tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42812594320716363132024-03-05T08:32:01.952-08:00Todd Bush BooksAuthor of the Rick Frost Adventure SeriesToddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15257016647239587930noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281259432071636313.post-91425927724431669142011-11-13T13:40:00.000-08:002011-11-13T14:08:22.546-08:00One Season Ends, Another BeginsIts amazing how quickly four months goes by. It's a third of the year. And for me, it goes by like a long weekend. Football is officially over for me, at least on a such a time-consuming level that I can't write. My high school team that I coach finished with four straight losses to end the year 4-6. Not what we wanted, of course, and certainly not the high expectations that we started the year with. Over 20 seniors and you are supposed to be in contention. And we were. Of the six losses, we were ahead on the scoreboard in four of those in the second half. Not good times. Bad times. Oh well, this season is over and it's time to move on to another season... the one where I promised myself that I would finish one middle grade novel and one thriller. But to quote Lee Corso on ESPN's "College Game Day", "Not so fast, my friend!"<div><br /></div><div>My wife due to give birth to our second child in the next two weeks. And if you haven't had a child, it has a tendency to cut into your plans. So writing is on my list of things to do, but it is rapidly being moved down the list, replaced by diapers, bottles, late-night feedings, and other baby-type stuff. Maybe I should just write in my Daddy blog!<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> </div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15257016647239587930noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281259432071636313.post-9361698041050151952011-09-05T13:34:00.000-07:002011-09-05T13:41:05.647-07:00Writing, Football and Other StuffWe had our first official game of the high school football season Friday night. 35-6, we were on the winning end, but we played like donkey doo-doo. No focus, no emotion, no energy. I don't care what the score is, I want to play a good game. Winning is great, and I'll take it, but I want a well-played game. Hey, that's the coach in me.<div><br /></div><div>College football started as well and my Ole Miss Rebels revealed something that I had been afraid of since the start of pre-season practice reports leaking out of the Oxford, MS campus: they are not a very good football team. A 14-13 loss to BYU showed that the offense has little to no weapons, and the defense is going to be called on to win a lot of games when they aren't capable of it. I hope I'm wrong...</div><div><br /></div><div>On the writing front, not much is in the "Works In Progress" file. In fact, nothing is. Football season tends to do that. However, I did get an article published in Mississippi Magazine, so that was fun. My mom said they passed it out at The Grove on Ole Miss's campus for all the tailgaters. That is ultra-cool! If they made their way to this site via the magazine, welcome! Email me at toddbushbooks@gmail.com and let's get to know each other.</div><div><br /></div><div>I have done no promoting, no writing, and barely any thinking about writing recently. Unless you count writing a film breakdown on how to beat Palm Beach Central's 4-4 and how to combat their Jet motion counter and iso. No, that doesn't add to my word count. </div><div><br /></div><div>Keep reading, folks! Rick Frost will return soon in a book tentatively called <i>Rick Frost & the Escape from Gotham</i>. And yes, it's set in the Capitol City of the World, New York! Talk to you soon!<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15257016647239587930noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281259432071636313.post-7723969730276105622011-09-03T15:15:00.000-07:002011-09-03T15:17:37.216-07:00Mississippi MagazineAn essay I wrote about football in the South is featured in Mississippi Magazine this month. For their August/September issue, they always have a field guide full of articles about football, hunting, tailgating, etc. My piece is in the "On Being Southern" section. <div>
<br /></div><div><a href="http://www.mismag.com/">Go to their website to order a copy.</a></div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15257016647239587930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281259432071636313.post-81092023825664327152011-07-29T07:22:00.000-07:002011-07-29T07:30:25.895-07:00A New Blurb<span class="Apple-style-span">This is from best<span class="Apple-style-span">-selling noir writer <a href="http://mikedennisnoir.com/">Mike Dennis</a>, whose latest novel <a href="http://www.amazon.com/SETUP-ON-FRONT-STREET-ebook/dp/B0050642V2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1305332202&sr=8-1">SETUP ON FRONT STREET</a> is available from</span> Amazon. If you know of Mike and his writing, you know he's got the goods. If you have never picked up his stuff, why wait? Here's what he had to say about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0058DOC4O">THE BACKSEAT VIRGIN: A SOUTH FLORIDA NOIR COLLECTION</a>:</span><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><b>"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; ">Florida crime fiction writers had better make room for Scott Chase. His original voice rises from the Miami demimonde and drags the reader deep into its underbelly. These tough stories are what noir is all about."</span></b></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; ">Sounds like it's time for me to start writing some more noir. Unfortunately, my writing and posting will be cut drastically starting next week. It's August, as you know, and that means the start of football. As the coach for kickers and punters, as well as co-special teams coordinator at the high school where I work, my world is going to revolve around the pigskin. I usually kiss my wife and son on or around the first weekend in August and say "See ya in November!" </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; ">So to my readers and those who keep up with this blog, *smack*... See ya in November!!<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre; ">Not really, I'll keep you guys updated on what's going on with the team. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre; ">Talk to you soon.</span></div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15257016647239587930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281259432071636313.post-60848757412832032362011-07-26T13:25:00.001-07:002011-07-26T13:27:33.056-07:00Rick Frost Has ArrivedThis is ultra-cool!!! How about this for publicity? From an airport in South Florida: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbhTE-I_6oPyrB-XimvoLcLMff12r63O9LcyHBCEteLdYxW4al6kl_-vWReoRTubMVmxGvqd4eJUfvDyrZ7c2hr6euoYpx6PMv0exSfGJXdl4lgaqQpp1eTQ7fh9nZRGXO6B8Tf1bi14/s1600/rick+frost+book+airport.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbhTE-I_6oPyrB-XimvoLcLMff12r63O9LcyHBCEteLdYxW4al6kl_-vWReoRTubMVmxGvqd4eJUfvDyrZ7c2hr6euoYpx6PMv0exSfGJXdl4lgaqQpp1eTQ7fh9nZRGXO6B8Tf1bi14/s320/rick+frost+book+airport.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633760067138878818" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15257016647239587930noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281259432071636313.post-35553202579877237832011-07-04T05:10:00.001-07:002011-07-04T05:14:54.594-07:00Happy Independence Day<span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>I thought about writing a long, heartfelt blog about my feelings for this country, and specifically the men and women who have fought to make it free. I thought about doing what countless others will do today, and rightly so. Because freedom isn't free, and needs to be defended. But I decided to let someone far smarter, far greater and much more of a hero than I ever will be do the honors today. From his speech commemorating the 40th anniversary of the D-Day landings at Normandy, here is Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States:</i></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><p style="margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px; ">"These are the boys of Pointe de Hoc. These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px; ">Gentlemen, I look at you and I think of the words of Stephen Spender's poem. You are men who in your "lives fought for life...and left the vivid air signed with your honor…."</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px; ">Forty summers have passed since the battle that you fought here. You were young the day you took these cliffs; some of you were hardly more than boys, with the deepest joys of life before you. Yet you risked everything here. Why? Why did you do it? What impelled you to put aside the instinct for self-preservation and risk your lives to take these cliffs? What inspired all the men of the armies that met here? We look at you, and somehow we know the answer. It was faith, and belief; it was loyalty and love.