Come, thou Fount of every blessing

"Come, thou Fount of Every Blessing."

It is, quite simply, my favorite hymn. Spiritual, beautifully written, simple and direct in its meaning. I'm listening to it as I begin to write this. One day -- long from now, I hope -- it will be sung at my funeral.

But this blog isn't about something so deep, spiritual or religious. It is about words. In particular, one word.

Now as a writer, I love words, of course. But there are some words I just love more than others. For example, there's both loquacious and logorrhea. Anyone who has actually spoken to me -- or, more correctly, who has listened to me -- would certainly say both can be applied to me, particularly when I'm nervous.

Then there's serendipity. I love the meaning but it's the wonderful sound of the word that truly touches me.

Serendipity.

And, of course, there's callipygian.

I started with the word callipygian in mind when I wrote an entire Kendall Hunter murder mystery story. It was my sole inspiration. (You can find my story titled Callipygian in The Fine Art of Murder, a short story anthology published by Blue River Press for the Speed City chapter of Sisters in Crime.) Plus, those who know me well will certainly testify as to why I love this adjective.

All this gets me to the single word I am thinking about today.

Fount.

It is such a niffy little word. Middle English, I think.

Although I am sure I have heard or seen it used before, I don't remember the word fount used in any context other than in the hymn, "Come, thou Fount of Every Blessing." It means source, of course, so in the hymn, the source of every blessing refers to Jesus.

Like I said, a niffy little word.

But I need to correct something. I didn't remember seeing the word used other than in the hymn until I ran across it last week while reading Rhys Bowen's newest book, In Farleigh Field. And when I read it, I sat up and poked my wife. She knows how much I love the hymn.

A character in Rhys' novel used it to describe his father as being a fount of knowledge about history. And he was right. The old man was.

So there you have it. A word I love. A word I find inspirational. A word I will probably start randomly dropping on people.

Now go forth and be a fount of knowledge about something.

And thanks for reading.

      



  

Watch out agents, editors and publishers. I'm coming for you.

I've started compiling a new list of agents, editors and publishers to submit to. I have two novels which are going out -- a David Blaise detective novel I wrote in 2011 and which has gone through my critique group and re-written, and a stand alone Rachel Edelstein suspense novel, although there is a non-suspense Rachel novel waiting in the wings. I wrote that last November.

So, publishing world, be on the lookout. Established agents and new agents, traditional publishing houses (large and small) and independents, even Amazon imprints . . . I'm coming for you hard this year.  And you are going to love what I've got for you.

You have been warned.

Thanks for reading.

Cutting the cake: A celebration of SinC with Rhys Bowen

The Speed City chapter of Sisters in Crime yesterday was proud to host a day with bestselling author Rhys Bowen as we celebrated the 30th anniversary of SinC.

And Rhys, as you can see, was happy to take a stab at cutting the first piece of the anniversary cake. She was a very good sport.

Plus, since I drove her around all day, we had a lot of time to talk. She offered me wonderful suggestions on improving my craft and on getting an editor and publisher for my work.

Thanks, Rhys, for everything.

And thanks for reading.

National Novel Writing Month

It's nearly that time again. November. National Novel Writing Month.

Let the games begin.

I first signed up for NaNoWriMo in 2009 and since then, I have finished four novels -- in 2009 and 2010, and 2013 and 2014. I wasn't able to do a novel last year because I had a serious car accident in late October which resulted in a bandaged left hand. It was difficult for me to type while it was on and it came off too late in November for me to feel confident of a successful NaNoWriMo attempt.

I haven't definitely decided to enter this year -- there's a lot going on here and I should remain focused on selling one of the novels I have already finished -- but I have two in mind. The most likely of the two is about Rachel Edelstein.

Rachel is the main character in my successful 2010 NaNo attempt -- The Last Tontine Survivor. And it was a quarterfinalist in the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. That novel focused on Rachel, a black Jewish woman in NYC, who is searching for her missed and beloved grandfather, a German Jew who survived WWII. But he and others stole money from the Nazis and now, 70 years later, the descendants of a former Nazi official are looking to get the money back -- and are willing to kill to get it. With her pursuers on her tail, Rachel must find her grandfather and save him before they are both killed.

Rachel's ethnic duality (and her conflicted feelings about it) is part of the subplot but will be part of the main plot of his newest effort. I tentatively call it Searching for Rachel Edelstein.

More about that later. But for now, I just wanted to put it out there that I will probably attempt a novel this November.

Wish me luck.

Thanks for reading.

The Fine Art of Murder

I had planned to blog today about lines in novels, song lyrics, plays and movies that awed or inspired me. But I learned something big today.

The Speed City chapter of Sisters in Crime's newest anthology, The Fine Art of Murder, is now available for pre-order on Amazon and Walmart. (If I didn't screw it up, the links are below.) And my short story, Callipygian, is in the collection. It's about an FBI profiler who, while on vacation in Indianapolis visiting family, is drawn  into the investigation of three pieces of stolen art, including a painting called -- you guessed it -- Callipygian. Things get interesting when the prime suspect in the theft is murdered.

