Roger DeBlanck's Blog, page 2
September 23, 2016
The Destruction of Silence -- My new novel is now available.
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-)
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-)
March 31, 2016
The Destruction of Silence -- My New Novel's "Book Jacket" Description
Writing a novel is mostly hard work, dedication, and staying committed to your vision. But one of the toughest components is putting together the summary. Below is the most updated "book jacket" description of my new novel, The Destruction of Silence, due out in September. Let me know how it sounds.
Roger 8-)
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 road trip. With only a handful of clues from his Apache past, Thomas sets out on a journey to track down his father. Along the way, he meets an elderly Native American sage by the name of Great Star. 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 encounters 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 both bereft and ultimately uplifted..
Roger 8-)
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 road trip. With only a handful of clues from his Apache past, Thomas sets out on a journey to track down his father. Along the way, he meets an elderly Native American sage by the name of Great Star. 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 encounters 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 both bereft and ultimately uplifted..
February 22, 2016
The Reading/Writing Balance
Before I ever believed I could be a writer, the work of my masters made me dream of what I might create—something worthy of shadowing in the footsteps of their monumental achievements. In reading the works of those I revere, I was driven to follow their greatness, to emulate what they do. Early in my teens, this often led me to consume all the work of certain authors: Shakespeare, Emerson, Thoreau, Whitman, Dostoevsky, Camus, Hesse, Borges, Steinbeck, Wright, Hemingway, and others. As I read, often I’d come across something about the way they wrote and I’d become nervous, alarmed, even discouraged that my writing habits didn’t mirror those of my masters and the way they did their art. I’d feel defeated that if I couldn’t mimic their “ways”, I couldn’t be a writer. For example, Dostoevsky wrote several versions of his novels to find what worked best. Unreal? Could I ever match such a standard? This often caused real doubt in my early days of writing. If I wanted to write like the best, I needed to adopt their “way.” Right? Then after I finished college, it dawned on me how every writer did their art differently. By this time I was enamored with many of my contemporary masters: Morrison, McCarthy, Ondaatje, Doctorow, O’Brien and the list goes on. As I consumed their work, I realized there is no one right “way” to write. In fact, Morrison didn’t start writing her novels until she was forty. But she’d been a writer her entire life. As a lifelong reader and a professional book editor, she lived and breathed reading, writing, language, and literature.
For me, I must work in streaks and forays, yet every day I live and breathe reading, writing, language, and literature. I may never be able to put down a specific number of words each day or assign a disciplined block of time each day, but I live and breathe reading, writing, language, and literature every day. As a self-proclaimed reader first, I’m unable to go a single day without finding at least a few hours to read. Reading sparks my thinking, envisioning, obsessing, planning, preparing, researching, editing, and revising—all of which are necessities for me to write, all of which I carry out a little each day. I may do 10,000 words in a few days or less than a 1,000 in a given week. It all depends where I’m at in the process. But one aspect remains constant every day: I live and breathe reading, writing, language, and literature. If I’m writing a lot, naturally time is taken away from reading. The reciprocation is true: if I’m reading a lot, it is essentially to gear me up for an intense period of writing. This is my cycle, and worries do not bother me anymore if I’m not “writing” every single day because I am actually in the process of writing with everything else I do. My habit of a reading/writing balance is the only way my art works for me.
Roger 8-)
For me, I must work in streaks and forays, yet every day I live and breathe reading, writing, language, and literature. I may never be able to put down a specific number of words each day or assign a disciplined block of time each day, but I live and breathe reading, writing, language, and literature every day. As a self-proclaimed reader first, I’m unable to go a single day without finding at least a few hours to read. Reading sparks my thinking, envisioning, obsessing, planning, preparing, researching, editing, and revising—all of which are necessities for me to write, all of which I carry out a little each day. I may do 10,000 words in a few days or less than a 1,000 in a given week. It all depends where I’m at in the process. But one aspect remains constant every day: I live and breathe reading, writing, language, and literature. If I’m writing a lot, naturally time is taken away from reading. The reciprocation is true: if I’m reading a lot, it is essentially to gear me up for an intense period of writing. This is my cycle, and worries do not bother me anymore if I’m not “writing” every single day because I am actually in the process of writing with everything else I do. My habit of a reading/writing balance is the only way my art works for me.