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px; ">The men of Normandy had faith that what they were doing was right, faith that they fought for all humanity, faith that a just God would grant them mercy on this beachhead or on the next. It was the deep knowledge -- and pray God we have not lost it -- that there is a profound moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest. You were here to liberate, not to conquer, and so you and those others did not doubt your cause. And you were right not to doubt.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px; ">You all knew that some things are worth dying for. One's country is worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man. All of you loved liberty. All of you were willing to fight tyranny, and you knew the people of your countries were behind you."</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px; "><i>God bless America, and Happy Independence Day!</i></p></span></span></div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15257016647239587930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281259432071636313.post-56493650738169954722011-07-03T13:22:00.001-07:002011-07-03T13:33:16.147-07:00The Backseat VirginI like shadows in my stories. Superheroes are great, so are adventure stories and even the occasional drama. But I prefer all of those to have at least a hint of darkness in them. Make me choose between Spider-man and The Punisher, and I'm taking Frank Castle every day (for those of you who are confused, that's The Punisher's real name). I rarely, if ever, root for the perfect hero. It's just not fun to follow someone who has nothing wrong with them. Because of that, I like writing those kinds of characters. Rick Frost, the main character of my YA adventure series, does have a dark side to him. I've only really hinted at it so far, but it is coming out more and more in later books. But that wasn't enough...<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0058DOC4O">THE BACKSEAT VIRGIN: A SOUTH FLORIDA NOIR COLLECTION</a> is four short stories and one short novella that don't just wade into those shadows, but dive in head first. I love writing noir, which is a style of literature that doesn't avoid the darkness, but glorifies it. The characters in noir stories are heading for doom; there's no avoid it. There is no happy ending, only an end. </div><div><br /></div><div>These stories are set in South Florida in the late 1970's and early 1980's in the middle of the drug boom. Cocaine was just being discovered and had started to take off as America's drug of choice, and South Florida was where over 90% of it came into the country. With all that money, drugs, greed and power packed into one area, it was inevitable that darkness was going to creep in and take over. These stories highlight that darkness.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you don't mind walking into the shadows with me, then click above and take the journey. I hope you like reading it as much as I loved writing. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0058DOC4O">Buy THE BACKSEAT VIRGIN: A SOUTH FLORIDA NOIR COLLECTION from Amazon.com</a></div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15257016647239587930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281259432071636313.post-4134295211206546062011-06-25T12:02:00.001-07:002011-06-25T12:04:43.565-07:00New Review UpThis review is special. It is by Conner, a kid who is in the age group I was going for with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0050BR5TI">Rick Frost & the Alaskan Adventure</a>. His mom, Michelle, runs the<a href="http://www.thatswhatsheread.net/"> That's What She Read</a> book review blog. I want to thank her and Conner for their time and the opportunity to send them my book.<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.thatswhatsheread.net/2011/06/connors-corner-rick-frost-and-alaskan.html">Here is Conner's review.</a> Thanks buddy!</div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15257016647239587930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281259432071636313.post-8850329133675564182011-06-24T14:34:00.000-07:002011-06-24T15:22:32.594-07:00A Little Honesty PleaseFinally, the impact of self-publishing digitally cannot be ignored. John Locke, the author not the character on "Lost", is eighth on the list of authors who have sold over a million copies of their novels on Kindle. It's official. Don't believe me? It's in the <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2011/06/independent-author-john-locke-amazon-million-kindle-seller-cost.html">Los Angeles Times</a>, so it has to be true. <div><br /></div><div>I have some problems with the article. Carolyn Kellogg, the writer of the piece, gives you straight facts in the first two paragraphs: Locke is from Kentucky, he's the eighth writer to achieve this milestone and the first to do so without a traditional publisher behind him. All true and all nice to know. But this is where the news ends and the scorn begins.</div><div><br /></div><div>Observe the slant of the press in action: First sentence of paragraph three is "But at what cost?" Either it was intended as a nice pun, or Kellogg is just sour. The rest of the third paragraph and the fourth are more facts. She discusses Locke setting his price at 99 cents, Kindle Direct Publishing allowing authors to set their own price, the royalty rates of 70% for ebooks between $2.99 and $9.99, as well as the 35% you get for books lower or greater than that range. </div><div><br /></div><div>Kellogg then writes "Which means Locke receives slightly less than 35 cents per Kindle ebook he sells." This sentence is by itself, in its own little paragraph. Anyone who writes knows that if you do that, you want the reader's eyes drawn to that sentence. She goes on to say, "Locke makes money with his 99 cent gambit than he would selling the same number of books with a traditional publisher." </div><div><br /></div><div>Hey, Carolyn... sorry, Ms Kellogg, as that's how respected journalists want to be addressed, I have a response to your statement: </div><div><br /></div><div>So freaking what?!</div><div><br /></div><div>And yeah, I put that by itself; I want Ms Kellogg's eyes drawn to it. So what if Locke, or Amanda Hocking or I want to sell our books for 99 cents? So what if we don't go the way of the "traditionally published" authors? Why should we do it? Just because you want us to? </div><div><br /></div><div>Let me get off the rant for just a second to continue the analysis. Don't worry, I'll come back to it. She goes on to say that Lock "puts a downward price pressure on Kindle ebooks in the process." Really? He does? So because he prices his books at 99 cents, that means that <i>everyone</i> who publishes through KDP has to do the same thing right? Apparently, Donovan Creed, Locke's hero in his under-priced books, has a gun to the head of every self-published writer in the world. </div><div><br /></div><div>According to the logic of Ms Kellogg's column (and yes, it's a column, Carolyn, not a news piece), the only reason a reader buys the Creed books is because Locke prices them at 99 cents. And you won't buy a book priced at $2.99, or $3.99, or $12.99 will you? Oh, damn... wait. There's seven other people who have sold a million copies of their books on Kindle and none of them has a single book priced at 99 cents. Wonder how come readers are buying those books? Maybe Donovan Creed really can't be in more than one place at a time. </div><div><br /></div><div>And this "downward price pressure" you talk about, Ms Kellogg? Price, as you should have learned in basic economics, isn't "set" by the producer. It is set by the <i>consumer</i>, in this case the reader. If readers didn't buy Locke's books at 99 cents, then he'd change the price. I know that because I'm going to assume he's a smart guy. He did write a few books. </div><div><br /></div><div>Sorry, Ms Kellogg, I forgot. The only reason Patterson, Connelly, Charlaine Harris, Steig Larsson and the other traditionally published authors got to the hallowed million-sales pedestal is because they have a publisher behind them. Nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that they are good writers. Nope, its not that.</div><div><br /></div><div>Look at this statement: "<span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 20px; ">If he sold a million Kindle e-books at 99 cents, he'd clear $346,500 -- nice work if you can get it. But if he were working with a traditional publisher, that $346,500 might be a lot closer to $1 million." Yes, it would be closer to a million. And the publisher would be raking in about ten to twenty times that million that Locke would be receiving... or the million the other seven on the list are getting. With Locke, he's keeping a larger percentage of the money. