(Letchworth State Park - where I'll be hiking with my daughter in a few hours!)
Good morning friends,
This morning I woke at 2:40 and couldn't get back to sleep. My usual time to rise these days is 4:30, since I'm falling asleep every night now at 8:30, especially after the time change! Gosh, what an old geezer, huh?
Anyway, as I lay there thinking about what I'd write to you today, I realized how much I'd been writing about me, me, me. It's so boring. And it's so out of character for me. Okay - I know it's what you're supposed to do when you're an author and you are reaching out for readers and connections. You're supposed to push like hell and get your name out there, because "no one ever bought a book they haven't heard about." Or so they say. I guess it makes sense. And I do so love to write and connect with readers, so I make myself do it, even though it still feels weird after all this time.
After a few obligatory announcements, I'd like to ask YOU to tell me about you, you, you! Enough of me. Or, even better, tell me about your current works in progress. I have a challenge for you, and hope you will accept it!
First of all, let's get the announcements out of the way. The Kodak print ambassador video is up! For those of you who haven't discovered it yet, I'd love to get your feedback. Most likely, you will have to click on the picture of my ugly mug, wait for the video to load, and then hit "play." But the best part of this whole thing is that Kodak is giving away ten copies of Tremolo every week for ten weeks, and you can win one just by clicking and signing up! Please tell your friends about this if they like mysteries, 'cause you can't get a better deal than free! I have autographed all 100 books, so go for it! They make good holiday gifts. ;o)
Secondly, I received a review yesterday that blew me away. It was so lovely - but the best part of it is that this guy, Bob Williams, is a well-known literary scholar. You know the feeling you used to get when you pleased an unusually tough teacher? That's how I felt when I read Bob's review. Relieved. Proud. Smilin'. ;o)
Third(ly?), I'd like to invite those of you who live in Upstate NY to several book signings where I'll be signing all three LeGarde mysteries. I'd love to meet some of my Gather friends in person!
One last thing - I'm starting a contest for another way to win a free copy of Tremolo. Write an imaginary scene between you and Gus LeGarde. Or your favorite character from your own writing and Gus. Or ANYBODY and Gus! Keep it between 500 - 800 words, and post it on the www.writing.gather.com group, with a heads up email to me with "Conversation with Gus" in the subject line. The winner will get a signed copy of Tremolo as well as have their piece posted on www.legardemysteries.com. I'll judge the entries at the end of December, and will post the results on Gather and lots of other forums. If you have any questions, just write to me here at Gather, or at aaron . lazar @ yahoo.com (without the spaces.)
Okay, let's talk about you, you, you!
Are you a writer? Do you have a manuscript in hand? Or a masterpiece in progress? Or a wild idea of a novel that will take the world by storm?
Ever tried to write a short synopsis? Oh yeah, the dreaded synopsis. I'm sure you've all suffered through it. It's pure hell! Trying to reduce your beloved entire book into 150 words for a back cover blurb??? Impossible! It's a lot harder than writing a whole book, at least for me.
If you have a book in hand or your head, and would like to try posting your synopsis here in the comments section, please do! Take as much time as you need, I'll check back throughout the next few weeks.
Good luck! And remember, write like the wind!
- Aaron
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Comments: 22
Great review by Bob Williams. Congrats on Tremolo, best wishes on it.
fz
Aaron, I am going to try to get to one of your book signings! (I'm a Rochesterian!)
When a small, conservative Texas town wakes up to find a Pentagram on the grounds of a newly established business, the locals are unsettled and the churches tense. Will an outsider, a sensitive with a history reach into the past and overcome her prejudices and fears in order to persuade the town to co-inhabit peacefully with it's new neighbors?
Debbie G's book, Spontaneous Combustion dives deeply into the hidden world of psychic adventure as main character, Allyson, endeavors to overcome her past and foster a sense of community that she herself has been previously denied.
Based on true events this metaphysical journey will take you into the mind, and paranormal experiences of a psychic confronting ethical and moral issues both unique and common to the reader. Be prepared to expect the unexpected throughout this tantalizing first novel.
