Joined Arizona Authors Association

I am branching out and doing more networking as the novel nears its release. I have joined the Arizona Authors Association. Very nice people, my book is now up in their latest releases section. I need to start attending meetings, gatherings and especially book fairs. That will be especially true once the book is out. Tate Publishing is providing me with a publicist, and that will be most helpful I am certain. Even with all that, ultimately my success will depend on what I do. To that end I will be checking out some more writers' groups and likely joining more as well.

Today I was told that the back cover is being finalized. That means my final layout is just days away. Ah, anticipation....

Initial Layout & ISBN

Today my publisher sent me the initial layout for my novel. I was very impressed and I will be giving them the go ahead on it tomorrow as, frankly, I want to keep the process rolling and get that final layout in my hands. Once that is completed I will be advised of the release date.

I also received official confirmation of the ISBN for the book. It is: 978-1-61862-704-9.

This is very exciting. Soon the book will be real, something that people can hold in their hands. That means a lot to me.

Philosophers Guild 27th Anniversary

Though not very active at this point in my life, today does mark the 27th anniversary of the Founding of the Philosophers Guild. I founded this group at 11:05 PM on 19 February 1985. Yes I remember the time because I documented it. The Guild was the fourth, and most successful by far, philosophical/political group that I created. At one time the Guild had members throughout the US and Canada. Our small press newsletter, THE THOUGHT, had circulation even in Europe and occasionally in India and Australia. What made it work was that, while I am a libertarian and thus the group had that focus, we were open to differing viewpoints. Some people found the approach horrible, but I learn quite a bit from people that I don't agree with. I made lasting friendships there and I am in touch with many of those people to this day. Yes, I'd do that again. I learned the fine art of discussion and listening. Sometimes I still need to remind myself of those lessons.

The Guild is its heyday was very eclectic. THE THOUGHT was our primary outreach and project, and it was put out monthly without fail from April of 1985 to June of 1990. Then publication became spotty, going into a three year hiatus after a single issue came out in 1994. In 1997 I revived the Guild and the newsletter, and it came out bimonthly until the summer of 2005. I don't rule out doing something with the newsletter again in the future. We shall all see.

My thanks to all those who were part of it.

Philosophy in the Novel

Some readers of the novel will wonder if the philosophy being expressed by some of the major characters, Victor Trent in particular, mirrors that of my own. To a large degree the answer is yes. I doubt that comes as much of a surprise. A writer has to have a solid familiarity with what he or she is writing about. Victor is, perhaps, more cynical than I am, at least now. When I was the age he is in the book, 28, I was very cynical as well. A lot of the philosophy expressed by some characters is definitely not my own, but it is part and parcel of tenets and beliefs that I have been exposed to.

As was the case during those years that I published THE THOUGHT, I am indeed trying to engage the reader on a level to make them think. Yes, I also hope to tell an engaging story and entertain and create a universe people will want to visit several times. Making people think, consider a different perspective, is part and parcel of what I have done throughout my writing career. Becoming a writer of novels does not change that.

Robert Heinlein wrote novels that had challenging ideas that made his reader think as well as entertain. L.Neil Smith has done likewise. Several others come to mind.

I'm sure some readers will just enjoy the vampire angle of the book. That's fine. However, the readers I will cherish, the ones I look forward to hearing from, are the ones who pay attention to the philosophy and maybe get something to ponder out of it.

How I've Made My Living

I'm 50 years old and I will turn 51 on May 13th. My 50th birthday was on a Friday. I thought that was too cool. I graduated from Canyon High School in Anaheim CA in 1979. My first job was as a night custodian at a convalescent home. That was so depressing I only lasted there about 10 months. Started working for Farmers Insurance in the mail room in 1980. I stayed with them until 1985 in various positions. That was the year I got serious about college so I went to work part time at a video store that went out of business in the Fall of 1987. I graduated from Cal State Fullerton in 1989. In 1990 I became an insurance claims adjustor. I stank at it, to be frank. Ended up quitting that in May of 1991. I then did temp work until February of 1993, when I was hired by Loomis Armored. I stayed with them until May of 2006. They even transferred me to Arizona in 1995 when I asked to be. In May of 2006 I started working with Accram Inc., where I am now.

At Loomis and here at Accram I have been employed in Payables, Receivables, and Payroll. These are not creative outlets. The numbers are what they are, like them or not.

Writing gives me the creative outlet I need. I get fulfillment and satisfaction from it. Which is why I intend to keep writing novels!

From Whence the Novel Came

As I stated in my Writing History posting, the novel evolved out of a series of short stories I wrote in 1989-90 and published in The Thought. That series was titled Song of the Vamphyri, which at one time I also considered using as a title for the novel, or the novel series. Many of the same characters that were in the short story series are in the novel, and the broad outline of the initial story arc is the same. As the novels are fuller, richer stories, there are other characters and I go into a lot more depth in creating them.

What isn't the same? Quite a lot. The short stories were set in the late 1980s. The novels are contemporary, set in the world of 2008 on. The short stories were full of angst, as I was at that time. Also, I wrote the short stories as a first person narrative. That is, Victor Trent was telling the story himself. The novel is done in third person which I believe makes the story stronger. In the first short story Victor was reflecting on it all. In the novel, it is 'you are there.'

Most of the ideas I used in the short stories are being incorporated into the novels in some fashion. Others I am leaving behind. I think I have matured as a writer. I certainly have a lot more life experience now than I did then. Some scenes in the short story were just bizarre. I had this scene where a vampire who had been turned as a child decided, after a thousand years in child form, he'd had enough. Victor took him to the shore of Chesapeake Bay and the vampire just asked him to stay a safe distance away and time how long it took before he blew up after sunrise. Victor just did it. Victor in the novel - no way he would do that.

And thus it goes...

Layout Commenced

Once the cover had been approved, layout of the novel began. This is a two step process. Before the end of this month I will be sent the initial layout. I will review it and approve it so long as it looks good. Then, before the end of March I will receive the final layout. That is the one that I will be proofreading to make certain no errors cropped up. If any do, Tate will correct them prior to production commencing. This likely means the book will become available sometime in May. Once I do have the actual release date I will certainly publicize it here.

Yes, this has been a long journey but I know it is worth it!

My Writing History

I took my first steps at writing for possible public distribution in 1974. I made this 'newsletter' called The Alchemist's Gazette. This saw no distribution beyond my immediate family. It contained some short comedy pieces and some cartoons drawn by my brother Steve and me.

About a year later I took my first crack at writing a novel. I still remember the title, December Disaster. It was the tale of the collapse of civilization brought on by a huge solar flare. The next one was a somber tale about fascists taking over the United States. Nothing of these first two works remain. I do, however, still have an over 200 page manuscript for a novel I worked on in high school, titled Like Hell on Earth. It was a tale of a German victory in WW2 with them occupying the United States. I never finished it and, sorry, but I'm not going to try. Just isn't my style anymore and the story is SO disjointed.

In 1980 I put out my first political tract that did see some public circulation. This led to the creation of The Thought, my newsletter that came out in many forms until June of 2005. I am pleased to say that it is in the collection of the New York Public Library and the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, among others.

In the summer of 2009 my friend Chris Becker told me that I should revisit a series of short stories about vampires that I wrote and published back in 1989-1990. I looked them over and found the core story to be worth the effort of recasting into a series of novels. My wife strongly encouraged me to take the plunge, and thus the venture began.

For the future I intend to write a series of novels. I have ideas for novels that don't involve my vampires as well, though I will admit to being very partial towards them right now. They seem like more than mere fictional characters. They are people that I know. Products of my imagination, granted.