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 20px; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">Why the focus on money, Ms Kellogg? If writing were just about money, then everyone would be pumping out vampire novels. Yes, there's a lot of them. But people are devouring George R. R. Martin's </span></span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 20px; ">A Song of Fire and Ice</i><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"> novels and there's not a vampire or sparkling teenager to be found. What's number one in fiction right now according to traditional sources? Tom Clancy's </span></span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 20px; ">Against All Enemies</i><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">. My Lord, Clancy is soooo 80's! Spies and espionage and right-wing crazies trying to destroy the world, right? How could he be number one if the focus is only on money and what sells, Ms Kellogg? Number two is a love story from a thriller writer, David Baldacci. Yeah, that's money-driven isn't it? A guy turning his back on all his fans just to write something from his heart. Give me a break. (Disclosure: I like Clancy, and his spies and espionage and right-wing heroes saving the world.) </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 20px; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 20px; ">To justify her position, Ms Kellogg invokes the name of self-published royalty, none other than Amanda Hocking, she of the instant success that make legends. "</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >not everyone can sell 1 million e-books in five months. "In fact, more people will sell less than 100 copies of their books self-publishing than will sell 10,000 books," cautioned one observer. Who? None other than Amanda Hocking, who was the first self-published million-seller to make headlines."</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">Did Amanda Hocking say that? Yes. Is it true? Yep, it is. But here's a few dirty little secrets for you: 1) not everyone who signs with a traditional publisher will sell more than a few hundred books; 2) those people who don't sell with traditional publishers can turn themselves into successes with hard work in the self-published world; and 3) its okay if you only sell a hundred books, because you are doing something you have wanted to do, not sitting on your tail wishing you had. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">That is really what is bothering Ms Kellogg and the rest of the naysayers. We are doing something that has been a dream for a long time. For a lot of us, we have wanted to create a world, spin a yarn and have someone else read it. We are, to paraphrase my buddy Mark Terry, arrogant enough to think that someone might want to read our dreams. But we are doing it ourselves, not relying on someone else.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">To Ms Kellogg and those like her, publishers sitting in New York are the ones who should determine what books sell. John Locke, Amanda Hocking and those of us who are self-publishing think that the readers should determine that. They are the ones we write for ultimately, right? </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">One last thing, and it a glaring case of not only how biased Ms Kellogg is, but also how arrogant she is. I'll quote her again: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 20px; "> "</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >not everyone can sell 1 million e-books in five months. "In fact, more people will sell less than 100 copies of their books self-publishing than will sell 10,000 books," cautioned one observer. Who? None other than<b> </b><i><b>Amanda Hocking, who was the first self-published million-seller</b> </i>to make headlines."</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">I added the bold and italics to emphasize the mistake. If Amanda Hocking is the "first self-published million-seller", then how come there's not nine authors in the hallowed list that sparked this article in the first place. Could it be that with Locke, the media had to reluctantly admit that someone who didn't go the traditional route has done what they thought was impossible? So why isn't Hocking in there? </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">Because Carolyn Kellogg, the Los Angeles Times and the media do not want self-published authors to be a success. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">They want us to fail. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">News flash, Ms Kellogg... we've already succeeded. </span></span></span></div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15257016647239587930noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281259432071636313.post-10502884449892506512011-06-23T12:32:00.000-07:002011-06-23T12:34:21.549-07:00Whats In A Name<p class="MsoNormal">“Writing is a socially acceptable form of schitzophrenia.”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>E.L. Doctorow said that.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He was the author of the novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Ragtime</i>, which the famous movie and play are based on, so the dude knows of which he speaks.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But I am not sure if he was talking about pen names.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>However, in today’s world, he might as well be.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Just look at all of us out here.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Nora Roberts writes sometimes as JD Robb.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Stephen King had Richard Bachman.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Joe Konrath (real name) writes under J. A. Konrath, Jack Kilborn, and now Joe Kimball.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Heck, even Stan Lee, the creator of some of the greatest comics ever is really named Stanley Martin Leiber.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Why do we do it?<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Is it because we want to be someone else for a while?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Because we want to keep ourselves hidden, even in the midst of putting our deepest dreams and hopes out on a page for the world to see?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Or is because we just want to keep things straight in our minds, and perhaps in the minds of our readers?<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I write under a pen name.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>My initial reason was more the last one than either of the other two.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>First, I wrote a book that was a pure thriller.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It involved terrorism, a small town and was a lot of fun to write.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But then I had an idea for a set of adventure novels.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They would turn into the Rick Frost adventure series, of which two are currently available for purchase <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0050BR5TI">here</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0053DGLI4">here</a> (how’s that for a plug?).<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I still had ideas for more thrillers, some straight mysteries, and even had written a collection of noir short stories.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>So would they all be released under the same name?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I put that question to my team of advisors, also known as my wife and a few close writing friends.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Their answers were mixed, some in favor of a pen name, some not.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I decided to do it because I didn’t want the kids who would read my Rick Frost young adult adventures picking up my South Florida noir stories and delving into the dark and seedy side of life.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>So if one was written by Todd Bush, and the other by my pen name, then the kid wouldn’t know the difference.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>That is unless they did about five seconds worth of research on the internet and made the connection. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So what pen name would I pick?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>My name is Todd.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But for some reason, people they either don’t know me, or know me and forget my name, always call me Scott.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Don’t know why, just happens that way.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I don’t have a bother named Scott, don’t even have friends named Scott.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It just comes out.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Maybe I look like a Scott.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But I combined it with a random last name and got my pen name:<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Scott Chase.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now I have my noir collection coming out next month.