Had to take down The Calvin Sky due to technical issues with the layout. My illustrator is fixing it and it should be back up shortly. Sorry for the inconvenience!
Also, I still have postcards. Some are ready to be sent out, others need destinations. Message me an address and a one-word writing prompt if you’d like to receive one.
Meaning, of course, my imminent return to the U.S., which has a better postal service than Mexico, and thus, the place from where I send all my postcards.
I have a few leftovers from my last stay, and I’m looking for people that want to receive a postcard. Message me your address if you’d like to receive one. And, like with my Before Sunrise challenge, include a one-word writing prompt, and your postcard will contain a story or poem or whatever using that word.
Totally unrelated note: who wants to receive a postcard from a not-very-famous writer? Message me your address and a writing prompt (optional).
It’s been a while since I’ve given any updates about myself and what I’m currently working on, so this will be that kind of post. Those of you more interested in my writing than the person behind them, feel free to peruse my last few months’ posts, most of which are flash fiction stories.
While Somewhere Over the Sun continues to sell at the astonishing rate of one copy every couple of weeks or so, I’ve been busy with stuff that’s not yet published. Bright and Blue, my second novel, is currently on the back burner, awaiting another round of edits before I begin querying agents for it. The story follows Spout, a widower who decides to stay behind on Earth when almost all of humanity has left to inhabit a new planet inhabited by people so similar to us they may be our soul mates. You can read the first paragraph or so here.
I am simultaneously at work on two other novels. The novel taking priority comes with a bit of an unconventional situation. A few months ago, I was contacted by what’s called a Literary Development Company out in L.A. Basically, what they do is pitch ideas to writers, the writers produce the novel, and then these guys use their contacts and experience to pitch the work to publishers. They have experience working with film and television rights, too. If the book sells to a publisher, I get percentages from whatever money is made. If they can’t find interest, nothing happens. I, of course, get credit for all my work. It’s an interesting option, and at this point in my career, I figured there’s no way it’ll hurt. Worst thing that could happen is I spend a few months writing a book that no one buys. So, these guys pitched me an idea, I liked it and we signed a contract. They loved my general outline and decided to have me skip the detailed outline step of the process and just start writing the book. Chapter one is almost done at about 9,000 words.
The other book is currently at around 13,000 words, and I’m going to keep what it’s about under wraps, as usual. Suffice it to say, it’s literary fiction and contains some of what I believe is my best writing. I’m excited about it.
I also have a few postcards still waiting to be claimed. If you’re interested, send me a message with your address and a writing prompt. And that’s it. The busy life of a writer.
Oh, new feature on my site. I’ve got my quotebook up. Explore it, get to know me.
And I intend to use them when I leave Mexico tomorrow. If you’d like to receive a postcard from the published author of a critically acclaimed but so far much-ignored novel, send me an e-mail with your address and a writing prompt.
Think of how much you could someday sell it for when I’m famous!
Also, if you click on the Amazon link to my book (you’ll find it the “much-ignored novel” section of this post), you can use Amazon’s Look Inside! feature to read the first 20% (about five chapters) of Somewhere Over the Sun.
Here’s an irrelevant picture of me.
I’ve never been able
to make a poem
actually feel like
a poem.
All I get is
broken sentences,
a short story,
a complaint.
(but what clever line breaks!)
This non-poem poem originally appeared in The Vagus Nerve.
I can’t promise the kind of eloquence seen above, but if you’d like to receive a personal little somethin’ somethin’ from a published author, message me your address and I’ll send you a postcard! I’m accepting writing prompts and city requests (available city choices: Stratford, Canada; General Canada postcards; New York City; Las Vegas; Cleveland; Houston; Baltimore).
I’ve sent out three waves of postcards and I’m almost done checking everyone’s name off the list, so I’m more than happy to add more to the list.
Although this site’s main purpose is to promote my debut novel, Somewhere Over the Sun, I feel my marketing efforts have dropped off in the last couple of months. Mostly, this has to do with not a lot of book reviews or guest posts that I can link you to. Some of my readers may remember the writing contests, publicity contests, Quotation Fridays and other such shameless self-promoting to get people interested in my book. Well, I’m trying to think of more ways to get a large number of people to at the very least click on the About the Novel page on this site. Any ideas, dear readers?
That’s the title for my second novel! Yay. Its working title had been simply the main character’s name, and it took me all the way until now, almost done with the second draft, to come up with something that feels fitting.
In other news, I’ve begun my travels. Which means several people will be receiving postcards soon. I bought a few extras, so feel free to claim one by messaging me your address, city preference and a postcard-sized writing prompt (if you like).
And I’ve slept very little in the past 48 hours, so that’s it for tonight, dear readers.
