SEEING Named a Top Book of 2014!

Hope everyone is having a happy (and safe!) holiday season. A quick bit of awesome news to share with you before the date clicks over to the new year: Erik (of This Kid Reviews Books), who previously reviewed SEEING on his website, has just named SEEING as one of his Top Books of 2014 in a guest blog over at The Jennifer Diaries.

To check out the list of Erik's Top Books of 2014, click here.

See you all in 2015!

Seeing eBook only $2.99 for December

I just learned from my publisher (Winter Goose) that for the month of December they are continuing their annual tradition of reducing their entire catalogue of eBooks to the low, low price of $2.99!

That means if you don't already own SEEING you can now for more than 50% off the usual digital price (it ranges between 6.99 and 7.99 depending where you shop)!

If you own a Nook, a Kindle, or have the app for either on your smartphone or tablet, this is a wonderful opportunity to explore many new authors and books and not break the bank doing so.

On Amazon and Barnes & Noble the eBook prices are already in effect. If you're a reader who must own a physical copy of a book, I have noticed that while the B&N listing of SEEING remains steady at $15.99, on Amazon the price has been dipping as part of their own sale.

On a personal note, I know I haven't updated much - with a newborn I've been using what precious writing time I have in a day on next year's novel - but I do have at least two other blogs I hope to get to before the year runs out: my digital Christmas card and a rundown of the books I read in 2014.

If for some reason I don't get back on with any updates for a bit, I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and joyous new year!

See you soon.

Seeing - Book Review By Erik (thiskidreviewsbooks.com)

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm forever grateful for the glowing adult reviews for SEEING. I was quite ecstatic, too, when I received news just recently that a young reader, user name Alyssakb99, from LitPick.com, also very much enjoyed my book.

But the one review I've been waiting for (and keeping my fingers crossed for) finally published this morning, and I am very excited to share it with you, my dear readers.

The review comes from Erik, the boy reader from www.thiskidreviewsbooks.com. I've included portions of Erik's text below.

You can check out Erik's full review of SEEING on his website.

Book Review - SEEING by Joseph Falank

Summary – 13 year-old Jake Sheppard has always been mocked in his class. After his father walked out on his mother and him, and his best friend became his tormentor, his life has been even harder. The fact that his grandfather, who has recently lost his wife, has come to live with them helps. His mom dating another guy doesn’t. Not in Jake’s mind.

What I Thought – This book is amazing. I like how Mr. Falank’s writing style shows the depth of the bond between Jake and his grandfather. Mr. Falank writes realistically. Even though this isn’t the typical action/adventure book I usually go crazy over, the book really left an impression on me. The story kept me reading. I finished it in one day. The story, even though is one of loss, is also one of hope. It is motivating, in a way.

For anyone who says small press publishers don’t produce good books – check out Seeing. It will change your mind in many ways.

I give “Seeing” five out of five bookworms!

How I Plan To Spend #NaNoWriMo 2014

With October coming to a close that can mean only one thing to writers: we're on the doorstep to National Novel Writing Month (affectionately known as NaNoWriMo).

I won't spend a lot of time describing the event that takes place throughout the month of November except to say, for those unaware, that the 30 day challenge is meant to encourage writers to put down as many words as they can (about 1,666 words per day to meet the assigned goal) - hopefully ending with at least 50,000 words toward the first draft of a novel.

Now every year I have the intention of participating in NaNoWriMo, but for the last few years at this time I've been in different stages of editing a novel I've already written earlier in the year. I suppose I shouldn't beat myself up too much considering I've already checked off the most important, and arguably hardest step - writing the first draft. Unfortunately I'm not the type of writer who can bench a big project for a whole month and start a new one from scratch (I do envy those that can) so I plan to spend the 30 days of November finishing the latest draft of the next novel that should be out roughly a year from now.

(And because I'm pretty comfortable with the current status of the next novel, I thought I'd share a little bit about it.)

Currently titled PICTURES, the next book tells the story of a widowed former artist who begins to see unusual changes in his life after meeting a mysterious woman.

The idea that sparked the novel is one I've had for a long time (one of the first I ever documented in my "idea journal"), and the decision to make it the next book came about a year ago when my wife and I were on a flight to Aruba. During the four-hour plane ride my wife devoured a pretty lengthy novel (David Baldacci's ONE SUMMER). I've never read the book but did check out a summary. My wife is drawn to the family drama/romance novels akin to authors like Baldacci and, one of her favorites, Jodi Picoult. Seeing how quickly she got through the book, I wanted to try my hand at telling such a story.

While it could be argued that SEEING is very much a family drama, I associate SEEING more with a coming-of-age tale, considering the progress of, and the lessons learned by, the young protagonist Jake Sheppard. PICTURES, my first "adult-themed" book, will very much play out in the family drama realm, with a bit more of the love story element at play.

Of course, right now, I'm still in the throes of editing (killing darlings), so it's impossible to predict just what categories PICTURES will fall into until it is finished.

I can also say that when I write, I write about things that terrify me. When writing PICTURES I tackled the subject of becoming - or perhaps never becoming - a dad.

Stay tuned.

And to all you writers preparing for NaNoWriMo -

Good luck!

Some New Reviews, A Giveaway, And A Baby!

A few weeks ago I participated in Six Minutes with an Author - an interview through the website www.LitPick.com. Today I am happy to share that a young reader from LitPick, age 15, under the username Alyssakb99, has reviewed SEEING.

A snippet:

"This book taught me a lot of how family can overcome hardships. I would definitely recommend this book to young adult readers; this is a well written story about family and hardships, and how to overcome trials."

Very awesome. While I'm ecstatic the book is reviewing well with adults, I'm so very happy the book is reaching its intended audience. Sometime this month I should be receiving a review from Erik at www.thiskidreviewsbooks.com - a review I've been looking forward to for quite sometime.

In other review news, I also just recently received my first professional review - this one from Kathryn Mattingly, author of BENJAMIN, who gave SEEING 5 stars, saying:

"Joseph Falank has a gift for well-penned prose that causes deep emotion - in his characters, and in his readers. Truth, discovery, and unexpected turns are what life is all about, and in this novel, young Jake's personal journey is a page-turner to be sure. This author paints some beautiful scenes with the brush of his pen and affects every emotion before the final page."

What I love most about Mattingly's review is the part about painting beautiful scenes. My goal when writing is to really try to visualize what is happening while reviewing the words on the page - it should play like a movie in your head as you read. If I feel there are too many fine details, too many specifics getting in the way and I'm losing that latch on the picture of it all, I begin fine tuning and "killing darlings." To read Mattingly comparing my words to visual art makes me feel satisfied that I accomplished what I set out for.

If you took part in the SEEING giveaway over at Goodreads, first, thank you! It amazed me to discover the giveaway ended last week with over 1,000 entries. Wow. Second, if I could, I would send all 1,075 of you signed copies. For the three winners, your copies are in the mail! Hope to hear from you to find out what you thought.