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It is all about what happens away from the glitz and glamour of South Florida; how it was before the drug wars, and how it got to be the place it is today.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The stories are not happy, not resolved at the end in a nice, neat little bow.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But they are fun to write and, I hope, fun to read.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They are also written by Scott Chase.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But do we use pen names so that we get to delve into a part of ourselves that doesn’t get to come out and play often?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Perhaps that’s the case, because I don’t often get to show my love for the shadows, and curiosity for what’s happening behind the “Employees Only” and “Do Not Enter” signs at clubs and bars.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Also, my mom worries about putting writing out that is… how to put it… less than holy might be an interesting way of saying it.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>So maybe writing under a pen name allows me to hide a little bit, even if I don’t want to.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Let’s face it, if writing isn’t honest, then it doesn't have a prayer of being good.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Pen names have been around since the beginning of published writing.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Ben Franklin even used one.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They will still be around.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I know a lot of indie writers who are using them to keep the genres they write in separate.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But I am not going to hide that I am Todd Bush <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">and </i>Scott Chase.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>That wouldn't be honest.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And I want to have at least a prayers chance of being good. <o:p></o:p></p>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15257016647239587930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281259432071636313.post-27649574154940918732011-06-19T05:18:00.001-07:002011-06-19T05:18:44.363-07:00Father's Day<p class="MsoNormal">I am a man without direction today.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Father’s Day, the holiday we set aside to thank those who have taught us how to drive a car, check the oil, stand up for ourselves, and love the women in our lives… and for me, it simply a day I want to be over.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I have a son.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He’s two years old.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But today, he and my wife are on a trip to visit family and friends.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I am happy for them.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Most of the people who live up there have not seen my son, so it’s good that they went.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But they are not here.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I can’t hold him… kiss him… watch the US Open with him… I simply want the day to be over.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I had a father.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He was 64.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>February 3 I received a call that he passed away.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It was sudden, quick and still hurts.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Today is not only Father’s Day, it is the final round of golf’s second major of the year, the US Open.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>My father loved golf.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He taught me and my brother to play the game.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I am decent, but don’t practice; my brother was a teaching pro who still is a scratch golfer.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Every major tournament, as it came down to the back nine, when stress levels rose for the players and excitement built in my heart, I called my dad.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>His voice was also a little higher, a little more animated.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He loved the game.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We would dissect what was happening.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>As the tournament ended, I’d call for our own wrap-up show.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It was better than anything you’d see on TV because it included talk about my son, my wife, and life in general.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But he is not here.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I can’t hug him… shake his hand… listen to his laugh… watch the final round of the US Open with him… get excited as the holes ticked down… <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I simply want the day to be over.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Happy Father’s Day. <o:p></o:p></p>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15257016647239587930noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281259432071636313.post-63133146317398840652011-06-18T10:30:00.000-07:002011-06-18T10:32:08.613-07:00Sword of Calibum in Print<i>RICK FROST & THE SWORD OF CALIBUM </i>is officially available in print! <div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.createspace.com/3619091">Here is the link where you can buy it.</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Also, if you look to the right, you can order an autographed copy. </div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15257016647239587930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281259432071636313.post-65323001746802708502011-06-15T12:47:00.000-07:002011-06-15T12:57:58.744-07:00Game of Outcasts<p class="MsoNormal">My favorite new TV show is “Game of Thrones” on HBO.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The real hook that pulled me in was Sean Bean.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He is one of my all-time favorite actors, always has been since I saw him in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Patriot Games</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Then he nailed all the Sharpe movies and finally, he <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">was </i>Boromir in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Lord of the Rings</i> movies; maybe the best casting job of the whole thing.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Bean is the consummate actor, who can play a good guy or a bad guy with enough charisma to make you like, or at least identify with, his character.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He is terrific as Lord Eddard Stark in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Game of Thrones</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">However, a strange thing happened on my way to watching Bean kick some serious Lannister butt up and down the King’s Road.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I found a character that I liked better than Bean’s Stark:<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Tyrion Lannister, the dwarf… the Imp… played wonderfully by Peter Dinklage.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He is smart, hysterically funny and more than just the comic relief:<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>he is the most well-rounded character in the whole group.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal">There is a scene where Tyrion is talking to Stark’s bastard son Jon, who is feeling sorry for himself because he is not recognized as an official son of the Lord of Winterfell.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Jon has been seated with the servants during a feast, so he leaves and is outside brooding (good word, huh?).<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Tyrion, who is no stranger to being alienated, picked on, and looked down upon , literally, gives Jon some advice about being a bastard.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri">“<span class="apple-style-span"><span>Never forget who you are, for surely the world won’t. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.”</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">When I heard it, I wrote it down because I knew it was special.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Now a month or so later, I know that Tyrion Lannister was speaking to all of us who have chosen to self-publish.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Because as much as we have pumped ourselves up for all that we have accomplished as a group and individually, we have become the bastards of the writing world. