What happens if you write the first three paragraphs of what would be a compelling short story and then give them to several writers to complete, each not knowing what the others are writing? What you would get is a book with a half dozen or so short stories, each one leading off in different directions and in different genres and styles from the others. You get stories that all begin exactly the same way, but then proceed and end in vastly different ways according to the inspiration and inclination of each of those writers. We currently have five writers committed to contributing; three have already started. It will be fascinating to see what they all come up with. I’ll update you on this exciting project as more news develops!
Rapturia is in final editing
The third book of the Goldrock series is written and on the desk of the fourth and final editor. The cover photography and jacket layout in draft form is complete. So it won’t be too long before Rapturia is published. Spring 2015 at latest is my estimate.
The wait is over–Saddleback Mine is on Amazon!
After months of painstaking editing and refinements, Saddleback Mine is done and available. By survey even better than Goldrock, this second book gives the reader no breaks at all, picking up literally the very next morning with the same colorful characters led by Buck and Amanda and takes them on a quest to bring a cold-blooded killer to justice. But that is just the beginning. No one suspected where this trail would lead them, because none of them even knew it existed until it was too late–too late to avoid being drawn into the dark depths of Saddleback Mine.
This one was a lot of fun to write because the characters themselves are becoming more active in their own development: “No, James, I wouldn’t say that I would say this! And why ever would you think that I would do that?!” scolds the ever-obstinate Amanda to this badgered author. If that seems a bit harsh on me, you should hear what Fuzzy has to say about his role!
All kidding aside, the problem with short novels like Goldrock is how to fully develop the characters without getting in the way of the fast-paced story. The solution was turning it into a series, so over time those town folks could evolve into their full richness. I freely admit that the reader, after finishing Goldrock, may wish that he or she would have had more time to get to know the town’s characters; by the end of Saddleback Mine, they will be like good friends.
Here’s where you’ll find this latest installment, in either paperback or Kindle:
Click here to buy Saddleback Mine on Amazon!
Goldrock is published!
The writing was the easy part–that was mostly done many months ago. Then came the multiple edits and fine-tuning. Then the pre-publication reviewers who completed valuable surveys for me which required more fine-tuning. After that there was all the cover photography and graphics, writing the jacket blurb and author bio. Then there was the formatting work required for the paperback and the entirely separate formatting required for Kindle. And finally there was uploading files and and setting up my author account. It took about four times longer than I expected, but the payoff is here–Goldrock is now available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle editions for $6.99.