Finally tonight, just last Tuesday, at 7:15pm, my wife and I welcomed the arrival of our first child, our daughter Madelyn.

Some people say there is no such thing as love at first sight. People who believe that must never have had a child.

 

Six Minutes With Joseph Falank

Good morning friends and dear readers.

Up now is an interview I had with LitPick.com for their series Six Minutes With An Author. The interview - which goes over what's influenced me and my writing over the years, as well as answers to questions like what advice I have to other writers, where is my favorite place to write, as well as my favorite book and how it gave me affirmation that SEEING had a place in world - can be found on their Facebook (and while you're on their FB page, why not give'em a "Like"), or you can read the interview on their website.

Planning out a few blog posts to run in the near future - ones where I discuss trunk novels, the ways social media is helpful and also a hindrance, and also one discussing my next novel coming out late next year.

Stay tuned.

Goodreads SEEING giveaway!

Hello dear readers. I know it's been a while, for which I apologize - been busy prepping for baby Maddie's arrival in about a month. But I dug myself out of piles of baby clothes and toys and stuffed animals and diapers and accessories to give you some pretty cool news:

I am very excited to announce that the premiere social media site for booklovers, Goodreads (www.goodreads.com), is hosting a book giveaway - three autographed copies of SEEING are up for grabs. Winners are chosen randomly by the Goodreads staff.

What's the giveaway involve and how can you be a part of it?

1. Know that, most importantly, the giveaway is absolutely FREE! (Yes, free!)
2. All you need to do to request one of the three copies available, thus entering yourself in the giveaway, is click on the following link: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/106127-seeing and then click on the button that reads ENTER TO WIN.
3. Wait until midnight, Wednesday, October 15 to see if you're one of the three winners!

That's it!

***

On the fence about if you want to enter the giveaway? Well, check out what some readers have had to say about SEEING:

Plot: Thirteen-year-old Jake Sheppard learns to cope with the harsh truth that comes with growing up - that those he loves don't stick around forever.

"Such a great read." (John Malik - author of DOUGHNUTS FOR AMY)

"This book may be fiction geared for young adults, but it is a must read for any age if you have ever suffered the intense hurt and bewilderment of being abandoned by a parent. Forget all the self help books and stop asking yourself 'why'. Immerse yourself in Seeing and you will finally realize that 'You've got to learn to let go.' Falank has nailed it....Seeing delivered on it's promise...it has changed the way I see the world, forever." (Yvonne - 5-star Goodreads Review)

"Beautifully written. Not only does it touch upon topics that pertain to adults and parents but it reaches out to such emotions that young adults experience. I will be sharing this book with my daughter. This is a true calling!" (Nicole W. - 5-star Amazon Review)

"Reading Falank's Seeing brings you right back to that very early teen place when the best adults in your life look at you with frustration and pity and you can't stand them as much as you still adore them. Read this book. It's poignant and real. [Seeing is] a lovely read and satisfying, paced just like it should be, slow enough to savor and enticing enough to keep pages turning." (Mary Sze-Tu - 5-star Goodreads Review)

"Lovely story that made me both want to savor it and race to the end. Interesting characters and beautiful imagery." (Sallie Anne Porter - 5-star Amazon Review)

"I found the themes dealing with loss and how it affects the person and their relationships very relatable. The story is told via a 13yo boy but any age can relate to it." (Adara Alston - 5-star Goodreads Review)

Putting Back On The Writing Hat

It's been a wonderful vacation. What with moving into our first house and painting and getting the baby's room ready it's also been an eventful summer. Add to all of the previous, I also had my very first author event last Wednesday night at RiverRead Books in downtown Binghamton.

There were two things I was going to do when the event started; first, I was going to snap a pic of the crowd in attendance - from my point of view - waving at the camera and then tweet it; second, I was going to start a timer to make sure I didn't cut anything too short or talk for too long (figured the nerves may cause me to do one, the other, or both). Forgot to do either. Needless to say once I was introduced by Connie Barnes, the bookstore owner, and what a lovely intro it was, I started right in. Overall, I can't complain. I sold a few books, signed a bunch of copies, and had a lot of laughs and questions to answer that everyone seemed genuinely interested to hear. Like I said, can't complain.

 

But now vacation is over.

And I'm excited.

Yesterday morning, just after the alarm went off at six, I sat down and started in on another novel. I try to do a thousand words per day. In just over an hour I managed to get in my thousand. This morning it took me less than an hour. Things are beginning very well. Of course there will be those days when I struggle to reach my thousand-word goal, but so far so good.

I don't really have a plan with this book except to write it and to do so without planning anything out at all. I haven't plotted, only sketched a general premise. That's big for me.

Unfortunately it's too early for me to say anything more about the book. I dropped this shot on Twitter yesterday morning, and for now, that'll have to do.

Six Minutes with LitPick

Just recently I took part in an interview - Six Minutes with an Author - for LitPick.com ("the latest in preteen and teen literature reviewed by a global community of students"). The interview will run on LitPick's Facebook page. When it's up I'll post.

My first author event is only days away - RiverRead Books in Binghamton will be hosting me this coming Wednesday, August 6th. If you're in the area come on down! If you're not, I'll have pics and a description of the night up shortly following.

Not much else to report on at the moment, but stuff coming down the pike. Stay tuned!

Beginning Harry Potter and Do I Have a Series in Me?

This past week I started something I should have a long time ago. Anyone who's going to write in the field of YA (Young Adult) has a vast selection of authors to research, but should, in my opinion of course, check out the works of Patrick Ness (A Monster Calls is my favorite book and is one of the most decorated YA works out there), Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak, Twisted) and, perhaps considered at the top of the YA mountain even after all these years, J.K. Rowling.

For years I've put off the seven books featuring "The Boy Who Lived" along with Ron and Hermione because of the films based on them. I saw the first movie - Sorcerer's Stone - in the theaters and really liked it. I attempted to start the books (there were, I think, four at the time?) but found that seeing the movie first kind of spoiled the experience of reading the book - ultimately, despite the book being a tad different and a bit more in-depth, the conclusion was the same. I saw the second and third film - Chamber of Secrets and Prisoner of Azkaban - and enjoyed them a lot due to the ever-darkening tones. As well I followed the coverage of each new book coming out, ending with the seventh. Films four through six I didn't see, but caught Deathly Hallows, Part One, on a bus trip to New York the day before seeing the final film in theaters. While there was a gap for me, I followed along pretty well with the last two movies and thought the conclusion to be very fitting; I particularly enjoyed the glimpse into the characters' futures in the end and (in the movie, at least) you get the sense that the experiences the triumvirate have been through hasn't completely left them. You could almost say the events of their time at Hogwarts scarred them in a way similar to the lightning bolt on Harry's forehead - always present.

Like I said, for years I put off reading the books; I was waiting for the impression of the films to wear off.