Roger 8-)
February 12, 2016
When You Read Something Special
When you read something special, your job as a reader is to share your experience with as many others as possible. Recently, I finished the extraordinary novel Gospel Prism by Gerald Weaver. Take a minute to read my review, and you’ll see how special the reading experience was for me:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
But instead of ending this post with asking you to look at my review of Gospel Prism, which hopefully will entice you to want to read it, I thought to exalt Weaver’s brilliance by recounting a few among countless passages that made a lasting impression on me (page numbers correspond with the paperback edition):
“That we may not ever be so certain is the hallmark of humanity, in the same way that even the most exacting words are easy to misconstrue and are often inapplicable to each and every case. The certainty of words and the certainty of our apprehension of them is always suspect. So it is best to take them for what they are, fall back on your humanity and embrace the uncertainty.” (p. 59)
“Hold everything you believe . . . and particularly everything you read and believe, as you would hold a child or a bird, firmly but gently and carefully . . . Many of them would argue that it is hypocritical to profess faith and have doubt. It is really the other way around.” (p. 69)
“The true miracle of it all begins and ends with our own senses and our own heart and mind.” (p. 210)
“What I gathered from my journey thus far is that while God may be transcendent what we may know of him or her is written on our inner parts. God’s law is merely immanent and is at least in part composed of our memory. For instance, the very purpose of prayer is to remember.” (p. 307)
“The problem is not what you believe but what you impose upon the rest of us. And in many cases the desire to impose upon others is stronger than any personal faith . . . The actions of each faith may be judged by the way it treats its members and non-members, by the way it treats woman, by the way it treats the least among us, by the way it treats those who are its neighbors, and by the way it respects itself in the face of differing beliefs. It is one thing to live your own life in faith, it is another thing entirely to say that your God gives you certain sanctions within the world, such as the right to bomb innocents, or take and command land, or to oppress women.” (p. 332)
“We are never fully formed, and our comprehension of divine wisdom will always be something at which we must labor and of which we may never be assured.” (p. 340)
“Reading is your opportunity to brush with the minds of other people, great women and men who have also been visited by divine inspiration. Reading deeply of the great books is your best opportunity to find the divine.” (p. 341)
“Seek God in what you read and will know the divine when you see it. If a child reads any book he is looking in its pages at a very spare road map showing him a way toward the Lord.” (p. 345)
“The true study of the divine is the study of ourselves, and we must understand our selves first and best. Uncertainty is one of our truly divine hallmarks, and we must hold anything that strikes us as the most sublime truth with the most gentle and delicate care. This uncertainty may actually be the most holy element that is within us.” (p. 346)
If you connect with any of these passages, I highly recommend you try Gospel Prism by Gerald Weaver. It will touch your heart and expand your mind.
Roger 8-)
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
But instead of ending this post with asking you to look at my review of Gospel Prism, which hopefully will entice you to want to read it, I thought to exalt Weaver’s brilliance by recounting a few among countless passages that made a lasting impression on me (page numbers correspond with the paperback edition):
“That we may not ever be so certain is the hallmark of humanity, in the same way that even the most exacting words are easy to misconstrue and are often inapplicable to each and every case. The certainty of words and the certainty of our apprehension of them is always suspect. So it is best to take them for what they are, fall back on your humanity and embrace the uncertainty.” (p. 59)
“Hold everything you believe . . . and particularly everything you read and believe, as you would hold a child or a bird, firmly but gently and carefully . . . Many of them would argue that it is hypocritical to profess faith and have doubt. It is really the other way around.” (p. 69)
“The true miracle of it all begins and ends with our own senses and our own heart and mind.” (p. 210)
“What I gathered from my journey thus far is that while God may be transcendent what we may know of him or her is written on our inner parts. God’s law is merely immanent and is at least in part composed of our memory. For instance, the very purpose of prayer is to remember.” (p. 307)
“The problem is not what you believe but what you impose upon the rest of us. And in many cases the desire to impose upon others is stronger than any personal faith . . . The actions of each faith may be judged by the way it treats its members and non-members, by the way it treats woman, by the way it treats the least among us, by the way it treats those who are its neighbors, and by the way it respects itself in the face of differing beliefs. It is one thing to live your own life in faith, it is another thing entirely to say that your God gives you certain sanctions within the world, such as the right to bomb innocents, or take and command land, or to oppress women.” (p. 332)
“We are never fully formed, and our comprehension of divine wisdom will always be something at which we must labor and of which we may never be assured.” (p. 340)
“Reading is your opportunity to brush with the minds of other people, great women and men who have also been visited by divine inspiration. Reading deeply of the great books is your best opportunity to find the divine.” (p. 341)
“Seek God in what you read and will know the divine when you see it. If a child reads any book he is looking in its pages at a very spare road map showing him a way toward the Lord.” (p. 345)
“The true study of the divine is the study of ourselves, and we must understand our selves first and best. Uncertainty is one of our truly divine hallmarks, and we must hold anything that strikes us as the most sublime truth with the most gentle and delicate care. This uncertainty may actually be the most holy element that is within us.” (p. 346)
If you connect with any of these passages, I highly recommend you try Gospel Prism by Gerald Weaver. It will touch your heart and expand your mind.
