Book Review: OLIVIA'S GHOST By Kathryn Mattingly

While reading Kathryn Mattingly’s newest novel, Olivia’s Ghost (due out November 25 from Winter Goose Publishing), I found myself having a gut-wrenching experience, but in the best of ways. I'll explain.

In Mattingly’s newest novel, on Memorial Day, Jackson and Olivia Porter lose their daughter, Ava, who goes overboard during a sudden, and violent, squall that overtakes Puget Sound. In the ensuing weeks, both, understandably, reside in constant states of shock and grief, but only Jackson believes their daughter to have drowned. With no body recovered from the water, Livy maintains that, in a flash of lightning during the storm, she saw someone on a boat pull Ava out of the water. Only their daughter was then never returned, providing Livy with ghastly wonderings as to what became of her daughter following this hope of rescue. Thus brings about the first cracks in the otherwise sturdy wall of their marriage, separating Jackson and Olivia, the latter believing so much their daughter is still alive, she leaves Ava’s memorial service in a panic to chase down a girl that resembles their daughter.

Olivia, whose mental capacities are now in question, decides she cannot remain with Jackson as long as he doesn't hold a flicker of belief to her maternal feeling that Ava is still out there, likely being held against her will, and so she goes off to an old lighthouse manned by her father on the Oregon coast for respite. And it's there that Olivia, who writes for a magazine and is preparing a fall feature story, begins delving into the mystery of a ghost that supposedly haunts the stairwell of the old lighthouse.

A ghost with a message for Olivia.

In the open I mentioned having a gut-wrenching experience reading Olivia’s Ghost, and here's why:

For one, ever since the wintry afternoon, two years ago, when I learned I would become a father, I've had difficulty with stories (of all mediums) that deal with children in peril. My wife and I went to the movies the night we learned our little Peanut would be adding to our family, and one of the previews was for Heaven Is For Real - inspired by the supposed true story where a boy dies on the operating table and claims to have traveled to heaven before coming back. I cried watching it. Yes, a movie trailer.

Mattingly’s opening chapter of what happens on Puget Sound draws you right into the Porter family. You like them immediately, and you clench and wince with dread knowing the looming clouds mean the worst for this family. You know what's going to happen, and that almost makes it worse. You’re at the mercy of Mattingly’s striking prose, which puts you right there with this family, at the worst moments of their lives, and you can do nothing to help. You can only observe.

Being a parent, I couldn't imagine how I'd respond to such a tragic event. And that's how I approached Olivia’s Ghost - by wondering what I would do, wondering what my wife would do in the face of something so unspeakable.

The other gut-wrenching portion of my experience is that while I can see why Jackson would be stubborn in his belief of what happened, just as much as Olivia is with her own, it saddened me to read how the two could not initially find common ground. Or, even, how common ground wasn't enough, and that separation became the answer.

I wanted each side to fight harder for the other, but obviously the events had taken a substantial toll. Neither side, also, wanted to give or bend. Escape was the only solace.

Then there are the added...distractions to their marriage, but I’ll leave you, dear reader, to discover the rest for yourself. There is a wonderfully rewarding story to be found here, full of twists and turns, cryptic messages from the beyond, love enduring through impossible sadness and trauma, and, in the end…

Oh, no. I can't go there. Except only to say that you will be hooked right to the very end. To the last line on the absolute last page.

What Kathryn Mattingly has done here, at least for me, is create a truly psychological experience. Her expertly written dialogue, characters with the best of intentions residing in shades of gray, and scenes painted with only the finest of strokes, turn the real questions back onto you.

What would you do if you were Jackson or Olivia?

How strong is your faith?

How far are you willing to go to get the truth? Is the truth enough?

One only needs to open Olivia’s Ghost to begin discovering the answers for yourself.

Just be warned, putting the book down may be more difficult than answering the questions it raises.

Now a little about the author.

Kathryn Mattingly has taught writing at four different private colleges. Aside from her literary suspense novels and short story collection, Kathryn’s work can be found in numerous small press anthologies and several print magazines. She coordinates the Top of the Mountain writing contest for the Northern Colorado Writer’s Conference and is a judge for the Writer’s Guild Harvest Festival in Bend, Oregon. Kathryn has won five awards for her fiction, and teaches novel writing at a local college.  I interviewed Kathryn regarding her latest novel, Olivia’s Ghost.

Kathryn ~ First, loved the book. I found it powerful, heartbreaking, and ultimately it created a struggle within my own self as to how I would handle the situation Jackson and Livy find themselves in. Ever since the day I learned I would become a father, the idea of a child in harm's way hits me hard. The night I learned Becca was pregnant we went to the movies, and a trailer for, "Heaven Is For Real" (where the little boy dies and claims to have seen what comes after) played. Almost immediately I was in tears. So to say I found your story effective is quite the understatement.

What was the idea for OLIVIA'S GHOST that sparked and made you want to write this story as the next novel? How long did it take to put together DRAFT ONE? What was your schedule in writing it?

As a parent of four, nothing I imagined could be more horrific than losing a child before your very eyes and not being able to do anything about it, except watch. I’m sure I pulled from novels and movies that touch upon this theme, because I read a lot of books and am quite the movie buff. Sophie’s Choice nearly destroyed me in that moment of first realizing the implications and far reaching effects of such a dilemma.

I wrote the first draft of Olivia’s Ghost over a decade ago, and only recently completely reworked the book. When I originally wrote it, Terry Brooks, of Sword of Shannara book series fame, which was recently turned into a MTV hit series, was my mentor. He loved the premise, but feared certain aspects of the paranormal theme might not suspend my reader’s disbelief unless I reworked it a bit.

I also had a New York agent at the time, Tony Outhwaite, with JCA Literary Agency. He sent the original book out to numerous editors at publishing houses and the feedback was wonderful. They all loved the main concept, characters, and setting, but that paranormal thread still needed work. I finally nailed it by doing a major re-haul of the ghost in the lighthouse, at least if my early readers are any indication. I must say it felt immensely satisfying to finally give this book a proper paranormal plotline that draws my readers in and endears them to the ghost.

