Category Archives: novel

July 6, 2010

And Now for Something Completely Different…

By Avery

I’m not the best salesperson.  Back when I worked at a kiosk in the mall (cut me some slack; I was nineteen), I sold “Diamond Dirt.”  It was this gelatinous goo that one could put plants in and they would “grow” just like normal plants.  Seeing the mangy, sad sticks poking out of the suffocating pink and green glop, I did not believe in this product, and could not get behind it.  Whenever any potential client asked me questions like, “Is it better than dirt?”  my reply was a quick, “Probably not.”  I quit the sales business in rapid order.

Having said that, I will, on occasion, pitch something to people whenever I truly believe in it.  Dyson vacuums would be one of them.  Apple computers would be another.  Fluevog shoes, a third.  And now, author Charles Gramlich joins the ranks.  Charles is a talented writer whose diverse range of work always proves a good read.  His ebook, Killing Trail debuted today on Kindle for Amazon.  From the author’s blogger page:


RIDE INTO DANGER!

Killing Trail is a collection of western short stories by Charles Allen Gramlich, the author of the Talera Trilogy and Cold in the Light. It contains:


Killing Trail: When they dumped Angela Cody on Lane Holland’s ranch she was scant moments from death. She managed to speak only a few words, but those were enough to make Lane strap on his guns and ride out on a killing trail.

Showdown at Wild Briar: Accused of a murder he didn’t commit, Josh Allen Boone has ridden a long way from his Wild Briar Ranch. But now he’s coming home, and the real killers are waiting for him with a rope. (Never before published.)

Powder Burn: They said Davy Bonner’s luck had run out and they ambushed him along a dark road. But luck or no, Davy wasn’t going down without a fight. (Written specifically for this collection.)

Once Upon a Time with the Dead: For the gray raiders, death was an old friend.

The work also includes two nonfiction essays, one about Louis L’Amour and another about the real Wild West.
 
As I said before, Charles is a great writer.  And, by selling his ebook for just $2.99, he’s also quite the bargain master.  That grocery-store-coleslaw-tub-of-useless-glop I had to sell back in 1992 wasn’t even that cheap!

Go download a copy (and get yourself a Dyson, while you’re at it).

8 Comments | posted in blogger, charles Gramlich, ebooks, FICTION, Killing Trail, kindle, novel, western

April 6, 2009

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Reviews

By Avery

I finally got my reviews from the two Amazon expert reviewers which came along with my advancing to stage two of the ABNA. First off, many thanks to those two individuals. I know it must have been difficult plowing through all those excerpts and writing reviews on each. I appreciate your dedication to this award and even more so your feeback on my work.

As far as the reviews themselves go, I’m fairly happy with them. No one said I should find another job or walk away from the keyboard, and I’m fairly certain neither of them clawed out their eyes after reading my excerpt. I already know–gods do I know–I’m a dense writer. I don’t think I can change that without changing everything about myself and my style. Plus, I’m of the opinion–stop me if I’m wrong–the issue of density is on a sliding scale when it comes to fantasy and sci-fi. I also was aware I was entering a mainstream contest with a borderline horror story, and that many people would be uncomfortable with some of the content of my novel. Not a big deal. I’m not mainstream about my life and my work reflects that.

Having said that, I am taking into consideration that I might want to move my prologue a bit deeper into the story, but I’m still not sure. Is is fairer to tell people up front that some nasty things go on in my book, or should I just let them get sucked into the relative safety of Resonance and Quinn’s story, then sock them with the really dark stuff once they’re trapped? I don’t know. I suppose if it’s a point of selling the book versus shelving it, I’ll have to be sneaky about the cringe factor.

Anyway, I’m posting my feeback below, if anyone wants to see what the reviewers of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award had to say about Resonance :

ABNA Expert Reviewer
Intriguing but dense

Resonance is the unusual name of an unusual girl. She is the tattooed, blue-haired twenty-something who is forced to register at the local college by her mother as the condition of Resonance continuing to live at home. This is the normal part of this excerpt. Before you arrive at Resonance’s story, however, you learn about a murderer named Arhreton who is busy tattooing a woman named Not, apparently for the last time after twenty years of brutality. Another character is Quinn, who works at a funeral home and is a key player in a lot of magical goings-on.

The plot is intriguing, with lots of interesting action. The supernatural elements were a little hard to follow, though, because of the dense writing style. I had to re-read many passages just to understand what was happening.

It’s a skilled effort by the author, but the story needs a little clarity and simplicity.

ABNA Expert Reviewer

This fantasy novel opened with a blood sacrifice which was a definite turn-off in my opinion. Despite my distaste for the plot as it developed, the excerpt was well-written and certainly stood out from the crowd of other entries in the competition.

