A Moment in the Sun

Here's a link to a post from my other blog. Enjoy.

http://rumblingheartseries.wordpress.com/2011/11/10/a-moment-in-the-sun/

Recorded Butterflies - Synopsis

Here is the synopsis I wrote up on Recorded Butterflies. It's not perfect, but when your book has this many big secrets, you really have to be selective with what you write and how you write it. I hope it sparks some interest. The link to the Facebook event is here. 

In this follow up to his first book Rumbling Heart, Richard Allen continues the story of John as he moves forward with his life after dealing with the demons of his past head on.

It is October 2012 and John Allen has just gotten back into Eureka, California after spending several months on the road. Looking forward to meeting back up with his best friend Emily, he realizes that she is purposely refusing his phone calls and text messages. He finds her sudden absence from his life disturbing and feels as if she is phasing him out of hers. While his ideas as to why she’s suddenly disappeared continue to swim around in his head, she quite suddenly is thrust back into his world, and he eventually finds out the reasons behind her withdrawal. As Emily finally opens up to him and lets him in on all that has happened, he finds the truth about her hard to swallow, but then takes a step back and realizes just how hard life must have been for her since he left her side.

All the while, John is still managing his relationship with his new found love interest shortly after getting back into town after his time on the road with her. After some very serious consideration, he finds himself contemplating something that he felt he would never do again in his life. Finally realizing just how strongly he feels for her, they explore the reasons why they would want to permanently tie their lives together, and the two of them begin a journey that promises to change their lives forever.

Life seems good, and John feels that there is no way it could be any sweeter. While helping Emily deal with a major issue that shakes her to her very core, he still feels that life, as a whole, is looking up and that nothing could possibly bring him down. Little does he knows that just a few short months later, his world would be throw into chaos by something so devastating that it would quite possibly send his life into a tailspin, and that he could soon see himself heading back into that downward spiral he found himself in just a few short years before.

Filled with secrets, intrigue, love, heartache, and moments so sweet they would make most men blush, Recorded Butterflies explores John and his dreams, and offers insight into his mind like never before. It will even ask you to take a different look at him and his friendship with the beautiful and confident Emily as he finds himself looking at her like he never has before. After a few significant twists and turns, you are treated to an ending so explosive, you may want to have your heart medication close by, and you will find yourself begging for the next installment in the series.

Amazon and Barnes and Noble

My latest release Rumbling Heart is currently available on both Amazon and barnesandnoble.com so be sure to check it out. Both sites offer free samples so you can essentially try it before you buy it.

Currently in progress is the follow up to RH which I have titled Recorded Butterflies and once a release date has been set I will let everyone know. This next work is moving along nicely and I hope to have the final draft ready for formatting by no later than the end of this month. It will be a shorter work so that time needed to prepare it will be significantly shorter.

Thank you for your continued support and I hope that my work is at the very least entertaining.

 

Synopsis - Rumbling Heart

Here is the synopsis I came up with for my book. This is what will appear on both the Amazon and Barns and Noble listing. As soon as the purchase links are available, I will post them. Some of you may already notice the updated links to the blog. While I am getting things set, the book is not yet available, but will be in the next day or so. Enjoy.

Rumbling Heart Synopsis

After escaping the clutches of his abusive ex-wife, John finds himself living a rather dreary and reclusive life in Eureka, California. By choice, he works at a menial job where he gets paid very little, and barely makes ends meet. One day he comes home after quitting his job during an altercation with his boss to find a strange note taped to his door, instructing him to check his email. Letting his curiosity get the best of him, he checks to find an email waiting for him from the international conglomerate known simply as The Company. The email offers him a chance to secure employment with one of the most employee friendly companies on earth so without delay, he replies to the email and provides The Company with all of his personal information. Within minutes, he is contacted by phone and an interview is setup. As he gets additional information about the company, he is told about all the benefits he will reap once he is employed. One such benefit is so bold and unique that is takes him completely by surprise and because of it, he is eventually introduced to an emotionally odd, yet adorably quirky woman named Anna who is also employed by The Company.

As their friendship progresses, John is forced to look inside himself and reexamine his life as he and Anna’s relationship begins to morph and change into something much more than he expected. Weary of getting close to anyone, John struggles with his past, but ultimately decides to try to open himself up to new things, but little does he know, his new companion is hiding something from him that will rock the foundation of their friendship and send him into a tailspin of emotion.

He also unexpectedly grows closer to the beautiful and intelligent Human Resources manager Emily, his first contact within the company, who appears to have only his best interests at heart. As he begins to trust the bold and confident Emily with more, he finds that she too may not be who she seems. Soon, John finds himself in a minefield of mystery and deceit and over time, he finds he must either deal with the gatekeepers of secrecy or devolve into lunacy as his past continues to haunt his thoughts and his life.

