Mike Jastrzebski's Blog, page 80

Hot Air

Fulton's Steamboat - the Clermont

This week as the overnight lows hovered down around the low forties, I've become obsessed with the creation and benefits of hot air. I've been working as temporary labor at the Annapolis Sailboat Show to replenish my cruising kitty, and the cold mornings have seen me lighting the two burners and oven of my propane stove trying to heat up the cabin with sufficient hot air to dare take a shower.

But with no shore power (hence no hair dryer), my long wet hair is bloody freezing at 6:00 a.m. when I must row the Intrepid Seadog to shore. The problem with hot air is that it rises. I can only manage to heat up the top two feet of my cabin with toasty hot air. But I've now discovered that with all the burners going creating that layer of hot air at the top of the cabin, a 12V boat fan can make a pretty good stand-in for a hair dryer.

Back in the days when I lived aboard at the dock, I sometimes heated up my sheets at night with a hair dryer. You know the term "Three Dog Night" comes from country folk who used their dogs to warm up the bed, but since I only have one dog (and he wears his own jammies to bed) and we've been having two dog nights here (pretty cold), I've learned that a hot water bottle can work just as well to produce hot dry sheets.

Robert Fulton (1765 – 1815) was the American inventor who is credited with designing and building the first commercially successful steamboat — a vessel that ran on non other than HOT AIR (and hot water). She was called the Clermont and she took passengers up the Hudson from New York City to Albany in about 30 hours.

What many people don't know about Fulton is that he also is credited with designing the first working submarine, The Nautilus. Fulton was trained and educated as an artist, but he began his work on boats while apprenticed to an artist in France. In 1801, he and three crewmen took the Nautilus down to a depth of 25 feet and stayed four four and a half hours. She had a hand cranked propeller for when she was underwater, a snorkel for air, and a weird junk-rig sail for when she was at the surface. While the British and the French were at war, and Fulton had devised a system for a carrying underwater bombs, he wasn't successful at selling his invention to either country. The French called him a charlatan and the English thought he was crazy. He returned to America a "failure." Although he later experienced tremendous success with his steamboats, Fulton died too young at age 49.

My new novel CIRCLE OF BONES is also about a submarine that was built in France, and it was through research for that novel that I became fascinated with Fulton's place in the history of subs. He was a brilliant man, an artist and an inventor and during his life he was not afraid of trying new things and failing.

Last night, when I returned to my cold boat and started lighting my stove and seeking hot air, my iPad chimed with a news alert. I pressed the button and saw the news that Steve Jobs had died. Somehow, seeing those words on my iPad made the message all the more poignant and sorrowful. Another incredible genius artist and inventor who had the courage to risk failure (Apple fired him when he had just turned 30), someone who had changed my life and work profoundly had died too young.

The lives of both these men are great examples for those of us who are trying to navigate the perils of publishing in the 21st century. Going Indie and leaving the womb of traditional publishing is scary, and I have no idea if I will succeed or fail miserably. Will people read my self-published short stories and think they are nothing but more HOT AIR?

Last night, I climbed into my warmed bunk wearing an old T-shirt I got from Apple at a technology convention in 1998. These words are written on the back:

Here's to the crazy ones

Here's to the crazy ones.

The misfits.

The rebels.

The troublemakers.

The round pegs in the square holes.

The ones who see things differently.

They're not fond of rules.

And they have no respect for the status quo.

You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them,

disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them.

About the only thing you can't do is ignore them.

Because they change things.

They invent.    They imagine.    They heal.

They explore.    They create.    They inspire.

They push the human race forward.

Maybe they have to be crazy.

How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art?
Or sit in silence and hear a song that's never been written?
 Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels?

We make tools for these kinds of people.

While some see them as the crazy ones,
  we see genius.

Because the people who are crazy enough to think 
they can change the world, are the ones who do.

From Apple Computer

Thanks for changing my world, Steve.

Fair winds!

Christine

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Refitting…

C.E. Grundler

I'm closing in on the end of this editing process for Last Exit, and it's been quite an experience to say the least. What initially weighed in at over 122,000 words now totals just under 107,000. The original goal was to trim 15,000-20,000 words, though my editor said if we managed only 10K the publisher would be happy. It was a tall order, deciding what could stay and what could go without taking away from the plot or voice.

The way I see it, editing is like fixing up a boat floating low on her waterline. To maximize a boat's performance, function and comfort, we need to take a close look at every inch. Foremost, she should float and not leak. Stripped to a bare hull she might be sound, but not very functional and certainly not enjoyable.  Now, let's take a look at the sails, rigging and engine. Is everything working as it should? Good. That's a start, but there's more ahead.

