R.A. Evans's Blog, page 24

On the road again…

In case you haven't noticed, I like to talk about my projects – especially at live events. There is a certain energy that comes from having a mixed audience of those who have already dipped their toes into the mysteries of Asylum Lake and those who have not yet entered its murky depths.

On Saturday, January 29th at 2:00pm I'll be kicking off the 2011 leg of my book tour with a stop at The Book Nook & Java Shop in Montague, MI.  For book nuts like me, this place is a little slice of heaven, and I am happy to be visiting for the first time as an author.

So what can you expect at an R.A. Evans event?  The simple answer – conversation.  I like to read a few of my favorite excerpts from the book, tease the upcoming sequel Grave Undertakings, and maybe even share bits and pieces of other projects I am working on. Plus, it's a great time for asking questions – both you of me and me of you.  I always wonder what readers are thinking when they experience my writing – and this is a chance for me to find out.

Click Here to listen to a recent radio interview promoting my event at The Book Nook & Java Shop.  I hope to see you there!

Devil's Pawn teaser revealed

Everyone has a price – what's yours?

Devil's Pawn

Welcome to Hell, an unincorporated stretch of land in Southeast Michigan. With an advertised population of  666 and a playful proclivity to garner attention from its infamous name,  nobody batted an eye when the self-proclaimed Prince of Darkness chose Hell to set up shop. But as business booms in his Soul Proprietorship, rumors begin to swirl. Who is this mysterious stranger and what is really being bought and sold behind the doors of The Devil's Pawn?

Resolutions

I am constantly resolving to do things. In fact, just five minutes ago I resolved to ignore the peanut butter cups that were calling to me from the pantry.  Sadly, Reese's resolved to make me eat them. Long story short – Reese's resolutions mean a hell of a lot more than mine!

I do have a couple resolutions I am confident I can keep, however.

I resolve to be a better father. I've been selfish with my time – especially related to the effort I put into writing and promoting my writing. My kids are still at an age where they think I'm cool and want to spend time with me – I need to take advantage of it before they learn just how uncool I really am.
I resolve to write something outside of the horror/mystery genre. Don't get me wrong I like the genre and if sales of Asylum Lake are any indication I have a modicum of skill at it.  I just really feel I have a story in me that is more personal, real, and tragic. I just don't know if I have the courage to write it.
I resolve to once and for all decide if my problem with God is my lack of belief in him or my fear that he doesn't believe in me.

I think that about covers it. I'm sure I will resolve to do other things (most of which will be horrible failures), but these are definitely the top three. Wish me luck. I'll keep you up to date on my progress.

p.s. I forgot one. I also resolve to totally blow your minds with Grave Undertakings and my deeply disturbing descriptions of the dark deeds of Dr. Wesley Clovis.

Still Time to Dive In

The murky waters of Asylum Lake will be icing over in the very near future – making it completely impossible to dive into its frigid depths until a Spring thaw sets in.  Don't miss out on this chance to own the book in its original form.  Free shipping now thru January 31, 2011!

Order your signed copy now!

A Lesson in Loss

Loss : the state of being deprived of or of being without something that one has had.

The vast majority of my writing comes from my own inability to deal with loss.  From Asylum Lake to the projects I currently have banging around in my brain, the characters I create and pour myself into have an equally difficult time navigating through loss.

I was 10 when my parents divorced. That, as Ellis Arkema so perfectly stated in Asylum Lake "was my first lesson in loss".  I have spent the last 30 years trying to find that part of me – the 10 year old boy suddenly without a father; not that he was physically absent – merely emotionally. I was fortunate enough to briefly discover my father again shortly before his death. Those few precious months I had with him as the cancer ate him from the inside out, although truly a gift, can never replace the time I had lost.

I have a son who is 9 (and two daughters even younger) and history seems to be repeating itself.  My wife and I recently separated and I foresee a multitude of losses on the horizon.  The loss of physical items is trivial; things can be replaced, but the emotional loss is something I am already mourning.

It seems my lessons in loss continue. Perhaps it will fuel my writing even more…perhaps not.  If nothing else, loss continues to provide me a reason to keep searching — for happiness, for answers, and for all the unseen things that haunt the shadows of my mind.

Character Flaws

We're all flawed in some way – and its not necessarily a bad thing.

I have a list of 100 questions which I have developed over the years to help me development the characters I write about. Everything from religious views and level of education completed to bad habits and unrealized dreams falls somewhere on the list.  Its always a chore to complete this questionnaire a I create my characters, but it always pays off in the end.

In fact, a little known detail about the popular character of  Frank Griggs from Asylum Lake – he squeezes the loaves of bread at the supermarket.  April would cringe every time she saw him walk into Kroger because she knew a slew of people would be complaining about the bread.