My writing schedule for this book was literally 8-10 hours a day, 6-7 days a week (I kid you not) for 8 months straight. That’s because once I had decided to completely rewrite it I began to panic that the book wouldn’t be ready for its release date this fall. So, I put my head to the grindstone and never came up for air. (Well, maybe for a glass of wine here and there.)

As I've noticed in your other books, your characters aren't black and white. Here, both the characters of Jackson and Livy are in states of grief, but Jackson plays the head to Livy's heart in regards to believing what ultimate fate became of their daughter, Ava. Obviously I won't spoil that here, but I want to talk about these characters. Jackson's approach is one of, "It happened, it was awful, but for the sake of what we have left - we need to move on," whereas Livy refuses to give in to that thinking, trusting that their daughter was indeed pulled from the Sound during the squall by a person on another boat. She needs to find Ava and bring her home.

There is a line Livy says to her photographer friend, Andrew, that goes, "I don't know why I'm suddenly aware of her (the ghost in the lighthouse) but I am. If my intuition is wrong about the ghost, then it might be wrong about Ava... and I can't accept that."  Is this a matter of Livy trying to gain some measure of control over the uncontrollable situation they had with Ava on the water? Or is this just guilt for not saving Ava?

You’re right about my characters not being black and white. One aspect of writing that I enjoy most is showing how a character behaves under pressure, when experiencing a difficult situation. Jackson and Olivia’s self perception as responsible and good parents becomes badly shaken, and they deal with it in different ways. Whereas Jackson chooses escapism (into his work or his bottle) Olivia wants to find her child and resume their once happy life as if nothing ever happened.

Neither of them can justify to themselves the unthinkable- letting their daughter drown in a storm on a sailboat, where they believed she’d be safe, because all parents believe they can keep their child safe, no matter what – right? Well, the truth is that neither of them could save their daughter, so while one is trying to escape from that reality, the other is trying to change it. If Olivia perceives herself to be unstable (and she fears she might be) then she cannot continue to believe Ava is alive and well, and waiting to be found. She feels she has no choice but to believe that the ghost is also real, even though a part of her questions it (at least, in the beginning).

Because I'm so caught up with how Jackson and Livy reacted differently in the aftermath of the squall, and I always like to wonder "What if..." let's say Ava drowned and they - Jackson and Olivia - pulled her from the Sound. How do you envision their lives would have gone on from that point? Would the issue of their daughter's death still have put them at odds?

I don’t think so. I think they would have grieved like most parents do when losing a child. It’s a myth that most marriages break up over the loss of a child. Most of them do not. But those with extenuating circumstances often do, and that’s what we have regarding Ava - no body, and a possible rescue seen in a flash of lightning through the pouring rain by Olivia. Now we have her parents at odds as to what they think happened, and we have set the course for conflict between them.

Did you learn anything about yourself in writing OLIVIA'S GHOST?

I realized how much I loved living on the Oregon Coast while having my babies. At the time I felt isolated and a bit resentful that there were not more opportunities for me to connect with other young mothers through organized activities, but now I cherish those years of isolation with my four young children, and the unique environment in which we lived. The beach was literally their playground, and all it took to entertain them was a bucket and shovel. When they were no longer toddlers I ran a school for the ‘Creative Expression of Young Children’ where we did everything kinesthetically through art or theater (I have an art degree). The school was a huge success, and above all else, impressed me with how much kids mean to their parents. This book, ultimately, is about how nothing can compare to, or replace the love we have for our children.

Having no knowledge of boats, the water, or sailing, I found it absolutely frightening the speed at which the squall produced. Do storms over the water like that really come together that quickly and without warning?

Yes. Squalls are storms on steroids and appear to come straight from hell, stirred by the devil himself. You never know when or where they might form in the ocean. Do most people who sail a lot encounter them? No. But they happen often enough that most people have heard of them, or read about them, and certainly, they have happened at one time or another on Puget Sound. Events such as squalls drive home the concept that we are all victims of fate, regardless of how much we think we have planned for safety or security in our lives, it can be stripped away by one momentous act of something unforeseen. In the end, it is our courage, or lack there of, in such situations that truly define us.

***

You can follow Kathryn on Facebook & Twitter. Visit Amazon’s Kathryn Mattingly Page and her website: edgy words unleashed


Olivia's Ghost releases the day after Thanksgiving.

Interview With An Artist

In three days, my new book - An Unexpected Visit - will become available to the masses. In short, the story - a novella - is told from the perspective of Noah Adams, a moderately successful newspaper columnist in his mid-thirties, who looks back on the long weekend spent with his estranged father when he, Noah, was twelve, as this visit in particular is the one he considers the turning point in his life. Right now you can reserve the book, which also features nine additional micro-stories, on both Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

In my last blog, I wrote about how the cover art came to be. Today, I'm sharing an interview I conducted with friend, and artist, Christopher Wright, the designer of the key art for An Unexpected Visit. Chris and I came to know one another through our spouses, who are old college friends; we're both husbands, fathers, and have day jobs, along with passions for our respective talents in the branch of arts we specialize in. Chris and I share a lot in common, for one our worldly views, so I was very interested to know how he approaches his art, his processes, and when he finds the time to indulge in his creative side, among other things.

Included with this interview are other works by Christopher. More can be viewed on his website.

Give me some background on your art career; when did you realize your talent and decide to pursue your craft? Where did you go to school for art? What was the first piece you sold?

I realized my talent for drawing around 2nd grade when the other kids in my class began asking me to draw things for them.  I didn't really consider myself a serious artist until I went to Pratt Institute in Utica, NY, even then I wasn't confident in any medium. For example, I was a Jewelry major at Pratt, which I approached jewelry as "less expensive sculpture." I completed 2 years in Utica, then studied at the Pratt Brooklyn Campus but only survived a little over a semester.