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Don’t believe me?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Let’s look at the facts.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><a href="http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2011/06/mwabnsp-mystery-writers-of-america-but.html">As Joe Konrath pointed out on his blog</a>, the Mystery Writers of America will not accept self-published authors, no matter how successful they might be.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Also, <a href="http://www.bookbusinessmag.com/article/michael-connelly-surpasses-1-million-kindle-books-sold/1">Amazon.com announced on June 9</a> that best-selling author Michael Connelly had become the seventh member of the “over one million e-books sold for the Kindle” club, with the other six members being Stieg Larsson, James Patterson, Nora Roberts, Charlaine Harris, Lee Child, and Suzanne Collins… and they left out Amanda Hocking and John Locke, who will soon join that club.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Do a search on book bloggers who review books and you’ll find that most of them say absolutely and unequivocally “no!” to self-published books… and these aren’t corporate reviewers attached to magazines with millions of subscribers; these are folks sitting in their homes blogging in their spare time.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Then, read the blogs of the most famous literary agents in the country and notice how they refer to the e-book craze as a curiosity, almost like you would describe a really interesting looking shirt hanging on a rack, and they talk about self-publishing like it’s the modern day equivalent of leg warmers and the pet rock.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">You don’t have to go to Konrath’s blog or the message boards to see the scorn.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Walk up to a friend you haven’t seen in a while and tell them that you are now a published author.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>You’ll probably get the wide eyes and the “Oh, wow!” look.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Then tell them that you self-published.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The “Oh, wow!” look just became a “Man, that’s too bad” sympathetic frown.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Ever told someone that you won a contest, then that the prize was a fruit cake?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Same look.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This is not the way it has to be.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I say we learn from Lord Tyrion Lannister.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> The quote is good enough to say again. We should all frame it. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri">“<span class="apple-style-span"><span>Never forget who you are, for surely the world won’t. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.”</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri">He is right.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The world will never let us forget that we are – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">GASP!</i> – self-published.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Amanda Hocking signed a seven-figure deal with St. Martin’s Press.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But the first time she goes to a conference or awards banquet, she’ll get the looks as she walks up, and if not then, definitely as she walks away from any crowd of the glorious, most-esteemed traditionally-published ones.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>“She started out self-publishing, you know… on the computer.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Poor thing, probably had to eat grilled cheese and Spaghetti O’s, too.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri">We should revel in the fact that we are doing this our own way.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>That we had the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">cajones</i> to do something that others couldn’t bear to do.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>That is important, but it’s not exactly what Tyrion was talking about.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We should do it better than those who are traditionally published.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Write better books, craft characters that are so real that readers fall in love with them, take those who buy our work on a path so astonishing, so enjoyable that they will not be the same after they turn off their e-reader or put down their print copy.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri">As self-published writers, the publishing world’s bastards, we must be extraordinary.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Tyrion Lannister, if you have only seen the show and not read the books I won’t ruin anything, but suffice to say he is a highly intelligent survivor who always seems to defy those who think he is too short, too stupid, or too much of a bastard in his own right to ever achieve anything.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri">He proved them wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>So should we.</span></p>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15257016647239587930noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281259432071636313.post-37061738487049850362011-06-13T11:30:00.000-07:002011-06-13T11:50:25.004-07:00Guest Post: Mark Terry<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMybOxDDazn0h8VlqdqeOhyphenhyphenSNyo9rt4Iy9KjyV6ys7iTMPN_EpxxNFgBgA-zxLgDBsrGaVZM0aEl4onod3J8re7pes-zL8WQYNR-Kp8HojbUnH529o5OYBk2vDXKyt_2iSfGjAYQCNZo/s1600/Valley+of+the+Shadows+8-23-10+1+Cover+3rd+pass.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMybOxDDazn0h8VlqdqeOhyphenhyphenSNyo9rt4Iy9KjyV6ys7iTMPN_EpxxNFgBgA-zxLgDBsrGaVZM0aEl4onod3J8re7pes-zL8WQYNR-Kp8HojbUnH529o5OYBk2vDXKyt_2iSfGjAYQCNZo/s200/Valley+of+the+Shadows+8-23-10+1+Cover+3rd+pass.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617775754222012930" /></a><i>Todd: <a href="http://markterrybooks.blogspot.com/">Mark Terry</a> is an award-winning novelist, creator of the Derek Stillwater series, blogger, and an all-around great guy. He's also an email friend who has been a big help and influence on my writing career so far. His latest novel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Valley-Shadows-Mark-Terry/dp/1933515945/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307989972&sr=8-1">The Valley of Shadows</a></i><i>, is not only a new Stillwater adventure, it's available in hardcover and as an e-book. By the way, anyone who can start off a blog entry by quoting Crash Davis is alright with me. Here's Mark!</i><div><div><br /></div><div><b>Fear & Arrogance</b></div><div><p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height:normal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">By Mark Terry</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">If you remember the movie "Bull Durham," at one point Kevin Costner's character, Crash Davis, tells Tim Robbins' character, Nuke LaLoushe, that "you have to play this game with fear and arrogance."</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none">To which Nuke says, "Fear and ignorance. Got it."</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none">Well, when it comes to the fiction biz, maybe they're both right.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none">I've often thought it takes a serious kind of arrogance (bordering on megalomania) to think that our daydreams not only would be of interest to other people, but of such interest that they would pay money for the privilege of sharing them. I know I'm supposed to say that there's a fine line between confidence and arrogance, but I actually suspect in this case that there's a wide gray borderland here littered with the corpses of unfinished and unpublished novel manuscripts, lying alongside abandoned dreams and failed writing careers--this is where the artist resides most of the time, and has to for their own protection. If there's anything that can kill a creative project better than fear, I don't know what it is.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none">The thing that makes novel writing so difficult is it's absolutely impossible to know if you're doing it right (or well). It's almost impossible to be objective about your own work, especially when you're in the middle of it. You may spend weeks or months or years working on something that you think is wonderful only for it to be a piece of crap. Or you may struggle with something you think is a piece of crap, but when you finish it and read it, find that it's just as good as anything else you've written. I know these feelings all too well.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none">That's fear.