Prelude to my on-air interview, cover art for “Twisted Key” and writing

Technorati Tags: radio interview,cover art,writing

 

I gave an on-air interview Tuesday morning on WOCA radio (1370 AM & 96.7 FM) (www.thesource1370.com) in Ocala, Florida.  I got to the station an hour early and parked in a space about thirty feet away from the studio, shut off the engine and let the radio run while I read a book. About 9:45, I was rudely disturbed by another car. It slammed into the driver’s side rear of my car, actually.

The damage to my 2002 Kia was only cosmetic, thankfully. The offending vehicle was an antique Pontiac station wagon, a real tank of a car. The passenger side front fender had driven up onto the rear bumper of my Kia and broke the plastic cover over my tail light. When the driver reversed, the bottom edge of his fender ripped a half-dollar sized hole in the top of the bumper. He’d only owned the beast for a month and wasn’t all that good at judging distance with that football field of a hood in front of him. He’d turned into the empty parking space beside me, but he turned just a bit too late.

There was absolutely no damage to the old Pontiac. Didn’t even scratch the paint. We exchanged addresses and insurance companies and I headed off to do the radio interview.

The radio interview went very well. Larry Whittler and Robin Mac Blaine do a great job with their Drive-Time talk radio show. And Joe Martone, the station manager, is a great guy with a lot of good stories he’s collected over his years in radio. 

During the interview, we talked about “Hog Valley”  and my upcoming book signing at “A Novel idea” bookstore in the Ocala Shopping Center on Silver Springs Boulevard, and spent a few minutes  on my third novel, “Twisted Key”, that I hope to have available in July of this year. There’s a Podcast of the interview that should be available in the next day or so – it hasn’t been posted yet. But when you go to the web site www.thesource1370.com, click on the Programs link at the top of the page and then click on the photo of Larry and Robin. On the next page, click on the large Podcast image below their photo. Then look for the ‘Interview with Gary Showalter’. I’ll have it posted on my web site as soon as Robin sends me the link.

There is a LiveStream video of the interview, if you prefer: http://www.livestream.com/woca/video?clipId=pla_8a0b24bc-04f0-4040-8916-2c974a8d7c0c

So when I drove back to Ocala on Saturday, I was in a brand new Chevy Impala (a rental), courtesy of his insurance company. The book signing ran from noon to 2:00 PM, and went very well, indeed. To the gang of ladies who work the store - thank you all very much!

Afterward, I stopped by Mickey Summer’s home to check on the cover art for “Twisted Key”. He’s got the background done and the focal point for the painting is there for all to see. He’ll have it complete by the next weekend and I hope to drive back to Ocala for the photography. Once I have that I'll be all set to send it off to the publisher.

“Lonesome Cove” is moving apace. I’ve got 202 pages written as of this afternoon. I’m going to do a lot of editing in the manuscript over the next week to tighten things up, so that number might actually drop to something closer to 190 pages before I get back to writing new material. Or maybe not. As I’ve said, my characters tell me what to write. We argue a lot, and I don’t always get my way. I’m just the author – my characters breath life into my stories, so I have to let them have their way. Otherwise, they’ll give up on me and find someone else to write for them.

Have a good week, and stay safe.

Prelude to my on-air interview, cover art for “Lonesome Key” and writing

Technorati Tags: radio interview,cover art,writing

 

I gave an on-air interview Tuesday morning on WOCA radio (1370 AM & 96.7 FM) (www.thesource1370.com) in Ocala, Florida.  I got to the station an hour early and parked in a space about thirty feet away from the studio, shut off the engine and let the radio run while I read a book. About 9:45, I was rudely disturbed by another car. It slammed into the driver’s side rear of my car, actually.

The damage to my 2002 Kia was only cosmetic, thankfully. The offending vehicle was an antique Pontiac station wagon, a real tank of a car. The passenger side front fender had driven up onto the rear bumper of my Kia and broke the plastic cover over my tail light. When the driver reversed, the bottom edge of his fender ripped a half-dollar sized hole in the top of the bumper. He’d only owned the beast for a month and wasn’t all that good at judging distance with that football field of a hood in front of him. He’d turned into the empty parking space beside me, but he turned just a bit too late.

There was absolutely no damage to the old Pontiac. Didn’t even scratch the paint. We exchanged addresses and insurance companies and I headed off to do the radio interview.

The radio interview went very well. Larry Whittler and Robin Mac Blaine do a great job with their Drive-Time talk radio show. And Joe Martone, the station manager, is a great guy with a lot of good stories he’s collected over his years in radio. 

During the interview, we talked about “Hog Valley”  and my upcoming book signing at “A Novel idea” bookstore in the Ocala Shopping Center on Silver Springs Boulevard, and spent a few minutes  on my third novel, “Twisted Key”, that I hope to have available in July of this year. There’s a Podcast of the interview that should be available in the next day or so – it hasn’t been posted yet. But when you go to the web site www.thesource1370.com, click on the Programs link at the top of the page and then click on the photo of Larry and Robin. On the next page, click on the large Podcast image below their photo. Then look for the ‘Interview with Gary Showalter’. I’ll have it posted on my web site as soon as Robin sends me the link.

