThis was the first book I read. I didn't like it...at first. I give author John Pfeiffer props for attempting to bring humor into an often times stress filled situation. But, while the book did provide me a few hearty chuckles. I found that the actual information I sought took a back seat to Pfeiffer's attempts at making a joke. This problem is primarily found in the beginning of the book. Content takes the drivers seat in the latter half, making the book an overall good investment.Then I read this: 'The Expectant Father' is a much more down to earth book. No jokes, just facts. To be honest, if you get stressed easily I recommend 'Dude you're gonna be a dad.' The above book doesn't pull any punches. It lets you know exactly what to expect, from best to worst. What personally stressed me out was the potential costs of everything, which the book goes into painful detail. Everything is covered in detail...a lot of detail. So while you'll probably finish the book feeling cold and sweaty instead of the expected warm and fuzzy, you will most definitely finish the book with the necessary knowledge to be new dad. So there valued reader, those are the books I've read thus far. Now that I've vanquished your concerns like the valiant Dad-to-be I am, let's get on to the other stuff.Fantasy...ish Read this...enough said. Just kidding. This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. If you liked Harry Potter, or are familiar with the less known Mathias Thullman Witch Hunter novels, you'll love this. Author Jeffrey L. Kohanek does an impeccable job of drawing you in and keeping your attention throughout the novel. He builds his world and characters in flawless tandem. Enabling you to immerse yourself in both the character relationships as well as satisfy your growing curiosity about the world he's created. Amazing book; if it was ever found by the right people it'd make a great movie. Now the next one and possibly the one after is where the "...ish" part of the fantasy comes in.This is an action packed book about cupids and their struggle to foster true and lasting love in an increasingly fickle world. Interesting right? That's what's going to get you through the book, you're interest in the overarching story that Laskin lays for us. He has a great idea, and overall a great story. The difference between Laskin and Kohanek from 'The Buried Symbol' is that while Laskin manages to hold your interest in his story, he fails to do so with the characters, at least mostly. Most of the characters seem like copies of one another, ultimately creating about three characters total if you were to just combine all of them into what they actually are. Part of this uniformity is by design, this much is clear, however Laskin goes a bit too far. Another potential flaw, is the message.Laskin laces a heavy message within the dialogue of his characters. Its not necessarily a political message or commentary as much as it is human (the heart of which I agree with), yet he lays it on too thick. It's painfully obvious what the Author thinks of certain aspects of our world. Whether or not you agree, is irrelevant. Chances are Laskin's lack of subtlety will bore or annoy you.That being said, the story was well crafted enough that I bought the next two books in the series.Now this last book was my first adventure into the genre of LitRPG. If you're unfamiliar with this genre the book and now movie "Ready Player One" is set within this genre. It revolves around the bulk of the story taking place within a virtual space or video-game. 'Fantasy Online' follows Ryuk, an adolescent boy who prefers the virtual world to that of reality. The story moves from world to world as Ryuk ultimately fights to save both. This was a fun way for me to test out the genre. I read it on a Kindle Fire. Throughout the book the characters will be immersed in their online avatars. During this immersion their avatars will 'level up' or gain 'new skills' based on the feasts they perform. Whenever this happens on the kindle fire positive effects are written in green text while negative effects are written in red. I found this to be oddly satisfying. Although you as the reader aren't playing the game it provides some sense of secondhand satisfaction as you watch the characters grow and progress in literally measurable ways.I imagine its similar to the appeal one gets when watching a Youtuber play a video game. You the viewer aren't doing anything yet you're somehow invested in the player's performance. If you are a reader who also enjoys video game based Youtube channels or Role Playing Games yourself, I'd imagine that the LitRPG genre is a great fit. 'Fantasy Online' is a solid enough book. I can't say how it stacks up against others in its genre, but as far as my own experience with it goes I'll rate it at four out of five stars.Now that concludes the Review part of this post. If you think that's not that many books...well you may be right. However I have also read the one of the following most nights before bed:If you want a review of these books feel free to email me at contact@dicebookpublishing.com but for now, I'll tell you that they have prompted many a kick from baby Summerlin.

2017: "I was the best year yet." 2018:"Challenge Accepted."

2017 was the fullest and best year of my life to date. It'll be hard for 2018 to compete, but I've got a feeling it's a strong contender (more on that later). The year began at midnight. So far pretty typical, not breaking from the tradition the last two thousand and sixteen years set. It began with my girlfriend, Victoria, and I living in a small apartment right down the street from my day job. I had lived alone for almost five years and never lived with a woman (family excluded). It was...an adjustment, albeit a good one...mostly. Victoria and I had a giant walk-in closet, none of which was mine. My clothes primarily resided in a large black footlocker at the base of our bed, harking back to my days in the Corps at A&M. It was a small but nice space. We worked out together regularly, swam occasionally, and learned how to live together without driving each other crazy. We had two pets: my dog Ted and her cat Freckles. Ted in particular didn't help with keeping the craziness level low...he still doesn't.With minimal hiccups our apartment living went quite well. So well in fact that we decided to upgrade our living situation. We decided to buy a house! Or rather, we tried to buy a house...turns out it's not only expensive...but frustratingly confusing. Who knew? Thankfully Victoria's mom knew as she had just become a realtor! However, despite having a family realtor on our side finding a comfortable house in our price range was a bit too much, but thankfully her grandparents had just invested in a property and allowed us to become their first tenants for a great price. So we moved down the street into a comfortable three bed and two bath. I'd say things were going well. Again, so well that on June ninth I asked Victoria to marry me.Fast forward a few months:1. Victoria and I bought the house we were renting.2. We lost Victoria's childhood cat Freckles 3. We gained a shy but sweet Great Dane mix in Begley the dog4. We also rescued a stray puppy we named Copper.Life happens fast right?"But wait wasn't your last post about getting married in October?"Why yes random and devoted fan, yes it was. While we initially planned for a wedding on 11/10/2018...Life, Opportunity, and Victoria's father made it possible to get married 10/28/2017. Here's our highlight video for yall to share. "With such a great 2017, how is 2018 going to stand a chance?" Great question valued reader:This is how:July 25th 2018, Victoria and I are welcoming this little one to the world. 2018 is shaping up to be our fullest and best year yet.

Im getting married! Have a book!

So as some of you know I am getting married tomorrow 10/28/17. So in that spirit of commitment I challenge you to download the kindle version of my book...For Free!Starting tomorrow for 5 daysIf Only's eBook will be free! All I ask is that you leave an honest review of the book on Amazon, and wish my future wife good luck with all my shenanigans.