Forest Fires

How do forest fires start?

Obvious answers:
1. Lightning Strike
2. Volcanic Eruption
3. Cigarette butt
4. Camp fire

I looked at what wikipedia had to say and it is basically one of two possibilities: Natural causes, or man made. Forest fires can ignite and take off like "wild fire" or they can be a slow, smoldering burn that once it "catches" it then whips through the underbrush like crazy. I'd like to think of When Love Is Not Enough as a slow, smoldering ember left in an abandoned camp sight after a long, steady rain.

The book is that last chunk of charcoal that just wouldn't go out. The fire is still in there, but it needs something to make it catch.

My story (in many ways personal) was inside of me like an ember. It burned. It smoked. It needed to be told. I "fanned" it enough to give it life. (ie. I wrote it and had it published.) Now, it's smoldering. My little ol' novel... the one that: (1) is "filled with pain, anger and deep, raw emotional upset." (2) has "so much true, raw emotional turmoil as to make my heart physically hurt for the characters." (3) is "definitely not a typical love story... Wade's characters are well conceptualized and his style of writing is solid. ... If you appreciate a story that challenges you to think harder and feel deeper, one that leaves your mind buzzing even after you've closed the cover, then you'll appreciate this story. (4) is"messy, chaotic and so profoundly real that you are compelled to keep reading. etc." and (5) is a "tale of love and hope in the face of pain and loss and tragedy. etc..."

How does it "catch" and spread like wildfire in the underbrush?

Perhaps it is similar to the coals in the campfire surrounded by wet brush after a rain. When Love Is Not Enough is sitting amidst the wet leaves waiting it's time to burst with life. My readers are the oxygen filled winds flowing over the coals. The more the billows blow, the stronger the ember glows.

I am only one person. And lets face it, publishers-no matter how good they are-can not promote a book for a long period of time because they have way more books than time. So it is left to the author. Again I say I am one person. I can not do this alone. I learned, not long ago, that I need to ask for help when I need it. This is not a natural tendency. Human nature strives to do things on our own. I am admitting I can't. I NEED YOU!!! All you wonderful readers out there that "fan the flame" and help spread word of my book like wildfire. You can do that by "recommending" it. I am just starting to do that myself with the goodreads "recommend a book" button. (funny how it doesn't let me recommend my own!)

So, little oxygen molecules that you are, breath life and fire into my novel! Please :) recommend it to friends. Recommend it on "polls", recommend it in discussion groups. Anywhere. Everywhere.

Another thing that I lack that other "wildfire" authors have is prolificacy. I have not cranked out book after book in the last six months since I've been published. (Sorry.) I wrote and polished ONE. (Currently in submission.) Now I am writing another. I have another started. I am trying! If I could crank out the words and have them lined up, that might be like adding gasoline to my campfire embers. But I was all out of gas. I am getting fueled up now. I'm on "fire" for this next novel that I am working on, but I need you to keep
When Love Is Not Enough alive while I continue to write Cole For Christmas, and I wait to hear about The Cost of Loving. Can you help me? Will you?

I know I have a "fan club" and I am super, super grateful for those who continually cheer me on. Being a new author is tough. Getting a name out there is hard! It takes perseverance and skill and some luck. (Not so sure about my skills part.) I am plugging away, but I need to have others fan my flame so it doesn't go out while I'm away from the campsite. (If you know what I mean?)

Now, I gotta go get some writing done so I can keep up with my goal of 10k a week!! So far, it's looking good!

Be good. And keep reading.

Wade


PS: If someone read this blog and doesn't believe I'm a writer, then something is wrong with them. Only a writer (or artist) with a wild imagination can write something as flowery and "symbolic" as this and get away with it ;) Artists! We just have to go with it!