I did find myself more interested in the story once Resonance and Quinn met one another- here again the strong writing overcame my reservations about the plot itself. I do believe this might work out into an interesting book, but am concerned that other readers will share my dislike of the opening. Perhaps reworking that element into the narrative at a later point would make this work more appealing to a wider audience.

For better or worse, there they are. Like I said, I’m still pretty happy with how this all turned out. And again, my thanks to those two reviewers for their honest input.

16 Comments | posted in ABNA, amazon breakthrough novel award, excerpt, novel, review

May 5, 2008

Slugs and Waiting Rooms

By Avery


Last night while trip-trapping around my back yard with a flashlight, picking slugs off of my baby herbs (I have a monstrous infestation going on), I came up with an idea for another novel. It started with the most ridiculous, most attention-grabbing opening line I could possibly think of. It was the perfect sentence, an awesome pitch that would amuse some, offend others, and definitely make a reader want to know where this sentence would lead them. I thought, “If only I can carry it through. Can I make an entire novel out of a sentence that was no more than a fleeting thought in my slug-numbed brain?” Turns out, I may be able to do just that.

Me and Agatha (the broke-ass Explorer) were back at the Ford dealership today. While Aggie was having her oil changed, her A.C. charged and her cruise control fixed, I sat at the little cubby desk in the waiting room and scribbled in my mostly full Five Star notebook. I’m not sure how long I was there. Maybe an hour. Maybe longer. I couldn’t tell you; I was that absorbed in the work. By the time Agatha was finished, I had most of a plot outlined, as well as more details and backstory crafted for the novel I’m currently working on.

You know, I think I may have to have to lease that desk. Before today’s flood of inspiration that same waiting room provided the backdrop for the detailing of Resonance‘s sequel. I guess when faced with the choice of either watching Regis and Kelly yap away like accessory dogs or get some real work done, I have no choice but to do the latter. Whatever the reason, I’m really prolific when I’m there.

What do you think? Should I show up every day with a briefcase and get to work and see if anyone stops me? Or, should I go the legitimate route and present them with a proposal package? Maybe they’ll trade the desk space for straightening the magazines, or something.

So, along with my current work-in-progress and the YA novel I’ve been considering, I have another contemporary/urban fantasy on my hands. Not too shabby. Looks like I took everyone’s excellent advice and moved on–at hyper speed. I guess I’m just going to have to kick it Stephen King style and write three books at once.

10 Comments | posted in dealership, novel, plotting, slugs

February 12, 2008

Free. My Favorite Word.

By Avery


Others have probably posted on this, but, I figured it’s such a good deal that it was worth repeating.

Our fantasy-friendly buds over at Tor are offering free downloadable SF/Fantasy books every week. Just fill out the little form I’ve so obligingly provided, register, and you’ll be sent a newsletter and a link to download the forever-yours file (yep, you get to keep ’em). First off is Mistborn by new author Brandon Sanderson, followed by Old Man’s War by John Scalzi. New authors and books will come every week!

Also, a more widely (at least from what I’ve seen) advertised deal from Harper Collins, where readers can read entire novels on their site for free. No playing Finders Keepers, here, though. Readers may only devour the pages on Harper Collins’ site, with no downloading or printing abilities. Still, The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho is up at present, and, from the bits I’ve read, the format limitations are worth the eyestrain.

Neil Gaiman will be pitching his hat into Harper’s new digital format ring, as well. If that’s not enough to send you into a twitchy-fit of joy, then listen up: he’s allowing his readers to choose the book they want posted. Readers can go to his website and vote for the novel they’d like to see posted.

It’s a smorgasbord of literature.

And it’s all gratis for our sticky little fingers.

Whee!

6 Comments | posted in Coelho, download, free, Gaiman, Harper Collins, novel, Sanderson, Scalzi, Tor

November 14, 2007

Rebound

By Avery

After much head-banging, cursing, pacing and even one minor hissy fit, I managed to rewrite my query letter. Thanks to the patient and visionary Architect, it turned out pretty damn gripping. Where I could only see the re-arranging of words, the Architect saw a grander picture, and helped me develop the best query I’m capable of producing–thereby securing every dedication page in every book I ever write.

It’s funny how I wrote the damn thing, yet couldn’t for my life give it the summary it deserved. As usual–and true to my obsessive nature–I kept focusing on the minutiae, the tiny parts I felt terribly crucial to the summary. It took someone who designs individual spaces, yet understands their effects on the whole to tell me I was going about it the wrong way. And I was. Once I looked at the whole, the minutiae I was so concerned with somehow tied in, giving a broad, but still intimate, snapshot of the novel.