Take a good, hard look at the gear aboard. How much of it truly serves a purpose? If something is broken, either fix it or get rid of it Is anything redundant? Does the toolbox contain two 5/16th wrenches but no 7/8ths? Though the goal is to cut weight, now's the time to assess what should be aboard but isn't. How about the PFDs? Do you have enough? Too many? Are they starting to show their age? Maybe it's time to simply toss them and start fresh. Is anything outdated? At best, expired flares take up space; at worst they could fail you when you need them most. And while we're talking expired, how are the galley provisions and medical supplies in the head.

But there's still more excess weight hiding in the most obvious places. Layers of bottom-paint can build up, creating drag and obscuring the true lines beneath. A few pounds here and a few there start to add up, and any boat will move faster with a clean bottom. Look in the lazerette. Are you carrying dock lines you wouldn't trust? Now step back. Can you see your boot-stripe again? Great, but we're not done, not just yet!

Now it's time to break out the varnish and polish the brass. For a boat to be sleek and efficient, it need not be sterile and characterless. In their day, many classic yachts were fitted out with the most magnificent details, and while some modern composite craft may cross the line that much faster, I suspect a sail aboard this magnificent 52′ 1898 Summers and Payne Gaff Yawl would still be quite exhilarating and memorable.

Other things I've learned through this editing/refitting process. A considerate and supportive household is priceless. Despite the 'sandwich' part, Cheez-Its and an ice-cream sandwich does not qualify as lunch. During 12 hour work-days, ½ hour power naps and vast volumes of tea + No-Doz are critical. On another note, for anyone interested, the lovely vessel pictured here is for sale for the asking price of 399,000 EUR (US$ 527,398)

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Getting back to writing

By Joyce Holland

A few months ago I swore I would start writing again. I have and I can now say I've made good on my promise to my sister's memory because I'm back at it full time. I pulled everything from my filing cabinets and dug in. It didn't feel right though because I think what I wanted was to write something new to get myself fired up. Then, I saw a call for submissions to a superhero romance anthology. It had to be 25 to 30 thousand words, and the deadline was only three weeks out. That was just what I needed, a real challenge. I'm proud to say I did it, I wrote a 28 thousand word superhero romance in record time. Yeehaw! Unfortunately, I didn't make it into the anthology, but it really doesn't matter because I'm on a writing roll.

Next I pulled out a mystery I had written just before my sister Jane died. I freshened it up and sent it on its way to MuseItUp Publishing in Canada. Why there? Well, because a friend had just sold them a book and said they were a joy to work with. Also, they are an e-publisher, and I happen to think that's the future and I wanted to get in on the ground floor with them because I think they are going places. Predators and Editors gave them an award for being one of the best e-pubbers in the business. BTW, they also print many of their longer books after a year as e-books. The point—two days later, I received a contract from them. Darn, it feels good just saying that. The book is called Murder by Design and is the first in my Tito Prescott Mystery series. It's tentatively scheduled to come out in July of 2012. Now I'm gathering up my short stories and I'm going to get them out there circulating. This feels good.

Here are the blurbs for the Prescott series and the first book.

THE TITO PRESCOTT MYSTERIES

Meet Tito Prescott, a private eye with panache. Born rich and committed to staying that way, he's a wannabe James Bond. Beyond the glamour and the glitz, Tito is a gadget freak. If it can snoop, peek or translate, he's gotta have it. With a lifelong friend, a wife who loves him and a Labrador that's trying to train him, most people would say Tito leads a charmed life. So why does he constantly complicate it with murder? Pick up the first Tito Prescott Mystery and find out for yourself.

Book One (80,000 words)

Murder by Design

 

When Tito Prescott's partner hurtles off an overpass in a stolen car, it's up to Tito to solve their latest case. To protect their client, Claire Desmond, Tito follows the trail of a sadistic killer across two states, only to find himself knee-deep in a primeval Florida swamp. A swamp that becomes the hunting ground for a predator more perilous than water moccasins, alligators and quicksand, a demented psychopath who is into a bizarre ritual the police call—murder by design.

****

On a lighter note, I used to do cartoons, nautical ones, so thought this might be a good place to share them occasionally. This first one was published in FUTURES MAGAZINE several years ago. The scanning process came out weird, but you can still make it out.

 

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It's Boat Show Season

by Tom Tripp

In keeping with the ancient Chinese philosophy (are they all ancient?) of "yin yang," the wonderful-awful boat show season is fully upon us.  As a marine trade journalist by day, this is my crazy time of year, when I have to fit way too many boat tests, sea trials and photo sessions into too few hours and days.  It's also a fabulous time of year, when I get to see all the new stuff (although the economy has slowed that pipeline considerably) and just spend time on gorgeous boats I will never be able to afford.