Roger 8-)
January 28, 2016
Writing: Starting and Keeping Going
Every time I begin drafting the next chapter of the book I’m working on, a nagging fear resurfaces. It questions me, “Oh, no, what if you’re unable to pull this off?” This doubt, however, is always transient. Instead of derailing my intent, it fuels me. The best advice I’ve ever heard about writing comes from one of my favorite poets, Seamus Heaney, someone I revere and had the great honor of once meeting. Heaney says that in order to be a writer you must make a commitment: “Get started, keep going, and get started again.”
The second I remind myself of his cure against any fear of writing, I get to work. I rely on my notes and research to provide guidance. The feeling that I’m putting garbage sentences and mindless ideas on the page always surprises me later when I have my longhand typed up and I start my initial revisions. Most often I find myself overjoyed with the starting point I have. There’s usually a rhythm, a structure, and an overall outline for how the story and characters are developing. In other words, I have something good to work with.
No first draft is ever close to being finished. In fact, it usually takes dozens or more drafts before I can see the end. But once I’ve made that initial start with words on the page, my fear disappears and seems foolish, for of course I can pull off what needs to be done. So each start is a little battle against doubt, which for me is a driving force. Keeping going is never hard for me—until I must begin the next chapter. But I can forever hear the soothing, reassuring Irish voice of Mr. Heaney reminding me to get started. At that instant, I know everything will be fine.
Roger 8-)
The second I remind myself of his cure against any fear of writing, I get to work. I rely on my notes and research to provide guidance. The feeling that I’m putting garbage sentences and mindless ideas on the page always surprises me later when I have my longhand typed up and I start my initial revisions. Most often I find myself overjoyed with the starting point I have. There’s usually a rhythm, a structure, and an overall outline for how the story and characters are developing. In other words, I have something good to work with.
No first draft is ever close to being finished. In fact, it usually takes dozens or more drafts before I can see the end. But once I’ve made that initial start with words on the page, my fear disappears and seems foolish, for of course I can pull off what needs to be done. So each start is a little battle against doubt, which for me is a driving force. Keeping going is never hard for me—until I must begin the next chapter. But I can forever hear the soothing, reassuring Irish voice of Mr. Heaney reminding me to get started. At that instant, I know everything will be fine.
Roger 8-)
January 23, 2016
Rating and Reviewing Books
My approach to rating books is on a scale of three, four, and five stars. First off, I’m always scouting for titles that I hope will enlighten and compel me to give them four or five stars along with an accompanying stellar review. It’s what I want to happen with every book—to have a reading experience that transports me, lifts my spirits, and makes me encounter the world with more compassion and understanding. The inevitability is that not every book makes me want to celebrate it as brilliant. However, even if I’m not thrilled with a book or if I dislike it, there is always something worthwhile or redeeming about it, which makes me appreciate it on some level. That to me earns or deserves at least three stars. When I’m struggling to get into a book, I consider if the problem is me. Perhaps I am unable to connect with the writer’s voice or find a rhythm with his or her style. In these cases, I often give a three-star rating to the book and move on to the next.
Stephen King once said that if you’re unable to engage with a book, wish the author the best and find another title that suits you better. If I offer a review on a three-star book, it is with a constructive outlook because it’s probably me who fails to relate to the writer’s vision. Besides, I know how hard writers work to compose their books. I respect how much time and effort has been put aside and sacrificed. It is a commitment and an achievement to complete a book or any art form for that matter. In the end, it must be remembered that all art is subjective. Readers’ reactions to books will run the gamut from love to hate. My hope would be for every book I pick up to be one I love, eliciting a four or five star rating and review. The reality is we cannot like everything, and there is nothing wrong with that. It doesn’t mean the book is horrible and warrants a one or two star rating and a scathing review. Approach each book as a piece of art that has some value. If it does not appeal to you or fit your tastes, don’t condemn it and crucify the author. Think about his or her effort and move on to the next.
