Falling For A Thirty Something Girl.

A Thirty-Something Girl by L.M. Stull

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Life has been anything but kind, and everything that can go wrong has. At an age when life should be coming together, and questions should start to be answered, Hope finds herself feeling very alone and terribly confused. As her life spirals out of control, she realizes she needs help. And she needs it quickly.

With the love and support of some dear friends, Hope slowly begins to find her true self, and along the way, she meets someone. Someone who makes her feel like living to see another day might just be worth it.

But with happiness, comes pain. Pain from a past that simply won't be forgotten. Walking a dangerously fine line between joy and utter despair, Hope wonders if happy endings really do exist. And if they do, is there one waiting for her?

I have continued my recent foray into women's literature and have just turned the final page on Lisa Stull's "A Thirty Something Girl".

And, once again, I came away from the reading experience very satisfied and convinced that my attraction to women's literature is growing ever more solid with each entry that I delve into.

Stull's novel is, at once an attractive read and one that is visceral. Having staged the tome through the first person perspective of her protagonist, Hope Jackson, Lisa has produced a remarkable voice that is confronting, heart wrenching and uncomfortable whilst being simultaneously perceptive, ironical, sexy and philosophical. We live through the eyes of Hope as she traverses the threshold of turning 30 and examining her life which has, up until now, coped with more than it's fair share of up's and down's. And, regardless of her gender, I found myself in empathy with Hope on more than a few occasions as she describes certain human foibles that both women and men alike share. It was a little confronting at times just how 'on the mark' Lisa was with her observations about the human condition and love.

The cast of supporting characters around Hope were an eclectic and attractive mix of friends and enemies who were all very well drawn and who I got to know and like very much. They are people I'd like to be around and get to know and, indeed, I identified a number of similar characters in my own circle who share the traits I found in the story.  The love interest, Sam, was a strong leading male who kept popping into my mind as a Clive Owen-esque character who smoulders confidently, while displaying remarkable vulnerability in his interactions with Hope (I was reminded of the film "The Boys Are Back" a little in my mental illustration of Sam).

Setting is another stand out in Lisa's novel. I am a very visual reader and I really enjoy being able to see the settings in a story. That can only be achieved through solid writing, the construction of place and atmosphere and Lisa achieves this soundly. Each time I delved back in to the story, I was easily transported. It was very satisfying.

The flow of the story was good too, although I found things progressing a little quickly in some instances and was wanting a little more fleshing out of certain scenes or progressions of scenes. But on this point, I don't sheet this home to the author, rather I think this is more a reflection of what I wanted from the story.

There are twists to the story that are revealed in a really good way. Some of them I kind of cottoned onto early, while others were quite unexpected. I enjoyed them all.

Lisa Stull has produced a lovely, lyrical and quite a sexy novel which I really loved and will be reading again. It is a worthwhile addition to your shelf or device.

LM Stull describes herself as a Washington, DC native who spends her days chained to a desk at a law firm in southern Virginia. When she’s not feverishly taking orders from attorneys, she writes. Her stories tell of the human spirit – sometimes sad, sometimes not – most can relate to them on some level or another.Lisa is another of those enthusiastic advocates for independent artists who can be found actively cross promoted and engaging in the on-line community, striking up conversation, talking about and highlighting worthy projects and people and encouraging others every chance she gets.


A case in point is her official website where, not only can you read about Lisa herself, you can also access a wealth of information, resources and tools for writers that are designed to help and encourage as well as inspire.


I encourage you to check her and her work out today. She is definitely one of my #authorsyoushouldknow.


DFA.

"Dream" People - Inspirations For The Characters In The Hambledown Dream (Part 2).

Of all the characters that I created for my novel The Hambledown Dream, the one I had the earliest bead on was the character of Bruce DeVries, Andy's father.

When I first began entertaining the thought of writing this particular story, I had a clear idea that there was to be a father/son dynamic - a strained relationship where the father has little understanding of the son and vice versa. And again the visual part of my imagination kicked in and I saw clearly who it was that could best (physically) represent Bruce DeVries.

One of my most favorite films of all time has to be the 1981 Walter Hill film "Southern Comfort". Set in the Louisianna Everglades, Southern Comfort tells the story of a platoon of National Guardsmen out on a weekend recon exercise in the swampy marshes of "Cajun Country". Through the actions of these brash "cut-lunch commandoes" they unwittingly agitate an unseen band of cajun poachers. One of the Guardsmen is shot and killed which sets off a chain of events that sees these part time soldiers fighting for their lives as they are picked off one by one.