Edited by Brenda Stewart and Diana Catt, the collection is wonderful. I, of course, have seen a draft copy and have read the stories, and they are great. (Mine, in particular, of course.) It's a good collection and you'll enjoy it. Plus, proceeds benefit the education programs of the chapter.

The anthology's publication date is in early October but you can order it now. The pre-order price on Amazon is $12.99, while Walmart's discount price is $9.41. That's a discount of about 28 percent. (I have no earthly idea how Walmart came up with that price.)

Anyway, get The Fine Art of Murder today.

And thanks for reading.

https://www.amazon.com/Fine-Art-Murder-Collection-Stories/dp/1681570238/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1471896943&sr=8-4&keywords=the+fine+art+of+murder


https://www.walmart.com/ip/The-Fine-Art-of-Murder-A-Collection-of-Short-Stories/52607722

Book clubs

My wife has been in a book club for several years. It meets once a month and has been around for 13 years. It's called the Saturday Ladies Book Club. Usually, although not always, the book is either by a black author or it is a book with a black theme. (They have read both The Help and 50 Shades of Grey. Go figure.)

It's a group of mostly highly educated, professional black women, most of whom are married and on their first husbands, and, says my wife, there's absolutely NO drama in the group. They all get along. It's nothing like "The Housewives of . . . "  Twice a year -- in the summer for a cookout and in December for a Christmas party -- they have an event and invite husbands. Both are wonderful events.

The way it works, a different woman hosts the club once a month, picking the book to read and picking up the tab for food and beverages, whether hosting at home or some place else. Although the entire contingent never comes, it can easily be 15 or more people, which is a nice group for picking up the check.

Back around Christmastime, my wife mentioned that she was scheduled to host the January meeting and hadn't picked a book yet. Jokingly, I suggested one of my manuscripts. When she agreed, I almost died from panic. But we picked which book it should be -- in this case, An Untidy Affair -- and I made a PDF copy and shipped it off.

I was nervous about what they'd think but when I went to the meeting to discuss it with them I got loads of praise. They loved it. They asked good questions about the story and the writing, and, with the exception of one woman, were surprised by the ending. They found it engaging and fun to read.

And I was on Cloud Nine. (Plus, since we were paying for it, I enjoyed some great food. It was in a black-owned New Orleans restaurant.)

I happened to see one of the ladies last night at a fundraising event and she loved my first novel so much she wanted to know when I would give them another one to read. Not ready for that yet, but we will see.

So, when I finally get a publisher, I am going to try hard to find all those ladies book clubs. Can't hurt.

Thanks for reading and keep writing.

Contests

Ok, so I have been away since October. It's hard trying to be interesting on a regular basis when you don't have a lot to say. At least I don't think I always have a lot to say. How to other bloggers do it -- blog everyday?

Anyway, I'm back, thanks to the inspiration of my great friend, Sharyn. Thanks, babe. You are the best.

In entered two contests over the weekend, with two separate novels. The first is the James Jones Fellowship Contest at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. This is the 22nd annual contest for an American with a first fiction work in progress, and is sponsored by the James Jones Literary Society.

"The award is intended to honor the spirit of unblinking honesty, determination, and insight into modern culture exemplified by the late James Jones, author of From Here to Eternity and other prose narratives of distinction," sponsors of the contest said on the Wilkes University website. The top prize is $10,000, with two runner-up awards of $750.

The deadline, which originally was set for March 1, is March 15. To enter, you submit a two-page summary and the first 50 pages of the novel. An author who makes it past the first round will be asked to submit the original 50 pages along with pages 51-100. novel The winner will be notified in September and must attend the society's annual conference in early November. They normally set around 600 entries. Last year it was 558. 

For obvious reasons -- well, at least they were obvious to me -- I entered An Untidy Affair. It's a strong work and it's set in Pennsylvania, specifically in Philadelphia. I feel comfortable about my chances but that certainly doesn't mean I think I will win. Just that I think I have a legitimate shot.

The second contest I entered last weekend is the Dundee International Book Prize, sponsored by the City of Dundee in Scotland, and the University of Dundee. This is the ninth annual award.

I really like this one, if only because if I win I would travel to Scotland to pick of the award, which is 10,000 Pounds, or about $16,000 U.S. And unlike the James Jones, Dundee also awards a publishing contract.

The novel must be in English, which isn't a problem, and unpublished, although a work on Kindle or in an e-book format are acceptable.

"The winning books have showcased a diverse range of writing talent in a variety of genres," the contest website said.

While the contest is open internationally, the first three winners are from Dundee or have direct connections there. The others seem to be from Ireland, Scotland or England, except for last year's winner, New Yorker Jacob Appel. All of them seem like heavyweights compared with me and I would think this year's entrants will be the same. But I don't care. I have a good novel and I entered it.

