Another Wednesday
Some time ago, I had mentioned that I would be posting excerpts from the third book in my Bears and Eagles saga every Wednesday. Unfortunately, sometimes life sends a curve ball that makes things difficult. Things that were important, get put on the back burner.
I had been for quite some time, spending a tremendous amount of time on one form of computer or another. Composing books, editing and reediting, finding and vetting a professional editor, re-editing once again, finding a cover artist, formatting the book for the various platforms, reviewing those platforms and modifying them to suit. Making a blog and web site. Coming up with some kind of marketing plan. As a self published author, one has to do all of those things ones self, on a limited budget. I forgot to mention, I had to learn how to do all of those things as well.
Last year at this time, I was putting the final touches on Bears and Eagles and Eagles Claw. At the same time, I was dealing with, not only the end of a forty year career due to a physical disability, but the realisation that I would be unable to do many of the things that I enjoy to do. At the same time, I was the primary care giver to my best friend and wife of over forty years. While she was still chipper and sparky for the most part, I knew and so did she, that our time together was coming to an end. She was the rock and foundation for her family, especially for her mother as she was the executrix of her mothers living will. I was the rock of our family, but even the strongest rocks crumble and crack under enough pressure.
Writing and editing became an outlet for me. A time to escape reality as I created another one. But after almost a full year of non stop writing, editing and marketing, I hit burnout. I had to get away. I am an avid reader, have been since I was a preteen and other than my own material or educational material, I had not read a book for a year. So, that’s what I have been doing for the last month. Recharging.
When I finally published, I was hoping for some half decent reviews. Yes, trusted family members said they loved it, but hey, they are family. I found some authors like myself, who were willing to trade reviews for copies of the book and reviews on their work and was surprised at the results. Honestly, I personally like the second book more than the first, but I am biased.
When I started the third book, I changed gears and instead of following the eldest son, I made the youngest the hero. This had started at the end of the second book. History teaches us, that, the third generation of successful families, are generally the ones that squander everything. Look at the Edison’s, the Ford’s and in my country, the Eaton’s. The successful families, like the Rockefeller’s, the Bushe’s, Clinton’s, Kennedy’s, and in my country, the Seagram’s, Martin’s, Irving’s and Truduea’s, had plans in place to ensure the success of the family fortunes. This was my thought as I composed the third book.
The next is that I am encompassing a lot of history in one book. The two world wars did much to shape my country into what it is today and the Korean conflict brought home that even though we have a small nation, we contribute more by our size, than most nations much larger than we, do. We share the largest undefended border in the world with America. We are each others largest trading partners and the years following the Korean conflict, have seen my country’s subtle shift, from British to American influence. To the consternation of both the British and the Americans, we follow our own path. We are not British or American.
To that end, and the fact that the book was over one hundred and fifty thousand words, I have made the decision to split the book up. For sure I am splitting the first world war out and am in the process of doing that. I have the family doing a lot during world war two. This mirrors what the Canadian Forces were doing. We have limited man power and our troops were in big demand. So, what I elude to but not mention will be expanded. I knew that one of my uncles had served in Korea and Cyprus as a member of the UN forces, but I just recently discovered that he was in the Suez as well. This led to the discovery that Canada was instrumental in the formation of the UN Peacekeeping Force and our involvement in easing the tensions in the first of many Arab/Israeli conflicts.
Instead of one large book, I have determined to create two, or most likely three, more manageable books.
Currently, I am waiting on the final editorial review of Eagles Claw, the second book of the saga. Target date for release is mid October. Sorry folks, I am not rushing this one.
Oh, I have commissioned a new cover for Bears and Eagles which will be on display soon. Stay tuned.