Starring Keith Carradine, Peter Coyote, Fred Ward, TK Carter, Brion James (a perennial favorite of mine), Southern Comfort is regarded as a classic, though perhaps not as much of a classic as others of it's era and or genre.

Southern Comfort also stars Powers Boothe.

(Powers Boothe, center, as Cpl Charles Hardin in Southern Comfort, 1981).

Cast as the new-comer to the platoon of Guardsmen, Boothe plays Hardin - a quietly spoken but intensely 'present' man - who sort of becomes the reluctant leader of the platoon when everything goes to hell. He starts out in the film as a loner, hesitant about his presence in the platoon and thus he doesn't endear himself to the group initially. However, Hardin strikes up a tentative friendship with Spencer (Carradine) and this relationship becomes key to both men's survival as they struggle to escape the swamps and the poachers.

It was this quiet intensity that drew me to crafting the character of Andy's father in the story and, of all the characters in The Hambledown Dream, Bruce DeVries story arc remained pretty much unchanged from the time that I conceived him. Powers Boothe has been a mainstay character actor in film and television since the early 70's and though he has played a diversity of roles, this singular characteristic of quiet intensity has flowed through them all.

(Powers Boothe as Markham in The Emerald Forest, 1985).

Bruce is a distant figure when we first meet him in The Hambledown Dream. A long distance trucker for many years, Bruce and Andy are alienated from one another, they rarely talk to one another and given the destructive trajectory that Andy is on at the beginning of the story, it is not surprising that Bruce and Andy don't get along. However there is a hidden tragedy in Bruce's past that is only revealed when Andy comes to a critical junction in his own life. All is not what it seems.

Bruce DeVries is quiet but his presence is powerful and whenever Andy is in his father's presence, he feels inadequate. Andy has spent much of his life seeking his father's approval but he is constantly falling short. This only adds to the inner turmoil Andy experiences as the events of The Hambledown Dream unfold.

DFA.

The First Week

The Hambledown Dream has been "on the shelves" for a week now. And it seems to be going well. It has sold copies - not in block buster numbers, but I guess I wasn't expecting that it would.

I have spent every spare moment of the past week emailing just about every conceivable media outlet I can think to garner interest in it, hopefully secure and interview for it or a review of it. It's tough going. Never have I scoured the internet more in my life in the quest for these three things. And in the process I have learnt something...

I have no idea about marketing.

At the moment I don't have any strategy. I am just emailing anybody and everybody. But in the past few days I have started to categorize "blocks" of people to contact. Those in the mainstream media - including print, radio and TV. Those in the online media - podcasters and bloggers and those outside of both these spheres - real people. Potential readers. I guess I've sent out over 200 emails - I've lost count. I'll give it a week or so and then I'll resend those emails if I haven't heard back from those contacts. There have been a few nibbles from a couple of quarters but nothing concrete as yet.

I started a Facebook Fan Page. It wasn't something I really wanted to do initially. I have always been a little suspicious of those fan pages because I get so many requests to join fan pages. For instance - I got a request the other day to join a fan page for people who "hate it how people don't indicate in traffic"??? But I took the suggestion of starting a fan page and ran with it and I've been surprised by the response to it. I actually have fans now. Whether those fans will actually purchase the novel is another story but...I have fans!

Cool.

My publisher and I are in regular contact and she has been fabulous in her suggestions and advice and it has really helped me. The dialogue is great.

The ironic moment of the week came on Saturday when I purchased The Weekend Australian from the newsagent. In the "Review" magazine there was an article all about the rise of the eBook and how it is fast becoming the new way. Australians are relatively in the dark about eBooks even though we have one of the fastest growing populations of iPhone owners in the Western World. The common refrain I hear from people with regards to eBooks are "but I really like the idea of holding a proper book in my hand". There is certainly something tangible about a paper and cardboard (??) book so I'll admit, they've got a point. But the potential that lies within the digital world for budding authors to get their work out there is limitless. So much more so than in the traditional publishing sphere.

Australian publishing is a little backward.

To those of you who have purchased the Dream thus far, thanks so much. I hope you are enjoying it.

DFA.

Official Sneak Peak - Cover Art

The Official Cover Art for Dean's forth coming novel "The Hambledown Dream".