Last week I started Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and have raced through it (I'm not a fast reader) and am nearly finished. While every now and again I get the sense of what I saw in that film (and it's been a very long time since I've seen it), it's a very refreshing, easy, brisk read. In a way I am glad to have waited and started them now - after all the hoopla about them has long ended. I can read them - regardless of knowing the ultimate ending and some choice spoilers (yes, I know what happens to Dumbledore) - for my own enjoyment and at my own pace without having any worries of running into fans spouting about them online like when they were brand new.

It would be unfair to critique Rowling's series (dare I call it her magnum opus so early in her career?), having only digested one of the books so far, but I find her a very witty writer who moves at a fast pace (the entire sequence with the troll inside Hogwarts lasted longer in the film than it does reading the 3 or 4 pages in the book). I am very excited to get into the remaining six. I'm also very interested to see why most of the other books are so much denser, given her tendency to be breezy and go from scene to scene very quickly. There must be a lot more plot involved. My hope is everything is balanced well and doesn't succumb under the weight of quantity over quality.

While reading Sorcerer's Stone, I thought about The Dark Tower series by Stephen King; I've only read the first installment - The Gunslinger - of that particular sequence of novels so far, but each of the works of King and Rowling got me thinking: Would I ever write a series? Do I have one long story in me to tell?

Right now...in short...no. But (!) that's not to say I wouldn't be open to doing one in the future. Where I am in my writing now is I like to tell simple, clean stories that don't leave the reader hanging after the end. The stories, to me, should feel like an experience, and deeply personal. To stretch it out over a series is beyond my comfort at the moment. I hope to someday be inspired by an idea that has the potential to take up a few volumes, but I won't worry about it if it doesn't happen. I'm very confident in what I have to say with each book and, believe it or not (if you go by the one published book per year rule), I have stories set in stone - and by that I mean in my notebooks - to tell for at least the next six years, and they're all single books. I'm always getting ideas and when I believe I have a good one I put it in its own notebook and add to it over time.

So no, no series in the works right now, but even though it may never happen that's not to say that I won't ever revisit a character - main or supporting - in another novel sometime in the future either.

Guest Blog Up On Winter Goose Site

This week I have a guest blog up over on my publisher's website, where I go into a bit of detail regarding my beginnings as a writer and, among other things, the idea that popped in my head that eventually became Seeing, my first published novel.

Click on over to Winter Goose's site for the blog entitled A Winter After Many Long Seasons.

Two Weeks Later

So, the book has been out for two weeks now, and purposely to not over-saturate social media with continuous announcements of the release, I've taken a restrained approach. My biggest worry is putting potential readers off by being too much a salesperson. Ever follow an author on Twitter? Some are good, like one of my faves Patrick Ness (@PatrickNess), who talks about his work rather than always trying to sell it - there is a huge difference - while there are those who constantly shove their work down your throat (you know who you are if you do this), and most of them aren't subtle about it. I never want to be like that (it never makes me want to read their work), so, my plan now that the book is out is to work hard on getting it reviewed - the process requires patience as it can be a bit of a slow burn but it's far better to push what others are saying rather than myself proclaiming from the hilltops. Of course I love my book - I wrote it! - but I want to know what you have to say.

And wow... The reception I've received thus far has been beyond anything I could have dreamed. My friends, I am fortunate, and feel truly blessed that those getting their hands on Seeing are not only enjoying it but finding it is affecting them on a much more personal level. I would be lying if I said this wasn't my intention all along, but I never knew just how moving readers would find the book. I'm so glad those who are reading it are sharing with me their thoughts and feelings. Again, I'm incredibly thankful.

If you follow me on Facebook then you may know that a few days ago I posted my first review. The review came from someone close in my family, who ordered the book immediately on their Nook the day it came out and finished it shortly after. They sent me their thoughts in an e-mail at 3:30 in the morning because that's when they finished it. First I thought it was great they felt compelled to give me their thoughts at such an unusual time, then I read what they had to say. I felt posting who the review came from may cause others to roll their eyes and think, based on the relationship: Well, of course they would say that! I, however, know this person to be honest - even sometimes brutally so - and also an avid reader of all types of genres and authors. If they weren't impressed, I would know. What follows is their exact review:

I had your book put into my nook the other day.  I just finished it and had to tell  you just how moved I was with the  book.  It  is a very moving story!  I cried.  I enjoyed it very much.  You should be very proud of yourself!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Note: I copy/pasted, so, yes, all those exclamation points were in the original message.

 

I told this person that getting their review made me less fearful of the reviews that would be in-coming. You get through the first one you can get through the rest, right?

 

Not really. It was a tiny bit of a lie, I suppose. Not that I didn't tell this person what I felt at the time to be truthful, but a nagging voice kept up in the back of my head, speaking whenever it was quiet, wondering what someone who didn't know me might think of the book.

 

Fortunately, I only had to wait a few more days before someone - someone I can say I don't know - posted a review on Amazon. I'd also be lying if I said I didn't constantly (obsessively?) check Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes & Noble for any reviews. I do it as if it were my job. ... I guess it sort of is, huh?

 

Anyway, here is what one reader decided to share in their 5-star review:

 

This book was beautifully written. Not only does it touch upon topics that pertain to adults and parents but it reaches out to such emotions that young adults experience. I will be sharing this book with my daughter. This is a true calling!

 

Wow.

 

I've read the review over countless times and still have no idea what to say other than thank you, thank you, thank you.

Here is another one, this one a 5-star review from Goodreads:

This is a book for young and old alike. This book may be fiction geared for young adults, but it is a must read for any age if you have ever suffered the intense hurt and bewilderment of being abandoned by a parent. Forget all the self help books and stop asking yourself "why". Immerse yourself in "Seeing" and you will finally realize that "You've got to learn to let go." Falank has nailed it....Seeing delivered on it's promise...it has changed the way I see the world, forever.

Again, wow. It means a lot to me that readers are taking the time to post their thoughts, and what they're saying means even more.

 

Right now the book is out for review with two friends of mine who are authors (a third author friend will get their copy soon), and I'm desperate to know what they think. I've also reached out to a few editorials to get reviews, so the "professional" reviews are forthcoming.

And then this morning I woke to some awesome news:

Erik, the kid reviewer behind the website This Kid Reviews Books, will be reviewing Seeing!! (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Note: Yes, all of those exclamation points are appropriate.

No offense to anyone who has or will be agreeing to give me a review (I appreciate you all), but this one excites me the most. That someone of the target audience will be critiquing the work - not to mention this was someone I was really hoping would give me a review - has me on cloud nine (I hate that expression but I've only been awake twenty minutes and it was all that was coming to me to describe my own excitement).

UPDATE: I've just learned that Seeing has also been chosen for review by the students associated with the site LitPick.com!!
 

So it's only been two weeks. There's a long road ahead for the book - one of the stops on this long road will be my first author event: Wednesday, August 6th, at RiverRead Books in downtown Binghamton at 6:30pm - but I'm ready to put in the miles and take you all along for the ride.

SEEING now available!

