Yes, I used SPECTACULAR Twice! It's spectacular!
As you may have heard, my first novel, The Last Good Day is now available! You can find it by clicking the cover page above. Now that that's out of the way, let's have some fun! My novel is littered with what they call "Easter Eggs," little references to either things in my life, things in the world, people in my world, etc. For example, if you've been to Wildwood, lived in Mercer County, NJ, known me at all, or just have a sharp eye for details, chances are, you'll pick up on a few. Some of you may even recognize references to characters that my Facebook family helped me name through one of my "Let's name a Character" games. They were fun and the end result is that there are almost zero names or references that don't, as they say "Come from somewhere." So, let's make it interesting. As you find them, please post them in the comments below. I will work to curate them over the coming weeks and months. Perhaps I'll set an end date of September 1, for now. Whoever finds and identifies the most "eggs" will win a prize pack that will include swag from Wildwood and a signed copy of book #2 in the Avery & Angela Series, The Next Good Day, which I hope to have available by Christmas. So-Good Luck and may the odds ever be in your favor....
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Full disclosure: I’ve never been known for my patience. That’s not to say that I don’t have any, I do. Probably more now than I ever have, considering the life we live, but if you know me at all in real life, I don’t imagine it would be among the top five words you’d use to describe me. Of course, I’m just guessing here, but I feel pretty confident in that assertion.
Oddly enough, I suddenly find myself facing the publication of my first novel with a great deal of appreciation for the fact that I have done something I didn’t expect out of myself. It’s fun to surprise yourself, not to mention everyone around you. I really am playing the long game with all this. According to one of my mentors, who I had the pleasure of catching up with recently, I’ve always been a “long game/big picture” guy. This was news to me but I think it’s pretty cool to learn new things about yourself as you grow older and I’m a big fan of living a dynamic life. But I’d never really thought that I was playing the long game until recently but it matters to me because, none of what I’ve spent the last years doing has been about releasing one book. Turns out I’ve got a series on my hands and I’m already writing book two and have a framework for a third book. There’s a reason these characters wouldn’t let me go and now I finally know what it is: they weren’t done with me. There’s more to say through these characters and I’m very excited for the future. And I have a plan. I’m not going to dive into the details of my overall business plan for the company or the books here but it’s very exciting to have a plan. It’s a lot of work but I’m finding that there are aspects of it all I really enjoy. After all, who doesn’t seek out a fourth career in their forties? Yeah, I know I’m kinda nuts, but I wrote a few weeks ago about how it was exciting to be learning new things, especially the ones that are hard. If I make enough in the future there are absolutely areas that I will be all to happy to farm out. But for now, I’m doing the best that I can with the resources I have. In addition to a plan, I have some specific goals. One goal was to write a good book. I hope when you read it you’ll agree with that. Another was to learn everything I can. My short-term “reach” goal for this book was to make back what I invested in it. But the long game involves this book leading readers to the next book and then the next book. Someone once asked if I just wanted to hold my book in my hands, wondering if that would be enough for me. Well, I’ve held it in my hands, in a variety of states along the way. The early proofs were brutal and obviously we had some issues with the cover, but we learned. We improved. We got help. And while it initially felt good to hold in my hands, it made me more driven than ever to be able to place it in yours. The book you’ll be able to order next Tuesday is the product of many, many years of work and reflection and I went through so many beginnings and endings with it, to the point that I put it away for over a year at one point. It’s been a long journey to this point and it has been one that’s taught me a lot about myself. That’s a column for another day, however. The Last Good Day is here. I’m proud of it and grateful to the many, many people who helped me along the way. I hope it does well and that people like it but I am definitely playing the long game. There are more stories to tell and more days to talk about. I hope to see you along the way. This ride is just getting started. If you'd like to start that ride click HERE! If, after that, if you're ready for more, AND you can keep a secret until Tuesday the 12th, click HERE! ;) |
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December 2022
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