Saturday 30 April 2011

Writers blocks and various stimulants


One of the tricks I use to avoid writers block is never stop writing at the end of a scene. Take the characters past the natural end and into the next for a paragraph or three and then stop.  You can’t do that with a blog! Which is why I’ve found myself sitting staring at the blinking cursor like some tweaked out gamer. Nothing! Well perhaps a little something. A liquid drip that strikes cold along my spine, low, threatening to cramp. The edgy burn along my nerves in stark contrast and IT whispering like a lovers breath; “Just one more. Light up, it always gets the creativity rolling.” At issue is IT is telling the truth. A cigar does get the creativity rolling along. But this is day eight of my cold turkey shoot. A Last Day of sorts. Not in the Logan’s Run sense, rather I have proved I can resist temptation and survive.  So while watching two Canadians kick butt in the UFC tonight I will once again light up.  It is my will alone that controls my addictions and I will learn to like that slimy dark drip of desire. Embrace it and make it keep me company while I prove I can to no one in particular.
         On the book front, Grey Redemption was afforded very good shelf position at the Langley Chapters store. Rather than place it in the back along with all the other military fiction, they placed it on the local interest shelf. Face out about calf level. It really struck a chord seeing it their. Not a name in lights kind of chord, but accomplishment. An end game of sorts, the road traveled and done, the ups and down forgotten like long past fights with lovers lost

Sunday 17 April 2011

Home and feeling normal again

So back from London. Back to reality and no shots fired. Ok first off for those thinking of flying across the pond for two days don't. Even with the first class over and biz class back it is by far too much of a trip. I was fine in London, sleeping six hours of an nine hour flight helped but coming home. Yuck. No sleep brought about by this torn hamstring even in full flat British air biz class took a toll. The snow in Calgary and security incident delayed my flight and made the connection very dicey. Got my first bad review too, found it online yesterday. I understand my style of writing isn't for everyone but the emotive quality of the review was a little over the top. Guess those take a little to get used to. Part of being an author is dealing with readers who feel like you let them down. Still it pulls on the emotions when something you worked so hard to create and make perfect gets dismissed. Agent says I shouldn't blog about these things and just focus on the many good reviews. But I see this blog in the same way as my very talented friend sees her bathroom mirror at 2 am. Reality hard honed and displayed for all to see. Honesty if you will. So I felt obligated to comment. After-all only one percent of people who purchase books comment in the review section. So to the one bad review I say sorry I will do better with the prequel. I promise. Although I am still having a hard time motivating myself to write Grey Dawn. The way I chose to write #Greyredemption was difficult so many details and forcing the reader into the character. The side project Footsie is so much easier writing. The fictional work about twenty five years inside a jail is looming too. Well focus has never been my strong suit. Guess I will leave one to the critics and the others to the malestorm
of severe ADHD and see what happens! Thanks for reading and your email and comments you have no idea how much they help!

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Location:Ashwell Rd,Chilliwack,Canada

Tuesday 12 April 2011

Queue and mind the bloody gap


   Well across the pond in London and while rushed and hectic it has been rewarding.  We all know Rhys Munroe stays at Fairmont Hotels and now I know why! Tired and dragging myself from the roomy confines of the BMW 750 that delivered me my luggage was gone before I exited. Luckily for the staff I actually caught the briefest glimpse, as the bags were hurried inside. I was received and thought for a bit, word of my book and inclusion in London had preceded me. Alas it had not, they just treat everyone like their famous. Good hotel staffs are a great deal like good security. It should be invisible and intuitive. Until you need it.  Yesterday I needed it.
   So today in a frugal attempt to offset the delirious costs one finds in London I took the tube. Should have been a simple thing, get the Oyster travel card load it and viola cheap travel. The Oyster card is like a tap and go credit card for transit. You have to buy it in one location and then load it in another. No wonder these people love to queue! The technological chasm to buy a card and fill it in one transaction is simple, so it must be this love of lining up for things, on the right. AND MIND THE GAP!
   Ok so on the train and flashing frugally toward the LBF at a very ungodly early hour. I was wondering if my body would suddenly realize this and crash, rag doll, to the floor when the speaker calmly told us that we needed to exit the station due to an emergency.  Fine if I had been on a station this would have been slightly less alarming. But I was on a bloody train! Considering the events in Ireland in a past few days the irony and karma were not lost on me of being blown to bits by an Irish bomb. So I found myself whistling the song from the Monty Python movie. “Always look on the bright side of life.” While politely forming a bloody queue! Brilliant.
   It was just a fire on one of the other trains but I guess this is a big deal. Either way it was dealt with and sorted out as the locals would say, and I arrived early for the LBF, and as I was an author was allowed to jump the queue and enter early. Which in this country is akin to getting waved into a Vegas bar offered on the house bottle service and bumping George Clooney!!!
   I got to see my book in the New Releases section and to my quiet joy three suited men were head bent in discussion. They were very animated and seemed to be in a heated discourse. I listened as one of them argued that the book was actually authentic and based on real events. The others argued and various points were put forward and as I was a little too close it seemed they wanted to drag me into the conversation as well. One them asked me what I thought and then clued into my attendants badge. I just smiled and said; “Enjoy the ride gentlemen.” 

