Began Edit on Book 2, “The Great Expansion.”

For the last couple days I have reoriented myself to the full context of my 2^nd book in The Rising series, and watched a Great Courses lecture to review the Byzantine environment that gave birth to the Marcian Council which is mentioned and expanded upon from the first book, “The Rising of Julian Adams.” Then I ventured into my edit run with the benefit of hearing it read back to me with my add-on Babylon program.  I recently installed this program which adds that special dimension of audio directed editing after I have done at least one read-over edit. It may be a little more time consuming, but in the long run it is worth it and fun hearing my words, in a way, come to life.

It’s a task, and it’s a joy returning to my writing after spending so much time building up my social network to primarily get the word out on my published book. This network is actually all I can afford at this time, but it also uses up the commodity of time which I am hopeful that I will budget it well as I embark again into writing. I presume I will be less involved in Facebooking across the universe, Pinterest pinning, and the like which I have enjoyed as a diversion when it wasn’t looking up at them from the very bottom of the learning curve. I’ll still be here in cyberspace, but must restrict this time, avoid its black hole, and focus on writing.

Wish me Godspeed so I can soon bless you, my readers and followers, with “The Rising Book 2: The Great Expansion!”  

Good Experience

My book signing at Apostrophe Books went well, but it was a slow morning on 2^nd street. In a two hour slot I was only engaged in a few conversations which led to sales. My series overview intrigued many as in few words it revealed a lot as only the first sentence refers specifically to my first book:

The adventure has begun, a new race of vampires has emerged, and the Julian Empire is formed. Their sights are set on peaceful expansion with wars ever looming. Who can stand in the way of these new world titans as they assimilate the people around them? How far will they go to find their utopia on Earth, or will they have to look elsewhere? These are questions to be answered in this new genre bending vampire series by Richard Alan. Prepare yourself for “The Rising!”

Weather was a particular concern for me because physically I cannot handle the summer heat. It was in the triple digits on Saturday, but Sunday dropped back down into the low eighties. My skin still reacted with its usually pinpricking burn, but I was thankful I could handle it and stand my ground. Pictures taken showed the obvious strain by my poor forced smile; it didn’t work, and likely scared some people away as my pain translated into what looked like anger. Chocolate kisses (Vampire Kisses) brought them close like skittish birds snatching crumbs and setting off as soon as the treat was securely in hand.

Still, when I was able to engage people in conversation I was very well received back into the human race. It was amazing how quickly joy captured their mannerisms. Had my wife stayed at the table, perhaps more people would have been drawn in, but our friend, Stephanie, came by to support me, and they ran errands and talked away from the table much of the time. It didn’t bother me until I saw my poor attempt at a smile in our photos. She would have been far less scary.

It was, however, a good experience for me because it put me on a track of preparation leading up to the event. It forced me to think through my social networking online so I could pack my series promotion cards, personal business cards, and flyers with accurate information to find and interact with me in the vast world of cyberspace. It was the kick in the butt that pushed me to stop reading about it fearing the molehill that had grown into a mountain, and start diving into this world that was previously just a research and email tool. Now I am in cyberspace!

I have much to learn in this promo competition being naïve about programming, setting up my own web page, and making the pages I am at compelling by their graphics. I don’t know a thing about apps and often hit walls where I get confused and cautiously back out so as not to mess up anything I did get right. I am artistically very creative, but very slow at adapting it to this new internet medium.

Yeah, it was the adventure before the signing that was most important and, of course, the follow-through hereafter. If I can simply lure people to read the book they will find it unique in the genre, and may generate reviews about the delightfully diverse character of the story. It is written to a wide variety of interests so I expect reviews will vary except those that basically have said what I wrote here such as, “It’s truly entertaining, and full of surprises.” Thank you for the reviews none-the-less! 

After my Interview

Greetings My Friends & Followers,

My interview on Friday for the Grunion, Downtown, and Uptown Gazette went great. My Childhood nervousness never struck, in fact, it was like talking to a new old friend. I refrained from taking command of the situation as I would in my teacher/lecturer mode, and comfortably projected my genuine friendliness. I knew we had specific ground to cover, but it was easy letting her lead the conversation. There was no threat to be defensive about so I had no use for an edgy attitude (I say this for my fellow Vampire Freaks out there). My wife was there being more than willing to fill in any blanks even if there were none by my estimation – that is her way. We know each other pretty well after 38 years together. That’s not to say she didn’t add an excellent perspective change or insight; I’m just saying she added things to the conversation that I thought were off target such as my daughter’s situation. We’ll see which of her additions play out into the article, and then, if necessary, I will pull my digital foot out of my digital mouth.