How do you prefer to work when you have a blank canvas? For myself, a first draft manuscript demands my absolute attention, so I work in my office and it's absolutely silent. Do you also require solitude and silence, or do you play music? If so, is it specific music tied to the emotion of the piece?

I cannot paint on a white canvas... I must mess up the surface first by painting and or scraping on acrylic paints. It doesn't really matter the colors but I always mix at least two acrylic paints together... Then once the acrylic dries, I begin with the first layer of oil paints. I will often rough out the focus of the painting with my brush with thinned oil paint. I paint with music in my studio... the music I prefer ranges a bit from Tom Waits to Morrissey to Radiohead/Thom Yorke to Portishead etc. I believe the music must be in the paintings somewhere because I take much energy from it... I have even been so influenced that I have titled works after certain songs.

For the cover of AN UNEXPECTED VISIT, I gave you a very minimal description of what I wanted because I didn't want to box you in. Does it help to have less instruction or more when it comes to someone hiring you for work?

When approaching a commission piece, such as your book cover, I would say more ideas the better.... when compositions are left up to me I also like as much info as possible so that I can get a similar vision of what the final product should look or feel like.

Tell me about your process when it came to designing the VISIT cover. Also, I stopped you from creating other pieces because I loved the first so much - did you have clear ideas on what else you wanted for the other pieces? What did you envision?

To be honest, after I get the vision of the composition, I work rather fast... it normally takes as much time to think about a commissioned composition as it does to paint one, for me no more than 3 to 4 hours. I had 1 more strong idea for the approach to the house, it was as if the viewer was closer and off to the garage (possibly one version from within the garage) side of the the house so that half the picture would be house and the other side trees and sky.

Do you have any future events coming up where your work will be featured? How can people interested in seeing your work find you online?

I have a small event in Afton, NY on November 20th. Other than that my website (www.clwright.com) has just been updated.

What projects do you have lined up - personal and/or professional? Do you ever create just for yourself? Have you ever sold anything you had a hard time letting go of?

I have a handful of small, more craft-like projects going on at any one time and I have been averaging about 3 to 4 portraits a year, so not bad but could be a lot better. Whenever I get a strong idea I will paint for myself. I have never had a problem letting go of my work, yet I do love to see them again when the opportunity arises... I am often surprised by them when it has been a while, to be honest, until I happen upon them again I nearly have forgotten about them.

Lastly, what would be your ultimate goal with your work?

My ultimate goal is to create paintings that let others get a view of the world as it is or was in our present time... other than that I just enjoy the act of painting and wish I could devote more time to doing such.

***

An Unexpected Visit, featuring the art of Christopher Wright, will be released this Wednesday, November 16. The book is available for pre-order.

The Making Of A Cover

In ten days - November 16 - my third book, An Unexpected Visit, will be available to own in both paperback and e-book formats. Within the next few days, I should have information to share regarding pre-ordering for those who wish to do so.

Today, I want to talk about book cover art; I'm one who believes a book should be judged by it's cover - not entirely, but the cover is as important as a good title. While the contents of a book are what it's all about, the substance of the cover design cannot be overlooked. The image that makes up the cover is a book's first line of defense; it's the silent sales pitch - it's what attracts the eye and curiosity of the person scanning shelves or online listings.

I was very fortunate with my second novel, The Painted Lady, as I was given the option to be the designer of that cover. When I'm writing a book, I consider a lot of angles and aspects - especially the image that'll represent that particular story. With Lady, my publisher felt they couldn't top the batch of concepts I had sent them - giving them my ideas for the cover to inspire their designer - so they assisted me in creating and finalizing that book's design.

With An Unexpected Visit, I had an idea for the cover, but not the talent to follow through. I'm good with sketching, but to have a fully fleshed out design is beyond my capability. Therefore, I reached out to a friend and very talented artist, Christopher Wright (www.clwright.com), who was excited at the prospect of taking on a book cover (I believe this was his first). All I had given him was a description of what I wanted (a farmhouse with a separate garage sitting back in a field at gloaming), and this sketch I did of the house:

This is the design, in full, Christopher created:

Gorgeous. I have the original canvas on display in my office. Christopher, originally, was going to paint a second design, to provide me more options, but I loved this one so much I told him to stop there.

Now comes the unfortunate bit of news. Even though my first two books are measured 6x9 (and I figured Visit would follow suit), you always want to have some wiggle room in a design. Therefore, some of the original image was cropped out to fit the final cover, which appears below.

So, yeah, as you can see we lost the garage at the top of the drive, and a bit of the trees along both fringes, but it's still an incredibly beautiful, and powerful image. It does the story right, and that's what's vital.

Come back later this week as I continue counting down the days to release; my hope is to put up an interview with the talented Christopher Wright about his design for An Unexpected Visit, as well as his motivations, style, and a casual discussion of his past, present, and future work.

AN UNEXPECTED VISIT - Excerpt

A few words before we get to the meat of things.

An Unexpected Visit turned out to be quite the unexpected surprise. After penning my debut novel, Seeing (beginning it in the fall of 2010 and spending three years perfecting the manuscript), I was satisfied being just a novelist, following that YA coming-of-age with an adult thriller/mystery/paranormal romance described by author Sheila Banning (Terroir) as a "Gothic-scented tale of grief" in The Painted Lady. In the aftermath of Lady, I had a few ideas for the next novel, but some small, inner voice pleaded with me to try my hand at something different - a piece of shorter fiction; namely, a novella.

Truth be told, I adore novellas. I hadn't written many because, unfortunately, there are not too many avenues to getting novellas published (unless you go the self-pub route) - they're not seen as a marketable form of storytelling since they are longer than a short story but shorter than a novel. Knowing my publisher, Winter Goose, has put out a few novellas in the past (Sea of Trees by Robert James Russell, and Withering by Kellie Elmore), I wanted to try my hand at developing a story of novella length, which meant I didn't have to devise any subplots and could, instead, keep readers in the main event of the story.

