Emily Martin and Last Night

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Ty all for the continued support. I've found that even now, I have a few people lingering around that would rather see me fail in my attempts to make something of myself. I also know there will always be people who hate me because I am able to do something they are not. I will not recognize their attempts at trying to derail my passion by mentioning them by name. All I will do is just keeping doing what I do. As the old internet saying goes, "haters gonna hate."

The development of my short story into a film is proof that persistence can pay off. I spoke with the director last night and we have come up with some very workable ideas and it looks like we can really make it happen. It may not be tomorrow or next week or even next month, but it will get made. It will be taken to various film festivals and hopefully, we will gain some recognition not only from our peers, but also from those who never stopped believing in us.

We may not become rich or famous, but we will change people's ideas about the subject matter that we cover. I think when all is said and done and our film is made, I can look back at all the hate that's come my way and laugh a little, knowing that all their harsh words did was strengthen my resolve.

Not everyone can write a poem or a short story or a full novel for that matter. It takes endless nights of tedious editing and corrections to get the story exactly the way you want it. Not everyone can pull that off. I've done it now for the third time. There will be at least one more. I find it funny that people who say my work is terrible have never even read it so...how could they possibly know? I can understand criticism if you'd read at least one of my works, but to say my material isn't any good when you've not even looked at it shows only a lack of self respect. I feel sorry for people like that because those same people who hate me are the ones that know deep down they could never do what I do. I'm not saying these things to show off my ego because I really don't have one. Just as I do not hate those who work in other professions and do their jobs well, I would hope that others would at least do me the courtesy of being decent, but that's people for you. People fear what they do not know and they hate others for no other reason than that they possess or have accomplished things they never could.

I may not end up with an Academy award or a Pulitzer in my hands, but I will still have my books. Even after I am gone, those will still be here. For generations to come, my words and stories will echo through time. What will you leave behind? What will be your legacy? Bitterness? Hate? Obviously, those are not very admirable traits. I know I'm not nearly a perfect person, but I do have things most yearn to have: passion, love, persistence, patience, and plenty of stories to tell.

You have a choice. You can either listen as I tell them or hate me as I move forward and write more. Heck, even ignoring me shows more than standing around and hating me. When you stand there and speak badly of me, it only goes to show that I've got your attention so I must be doing something right.

Maybe one day people filled with hate will be ready to move on and do something more with their lives. I don't have the greatest life and I do not claim to be famous or rich or even popular. I am just me. A writer's life isn't all that glamorous. I sit in a room in front of a screen, typing out endless ideas and making them into something that might touch people...and I am ok with that. If I choose to give my art away, that's my choice. After all, it's my talent and not yours.

Who knows really when all this writing will end. Ultimately, that's up to me. I've openly stated that I may not write another novel after the final RH installment. Maybe that's all I have to give. Maybe I've said what I needed to say. Only I can make that decision. Know this though, when I'm heading out the door, I want to leave my work with people who will protect it's artful quality and do something meaningful with it.

[caption id="attachment_1093" align="aligncenter" width="107" caption="Cover of Last Night"][/caption]

Last Night - The Movie

I've spoken to a director about some of my work and we are currently discussing taking one of my stories and turning it into a short feature film. While the talks have just gotten underway, it is still a very exciting idea that one of my works could be made into something more substantial that just a few words on a piece of paper. It's still very early, but we will continue our dialog as the weeks progress and hopefully, it will take us somewhere. Sometimes things like this can take a lot of time, but I am hoping we can get the ball rolling fairly quickly. With time, the two of us plan to sit down and rewrite the story into a workable script, something that can be converted into film while still getting the message across. Depending on the length of the script, we're not quite sure at this point just how long the short will be. I'm not a film director by any stretch of the imagination so I will leave those estimates up to them.

Still, the prospect that this could turn into something more is very exciting as I'd love to have one of my works expanded upon like this. While I was hoping that Rumbling Heart would be looked at, I have no problem starting small as Last Night is a much smaller, easier story to turn into a film as the production costs will be very light and workable. RH on the other hand would require possibly millions to produce.

We all have to start somewhere. I hope this pans out.

You can check out the short story for free over at Smashwords.com or by clicking here.

[caption id="attachment_1093" align="aligncenter" width="442" caption="Cover of Last Night"][/caption]

The Synopsis - Emily Martin

Emily Martin will be available Tuesday September 27th, 2011 @ Smashwords.com, Barnesandnoble.com, and Amazon.

Emily Martin Synopsis

Dreams like this must die.