Well, here it is - the official cover art for my upcoming novel. Photography by Melissa Alexander and design by Michelle Halket. The interesting thing about this image is that we almost didn't get it. By about 7AM we were walking off the beach, thinking we had gotten enough shots. Then the sun peeked up over the houses that line Henley Beach's fore shore and Mel squeaked "Dean, quick! Get me the posy again!!" I literally fished it out of the small cooler (Esky) I had and tossed down onto the sand where it came to rest exactly as you see it here.

I am so happy with this cover.

As I was tweeting on these developments overnight I got a message which totally blew my mind, which I have to share. Kyle Newman, director of the 2009 feature film "Fanboys" sent me a message of congratulations via my twitter feed and indicated that he "can't wait to read it". I spent much of 2009 (when I wasn't writing and living and breathing) killing myself with anticipation for "Fanboys" and only got the DVD version of the film in late November...pretty much after the entire world had seen it - EXCEPT ME.

I had the opportunity to chat directly with Kyle about the film and about the inspirations that brought about "Fanboys" on an episode of The ForceCast last year and for me, it was a real treat.

My mind blows every day lately...

DFA.

Kyle Newman - Director of 2009's "Fanboys" (with friend).

Gonna Fly Now.

You know when, during the Rocky movies, Rocky Balboa begins that ubiquitous training montage of his to composer Bill Conti's rousing theme "Gonna Fly Now"?

Right from the very first refrains of those brassy trumpets that herald it's beginning, you just know that Rocky is going to prevail. That, from all the effort, the self doubt, the trials and tribulations that have peppered his journey up until that point - you just know things are going to be alright - okay good!

On Thursday afternoon I had to run a couple of errands and I took my son with me for the drive. Do you know, I can't even remember, what the errand was that I was supposed to be running, my mind has been so preoccupied this week. Anyway, as we're driving along, my son Xavier begs me to put on his favorite song of the moment - which just happens to be Bill Conti's "Gonna Fly Now". After a little protestation from myself - I was happy just to listen to the cricket - I relented and I thumbed my smart-phone's screen until I brought up the Media Player. In a few seconds that familiar and rousing trumpet refrain burst through the car and Xavier was cheering in his seat, punching the air with his fists as we got into the song for the umpteenth time.


And within that treasured little moment between father and son, I got this sense that things were going to be alright...good even...


And so, fast forwards to Friday morning - to when I first wake up and, as I have religiously these past few days, I launch into the ritual of checking my phone (email) hoping that, that one message that I have been waiting nervously for since last week had arrived.


I blinked as they downloaded onto my device...and then...


there it was...


I am thrilled to officially announce today that I have signed with iReadiWrite Publishing of Vancouver, Canada and that my first novel "The Hambledown Dream" will be published as an eBook - to be sold in the iReadiWrite store and it's partner stores.


iReadiWrite Publishing is a small but growing digital press that has been a fervent supporter of new and emerging writers looking to get their works published in the growing market place of electronic books. With a focus on literary fiction across a number of genre's, iReadiWrite Publishing has a growing catalogue of exceptional works in it's store and they are all reasonably priced to make them affordable and attractive.

You can thank the emergence of the iPhone and more recently Amazon's Kindle for driving an increasing interest in the eBook. In fact it has been reported that eBook sales are fast over taking sales of traditional books, such are their appeal to the modern reading public.


Words cannot describe how thrilled I am to be achieving what I consider to be one of the most significant dreams of my life. Since I was in my senior year at high school I have held onto the dream of becoming a published author. I have had many attempts at crafting that one great story, that novel that I always believed was in me. And now here I am.


An official release date for the book has not yet been pinned down but I am hopeful that the book will go live on the store within the next month or so. There is still a lot of work to do prior to it becoming available but rest assured that I will keep the updates flowing here.


I would like to invite you to spread the word about my book. I believe in it, I poured my heart into it and I would like as many people around the world as possible to read it and hopefully enjoy a tender and emotional love story that is quite a lot different to what you might expect.


Will talk soon,


DFA.

Submission Of "The Dream"

I did not think I would be blogging twice in one day...

This evening I sent my manuscript, cover-art and profile pic of myself, my bio and my details via the submission form at iReadiWrite Publishing.

OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG...

After nearly 9 months of work, the sleepless nights writing and rewriting, the honing of characters and situations, crafting environments from real places and imagined ones, researching every little piece of minutiae of music and musical history that went into the story. From the completing the primary draft to entering the editing phase which I undertook with the help of my editor J, to the conception of the idea for my cover art to the execution of some beautiful photography just this morning, to the last minute fretting and fawning over the manuscript (have I taken care of every single grammatical error or loose plot thread or weak line of dialogue...).

