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!