There is a LiveStream video of the interview, if you prefer: http://www.livestream.com/woca/video?clipId=pla_8a0b24bc-04f0-4040-8916-2c974a8d7c0c

So when I drove back to Ocala on Saturday, I was in a brand new Chevy Impala (a rental), courtesy of his insurance company. The book signing ran from noon to 2:00 PM, and went very well, indeed. To the gang of ladies who work the store - thank you all very much!

Afterward, I stopped by Mickey Summer’s home to check on the cover art for “Twisted Key”. He’s got the background done and the focal point for the painting is there for all to see. He’ll have it complete by the next weekend and I hope to drive back to Ocala for the photography. Once I have that I'll be all set to send it off to the publisher.

“Lonesome Cove” is moving apace. I’ve got 202 pages written as of this afternoon. I’m going to do a lot of editing in the manuscript over the next week to tighten things up, so that number might actually drop to something closer to 190 pages before I get back to writing new material. Or maybe not. As I’ve said, my characters tell me what to write. We argue a lot, and I don’t always get my way. I’m just the author – my characters breath life into my stories, so I have to let them have their way. Otherwise, they’ll give up on me and find someone else to write for them.

Have a good week, and stay safe.

“Lonesome Cove”, “Twisted Key” and Google SketchUp

Technorati Tags: writing,editing,cover art,software review

 

Let’s talk about software first. Google’s “SketchUp” ( http://sketchup.google.com/) is an unlimited use, free 3D modeling program. There is a pay version for around $495.00, but most people will never need the additional features. Google developed SketchUp for use in modeling structures in Google Earth. Then they figured out it was commercially viable and put it on the market. It is without a doubt the easiest to use 3D CAD program in the whole wide world.

There is a learning curve associated with any design program of course, but Google has managed to simplify things to the Nth degree.That URL contains links to a lot of on-line training videos and all of the help you will ever need to become proficient in the use of this lovely little program.

But wait, there’s more!

I’m not designing buildings. I spent a lot of my life as a furniture maker/restorer/designer. Check the Photo Gallery on my web site (http://garyshowalter.com/PhotoGallery.aspx) for samples. I don’t have photos of every piece I’ve ever built or designed, but there is enough there to prove that I have spent many hours over a drawing board. In the 1980’s I worked with AutoDesk’s AutoCAD in a few architectural firms and even owned one of the early versions of AutoCAD LT.

Google SketchUp is a perfect tool for woodworkers who do their own design work. Fine Woodworking magazine (http://www.finewoodworking.com/) sells a downloadable (in *.PDF format) eBook titled “Google SketchUp Guide for Woodworkers” by Timothy S. Killen through their on-line Store (http://store.finewoodworking.com/sketchup-guide-for-woodworkers-tim-killen-ebook-077846.html). It costs $12.99 and is well worth the price.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I am going to be building myself a proper desk for my home office. It will be based on the Wooton Patent Office Desk, and I include a photo here so you can get an idea of what I’m talking about:

 

I have no intention of building anything as fancy as that desk. There won’t be any fretwork on the top and I will cut the pigeon holes above the writing surface to a minimum; I need that space for a computer monitor, for a start, and below the drop-down writing surface I need space on the left for the computer case and on the right I need space for a trash can. In between I need space for my knobby knees. Most of the storage space inside the doors will be for file folders, spare pens, cell phones, specialty paper and so on. My version of the desk will be about 48” across the front and about 60” high.

I much prefer Shaker-style furniture; simple clean lines where form follows function so the desk will have clean lines with a minimum amount of molding. I am not a fan of dark woods, especially in small rooms (dark wood just sucks all of the light out of a room). Since I don’t have a large (or even a small) workshop nowadays (or even a workbench, much less a place to put one), I will be working in veneered plywood for the case and using ‘Real’ wood to trim it out along all of the exposed edges. And a router to cut dadoes and mortises and trimming edges and so on.

But don’t think SketchUp is limited to designing buildings for GoogleEarth or designing furniture. Approachable, useable 3D CAD software can be adapted for use in just about any craft. At these prices, what have you got to lose?

“Lonesome Cove” is close to 180 pages now, and is fast approaching a few critical scenes. I've backed of writing for a few days while the scenes sort themselves out in the depths of my lizard brain. Actually, I just got tired of writing and took a few days off to see what the rest of the world is up to. I’ll be back to work on it today.

I have a radio interview at 10:00 in Ocala on Tuesday morning at WOCA AM to discuss “Hog Valley” and and announce the book signing at A Novel idea bookstore on Silver Springs Blvd on Saturday. I hope to pick up the cover art for “Twisted Key” from the artist after the interview and then I can get the package off to the publisher near the end of this month.

Wednesday morning I’ll be in Fernandina Beach to meet with some very nice people who have expressed an interest in carrying my books.