The idea for An Unexpected Visit rose from a terrifying thought I had of a boy, helpless, cowering beneath the bed covers, frost covering the windows, listening to the endless howls of his father from a couple rooms down, obviously suffering some kind of night terror. It was just this boy and his father in the house, which was located out in the countryside, away from anyone else. Away from help, as a snowstorm started blowing through.

The original plan was for Visit to be published in October, however a few final tasks in getting the book ready have taken a smidge longer to complete and, thus, has pushed the release back into early November. Not a big deal at all. Still, I apologize to those waiting.

I hope this tiny excerpt of the story is enough to hold you over.

A  N    U N E X P E C T E D    V I S I T

Excerpt

*

FRIDAY

When my father still lived at home he had an office to the left at the top of the stairs. I didn’t much go in there when he was around—if the door was closed it meant he didn’t want to be disturbed with whatever he was working on—and I went in there even less after he decided not to come home. One angry day Mom decided she wasn’t giving up space in her house to someone who didn’t want to be there. After boxing everything of his, the space became her sewing room.

​More times than not I would catch her in there sulking. She’d be at the desk that was centered under the darkened light fixture in the ceiling, the pale orange illuminance from the tiny bulb on the sewing machine cast a shine that painted her shadow on the wall behind her, a worn out and holey pair of my school pants half fed through the machine, but her remaining still. Her hands were down at her sides, her foot away from the pedal under the desk.

​I’ve never believed in ghosts. There just hasn’t been any concrete evidence to support their existence. I do, however, believe a house can be haunted by the presence of someone who used to live there. Memories burrow into walls and floors that can’t be covered up by a new carpet or a fresh coat of paint. My father very much haunted his office, much as I can assume some spirit of him also occupied their bedroom, and the bed they shared.

​

That morning, on my way down for breakfast, I stopped in front of that open door that once lead into his office. So many memories flooded in of the times I would pass by on mornings heading out for school, or coming up to bed at night, and seeing my father at his desk, either typing away on his computer, or talking on that special phone that was installed as a direct line just for him. He always made sure to give me a reassuring smile whenever he caught me peeking in on him.

​

That morning, I could almost picture him standing by the desk that used to be his. One hand on the phone, the cord wrapped around his body as he sat atop the desk, the other hand tossing me a wave.

​

It was my mother calling that snapped me out of the trance.

*

The plan was that I would be dropped off at his place around six. My father lived on the outskirts of the itsy bitsy town of Dalton, Pennsylvania. The trip would take us a little over an hour due to the increasing traffic near the NY/PA border. Dalton was the kind of place where the term “next door neighbors” meant having to drive at least a mile in either direction to the next house over. Dense woods and wide fields of long grass populated the hills and along the winding side roads, some of which consisted of loose dirt and stone. There was only one mainline drag that showcased the essentials: your basic stop-n-fuels, a few bars and sammich shops, and an Arby’s. Everything in Dalton branched off Main Street like veins from an artery.

​

The sky that late Friday afternoon was a burst of fiery reds and pinks as we followed 81 South in my mother’s forest green Jeep Wrangler. The sun sat a few degrees above the horizon and was shining bright through my window on the passenger side. I had to squint through the dirty smudges on the glass to see the stacks of smoke rising out of the brick chimneys of large farmhouses passing by in the blur from the highway. Aside from the occasional cough or sniffle, the majority of our ride down was encased in silence. I wasn’t happy about being twelve and having no say in my weekend plans, and I think my mother didn’t know how to make it any better so she didn’t even try. The first time she said anything was when we passed a sign proclaiming the exit for Dalton to be twenty miles out.

​“I’m sorry,” she said.

​

It had come so abruptly I wasn’t sure she’d even spoken, not until I looked over at her and saw she was looking back, possibly to ascertain some sense of forgiveness from me. A ray of light from the setting sun hit me square in the eyes as I turned away and resumed staring out my window. “About what?” I asked, as if I didn’t have an inkling. My breath fogged a small section of the glass directly in front of my mouth.

​

She sighed. “When things . . . happened . . . with your father . . . I just . . . didn’t handle them right. I got so . . . angry. How could he do this to us, you know? How many times were we just supposed to be understanding of things? How many times had he been called away—sent somewhere he couldn’t tell us about, you know? How many times did he have to leave us in the blink of an eye and we didn’t even know if we’d ever see him again? That we had to plan our lives around him and what he did because we never knew when that goddamned phone of his would ring again.”

​

Hearing her rant the way she did, I wondered more as to why I wasn’t more pissed off about it all. My displeasure regarding having no say in the visit that weekend has been well documented already, but, in the grand scheme of it all, I just felt more slighted than anything else. You would think I should have been more upset towards the man who hadn’t made it a point over the last two years to arrange time for me, but I wasn’t. A two-year absence to someone so young is fragile; it feels like a lifetime. At the young age I was, I didn’t feel I really knew my father anymore, much less needed him.

​“I never wanted you to feel like I was keeping you from him,” my mother explained. I looked back at her. She wiped at a tear under her right eye before it had a chance to take shape and slide down the mound of her cheek. “None of this has been fair to you, and I’m sorry for that.”

​

She composed herself. The ribbons of dusk in the changing sky—luminous and full of variety one moment—took on a monochromatic and sinister tone. The reds, oranges, and pinks had turned a cool shade of violet in the atmosphere, the landscape now black, erasing all those fields and houses in coarse shadow. The darkening of the skyward color was fitting, a sign of how I felt internally, like some astrological mood ring.

​“He left both of us,” I said.

​

The next sign to pass on the right indicated we were fifteen miles outside of Dalton. It would be full on dark when we got there.

​Once the apologetic conversation had been taken care of, my mother’s demeanor shifted. What came out of her mouth next was said without even the slightest hint of question as to whether or not she was deadly serious. She was being blunt for the sake of making sure I couldn’t possibly misinterpret. It did, however, make me wonder just what I was in for, and how it was she could leave me so far from home without her.

​“I’ll be an hour away, Noah,” she said. “If, for God’s sake, anything happens, you don’t call me, all right?”

​I kept a blank stare on her, trying to follow.

“It’ll take me too long to come get you. You call 911. Understand?”