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Home, and My Company

I watch the breakers as they approach the shore,

Their frothy texture bubbling up

The distance exposes the horizon

My hand in his, and I feel home again.

 

Exceeding vistas caress my view

We go walking between the trees

The cherry blossoms, aiding my demeanor

Stroll along and smile, beside me, he breathes

 

The bustling rush and the crowded streets

Remind me of things I’ve grow tired of

While my work keeps me traveling, on the go

I long for serenity, a peaceful scene

 

Still I find myself missing this place

I’ve moved on to another

Quiet nights, and I watch him sleep

I touch his hand, and thank him for coming

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5th Day

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5^th Day

Cherry blossoms trickle down from the sky, and the grass is soft, lush, like a bed of down on a cool, spring day. I look skyward and speculate on the clouds before me, wondering what each one looks like. Trains and trollies, and teddy bears consume my being; the light, northern breeze kisses my exposed skin. My knees are pointed up and I feel as if I am being watched, in fact I know I am for I can see her out of the corner of my eye. She stares at me and wishes her wish of carefree days and endless nights, the pattern of bittersweet days having taken their toll. Her red hair sways out across her rosy lips as the wind plucks her lavish locks out from under her hand which attempts to hold their listless flight at bay. Her heart beats and rumbles, and her blue eyes glisten with sweet delight as she steps closer to me. Finally, I turn to her and our eyes meet, and startled shivers exert their force upon her shadowed visage. Her eyes show her grief and we both know I cannot stay here like this, relaxing in her silhouette for long. Four days and six hours have passed, and every waking moment we have spent together, and every moment in slumber she has been in my arms. I’ve read her mind, her thoughts melancholic, and I know her heart for she has told me of her incorrigible desire to keep me with her. We hold each other’s gaze as we listen to sounds of children at play, our unborn child still just a dream.

The breeze picks up and she sits down beside me to show me her cruel and lovely intentions. Her theft, of such brilliant and tireless devotion, was only the beginning of our unforeseen affinity, and the loss of such a strong defense was not bitter, but a welcome circumstance. Her company was not granted, but more a luxury, a state of which much due diligence had been paid. As I turn my eyes back toward the heavens, she joins me for the critical view, and I take a breath that precludes all fallacy of reason.

Damage

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Knowing when to stop talking is just as valuable as knowing when to talk about something. Some people do not understand this concept and continue talking to till the subject is so raw and bloody that they do not realize they have cause more harm than good. I am a strong proponent of "You cannot force someone to talk to you." In fact, I think i can safety take credit for coining that phrase.

Forcing someone to talk to you is  a lot like waterboarding; torture. If you constantly push someone and verbally accost them, they will eventually tell you anything and everything to get you to shut up and leave them alone. Sadly, this is a disservice to both parties. First, the accosted feels like a victim, and their credibility is now tarnished because they are essentially forced to lied to reclaim some sense of normalcy. Second, the person doing the accosting gets bad information, however it may be the information they wanted all along so it also leaves them with a false sense of justification which may lead them to believe that what they did was right. Well, it's not right.

There is a reason why most people believe that torture isn't worth the time and money. As previously stated, the chances of getting bad information are highly increased, and you also look like a jackass by forcing people to do what you want until they simply cannot take it anymore. Any information gathered through this process might as well be hearsay as the dependability is now always to be questioned. This also works against the accosted. Now, the torturer will become even more angry when they learn the information the accosted gave was false which leads them right back into the same method which gave them the bad information to begin with. After a time, more information will be gathered, most likely bad, and then they 2nd party will once again think they have succeed. It's a vicious cycle.

My Point?

Don't do it. It's like an accusing girlfriend prodding her boyfriend, and trying to get him to admit he is cheating when he isn't. He may begin to feel that if he is being accused of infidelity, he might as well go out and do it. I went through the same thing for years; being accused of this and that. After a period of time I didn't go out and cheat. I simply left and never looked back. If you want to drive someone away, by all means badger them with the same questions 5 or 6 different ways. You cannot make people talk to you so my advice is be more creative with your conversation. Be human. Think to yourself would you eventually freak out if someone kept poking you with a spoon for 7 years? Yes, it sounds funny, but eventually you will feel the urge to grab that spoon and gut them with it.

