mysteries and motorcycles
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
New writer's group formingIf there's anybody from the thumb area of Michigan reading this, you're invited to join us at 7:00PM on Thursday November 19th at the Pigeon (MI) library. It will be our inaugural meeting, the first of two organizational meetings. The following is the press release that was sent out to the local newspapers and radio station.
PIGEON -
Writers from across the Thumb are encouraged to temporarily put down their pens or shut off their word processors and head for the Pigeon District Library for two upcoming meetings that will establish the Huron Area Writers Group.
The organizational meetings, which are set for 7 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19 and Thursday, Dec. 17, will help gauge the interest level in forming such an association. The meetings are open to writers at all levels.
The Huron Area Writers Group, or HAWG, is being formed by Dave Vizard, former editor of True North Magazine and News Editor of The Bay City Times, and Dennis Collins, author of two novels, The Unreal McCoy and Turn Left at September. Both writers live in Huron County and have long-standing ties to the Thumb.
"Given the number of Harleys, swine and voracious appetites for writing in the area, we thought HAWG was a fitting acronym for our group," said Vizard, who is writing a murder mystery that is solved by a newspaper reporter. "All writers want to get their work published, and that's what we plan to do with this organization. We will help each other with the idea that we can improve both writing skill and talent with an eye toward publication."
Collins, who has completed a third novel and has begun research on his fourth work of fiction, emphasized that the meetings will be open to all who have a common interest in creative writing.
"We want to encourage aspiring writers to embrace the challenge of writing and pursue their dreams," he said. "We want to open avenues of opportunity through information sharing and networking."
The organizational meetings will help set the direction of the group. Once established, the writers group would continue to meet on the Third Thursdays of each month in the Pigeon library.
For more information about the group or the meetings, Vizard can be reached at vizard@avci.net or (989) 553-4804.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Robert W. Walker Guest Blogger
I was thrilled when Rob Walker accepted my invitation to stop by my blog and say a few words. Rob has an impressive repertoire of titles in his portfolio. I've read his work and can confirm that he is a master story teller.
With that, I'll hand him the microphone and surrender the podium.
Opening Lines & First Paragraphs Throughout the Novel
Rob Walker
When I begin a story, I work exceptionally hard on the opening scene, opening lines, and first paragraphs to draw the reader in and to fill that page with life and excitement, to in essence make it as compelling as I can. In fact, COMPELLING is a word carved into my forehead as I work…well, not literally but figuratively for sure. Next thing is to keep the five senses planted before you as you work. It may behoove a writer to place a listing of the five senses over his work station along with the word compelling…so as to never write a single page in the whole of the novel that does not triangulate at least three and maybe five of the senses, and perhaps that sixth sense as well—and to make it all forward moving, fast, compelling, drawing the reader ever onward.
I love it when the senses and the sense of a compelling story comes together, and I believe I’ve accomplished this with my novel Children of Salem, a romance in the time of the witch trials, which I have just put out as an original hystery-mystery romantic thriller E-book. The cover tells the story, that I worked tirelessly on the research for years upon years, but I dramatized the love story to become the forefront story. I know for a fact that I could not have written this version of Children of Salem had I not first written as many books before it, especially my historical novels of the Inspector Alastair Ransom Series begun with City for Ransom, which, with its sequels, Shadows in White City and City of the Absent have been put up as E-books as well.
I currently have ten books up that can be downloaded to the Kindle and other palm readers or to a PC. Children of Salem is my latest placed on Amazon for Kindle, all of which makes me a small press publisher! I managed it all through a visit to dtpamazon.com where a three-step process got me going about three weeks ago. This after JA Konrath got all over my head for not getting on top of this. Joe has himself placed over ten works up on Kindle.
But back to that business of craft and making opening lines and paragraphs compelling. I believe every scene, every chapter calls for a renewed exciting opening line and paragraphs. To this end I am attaching here the first page of each of the three separate “books” found in between the covers of Children of Salem. I think you will find it interesting to read the first page of each book in this 600 plus manuscript selling for 2.99 on Kindle now. Below are those three all-important opening pages. I hope they do as I preach:
C H I L D R E N of S A L E M
by Robert W. Walker
B O O K O N E
Prologue
Boston, March 5, 1692
“You want me to go into Salem Village Parish disguised as a man of the cloth and that doesn’t offend you?” Jeremiah Wakely hoped the level of his shock didn’t show on his face.
“Not in the least!” Reverend Cotton Mather fired back, registering the surprise on Wakely’s starkly handsome Black Irish features.
“Not in the least,” parroted Jeremiah in a near whisper, pushing aside a shock of raven-black hair.
“Not so long as it provides us with what we need, Brother Wakley.” The two men had walked the length of the public area of the great North Church of Boston from rear pew to altar. “Look here, Jeremiah, my friend, you’ll have no problem ingratiating yourself with this Reverend Samuel Parris.”
“I am not so sure, sir? Not from what I’ve seen of him in the court records your father provided me.”
B O O K T W O
Chapter One
Late evening, April 13,, 1692
“A challenge to every Puritan,” said Reverend Parris where he stood drinking ale at Ingersoll’s Inn. He’d come uncharacteristically late to the Inn. Ingersoll was in fact closing, but when he found the minister at his doorstep, he remained in business, his light on. He had poured a pint of ale for Parris, whose bill with Ingersoll had been settled recently with a bushel of beans and potatoes, goods others had paid the minister in. Parris had need of someone’s ear and Ingersoll had been elected. He informed Ingersoll of the truth of Jeremiah Wakely’s identity and his true purpose in the village, and that he’d been sent in to spy on the minister, and all those letters he asked you to post, Nathaniel—I was right to intercept them. He was a fraud from the beginning, and he thought I didn’t know.
