R.J. Keller's Blog, page 5

A good weekend

Today Waiting For Spring hit #1 on Amazon's Movers and Shakers list. Coincidentally, today journalist  Mark LaFlamme's q&a with moi appears in the Lewiston [Maine] Sun Journal. It's been a good weekend!

 

“$#!+,” writers say. (Episode 8 of Inside The Writers’ Studio)

Presenting episode 8 of Inside The Writers’ Studio, “$#!+,” writers say. It features lots of hilarious cameos by writers and fans of IWS. Enjoy!!

"$#!+," writers say. (Episode 8 of Inside The Writers' Studio)

Presenting episode 8 of Inside The Writers' Studio, "$#!+," writers say. It features lots of hilarious cameos by writers and fans of IWS. Enjoy!!

New IWS Episode – Writer Stereotypes

Kris and I are very proud of this episode. I personally think it's our best one yet.

Writing Crimes

I don't usually give writing advice. But sometimes I do.

 

 I have a thing for crime novels, especially those that delve into gritty, gruesome, grimy detail. I couldn't begin to tell you why. Maybe a trained psychologist could, but I can't. Since I myself am not trained in any type of law enforcement, nor in criminal or psychological arts, I appreciate it when crime novelists give me a little bit of background information about things like prison life and luminol and psychosexual perversions, as they pertain to the story at hand.

Recently I've been reading such a novel, and the author has been very thorough about giving me all of the background information I need to follow the story. I'm not equipped to go out and apprehend an actual serial killer myself, obviously, but I'm knowledgeable enough right now to hang out with these fictional crime solvers as they track down their fictional psychopath. I'm even enjoying the journey. But I was blown right out of the story late last night when the author committed what I personally think is the greatest writing crime of all. Here's the setup:

Character A, a female forensic scientist, and her lover, Character B – an FBI profiler – have just had an argument over the phone about a personal matter. After they hang up, Character B immediately goes back to examining the series of disgusting crime scene photos he'd been examining before the argument took place, without stopping to digest what the argument had been about or what he might do to patch things up with the love of his life. So far so good. But that's when the author committed the crime I alluded to earlier. She felt the need to tell me that the guy went right back to work so he wouldn't have to think about the argument.

DUH.

I'm quite aware that human beings don't like to face up to their problems. I realize that they frequently bury them by focusing on something else until they're ready to deal with them. How do I know this? Because, although I'm not a trained psychologist, I am a human being. I've had arguments with the love of my life before. Bad'uns. And afterwards I've buried myself in a book or a television program, or a bottle or two too many, so I wouldn't have to think about the argument until I was ready to do so. Just like you have. Just like every other human being who's ever been in love before has. So although I appreciate it when an author goes through the trouble of explaining odd criminal behavior to me, I don't appreciate it when she feels the need to do the same with common human behavior.

I don't appreciate being treated like a dummy.

As you work your way through your novels, whatever the genre, don't commit the crime of treating your readers like dummies. Trust yourself. Trust your talent. Trust your reader.

 

Originally posted at Publishing Renaissance on February 25, 2009. 

NaNoWriMo wrap up

Okay...maybe there was a day or two during November when things were a little rough.

You may recall that I spent November using National Novel Writing Month to start a new novel. It went really well. I had no problem making the word count, and I think it has the makings of what could eventually be a good novel. Even better news for my long-suffering readers, taking a break from The Wendy House recharged my batteries, and made me anxious to start working on it again instead of wanting to chuck the thing (like I was tempted to do…sorry, but it's true).

Also, writing the bi-weekly column, Keller's NaNoWriMo Korner, for The LL Book Review made me remember how much I loved and missed blogging on a regular basis. So expect more of me here.

In case you missed 'em, here are some links to The LL Book Review columns. There you'll read about how the writing went, see some vague hints about the plot, and a brief excerpt that will introduce you to my two main characters.

Nah, No Outline

NaNoSickMo

NaNoWri…oh look! A butterfly!

NaNoWriGo with the flow

NaNo no-no

Mud and plot bunnies and such

Day after Thanksgiving musings

Writing what I don't know (and a nerdy excerpt)

November Fun: WFS Book Klub and NaNoWriMo

During the month of November, I will be once again taking part in National Novel Writing Month. It's my sixth year in a row of participating and I'm looking forward to it. I'm putting revisions of The Wendy House down for the month to begin working on a novel that's been kicking around in the back of my head for awhile. I talked about it a little bit earlier this month over at Kristen's blog.