After hearing some of the most shocking news of his life, John Allen is beside himself. Although his suspicions about his wife hiding something were supported, he never once thought she’d be hiding something as big as this from him.

In this installment, the third book in the Rumbling Heart series and follow up to Recorded Butterflies, the way in which our story is told shifts and looks to John’s best friend Emily as she tries her best to share her insights, telling the tale as it unfolded following the months after that fateful night in Los Angeles. As Emily escorts John through what will ultimately be the toughest time in his life, she too is forced to look within herself as she deals with the reappearance of a man she wished she’d never met. As the months go by and the day which she and John fear the most arrives, she finds her life slowly spiraling out of control all while taking on even more responsibility that she never imagined would be entrusted to her.

As she fights to maintain her poise through it all, she is constantly asked to endure more and more and before she knows it, she begins to feel as if she is carrying the world on her shoulders. Stress reaches its maximum and soon she is forced to watch her best friend’s mental state gradually devolve into deep denial all while his wife slowly slips further and further away.

As she recalls the various memories from that time, she thinks about John and about how much he’s changed her life and she soon reveals what many of us thought all along. She also thinks back to the times she spent with John’s wife Olivia, and it doesn’t take her long to come to the conclusion that she didn’t love her simply as a friend, but instead, more like a sister.

Filled with heartache, drama, surprises, laugh out loud moments, and ultimate loss, Emily Martin takes you on a journey of the world as seen through her eyes, telling the story of her best friend John and how he is forced to deal with one of the hardest situations a person could face. She also exposes you to her inner most thoughts as she explains her decent into madness due to the near constant torment from the man that took her dignity from her as he works his way back into her world. As time marches on, the subtle cracks in her character slowly begin to become evident, but that suddenly seems like a side story as you are treated to an ending so wrapped in lunacy, you may begin to question yourself. Could this be it? Could this really be the end? All dreams must come to an end, but in some cases, they die a long and painful death.

Many Thanks

I just want to take a moment to thank all of my Twitter and Facebook followers and fans. Because of your continued support, I have cracked the top 50 on Smashwords.com. Of all the authors up there, as of this moment I am currently #42 most popular / viewed which is a terrific achievement. Hopefully, we can keep it going. It would be amazing to crack not only the top 10, but maybe even become #1.

Be sure to tell all your friends about the free work I offer there which include copies of the original Rumbling Heart as well as Recorded Butterflies which is the 2nd book in the series. There is also a new short on Smashwords as well called On The Way Home which is written by one of the RH characters. Its sort of a tiny peek into what you might expect to see from the 4th and final installment in the RH series.

One additional work on there is a short called Last Night about a struggling writer and a conversation he shares with an ex athlete. While it may not seem like much in the first few pages, by the end, you will find yourself questioning not only the narrator, but also the decision that he makes regarding his friend. You will either nod your head or be completely shocked. At about 5600 words, it's a short read and it's free so be sure to give it a look.

Ty all again for the continued support and I hope to keep you all entertained.

UPDATE!

I've moved up in ranking, currently sitting pretty at #12. Top 10? Let's hope for it!

http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/richardallen

 

[caption id="attachment_1083" align="aligncenter" width="466" caption="On The Way Home cover"][/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recorded Butterflies is Now Free

I've dropped the price for Recorded Butterflies to free via Smashwords.com. Currently, Rumbling Heart is also free so you can download both books for absolutely no cost to you. Head on over and check it out while you can. You can download it as a PDF or you can DL a file that will work with your Kindle, Nook, and several other popular eReaders. Thank you all again for your continued support of my work and I look forward to feedback. Be sure to follow me on Twitter @RichardAllenRH

"Emily Martin" Release Date Set

On Tuesday, September 27th, Emily Martin will be available for purchase from BN.com, Amazon, and Smashwords.com. A Facebook event has been created which is located here. Thank you all for the continued support as I look forward to getting more feedback on this next installment of the Rumbling Heart series. With just one more to go, this book will bring several things into perspective and get you all set for the final book.

 

Emily Martin switches gears a little and tells the story from the perspective of John Allen's best friend, Emily. With just one last installment to go after EM, this book gives readers an inside look into Emily's mind as she reveals what she really thinks about John, Olivia, and even the meddlesome Donna as she journeys with him through one of the most difficult times in his life. While giving her two cents on virtually every detail of John's life, Emily is also dealing with her own problems as someone from her past comes back into her life, looking only to cause major issues for her. Being the woman that she is, she finds a way to cope, albeit a questionable one, and soon that decision sees her walking down a path she never thought possible.