The novel is The Last Tontine Survivor. I entered it because it is good and strong, and it is finished. Plus it isn't under consideration anywhere at the moment. (As an aside, I entered Tontine in ABNA this year and last year, and was shot down in the pitch stage. So, no one has actually looked at the entire manuscript.)

I also decided on Tontine because, while the novel is mostly set in New York, the climax is in Alexandria, Virginia, which, as it turns out, is a sister city to Dundee.

Angela helped me edit the 500-word summary, to get it down from 700 words. They required the summary and the entire mss.

The winner will be notified by June 1.

In the last day or so, I have given thought to entering Poison Pen Press' second Discover Mystery contest, which is open until March 30. I would enter an entirely different novel there, probably Death at the Jungle-bunny Journal. But I'm not sure. It would require a lot of work in a short period of time, it probably wouldn't get a second read by anyone and would require I come up with another title. So, I probably won't enter. But I may.

Well, that's it from me for now. I hope all the people in Russia who have been viewing my blog are enjoying it. And everyone else, too.

Thanks for reading.

Red Planet Blues, (sadly) Part ll

I sadly learned today of the passing last week of another Earth Angel, Frances R. Kirch.

Mrs. Kirch was the mother of Kerry Lou, the author of RED PLANET BLUES, and who provided some of the funding for the novel. Kerry dedicated the book to her mother, which only seemed right. I think at some point there was a stack of books in Mrs. Kirch's garage.

Mrs. Kirch was a wonderful woman, always charming, kind and pleasant to me. And that probably wasn't that easy 40 years ago. To me, Mrs. Kirch lived the life she was expected to live -- a very white bread with mayo life. But here was Kerry, this skinny, little, white girl, with this skinny, little, black kid as a friend who stopped by from time to time. But I never felt unwelcome in the Kirch household. Even their dog, Blitz, seemed to like me.

Mrs. Kirch had one very distinctive trademark. She always wore bright red lipstick. I don't think there was a time when I saw her when she didn't have it on.

I last spoke with Mrs. Kirch in late March, just after I learned of Kerry's fatal accident. She was as nice and charming as ever, and implored me to keep in touch. I knew she had been battling cancer for some time and I sent her a couple of notes over the summer. I never got a reply but I never expected one. I just wanted her to know I was still thinking of her.

I am saddened for her two surviving daughters, and the entire family, for their loss. But there can also be an element of joy in knowing that there is one more Earth Angel soaring above looking down at us.

May she soar in peace.

The last book I read

Reading is essential for a good writer. You can get into the book and escape into the story, which is what I love most, or you can study a book for its craft -- style, setting, pace, dialogue, you name it. While I do both, I prefer to get into a book and escape into reading it without much thought of anything else.

So, what was the last book I read? THE LOST SYMBOL by Dan Brown. I bought the book when it first came out but couldn't get into it. It didn't grab me at first. But I picked it up again a couple of weeks ago and charged through it. It's well-researched -- Brown is known for that -- and well-written. Oddly, the thing that struck me the most was the shortness of his chapters -- an average of about three or four pages. Some are as short as one page. That means his 500-page novel has about 130 chapters.

The next two books I plan to read are THE SWAN THIEVES by Elizabeth Kostova and THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO by Stieg Larsson. This is Kostova's second novel and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. And I was suppose to read DRAGON TATTOO in a reading group earlier this year but never got to it.

The funniest book I have ever read was WITHOUT FEATHERS By Woody Allen. What can I say? It's classic Woody Allen. I read it decades ago and it still makes me laugh out loud.

My favorite series are the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich, and Harry Potter by, well, you already know that. Evanovich's writing inspired me to write my last novel, AN UNTIDY AFFAIR, in first-person. In fact, a lot of the style of the novel was inspired by Evanovich. I tried to keep it light and funny, but moving quickly and with escalating tension.

As for Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling created a wonderful world of magical creatures and with a escalating sense of danger with each new book. I do think the books tended to get bloated further along -- Books five and six, in particular -- but the continuing story of Potter and his friends is compelling.

(This spring I tried to read the Twilight series and just couldn't. I guess I will have to try the films.)

While I like to read merely for the escapist enjoyment, one of my favorite novels is THE TEARS OF AUTUUM by Charles McCarry. It is a book that got me thinking. It's about the assassination of President Kennedy and who was behind it. While I believe Lee Harvey Oswald killed Kennedy, if there was a conspiracy, our racial and ethnic prejudices would never allow us to seriously consider the villains in the book as the ones responsible for one of the worse crimes in American history. And because of that, if they did do it, they would get away with it.

It's a great theory.

So, there is some of what I have been reading or have read, and why. If you'd like, tell me what you think.

Thanks for reading and don't give up on writing.