I hate to give too much information out at this point, in case I make changes (because that's what I do), but I can tell you that it takes place in Maine (shocker!) and that the two main characters are a recovering addict and a comic book store owner. And that they don't fall in love.

Shannon Yarbrough of The LL Book Review has asked me to contribute a bi-weekly commentary about my progress at the site. Look for updates every Monday and Thursday during November.

Also happening in November, as I mentioned a few weeks ago, is the Kindle Boards' Read With The Author Klub for Waiting For Spring. The link to the discussion forum is here. If you're not already a member of Kindle Boards, please (please, please!) consider signing up and participating! I think it's going to be a lot of fun.

Finally, I don't think I've ever posted any links to where you can find Waiting For Spring at Amazon UK. That was pretty dorky of me. So here they are:

Waiting For Spring UK Paperback
Waiting For Spring UK Kindle

I was thrilled to see several very positive reviews there, including one from Helen Smith, author of the amazing novel Alison Wonderland, and another that called WFS "a cracking good read!"

[image error] [image error]

Kristen Tsetsi interviews Joseph Dilworth Jr. of POP CULTURE ZOO

- A guest blog post by Kristen Tsetsi -

R.J. Keller was kind enough to let me post this interview as a guest blog on her site because she has more geek friends than I do – and I mean that in the best possible way. I'm not a geek, but I'm a wannabe geek. Especially after interviewing Joseph Dilworth Jr. about his website Pop Culture Zoo, whose tagline is "Building Better Geeks." I'd like to be a better geek! Is it possible this Joseph Dilworth can teach me how? Possibly. Just possibly.

Kristen Tsetsi: When and why did you create Pop Culture Zoo?

Joseph Dilworth Jr.: In the summer of 2007 I started thinking I wanted to do my own website, but the basic idea for Pop Culture Zoo began to form a few years before that with my first blog, Digressions From The Omniverse. I've always talked incessantly about the movies, TV shows, comic books, etc. that I really like and am passionate about. At the same time, I also tend to rant quite a bit about articles that are overly negative about a subject, especially in a review. It seemed that the things that all the cool websites hated were things I really liked and I felt that I had reasonable counter-arguments to all the negativity. My wife had been encouraging me to do my own reviews and submit them to these outlets. Eventually we both kind of hit upon the idea of me just doing my own website. The name Pop Culture Zoo just popped into my head one day and that sort of sealed the deal. In February of 2008 Pop Culture Zoo was born.

KT: What makes PCZ different from other "geek" sites?



JD: I think the biggest difference is the positive angle in the articles, as I mentioned in the answer to the first question. That's something I try to suggest to my contributors as well, although, of course, I would never want to stifle someone's "voice" or opinion. I think it is very easy to call something stupid or idiotic. It's more difficult to study the intent of a piece and be able to understand what a director or author was going for and really consider whether or not they achieved it. I follow the philosophy that no one sets out to intentionally create garbage, unless it's through a parody or something like that. It may be that a writer or actor doesn't have the necessary talent yet, but if there is true, heartfelt intent to create something, that goes a long way and deserves to be recognized.

Another difference is Pop Culture Zoo covers a lot of little known projects that range from web series to independent bands. There are things that don't really land on the radar of the major websites. I enjoy finding new music or little known series and films. Again, that goes back to a person or a group of people pouring their hearts into a project, but it's possible only their friends or family will be the ones to see, hear or read it. I'll gladly promote something like that above a big studio film that has a multi-million dollar budget.

KT: Who are some of your favorite interview subjects you've had an opportunity to communicate with, and why?



JD: I think my favorite interview was with Duncan Jones, about his film Source Code. He really responded well to the questions I asked. He seemed happy that I was asking him questions about the film no one else had asked him to that point. Miriam Libicki was another fascinating person to speak to. Miriam is an American that has served in the Israeli army and has created a comic book series, jobnik!, to document her experiences. She was amazing to talk to. I am also extremely honored to have spoken to Betty Anne Waters. Her 18 year struggle to get her brother freed from prison was depicted in the film Conviction and it was really humbling sitting across from her and hearing her story in person. There are occasions when I have been fortunate to interview someone I admired when I was a kid, like Erin Gray, Lindsay Wagner and William Katt. That can sometimes be quite surreal!