I nodded to let her know I did. I wasn’t sure what it was she thought, or feared might happen, and I didn’t dare ask.

​

Having that knowledge now . . . I should have asked.

An Unexpected Visit
COPYRIGHT © 2016 by Joseph Falank
Excerpt appears courtesy of Winter Goose Publishing

First Review For AN UNEXPECTED VISIT

I'm ecstatic to share with all of you that Kathryn Mattingly, author of Fractured Hearts, Benjamin, Journey, and the upcoming Olivia's Ghost, has written a beautiful review for my October novella release, An Unexpected Visit.

The review has been posted to Kathryn's website. Here's a snippet:

The story is captivating from the first paragraph and continues at a ‘hold your breath’ pace throughout the book. Mr. Falank does an extraordinary job of putting us into the hearts and minds of these two characters (as told through Noah’s perspective) and thus causing us to care deeply about the outcome of this ‘unexpected visit.’

A peek into this father-son weekend is sure to open a window to better understanding of the complex relationships experienced by all of us. Ultimately we can, as a unified group of Falank fans, agree that his writing elevates the average read into something much more meaningful.

Ms. Mattingly also asked me a few questions regarding Visit to go along with her review post. You can read it all on her site.

Farewell Summer

Summer, to many, is not just a season, it's a feeling. That's what makes it to hard to write about.

I've been writing this blog over the course of the last three weeks. When I began the night sky was flashing with intermittent lightning while a modest rain pelted the windows and siding. As I finish, it's two days before school starts, and it's cool, quiet, and sunny. The last rounds of lawn mowing are taking place outside my office window. There's a keen scent of crispness to the air. A precursor to autumn.

And so winds down another summer; my second being entirely at home. Our family situation is fortunate enough that I don't have to work in the summertime, thus being able to spend the days with my daughter (who is just shy of 2), which has afforded unforgettable experiences that no amount of pay from any job could ever compensate for. I get to watch her - and be there - for a significant amount of time as she grows up.

Last year, around this time, Maddie was just about to take her first independent steps. Most of the summer of 2015 had me right there with her, attached at the hip every step of the way (couldn't help myself there). From the age of six months on she wanted to stand and walk, quite badly might I add (because that's what everyone around her was doing), she just wasn't quite there yet in terms of skill, but she's proven a fast learner. Maddie wasn't much into crawling - didn't really care for it (again, because, even though encouraged, she saw everyone else walking) - and wouldn't master that skill until after she'd walked; something I learned is not all that uncommon. So my three months off last year was defined by her wanting me available almost every second to assist in her attempts to move using her own two feet. Thank goodness my back is in good shape for all the leaning over to hold her hands as she practiced taking steps. 

This summer, though, has been surreal in regards to her progress. She, independently, can climb and play on the playground (though I still tend to hover nearby just for surveillance sake). At home she pinballs back and forth between her areas of play in the living room/dining room/"foyer," inviting me to play along or help her "make dinner" with the toy food in her kitchen set. She climbs and descends stairs with ease, sometimes now refusing assistance ("Maddie do myself!" she insists.). We've lost track of how many words she uses - it's beyond even counting now as she's into longer sentences. Her abilities with imaginative play are growing exponentially; she talks to her toys, talks about them, loves to call people on the phone, and interacts with her favorite show by answering questions asked to viewers on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. She can count to fourteen without help, knows her ABCs, and, thankfully, loves to read (imagine that). She remembers most books in that she can recite the pages when prompted, sings to her baby doll while rocking her to sleep, and would much rather spend her time outside (at the park or carousel, if asked for her preference) than watching a screen. This may all sound like the bragging of a proud father, but, as previously mentioned, these are unforgettable experiences, and I'm beyond thankful I get to spend this time with her.

Which makes going back to work after tomorrow (Labor Day) all that much harder.

Not only does going back to work mean the number of my hours with Maddie will shorten, but my writing time also decreases once September comes around. As it is, I've been working during Maddie's afternoon nap, which allows me somewhere in the vicinity of ninety minutes to meet my quota of one-thousand words per day; on days she's visiting her grandparents, I work to double that output. When school is in session, I write during my half-hour lunch, and really try to keep it at that, regardless of how many words I produce (until it gets beyond first draft and I have to use my laptop), because by the time evening falls and Maddie's in bed, it's just my wife and I for a few hours before we're trying to catch a few hours to recharge - that 5 a.m. alarm always seems to go off earlier and earlier - and I'd much prefer to relax with my wife than push myself to work more. 

My brain's also pretty fried after 8 p.m.

As it is though, in a bit of surprise to myself, over the last six months I've hit a rather unusual stride of inspiration that's led to the completion of three first drafts - one short novel (The Long Road Home), a second YA novel (Among the Lights and Sounds of the Carousel), and a novella (Something Above the Stars) - all of which I've been very happy with the quality of said first drafts. I also completed and sent in my latest draft for An Unexpected Visit (which you'll be able to check out next month).

I've never been this productive.

And I attribute that to the decision I made a while back to not publish anything in 2017. Making that choice took off a lot of pressure. If I were planning a book release for next year, I never would have been able to focus on writing anything brand new, let alone three brand new stories. Just not how my mind works. I can't multitask stories.

The welcome increase in my output, the invaluable time with my daughter, both make summer difficult to acknowledge its passing until next year - only ten months away...

Though, and I can only wonder as the clock reads two in the afternoon and the last hours of summer break pass with a dreadful briskness, would this time be so cherished if it weren't finite?

If every day were like this would I appreciate them as much?

I'd love to say yes, and I believe I would.

Who could say no to a forever summer?

Forever Summer. Hmm.

Sounds like a story I may have to write.

The Soundtrack Of My Summer

When I write, more often than not, there's music playing. Different songs help settle me into the groove and mood of whatever it is I'm writing. And usually what I listen to is score music (I've always dug James Newton Howard's cues), but this summer there have been a few lyrical tunes that have wormed their way inside my head and have been useful placing my mind where it needs to be when I've sat down to work on the next story.