Folks, this is it! My debut novel, Seeing, is now on sale and can be purchased through the major book outlets: currently Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

At this time the print version and Nook eBook version is on sale with the Kindle eBook coming shortly.

But enough from me, here're the links:

Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Seeing-Joseph-Falank/dp/1941058159/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404060881&sr=8-1&keywords=seeing+falank

Barnes & Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/seeing-joseph-falank/1119875671?ean=9781941058152

Glad To Be Alive

Happens all the time on Twitter, right? We casual people post a question aimed at one of the many celebrities/authors/artists we follow, but never really expect an answer.

But then...



...

He freaking answered.

Stephen King (the man who wrote Carrie, The Shining, It, The Stand, Cell, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, The Green Mile, Bag of Bones, Lisey's Story, Misery, and a bunch of other novels that have made him a household name and one of the world's - if not the world's - most successful and well-known authors, and my personal favorite) answered me (me, the author of just one book) on Twitter.

That was over twenty days ago and I still get chills when I look back.

Where I was going with this was not the celebratory shivers I got upon King answering my tweet, but in how he celebrates a new novel being released: a hamburger, and feeling glad to be alive.

Tomorrow, Monday, June 30, will be the day when my first novel, Seeing, is released. Just about fifteen hours from right now. That knowledge brings along a whole new kind of shivers.

For four years I've struggled and clawed my way to this point. In the fall of 2010 I wrote a simple story that was more about believing in something than it was about the supernatural. There are no witches, no wizards in my book. No Chosen Ones; no one leading a rebellion to save the last vestiges of humanity. The world of YA (Young Adult) books is on fire with these types of explosive tales. But that wasn't the route I wanted to travel. My story is simply about a boy; a boy who is looking for hope. And he's doing it in our modern world.

I want to personally thank all of those at Winter Goose Publishing. They believed in my story. They gave me a beautiful cover. And they gave me a chance.

Tomorrow isn't just my book birthday though; it's also the start of a new beginning. My wife and I will be packing up all the boxes and furniture in our apartment (a place we've had since we were married three years ago) and moving into our first house - three months before our daughter will be born in October. Lots of changes and exciting things coming.

So, if I can take a moment and respond to Stephen King (and I have to do it here because my response will exceed the 140 character limit on Twitter), I want to say that on the day of my book coming out (tomorrow) I probably won't be sitting down to enjoy a hamburger - more likely I'll be running around with moving boxes in hand and a slice of pizza hanging out of my mouth - but I'll definitely be feeling glad to be alive.

Some Of What's To Come

Taking a break while packing up the apartment for the big move next weekend (my wife and I are [finally] moving into our first house!), I thought I'd get a quick blog in to get you all up to date on some pretty cool things that've happened lately, and some of what's to come.

Among the most exciting (besides the house) is that I received the advance digital version of SEEING from my publisher this past week to look over and give the OK to.

Why, hello there. (Note: the e-book has been open on my computer all week; I just keep going back and looking at it.)

The past year's experiences of having a book published - everything from signing the contract to going through the different cover designs and beyond - have always gone the way of a single line of thought: Wow...now it feels real. Well, dear readers, now it really feels real. Because I've seen it. I've seen the book - yes, in digital format only, and fully expect to be wiping away tears when I first hold the print version in my hands - and I am so anxious for you all to see (and hold) it too. Soon enough, I promise.

With June on the backend, the release should be coming in the next few days. I'll definitely post on it and get all the links up to online outlets. And when the first copies come in, I'll be sure to post again. I'll try not to be too excessive with the posting.

Because I don't want to spoil even the littlest detail, the only other thing I'll say is that an author I've known for a few years, and greatly respect, is currently reading the digital copy. For me, the thought that the book is out there and its first review is coming... Wow.

Now it feels real.

In other news, with the book's release forthcoming, I should have an update fairly soon regarding my first author event/book signing. Stay tuned for that.

In SEEING-unrelated stuff: School is finally out for the summer, and with all that remains to be juggled for the next few weeks, not having to go to work (two day jobs) every day allows a lot of freedom to finish other tasks at hand. For one, I'm about a week away from finishing the next draft of another novel (my second) that you should be seeing at retailers around the tail-end of next year. I know it seems unfair to mention a new book and not say anything more...but maybe just this tidbit: the story (an adult one this time) focuses on a single point of view, much like in SEEING.

So, there you have it: Book release soon, first house, possible signing coming up, new book for 2015.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've gotta go and resume packing some boxes before all the determination I have left completely dissolves.

Review: Devourer of Souls

Last October on this blog I reviewed fellow author Kevin Lucia's first short story collection Things Slip Through (from Crystal Lake Publishing). Now while horror isn't the genre I write in, I do very much enjoy reading it (Stephen King being my all time favorite author) and I find Kevin's stories to be some of the more effective, mainly because his goal isn't to just hit you with gore and gross you out. He gives you characters to care about and then sucker punches you when something terrible happens to them (and many terrible things happen in Devourer, but I'm getting ahead of myself). He lingers on suspense. He also takes pride in giving readers a haunted setting in his town of Clifton Heights, a place that's quickly becoming more and more its own main character with each published tale. And I'm very happy to report that Kevin's next big release - an e-book collection of two novellas called Devourer of Souls (out June 30 from Ragnarok Publications) - satisfies as a follow-up to Things and also stands very well on its own.

From the publisher:

Welcome to Clifton Heights, an average Adirondack town. It's nice enough, really. Except after dark. Or on cold winter days when you're all alone...

 

Sophan. 
An ancient game of chance and Fate. One boy's smoldering hate, another boy's need to make things right, and a father's ghosts of Vietnam past. These are the key players in this latest tale of revenge and reparation performed on the stage of the strange Adirondack town of Clifton Heights, NY.

The Man in Yellow.
Tahawus is a small, isolated Adirondack town just north of Clifton Heights. A quiet place filled with simple people of an ardent faith, nothing much ever happens there...until the man in yellow comes calling. He knows your worst nightmares, and he can offer your fondest wish. All you need is faith...and a mouth from which to scream.

Review:
Devourer's two novellas ("Sophan" and "The Man in Yellow") tell separate stories in different locations in and around Clifton Heights but share a few similarities. Without spoiling anything, I'll just say that both stories are from the point of view of children (some older, some younger) and how they react to their parent/parents in the situations they find themselves in. Sometimes the parents are helpful with advice, and other times they are actually the ones endangering their child.

The stories have a "coming-of-age" flavor to them (more so in the way of "The Body" [or what you may know of as Stand By Me] rather than the more innocent bunch from The Sandlot, though there are no real comparisons to these stories outside a common theme). Macabre forces beyond their control accelerate the growth of these characters to deal with something far beyond their years, and this is where Lucia shines. Not in the darkness of his tales - we know he is quite capable of that from Things and other stories under his belt - but in how the progress of these characters comes across as not only necessary but believable.