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none">Most novelists I've talked to who are regularly published also have this fear: I'm not going to be able to do it again, I won't get published and I'm going to have to go get some "real" job that I hate.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none">When really stressed, I have dreams (nightmares) that the writing didn't work out and I had to go back to work at the hospital.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none">PJ Parrish commented once to me that when she's stressed, she has nightmares about the writing not working out and having to go back to working at Big Boy.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none">I believe it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none">It's a dream job, but it's not all roses. I'm not whining. I'm just pointing out that Crash Davis (or the scriptwriter, whose name eludes me at the moment) was probably right: we play this game with fear and arrogance.</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal"><o:p>W</o:p>hat do you think? Are you all cocky, sure you’re the best thing since brewed beer? Or do you fear you’re writing garbage?</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal"><i>Todd Adds: Ron Shelton is the name you're looking for, Mark as far as the screenwriter of "Bull Durham" and my answer to your questions is that everyone who thinks they have something that another person not only wants to hear, read, see or experience, but </i>needs<i> to hear, read, see or experience has to have arrogance. </i></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal"><i>My dad once said that anyone who runs for political office has to be able to go into a room full of people and without knowing any of them, believe in his heart that he has better answers and greater solutions to the country's problems than all of them. A writer almost has to be the same way. </i></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal"><i>But just like most politicians (and if you don't believe me, check out the news lately), we need validation. We need someone to tell us that what we are doing is just as good as we think it is. And that is where the fear comes in. Great post by Mark. Check out his books, they are a great read!</i></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal"><o:p></o:p></p></div></div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15257016647239587930noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281259432071636313.post-79076502447124784792011-06-09T05:43:00.000-07:002011-06-09T05:54:30.582-07:00Can I Have an Autographed Copy?Do you have many times I've heard that question or different variances of it? <div><br /></div><div>"Can I have an autographed copy?"</div><div><br /></div><div>"When do I get my autographed copy?"</div><div><br /></div><div>"I want a free copy, and I want it signed!"</div><div><br /></div><div>That last one is the one that bothers me as an author. This is a touchy subject, but I have promised a lot of people that I would never hold back from telling the truth on this blog and in my writing. To paraphrase Stephen King, "if you lie in your writing, you are doing a disservice to yourself and your readers." </div><div><br /></div><div>I would never think to ask one of my author friends who has just published a book that they have slaved over for years, cried over in moments of darkness and despair, and finally bounced with joy as they held it in their hands (or saw it on their e-reader for the new generation) to <i>give</i> me a copy of their book. I want to <i>buy</i> their baby, the book that has been their dream for as long as they can remember. I want to support them, support their career. And the easiest way I can do that? Buy their book, not ask for a free one. </div><div><br /></div><div>So, I have added a button on my website called "Want an Autograph?" It is a Pay Pal button that will send you to their website where you can purchase an autographed copy of one (or both) of the Rick Frost books. I will autograph the book, then send it to the address associated with your Pay Pal account. If you want, send me an email with the Pay Pal info and your address to toddbushbooks@gmail.com so you can double up on the information distribution. </div><div><br /></div><div>The price is $10.00 for an autographed copy. Normally, the book is $8.99, but this way I can take care of shipping. So, all those who want their copy autographed, now you have a way! I look forward to hearing from you!</div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15257016647239587930noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281259432071636313.post-16161239338038914242011-06-05T11:57:00.000-07:002011-06-05T12:09:24.199-07:00The Irresistibility Sweet Blog Award<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKbae2hynW8FlFJPQ-lZKuOQDJONFEKKMYGKPlnhCxxouir4ljBqhTh9m7f98LS_tlVhuk9aYpmrtNsWeRa34xOdZ0zx6auv5ZMXRz266VgKeLTgAFnQqW_0YOIgwEVsoC8Esu1iICN2E/s1600/SWEET+BLOG+AWARD.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 178px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKbae2hynW8FlFJPQ-lZKuOQDJONFEKKMYGKPlnhCxxouir4ljBqhTh9m7f98LS_tlVhuk9aYpmrtNsWeRa34xOdZ0zx6auv5ZMXRz266VgKeLTgAFnQqW_0YOIgwEVsoC8Esu1iICN2E/s200/SWEET+BLOG+AWARD.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614812291424652178" /></a><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >MUCHO thanks to <a href="http://sassy3421.blogspot.com/">Carolyn Arnold</a> for nominating me for the Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award! Now I have to pass on the love, and there's rules. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >These are stipulations:<br />1) Thank and link to the person who nominated you.<br />2) Share 7 random things about yourself.<br />3) Pass the award on to 15 deserving blog buddies.<br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; ">4) Contact them to let them know.</span> </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >So here's my 7 random things about me:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >- I have a dog that's named after my favorite book character, Detective Harry Bosch. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >- I coach inside linebackers, running backs and special teams at the high school where I work.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >- My in-laws just learned out to Skype, and that is hours of free entertainment.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >- I graduated from a college that has an official mascot (Statesmen) and an unofficial mascot, the Fighting Okra. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >- I love college football, so much so that my family knows not to mess with me on Saturdays.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >- I started learning to write on a blog about being in the Air Force overseas.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >- My wife is pregnant with our second child!!!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Next, here's my deserving blog buddies that haven't been mentioned by others (I don't have 15):</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><a href="http://annsimko.com/">Ann Simko</a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><a href="http://www.jeseymour.com/">J.E. Seymour</a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><a href="http://markterrybooks.blogspot.com/">Mark Terry</a></span></div><div><a href="http://karendelabar.com/">Karen Delabar</a></div><div><a href="http://www.jannorris.com/">Jan Norris</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Once again, a big thanks to Carolyn!!</div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15257016647239587930noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281259432071636313.post-68751088712593813592011-06-04T07:34:00.000-07:002011-06-04T07:38:08.810-07:00Win An Autographed Copy<span class="Apple-style-span" >I am going to be giving away an AUTOGRAPHED copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rick-Frost-Alaskan-Adventure-Todd/dp/1461103797/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307198115&sr=8-1">RICK FROST & THE ALASKAN ADVENTURE</a> June 15th!</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >To be <span class="Apple-style-span" >entered</span>, all you have to do is to send an email to toddbushbooks@gmail.com and tell me you want to enter the contest. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>It was supposed to be an adventure in the wilds of Alaska, a test of manhood for all the boys signed up on the school trip. Instead it was nothing more than a long hike through some pretty trees. That is until Rick Frost and his friend Ben Nakni see a plane crash into the forest. A real adventure has just found them. </i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>The only survivors of the crash are Robert Blair and his daughter Alexis, who just happens to be the hottest teen actress in Hollywood. She was on her way to make a movie in the Katmai National Forest when the unthinkable happened. Rick and Ben pull them out of the wreckage as a team of assassins arrive to finish the job. </i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>The crash was no accident. Someone wants Alexis Blair dead and that puts Rick Frost in the cross hairs. He wanted an adventure; he got a wild ride through the unforgiving wilderness of America's last frontier.