KT: I was a total "Bionic Woman" addict when I was a kid and absolutely loved Lindsay Wagner. How do you get access to those people?

[image error]

Just because a movie is a blockbuster doesn't mean you can't enjoy it and just because you haven't heard of something doesn't mean it's crap.

JD: When the website began I made a list of folks that I thought were doing interesting work and either emailed them directly or contacted their managers or the press contact for whatever production they were working on. Over time I have been added to various press lists and now have PR folks contacting me asking to set me up with interviews. Sure, I have heard "no" many, many times, but I decided early on that it never hurts to ask. I have been very fortunate to talk to some awesome people.

KT: What's your background (as it pertains to your website)?

JD: I have no formal training as a journalist or a reviewer. That being said, I have been writing about movies, TV shows and comic books in one form or another for the better part of a decade now. I'd like to think my writing skills have improved in that time, but that isn't really for me to say. I think having worked at a film and TV studio as well as behind the scenes for music concerts has given me a broader perspective than simply being an audience member. Understanding the craft that goes into making a two hour film, for example, definitely factors into my opinion about a movie.

KT: What exciting new things are coming at PCZ?



JD: I am planning much more original video content for the site as well as a podcast of some sort. I'll be hosting a movie news panel at Emerald City Comicon in Seattle in March and hope to do the same at some other shows in 2012. Other than that…y'know, I've always hated reading an interview answer along the lines of "I have many exciting projects on the horizon, but unfortunately I can't talk about them right now." However, I've discovered that sometimes that is the only answer you can give. I have a few projects in the early stages for PCZ, but they also involve other people and I really, sincerely can't talk about them just yet. Believe me, when I can, you and everyone will know all about them through Twitter, Facebook, smoke signals or however else I can get the news out. I predict 2012 will be a big year for the website. I have been saying that every year though, so we'll see!

KT: Describe PCZ in one word.

JD: GEEKTASTIC!

"The triumph of intellect and romance over brute force and cynicism." Craig Ferguson

KT: What's your favorite movie, and what's your favorite TV show?



JD: My favorite movie is Giuseppe Tornatore's Cinema Paradiso. I could probably talk for hours as to why I love that film the way I do, but the short form is it happened along at a very odd time in my life and a lot of the emotions in the film reflected how I felt at the time. It is an extraordinary film and is a perfect cinematic storm of exceptional script, superb acting and flawless directing. It also has an outstanding score. Perhaps I will write about why it is my perfect film…

My favorite TV show has been and will always be "Doctor Who." "Doctor Who" captured my imagination as a kid like no other show before or since. It is always reinventing itself and is very fun. Although it was off the air for 16 years, other than a TV movie, it's coming up on its 50th anniversary. There is just something magically kitschy about it, even episodes from the '60s and '70s with wobbly sets and ridiculous monsters. I could also go on for hours about "Doctor Who," but I'll instead encourage anyone reading this who is NOT watching the series to do so.

KT: What does "Building Better Geeks" mean, exactly? And how do I know if one geek is better than the next?



JD: I'm probably not going to explain this properly in text, but what I mean by "Building Better Geeks" is helping make more informed and well-rounded geeks. Being a geek should be a celebration of the things you love and discovering new aspects to something you hold dear as well as finding out about new stories. A better geek is someone who can talk about how great the upcoming Avengers movie looks so far while debating the merits of the latest episode of Fringe and listening to the latest Dream Theater album. Yes, I said album. "Better Geeks" are much more than the Comic Book Guy on The Simpsons. Just because a movie is a blockbuster doesn't mean you can't enjoy it and just because you haven't heard of something doesn't mean it's crap.

KT: Can anyone be a geek?

JD: Yes, absolutely! The term geek used to mean a circus freak show performer, possibly one that bit the heads of chickens. Eventually it came to describe a computer nerd and has always been used in pejorative sense. If you love something with an indescribable joy and passion then, in my mind, you're a geek. It's not just for sci-fi anymore.