I have done as much as I can do. Now it is for others to judge it's relative worth as a piece of literary fiction. I think it's a beautiful little story, it's well crafted, has a soul. I'm still - even now - unsure about certain parts of it but that being unsure is only minor as I have tidied it up as much as I can. I guess I will know in about a week whether it will be accepted.

A couple of last minute things I did was to finalize the acknowledgments, include a little blurb about myself and a synopsis of the story. I also included a dedication. On the sidebar here you can see a photograph of a guy named Matt Price. Matt Price was a journalist for the News Limited stable here in Australia. For years he wrote a regular column which featured in The Australian newspaper called "The Sketch". The Sketch took an alternate view to the theater of politics in this country and Matt Price deconstructed the pomp and pansiness of Australian parliament and parliamentarians. He saw through the bullshit and the ballsiness of politics and found something rather more human about it all. Of course, his articles were invariably bang on the money and they were so bloody funny. He was universally loved by both sides of politics here in Australia. His regular appearences on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's "Insiders" program on Sunday mornings were compulsive viewing for a political junkie like myself. When he wasn't writing about politics, Matt was ruminating about life, his love affair with the Fremantle Dockers AFL football team and his idol Bob Dylan - who he had the rare privilege of meeting.

In September 2007, I found out - like many others that Matt Price had been diagnosed with a brain tumour. He sent an email to all of his colleagues telling them of his news and ended it with the most poignant of words "Life is fragile - hug your loved ones". Two months later, on November 25th 2007, at the age of just forty six - Matt Price died, leaving behind a loving wife and two beautiful children...and a nation who wept openly for his passing.

Matt Price had a love of words and a love of a story...he was my hero.

The Hambledown Dream is dedicated to his memory.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed...

DFA.

Music That Inspired The "Dream"

Indulgence time:

"The Hambledown Dream" is a story that has has a rich musical influence flowing through it. Music is particularly important in a number of key scenes within "The Dream" where the central character plays his guitar to a crowd - not necessarily used to his style of playing. But music is also important in laying down a "feel" to the story. Like a painter who gradually builds a piece of art up through layering, I used music during the writing process to help me tap into a particular emotional texture. It allowed me to imbue certain scenes with a soul that I think carries really nicely. In the initial drafts of the manuscript I even included the lyrics to certain songs that I thought would complement scenes but I quickly learned that the copyright considerations surrounding the use of certain lyrics was a mine field that I just didn't end up wanting to traverse so I gave up on their inclusion. Which, in the final analysis is probably a good thing because it keeps the story my own - the borrowing of lyrics can actually work against you because it takes away a little of your writings authenticity.

However, tapping into the emotional heart of certain songs in order to translate what a character might be thinking and feeling at a particular moment is a different proposition entirely. By interpreting a song and marrying that with the character's state of mind and what you get is something that remains true to your own writing style but it allows you to add a little texturing and layering to a scene. You have allowed a piece of music to add to that tableaux in a subtle way.

Can you see what I am getting at?

I wrote "The Hambledown Dream" across a period of about 8 months during 2009. I wrote it during rainy afternoons when it was cold out and I was sitting at the dining room table watching the rain fall against the window panes - the sound of quiet jazz playing in the background, a glass of wine nearby. I wrote it on a warm day on the patio of my house with classical guitar music on the radio, a cold beer sitting beside me and my dog laying beside my chair. I wrote it in the early hours of the morning - I mean like at 3 or 4 AM when I had a quiet moment at work and could steal a moment to pen some lines on my smartphone. Often I would have some quiet music as an accompaniment, maybe Zero 7 or Dido, or even Vince Jones - one of my favorite artists. A cup of good old caterer's blend sugared to the nines completes this particular occasion. Music helped me create, it helped me to see things clearer, it helped me to tap into an emotional heart in my story.

So here is what can be loosely regarded as the unofficial soundtrack to "The Hambledown Dream" - Music that inspired the story. I'll refer to it as unofficial so as not to piss off anyone in the recording industry who may deem it worthy to slap me with some sort of infringement notice.

1. Walking On A Dream - Empire of the Sun.
2. Cursed Diamond - The Black Crowes.
3. Deciso - Astor Piazolla (as performed by Slava & Leonard Grigoryan).
4. The Sounds Of Rain Part 3 - Slava Grigoryan.
5. Throw Your Arms Around Me (Acoustic Version) - Hunter's and Collector's.
6. Landslide - The Dixie Chicks.
7. Come Alive - Foo Fighters.
8. Here With Me - Dido.
9. But Beautiful - Vince Jones.
10. Sonata Prima - Fernando Sor (as performed by Slava Grigoryan).
11. Concierto de Aranjuez 2 - Joaquin Rodrigo (as performed by Slava & Leonard Grigoryan).
12. Home - Zero 7.