Bright Star

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Picked up a John Keats book. Unfortunately, they were out of his poetry books so I went with Bright Star. It includes letters that he sent to Fanny Brawne during their over 2 year love affair. For those of you unfamiliar with Keats, he unfortunately died of tuberculosis age the age of 25. Before he died, he gave Fanny a ring that belong to his mother and she ended up wearing it the rest of her life. She was 18 and he was 23 when they met and like a truly devoted person, she mourned him after he died for over 6 years. She did eventually marry at 33 years of age and had three children, but she never took off the ring. Ever.

His letters were meant for her eyes only, but they obviously still ended up being published 15 years after her death. While at the time, some of the letters were viewed as obscene, the feelings he exhibited via his writings still show truth and promise, and utter devotion even today. There was a movie made of their romance which has a lot of his writing in it as well.

Life is Sweet

Been staying up a bit later than normal. Trying to figure out why. Could also be that I am doing other things rather than writing. I wouldn't say it's a distraction, but it has drawn my attention from my routine which is not all bad. Maybe it's good that I am taking a step back from the book for a little bit so that I am not drowning in it, although I doubt I would.

I did manage to come up with a new idea. I had originally thought to retire the characters, seeing as how the ending could have been seen as a terrific and logical closure point. However, should the book take off, I have a feeling people will become attached to them and possibly want more. I am outlining the idea now and seeing where it takes me. The plot which I was thinking about for the last few days is pretty intense. The overall idea would have my main character stepping back into his past and exploring his decisions which ultimately led him to where he is today. It's a somewhat introspective look, taking aim at the butterfly affect and making people think about making one decision over another. As most of us have thought about at least a few times in our lives, the character thinks about how different his life would be had he chosen one seemingly simple path over another. It would be something as small as choosing to go out with friends one night or something as pivotal a taking one major opportunity over another. He is eventually given the choice to relive his past and with that, facing the prospects of a very different future.

Given the chance, would any of us make different choices in our lives? I feel overwhelmingly the answer would be yes. However, I think given ample time to take all things into consideration, most of us may back away from that choice and ultimately choose to stay where we are today. We all have regrets, some of us more than others and for fewer still, regrets so painful we'd do just about anything to go back and relive our lives. I have had parent's tell me that they'd want to go back and wait a few more years to have their kids or to have their children with a different person. Many don't realize if that change is made, it could have dramatic affects on other things currently in their lives, some positive and some negative. I was speaking on the phone to a friend of mine and i posed a question to her. She has children and I told her if she was faced with the painful choice of saving one child over another, what child would she choose and based on that decision, could she then live the rest of her life with that choice? As I am sure you are already thinking, it's a nearly impossible choice. To force a parent to choose one child over another is not only cruel, but for most, unfathomable. Sadly, there have been situations where a parent has been forced into making that choice. Obviously, this choice is usually made under an extreme amount of stress as saving the life of one person and damning that of another isn't something any of us would ever wish on anyone else.

In this idea, I am posing that question and forcing someone to make a similar choice. For some, this idea may damage the character while for others it will show a very human side to them. I think ultimately it will show that while reliving life and making different decisions may seem like the greatest thing in the world, it may not always be a viable answer. As a way of thinking about it, pose these various questions to yourself. Would you have chosen a different person to be with or marry? Would you have chosen one job over another? Would you have chosen to take that road trip out of town knowing that tragedy was waiting for you around the corner, while at the same time knowing that if you did change that decision, you would never have met the person who is now most dear to you in your life? Again, I volunteer that these questions are impossible to answer for most of us. It all leads back to that heart-retching question...would you choose that other child's life over the other if given that second chance? Would you choose to let someone else die if it meant saving the life of the other if you had a chance to relive that moment...

It's one hell of an idea. Thought provoking and almost unimaginable...but I am going to explore it.

 

Editing to Begin Monday

Planning on editing starting tomorrow. I have a proofer reading right now, but she is getting delays by other events in her life, so I will proceed with editing so that I can keep my schedule moving. She's already provided some good feedback on the first five chapters. While errors have been minimal, I do admit I may have missed them since I tend to skim over my own work rather than actually read it. I am trying to correct that so I can become more effective in self analysis. I know i need to strengthen some relationships in the story and also provide a better introduction into chapter 5.

If anyone is at all interested, I do have PDFs available. I am also looking to prepare a living document that while not editable, will accept the addition of notes and it will be based off of the Word 2010 format. To provide for ease of reading and editing, I originally wrote the book using double spacing. I prefer this method as it helps me separate certain parts of the book along with making the sentences not look as if they are running together.

In the coming weeks, I will try to setup photography time so that I can begin exploring various cover options and maybe even include a picture of myself on the "back" of the book. Right now I can only imagine that the book will be digital, but based on how well accepted it is at my college, I may try and make a connection with a traditional publishing house.