[image error]

Author interview – Danielle Bannister

I met Danielle Bannister in the summer of 2010 during the Belfast Maskers Community Theater production of Picnic. I was (and still am) a novice actor, playing a very small role, while Danielle – an extraordinarily talented theater veteran – tackled the role of Flo Owens, whom I found to be rather one-dimensional on the page. But Danielle brought a depth and humanity to Flo that made her a truly well-rounded, sympathetic character. We worked together again earlier this year in The Vagina Monologues, where Danielle brought the audience to tears with her powerful reading of My Vagina Was My Village, a monologue compiled from the testimonies of Bosnian women subjected to rape camps.

So when I discovered that she had written a novel, I was curious to see how her talent for transforming herself into various characters onstage would translate to making characters come to life on the page. I was not disappointed. Pulled  is a well-crafted YA love story filled with interesting, complex characters and plenty of plot twists. My daughter devoured it in a couple of days and immediately demanded to know when the sequel was coming out. I thought it would be a good idea to ask Danielle about that – and other things – myself…

————————————————————-

R.J. Keller: Tell us a little about yourself.

Danielle Bannister: I didn't plan on being a writer when I grew up.  I wanted to be an actress, on the stage mind you.  Film work, in my naive opinion at the time, was just shy of prostitution.  In retrospect, perhaps I was just bitter that I didn't have the 'right look' for film.  In any event, I got my degree in theatre from the University of Southern Maine.  From there I lived in Chicago for a few years as a starving actor.  And starve I did. Needing to find food, my husband and I moved back to Maine and we haven't wanted to leave since.  After having a few children, I quit my job as a legal secretary and became a full-time, work from home, homeschooling (read: insane) mama.  It was after about a year later that I discovered writing, and once I did, there was no turning back.  I was hooked.  I'm now pursuing my master's in Writing and recently finished the Maine Writing Project.

When Naya walks into her first college class, she is instantly consumed by a force pulling her toward a mysterious new classmate, who ends up being cast as the Romeo to her Juliet. This is not the first time they have been 'pulled' together, nor will it be their last.

RJK: Tell us a little about Pulled.

DB: This should be the easiest of the questions to answer, but for me it's the hardest, in fact, I saved it for last.  I think it's difficult for a novelist to speak about their work.  It feels like bragging, which I hate.  So, without trying to sound boastful, I'll say that 'Pulled' is, at its heart, a love story.  It's about those people you meet that have some unexplainable connection.  That thing that goes beyond the traditional thinking of 'love.'  You kind of have to buy into that possibility when reading this novel, so it won't be for everyone.

RJK: What was the inspiration behind Pulled?

DB: 'Pulled,' I hate to admit, came as a result of a dream.  Well, not even a dream.  It was an image I had just before waking, and it haunted me.  I couldn't shake the picture of a man and woman hovering in mid-air, in the rain, being electrocuted in front of my old theatre building.  I had never written anything up until that point, but something about this image wouldn't leave me alone.  Before I even knew I was doing it, I had ten pages written.  It's funny though, that moment isn't actually in the book, but the feeling of it is, I think.  The fact that the depiction happened in front of my old theatre building, sort of dictated that my main characters would be theatre majors.

RJK: The question every writer dreads: How much of Naya is you?

DB: If you ask my mom, she IS me!  Unfortunately, my life isn't nearly as exciting! But seriously, I guess the timid parts of Naya are like me.  Even though I'm an actress, I'm terribly shy before I get to know people. However, there are parts of Naya that are incredibly brave because of the things she's had to live through.  She's stronger than I would ever hope to be in the same situations.

RJK: You're not only a writer, you're an accomplished actress as well. Do you find that it's a similar process to get into character when you prepare to write as when you prepare to get onstage? 

"Write NOW! Before the kids find you!"

DB: I think that because I am an actor, my writing tends to be a bit more dramatic. Which could be good or bad!  Something always has to be happening when I write.  I'm always asking myself, 'What happens next?'  I write a lot of dialogue, perhaps as a result of that too.  Then, there is the luxury of writing scenes you'd love to perform yourself.  There are a lot of those in this book for me, like the 'closet scene,' for instance.  When I was writing that scene, I remember physically reacting as I wrote it just to see what if what I was writing could translate onto the page.  I would love to perform that scene.  Now that I think of it, I'd love to do any of them.  Why did I make her so young?  Grrrr.

RJK: Who are your favorite authors? What was the last book you read?

