R.A. Evans's Blog, page 26

Throw Your Arms Around Me

I've had one of those melancholy days; it happens now and then. I can't point to any one specific reason for it, although I have my suspicions. Regardless, I did what I normally do when the blues get me – I sulked, ate some chocolate, mixed in a little work, and then finally turned to my fix-all…Pearl Jam.

For those who know me or who have enjoyed (or possibly not enjoyed) Asylum Lake, my fondness for Pearl jam is pretty evident.  Music is an important part of my life – not that I can carry a tune or play an instrument. But I know what I like when I hear it and since the early '90s it's been a healthy dose of Eddie Vedder and company.  I have eclectic tastes – everything from Jackson Brown to Godsmack.  Hell, I've even been known to mix in a little Vanilla Ice in a pinch! Don't be a hater – you know  Mr. Van Winkle dropped the jamz back in the day.

I digress.  I hit random on my iPod a short while ago and heard some very powerful words from an amazing poet.  Like me, I hope you find what you need in them, as well.   Push to Play

There Are No Happy Endings

I don't believe in happy endings; not in my writing and definitely not in true life.  When I get to the end of a book and find a happy ending I immediately add a mental epilogue of my own – chocked full of anguish and disappointment (Yeah – no comments about the exciting life I lead).

It's not that I'm some kind of buzzkill. I just find beauty in tragedy…laughter in tears. How about you? Do you prefer a happy ending to your stories?

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Can you Digg it?

I am now bringing my message to the masses at Digg!

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Selling It!

So exactly how does a self-published author go about selling his work? Seriously, if you have that answer let me know because I don't have a clue! Okay, maybe I have somewhat of a clue.

I have the good fortune of being affiliated with an independent bookstore – Schuler Books & Music.  This family-owned business has been a wonderful partner for me. In fact, their Espresso Book Machine is the very piece of equipment which Asylum Lake is printed upon. It's amazing to watch; the entire process from printing and cutting to binding takes about four minutes per book.

I'm not sure what i would do without my Schuler's relationship. They have been ultra-supportive – from hosting author signings and promoting my title to walking me through the ropes of publishing. In fact, right now you can purchase my title online and they will ship it for free (see, now that is selling it!).

But the partnership just isn't enough.  I am one title on their shelves (and trust me – they have A LOT of shelves).  So I sell myself in other ways. Okay, that sounded wrong and as desperate as I am even I haven't reached that level…yet.  Right now I have a number of digital billboards up across West Michigan.  I am fortunate to have some contacts in the outdoor biz and I couldn't pass up the prices. Is this resulting in additional sales?  I'm not sure, but website traffic is up and I will take that every day of the week.

Also, in case you hadn't noticed, I blog. Yeah – crazy, isn't it. This, in addition to my facebook fan page, helps me stay connected with people. I welcome questions, feedback, any interaction with fans and would-be fans. I think about what it would have been like to be able to send good ol' Steve King an email or facebook message asking him why he chose the name Christine for that evil car.  How cool would that be?

At the end of the day it all boils down to word-of-mouth. Whether it's you telling a friend how awesome Asylum Lake is or a reviewer sharing their opinion with the masses, me selling books relies a lot on people talking to people. So if you truly enjoy Asylum Lake and want to continue reading about Brady Tanner's search for the elusive Dr. Wesley Clovis, turn a friend or co-worker onto the story.  Add some chills to your holidays by taking the advice of my shiny digital billboards!

You might be a serial killer

I've seen the look a million times now and I know exactly what it means.  It starts with a widening of the eyes and a sharp intake of breath and is usually followed by at least one step back. It's the "you might be a serial killer" look and I get it a lot.

No, not because I actually look like a serial killer (at least that's not the look I am going for).  It's the look I get from fans who have read Asylum Lake and are having a difficult time connecting my quiet and calm demeanor with the bloodthirsty carnage and creepiness I write about. Sure, I have written about using hedge-clippers to take off the hands and feet of small children, but that doesn't mean I actually have a collection of the little fingers and toes in my basement freezer (note to self – buy a new larger basement freezer).

I firmly believe that my writing about all things bloody actually makes me less prone to be a serial killer; I kinda get it out of my system in a very healthy and non-violent way. Besides, it all seems like so much work. Between the act of actually doing the deed and then everything that is involved with the cleanup afterward, I would much rather sit behind this keyboard and let my imagination do the heavy lifting.

So here are my top three clues to look for to determine if you might you might be a serial killer:

If you drive a white van – you might be a serial killer.  Seriously, am I the only one who believes every white van on the road is either driving to or from a crime scene?
If you've ever been inside the crawl space of your home – you might be a serial killer. Can anybody tell me what these are used for – aside from burying bodies?
If your neighbors think you are just a quiet guy who keeps to himself – you might be a serial killer. I defy you to find me even one TV interview where a neighbor says after the police roll up, "Yeah, I suspected that dude was making lampshades out of human skin and keeping severed heads in his fridge."

