Monday Thoughts

As someone who has spent my whole life as an introvert, it's been a struggle for me to put myself out in the public eye to promote and market my novel. Yes, I am trying to increase sales, but anything I do make, I am putting aside to fund my sequel to The Raven Chronicles: Magic Reborn. I think I have written a decent book. Other than one devastating review on Amazon (I admit, it did bother me for a couple of days. but after a self-inflicted pity party, I put it behind me), the feedback has been positive. I have had conversations with people who had some constructive criticism for me, which I absolutely listen to and learn from. As a new writer, by no means do I think I know everything there is to writing. I'm basically learning as I go and am trying to put this knowledge to good use in my sequel.

One glass-shattering moment for me was when I read in several books and articles that when you initially write your story, i.e. First Draft, write it for yourself and how you want the story to look like. Once you finish, go back and edit it so that you're writing it for the reader. Once a book is published, it is no longer yours. It belongs to the reader. If it's well written and with a good story, the reader will be invested in it. Maybe they find themselves feeling like they have much in common with the hero. Maybe they feel for a victim or a side character who has a lot of depth. Perhaps that can even understand why a villain feels as they do. That's why I love the fantasy genre. I love finding a good book and getting lost in its world. That's what I hope to accomplish with my writing.

I mentioned earlier that I thought I wrote a decent novel. Is it something that will change the world? Absolutely not. Is it something that can take your mind off of real-world issues for a while? I think so. Books are just that. A way to suspend reality for a while. I enjoy books of suspense, drama, and action. I've even read a political book or two, but I've learned that I hate politics and I try not to involve too much politics in my books. If it moves the story forward I might, but it will be minimalistic.

So, moving on to a new topic, yesterday was my birthday. Nothing too dramatic happened (I am an introvert, remember), but I did take a drive with my wife through the South Hills of southern Idaho. It was a beautiful, but warm day in the 90s, but at one point, the temperature dropped to around 78 degrees on the summit of Pike Mountain. We took our time and even managed to see some moose eating in a marsh. We stopped and took some pictures. We were up on a ridge and they were down in the marsh so we didn't go near them. One, we didn't want to disturb them more than we did by stopping, plus Moose are as unpredictable as the Bison in Yellowstone. They can attack without warning and can seriously hurt, if not kill you. So we kept our distance and enjoyed them from afar. We then took a road that took us through another portion of the South Hills and back out and into the desert plains to the west. I have included a few pics of our drive yesterday in the Gallery section of the website. I hope you enjoy them.

One reason I love Idaho is its diverse geology. Between ancient floods that carved the canyons and extinct volcanos, the landscape is absolutely breathtaking at times. Within an hour's drive, you can go from lush prairie grasses to sagebrush growing over lava fields.

Thank you, as always, for taking time out to read my blog. I am going to try to write more blogs and I am still toying with doing a podcast. maybe after I finish the sequel to Magic Reborn, I will entertain creating a podcast. Feel free to email me comments, suggestions or just to say hi. I will read every one of them and respond as soon as I can. Take care and enjoy your week!