</i></span></div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15257016647239587930noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281259432071636313.post-14982764987218720462011-05-29T09:05:00.000-07:002011-05-29T09:07:20.587-07:00Memorial DayFreedom isn't free. It is bought with blood and the lives of those who are willing to sacrifice for those they have never met. On this Memorial Day, visit a cemetery... remember a relative or friend... or say a prayer, thanking God for men and women who have the guts, the fortitude and the patriotism to lay down their lives so that we can enjoy everything we have.<div><br /></div><div>God Bless America</div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15257016647239587930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281259432071636313.post-10130646997307920672011-05-28T05:28:00.000-07:002011-05-28T05:35:35.818-07:00Two Book Recommendations<span class="Apple-style-span" >I'm recommending two books today written by good friends of mine. Both are in the Mystery/Thriller/Suspense category. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >First up is <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/62102">Ties That Bind: A Madison Knight Novel</a> by Carolyn Arnold. "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span itemprop="description" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">When a woman is found strangled in her home, Detective Madison Knight and her partner Terry Grant rule it an isolated incident. But when another woman is murdered by the same line of neckties, they know it isn’t a coincidence. Now they must figure out the connection so they can stop a potential serial killer before he gets to his third victim."</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span itemprop="description" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span itemprop="description" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">Carolyn is a great writer, a better friend and one of the smartest people I know when it comes to the craft of writing. I read her blog all the time for tips on how to be better. I highly recommend her book.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span itemprop="description" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span itemprop="description" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">Next is <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/61707">Storm Rising: A Kelli Storm Novel </a>by Kenneth Hoss. "</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span itemprop="description" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">When a murder investigation turns Detective Kelli Storm’s attention to a drug kingpin, the last thing she expected was to find a link to her father’s killer from twenty years earlier.</span> "</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; ">Ken is a guy who is not only a friend, but an inspiration to anyone who thinks they can't do something. He is one of the most persistant, dedicated guys I know and I am not ashamed to say I admire him greatly. He is also a great writer. Highly recommend this one as well. </span></span></div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15257016647239587930noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281259432071636313.post-15875779548213823142011-05-21T06:41:00.000-07:002011-05-21T06:42:29.471-07:00A Great Review<a href="http://thebookishbabes.blogspot.com/2011/05/review-of-rick-frost-and-alaskan.html">Here</a> is another review of <i><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0050BR5TI">RICK FROST & THE ALASKAN ADVENTURE</a></b>.</i>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15257016647239587930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281259432071636313.post-56768008191300939232011-05-15T14:01:00.001-07:002011-05-15T15:39:57.823-07:00New Review and InterviewI had the joy of being interviewed by the website "Have Coffee... Will Write." It was a great experience and I hope it's the first of many! <a href="http://havecoffeewillwrite.wordpress.com/2011/05/15/interview-with-todd-bush-rick-frost-and-the-alaskan-adventure/">Read it here.</a><div><br /></div><div>The same site also just put up a review by <a href="http://havecoffeewillwrite.wordpress.com/2011/05/15/review-rick-frost-and-the-alaskan-adventure/">one of their tremendous writers.</a></div><div><br /></div><div>I have other reviews coming out and will let you guys know about them, good or bad. </div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15257016647239587930noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281259432071636313.post-57188332756376200662011-05-14T11:58:00.000-07:002011-05-14T12:03:05.233-07:00The Time Is Here<span class="Apple-style-span" >After years of writing, editing, querying, rejections and decisions... the time is here. My first novel is available. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i style="font-weight: bold; ">RICK FROST & THE ALASKAN ADVENTURE </i>is officially out and available on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0050BR5TI">Amazon.com</a> and <a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Rick-Frost-the-Alaskan-Adventure/Todd-Bush/e/2940012495358/?itm=1&USRI=rick+frost">BN.com</a> as an e-book. Here's the synopsis:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><p class="FreeForm" style="line-height:19.5pt"><span style="color: windowtext; "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>It was supposed to be an adventure in the wilds of Alaska, a test of manhood for all the boys signed up on the school trip. Instead it was nothing more than a long hike through some pretty trees. That is until Rick Frost and his friend Ben Nakni see a plane crash into the forest. A real adventure has just found them. <o:p></o:p></i></span></span></p> <p class="FreeForm" style="line-height:19.5pt"><span style="color: windowtext; "><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i> </i></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="FreeForm" style="line-height:19.5pt"><span style="color: windowtext; "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>The only survivors of the crash are Robert Blair and his daughter Alexis, who just happens to be the hottest teen actress in Hollywood. She was on her way to make a movie in the Katmai National Forest when the unthinkable happened. Rick and Ben pull them out of the wreckage as a team of assassins arrive to finish the job.<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i> </i></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="Body"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span style="color: windowtext; "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>The crash was no accident. Someone wants Alexis Blair dead and that puts Rick Frost in the cross hairs. He wanted an adventure; he got a wild ride through the unforgiving wilderness of America's last frontier. </i></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: windowtext; "><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="Body"><span class="Apple-style-span" >If you are interested in purchasing a print copy, be patient for me. It will be available in a couple of weeks.</span></p><p class="Body"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Thanks to everyone for your help, your support and I hope you enjoy <i style="font-weight: bold; ">RICK FROST & THE ALASKAN ADVENTURE</i>!!</span></p></div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15257016647239587930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281259432071636313.post-40308237500352509732011-05-08T15:54:00.000-07:002011-05-08T16:00:00.515-07:00T-minus One WeekIf I were an astronaut, you'd have me and my book sequestered at NASA, just going over the mission plan a few hundred more times, completely a few more tests and then getting ready for lift off. If my book and I were a football team, we'd been in the town where the Super Bowl was being held, with two or three more practices scheduled, as well as media day and the last two nights spent away from everyone before the big game. <div><br /></div><div>But I'm just a self-published writer and my book is a simple YA adventure novel. We don't get to be sequestered (thank God, I could be on the Casey Anthony jury!) or go to a media day (which would damn sure help with sales). We only get to work on the edits for the second novel, and start writing the third. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>RICK FROST & THE ALASKAN ADVENTURE </i>comes out May 15, exactly one week from today. The print copy will be coming out very soon thereafter. I am still a little shocked that this is happening. But it is, and soon you'll have a new hero in your midst, one who has a lot of adventures to go and hopefully a long time to get there. </div><div><br /></div><div>I look forward to talking with you guys soon, and I hope you'll pick up a copy (on Kindle, Nook, Smashwords, etc. for e-books; Amazon for the print version) of <i>RICK FROST & THE ALASKAN ADVENTURE</i>!