Why is that level of detail important? Good question. It's not like that weird habit ever made its way onto the printed page. It does help me, however, figure out what makes a character tick.  I always heard that the true measure of a man can be taken by how he acts when he thinks nobody is looking. Well, love him or hate him, Frank Griggs squeezes the bread when he thinks nobody is looking!

Late last night I turned myself loose on those 100 questions and answered them as honestly about myself as I could.  Although I came to no earth-shattering conclusions, I did realize that in many ways I really don't know who I am. Like many of you, there is the "public me" and the "private me and somewhere in the shadows between lies the real me.

A few items of note, however, may surprise you. Although I religiously quote Pearl Jam lyrics, I am mostly likely to find myself singing songs of a much less cool variety (of late it has been Justin Timberlake).  I often find myself driving with my blinker on – and yet still complain when I see others doing it. Most shocking to me, however, is the realization that people are often much better friends to me than what I reciprocate.

So to those of you who count me as friend,  please know that I have put myself on warning (a double secret probation of sorts).  Your friendship and support is greatly appreciated.

In light of this new-found insight, I am off to do a bit of writing. Although I promise Pearl Jam to be my soundtrack this afternoon, know that it is Justin's Sexy Back that calls to me…

Creativity Must Run in the Family

In a previous post I mentioned my inspiration for a new story based on the simple premise "What if the devil owned a pawn shop?"

Much like that silver sphere in a pinball machine, that idea has been bouncing around my head. I have an odd habit of not being able to really sink my teeth into something until I have a working title for it (trust me – its a very annoying habit to have).  Thankfully, my cousin Dan found the idea intriguing enough to give it some thought and came up with a title I am very fond of – The Devil's Pawn: A Soul Proprietorship.

So was does this mean? Well, in the short-term very little. I am already hard at work on the revisions to Asylum Lake and making the three book Parting The Veil series a two book extravaganza with Grave Undertakings.  Plus, my brain and research partner Ken Chinavare are already busy at work on FLIGHT. Add in the hundred or so pages I already have on a little story called REDIAL and this pawn shop  story is definitely on the back burner.

You never know, however.  Something tells me The Devil's Pawn will practically write itself!

Thanks, Danny – and look for a character named after you featured prominently!

Devil's Pawn: A Soul Proprietorship

Writer's Block

It's like erectile dysfunction – only worse (just to clarify – not that I have ever experienced ED)!I know the words are knocking around in there somewhere but they get lost in translation between my gray-matter and my fingers.

Perhaps its the pressure of dealing with change. The new publishing contract calls for a revised Asylum Lake; not wholesale changes but definitely some copy-editing and a revised ending. I think maybe that's my struggle – the ending (see previous post on endings).

Personally, I have never been good at endings – happy or otherwise.  With the original published version of Asylum Lake I wanted to leave readers with more questions than answers. Feedback has been split on my performance. Trust me, I can understand the desire to want to know more. I, too, have an inquisitive mind – and the benefit of knowing all of the answers to the questions surrounding, Dr. Clovis, the asylum, and what happens next.

People still laugh when I tell them that Asylum Lake is a love story.  It seems so obvious to me. Maybe I just have a different perspective on love, and certainly far different experiences.

So that is where I am – my next project, FLIGHT, calls to me and I am being pulled once again into the mysteries of this damn lake.

p.s. I guess this gives me a chance to kill the dog after-all…:)

More twists and turns for Asylum Lake

I've been hinting at a major announcement and here it is. I've signed that two-book contract with Journalstone Publishing that will allow me to bring Asylum Lake and its sequel to the masses. I'm excited, scared, and every other emotion I can think of (insert Pearl Jam's Wishlist lyrics here).

For more details on the announcement CLICK HERE.

 

The things you learn…

I am constantly amazed by the little useless bits of information I run across while doing research for my novels.

For those of you who have been initiated into the mysteries of Asylum Lake, you are aware that the use and manufacture of methamphetamine plays a smallish role in the story. In the first draft of the novel I went into excruciating detail about how to cook up a batch of what I so kindly refer to as "the devil's dust". Funny thing is, I learned the hard way that many of the internet sites I visited in my research were set up by law enforcement agencies to monitor individuals seeking to make a lifestyle out of this practice. Long story short, what you read in the book merely scratches the surface of what I had initially penned. Still – at the end of the day I am very satisfied with how I treated the subject. Special thanks to Kent County Law Enforcement personnel for their "suggestions".

It's not meth, however, that has me writing this post. Who knows where future book tours may take me and I am merely giving everyone fair warning — I am researching what type of ammunition is used by U.S. Air Marshals for my novel FLIGHT. Please, do not consider this an invitation for an extra special pat down during the boarding process.

In case you were wondering, hollow-point ammunition is used because it will kill instantly and will not go through an aircraft fuselage after passing through a target, unlike conventional bullets. Hmmm, I just hope hollow-points have the stopping power to deal with what's waiting in the cargo hold…