Quite often, in horror especially, we find a character who acts in a bizarre way in order to meet the demands of the story. Here, these characters act how we expect them to. How we would. How anyone would. And that means feeling the consequences of choice.

One character makes a decision - an awful, regretful decision - near the end of Sophan, that while isn't heroic, nor provides us with a flashy ending, is the way it should be. And in Lucia's signature style, the beast is kept more to the peripheral, because it isn't the main focus here (though he does create quite the antagonist in "The Man in Yellow"). These aren't tales of heroes or anyone suddenly stepping up to tee-off against evil. These are tales of young people reacting, scared out of their minds, and the instinct of survival kicks in.

Sometimes survival isn't always being brave. And we learn that through Lucia's meek and rebellious, though well-meaning, characters.

The storytelling device used here is a continuation from Things, where Sheriff Chris is meeting with a friend (this time Father Ward) and discussing local stories found in a journal - the stories being "Sophan" and "The Man in Yellow." This doesn't mean you need to have read Things in order to enjoy Devourer. If you have, you'll get more out of these new tales as the whole of Clifton Heights and its surrounding area and citizens become a little bit more defined, though there's still plenty around the fringe that's left out of focus.

On the whole this collection is breezy, atmospheric, and right to the point. Perfect for summer reading.

Devourer of Souls will be available June 30.

So, where have I been?

If you follow this blog, my website, my Facebook, my Twitter, then I'm sure you've noticed how I'm not posting as much as I usually do (for blogs I really try to do one a week). Well, friends, May has been a busy month. Very busy. But I wanted to take some time to check in and let you all know what's been happening.

Right now I'm deep into my Seeing edits from the editor. I'm hoping to be finished by late in the week so that it's off to the publisher as soon as possible and it can be that much closer to being in your hands by the end of June.

Speaking of which, I am constantly asked what the release date is in June. Well, to be honest, unlike your big publishing houses - where specific teams are dedicated to single works and can get everything done in order to meet the specific street date - smaller publishers don't quite have the same resources and are stretching all their people thin to get everything done with every author who has an upcoming release. So, June is all I can say. And I will work as hard as I can to (quoting Starship Enterprise Captain Jean Luc Picard) "Make it so."

As far as reviewing edits, I have found that (having not read through the novel in quite a while so that I could look at it with fresh eyes and ideas and thoughts when the time came) I am very pleasantly surprised just how touching and humorous Seeing is. Of course that was the plan all along but even I'm surprised by it. It took a very long time for me (years and years) before I stopped hearing my own voice in everything I wrote. There are times now I have to go back because I get so caught up with everything that I forget to apply the edits I want (basically they've all been cosmetic - a word change here and there...some rewording, a little shortening).

Seeing hasn't been my only priority for the last month, though. My wife recently graduated with her certificate in education administration (woo-hoo!), we've also been getting our baby registries ready and shopping for little Miss Peanut (found her a baby girl's Batman shirt at Old Navy yesterday - score!), and also have been busy trying to get our first house. Not to mention that the school year is wrapping up for both of us.

In the writing realm, I have been working on a manuscript for a book you'll hopefully see near the end of 2015, but that's been put on hold until I finish Seeing.

So, yes, a busy month. But all for good things.

I promise to post more in the coming weeks (especially with the release sneaking up), but for now I leave you with the first of four book spots (mini-trailers) that'll be coming over the next month, focusing on different aspects of Seeing. This first one is entitled "Trailer Breakdown." Enjoy!

Meet My Main Character: Jake Sheppard (SEEING)

The inspiration for this blog came from fellow author Ina Schroders-Zeeders (Amor, Veritas), who brought this "Meet My Main Character" blog tour to her fellow Geese (what some of us have dubbed the authors at Winter Goose Publishing). I was very intrigued by the idea and thought what an awesome way to get people to know about my upcoming young adult novel, and more importantly the main character, before Seeing is published next month.

The rundown:
The extraordinary is all around us.

After enduring a difficult year that began with his father unexpectedly walking out on the family, thirteen-year-old Jake Sheppard finds himself at a loss for hope. When his live-in grandfather shares a deeply personal and rather unbelievable bedtime story, the impossibility of the tale’s events sparks an interest in Jake to determine its authenticity.

Embarking on a personal journey for the truth leads Jake to a discovery that will not only change his life, but the way he sees the world, forever.

Jake Sheppard, as illustrated by Christopher Wright

Here are my answers to the questions on this blog tour:

1. What is the name of your main character? Is he/she fictional or a historical person?
My main character is a thirteen-year-old named Jake Sheppard. Jake is a fictional character who is a very likeable, ordinary boy; he has no superpowers, no heightened abilities, and he doesn't come from another world or realm. Jake is very much your average young person.

2. When and where is the story set?
The novel takes place in the fictional town of Serling Oaks. While there are comparisons to be made between Oaks and my own hometown of Binghamton (and is also an obvious homage to the creator of The Twilight Zone, one of my writing idols), I wanted to have an original setting for my stories and characters that was unique to them and didn't have to be confined to the geography of a real locale. The story occurs in the present, however there are very few mentions or uses of the latest technology (no one wields an iPhone, for instance) that would pin this novel in 2014, with the one exception of a SmartBoard.

Jake, as shown in the recent live-action book trailer

3. What should we know about Jake?
The last year in Jake's life has been rough. Without warning or reason, Jake's father up and left early one morning and this abandonment has caused Jake to struggle with many issues. His best friend, Jamie, has gone through a similar circumstance in his own family, and while you'd think such an awful thing would bring the boys closer together, their separate responses to the tragedies at home has caused a rift between them, sending them in separate directions. When we first meet Jake he is at a low-point.

4. What is Jake's main conflict?
Jake faces an abundance of conflict - internal and external - throughout, but if I had to choose which is his main conflict, I would say it's dealing with growing up. As we all have moved on from childhood to young adulthood we have learned many of life's harsher truths. And that there are many things in this world beyond our control. These are things Jake is just beginning to understand because there was a time when nothing terrible happened to him.

5. What is Jake's personal goal?
What Jake is ultimately after is hope. Hope that beyond all the disappointments and the hurt he's had to face there is something - some sign - that will reinforce the notion that things always get better, wounds heal, and someone is always watching out for him.



6. Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?
The early title was Run to Me, which didn't even last until the end of the first draft before I retitled the book Seeing. I thought the second title just fit perfectly.

You can always read more about the book on my site (www.josephfalank.com), my publisher's site (www.wintergoosepublishing.com), as well as my Twitter (www.twitter.com/JosephFalank), and Facebook (www.facebook.com/AuthorJosephFalank) feeds.

7. When can we expect the book to be published?
Seeing is scheduled for a June release. It'll be available in both print and eBook on Amazon and B&N.com.


I want to thank Ina for bringing to my attention this blog tour. It was a lot of fun to divulge a bit more about my story and its main character than I've been allowing myself (I like to be quite secretive). And thank you all for visiting!