Sunday 10 April 2011

As always no one is an island.

   So today finds me on the road sitting in familiar places. Last nights book signing went very well and the feedback was awesome. As I still couldn’t bring myself to do a reading out of Grey Redemption I did one from Footsie and from the shivers and looks I am thinking it is truly dark enough! One of the questions that was asked last night was how do you make the time to write on a schedule as well as run a “normal” life.  It kind of took me of guard, and off script, as I had to think about it.  I have an incredible team of three behind me for the day-to-day things. As an example on the drive to the airport from the funeral the other day Crystal and I started to hear a brake noise. Not a squeal but a grinding nasty sound and totally intermittent. We were rushing to the airport as we had stayed a little too late at the Connelly wake. I arrived about 30 minutes prior to the flight so a quick, but delicious, kiss by the trunk was all the time allowed. I dashed to check-in and thought about that stupid sound, wondering what it could be. Never once did I wonder about how Crystal would deal with it. Because she is a capable member of the team.  She is as much as I responsible for the creation of Grey Redemption. She allows my creative indulgences and scattered ideas and direction and keeps the Covey team on an even keel.  Now I did say three team members. The third is The Piker, he seems to know when I’ve written too long and with a bite to the nose reminds me to relax and play chase the cat.
   So I am less than 8 hours from being ‘feet wet’ on my way across the pond to London, thanks team for supporting dreams with patience, sacrifice, and as much hope as I have. It is easy to get caught up in your dreams. Harder, much harder for others to get caught up in them too. 

Saturday 9 April 2011

Grey Redemption heading to London

   So, just a fast little Blog update. As you can see there are some similarities between Rhys Munroe’s Cat and my evil beast. Yes The Piker doesn’t like to see me pack to leave either! He also likes it when I get my dress shirts press folded and wrapped for travel. The paper makes an awesome noise when pounced on. So I always have to indulge him his game of killing mice hidden in wrapped shirts and continually chase him out of the case. Today is my last day in BC for a while. The crazy week begins with me saying goodbye to an adopted Dad, Mr. Ron Connelly. A visionary pilot and true entrepreneur, before they had the tag line for such things. Then it is off to Calgary for the second HB book signing with a bunch of awesome guys. Sunday is the big flight across the pond to London. I am not really sure of what to expect an odd thing for me as I usually try to stay ahead of the curve. But looking forward to the unknown! I will blog from London and keep you all in the loop!
Cheers

Monday 4 April 2011

#GreyRedemption and London Calling

Well the planning and meeting appointments keep coming and I have to turn a few down. Time is a thief! But very positive stuff is being said about the book and I am quite enjoying the fact that people liked me not stopping at the bedroom door! Yes boys can have books with gratuitous sex in them as well.  So London Savoy here I come. On that point a statement for clarification. I did not receive any financial compensation for using Fairmont properties in my book. I used them, as they are where Rhys would stay. It was a character thing based on how Rhys views the world! They are expensive properties to be sure but from a security and value point of view they are ideal. But as he always stays in them he will no doubt get shot in one! Get ready for book two! Award winning properties collect clients because they exceed expectations. The Airport Fairmont in Vancouver received just such an award and is in Grey Redemption. The Savoy is another grand Fairmont managed hotel and I look forward to rolling like Rhys and being their guest for the duration of the London Book Fair. On that note I usually take the tube or Heathrow Express into town but with all the Riots and Eat the Rich sentiment being stuck on the subway or wandering around Paddington Station looking for a cab sporting a Rolex Pro Hunter and dragging around LV luggage seemed to be a bit of a dumb thing to do. So I booked an executive sedan from H5 into town. No fuss or Muss and Rolling like Rhys! Course with the two serious death threats leveled at me I may be channeling more of my Rhys character than is healthy! This blog gives a shooter a perfect Intel package.  Oh well a shot probably puts the book on the best sellers list! A good and fair trade. “Ain’t found a way to kill me yet.” (Layne Staley. Alice In Chains)