They are a fairly eclectic and personal collection of songs that reflect the overall 'feel' of "The Hambledown Dream". Most of the pieces - particularly the classical ones - are depicted in the story and described in detail, because both Andy and Denny play them, while others serve as the background to particular scenes and are mentioned in such a way as to paint a picture. Most of these songs can be found readily across the breadth of the internet. I encourage you to seek them out - by legitimate means - and have a listen to them. They will give you an impression of the mood and the texture that I was trying to achieve whilst writing "The Hambledown Dream".

DFA.

Final Preparations

I have been wrestling with one last significant thing with respect to the novel.

For the past eight months I have been writing the novel with the working title "Dreams Of A Love Indestructible". However I have grown increasingly concerned that this title is too "Mills and Boon" and not nearly as classy as say a "Notebook" or a "PS I Love You" (okay so maybe the latter of these two can be cast as gushy/lovey-dovey romance chic). Dreams Of A Love Indestructible does not readily roll off the tongue and, to me - as well as a few others I have run it by - it does sound a little questionable. I named it so because it is the dreams of two people that form a central motif in the story. They are more or less sharing something but they don't know it.

So in the past few days I have reconsidered the title whilst finalizing the remaining edits of the manuscript. I have written down a few ideas on the page, moved things around a bit to see how they fit. And in the process of doing so I kept hearing or seeing the word "Hambledown" in my mind. I don't know how it came to be there but I wrote it down regardless - and then an idea fomented.

During the early part of the writing process , in the copious amounts of notes I had written, I had brainstormed an idea where I would name a particular location in the novel Hambledown Road. I had no idea where this location was, only that it was going to be there somewhere. Then, further along in the writing process Hambledown Road become the location of the beach house where my two star crossed lovers first live together. For a time I worked to include it somewhere in the piece but for some reason it kept getting moved back or put to the side. But I really liked the name Hambledown.

While I was away on holiday on Kangaroo Island, I revisited the whole title issue and decided that "Dreams Of A Love Indestructible" was definitely too much and I could no longer move forward with it. So I gave Hambledown one last look in. I named the town where Denny and Sonya lived Stafford - and this was another aspect of the story that I was never fully happy with. I named it so because of a street I found in the seaside township of Tathra on NSW's south coast and from that I created the fictional village of Stafford on the south coast. I thought at the time "That'll do" but I was kinda "meh" at the same time.

So last week I asked myself the question "What if I renamed Stafford, Hambledown instead?"

Bingo.

Sometimes, in life things just fit in my mind. And this is just one of those. To me the title is a lot more succinct. It is wistful without being overly gushy and to me it sparks interest rather than hits you in the face with a potentially misleading gush fest. With the dream still very much a favored word for the title I have decided and by extension announce here for the first time that my novel will be hence forth known as

"The Hambledown Dream"

Now let me just hope that the same superstition convention that applies to the re-naming of boats doesn't apply here and this decision doesn't damn me to bad, bad luck...

DFA.

Editing The Dream - Part 11.

I stamped FINAL on my manuscript this morning - just before midday.

Over the past two days I have been pleasantly ensconced at my holiday house at American River/Kangaroo Island with a stunning view of a lagoon, working on the final edits suggested to me by my editor J. who supplied me with a brilliant set of notes with her edit. I didn't take me as long as I thought to achieve it but then again I kinda lost track of time, particularly yesterday when I got the bulk of the work done.

I made a few minor tweaks of my own which came to me late in the peace but were ones that I felt were of value in order to enhance the mystery of the early part of the novel. So now I sit before my laptop with Keith and the Girl playing on my smart phone writing this and feeling a sense of accomplishment and a sense of sadness. There is nothing more to do to the story. I can't see anything in it that I can improve on or change. I no longer need to inhabit this world that I created on my own, in my head and transmitted it to paper (or the computer as it were). I have come to really like the characters that I created, their simple ways, their flaws, their hopes and their dreams. I am happy with the settings that I have populated. Although I haven't been able to visit the city of Chicago - where part of the novel is set - I hope I have portrayed it in such a way that sounds authentic. I did a lot of reading about Chicago during the writing of the novel and have had contact with many people there. The places here in Australia were much easier to portray as I have experienced them all first hand. And I liked them a lot.