Ingersoll solemnly nodded. “He is an arrogant scoundrel, that young pup.”
“It’s the same with the Falllen One.”
“Aye, he’s the ultimate arrogant angel.”
“What angel?” asked the carpenter, Zachariah Fiske, who’d seen the light on and had stopped in for a dram.
B O O K T H R E E
Chapter One
Circumstances in Salem and its environs moved rapidly during June, far too fast for Jeremy or anyone to make any further proper appeals. Twenty days after the hanging of Bridget Bishop, the cantankerous innkeeper with as foul a mouth as any sailor in Salem Harbor, five more accused, arrested women were judged guilty in the Court of Oyer & Terminer—among them, Rebecca Nurse.
The others on the June 30th list of recalcitrant guilty were Sarah Goode, to no one’s surprise, Susannah Martin of Amesbury, the vixen who’d caused Henry Carr to hang himself twenty years before—or so Anne Carr Putnam said; Elizabeth How of Ipswich, and Sarah Wilde of Topsfield. Along with the accusations of the Salem seers against her, Goode had been condemned on the word of her eight-year-old, mentally distracted child Dorcas. All of the other accused had stood adamant against the court as had Goode—most of them cursing the court, the judges, and their accusers in no uncertain terms.
NOW back to the blog: If you kindle or know anyone who does, I hope you will recommend Children of Salem, an in depth and complex historical novel that mixes romance with intrigue and the awful facts of what brings about enough hatred in people to hang thy neighbor. Thanks Dennis for having me as your guest! Perhaps if Children sells a mill as an E-Book, I can get a publisher to give it a serious read. There is method in my madness.
Rob Walker
www.robertwalkerbooks.com
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Dan Poynter
On May the 16th I had the pleasure of attending a conference sponsored by the "Upper Peninsula Publishers & Authors Association," in Marquette, Michigan. The keynote speaker was none other than self-publishing and promotion guru, Dan Poynter. And Michigan's northern peninsula didn't disappoint; it treated us to a taste of Mid-May snow.
Mr. Poynter is a man of amazing energy and enthusiasm. His lecture was full of facts and statistics that showed the many advantages and rewards of self-publishing. While he didn't understate the challenges, he helped take much of the fear out of the prospect of going it alone. Information is the best weapon you can have when moving forward. I'll add more to this in the next posting. Check it out at http://ParaPublishing.com
It was a particularly interesting encounter for me because I discovered that Mr. Poynter and me have shared a common hobby; Sport Parachuting, commonly known as "Skydiving." Although it has been a number of years since I made my last parachute jump, there is a certain brotherhood relationship that all skydivers share and Mr. Poynter made it a point to recognize me with a special ribbon that he attached to my name tag.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Canada, eh?On Saturday April 25th, I'll be attending "GenreCon 2009" in Sarnia, Ontario.
It's a multi-genre conference sponsored by the Lambton County Library in Sarnia. I'm not sure how many of these conferences have taken place but I do know that I've been part of every single one of them. Jeff Beeler and Ellen Dark do a great job of organizing this event every year. You can see more about it here: http://community.livejournal.com/penguicon/117225.html
Sarnia is directly across the St Clair River from Port Huron, Michigan and a short drive from Toronto or Detroit.
This year I get to kick off the early part of the conference as moderator of a "Mystery and Plotting" panel along with Jean Rae Baxter and Vicki Delaney, two very accomplished mystery writers. A couple of returning veterans are the always enthusiastic Jeff DeLuzio and Mowtown Writer star, Sylvia Hubbard.
Another fun part of the event is the dinner at "Ups n' Downs" Riverfront restaurant at the end of the day.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Rotary Club
On Monday March 23rd I had the pleasure of addressing a Rotary Club luncheon. It was a pleasant afternoon spent with caring community leaders. I was impressed with their charitable efforts.
If there is a downside to a luncheon, it's the time constraints that are characteristic of workday events. I only had about thirty minutes to deliver my pitch and it's difficult to engage an audience in a short amount of time.
It was a well attended affair and the people were attentive and asked interesting and thoughtful questions. I enjoyed myself and the opportunity to get acquainted with members of my local community.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Back on the trailI'm heading back out for a little more promotion. On March 23, 2009 I'll be making a luncheon presentation at the Rotary Club in Pigeon, Michigan. It's a rather small event but it's my local community and I feel it's highly important to establish a local fan base. Besides, these small town events are almost always more friendly than their big city cousins and they're a darn site more relaxed.
After that I'm once again going international with my annual trek to Sarnia, Ontario for the 2009 edition of Genrecon on April 25th. I have attended every Genrecon since its inception about five or six years ago. It's a free one day conference held at the Lambton County Library in Sarnia. The focus is on fiction and it includes several genres like mysteries, horror, fantasy, and science fiction. From a writer's point of view, I like the variety. It's a great opportunity to harvest ideas from authors who have an entirely different perspective. I think it helps all of us.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Small town signing
On November 20th I did a signing at the Reading & Rhythm bookstore in Bad Axe, Michigan. Bad Axe is the seat of Huron County which includes the entire upper thumb of the mitten shaped silhouette known as Michigan. As signings go, it was on the quiet side. Only a few dozen people wandered in and not all of them wanted to buy books. But I'm not complaining, at least I made some new friends and even sold some books. The sad thing is that it will likely be the last signing that I do featuring Turn Left at September. It's no longer a fresh title and it may have run its course.
My old standby, The Unreal McCoy, has finally gone out of print and I'm considering doing a bit of re-writing and see if I can get it published by a new small press just to keep it available.
In the meantime I'm working furiously with an editor to clean up my latest manuscript, The First Domino, so that it's in presentable shape to hand over to a literary agent.
It's a tough business.
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