How about you? Got anything to add to this list?

My Blog is moving!

Not that I don;t like the neighborhood, but I have decided to move my blog. You can now check me out at http://raevanswrites.wordpress.com/

I hope you will continue to follow and recommend to others.

I thought it was hard to write a book!

I'm a good two weeks into the blog now and learning quickly that I could ramble on and on about any number of things and still get the same circle of small friends to read. It's got me thinking that writing a blog is in many ways much more difficult than writing a novel.

When I wrote Asylum Lake I knew the ending.  Of course, I didn't realize right away that I wouldn't actually be getting to it until the conclusion of book number three. Apparently George Lucas and I share the same affliction – we don't know where to start or to stop a story. Thankfully, however, I see no Jar Jar's in my future. Regardless, I always knew that the ending to the story I launched in Asylum Lake would totally rock at the close of Parting The Veil (and trust me it does).

Blogs are different; they never really end. Writing a blog feels very similar to the movie Groundhog Day. I wake up each day and know what to expect — two cups of coffee to melt away the writer's block of ice covering my brain, momentary inspiration accompanied by frenzied typing, and then complete and utter anxiety as I wait for comments and views. It's like sending an "I like you. Do you like me? Check yes or no." note to the world and then sitting back to see what happens. The only thing missing from this process is my trusty Trapper Keeper and slick parachute pants from sixth grade. Oh how I miss the 80′s!

So if you are reading this, please check the "Yes" box and drop me comment, sign up as an official follower, and maybe even recommend my blog to a friend. If not, I may have to rely on my old standby from Junior High disappointment — trust me it's scary

Changing Seasons

I complained all summer long about the heat and now find myself on this first snowy day of late fall preparing my long list of complaints about the cold.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy watching the seasons change – from the comfort of my home office where I am in completely control of both the temperature and my proximity to the beverage of my choice. I am quite sure this defines me as both lazy and old, but hope I am wrong.

If you've read this far you are probably wondering how I am going to tie this into something interesting ( so am I!). Here is my feeble attempt.

Weather inspires me; from thunderstorms to blizzards and everything in between. Today, in fact, I can't help but look out of my office window at the fresh blanket of snow and smile at the thought of how easily I could track a fleeing victim through the open field beyond merely by the trail of blood she leaves.

I'm not sure if the snow, however, is more or less of an inspiration than the severe thunderstorm about a month ago that echoed the very foundation of my home with its base drum symphony. I couldn't help but think of what dark deeds those loud thunderclaps would cover — agonized screams, the crunching of bones, most definitely the scratching of something from the other side of the closet door.

You see, mother nature is a bitch, but she has her uses. I'd love to hear your ideas about how weather inspires you.

Just don't kill the dog!

When I released Asylum Lake one chapter each week for the span of six weeks via the official website I was worried for a variety of reasons.

First and foremost, I had never been a believer in the "if you build it they will come" philosophy of life. Sure, it worked well for Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams, but I don't typically have his luck (my luck is much more on the Water World end of the spectrum). Fortunately, word of mouth spread and the website received 15,000 unique hits over the course of those six weeks. I give most of the credit for this to my wonderful designer who captured perfectly my dark vision.

My second concern was the graphic nature of the story, especially Chapter 5 – Crimes Against Humanity. Without giving away any spoilers, this chapter describes in fairly great detail the brutal murders of a young couple and their two children. It was a fun chapter to write — mildly difficult but not too bad once I committed to it(much like sawing through bones with a hacksaw). Still, I worried about how it would be received by readers.

Surprisingly, my worries were very misplaced. I learned a few things about the readers of Asylum Lake. First, for some reason they enjoyed my musical references and skewed take on what happens when dark memories refuse to remain forgotten. Most importantly, I learned that readers can easily stomach the dismemberment of toddlers and parents, but any thought of harming good old Gruff would not be tolerated.

Easily, 80% of the comments I received during this time were readers who pleaded "Just don't kill the dog!" What do you think – are dogs off limits?

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Switching Gears

Writing a series has some serious drawbacks. As much as I enjoy writing about Brady Tanner and his quest for the elusive Dr. Wesley Clovis, even I need to sharpen my writing blades on a new stone every now and then. Lately, and much because of AMC's The Walking Dead, that new stone has been my own dark take on zombies.

Tentatively titled FLEE, my latest work in progress involves US Air Marshall Elizabeth Downie and her unfortunate luck of drawing an overseas flight with a very disturbing cargo.

This is the second side-project I have started since the publication of Asylum Lake. The first is a somewhat completed novel about a serial killer's proclivity for cell phones. And although I have two more books in the Parting The Veil Series to churn out (Grave Undertakings in May 2011 and Parting The Veil in December 2011) I enjoy discovering new and creepy ways to torment my characters.

So as you dive into the mysteries of Asylum Lake and work your way through the Parting The Veil series, know that much darker tidings are on the horizon. You may never use your cell phone or fly on a plane again!