Full with intrigue, heartache, loss, and at times, laugh out loud humor, Emily Martin will take you by the hand and show you a side of her you never knew existed, and when the final two chapters are upon you, you will see something so unexpected, you will find yourself begging for the final book as you will not be able to wait to see how it all ends.

4th and Final "Rumbling Heart" Book Underway

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="What will the next book be named?"][/caption]

17k words into the final book all while I still have Emily Martin in editing. The final book in the series is already turning out to be much more than I'd first anticipated. Within the first chapter, the characters have already gone through something completely different than any of the other books. Several lines will be crossed and already they've done that. Expect much more craziness from this book as all the madness will come to a climax and I promise an ending that will both satisfy, shock, and make your heart beat a little faster.

As I've stated in previous posts, I have held back EM as I wanted to be sure that I was able to get in all the information I wanted to and so that both books will tied together nicely. That being said, EM should still be out hopefully no later than early to mid October, maybe sooner depending on how much more I feel I need to do with it. EM was last sitting at about 170k words. I expect the 4th and final book to be slightly larger; perhaps 185k. As with EM, the final book will have different perspective and views, but in the end, it will ultimately go back to John, the original narrator. He started it so he should be the one to finish it, but not before a couple of others have their say. I am breaking the book down into 4 parts and as it stands, I'm not too sure as to which part will be the largest. Probably the 4th and final part, but who knows. Often times I find while writing I tend to go off into a different direction and toss in a few smaller, subplots before getting back and delivering the main point. Any extras will only further develop the characters as I don't really like to toss in too much unneeded fluff.

The overall diction will remain middle to high as far as narration with the occasional lowering for certain plot elements. I've toyed with the differences between narrators, but with just a few adjustments for characteristic play, I doubt much of it will change.

I look forward to getting more feedback from all my readers and as always, thank you all so much for your continued support.

Final Installment of "Rumbling Heart" Series

With Emily Martin almost complete, I've decided to already begin work on the final book in the series. I already settled on a title, but I am still keeping it under wraps. The main reason I am already starting on the final book is that as with all final works, I want to make sure I tied up all the loose ends and give satisfactory endings to all the story lines. Now, keep in mind, by satisfactory I do not mean "happy." All I am inferring there is that there will be wrap ups and questions that have been sitting out there from all the way back in the original Rumbling Heart will be answered. Is it possible that some of the story lines have happy endings? Of course, but people will view them in very different ways.

One thing I've definitely done different than many of my fellow American writers is break from the norm of giving a "Disney-Like" ending to my work. Do things get worked out? Yes, they do, but not all endings are hearts and flowers  as readers of my works know. I try to keep my story lines and endings very close to the chest and very much situated in real life. Sure, sometimes it's nice for things to work out perfectly, but as with real life, not everything is perfect. All I can promise is that all the questions I've been asked about my work as far as the overall plot will be answered. Along with the answers to those story lines will also be a few curve balls that no one could have seen coming. I want the story to mesh really well and I don't want there to be any holes so for that reason, I have already managed to write about 10k words of the final book.

I am also holding off on releasing EM. I was looking at a release as soon as mid September as most of you know I like to get things done and published so my readers can get their fill. I want to enrich the overall experience for those dedicated readers that went through each and every book. I want to make sure all questions are answered and when my readers on on the last pages of the last book, they will find themselves thinking back to other parts of my previous works and either smiling, crying, or perhaps both. I already know how it's going to end. I've known for several months now. While a few things have changed with the overall plot, the ending is still the same as it was when I dreamed of it.

That being said, please forgive me for holding onto Emily Martin a little longer than I thought I would. Please believe in me. I will try my hardest to delivery two of the best works of my life for you.

When Should Books Have Warning Labels?

As many of you know, I am putting the finishing touches on my latest work Emily Martin which is the third installment in the Rumbling Heart series of books. As the books have been released, I've found myself straying a little away from the original idea of the books which is something I am actually fine with as it only enriches the overall story line; therefore, the reader gets more out of it. In the writing of the last three books, I have come across situations and circumstances that have had me questioning which audience my books are intended for. When I first got started, I figured that since I was going for the Drama genre that most of the people who read my work would be adult females. I am perfectly fine with that. However, I've noticed that a handful of the people reading my work are a little younger than I had anticipated, but not terribly young as I tend to use middle diction with my work that maybe occasionally rail on high. It's very rare that I fall to low diction, although there are small amounts of it here and there, usually when the character calls for it.