Here are a few.

SIGNS - Complete Score - James Newton Howard
James creates sensational music, and his theme for SIGNS is iconic. Nestled within that repetitive three-note motif are sweeping variations on the theme that include heights and lows in the pace. Some of the music is somber, some is frantic. It's all so well balanced. One of my favorite scores to listen to, and was put on in the background while I recently typed away on my novella SOMETHING ABOVE THE STARS.

THE VILLAGE - Complete Score - James Newton Howard
Another brilliant score from James. The music here is tender at times, and then the tone changes on a dime into high energy/spooky elsewhere. Another of my favorite scores. This one I also listened to while writing SOMETHING ABOVE THE STARS.

"I Won't Give Up" - Jason Mraz
Snippets of this song have played in commercials for the upcoming show "This is Us" and I'd be lying if I said it didn't stick in my head (I suppose that's the point of the marketing campaign). The melody of this song helped establish the tone I wanted when developing SOMETHING ABOVE THE STARS.

"Down In Mexico" - The Coasters
If you're a big follower of Quentin Tarantino's films, you're aware of DEATH PROOF. Despite the film being "horror" it's just like all his others - mostly consisting of long stretches of conversations and plenty of catchy tunes. There also happens to be the always awesome Kurt Russell as a murderous stunt car driver. Anyway, in the movie, Kurt's character "Stunt Man" Mike convinces a girl to give him a lap dance (the means aren't important), and what results is a pretty high energy scene that was expertly filmed and includes a contagious track by The Coasters. The song begs to be played over and over. It played during stretches when I was writing the second draft of my short novel THE LONG ROAD HOME.

"Staggolee" - Pacific Gas & Electric
Another song from the DEATH PROOF soundtrack, "Staggolee" was in my head, and playing on the stereo, when writing THE LONG ROAD HOME.

"The Man Comes Around" - Johnny Cash
I can't say much about THE LONG ROAD HOME, but I can tell you the hero of the story is confronted by an unsettling stranger who's intentions are long debated between many in the hero's camp. The idea of the stranger came to me when I thought of this famous Cash song.

LADY IN THE WATER - Complete Score - James Newton Howard
Just beautiful. Perfect. Elemental. Portions of suspense, fantasy, and a recurring theme you can almost feel as pinpricks in your skin. My absolute favorite score. I listen to it with every story I write.

The (Art of the) New Author Photo

I suppose I don't have to do it - I'm not a fan of having my picture taken - but with the onset of a new book (An Unexpected Visit is almost a month away!), there comes the inevitable decision: use the previous author photo, or take a new one?

Let's go back two years.

Here is my author photo from 2014 for Seeing:

Not too shabby, no? Alright, let's dissect it.

I took this photo myself one spring afternoon while my wife was out grocery shopping. As mentioned, I don't like sitting for pictures - and they can be costly - so I figured I'd just do it myself. I simply set our camera up on a tripod, set the timer, and placed myself in a recliner, making it look like I was caught near a particularly bright window, looking over the pages of some work. Because that's how all authors get things done.

Yes, that's a white binder. I think the lined pages inside were blank. No, the lens flare isn't real; I added it later for effect (could be worse, I could have gone all J.J. Abrams and lens flared the whole pic so that you could only see my jaw). And I can't tell, is it supposed to look like I'm writing something? Kinda looks like I'm about to nod off.

Note to self: Don't take picture of yourself looking down. It doesn't have the impact you think it does.

Alright then, when it was time for The Painted Lady the following year, the choice was obvious: New picture!

And here it is:

Once more I went with the black and white. Looks more dramatic. Striking. I also took my own picture again. This time it was with my iPhone, with the camera set to Selfie Mode.

That's right, my 2015 author picture was a selfie. #win

This one was easy. I stood in front of an upstairs window in our house and just started snapping while looking all contemplative...at the wall. Yep, that's where my eyes are pointed. At a wall. The sun sure did a nice job of bleaching out most of that window. Ah, dramatic lighting.

That "shadow" of stubble is what I get the day after I shave. I could have a mountain-man beard in no time if I stop taming that thing.

This year it was obvious again - take a new picture! - but I wanted to do something a little more...meaningful, and try for better (production) quality.

Man, my new iPhone takes a hell of a picture. Not a selfie this time.

So, this pic isn't cropped down to actual "author photo" size, but in this wide shot you can see a frame on my desk that has a picture of my wife with Maddie, who was just a day old, and over my head is a picture of Maddie at two months holding a copy of Seeing. Yeah, there's also a BB-8. And a Millennium Falcon. What?

I like this year's author photo more than the previous takes (though I still don't like having it done) because it places a lot into one picture that makes up me - my family, my work, and some of my favorite things (behind me on the shelf are copies of my favorite books and movies, not placed overtly that they'd be obvious, but I know they're there).

With no plans for a book release next year, I've got two years to plan the next shot.

Imagine what my iPhone 8 will be able to do....

Continuing A Prolific Summer

"The scariest moment is always just before you start." - Stephen King

Here we go.

Open Submissions at Winter Goose

Are you a writer in search of a publishing home? Got a manuscript you've been working on, burning away the long hours of the night in hopes of finding it some pairs of loving hands that'll help you get it out to the world? Perhaps you've got a novel-in-progress stuffed away in a drawer waiting for some inspiration to finally return and finish it? If so, I have some great news for you:

My publisher, Winter Goose Publishing, will be holding an open submission period from the beginning of the day on August 1st till the end of the day August 15. All of the details on submissions and this upcoming open submission period can be found at their site.

Having published two books (with a third on the way in October) with WGP, I can attest that they've been nothing short of wonderful to work with - extremely professional with terrific communication; they're all about making sure - through the hard work that is editing and design - that their authors and readers are happy with the final product. Authors also aren't treated like authors; they're treated as family.

So finish up those manuscripts or dust 'em off, fellow writers, and good luck!

Full Details on AN UNEXPECTED VISIT

Three short months from now, in October, my third book, An Unexpected Visit, will be available in both e-book and print formats.