</div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15257016647239587930noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281259432071636313.post-45855133074742836322011-05-08T07:35:00.000-07:002011-05-08T07:37:55.361-07:00Happy Mother's DayTo all the mom's out there, who gave birth to us, who nurtured us, who taught us, who coached us, who cared for us, who supported us, who worried about us, who cried with us, who smiled as we walked down the aisle, who stood waiting outside the hospital room door even with the nurse said not to, who spoils our kids, and who is the angel God created especially for us...<div><br /></div><div><b>THANK YOU!!! We love you, Mom!!!!</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!</b></div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15257016647239587930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281259432071636313.post-35234098677842647072011-05-06T18:25:00.000-07:002011-05-06T18:54:57.477-07:00I Write Alone<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: georgia, 'bookman old style', 'palatino linotype', 'book antiqua', palatino, 'trebuchet ms', helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, 'avante garde', 'century gothic', 'comic sans ms', times, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: medium; " >"A writer and nothing else: a man alone in a room with the English language, trying to get human feelings right." ~John K. Hutchens, <i>New York Herald Tribune</i>, 10 September 1961</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: georgia, 'bookman old style', 'palatino linotype', 'book antiqua', palatino, 'trebuchet ms', helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, 'avante garde', 'century gothic', 'comic sans ms', times, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: medium; " ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: georgia, 'bookman old style', 'palatino linotype', 'book antiqua', palatino, 'trebuchet ms', helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, 'avante garde', 'century gothic', 'comic sans ms', times, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: medium; " >When Mr. Hutchens wrote that, he might have directed the quote to the enormity of the task set before every writer as he or she sits down at the keyboard to try and create a new world out of thin air. But he touched on something so fundamental, so essential, and so powerfully sad that it might be missed as you read the words. To write is to be alone. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: georgia, 'bookman old style', 'palatino linotype', 'book antiqua', palatino, 'trebuchet ms', helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, 'avante garde', 'century gothic', 'comic sans ms', times, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: medium; " ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: georgia, 'bookman old style', 'palatino linotype', 'book antiqua', palatino, 'trebuchet ms', helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, 'avante garde', 'century gothic', 'comic sans ms', times, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: medium; " >I love <i>The Lord of the Rings</i> trilogy. And yes, I realize it is actually a saga (no, Stephanie Meyer didn't invent that word) because of <i>The Hobbit</i>. I love the books, and I love the movies. The imagery, the drama, the thrills, the characters... I love everything about it. Remember the scene in the movies when Frodo, Sam, Pippin and Merry are back at the The Green Dragon (the pub in Hobbiton) after their adventure to destroy the Ring of Power. They each have a mug of ale in front of them, and as the party goes on all around them, the four friends simply look at each other with small, almost strained smiles on their faces. They are silent, then clink their mugs together in an unseen salute to the victory only they will fully understand or appreciate. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: georgia, 'bookman old style', 'palatino linotype', 'book antiqua', palatino, 'trebuchet ms', helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, 'avante garde', 'century gothic', 'comic sans ms', times, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: medium; " ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: georgia, 'bookman old style', 'palatino linotype', 'book antiqua', palatino, 'trebuchet ms', helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, 'avante garde', 'century gothic', 'comic sans ms', times, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: medium; " >That's what it's like to be a writer. You and you alone know the immense amount of thought and planning it took to build the story. Only you know understand every little nuance of the character's lives. And even though many have, or will, read the book, only you know what happened between the lines and behind the scenes. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: georgia, 'bookman old style', 'palatino linotype', 'book antiqua', palatino, 'trebuchet ms', helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, 'avante garde', 'century gothic', 'comic sans ms', times, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: medium; " ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: georgia, 'bookman old style', 'palatino linotype', 'book antiqua', palatino, 'trebuchet ms', helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, 'avante garde', 'century gothic', 'comic sans ms', times, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: medium; " >But beyond those things, there is the craft itself. Why the word "but" is better in once instance instead of "however;" when you read through the first draft for the first time months after writing the first words and discover a thread of theme loosely tied in the story arc; or how minor characters from your story are literary descendants of the greats like Gatsby, Othello or Bob Cratchit. No one who isn't a writer cares about these things. They don't want to hear about them. When you even mention writing, if the first few words out of your mouth aren't "royalties" or "advance" or "sales" then people aren't interested. Their eyes glaze over and if they were honest, they'd listen to you ramble forever, then when you ask them for a comment on something, they'd say "I'm sorry I quit listening ten minutes ago; I'm thinking about what I'm having for dinner tonight." </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: georgia, 'bookman old style', 'palatino linotype', 'book antiqua', palatino, 'trebuchet ms', helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, 'avante garde', 'century gothic', 'comic sans ms', times, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: medium; " ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: georgia, 'bookman old style', 'palatino linotype', 'book antiqua', palatino, 'trebuchet ms', helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, 'avante garde', 'century gothic', 'comic sans ms', times, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: medium; " >A writer sits at his keyboard, stares at the blinking cursor, and to paraphrase someone a lot smarter than I am, waits for blood to drip from their forehead. We agonize over things, pour over details and sweat each paragraph, sentence and word. Then after each painful battle has been fought, when the climb up the insurmountable mountain has been made and we stand on the peak of our own writing-centered Everest, we have to endure that most horrific and gut-wrenching of blows: to be rejected, however benignly, by those whose interest and praise we want the most. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: georgia, 'bookman old style', 'palatino linotype', 'book antiqua', palatino, 'trebuchet ms', helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, 'avante garde', 'century gothic', 'comic sans ms', times, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: medium; " ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: georgia, 'bookman old style', 'palatino linotype', 'book antiqua', palatino, 'trebuchet ms', helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, 'avante garde', 'century gothic', 'comic sans ms', times, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: medium; " >It is a terrible fall and for some writers, famously it sent them into tailspins. Hemingway, Fitzgerald, they both drank themselves into an early grave. The list of writers who have destroyed themselves through addiction, depression or some combination of both is as long as some of our novels. How to avoid being one of them? I don't have the answer. Only a knowing nod, a small strained smile and a raised mug of Green Dragon ale. Drink hearty, my friends. </span></div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15257016647239587930noreply@blogger.com6