When watching a movie or having a spare moment, I’ve noticed my mind is already working on my 4^th book in the series with precise sentences and cleaver ways to weave my ideas into the story. With two books in line to be edited before it, I can see that the stress of learning internet social networking is lessening giving my creative mind room to wonder where I wonder best – creatively. That’s a very good sign! I may even start the 4^th book today before I get hooked back into the track of editing. When I get there, it’s a daily adventure rereading my books, fixing obvious errors and obscurities (not all, a little mystery is always good), and improve on my character and story crafting.

Next, however, is the usual business of life, you know, paying bills you’re thrilled to have the money for, ordering prescriptions you hope will remove the chronic pains and keep your health problems in check, and the other mundane kind of things that repels us safely down the canyons of life. I hope my next canyon will be lush and fertile, refreshing and stimulating.

Be Well!

Meeting with a Reporter Today

I have contacted several local newspapers, and have received two responses so far. The 1st was a Q&A interview via email and today’s is a face to face chat at my local coffee shop. I’m comely excited, and any hidden nervousness didn’t disturb my sleep as it often does. I tend to internalize such things, so I'm not always aware of it until my head hits the pillow and I fall right awake. Even as a kid I’d get sick to the stomach the night before I knew I was going to that magical place called Disneyland, and never totally grew out of it. Even as I slow with age, that hyper little rascal is in there!

This morning I woke from a dream in which I was in a large church, one I have visited in other dreams, but this time the pastor’s wife turned to me and said, “God told me you’re very gifted!”  Then she jumped over the seats from the row in front of me to sit beside me for a quiet conversation. She was excited to meet me! That was a very good start to my day.

I’ve learned from experience that in teaching or talking, what I planned to say, how I planned on saying it, and no matter how much I practiced my speech, it always came out different. Even having notes was no guarantee as I found that the flow of the moment of delivery skipped points and added new ones. Seminars were the only environment when points were not to be skipped as certain information needed to be covered. So it is with today’s meeting; I have rehearsed nothing. I know myself, and I know my book, “The Rising of Julian Adams.” The only confusion I have is differentiating what details I’ve added to the story in the 2nd and 3rd books which are in their first draft phase. Characters have evolved! At least I am comforted in knowing the story breaks between each book.

I can’t wait to get back to my first draft editing, but I have learned much in these past couple months on cyberspace social networking, setting up accounts, what each network offers, and am still on the bottom of the learning curve concerning page design. I want my pages to reflect me as the writer of this vampire series, truthfully, but strategically. I think the feel of the page is at least as important as what is written.

So, I’ll keep blogging, chatting, and emailing to expand my exposure from a local author to an upcoming world sensation (Yeah, high hopes with a shy laugh). I don’t particularly want fame… I just want to start by paying off my family debts: for my wife and I who are both on permanent disability, for my daughter’s family, and for my sister. Then I’ll do more than pray for the plethora of great causes in our world… (dreamy wondering mind)… but first, my interview in an hour.

Be Well My Friends and Followers.

Blast from my Past

     Other than songs lyrics, one of my 1^st poems was written in my creative writing class called, “Tracks of the Needle Nose.” It was about drug use, and though I had never done drugs, I was called into the office because of my accurate treatment of hard drug use and addiction. I thought that was what I was supposed to do, but they didn’t think anyone could get their head around such a topic without experiencing it. They checked me over for the tracks I spoke of, and naturally I was clean, but while supposedly trying to encourage me toward discovering my creative self, I was almost suspended!

     Maybe my topic was too harsh for ‘69, but shooting up was just as dangerous then as it is now. The Man (Big Brother) was trying to save me from the drug cultures, protesting Earth’s exploitations, and from continuing in my hippie ways, but they failed. I got around to pot (it was an herb, not a gateway drug), the protests continued, and I had been a hippie inside for a couple years by then, and that was not going to change.

     The poem was confiscated, and was lost, but "The Tracks of the Needle Nose" has not been forgotten. It was an diabolical animated syringe, that I remember, and it was my first writing in the monster genre.