Roger 8-)
Stephen King once said that if you’re unable to engage with a book, wish the author the best and find another title that suits you better. If I offer a review on a three-star book, it is with a constructive outlook because it’s probably me who fails to relate to the writer’s vision. Besides, I know how hard writers work to compose their books. I respect how much time and effort has been put aside and sacrificed. It is a commitment and an achievement to complete a book or any art form for that matter. In the end, it must be remembered that all art is subjective. Readers’ reactions to books will run the gamut from love to hate. My hope would be for every book I pick up to be one I love, eliciting a four or five star rating and review. The reality is we cannot like everything, and there is nothing wrong with that. It doesn’t mean the book is horrible and warrants a one or two star rating and a scathing review. Approach each book as a piece of art that has some value. If it does not appeal to you or fit your tastes, don’t condemn it and crucify the author. Think about his or her effort and move on to the next.
Roger 8-)
January 20, 2016
A Loyal Bookmark
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-)
Roger 8-)
January 12, 2016
What to Read Next
As a librarian and a writer, I’m always scouting for what to read next. I regularly have a list of titles in my head and a stack of books on my desk. But when I’m immersed in a project, as I am now with my third novel, I often feel the compulsion to return to the work of my favorite writers. Recently I tweeted about when you’re unsure of what to read next, go back to Steinbeck. And I meant it. That’s exactly what I did late last year. It was one of the rare times where I didn’t have a next book ready to go, so I started rereading Travels with Charley. It’s such an enchanting book. But most of all it is Steinbeck’s great compassion and humanity as a writer that makes me see why I revere him so much. This is true of many others: Morrison, Ondaatje, McCarthy, and the list goes on. I need their work. It is essential to the progress of my own work.
As I continue the journey with my new novel, I’m reaching that point where I’m feeling the need to return more often to my masters, allowing them to guide me to the end of my narrative. Right now, Anthony Doerr has become a writer who is indispensable to me. Rarely do I finish a book and immediately start rereading it again, even if I know I will reread it many times in the years ahead. However, last week I completed Doerr’s memoir, Four Seasons in Rome, and I knew I must immediately start it again. Its descriptions are breathtaking. His writing is lush, beautiful, empowering, and inspiring. He is most definitely one of those gifted writers who you must follow. Doerr makes me a better writer, and he has proven to me once again why I must go back to my masters when deciding what to read next. I can hardly wait to reread Morrison’s Beloved, Ondaatje’s The English Patient, and McCarthy’s The Border Trilogy.
Roger 8-)
As I continue the journey with my new novel, I’m reaching that point where I’m feeling the need to return more often to my masters, allowing them to guide me to the end of my narrative. Right now, Anthony Doerr has become a writer who is indispensable to me. Rarely do I finish a book and immediately start rereading it again, even if I know I will reread it many times in the years ahead. However, last week I completed Doerr’s memoir, Four Seasons in Rome, and I knew I must immediately start it again. Its descriptions are breathtaking. His writing is lush, beautiful, empowering, and inspiring. He is most definitely one of those gifted writers who you must follow. Doerr makes me a better writer, and he has proven to me once again why I must go back to my masters when deciding what to read next. I can hardly wait to reread Morrison’s Beloved, Ondaatje’s The English Patient, and McCarthy’s The Border Trilogy.
Roger 8-)
January 7, 2016
Adele and the Influence of Music on Writing
Adele’s new album 25 has been a source of inspiration as I continue with my next novel. The lead track “Hello” is a glorious song. It is the powerhouse on a record that delves at the core of love, loss, pain, sorrow, compassion, and forgiveness. 25 is a somber record, but Adele explores her emotions and handles her content with great dignity and grace. She is honest, humble, vulnerable, and ultimately hopeful. I can only keep working as hard as I know artists such as Adele do to reach the heartfelt essence of their subject matter, a point we’re all striving to capture and convey.
The challenge for writers is that language can feel like an obstacle. How do we take the words we use every day in speech, communication, and interaction and make that language beautiful, unique, and original in our literary endeavors? I believe language becomes literature when we’re striving to create emotional impact. Music is the higher language. Music achieves pure emotion, which becomes the elevation of language. That is why when I’m writing I rely heavily on listening to my favorite musical artists as much as I do on reading and rereading the authors I admire. It’s a commitment to immersing myself in the creative process. Music helps me focus on the emotional bearing and mood I’m seeking to create with the reader.
Roger 8-)
The challenge for writers is that language can feel like an obstacle. How do we take the words we use every day in speech, communication, and interaction and make that language beautiful, unique, and original in our literary endeavors? I believe language becomes literature when we’re striving to create emotional impact. Music is the higher language. Music achieves pure emotion, which becomes the elevation of language. That is why when I’m writing I rely heavily on listening to my favorite musical artists as much as I do on reading and rereading the authors I admire. It’s a commitment to immersing myself in the creative process. Music helps me focus on the emotional bearing and mood I’m seeking to create with the reader.
Roger 8-)
January 5, 2016
The Creative Process
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-)
Roger 8-)