Ranger Tug at Newport Boat Show -- Photo by Tom Tripp

Even though I can't afford most of the boats I write about, I do love writing about them.  I'm also lucky enough to get to spend time on them at sea, often during long-distance deliveries and repositions.  Even the brief sea trials I do around the boat shows give me a chance to get behind the wheel of some very neat vessels.  I remember a wondrous sunrise test of a new Nordic Tugs 37 on Biscayne Bay; a late afternoon jaunt aboard a Nord Star 31 at the mouth of the Connecticut River, even a rainy afternoon race outside Narragansett Bay in a new Protector 38 Tauranga.

Even thought the boats are usually beyond reach, there's a lot to get out of the systems and electronics displays at the boat shows.  I was so impressed by a new in-line air purifier from Dometic at last year's IBEX show that I voted for it as an Innovation Award winner.  I can't wait to get my hands on the fabulous new touch-screen displays from companies like Simrad and I need to pick up some new handheld VHFs.

Anyone heading to Annapolis Sail, Power, Trawler Fest Baltimore, or FLIBS, or even Miami next February?  Lots of other shows out there.  Which ones are you going to?  What do you hope to see and touch?

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From Rags to Riches: July-September Sales

By Mike Jastrzebski

I haven't posted my sales lately so I thought I'd play catch up. Sales have been down, and on August 12th I went live with my 3rd book, Dog River Blues (A Wes Darling Mystery).

My books  were on sale for .99 cents during the entire month of July. I sold 362 copies of The Storm Killer and 669 copies of Key Lime Blues (A Wes Darling Mystery). Since I only earned .35 cents a copy at the lower price, my income was down substantially despite selling over 1000 books that month.

In August, with all my books priced at $2.99, I sold 164 copies of The Storm Killer, 315 copies of Key Lime Blues, and 91 copies of my new book, Dog River Blues, for a total of 570 books sold. Sales were down from July, but earnings were up.

In September, my total sales were down slightly. All of my books were again priced at $2.99. I sold 92 copies of The Storm Killer, 218 copies of Key Lime Blues, and 233 copies of Dog River Blues.

How about the rest of you Indie writers out there? Are your sales up or are they down?

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Going Indie

Of all the weeks to choose to try to launch my first baby book – my collection of four short stories – I choose the week that Amazon announces their new line of Kindles. This is big news. The entry level eReader from Amazon is now $79.00. Most techies were most jazzed by the color tablet, the Amazon Fire, which came in at a remarkably low $199. But the real news was at the lower end of the scale. With this eReader at this price point, millions of people will now be able to afford the leap into eBooks.

I thought perhaps the idea that I was getting into publishing for the first time would be big news, but Jeff Bezos took the wind right out of my sails.

On the other hand, over at the Passive Guy's blog, he's reporting that people who buy tablets spend more money online. Well, duh! Tablets cost more so the people who buy them have more spendable income (present company excluded –I own a boat. Nuff said).

So, there I was reading the Smashwords Style Guide and the Calibre Manual and trying to figure out this formatting stuff, but I kept switching back and forth to the bloggers who were live-blogging from the Amazon press conference.  Once a geek, always a geek.

Meanwhile I have decided to include two short stories in my mini-collection that I wrote when I was in graduate school.  These stories were part of my masters thesis. I only had paper copies of them and I had to scan them.  One of them is the original story wherein I started to develop the character of Seychelle Sullivan who later was the protagonist in my first four novels. Looking back at that story written in 1992, almost 20 years ago, I came to one conclusion. It was horrible.

There is a positive side to that.  I've improved as a writer in a couple of decades.  After significant rewriting, the story made it into the anthology.

Then I couldn't help but switch to Bob Mayer's blog on The Perfect Storm of Publishing.  This is a fascinating read for anyone interested in the future of books and publishing.

After reading that blog, I returned to my first attempt at formatting my mini-anthology and when I loaded the example file onto my Kindle, it was a disaster. No wonder in this new age of direct publishing there is an entire new eco-system sprouting of folks who will do this formatting stuff for you. I'm starting to realize that the instructions differ depending on whether you are using a Windows machine or a Mac.

I'd wanted to get my first little book up and ready to go before this blog post was due, but thanks to Jeff Bezos, the Passive Guy, Bob Mayer, Smashwords and Calibre, it may not happen until the end of the weekend.  But when it does, I will happily add one of those nice little clickble BUY ME buttons at the bottom of this post.