As for the novel itself, I ended up revamping the first three chapters. Nothing major, just a few tweaks I felt needed to be made. In all, I think it’s a stronger opening for it, and hopefully engaging enough that I’ll at least get some requests for partials.

This afternoon will see another round of submissions, and, while I may not be as rosy-cheeked and doe-eyed about the outcome as I was just a month ago, I’m determined to see it through one way or another. It’s either that, or give in and find a day job–and that’s just not happening.

6 Comments | posted in agents, novel, query, revision

October 19, 2007

Firsts

By Avery


Everyone remembers the first time they had sex. My first time was awkward, embarrassing, and brutal to my ego. Still, I remember it clearly–and with some fondness–because it was my first. There’ll never be another of those.

True to Charles’ prediction about the silence bubble bursting, I received my first rejection letter yesterday, less than a week after sending out the query. And, to again echo that First Time, the event was graceless, shaming–and mercifully brief.

The sword drove in so fast I didn’t really see it coming. Nevertheless, the cut was quick and true. Being run through is never pleasant, but, as it was done with a polite explanation and a sincere apology, I’d have to say it was a fairly bearable sensation given its nature–sort of like being skewered by a velvet-clad blade instead of plain, cold steel.

Despite the disappointment, I feel the need to enjoy this moment. I’ve passed many milestones in the past year: finishing my novel, writing a synopsis (no mean feat for me), and then relinquishing the privacy of my work for the judgment of the professional world. Those markers now stand behind me, granite obelisks charting the distance I’ve trod on the road to becoming an author. And now I have one more monument to add to my collection.

For good or bad, the emotions evoked by all subsequent rejections will never compare to this one, the one that started it all. Like that initiatory romp in the sack, there can be no other firsts. Many may–ahem–arrive after, but none will ever be its match.

11 Comments | posted in agents, novel, query, rejection

January 18, 2007

Being Not

By Avery


I thought I was done writing Not chapters. But, during my editing today, I decided she needed one last hurrah. I haven’t really talked about her, or any of my characters, really (aside from Resonance’s/Spider’s blog on MySpace). She’s a prisoner of a dark magickian named Arhreton who has used her since infancy to complete monthly rituals that will bring him the power of the legendary warrior, the Middu. He tortures and torments her not only for his magickal gain, but also because the Middu is everything, and she is — Not.

Not can’t speak, has no capacity for real human interaction and is a victim in every sense of the word. Her only saving grace is the ability to bi-locate — to transport her consciousness to another body in ancient Sumer, where Eight gods once ruled over humans. The interactions between the warring deities are viewed through her skewed perspective.

Despite the disturbing research I had to do on feral children (the photo above is of Victor, the wild boy of Aveyron), and the horrific conditions of her upbringing, she surprised me by being a fun character to write. With my other characters — even Resonance (sorry, Res) — I’m easily distracted. I get irritated because the words don’t readily flow like they do with her. I wander to the refrigerator, which is perilously close to my desk. I wander back and peck out a few more words. But with Not, I get lost. She’s tragic, funny, and sometimes fairly evil. Her thought processes waver between insightful and hopelessly jumbled. I always have to be on my toes when she’s around, because she’ll take me off on some wayward journey and once it starts, all I can do is go along, just to see where she leads me.

Not was never intended to be a point-of-view character. I thought I had enough going on with three POV’s. Then I realized if I wanted to explain the gods’ back-story without the main characters having to read about them from dusty texts, I’d have to have someone experiencing their past along with them. So Not became a major player and the story of the gods was sprinkled throughout the book with more lively (if somewhat muddled) interpretation of events provided by her.

The majority of the book had been written when I made this executive decision. I worried that it was the wrong choice, that I’d be spoiling an otherwise good book. Luckily for me it turned out not (small pun intended) to be the case. I feel she’s given this story a depth it previously lacked, and I hope that readers can, if not actually like her, find her interesting. If it isn’t too pretentious to say — I do.

8 Comments | posted in character, fantasy, magic, magick, novel, point-of-view

January 16, 2007

Your Only Friend, The End.

By Avery


What makes a good ending? What makes a great ending? What is that one thing that takes a breathless reader through those last twenty pages before he puts the book down with a sigh, feeling like the journey was well worth it? What are the keys to forging a solid, leave-em-happy ending? Or, more specifically, what are the issues that make the actuality of that ending a pipe dream? I think I’ve come up with a few:

1) Predictability. No one wants to finish a book when its apparent by mid-point exactly where events are leading.