Releasing the Book Trailer May 1st

 

When I told some people I was filming a live-action book trailer (versus doing one with illustrations and text overlays - which was the teaser), I was met with a wide variety of responses, everything from "That's so awesome!" to "... Like a movie trailer? For a book?"

 

Yes, exactly like a movie trailer for a book.

 

As it is, we tend to respond to things much better when there are visuals. Like when a co-worker tells you all about a funny video they saw on YouTube. Their description of the video may be accurate but some, if not all of the humor is lost because you didn't see the video - you got the joke secondhand, and that's never good. If the co-worker just whipped out their smartphone and showed you the video, you would both be relishing in the hilarity together. Plus, when you see something you're more apt to remember it and share it with others.

 

For this, and other reasons, I had wanted to do a live-action book trailer from the start. I wanted to do something different that would show readers - in less than two minutes - what Seeing is going to be about.

 

Book trailers - especially ones showing actors in place of pictures and text - are gaining momentum. Doctor Sleep had one.

 

What I hoped to accomplish with the trailer when preparing it, and later directing it, was quickly establishing the story of Seeing in a modern setting. And in this single sequence, I wanted to put in hints that there may be something just a bit more grand happening here... The trailer consists of tiny moments stitched together that aren't direct scenes from the story but beats of what you'll find in the pages. I'm very happy with it, very proud of it, and feel I succeeded.

 

On May 1st (on my site, on Facebook, and on YouTube) you, my readers, can judge for yourselves.

The Inevitable Facebook Author Page

www.facebook.com/authorjosephfalank

So, this is it. It had all been coming down to this anyway. A foregone conclusion. I knew it. Much as I delayed and delayed and thought it over and hemmed and hawed and pondered and questioned...in the end, it was inevitable.

I'd seen a few writer friends dabble with Facebook author pages in the last few months. Often I told myself that it wasn't necessary; not yet. I was purposefully being standoffish because having another Facebook account didn't strike me as essential, or enjoyable, or as even something I wanted. Ugh, another Facebook to take up my time?!

That was my thinking anyway.

So, what changed my mind? Allow me to explain using the exact post I made earlier - I feel it worded the decision perfectly.

After a conversation with a fellow author this past week, it was made clear to me just how simple it is to create a Facebook author page (or any page, be it a band site, or one for an artist, filmmaker, etc.). I didn't have to sign in separately, didn't have to register another e-mail, didn't have to jump through a lot of hoops. I just logged on and bam, took me five minutes to create. I can switch between the two "accounts" with a simple click. Easy peasy.

 

www.facebook.com/AuthorJosephFalank

Filmmaker, Comedian, Actor, Writer, Author, Husband, and now...

...Daddy.

See you in October, Peanut.

It'll Be Out There. Forever.

I had a few different thoughts for this week's blog. I considered doing an entry about social media (Twitter, specifically) and how it pertains to me getting the word out about my upcoming novel, Seeing. I didn't go with that idea (yet) because it's still something I'm learning about, and hoping not to abuse (it's an interior debate [struggle] of how much to promote because I certainly don't want to come off to others as pushy, bothersome, or annoying [as many authors on Twitter can be]). What made me decide to go with the topic I'm about to discuss is that it's something that's stuck with me for quite a while. Something I have a lot of thoughts on. Something that came with an epiphany.

Every morning I listen to Elvis Duran's radio show on the 20 minute drive to work. A few weeks back Elvis was doing a segment on his show where he was listing things that children born in 2014 won't be able to experience as they grow up - things that are, or were, common to us but will no longer be around for them. For example, one of the things mentioned on the list was corded telephones. I think it's safe to say that cell phones have long replaced corded, even portable house phones as our primary tool for "long distance" communication. It's very unlikely many children born this year will come across a working corded phone, unless they're visiting grandma and grandpa, perhaps. And even then will they stare at it with the same crooked eyebrow we did with rotary phones?

Now the corded phone I can understand. We're beyond them, technologically speaking. We're far past portable house phones, too. No one will miss them.

But something on the list struck me like an arrow through the heart when Elvis said it.

Libraries.

You know, those brick and mortar buildings with tall, long shelves filled with books, ordered alphabetically by author. Books of all sizes and genres. Hardbacks and paperbacks. Crisp new releases and aged classics. They're not books for sale, but for borrowing - like the way video stores were for renting movies (Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, Video King). And the only way to borrow a book was to have a library card. Remember those??

Well, we know what happened to video rental chains like Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, and Video King. They're now known as RedBox and On Demand.

And this is why Elvis mentioning libraries going the way of extinction made me sad.

Because I believed he was right.

With the world making copies of everything in digital form, with content of all types being offered through store apps and such, it only seems like a matter of time before it happens. That "it" being complete consolidation.

Think about it, how many movies do you own and have sitting on your shelf? How many books? How many CDs? They do take up a lot of space, right? (I know what my wife thinks of our DVD storage cases and how she wishes they would vanish.)

Now think about your smartphone, or your computer, or your tablet. They probably hold a decent amount of your music stored on the hard drive (the rest in the "cloud"), as well as apps for Kindle or Nook for reading, and with Digital/Ultraviolet copies of movies, you can watch all of your favorites on the screen. Instead of taking up space in your home, these files only take up drive space. And you can always purchase more drive space if you need it. Plus, you can take your files with you. And it cuts down on cleaning time because you're not dusting off any shelves every weekend.

(And think about this: creating a digital book, or album, or film costs much less to produce than the physical copy, so you know companies can only win by eventually going all digital.)

There are still the die-hard romantics out there, those who still wish to own actual books from their favorite authors, discs of their favorite movies, and CDs of their favorite artists/songs. I'm one of them. I do own a Nook (it was a birthday present from my wife), and I love it. There are great advantages to having one. But every Stephen King book I buy must be a genuine copy I can hold and admire. Being I'm not a multi-millionaire with unlimited shelf space, I can't afford to buy physical copies of every book I want to read, so I do buy books for my Nook when B&N runs sales. If we go on vacation, I can bring my Nook, which has over 40 books stored on it. I don't have to worry about space trying to pack three different paperbacks in a suitcase. Point is, the romantics are still out there, but we're a dying breed.

At some point everything, even money I believe, will be digital.

Consolidation.

But not to worry, this blog isn't all doom and gloom for you romantics.

A few days after hearing Elvis's list, my wife and I were having lunch with a few of her friends and the subject of my book came up. They asked about the plot, about me writing it, and when it would come out. They were very excited for me, and that was great, but then one of them said something that completely blew my mind.

"Once it's published, it'll be out there. Forever."

Whoa. That really made me stop and think. There were times when I was seeking a home for my novel that I came across some e-book-only publishers and refused to settle on my dream of being a published author and send them anything. Why? Because I wanted my book to be real. I wanted to hold it - I wanted others to hold it - and admire it much like I do every Stephen King, or Patrick Ness, or Laurie Halse Anderson book I own. I wanted to be able to sign it if someone wanted me to. I wanted it to collect dust on a shelf, waiting to be discovered by someone else in a home, not locked up on a digital shelf on someone's tablet, protected by a password where no one else can stumble upon it.