This is my first attempt at uploading and formatting, etc.  The anthology of four short stories will be called Sea Bitch: Four Tales of Nautical Noir. I've designed my own cover for this one. At the end, I have included almost 50 pages of the new novel, Circle of Bones. If I can master this formatting stuff, it will be live by Saturday.

I'm going Indie.

Fair winds!!

Christine

 

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The Last Exit 'Director's Cut' Giveaway…

C.E. Grundler

It's been one hectic, exhausting, amazing week, filled with intensive ten-hour days of extensive edits. I've gone on an internet, phone and all-other-human-contact hiatus, locking myself away in my office, dining on canned soup, take-out pizza, and eating cereal straight from the box. At present, approximately 13,000 words have been trimmed away, leaving Last Exit smoother, sleeker and more refined. After last week's post, I received comments and private emails expressing concern that these edits might force me to cut too deep, sacrificing certain characters and scenes for overall word count. As one reader stated: 'Beware of cutting to achieve quantity rather than quality.'

I'd like to reassure you all that is anything but the case. Yes, the word-count has dropped, and it is my goal to bring it down even further. But rather than suggesting wholesale cuts to my story, my wonderful editor has provided me the guidance and insight to recognize where my writing could be better. It isn't so much a process of trimming as distilling. He's pointed out some obvious darlings that did little or nothing to the story as a whole, but more important, he's flagged areas that may have been muddled. But eliminate a few words here, a sentence or two there, (and trust me, they do add up,) and suddenly the true essence of the scene shines. He identified ambiguous passages that were perfectly clear in my head but might not have been so obvious to readers. Sometimes he called for more description — often it was a matter of a word or two, but a few well-chosen adjectives and verbs can make a world of difference. All in all, I'm thrilled by the effect these changes have made. It's still the same story, just that much better.

Which brings me to an odd situation. Not too long ago, I ordered a box full of books, with the intention of sending copies out to various media outlets, perhaps generating some visibility for my writing. I figured I'd aim for any local New Jersey news agencies, as well as various boating publications. And right about the time that box arrived on my doorstep, I received an email from Thomas & Mercer… and the box was all but forgotten. Understandably, T&M plans to market and promote the updated revision. But what to do with these lovely, untouched copies in need of a good home?

So here it is. To all my friends, fans and followers, I'd like to say thank you for your support. I have 25 pristine 'First Edition Director's Cut' copies of Last Exit in New Jersey, and if you'd like one, just let me know. You send me a self-addressed envelope with a few stamps on it and I'll return it to you with a signed original inside. (Just email me at cegrundler(at)gmail.com and I'll give you the specifics.) If you've already read my story, consider it a 'Thank You!' And if you haven't read it yet but were considering, why not now?

Some friends have joked that these copies might become collector's pieces someday. I don't know about that, but I suppose anything is possible… the last year has certainly shown me that. And who knows? This could be your proof someday that you knew me way back when!

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Dock of the Bay

Sittin' On The Dock of the Bay. The song, co-written by Otis Redding and guitar player Steve Cropper, was released after Redding died in a plane crash in Madison, Wisconsin. The sound and lyrics have stood the test of time, and if cover versions are a form of flattery, consider that Dock of the Bay has been performed by Willie Nelson, Pearl Jam, Peggy Lee, Tina Turner, Waylon Jennings, Glenn Campbell, Sam & Dave, Michael Bolton, Bob Dylan, and many more. (Like you, I'm thinking royalties, baby.)

Around this blog we know that docks aren't a bad place for hanging out. The low sun of a late afternoon beach has its own magic, a heeling sailboat on a broad reach mysteriously combines a sense of calmness with a rush, and the cadence of cutting through waves on a powerboat is exhilarating. Yet, there are many fine times when a writer – or anyone else – just wants to sit on the dock.

As a kid, docks were about fishing for flounder with a hand-line or maybe for checking out boats with my father, my little paw clasped to his big hand. Today, I love walking docks with my family. Even our little dachshund enjoys the waterfront pacing (all kinds of interesting smells, cracked crustaceans, and fellow canines, you know).

As a writer, the dock is where many of my characters meet. My protagonist, Steve Decatur, keeps his sailboat on a mooring, but he heads to the dock for human interaction. I guess these characters could converge anywhere, but I get to set the scenes, don't I. Besides, this is how I justify my "research." This means diving off the end during the summer months, walking the marinas when visiting a new waterfront location, or sometimes just plain sittin' on the dock. What could be wrong with that.

So, if you are inclined, check out the below sampling of four YouTube clips – Otis, Pearl Jam, Tina Turner, Robert Cray & Steve Cropper – featuring the song written more than forty years ago by Otis Redding & Steve Cropper.

