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“Hot fun in the summertime!” That’s the title of an old rock classic originally done by Sly & The Family Stone. My favorite version was by Daryl Hall & John Oates, captured at a July 4th celebration back in 1985. While I usually put my musical selections at the end of the newsletter, this one’s just too good to pass up. Here’s the link. https://youtu.be/xBh1FjOq_9w
Summer has been very busy for me, with multiple events and
more than a few writing related surprises cropping up. No sense dragging it out. Let’s get things started!
Writing
One of the benefits of having my books published was
something I discovered long ago. That’s attending events, where you can meet
potential readers and book lovers. In the past I would schedule a few of these
during the summer. The best ones are usually tied in with some type of
festival, where a larger crowd of people would gather. Often these are outdoor
venues.
Due to the pandemic, it’s been a couple of years since I was
ready to participate in these. So far this summer, I’ve been in four in
different cities across the state. I
have two more lined up and may be able to squeeze in a couple more if the
timing is right.
These are also a great opportunity to reconnect with my
fellow authors and make the acquaintance of some new faces. In some respects, it’s like being on stage
and performing for 6 or 8 hours at a time. I greet people as they pass by and
draw them to my booth with a little patter. Sometimes you make a sale.
Sometimes they smile sweetly and walk away.
And sometimes, you get quite a surprise.
Earlier this month I was set up at the Art in the Park Festival in beautiful Holland, MI. The morning kicked off well with a few sales, and then a lovely lady named Faye stopped by.
“Tell me about this one,” she said, pointing to Why 319?
I gave her the rundown on the story. She nodded, gave me a
little smile and pointed to Your Turn to Die.
Again, I gave her a quick premise of the book. Another smile. She
motioned toward The Wayward Path. I gave her the pitch about the new release.
Then Faye looked at the other side of my table, where the
four Jamie Richmond books were on display. “You wrote all of these?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
That’s when the surprise hit.
“I’ll take them all,” Faye said, digging out her credit card.
I was momentarily stunned. “All seven?”
“Yes,” she said, waving her card at me. “As long as you’re
going to autograph them.”
“Deal!”
My friend David Kobb, an author of scary tales for kids, was
sharing my booth. He overheard this exchange and let out a whoop in support.
That was the first time anyone has ever bought all seven
books at one time. It helped make it a memorable day. I actually sold out of
copies of Why 319! I’m already signing up for next summer’s events.
Work in Progress
The scenes for “Chasing Favors”, the fourth Jamie Richmond
novel keep coming. It has been a little challenging to find the time to write,
but I’m determined to make it happen.
There are a couple of subplots that are developing nicely, which tie
into Jamie’s to maintain a busy life. Maybe Jamie is a juggler, able to keep
all these things in the air simultaneously.
Something new will be happening later
this month. The Portage District Library
has started a series of Michigan Author Talks.
I’ve been invited to be in the spotlight on August 23, reading excerpts
from “The Wayward Path”. I’ll also discuss
how the series came about and the various details that went into the book. I
may even have a chance to read an excerpt from “Chasing Favors” too.
Character Interview
Last month it was my pleasure to feature author Casie Aufenthie. In addition to learning more
about Casie, we got a glimpse into her latest book “The Symbiosis”, the sequel
to her first book “The Drift”.
So to put a little variety in the newsletter, I thought it
was appropriate to follow up with an interview about two of her lead
characters.
Tell us a little about
yourselves:
My name is Samara Zidan. I am
one of the Elite of the physically evolved Corporis. I grew up in Southeast
Sector but after getting pulled into the Evolutionary War, I was assigned as
the personal assassin of Lord Wyatt Faraday in Central Sector. During the war,
I was trained by the most skilled of my species, using my advanced physiology
to master multiple combat styles and become a top pilot and tracker. Because of
those skills, my master ordered me to find and bring back a traitor working for
the Resistance, Tristan. As it turns out, I fell for him, and when he was lost
to the Council, I vowed to do anything to save him.
My name is Tristan
Faraday, and I was born and raised in Central Sector. My older brother is one
of the rulers of the world, Lord Wyatt Faraday. He trained me from youth to be
a diplomat and leader and taught me how to master my mental abilities to become
one of the most powerful psychics on the planet. I recently joined the Council,
and I will fulfill my obligations, but … I hate my life. Perhaps that’s why I
constantly dream of a mysterious Corporis …
What are your greatest
strengths? And your greatest weaknesses.
Samara: My resilience. I wear loss like a second
skin, but I shall never surrender.
Tristan: My intelligence. I pride myself on
being a dozen steps ahead of anyone, being able to puzzle my way out of any
potential trap.
Are you the type of people
who always seeks out the company of others?
Samara: I’m perfectly fine on my own, long used to
it. There are very few whose company I’d want at all.
Tristan: I’m too busy to be social.
Which do you prefer,
music or television?
Samara: I saw a movie once. It was an
incredible experience. I assume television would be similar, so I would choose
that.
Tristan: Music is very special to me. My mother
and I used to play piano together before she passed.
What has been the most
romantic thing you’ve ever done or instigated?
Samara: I’m not the most romantic person.
Tristan appreciated when I took care of him when he was sick, though. I made
him soup and tea and let him sleep on my shoulder.
Tristan: I planned a surprise movie date at a
drive-in. Movies don’t exist in our world, so when we were in another reality
that had them, I had to take advantage of it.
Tell us about your family
background
Samara: My parents were murdered when I was
fourteen, and I have no siblings. I have started viewing Tristan’s best friend,
Kip, like an obnoxious little brother, though.
Tristan: My mother passed from an illness when
I was thirteen, and my father abandoned us when I was five. The one family I’ve
always been able to count on is my big brother, Wyatt.
The Symbiosis is available
on Amazon:
Twitter: @casieaufenthie
Instagram:
@authorcasieaufenthie
TickTock: @casieaufenthie
Music
Recently I’ve been dialing in to a
lot of rock music to make the miles go by as I cruise the state between
venues. Some of the classic hits from
Lynyrd Skynyrd frequently top the play list.
This southern band consistently
mixed rock with blues. Rolling Stone
magazine named them one of the top 100 greatest artists of all time. In 2006 they were inducted into the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame.
Here are my top five favorites.
Call Me the Breeze: https://youtu.be/mBEhThf8BDA
I Know a Little: https://youtu.be/qKKt6h7nK08
Gimme 3 Steps: https://youtu.be/CJZrXhMBG1E
Sweet Home Alabama: https://youtu.be/ye5BuYf8q4o
What’s Your Name: https://youtu.be/0RGsNY-P4oM