DB: I don't want to seem sexist, but I really connect more with women writers.  There is something about most (not all) male writers that just doesn't ring true for me, so I tend to stick with women.  I won't lie. I loved the Twilight series (not for the writing, but for her ability to hook the reader with the story).  Suzanne Collins, of the 'Hunger Games' fame.  Brilliant.  Any good love story (nothing hokey) I'll read.  Last book I read was 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society' so I sort of run the gamut in terms of style.

RJK: If you could be any character in fiction, who would it be?

DB: That's an impossible question to answer.  It would have to be someone strong.  Mentally, not physically.  The courage women have enthralls me.

RJK: Do you have any writing rituals?

DB: Besides locking my kids out the room?  Because I seriously do that.  I installed a lock on my bedroom door so at night when my husband comes home, I'll make dinner and ask him about his day, but then kindly tell him, "I'm locking myself in our room now" and I'll make him keep the kids away from me so I can get an hour of writing time in.  That's why 'Pulled' took 3 years to write.  It's by no means a 3 year worthy novel, but when you have two small children who orbit around you like satellites, it's hard to find the time to have one coherent thought, let alone a entire string of them. At first, I used to burn a candle, but I got fed up with my kiddos constantly blowing out the flame 2.5 seconds after I struck the match.  The ritual now is: Write NOW! Before the kids find you!

RJK: I hate to do this to you, since I've been fielding similar questions for awhile now, but my daughter will never forgive me if I don't ask: Will there be a sequel to Pulled? If so, when do you expect it to be released?

DB: I'm currently writing the sequel, so yes, there will be at least one more so she can rest easy.  There were several who threatened my life if I didn't write a sequel!  My own mother and sister where among them!  As for the release date, god, I wish I knew.  I do know I'm making it my new years resolution for 2012 to finish it if that's helpful!

Danielle will be a guest on the upcoming season 3 premiere of Book Chatter with Stacey Cochran, this Friday, October 7, at 11:00 PM.

———-

Danielle Bannister works from home where she enjoys homeschooling her two small children. She lives with her husband, Jason Bannister, in Searsmont, Maine. She holds a BA in Theatre from the University of Southern Maine and is currently working on a Masters Degree. Pulled is her first novel. She is currently working on the sequel, entitled Pulled Back. Her collection of short stories – entitled Short Shorts - will be available soon through Amazon.

Interview – Author Mick Rooney

When I decided to self-publish my first novel, I was told that one of the go-to places for straight talk about the industry was Mick Rooney's blog. After lurking there in uncharacteristic shyness for several months, I was fortunate enough to get to know him via commenting and social networking. Turns out he's not only smart as hell about the publishing industry and a talented writer, but also a very nice guy. His new novel, The Memory of Trees, was recently released and he very kindly agreed to an interview.

RJ Keller: Tell us about The Memory of Trees.

Mick Rooney: The Memory of Trees is the story of Carlos, a shepherd boy, who travels from his village home in Cyprus. He feels driven to following in the footsteps of Saint Paul, and his uncle, into the Middle East, through Israel, into Syria, and along the road to Damascus. Carlos is a teenage boy, bright, thoughtful and passionate, brought up on the traditions of his village and wise elders. So many of the experiences in the book for Carlos are microcosms of what we all have to experience in life loss of loved ones, exile from our natural environment—that safe place we all want to hold on to—and the journey of risk we all take in life without always knowing why we put one foot in front of the other.

I wrote The Memory of Trees very much in the style of a parable. It's deceptively simple, and it was a change from what I had been writing up till then. It's a parable about listening to the inner voice, seeking our truths, rather than seeking inspiration or motivation from others in your life. I think it's great to be inspired and influenced positively by others, but only so long as you understand what has made those people around you reach the decisions they make. Too often we follow footprints in the sand ahead of us without being willing to carve out our own track and plan.

This book turned out to be quite a personal book for me in a way that my previous book hadn't been.  It led me on quite a journey over a few years and even led to me starting an occasional spiritual site called Strength Through Joy.

RJK: The cover is gorgeous. I know you've self-published in the past, but TMoT is being released through a mainstream publisher (Book Republic, an imprint of Maverick House). How much input did you have regarding the cover design, editing, and other technical aspects of bringing your novel to life? Was it a difficult thing to hand over control of your book after being on your own for so long?