————–

The original by Otis Redding

Pearl Jam along with Steve Cropper

Tina Turner

Steve Cropper, Robert Cray & Dave Edmonds

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There is no failure except in no longer trying

My last post included chapter one of "Stairway to the Bottom," because I am on deadline to finish the book and couldn't focus on writing a blog piece. The book cover is done and my editor has the first two hundred pages. Does it surprise anyone that I am still behind? When you're not surviving off your earnings as a writer, then you must answer the phone, or email, when work comes calling.

Last week I received an email from Reuters News Service in Miami and they asked me to cover a story. Since then it has been followed up with other emails, phone calls and Google searches. Not much time left for writing fiction.

Diana Nyad, the long-distance swimmer, was back in Cuba last Friday to try her attempt to swim from Havana to the Florida Keys again. Last time she didn't make it. This time she was pulled out of the water due to what is thought to be jellyfish stings. Ms. Nyad recently turned 62, so the fact that she made it close to half way a month or so ago, and went from 6 p.m. Friday to late Saturday before being pulled from the water for a doctor's evaluation is impressive.

I have sailed from Key West to Havana's Marina Hemingway a few times and only once was the Gulf Stream flat. Every other time, coming and going, the Gulf Stream had four-to-six foot waves and at night, when it would rain, we sometimes had waves as high as ten feet. It makes for a tough ride in a 36-foot sailboat, so I can only imagine what it's like for a swimmer. And don't forget the freighters, Coast Guard Cutters and the smugglers, all using the same waterway.

In fact, I can't imagine it. If I were in the Gulf Stream late at night, it would be because my wife tripped me overboard! Honestly, between the jellyfish and sharks, as inviting as the water looks, I ain't going in voluntary.

While I have to wonder what drives Ms. Nyad to do such things, it nice to know she is not bothered by her age and willing to be challenged. I once read there is no failure except in no longer trying. I believe this!

Every time I begin a short story or novel, I wonder about my ability to follow it through to the end. I have to make myself stop focusing on the number of things that could lead to failure and go one. Sometimes going on means less than 250 words a day,(a lot less sometimes) other times it's not writing anything that moves the story and tossing a day or two's worth of writing; writing so bad that not even rewriting will save it. Failures? No. Challenges. I don't know about you, but I need to be challenged – even those times I don't want to be! Challenged to write better, to look at where the story is going.

Like many things in life (to me, anyway) it is not always the finished product that drives my enthusiasm, but the road I have to travel to get to the end. As great as it is to type THE END on the final page, it saddens me because it is the end of a journey. A loss of friends. Maybe that's why even my short stories continue my series' characters. They have become friends that I worry about when I am away from the computer and, maybe, that desire to begin another journey with them is what drives me back to this book-filled room, with note cards and sayings and my country music CD selection.

What more could I ask for, a room full of books, music and my laptop, all to stimulate my imagination.

I leave you with this:

Imagination is more important than knowledge, for knowledge is limited while imagination embraces the entire world – Albert Einstein.

www.michaelhaskins.net

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From Rags to Riches: Bookrooster

By Mike Jastrzebski

One of the most asked questions I receive is how do you get readers to review your books. It's a tough question to answer. With my first two books I asked a few friends if they would read and review the books, but most of my reviews came from readers who happened to buy my books and liked them. The problem with this was that it took awhile for readers to find my books, read them, and then review them.

With Dog River Blues (A Wes Darling Mystery), I took a different route.

I used Bookrooster. With Bookrooster you pay $67.00 to list your book with the service. Bookrooster has a list of readers who are willing to read review copies and review the books they receive on Amazon.

Once you sign up for the service you send a Mobipocket copy of your book to Bookrooster, along with a description of the book, and Bookrooster sends out the description to readers who have expressed an interest in the genre of book you wrote.

The readers pick the books they like, receive a review copy, and then post a review of the book. This service does not guarantee a good review. Since my book became available with Bookrooseter I have received 4 reviews from the site. All are straight-forward with their reviews and mention that they received the book as a review copy.

Of the 4 reviews I received, three were 4-star reviews, one was a 5-star review. The service keeps your book on the available list for readers until 10 reviews are posted. As of today it has been 20 days since my book became available for reviews on the site.

I did have to sign up a little over a month ahead of when my book became available on the site since they are only able to take a limited amount of books on each day.

For those of you who are readers instead of writers, it appears that Bookrooster is looking for reviewers, so if you like to read and don't mind reviewing, here's a great opportunity to get some free books and let other readers know what you think.

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