To Live Forever

Well there’s big news on the marketing front. My publisher, Alpha Wolf Publishing is being merged with Solstice Publishing. This is kind of a big deal when you look at it in the grand scheme of things. Solstice is apparently a large company with extensive resources at their disposal. That would mean greater exposure for “Quest for the Red Sapphire” and the future sequel, “Sapphire Crucible.” Details are only just coming in so I will keep you informed. What is important is that the sky is the limit for these books and any writer would be happy with that. As you may have noticed, I have drawn on strong family memories in many of my stories and blogs. Tonight is no exception to that reference. I originally hid my writing from my father. He was an editor and his criticism on my writing was just but hard for a teenager to swallow. In hindsight he made me a better writer but his pen slashing across my papers to cross out errors or entire sections left a lasting impression. It made me hide my work or any evidence of writing. It was almost like I was doing something against the law. I wrote when he was not around and hid my book away when I was done writing for the day. Then a day came when I was working in the yard with him clearing branches and cutting wood. He asked me about what I wanted to study in college and at the time I was interested in business. (This was before I ran smack dab into Accounting 101 and changed my major to Communication). After I told him he was quiet for a while. He was not disappointed but rather was mulling over my answer. Then, out of the blue, he said the strangest thing to me. He said, “Do you know what the great thing is about being a successful writer?” I meekly responded in the negative. “The great thing about it”, he said. “Is once you are published, you live forever!” I was confused and just nodded. He elaborated. “You see, good writing lasts and stands the test of time. Look at Shakespeare. He has been gone for hundreds of years and people are still reading his plays and performing them. Look at Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. They have long since passed but their words live on.” Being a typical teenager who had a retort for everything, I said, “Yes, but those people are famous. That is the reason they live on.” He corrected me. “No, those writers were amazing and that made them famous. That in turn made them live on through the printed word forever. You see, I am hard on you because you have ability. If you work hard and harness that ability you could create something wonderful and be amazing too. And that is the beauty of being a writer.” Did he know what I was working on in my spare time? Had my mother informed him about the series I had planned? To this day he says he was in the dark about it at the time. My name may never be mentioned with those elite writers, but I can look at my work and say, “This is something I am proud to have my name printed upon. I have no regrets other than waiting so long to publish my work. To those who have sent kind words, I thank you. I am humbled by your praise. To those of you who have not read the book yet, visit http//www.Rivalgates.com and read the samples. Most people end up buying the book and enjoying it. Who knows; maybe one day I can live forever too.