And of course on Saturday I will be at A Novel Idea on Silver Springs Blvd from noon to 2 PM. Stop by and say hello!

Have a good week.

“Twisted Key” has been completed

Technorati Tags: Editing,writing,events

 

I wrapped up the last of the edits for “Twisted Key” on Thursday. The manuscript is done. All of the add-on text – the Acknowledgements, Dedication page, Author’s Note and the first chapter of my next novel, “Lonesome Cove”, have been put in place. With any luck I will have the cover art in my hands near the end of the month and then I send the whole package of to the publisher. Two years worth of research, writing and rewriting and the editing is over.

My third novel, and it is done. I had expected to have the novel available in September of this year; it may well be out in July, at this rate.

Three people have seen the manuscript before the editing and all three have said it is the best yet. Very fast-paced, with a lot of humor and a few interesting asides. Katy O’Donnell owns an independent bookstore, ‘Well Loved Books’, here in Orange Park. She started reading at four in the afternoon and didn’t get up until she finished at ten that night.

Both of the editors who worked through the entire manuscript had similar reactions to the story.

I may never get rich doing this, but reactions like these will keep me writing.

“Lonesome Cove”, my fourth novel, is just about writing itself; there are 156 good pages, which puts me over the half-way point in the story. I had to stop work on it to finish the editing on “Twisted Key”, but I will be back at work on the manuscript tomorrow morning.

I’ll be doing an on-air interview at WOCA 1370AM in Ocala on the 22nd of March at 10 AM, and a book signing on Saturday, the 26th, at “A Novel Idea” bookstore in the Beal’s Plaza on Silver Springs Blvd between noon and 2 PM.

Have a good week

“Twisted Key” has been completed

Technorati Tags: Editing,writing,events

 

I wrapped up the last of the edits for “Twisted Key” on Thursday. The manuscript is done. All of the add-on text – the Acknowledgements, Dedication page, Author’s Note and the first chapter of my next novel, “Lonesome Cove”, have been put in place. With any luck I will have the cover art in my hands near the end of the month and then I send the whole package of to the publisher. Two years worth of research, writing and rewriting and the editing is over.

My third novel, and it is done. I had expected to have the novel available in September of this year; it may well be out in July, at this rate.

Three people have seen the manuscript before the editing and all three have said it is the best yet. Very fast-paced, with a lot of humor and a few interesting asides. Katy O’Donnell owns an independent bookstore, ‘Well Loved Books’, here in Orange Park. She started reading at four in the afternoon and didn’t get up until she finished at ten that night.

Both of the editors who worked through the entire manuscript had similar reactions to the story.

I may never get rich doing this, but reactions like these will keep me writing.

“Lonesome Cove”, my fourth novel, is just about writing itself; there are 156 good pages, which puts me over the half-way point in the story. I had to stop work on it to finish the editing on “Twisted Key”, but I will be back at work on the manuscript tomorrow morning.

I’ll be doing an on-air interview at WOCA 1370AM in Ocala on the 22nd of March at 10 AM, and a book signing on Saturday, the 26th, at “A Novel Idea” bookstore in the Beal’s Plaza on Silver Springs Blvd between noon and 2 PM.

First edits for “Twisted Key” and “Lonesome Cove” update

Technorati Tags: editing,writing,book signings

 

I picked up the manuscript from one of my editors over the weekend after a book signing in Ocala (more on that later). So far I’ve worked through the first ten chapters and expect to have this round complete by mid-week. With any luck I’ll have the edits back from my other editor near the end of the week and have it all done and ready for the publisher by the end of next week.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the few readers who have seen the manuscript ran through the entire novel in one or two sittings (I’m not sure if that’s a selling point or not; lots of people want a book that will last for a while).

“Lonesome Cove” is shaping up very nicely; I would go so far as to say that this story is writing itself. I am very close to 160 pages into the manuscript, which puts me in the unenviable position of not wanting to stop writing it to work on the edits for “Twisted Key”. But needs must when the devil drives, so I have put “Lonesome Cove” aside for a week.

“Books By George”, in Ocala is located in Six-Gun Plaza on East Silver Springs Blvd. It is a large and well laid out store with a great selection of used books and a very friendly staff. They put on quite a show Saturday. Allan Ansorge and myself were the feature authors, along with a numerologist and a temporary tattoo artist for the kids. Allan is a well-known author of mysteries and writes with a quirky sense of humor. He is very well spoken, and one of the nicest people you would ever want to meet.

I have an on-air interview with Larry Whittler and Robin McBlane on WOCA 1370 AM radio in Ocala on the 22nd of March at 10 o’clock in the morning, to feature my recent novel, “Hog Valley” and a book signing at “A Novel idea” bookstore in Ocala.

On the 26th of March I will be signing books at “A Novel Idea” in the Beal’s Plaza shopping Center on East Silver Springs Blvd from 12 noon to 2 PM. If you’re in the area, stop by and say hello.

Have a good week, and stay safe.