So now - where to? Well I need to bed down the cover art for the book still and I need to come up with a decent bio blurb about myself. I have discovered that it is much harder to do than I thought. And then I cast myself and my work forth for consideration. Beyond that - once the work is out there - the job of promoting it HARD begins. And I intend to make use of as many resources online as I can...

Back to feeding the baby...

DFA.

Editing the Dream - Part 10.

Today was a really exciting day.

I spent most of the early hours of this morning checking my email via my smart phone because my editor tipped that she would complete her edit of my manuscript. As I was working in the Neonatal ICU (where phones are supposedly not allowed - even though the worst offenders in breaking this rule are the consultant physicians!!), I kept stealing the "occasional" (ie. every ten minutes or so) check of my account. I tweeted that I don't think I've been this excited to receive something in the mail - not even my university grades! Sure enough, as promised, the manuscript hit my inbox just as I was leaving work at 7AM. I fairly burst with excitement and I think I even broke into a skip as I crossed the street outside the hospital - a mid 30's man with facial hair looks pretty scary skipping I am sure.

My editor sent me two copies - one version shows all the changes which I could, if I wanted, go through and accept or reject all the changes individually - a time consuming process for sure. The second version has been fully edited and requires only that I read through it and decide for myself whether or not I am happy with her work. She also sent me an eight page document of explanatory notes and suggestions for consideration. The latter version and the explanatory notes is the version I will concentrate on for my final run through because - in a word or three - what she has done has been nothing short of fantastic!!

I was so excited when I got home from work that, even though I had to work again tonight, I just couldn't resist laying down with the second version and begin reading it. I was blown away. All of the grammatical chook poo that I had missed on the 1st and 2nd edits of the manuscript have been comprehensively polished away. She has slightly tweaked certain lines of dialogue and description and has reworked certain scenes in very subtle ways as to make them really pop. I am so thrilled with what she has achieved - what am I saying "she"s the cat's mother! I'll call her J out of respect for confidentiality.

The explanatory notes set out in brilliant detail all that which J has recommended I consider and looking through it I can't help but smile at her thought processes. A lot of her suggestions address things that I'd had trouble with but was unable to come up with ways of addressing myself. It was as though J had read my mind and solved my dilemmas.

Now that I have it back in hand I am eager (who am I kidding - I cannot wait) to sit down with it and get cracking with the final, FINAL edit. I leave for Kangaroo Island on the 26th for a week. The laptop will be packed, the wine will be bought and I am thinking...Vince Jones will be the music for the week (well that's what I believe anyway - my partner Emily, will probably overrule me - dammit).

I spoke to Mel (the photographer) and she has decided that we will need to do another shoot for the cover. The images that she captured last weekend, while good, weren't - in the final analysis - quite there. She said that the rosemary sprigs really need to have the flowers on them in order to make them 'pop' and I have to agree. It was the one thing I was searching for on my expidition to find the rosemary in the first place but I settled - and I don't want to settle. We will set up a time probably in the first week of January and go for gold then.

In the past couple of weeks I have connected with a number of really wonderful people in the online writing realm and a really rather lovely group has emerged that has really made me feel good about this whole endeavour. The stand out has been Melissa Luznicky Garrett, whose novel "Precipice" I reviewed in my previous blog post. The other stand out has been Melissa Halkett of IreadIwrite Publishing who has sent a lot of encouragement my way and has made me feel as though this dream of mine will be achieved.

It's funny you know...a friend of mine asked me recently why I wasn't going down the traditional route of submitting my manuscript to a traditional publisher. To answer that here frankly, would be to reveal perhaps a little of my politics with regards to the established industry here in Australia so I will keep that on the down low. What I will say however is that writing for me is a purely creative endeavour, an endeavour of love rather than money. The opportunities in the online realm are far more attractive to me in their potency - their ability to connect me with a large audience. It can be a wonderful and inspiring place.

Merry Christmas by the way...

DFA.

Dean's Brilliant Reads - Precipice.

I've recently finished reading a brilliant eBook by Melissa Luznicky Garrett. Called "Precipice", Melissa's debut novel tells the story of Julia Becker - a 25-year-old elementary school librarian living in upstate New York with her successful journalist husband, Jim. Up until the moment Jim is involved in an accident while away on business, Julia’s life is comfortable, secure, and hardly exciting. While tending to Jim, however, Julia uncovers some hard truths about herself, her husband, and their marriage. And when a new teacher begins at Carson Elementary, Julia finds her allegiance to both her husband and her best friend, Kris, being put to the test.