So I'm working on a novel for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). Never wrote anytihng so fast in my life, and it shows. What an incoherent piece of "you know what", but I think I can edit it into an interesting read once November is over and that word count meter isn't hanging over my head. 50,000 words in a month. I think we've all gone crazy. So here is a synopsis for my NaNoWriMo WIP. (I'm just over 20,000 words now).
Synopsis
************************
Lara doesn't know what to think when Reece Jericho storms into her life. He claims he's saving her from her own murder. A senseless death that takes place two years in the future. She obviously doesn't believe him, until he shows her a newspaper clipping of the event and explains the significance of the ancient artifact he wears around his neck. It allows him to travel through time. Reece, who is apparently Lara's fiancee in the future, warns her that a man named Carl is chasing him through time and if he catches them, Lara's death is assured.
When Carl arrives moments later, Reece activates the artifact, and the world slips away. The world reappears within seconds, but things are not quite what Lara expected. She finds herself in the arms of a gigantic, blood splattered Viking and she's naked! Follow Lara and Reece on an adventure through time, as they try to escape the future by making pit stops in medieval England, a harem, and feudal Japan. They fall in love along the way, but will they ever be able to escape Carl? He shows up every three days and they don't seem to have time to catch their breath. And when Lara discovers the truth about her murder, will she want to keep running? Or will she take Reece's advice: Don't Look Before You Leap.
****************************
That's the working title "Don't Look Before You Leap." But it's kind of corny. I might change it. It's a romance/comedy/adventure/paranormal/suspense. I figure that's enough genres to keep me entertained.
A young farm boy, from a family of laborers(black smiths) and ministers grows up in Iowa. He lives all of his life in a fifty-mile radius. This young man has talent, curiosity
and intelligence. He also would like to fly. Pearl Harbor changes his life. He leaves his
comfort zone, delivering groceries to Ronnie Regan at the Ottumwa Airbase and signs
up with the United States Navy. The Navy puts him through four years of college in two
years. Teaches our young man to fly and stations him in Vero Beach, Florida.
Our hero makes friends wherever he goes. When he crashes his burning plane at Vero
Beach, several people, are praying for his life and don't even know that it is him in the plane. When he's pulled from the plane his hands and face are burned and the doctor
thinks he has a crushed chest. The accident keeps him from flying in battle so the Navy
makes him a trainer. He spends the rest of the War in the Pacific.
He gives up his Naval career and a chance to pilot the Admiral of the Pacific Fleet to return to his small hometown. And that is where the real story begins.
The tenative title is: An Ordinary Man, An Extraordinary Life
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977173412
"RoseMarie felt dead, without feelings for anything or anyone, and only the beat of her heart kep her alive. Wdid she feel this way? What was so bad that a fairly healthy woman would even consider suicide? In desperation, RoseMarie reached out in 1995 to connect with someone-anyone-and found a dear friend in an unlikely place-on the Internet. Thus began one of the deepest friendships she had ever known and created a virtual lifeline for the both of them. For the next nine years the two women lived their lives in daily contac, laughing, crying, supporting each other in a relationship unlike any either could have imagined. Then the unforseeable happened."
Frank - thanks for stopping in! I appreciate your well wishes and hope you are healthy and happy. ;o)
John - you made my day. Thank you for buying, reading, and commenting on Double Forte'. While it was my first book, and I think my current book (#12) shows a lot of growth as a writer, I still have close ties to Double Forte', since it contains so much of my own life and philosophies. Like a child, almost. You know?
Debbie - you sure were up to the challenge of creating a scene with Gus! I LOVED your entry, and hope others will click on your icon to go see it. It was sublime, my friend.
Cori - Great! I'd love to meet a fellow Gatherite at a book signing! Be sure you tell me who you are at the moment - sometimes it can get crazy at those things. I don't want to not "recognize" you!!! We need to grow the Rochester area Gatherites - maybe soon we can rival the Boston area members!!
Back to Debbie: I've included some comments and suggestions in parentheses. You know this book intrigues the heck out of me, and I'm already behind you on it! Keep writing!!! You have a great gift!