What makes Visit different from my previous releases is that this one isn't a novel. It's novella length - about half as long as Seeing and The Painted Lady.

Because I don't want to short anyone, I've included some "special features" - nine additional micro stories to make up for the...length. Full details below.

From my publisher, Winter Goose Publishing:

Look for the upcoming novella, An Unexpected Visit, by Joseph Falank, author of the hit YA fiction novel Seeing, and the adult fiction novel The Painted Lady, later this year.

There are fates worse than death.

In his early thirties, Noah Adams writes of the turning point in his life: a long weekend spent in the company of his estranged father, Scott, a Special Forces soldier who had been gone two years. During their stay in a remote farmhouse out in the Pennsylvania countryside, Noah recalls encountering both bizarre behaviors and horrifying truths.

It is this visit that has shaped the man, husband, and father he has become. For better and for worse.

Along with the titular novella, which headlines the book, the nine additional micro stories are as follows:

• The Morning After, and Answering The Call - The first two stories I ever had published; they were originally included in issues of RiverLit magazine (which, unfortunately, has since gone on indefinite hiatus).
• Confessions, and At Sundown - Two never-before-published micro stories selected just for this release.
• The Tales Of The Painted Lady series - Last summer, in the lead-up to The Painted Lady's release, I wrote a series of five stories that were from the point-of-view of different characters from the book, taking place right before the events of the novel. The stories are titled: Moving Dad, For Rent, Anniversary, At All Costs, and From Downstairs.

1st Book Trailer: "Inspiration"

An Unexpected Visit - Book Trailer # 1: Inspiration

For each book I want to try something different when it comes to the aspect of marketing. To say having to put on my businessman hat is one that doesn't fit too comfortably is pretty much on point. I'm no marketer. I know the message of my book to sell to readers to get them interested, it's finding the right angle and approach that doesn't tread on becoming overbearing, annoying, and/or off-putting. It's quite the puzzle to solve while trying to remain original and not produce carbon copies of what other authors do to market their books. And in this day where advertisements can be found everywhere, and salespeople are as pushy as ever, my stance is one of remaining low key whenever possible.

With Seeing I filmed a live-action book trailer. With The Painted Lady I did a modest video book teaser and wrote a series of independent micro-stories from different points of view that led into the beginning of the novel, which were posted weekly on this blog and on my site (www.josephfalank.com).

This time, for An Unexpected Visit, I decided to go back to creating a book trailer, but the substance of the trailer is different.

My hope this time is to do a series of book trailers (if possible) that touch on specifics not only involved with the book itself in final form but everything that went into its creation. For instance, in the first trailer, titled "Inspiration," I decided to narrate what gave me the idea for the story and what my intention was while writing it as you get glimpses of the work-in-progress. Maybe you'll find it interesting, or maybe you won't. That's the gamble I'm betting on, so we'll see.

Deciding to narrate wasn't a comfortable bed to sleep in (I don't like hearing my own voice), but I do like the final product of the trailer. Hopefully you will too.

Already A Productive Summer

I love my (ten-month) day job. I do. I swear it.

But this is summer. I get to spend all hours of the day with my daughter (when she's not visiting her grandparents so I can get duties accomplished around the house. Ha. Duties.). I can't mow when it's just her and I, and some of my summer projects include cleaners and paint, which she can't be around. Today it was cleaning the garage. Way too many sharp things surely to call her attention. Other than that, it's her and I - what's been self-dubbed Maddie/Daddy Summer, Part 2. Pictures to pop up on my Facebook if we're friends over there.

Summer also sees my awesome wife with a much lighter schedule, which means less for her to bring home and more time for us. Cue drinks out on the back porch at sunset and yelling at the television during America's Got Talent.

Summer is also the best writing time for me. Maddie naps between ninety minutes and two hours (sometimes more, and sometimes just shy of ninety), which gives me plenty of time to do what I do. 

It's only been two days into my summer vacation and already I've finished the first draft on a novel roughly to be out three years from now (I speak as if that's a long time from now, but, certainly, the time will fly), and I've just begun the second draft of a book that I'm planning to put out in 2018. Where'd all the inspiration come from?

Well, months ago I decided not to work myself into a stressful exhaustion by taking a year off from having a book on the calendar. By determining not to have a book release in 2017 it really took the pressure off, and opened up my timeline, letting the next story come freely and without worry. I could just write. When it's done, then I'll think about release dates and the like. As of now I have two novels out with a third (a novella and story collection) in the editor's hands that'll come out in October.

As for the remaining seventy-four days of vacation left, I look forward to more of the same, plus losing track of what day it is.

Happy Wednesday!

#WIPjoy Month

If you've been following my Twitter (@JosephFalank) and/or Facebook lately, you may have noticed a few posts tagged with the hashtag #WIPjoy. Wondering what that's been about?

I didn't know this was a thing until I saw a writer friend participating, but June is designated as a "WIPjoy" month, where writers take to Twitter to discuss their WIPs (work-in-progress) through means of daily challenges. For example, today is June 6 and today's challenge was to name the character in your current work that you share a flaw with.

My answer:

The #WIPjoy challenge was created by author Bethany A. Jennings (@simmeringmind) with the purpose of writers connecting and supporting each other, and also to keep up enthusiasm for the current project being worked on.

With any hope, I'll finish my WIP this month.

Here is a graphic of the month's challenges:

And here are my Twitter posts for June 1 - 5 with my answers to each day's challenge:

6/1: Tell about your WIP:

6/2: Introduce your protagonist:

6/3: Share a line showing atmosphere:

6/4: Share a line showing emotion:

6/5: The character you relate to most:

Stay tuned this month to my Twitter and Facebook to learn more about this future novel.

Cover Reveal: An Unexpected Visit

Winter Goose Publishing has put out the following release for my upcoming novella, An Unexpected Visit, on their website, along with the first look at the gorgeous cover - an original painting by an amazing artist, Christopher Wright (www.clwright.com):

Look for the upcoming novella, An Unexpected Visit, by Joseph Falank, author of the hit YA fiction novel Seeing, and the adult fiction novel The Painted Lady, later this year.