Lose You

I am considering writing an alternate ending to my book. I know, somethings shouldn't be redone or rewritten which is why I am still sticking to my original ending...but as with a lot of things in this world, sometimes you just have to wonder how different things would be if you would have ended up taking one road over another instead of your chosen path. Sometimes you can't help but think what more could you have done to change a particular outcome. This line of thinking is irrational, I agree...however as i previously mentioned, sometimes you can't help but wonder.

In this alternate ending, something remarkably dramatic will happen and it will change the way the book is perceived as a whole which is why it will probably be written, but never used. I can't imagine doing this in a book that's had as many ups and downs as this one has had. If i were to end the book in this alternate way, it would leave the reader with a sense of loss and despair so to use it would be ignoring the point of why I wrote the story to begin with. If this writing is successful, would I ever release the alternate ending? I'm not sure. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I don't want to sully the legacy of the characters and putting the alternate ending out there may raise questions. You may then be asking "why even write it if you have no intention of ever using it?" Again, as I said before, sometimes you just can't help but wonder what life would have been like had one simple decision been different. If you had chosen to not go to a gathering or if you had chosen not to go out with the person who is now your spouse or the co-parent of your children. One simple decision can change the course of your entire life. In extreme cases, it can literally mean the difference between someone living and dying. Will someone else die in my alternate ending? I guess I will just have to wait and see where my "pen" takes me.

Chapter 25

Was difficult at first, but I was able to end this chapter on a very funny note. In fact, if I wanted to, I could simply end the book here and just go back and fill in the plot holes. I mean the ending to this chapter is solid and entertaining, but I think one more (or maybe two more) unforeseen twists will need to happen to really make this thing remarkable. I already know what I want to write, it's just a matter of getting it down. I am going to write at least two more chapters and see how they turn out. If they end up being trash, no big deal. I don't think they will though as they will just add another level to the overall story which to me looks both heartfelt and enthralling.

The end is near and I must admit, I am getting a little teary eyed as I know this journey of story writing will soon end. As some other writers do, I've grown attached to these characters and I wish I could keep writing about them, but for the sake of their legacy, their story will definitely end here. I know that sounds a little harsh and who knows...maybe a few years from now these two characters will have experienced more and have something personal to say. If that day comes, maybe they will get a loving update. However, once published, I have no intention of changing the story.

Chapter 22

Doesn't get much faster than that. It was a shorter chapter, but I got the characters in the position I needed them to be in. Now comes the huge explanation from her and he will remain mostly silent as she tells the tale. I am most excited about this chapter as I get to fill virtually every plot hole with a single chapter. There are really only 2-3 questions that will not be answered in this chapter so it will be a good one.

Chapter 21

Wow. It's done. Revisions will of course be made, but I got it all out on paper. I changed my original idea and I think it was for the better. I am much happier with the way this newer idea turned out as when I explored the old one, it seemed a little too sappy and there is already enough raw emotion in this book that I felt the old idea was simply overkill. With its completion, I am ready to immediately get started on Chapter 22. This one has the two main characters spending a significant amount of time together after being apart for almost a month. She has a ton to explain to him and he is very much ready to hear it. 22 will have a ton of dialog mostly from the vast amount of explaining that she will give him. I already know how 22 will end as well so this one should go by relatively fast.

Chapter 17

Turned out a little longer than i first anticipated, but it was good. The ending of it was a little difficult for me for some reason and I may go back to revise that part. It answered a few more questions and put the ball back in the court of the protagonist after the big blow up from a few chapters before. It also got him thinking about what he needs or should do with the situation. He is quickly realizing he cannot just sit back and ignore it. It has to be addressed whether he likes it or not. A supporting character is helping him alone, but as with most matters of the heart, your friends can only push you so far, then it's up to you to figure out what's best. He is at that stage now and Chapter 17 will see him finally making a decision. I obviously know what decision he will make, but the way I want to write it is still up in the air. Either way, I know the hardest part of this book for me is coming up, probably in chapter 19 as I will have to get incredibly descriptive with how I paint a particular event. I hope I can pull this off. Frankly, I am a little worried. I have been writing all this time and the culmination of all my efforts sadly rests on one event which if not written just right can really make this work look like complete trash. Let me get my main character to the show first, then perhaps worry about how it's going to be played out.

Escape the Flames

It seems you can never really get away from an ex of yours. Although I have never told her about my blog, she managed to find it and decided to leave me a little nastigram, still trying to hold me down and make me feel worthless. While both comforted by the fact that some things will never change, it's also nice because every time she does this it simply reinforces my decision to leave her. I guess she never figured that I'd be able to find out who she is, but as usual, she underestimates me.

 

BTW, here is her IP address. Have at it. 70.123.145.110