It's a fascinating, intense read - a deeply atmospheric story about a young woman's journey of self discovery which is, at once traumatic yet deeply satisfying. I was hooked very early on and had no problem at all with the fact I was reading an eBook on my smart phone.

Melissa Luznicky Garrett lives in upstate New York with her husband and three children. She has been writing for most of her life as a hobby. Her blog Root & Sprout is an entertaining document of her writing journey and I love checking in with her at least a couple of times a week.

You can click on the cover art for "Precipice" in the right hand column of my blog (just look to the right!) and be taken direct to the book at ireadwrite publishing where you can purchase it in a variety of formats for a variety of devices. IreadIwrite Publishing is a digital press and publisher who caters to lovers of fine literary fiction and is an ardent supporter of new and emerging authors. There literally is something for everyone there and I recommend them highly.

DFA.

Editing The Dream - Part Nine.

Well after a couple of fits and starts, the cover shoot for the novel finally went ahead last Saturday (the 19th) at Henley Beach, South Australia. My good friend Mel of Silver Photography gladly stepped up to take some shots that will eventually become the cover of the novel. We got to the beach in plenty of time (after all, it's only five minutes from my house - give or take a few) and spent a little while brainstorming ideas for the kind of image I was hoping to get. Everything about the environment was perfect except for the very stiff southerly that was whipping up the beach. That made things a little interesting but we didn't fail in our goal.

Mel of Silver Photography.

So here we were, in the evening of a beautiful Saturday lugging a swag of photographic gear down to the beach, all for the star of the show - a bouquet of rosemary and mint, that was tied together with a lavender ribbon - the plot device in the story that makes all the difference. A few evening walkers out on the sand regarded us with curiosity as we were shooting away, with me holding a light reflector that was doubling as a wind break for the posy. It wasn't really effective but we managed to keep the posy in place most of the time. I came prepared - arming myself with a some esky with some additional rosemary and mint just in case. Fortunately, they weren't needed.

Up close and personal with some kitchen herbs.

I was amazed by the color palette presented to us down there. By the time the sun began it's drop towards the horizon there was just the most amazing explosion of color and light. Though there weren't any clouds - which probably would have added even more color to the environment, this didn't seem to matter at all. These shots that I have posted here don't really do the scenery justice but you can get an idea. The preliminary shots that we will consider for the cover are actually quite a lot different to what I had in mind initially but we have some unexpected gems in amongst them that are worthy candidates.

Wrinkles in the fabric.

What better could I have asked for out of this shoot? Not much - except maybe for no wind. But of the 100 or shots that Mel got there were quite a few that already seem as though they are going to cut the mustard. Mel will play around with them over the next few days and identify the candidates for best picture (ha ha ha) and we will discuss them before making a judgment call on the final one.

Little Explorer.

Good news on the editing front. My editor is 1 or 2 days away from completion and I should have the revisions in my hand by Christmas day. I will then take my laptop with me away on holidays and look forward to working through her revisions, additions and subtractions with a glass of wine or three.

Day's last performance.

The photos here-in were taken on my Samsung Omnia 2 mobile phone by me. They aren't candidates for the final cover art but are intended to provide the reader with an idea of what we were up to on the beach last Saturday.

DFA.

Editing The Dream - Part Eight

...I'm still in that state of flu-ux.

I sit here in the early hours of the morning, beside my patient as I write this, thinking about the manuscript. It occupies my thoughts for most of my waking hours as I eagerly (and impatiently) await my copy editor's treatment. It's actually really tough not having something to work on right now. I have been in touch with her and she is about a week out from completion of her edit. The feedback has been really encouraging.The plot flows really well and she has suggested that I allow her to go ahead and accept all the grammatical changes to the manuscript, which I have agreed to. With the edits I have previewed so far I am more than happy to run with this because she was so thorough. All of the creative considerations she will leave for me to review which will be great - it will save me a lot of time once I sit down to review the latest draft.

I am taking a week off from work from the 26th through to the new year and I will be taking my young family down to Kangaroo Island. We have a holiday house at a place called American River that over looks a lovely bay/estuary that is peaceful and teeming with bird life wild life. I will be able to spend some time with the draft, a glass of wine and some classical music while I look out across the water and polish the final draft. That is of course when I'm not sailing my sail boat with my son (smiley face).