There are fates worse than death.

In his early thirties, Noah Adams writes of the turning point in his life: a long weekend spent in the company of his estranged father, Scott, a Special Forces soldier who had been gone two years. During their stay in a remote farmhouse out in the Pennsylvania countryside, Noah recalls encountering both bizarre behaviors and horrifying truths.

It is this visit that has shaped the man, husband, and father he has become. For better and for worse.

A New Novel, But One You Won't See For A While

In a previous post I mentioned taking an extended break from writing, to recharge, regroup, and enjoy the feat of having two published novels and an upcoming third book of one novella and several stories (An Unexpected Visit, out in October) under my belt.

Yeah, that didn't last long.

And, in a way, I knew it wouldn't, but I needed the pressure valve turned to Off. I needed to write freely and carefree without worry of self-imposed deadlines.

Because I get stir-crazy and swamped with guilt if I'm not working on something.

Right now everything is in the first draft stage, but I have started a new novel. I've been working on it for over a month and am in such a good place with it that I even decided to mention it here. Plus, I get asked constantly when I'll write my daughter a book.

I can't discuss the fine details, but I'm very confident in the story (it does have the usual first draft problems, but better ideas will come in time to fix the issues) and I'm looking to finish the first draft somewhere in the next six to eight weeks - by my estimate I'm about 61% done, with a clear path to the end laid out. I'm doing, at the least, four handwritten pages a day in a composition notebook (approx. 1,000 words/day with as small as my handwriting is). I've about filled one notebook already.

So, what exactly can I say about the novel?

I can tell you the title.

AMONG THE LIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF THE CAROUSEL

I can tell you the inspiration for the book.

Last summer I was out with Maddie (she was ten months old at the time) in her stroller for our morning walk and a horrible thought came to me: What if something happened to me and my daughter grew up never really knowing who I was?

So, yes, it's a sad story, but not completely a tear-jerker.

Where THE PAINTED LADY was a sort of love letter to my wife, this book is for my daughter, who won't be able to read it until she's older, but, all the same, it's for her.

When can you expect to read said novel?

Not for a while. Sadly.

As I've said before, I don't plan on a book out next year, and 2018 will hopefully see the release of a different work I finished earlier this year.

CAROUSEL will require the necessary two years (and perhaps longer) I typically afford to my work, and mostly because this one will be a lot different than my other books; for one, the main character is female (a point of view I haven't really written from) - so my beta readers will help me with focusing and honing skills on that front - and, two, this novel will focus more on a life during the three months the novel spans rather than just the plain route of going from point A to point B through the interesting and intersecting highlights. I want this book to feel like there's really a life inside the pages, but try to keep it moving along, maintaining good balance.

So, there it is. 2018 should see a release from me with a unique, urban fantasy type, possible beginning chapter of a much longer work. So, in essence, a Volume One. If all goes to plan AMONG THE LIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF THE CAROUSEL will be out in 2019.

But no promises.

An Unexpected Visit, however, will be out in October from Winter Goose Publishing.

My Favorite Books Are Becoming Movies! (Part Two)

Stephen King is my favorite author.

In my mind there is no other author who can create a world (or worlds, or dimensions) so vivid, characters so defined (11.22.63's protagonist Jake Epping and Gunslinger Roland Deschain come immediately to mind), and stakes so crucial as King so often does. Yes, he has his faults and quirks - as every author does - but there is no denying the man's talent, his fire for telling compelling tales, and his effect on his legion of Constant Readers. He's defined as a horror writer, yet on so many occasions proven himself far more versatile (Shawshank and Stand By Me, anyone?).

Regardless, he's just a damn good writer no matter where his story falls.

June 7th is the release of End Of Watch, the final installment in his Bill Hodges Trilogy, which began back in 2014 with Mr. Mercedes, a novel I adored for its briskness, unique characters, fun detective story, and intense opening. Before Mercedes, the only other novel of his I can recall having such a visceral start was Cell (published back in 2006).

I have a good-sized handful of favorite King books, but Cell was the first. Cell was one of the few inspirations (along with Invasion Of The Body Snatchers and Night Of The Living Dead) that got me writing my first novel (what would become a trunk novel that I mistakenly published. Oops.).

Cell is King's "zombie novel," which features a signal (dubbed The Pulse) traveling through every cell phone in the world at the exact same moment one October day, turning those who happened to be using their devices at the time into "phoners"/"phone-crazies" - their minds wiped and their primitive instincts on full bloody display. Within seconds of exposure to The Pulse, which is never given a concrete explanation (because who among those left as normal would ever know beyond speculation?), the phoners are chasing down and murdering everyone in sight (sometimes even each other). Left to wander the burning landscapes of the northeast are Clayton (who wants to get home to Maine, where his wife and son had been) and Tom.

Cell is timely (because of the advancements in, and current obsession with, mobile technology); it's also fun, gory, and a simple paranoia/apocalyptic horror story. It's precisely described in words King himself once used in regards to the novel: "Like cheap whiskey, it's very nasty and extremely satisfying."

For years a movie adaptation has been in the works. Now, it's finally happening. Samuel L. Jackson and, more importantly, John Cusack are starring. Cusack, in my mind, can do no wrong. And if this turns out anything like 1408 (where these two also starred), I'll be a happy camper.

Watching the trailer...I'm not fond that "ground zero" goes from out on the streets of Boston in the novel to the interior of the airport terminals (why change it?). I hope the movie depicts The Pulse's wide impacts (as King described constant explosions and pure insanity occurring all around within close range and in the distance), and goes into what makes the phoners (including their leader, The Raggedy Man) unique rather than just having them all be zombie-tropes.

I read somewhere that King wrote the screenplay, or a draft of it, so hopefully that's true.

I'm more concerned about this one staying true to the source material than the adaptation of A Monster Calls. King's movies tend to be drastically different than his books.

I guess time will tell.