When I came across Winter Goose Publishing, I read up on them. I loved their view on books and that they considered their authors to be family, and I especially loved their motto: Helping you discover your next favorite book. These were people that loved books, loved good stories. I knew they would provide the perfect, loving home for my book. I wanted to submit to them, and what sold me was that they offered their author's works in both print and e-book. I could have the best of both worlds, so I submitted my manuscript.

I think we all know how it all turned out. :)

Needless to say, no matter how the future pans out from here, no matter if books do go the way of digital and libraries and bookstores are forced to close their doors - much as I and many don't want them to - I know there will be at least one copy of Seeing, one real copy, sitting on a shelf somewhere. A shelf that needs dusting every weekend. The spine of the book will be broken, the pages will be worn. There may be a food stain or a dog-eared corner. But there it will sit among many friends - waiting to be picked up again. It'll be out there, somewhere.

Forever.

Reveal: Seeing

Yes! Today's the day, friends. Today my publisher, Winter Goose, made a huge three-part announcement regarding my first novel, Seeing. Stick with me as I joy all over this blog entry, breaking down each portion of today's announcement.

(Let it be known that whilst I type this, Pharrell Williams's Happy song is playing on endless repeat.)

Part 1: The Cover
Perhaps the biggest (literally) part of WGP's press release regarding Seeing was the reveal of the cover art.



What I love about the art is that it's so simple, so bright, and conveys (teases) so much about the possibilities of the story. I was very fortunate to have a say in the art - many authors are just shown the art and told what their cover will be.

Originally I went a completely different way but found my early designs, simple in my mind, made the available space much too busy. Winter Goose humored me and came up with concepts that matched the descriptions I gave, but I came around to something much more elegant and simple. Something that plays more on the imagination than something too explicit. I love this image and haven't stopped looking at it since I first saw it and knew right away it would be the cover.

Part 2: The Blurb
It's not easy to create, in just a few paragraphs, what has to be the perfect, tantalizing preview that sums up the theme of a book without spoiling any of the intricate details. You want the blurb to be the pitch to the possible reader. The blurb must engage them and make them decide if what their holding is worth the emotional and monetary investment. You can decide it for yourself, with Seeing's blurb:

The extraordinary is all around us.

After enduring a difficult year that began with his father unexpectedly walking out on the family, thirteen-year-old Jake Sheppard finds himself at a loss for hope. When his live-in grandfather shares a deeply personal and rather unbelievable bedtime story, the impossibility of the tale's events spark an interest in Jake to determine its authenticity.

Embarking on a personal journey for the truth leads Jake to a discovery that not only changes his life, but the way he sees the world, forever.

Part 3: The Release Date
Since I first put mention of Seeing's publication up on my website, I've had the release earmarked as, simply, spring 2014. That's all that's been known. Friends and family have asked about when the book would be out, perhaps thinking I knew more than I was telling, but I didn't. Till now.

May

There's no specific day in May, yet, but May is only two months away. Two months! As we get closer to the date, I'm sure I'll have more information to share. For now this is it!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go back to staring at the cover.

::drool::

The King & I

As touched upon in my previous blog post: I don't have the best memory. There are few things from over decades ago I can recall with absolute certainty.

This is one of those things.

I remember, vividly, being young and on vacation at the Aquarius Motel in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. My family frequented there in the early summer for many years. On the visit this memory takes place in, one of the days during our week stay was a rainy, dreary day. Not beach-going weather for sure. In the office of the motel was a bookshelf. Being an avid reader, I journeyed to that bookshelf. I looked over the covers lining the shelf and came across one such striking image on a hardback that demanded my attention.

What is there for a boy not to like? Aside from the simple nature of the artwork, there's a green, inhuman hand reaching out of the storm drain, above which proclaims the nature of the being as, simply, IT.

This was my introduction to Stephen King.

I took this book called IT back to the motel room, where I read the first pages detailing a boy chasing his runaway paper boat during a dreary afternoon rainstorm - a dreary afternoon rainstorm not unlike the one that kept my family and I off the beach that day and me finding this book. The fate of the boat is that it ends up down the drain from the cover. Needless to say, I had a pretty good idea of what was already down there before the boat slipped inside, thanks to the cover.

IT could have been anything, but, as we all know, IT's most common form was that of Pennywise the Clown. And we can all guess what happened to that unassuming little boy chasing his boat once he caught up to it.

We'll just leave it at saying the boat wasn't the only thing that floated down there..

Of course the book being so dense, and the time being on vacation so precious as it was, I had to return the massive book unfinished. At that age the name Stephen King meant nothing to me. Little did I know. I never thought to jot the author's name down and find the book again after we got home. So it was many years before I stumbled upon Mr. King's work again.

And when I did, this was what I came upon at my hometown Barnes & Noble:

Like a hammer, a swift deja vu cracked me over the head. I know this book! my subconscious told me. So I bought it.

In case you're wondering: No, I have not read IT. Don't know why, just never got around to getting too deep into the book. Either this or THE STAND is one of the King epic classics I hope to crack this year, but as it turned out the first King novel I would actually read was CELL. That's where my small obsession with King's work began. And when I say obsession, I don't mean the Annie Wilkes type. (If you haven't read King's work that joke was lost on you.)

CELL was a Christmas present I got back in 2006. The back blurb promised a zombie-type apocalypse set in motion via cell phones. That was enough for me.

The opening - basically the sudden (very sudden) destruction of civilization in downtown Boston, all witnessed by main character Clayton Riddell, no more a hero than you or I - had me absolutely hooked. The pages play like a film in your head and the violence - in some cases bizarre, extreme, even crazy violence - is almost to the point of being overwhelming in how the crisis never lulls. Certainly your heart rate will up a few beats reading about these characters being surrounded by explosions, people falling out of windows, airplanes falling out of the sky, more explosions, numerous car wrecks, and, who can forget, the phone-crazies.

I won't spoil the book but it's a fast, fun read. Many King readers weren't impressed with the ending but I found it very fitting. It does play to one of King's weaknesses though in how he always lets characters be right about something that they have no business knowing...how their hunches are always correct. Anyway, don't let that detract you from enjoying CELL. It's one of my favorite King books and I am so excited for the film version coming next year. So far the casting of John Cusack and Sam Jackson mean it's off to a good start (though I didn't picture the character of Tom McCourt as a tall, intimidating black guy who leads The Avengers...but hey, Sam can pull anything off).

After CELL I began collecting King's books. I went to used bookstores, shopped Amazon, eBay, Abebooks, and bought some brand new off the racks. Some were rare finds that I got for great prices. A copy of THE BACHMAN BOOKS, which includes RAGE (the only King work out-of-print due to its subject matter), that I got - and it looked brand new - only cost me $2. Ditto for a pristine copy of THE COLORADO KID paperback - only a dollar fifty.