Please take the following suggestions with a grain of salt - no one has the perfect solution to YOU synopsis. Just see if any of it makes sense and use what you can! ;o)
"When a small, conservative Texas town wakes up to find a Pentagram on the grounds of a newly established business (chills here), the locals are unsettled and the churches tense. (Excellent first line!) Will an outsider, a sensitive with a history reach into the past and overcome her prejudices and fears in order to persuade the town to co-inhabit peacefully with it's new neighbors? (This line might be improved a tad – let's see what we can do with it! Is there a word you'd be comfortable with to replace "sensitive?" I hadn't heard that term before and it might confuse your potential publisher. ;o) Would "psychic" be okay? How about 'Can an outsider, a psychic woman with a tortured past, overcome her past and help resolve the crisis?' or something like that?)
Debbie G's book,(<--delete 'Debbie G's book') Spontaneous Combustion, ('a contemporary paranormal thriller' or whatever genre you choose) dives deeply into the hidden world of psychic adventure as main character(delete: 'main character'), Allyson (insert Allyson's last name), endeavors to overcome her past and foster a sense of community that(delete 'that') she herself has been (replace 'has been' with 'was' for more immediacy) previously denied.
Based on true events(insert comma) this metaphysical journey will take(use 'propel' instead of 'take') you into the mind,(delete comma) and paranormal experiences of a psychic confronting ethical and moral issues both unique and common to the reader. Be prepared to expect the unexpected throughout this tantalizing first novel.
(excellent last line!)"
Deb - this was great! Thanks for entering the challenge!
Jamie - I'm so jealous of your NaNoWriteMo adventure! If I wasn't stuck doing my "day job" and nurturing a very large family, I'd be right there with you!!! Fantastic! Let's take a look at your synopsis:
Lara doesn't know what to think when Reece Jericho storms into her life. (great opener!!)He claims he's saving her from her own murder.(Oooo! Excellent!) A senseless death that takes place two years in the future. (I would combine these previous two sentences and separate with a comma) She obviously(delete 'obviously') doesn't believe him, until he shows her a newspaper clipping of the event and explains the significance of the ancient artifact he wears around his neck. It allows him to travel through time. (I usually like to avoid "that" or "which" as connectors, but I think the previous sentences might read smoother as one, separated by one of the two words? Or another mechanism?)Reece, who is apparently Lara's fiancee in the future (could you say 'Lara's fiancee from the future?' and lose the 'apparently'?), warns her that a man named Carl is chasing him through time and if he catches them, Lara's death is assured.(great intriguing setup!)
When Carl arrives moments later, Reece activates the artifact, and the world slips away. The world reappears within seconds, but things are not quite what Lara expected.(I think you can delete the previous sentence, since what follows explains it.) She finds herself in the arms of a gigantic, blood splattered Viking and she's naked! (How about 'In a flash, Lara is lying naked in the arms of a blood spattered Viking.' I don't know if that's right, either, but I think we can tweak it to be even more smooth, etc.) Follow Lara and Reece on an adventure through time, as they try to escape the future by making pit stops in medieval England, a harem, and feudal Japan. (<--excellent!) They fall in love along the way, but will they ever be able to escape Carl? He shows up every three days and they don't seem to have time to catch their breath. (I would perhaps cut this to say, 'Falling in love along the way, the couple stuggle to avoid Carl, who shows up every three days with murderous intentions.')And when Lara discovers the truth about her murder, will she want to(delete 'want to') keep running? Or will she take Reece's advice: Don't Look Before You Leap.(great last line!)
Jamie - this is a wonderful plot and there are some great one-liners in here that I can see on a back cover blurb and in promotional materials! Great job! And thanks for joining the challenge!
Cheryl - I can imagine that I'd be the same way - stopping and "fixing" stuff way too frequently! It's hard NOT to do that!
Okay, I've run out of time. But I'll be back soon to make more comments - I hope this is okay with all of you? Just friendly suggestions to help us all learn. ;o)
Kathryn - thank you for your kind words. You're the best!
Hi, Pamela! Thank you.
Hey, Cecile - sorry I didn't get to your site yet. Hope to get there soon.
Rose Marie - very intriguing!!
Marianne, you made me chuckle. That's the farthest from the truth in my humble opinion, but thanks!
Kerry - best of luck with your nonfiction work!
my article on winning the book
I find that when I try to write the synopsis, I can't seem to shut off the internal editor, but when I'm telling someone about the book, it makes complete sense. Maybe I should record myself, then type it out!!