MR: Thanks, RJ. Yes, I'm really pleased how the cover turned out. It's the work of book designer, Jana Vukovic, who was born in Sarajevo, and now lives and works from her studio in Belgrade. She has worked for many independent publishing houses in the UK and throughout Europe. She has a very particular style – often quite minimalist and stark – and through my editor at Book Republic, we worked over a period of about four to five weeks to reach the final design. Book Republic invited me to submit a cover design brief and we worked from there. Every couple of days I would receive some samples, and for the first couple of weeks I passed on them. We reverted back to the brief and it was a process of me understanding Jana's style and input, and Jana trying to hit on that one sample that had everything. I think what made it work well was that we kept going back to the brief, and fine-tuning that, as much as we were fine-tuning the cover. Book design is a lot like poetry – it's where the author and designer reach an overall vision and conclusion of an idea, even when their individual interpretations may still differ.

With editing, I always see it as a two level process; the mechanics of the editing cannot be argued – the word is misspelled, the grammar is poor or the paragraph is far too long. Content and plot editing is very different; the voice or tone changes when it should not, or the author writes words, but those words abandon the reader, and meaning and flow is lost. The fundamental difference between mainstream publishing and self-publishing – even when the self-publisher employs a freelance editor – often comes down to the content and flow of a book. Sure, you can pay a freelance editor a couple of thousand dollars to work on your book, but that editor has no personal investment in it, or how well it sells. Their name as an editor doesn't accompany the title on the cover. It's different with a mainstream publisher – there is a professional as well as financial investment there, and if the plane crashes, the airline doesn't look good.

I've been careful about my steps into mainstream publishing. I've been careful to submit to publishers I considered open, independent, flexible and innovative when change and challenge has passed by their doors. It's easy to pull the curtains closed during the sunshine of the day and not risk going outside, but it is more of a challenge to keep the curtains and front door open and risk taking a chance on an author, even when the neighbours across the road sometimes see you fall over.

RJK: You're also the author of To Self-Publish or Not to Self-Publish–A Seriously Useful Authors Guide, as well as the editor of The Independent Publishing Magazine. What do you find most exciting about the current state of the publishing industry?

MR: What's most exciting now about the publishing industry is that it has shed its dusty academic image – not because it wanted to, but because to survive, it had to. It is still early days and the industry hasn't quite accepted where it is today, but the only reality the industry accepts is the sales figures at the end of every month and year. Publishing is finally moving back into the hands and influence of the people who really count – the authors and readers. Sure, we have pretenders like Amazon, Google and Apple, and while they look like the mammoths holding all the power at the moment because they have more quickly connected with the consumer/reader, it's only because they are trying to become the content managers of what they sell. Publishing will regain control once it re-establishes the core connection between authors and selling and communicating directly with readers. 

For authors, they are no longer faced with the absolute – that failure to lure an agent or publisher means their manuscript is confined to a drawer for the grandkids to pour over on a balmy night sometime in the distant future.

RJK: What are you working on now?

MR: Something completely different as they say! I treat all my book projects individually and each one takes its own shape over a lengthy period of time. I can work on more than one book project at a time, and I tend to switch back and forth from research to fiction depending on what I am working on. I'm half-way through with the next book, a dark and poetic suspense book about a serial killer, an alchemist and a great deal more! I'm also tentatively looking at a possible follow-up to The Memory of Trees, maybe based in Cuba, but I'm hoping to get to Cyprus first before the next great adventure begins!

————————

Mick Rooney is an author, editor and publishing consultant from the Republic of Ireland. He has published nine books since 1990, through his own imprint, using author solutions services, and he has also published through mainstream publishers. Several years ago he began researching the publishing industry, and in particular Independent, POD (print-on-demand) and subsidy/self-publishers. Many of the findings of his research can be found at his site, The Independent Publishing Magazine together with his own experiences in the world of writing and publishing. He is the author of To Self-Publish or Not to Self-Publish? A Seriously Useful Author's Guide . He is also a contributor to many magazines and online resources including, Writers' Forum, Publishing Basics Magazine, Publetariat, Carnival of the Indies, selfpublishingreview.com, Irish Publishing News, as well as many writing and publishing forums.  

In September 2011, he published his latest novel with Book Republic, The Memory of Trees , available in hardback and Kindle ebook. When he completed writing the novel, he launch a spiritual site, Strength Through Joy featuring the serial pieces, Things That Happen, chronicling his own spiritual journey.

 

Mick Rooney can also be found on Facebook .