Roger DeBlanck's Blog - Posts Tagged "books"

Having surpassed 42,000 words since starting in June of last year, I’m much further along than I’d anticipated with my next novel, The Destruction of Silence. It's about a Native American character with an Apache Mescalero heritage. He suffers from an abusive childhood and substance addiction. To overcome his past, he goes on a journey of self-discovery. At this point in the long process, the story most definitely has attained its own life, a reality in which I am now bearing witness to all that transpires. It’s amazing to see how events develop and play out and how the characters respond to what they are experiencing and the challenges that cross their paths. I feel as though I’m merely along for the journey, which is exactly the way you want your story to feel. My hopes are to finish the book by the end of this year and have it ready to share with all of you. Once again, allow me to express my gratitude to everyone who has shown such tremendous interest in the progress of this new book. That interest is what's promoted me to begin a blog here on Goodreads in addition to the news updates I've been posting up on my website.

Roger 8-)

When you’re a writer, you’re always planning, developing, plotting, assessing. In other words, you’re always thinking about the current chapter, the next scene, an image, a description, a sequence of dialogue. Your investment never wavers, and that’s exactly how you want it. You want your heart to be racing, your mind whirring, as you seek out answers and truths to be depicted, conveyed, illuminated, perfected, and idealized in your story. Anything can be inspirational and motivational. For me, it is both the everyday world around me that might offer the spark I need, or it is often other art that serves as the stimulus. That’s why I’m always reading, listening to music, and watching movies that I believe will assist me with the cultivation of my ideas. And it works every time. Currently, I’m reading Anthony Doerr’s non-fiction Four Season in Rome. Few writers exhibit the type of command he has of language to express his vision with such beauty and grace. He is a writer to revere. I’ve read most of his fiction, and I now include his Pulitzer-winning novel, All the Light We Cannot See, among my all-time favorite books. He inspires and pushes me to keep working hard. Once I’m locked in, hard work becomes my muse.

Roger 8-)

It dawned on me as I finished Anthony Doerr’s remarkable memoir Four Seasons in Rome that the bookmark I’ve been using for nearly two decades has been with me everywhere I’ve traveled. Even on vacation, a book must come with me, and so my longstanding bookmark has come along too. Ironically, this bookmark has a Labrador Retriever on it, and it’s proven to be my loyal companion through the reading of thousands of books over the years. When I think of the places my bookmark has been, it has made its way across the continental U.S. and visited both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. It has been to New York and New Jersey, Los Angeles and San Diego, Miami and Orlando, and the islands of Oahu and Maui. Perhaps someday it will make its way abroad to London, Paris, or even Rome, where it would be a delight to reread Doerr’s breathtaking memoir about the great city. Regardless, my old, faithful bookmark has been with me a long a time, just like a loyal dog, and it’s kept my page marked through countless unforgettable reading experiences.

Roger 8-)

The Destruction of Silence is my new novel, and it is now available in trade paperback or on Kindle from Amazon. It is also available in paperback anywhere books are sold. The links to Amazon and B & N are below. I've also included a link to the book's trailer.

https://www.amazon.com/Roger-DeBlanck...

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-d...

https://www.goodreads.com/videos/1094...

Here's the novel's "book jacket" description:

In his most accomplished novel to date, Roger DeBlanck delivers an unforgettable contemporary story of a young Native American man on the road to recovery. Abuse and addiction have ruined Thomas Newsome’s youth, but he refuses to follow the wasted path of his father, Gilbert. After Thomas narrowly avoids tragedy, he vows to get clean and stay that way. Before he can bury his past and move on, he wants answers from his father for why he never changed. But then Gilbert falls ill and takes off on a personal journey. With only a handful of clues from his Apache past, Thomas sets out on a quest to track down his father. Along the way, he meets an elderly Native American sage by the name of Sons-in-jah. While traveling with the old man deep into the heart of Apache country through Arizona, New Mexico, and across the border, Thomas’s search for his father becomes an odyssey of self-discovery and an excavation into the roots of his Mescalero ancestors and the truth of his family history. The native individuals he meets and the enchanting places he visits will forever alter his perspective on life. In going from destruction to redemption, Thomas learns how the Apache spirit within him can lead towards a meaningful purpose in life. The Destruction of Silence is a heartfelt novel of remarkable beauty and compassion. It will sweep you up, carry you along, and leave you bereft and ultimately uplifted.

Roger 8-)