The cover photo session fell apart last weekend due to unforseen circumstances. We have tentatively rescheduled for this Friday evening. Fingers crossed we'll get the shots we need. I started looking around for rosemary that was flowering with but I haven't seen any right now. Rosemary has this little pinkish flower which would add some nice accents to the image but I don't think their absence would be a real issue. I'm hoping to achieve that with the lavender ribbon.

So...that's all have right now. It's not much but it will be worth the wait I am sure...

DFA.

Editing the Dream - Part Seven.

So...I'm in a sort of state of flux right now. One where I can niether move forwards or back. My editor has my 3rd draft of the manuscript in hand and estimates that she will have it done within the next couple of weeks or so. I'm humming with a nervous excitement. She sent me the first five chapters fully edited and with some margin notes and it is all just superb - exactly what I was hoping for. The grammar has been tightened up significantly and the suggestions have ranged from things like, reconsidering the role of certain incidental characters to changing a name here and there to considering whether a woolen "beanie" should just be called a cap. I am so happy with what I've seen so far. I am hoping that, as she progresses deeper into the manuscript, she'll have good suggestions about certain scenes that I was having trouble with.

I am having this internal dialogue with myself right now, where I am trying to temper my impatience to see the job completed so I can submit it to the eBook publisher while at the same time remaining typically Virgoan in my desire to ensure that the story works - even with the supernatural element to it. It's hard not be able to sit down with the manuscript and pour over it again and again to look for anything in it that can be improved or changed.

My photographer friend and I have tentatively set up a cover shoot for this Saturday coming. We'll head down to the beach just before sunset so that we can take advantage of this special time of day to get some shots of the rosemary and mint posy that will be tied in a lavendar bow. Though we'll be using a metropolitan Adelaide beach to represent the sands of New South Wales Southern Coast, I don't think that it will matter too much. The Adelaide sands are pretty damned fine.

Once all the elements are together, the final manuscript, the synopsis, the cover art, my profile (eek!) - I will submit it to iReadiWrite Publishing (http://www.ireadiwrite.com) for consideration. iReadiWrite Publishing is an ardent supporter of emerging writers, it is a great portal for lovers of eBook literature and their catalogue of titles is growing all the time, across a number of genres. I've read a lot about this portal recently and I really like their philosophy - their support of undiscovered talent. Fingers crossed that I will achieve my dream of being a published author early in the new year.

For now the work continues...

Just on one other creative subject, while it's on my mind, I just saw Crossing Over (Harrison Ford, Ashley Judd) this weekend past.

I have followed the development of this film with interest - mainly because it is a Harrison Ford film - and I was thoroughly dismayed that it saw such a limited cinema release state-side and virtually no cinema releases internationally. It seems like the Weinstein brothers have peed another great film up against the wall.

Crossing Over is a multi layered story about the lives of those seeking a better life in the United States - so much so that they will do anything to achieve it. It also tells the story of the agencies and people involved in policing immigration and the US borders. The filmed suffered from a critical back-lash in the States and didn't do well at the box office - which is a shame, because it is a superb film that handles a tough subject.

Maybe it is because the immigration debate remains a subject too difficult for Americans to talk about. Maybe this is just another example of the Weinsteins doing over a perfectly good film, because they had difficulty with it - I dunno - but the cast in this film delivers very moving performances, not the least of which is Harrison Ford who, I think, delivers his finest performance in years. The film has been compared to "Crash" insofar as the way it handles muliple story lines, but Crossing Over is no where near as preachy or in your face as Crash was.

It handles the difficult issues surrounding immigration with a considered hand whilst pulling no punches about the deeply flawed nature of certain peoples reactions to it. It's a disgrace that Crossing Over did not do as well as say a "Traffic" or even "Crash" but I guess the subject matter was always going to be controversial.

Anyway, rant done...talk soon...

DFA.

Editing The Dream - Part Six.

The project took a great turn this week. I have secured the services of a copy editor who has begun work on the final draft of the manuscript for me. This has been a really important development because I have long sought out a fresh set of eyes for the story so that anything that I have missed or have not considered will be picked up by those eyes and addressed.

The early results have been hugely encouraging. She has enabled me to question certain elements in the story and decide whether to keep them, change them or drop them entirely. And they aren't huge things either.

The cover art project has gained momentum now too. A good friend of mine who has a brilliant eye has enthusiastically agreed to take on the project and I am sure that she will deliver some wonderful results.

Suffice to say I am really excited...