Still, diction is hardly the reason why I am thinking of perhaps adding what some see as a death stroke to my work at the very beginning of the book. As with some music available today, there are certain works, topics specifically, that are considered much more adult and therefore shouldn't really be viewed or listened to by younger people unless given to them by their parents. I am speaking specifically about maturity level. I have seen some 15 year old's that act quite mature and therefore, I feel, can handle certain topics in the best way possible. On the flip side, I've met 32 year old's that cannot handle talking about something as adult as marital infidelity without making fun of others so I'm not really talking about age restrictions.

I'm sure you all have seen television shows that sometimes offer a message at the very beginning that say something to the effect of "This show is intended for mature audiences. Viewer discretion advised." I never really thought of my work as adult in nature by any means. My work doesn't contain massive amounts of sex and violence, although those topics are touched on here and there. I also, from time to time, touch on other politically motivated topics such as abortion, race, end of life care, and equality of the sexes. The most brought up issue I've seen when it comes to young people reading books is usually the use of four letter words. Again, my work isn't laced with f-bombs, although, from time to time, a character may utter certain words or phrases, but normally only when they are expressing a strong emotion. Out of anger or great despair, we've all uttered f-bombs and used other works that wouldn't make it on prime time television. My question is if a book contains any of those supposedly objectionable topics or words, should that book have some sort of warning label attached to it?

I've read every type of genre from horror to suspense to drama and even erotica. I tend to keep my mind open as you never know when you may stumble across a great work. I already see those sorts of prejudices with regard to certain works out there simply because of their genres. In fact, I've been conversing back and forth with a particularly "Trashy Writer" that writes erotic fiction. Does that mean that their work should be labeled as unfit for certain audiences? When compared to hers, my work is relatively tame when it comes to sex. Still, to say that my work is "better" because of the topics I discuss or the way the material is laid out seems rather unfair. To be completely fair, one of my books contains a scene where two people, different minorities (one Spanish and one Asian) that discuss race and how they each view it in the United States. As a means of understanding each other's opinion, they used racial slurs such as "Jap," "Spic," and "Wetback" all while trying to understand the topic more and not simply to offend anyone. It can be argued that since they are using those words for educational purposes, they would get a pass. I can offer even more.

In my latest book, I developed a character who uses racial slurs specifically to offend and belittle people. While the character is obviously designed to be hated, should the book be labeled as "Mature" simply because of the way the heel character is portrayed and the language he uses? Further still, the narrator occasionally tosses out F-bombs because that is part of who she is. While she may not use those words in a business setting, she isn't afraid to use them while with her friends. Does that make her any more right that the racist character?

What do you think? Labels? Exceptions? What's right?

 

Emily Martin - Cover Art

I think I am sticking with this cover I've come up with below. It's simple like the others, but with a sutble difference. Obviously, there is a reason for that which I am sure the readers of the previous works will understand. I may go bigger for the next and final installment of the series, but I am not jumping in on that cover yet.

Rumbling Heart - Garnering Attention

It's nice to see the 5 star reviews. I truly appreciate them. Seems like all that time that RH has been free on Smashwords.com is starting to pay off. I just got a new 5 star review for the book on that site which is terrific. I am glad that the book is entertaining and that people seem to like it. If you would like to secure your free copy, head on over to Smashwords and check it out.

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/81600

Emily Martin will be out sooner than later so be sure to check out Rumbling Heart for free and it's follow up Recorded Butterflies for $.99 @ Smashwords, Amazon, and BN.com.



Also make sure to let Amazon low about the lower price so they can offer it for free as well. Once free on Amazon, it will almost instantly increase the exposure of the work 100 times over. The link for RH on Amazon is here. I appreciate the support and look forward to more reviews.

Emily Martin - 2nd Draft Done

Got through the 2nd draft really quickly. Was happy to see that I only had to cut a few sentences here and there and of course fix grammatical errors. I added a couple of small story parts, but that was expected. Maybe 2 things about the overall story don't flow well so I am working on those, hoping to get them done ASAP. I've actually already gotten about 4k words into the work that is expected to come after EM which will be my last, at least in the foreseeable future. At this point, I just want to get this series done because it was all I ever really planned to write anyway. A few short stories aside, I don't really plan to write anything else, but of course; things can change. With my impending move back to Austin, I will be tied up taking care of those things and trying to get a good start back there. All I want is to have a job where I won't eventually kill myself and that pays me well enough to where all my bills are paid. I want my own place where I can just rest and not have to worry about roommates or anything of that sort. I will continue to push the books, but I also have to accept that they aren't very good. They were mostly just something I felt I wanted to do before I died so at least when it's all over, I can say I left something behind.

All that being said, I am going to get back to work on EM so I can get it finished up and ready for publication.