And after seven years of tracking down every King book, the collection was finished just a little over a week ago when my wife gave me DOCTOR SLEEP for my 31st birthday.

I'll spend years reading all of King's work. Thus far I've finished 16 of his novels. Currently I'm in the middle of DOCTOR SLEEP, number 17. I'm as enthralled with the story and characters as I was reading THE SHINING (another of my favorites). I think SLEEP is one of King's better novels because you can tell the focus is there, he knew what he wanted to do, and he was firing on all cylinders when churning it out. Maybe the pressure of doing a suitable follow-up was good for him. The macabre imagery he puts forth just incites goosebumps. For instance, in one early scene the members of the True Knot gather just outside of New York City to breathe in the "steam" let off by those - possibly hundreds or thousands of those - who have the shining as they are dying in the attack of 9/11...

When I read that scene I felt like someone was strangling me. Then I read that scene again.

I make sure to read other authors in between King, to vary my tastes and because sometimes too much King can boggle down the mind. I find him a wonderful writer but sometimes he can dwell too long on something insignificant. The middle of UNDER THE DOME was tough, mostly because of too many characters and it felt like everything was just at a standstill with no direction for far too long. I also felt that there were way too many descriptions of banners and advertisements. He's got a thing with that. I did enjoy the last 200 pages, though. It was just a chore getting there.

Interesting to note is that while King is my favorite author, I don't look to write like him. What I admire so much is his comfort and confidence in his work. He knows he writes horror and he's fine with that. He's also written such touching stories as THE GREEN MILE and RITA HAYWORTH AND THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION. He writes what he wants too. So do I. I love how he creates hundreds and hundreds of pages of characters and towns and worlds to get lost in. These are real places and people in his books. No stone left unturned. Me? I try to be sparse when I can. I don't like unnecessary words in my work. If I can cut it, I will. I don't like being too wordy. Not to say King always is, but, like I said, no stone unturned. That's what works for him. I'm also not a horror writer. There are suspenseful, dark tones in some moments of my work, but I try to put a little bit of everything into the mix. See what happens.

What comes out often works for me.

And that's what matters.

If I can ever ignite a feeling in my readers that I get, say, like when I read that scene from DOCTOR SLEEP...that's better than any praise in any review a writer could get.

Which excites me even more for my first novel's release this spring.

(And in King news, readers can expect TWO new novels this year:  MR. MERCEDES in June, and REVIVAL in November.)

A Day with Darren Sardelli

I don't have the best memory. Let me lead with that. There are many things I do remember - things I would swear on my life and anyone else's life (including yours - yes, you) that've happened. But then there are times from my distant past I wouldn't trust myself regurgitating as complete fact.

Basically, unless it was meaningful, I have terrible recall.

For example, in regards to this blog: I don't ever remember a single author coming to my school when I was a kid.

That's not to say they didn't come. I mean, I remember having Library (yeah, Library was an actual class when I was a kid), so the librarian had to have brought someone in at some point to talk to us and get us excited about reading and writing.

But I don't remember.

Which means the person, or people, couldn't have been very memorable.

I have always loved to read (Ralph S. Mouse and Fudge - both of Beverly Cleary's imagination - were some of my favorite literary characters), so I feel I would have remembered an author visiting my class.

With that said, now that I'm going to be a published author in a few months, and trying to be a memorable presence to the kids (and adults) I hope to speak to, I've been trying to find authors doing live events so I can go and get the feel, experience the atmosphere of what it's like to be that person standing in front of a bunch of strangers and discussing their work, their passions. See what they had to say; how they get audiences excited about them and wanting to purchase copies of their work.

And, more important than studying them, I want to support them. Root for them.

Back in the fall my wife worked to get a children's author who wrote funny poetry to visit her school. We'd seen an article about the author, Darren Sardelli, in a local mailing from the school district we live in. The article praised Sardelli and his workshops with the kids so we looked him up. In doing so I remembered (and that's key for me) that I had seen him before - I had caught the tail-end of one of his assemblies at the school where I work after-school care. I didn't remember much about his assembly because it was just wrapping up when I arrived. I did, however, remember the applause from the kids at the close of the assembly and hearing that the teachers were very pleased.

My wife sought out reviews by contacting schools around our area that he previously visited. All had glowing reviews. So, the rest as they say is history and she got Darren to come for a visit.

Knowing this was a great opportunity - one not to be missed - to watch an author at work - an author whose work is targeted toward children (as my own upcoming novel is geared in the direction of YA) - I had to take the day off from my day jobs and observe. I'm so glad I did.

From 8am Wednesday morning until 8pm that night, Darren worked with high energy. He performed three assemblies from 8:40am to 11 - three assemblies with three different age groups. In each assembly the crowds of children were absolutely captivated, entertained, and ever so willing to partake in moments when he looked for participation (and were quite willing to participate even when he wasn't looking for it). Obviously being the professional he was, Darren made each assembly flow, riding the crests of the children's enthusiasm. And while children's interests are very hard, if not impossible to predict, one might think that a man trying to get kids on board with writing poetry would be facing a tough task, one in line with that of pushing a double-decker bus up a muddy hill.

Not so.

Darren's poetry is funny and the subject matter very relatable to kids (and adults who can appreciate the silliness of childhood and the innocence of their creativity). His imagination begs for participation, and the kids, as I mentioned earlier, were all too willing to raise their hands and provide input, even at times when they weren't being asked. I've seen many speakers of different subjects bore an audience of children to tears. Not one kid wanted their assembly to end.

They were totally on board with poetry. It was made cool to them.

Probably the best part of my day was actually getting to speak to Darren one-on-one. I hadn't gone with the intention of picking his brain (God knows I never intend on bothering anyone, especially someone who probably gets approached all the time by those wanting to know every nook and cranny of his career), but he actually approached me, asked about me. When I told him I was being published in the spring he offered a genuine congrats and gave me his business card with an offer to help out with anything I might need. How cool is that?! (I, of course, handed him one of my cards in return.)

During some down time in his busy day, Darren asked about my book, and I asked him questions about his school tours. He gave me priceless advice on doing talks at schools and the importance of getting into libraries. We also talked about performing live comedy. I mentioned I did improv comedy and he told me about wanting to try stand-up some day.

Overall, the experience of meeting Darren Sardelli and seeing his morning assemblies and afternoon poetry writing workshops and evening parent assembly with a follow-up book signing was simply inspiring. To know someone living that lifestyle that all writers/authors wish for (to know how hard he works to earn that lifestyle) - to see him work for twelve hours straight (and not show one sign of being worn out in front of the kids or their parents) is a type of inspiration beyond simple words.

I highly recommend Darren to any school or function.

And his visit is one that I - and I am sure every child and adult who saw him on Wednesday, or any other place he's been - will always remember.

Even at the cost of a terrible memory.

To find Darren online:
www.laughalotpoetry.com
www.facebook.com/darren.sardelli
www.twitter.com/DarrenSardelli