Kings Do As They Please

A Heart Deceived comes out June 20th, and I'll be sharing that month with none other than Stephen King. That's when his latest release, Joyland, hits the stands. Literally. He won't be releasing an eBook version, only a hands-on, page turning, real-deal physical copy.

I don't admit to being a raving King fan (though his writing is fantastic), but I bring this up because I think it's interesting that during this season of eBook frenzy, he's choosing to go hard copy only. Why? What does it mean?

Besides being a playful slap in the face to eBook venues, it will be a huge boost to brick and mortar stores. His choice is curious, though, because his last story release was eBook only and not in  paperback format.

Perhaps King likes variety. Perhaps his favorite first cousin once removed runs a bookstore down the block. Perhaps he's waxing nostalgic. Who knows?

The fact remains that he's a big enough name to do whatever he wants, and I suspect bookstores are ecstatic.

Back Cover Copy

Just like authors don't get to 'choose' their book cover art (they can offer suggestions and give opinions, but ultimately the decision is up to the publisher), neither does an author get the final say on the back cover copy. Here's how it works...

An author submits what they'd like printed on the back cover. It needs to be an attention grabbing summary of the story. Then the publisher plays around with it, sometimes making little tweaks, other times scrapping the whole thing and writing something new. And yes, it's the same for titles.

That being said, I've been very fortunate with my latest release. My title remains what I submitted, A HEART DECEIVED, though admittedly on my working story I'd called it Fallacy. And my back cover copy is pretty much word for word as I'd written. Ready for a sneak peek? Drum roll please...

BALANCING TRUTH

... AND LIES!

Miri Brayden teeters on a razor’s edge between placating and enraging her brother, whom she depends upon for support. Because if his anger is unleashed, so is his madness. Miri must keep his descent into lunacy a secret, or he’ll be committed to an asylum— and she’ll be sent to the poorhouse.

Ethan Goodwin has been on the run all of his life—from family, from the law ... from God. After a heart-changing encounter with the gritty Reverend John Newton, Ethan would like nothing more than to become a man of integrity—an impossible feat for an opium addict charged with murder.

When Ethan shows up on Miri’s doorstep, her balancing act falls to pieces. Both Ethan and Miri are caught in a web of lies and deceit— fallacies that land Ethan in prison and Miri in the asylum with her brother. Only the truth will set them free.

MICHELLE GRIEP has been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She resides in the frozen tundra of Minnesota, where she teaches history and writing classes for a local high school co-op.

There you have it...or at least you will on June 20th, when there will really be a par-tay here at Writer Off the Leash!

Causes of CWS (Cranky Writer Syndrome)

freedigitalphotos.net

Want to know what makes a writer crabby? Not having enough time to write. Oh, I hear you... "If you love something, you'll find time to do it." True, but sometimes love is tough, and so is finding the time to write, especially when there are 3 big roadblocks that are sometimes in the way:

Roadblock #1: Illness
Thankfully, God has blessed me so that I haven't had much personal experience with this one. I do, however, have a friend who's a writer that deals with a debilitating illness every day. Each word physically costs her. The desire to write is there, but the ability to get that story out is excruciating. All the ingredients are there for a very cranky writer, but she's not. Why?

God's grace.

Roadblock #2: Family
Young children. Elderly parents. Ailing spouses. Hear that giant sucking noise? Yep. These family members take a lot of time. I have yet to meet a writer who doesn't have family commitments, some more than others. Want to know who the crankiest writers of them all are? The ones who put their writing ahead of their family. But how to write and meet family needs?

God's grace.

Roadblock #3: Fear
Every writer gets caught up in busy seasons, when writing must be set aside for a time. It's getting back into it that throws this roadblock in the way. Getting back into the writing saddle is scary. What if you fall off? What if you don't move at all? I suspect you've picked up my pattern by now. The only way to overcome this hurdle is God's grace.

The bottom line is that if you don't plead for God's grace to rain down fresh every day, you will be cranky, writer or not. They key to avoiding CWS is to stay connected to the Author of Creativity.

Dive In...The Water's Great

If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.

~ Albert Einstein

And if you judge your writing compared to other great writers, you just might feel like that fish. Yes, there is much to be said for studying great writing and striving for that kind of achievement with your own prose... But there's a huge difference between that and sinking into the mire of I-suck-and-I'm-an-idiot-to-think-I-can-write depression.

There's only one you, and no one can write like you. God made you exactly the way you are for a purpose. You write the way you do because it's the way God wants you to write. Believing your writing is stupid is akin to looking God in the face and saying, "Hey, you made me wrong."

Do you really want to say that to the living God?

I didn't think so. So whip out that pen and let the words flow. Swim, little fishy. Swim.

Technical Difficulties in Vlogland

So here's the deal. I'm in the middle of Wisconsin and my internet is spotty at best. To view my vlog today, you'll have to click on this link:

Fun Friday Summer Reading

Sorry for the inconvenience, buddies!

Hig Pig

Looking for a writerly diversion that won't make you feel guilty for playing a game? Hig Pig will stretch your brain and vocabulary at the same time.

To play, all you do is solve a riddle with two 1-syllable words that rhyme. My first riddle was:

a robber of published compositions

Know what it is? I didn't at first. Too early in the morning and I hadn't had any coffee yet. So I clicked on the Hint button which said: try "ook" rhymes. That did it. Book Crook.

Give it a whirl next time you're a little cross-eyed from too much plotting.

The Poe Mystery

Once upon a midnight dreary,
while I pondered, weak and weary,
over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
while I nodded, nearly napping, 
suddenly there came a tapping,
as of someone gently rapping,
rapping at my chamber door. 

And that is the beginning of one of the greatest poems of all time. Can you name it? Do you know who wrote it?

The Raven was written by Edgar Allan Poe. Love his writing or hate it, either way his stories leave an imprint on the reader. He was a master of mystery with his pen...and with his death.

No one knows what exactly happened to him. On October 3, 1849, Poe was found in a Baltimore street. He was semi-conscious, but not enough to explain how he'd got there, and get this...He was dressed in clothes that weren't his.

That got me to thinking, what if a character showed up in clothes that weren't his own? What if that character were the hero? A bad boy hero who shows up in the clothes of an upstanding vicar? Ah yes, you got it, another shameless plug for A HEART DECEIVED, for indeed that is one of the scenes and you'll have to read it to find out what happens.

Now then, back to Poe. He was rushed to a hospital where he remained in a delirious state for four days before dying on October 7, 1849. He was only 40 years old. What happened?

No one knows. There are a few theories. He was known to be an alcoholic. Perhaps he simply drank himself to death. But that doesn't account for the odd clothes.

Which leads to the next theory...that he'd been the victim of "cooping". This is a kind of election fraud where gangs would drug a victim, dress them in different clothes, then haul them from polling site to polling site to vote for the candidate of their choice.

No one really knows for sure, though. Poe's death remains a mystery - just like his writing.