2) Impossibility. There can’t be some Deus ex Machina ending where the hero not only produces a hat out of thin air, but also waves it with a flourish and yanks out one, two, three little bunnies. The feeling of betrayal or of being had is not a good one with which to leave the readers.

3) Unsatisfactory. Here’s where the waters gray. Some may say a book is unsatisfactory unless everyone lives happily ever after. I think a book is unsatisfactory if everyone lives. Stephen King obviously thinks a story is unsatisfactory unless there’s nary a person left standing (or, if there is, that person is covered in blood, missing a limb or two, and is mentally scarred forevermore). In this arena, research has to be a key element — truly knowing one’s audience and understanding what they feel to be a fitting conclusion.

4) The bane of my new writing existence (and probably the most culpable of the offenders out there) — Flatness. There’s nothing really wrong with an ending of this type; it builds to a climax, resolves the conflict and then ties up all the loose ends. It’s technically on the mark, but somehow doesn’t deliver the grand finale readers crave. There’s no gritting of teeth or twitching of anxious fingers as eyes sweep the last few paragraphs of the page in the hurry to get to the next. There’s no racing of minds to figure out just how all will be resolved. The book simply ends. What remains is a feeling of lacking, that we’ve been cheated of that ending — The ending.

Unfortunately, I could probably list more books that fall under the one of the above categories than those that don’t. Which brings me to the five hundred dollar question, Alex — What makes me any different? Is it the fact that I’ve already mapped the pitfalls? Or that I’m overly conscious of the issues that could send me into a downward spiral of blandness? I’m not so sure. Despite my awareness, I could very well find myself in the exact same position. In fact, I have. The whole reason for rewriting the final chapters of Resonance is because the first ending just… Ended. Even with my plot twist, there was little need to break out the pins and needles.

I’d like to hear from you seasoned writers out there; you who have tread the uncomfortable path of “wrapping up.” How have you managed your endings? And, did they ever shine as brightly as your mind pictured them? And, for the newbies like me, how are you managing? Is the resolution as torturous for you as it has become for me? Let me know. I’m curious to find out.

6 Comments | posted in author, climax, conclusion, ending, novel, writing

November 17, 2006

The bell tolls…

By Avery


…and cracks.

Due to the issues I told you I wouldn’t bore you with, I haven’t met my goal. I’m much closer — you’ll see that if you look at that little meter in the top right of my screen. But, despite magnificent headway, I’m not there yet.

So, what am I going to do?

Extend my deadline, of course. I figure if I’m the one who set it in the first place, I can re-arrange it. Yeah, I know this type of thing doesn’t fly in the real world, but I’m not out there, yet, so I’m going to enjoy the rules I’ve created for myself while I can.

December 1, 2006.

That’s the new deadline. I’d have set it for next week, but with Thanksgiving travel and all, I’d just be pasting this note into a new blog next Friday. And I promised no recycled material, didn’t I? Breaking two promises in the span of two weeks would just be tacky.

Two weeks to finish the final nineteen percent of the book; I can do that.

We’ll just pretend that last deadline never existed. Right?

Good.

See you next week and tell you how it’s going.

Leave a comment | posted in deadline, novel, revision

January 24, 2005

RESONANCE now available on Nook

By Avery

Hey, it’s Res, again with more news from the Avery camp.  Seems the book about me is now available at Barnes and Noble’s Nook store.  Here’s the link she gave me to toss up here:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Resonance/Avery-DeBow/e/2940012175632/?itm=1&USRI=resonance

She says Apple’s iBookstore is still pending, and she’s trying to get something together for Google so you Sony people can read it, too.

You know when you’re talking and have no idea what you’re saying?  Yeah, that’s what’s going on with me right now.  I’m writing this shit and can’t even tell you what it means. “Sony people,” “iBookstore”–it’s all just letters senselessly blurring together.  I’m not big on reading.  Well, I wasn’t until lately.  But, my foray back into the literary world didn’t quite cover the topics Avery seems to want me to spout off on here.  I don’t know jack about them.  

Of course, I could change that with one good look at a webpage or book on this junk.  Having–uh–skills–is pretty cool sometimes.  Other times, not so much, but I don’t feel like thinking about that right now.  My head would probably explode.

Right now, I’m just happy there’s enough left of me to still be me, you know?

No, you probably don’t.

If you read the damn book about me you would.

Yeah, that’s a hint.

Dontcha wanna know what I’ve been going on about these past couple months?

 

7 Comments | posted in amazon, apple, bad lib fantasy friday, barnes and noble, contemporary fantasy, dark fantasy, demon, ebook, iBook, kindle, nook, novel, Resonance