Author Archives: Duke Droste

About Duke Droste

I author books about metaphysical characters that have hope. I have self-published two novels, "Saint Jim" and "Dream Across This Mortal Coil" that can be found on the Amazon Kindle site. I have other novels in the works that I want to publish traditionally.

AUDACIOUS: My YA Autism Novel Is Ready for Traditional Publishing

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Why I Wrote AUDACIOUS: A Personal Connection to Autism

Good news, I’ve finished my third novel, AUDACIOUS. It took a few years to complete, but I’m incredibly proud of the result. Writers are often told to “write what you know,” and for this novel, I took that advice to heart. AUDACIOUS holds deep personal significance because it draws from my experience raising a son with ASD.

Autism can be an isolating condition. I wanted to explore that loneliness, the hunger to feel “normal,” and the unique strengths that come with neurodivergence. The story of Xavier, the protagonist, reflects this inner battle in a world that often misunderstands him.

Getting Feedback: How Critique Groups Shaped My Story

Each chapter of AUDACIOUS was workshopped with my writing critique group, the Lesser North Texas Writers. Their honest feedback during the first round of beta reads helped me refine Xavier’s voice and the emotional arc of the story. (See my post on critique groups for writers here.)

Querying Agents: My Steps Toward Traditional Publishing

Believing the manuscript was ready, I began querying YA literary agents. Here are some milestones from that journey:

  • Attended DFWCon 2024 in North Texas, which re-energized my publishing mission.
  • Pitched to agents at the conference, but no full manuscript requests.
  • Hired former literary agent Mark Malatesta to review my query package. His feedback was incredibly valuable and led me to revise my materials and deepen my story’s appeal.

Craft Books That Shaped AUDACIOUS

Mark recommended three books that influenced my final revisions:

1. Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass

Maass teaches how to elevate fiction with high stakes, emotional resonance, and layered conflict. His insights helped me push past clichés and dig deeper into Xavier’s motivations and inner world.

2. Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody

Brody’s storytelling “beats” helped me realize I had intuitively followed most of them. I made two key adjustments:

  • Xavier’s “lesson” is now spoken aloud by his nemesis, Todd, a choice that adds tension and irony.
  • I strengthened the moment where Xavier decides to act, triggered by bullying and a troubling police encounter.

3. Story by Robert McKee

I’m still reading this one, but even the first 25% has helped me analyze structure and emotional truth. I plan to finish it during the next revision cycle.

The Current Query: AUDACIOUS – A YA Contemporary Novel with a Sci-Fi Twist

Here is the core of my query:

AUDACIOUS is a 74,000-word YA contemporary novel with light sci-fi elements. Xavier is an autistic teen obsessed with being normal. When his social skills leader dismisses his therapy, he rebels, stealing his neurotraining equipment and modifying it to work with his gaming console.

His stutter fades. His confidence soars. He even wins over Julie, his crush. But when his synesthesia evolves into auditory hallucinations and he loses his only friend, Xavier must face a harsh truth: he can’t gamify his way out of being himself.

What Sets AUDACIOUS Apart

If you liked Marcelo in the Real World or Every Last Word, you’ll recognize the emotional honesty and character depth in AUDACIOUS. But Xavier’s sci-fi-enhanced neurotherapy and his rebellion against being “special” give this story its own fresh identity.

What’s Next: Indie Publishers or Self-Publishing?

So far, no full requests from agents. My next step is to query smaller, independent publishers who champion unique YA voices.

Self-publishing remains an option, but it will require a solid marketing plan, something I didn’t fully have for my last novel. I’m exploring better strategies this time.

Other Works in Progress: Second Coming of Bruce

I’ve also completed and begun querying The Second Coming of Bruce, a 21,500-word middle-grade novel based on true events from my father’s childhood and his unforgettable dog, Bruce.

It blends historical fiction, humor, and a lightly omniscient voice (including Bruce’s inner thoughts). If you enjoyed Because of Winn-Dixie or Shiloh, this story may hit the same emotional notes.

Final Thoughts: Writing the Right Story at the Right Time

Publishing is never predictable. But the obvious next step is to keep writing. I’m also working on:

  • A New Age novel centered around past lives
  • A middle-grade fantasy with light horror and magical realism

Every story brings me closer to the right fit, the right time, the right agent, and the right readers.

Want to Read More?

Check out my other posts on writing, publishing, and inspiration at dukedroste.com.

Dream Across This Mortal Coil

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ON – SALE NOW on AMAZON KINDLE – Click Here!

A Metaphysical / Science-Fiction / Dreampunk novel was published on Friday, June 17th, 2022. It’s available in both paperback ( You get this shiny artwork for your bookshelf ) and Kindle formats.

If you know me, then you get the chance to discover what crazy stories are rolling around in my brain. If you don’t know me, then you get the chance to find out what crazy stories are rolling around in my head.

Either way, support your local self-published authors and take a look. If you like it, then provide a review (good or bad). One of the things about writing anything and pouring hundreds of hours into the creation of a string of letters into words into sentences into paragraphs into chapters to tell a story is that someone other than yourself might read it.

It is a potentially soul-crushing endeavor, but one that must be explored to share one’s verbal art outside their little sphere of critique colleagues. You want to share it with the world and discover if anyone connects with it, or views things differently after reading it.

Dream Across This Mortal Coil – Published Date 6/17/22

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Dream Across This Mortal Coil – Paperback Cover

Self-Publication Journey

Droste Effect Press will release my second novel with Amazon on June 17th, 2022. Both paperback and eBook versions are available. This novel has stuck with me for a number of years. Tens of tens of years to be more precise. I had the seed for the novel but not the experience to compose and capture the story the way it needed to be told. It took me many years of short stories, starting and stopping several projects, and many years with my critique group. I finished Saint Jim and my third novel, Audacious, and came back to this one.

My Origin Story

I attempted to publish it through normal literary channels:
The author signs with a Literary Agent
Literary Agent drums up interest with a Publisher
The publisher assigns an Editor
Editor requires a Rewrite
Rewrite leads to Publication

The problem is that I could never interest an agent in representing my work. I tried several times, but either the work or my experience level wasn’t a literal match, so once again, I am going the self-publication route. Putting myself through a rigorous editing regime, I condensed and slogged through multiple revisions. I did my best to be objective. The goal, this go around, is to get creative with my social media and work it from multiple directions.

Support Your Friendly Neighborhood Author

If you’re interested, then please support me and every other self-publishing author like me. Purchase a copy, read it, and provide a review (good or bad) on Kindle. Also, comment on any social posts you happen to come across. It will help me progress in my dream and further the art of writing.

By the way, I feel (no I believe) it is one of the best things I’ve ever written. That doesn’t mean it will be the best thing you’ve ever read, but I hope you might enjoy it.

Critique Group for Writers – Help Yourself and Others

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A critique group for writers is a luxury I have missed.  Since the pandemic, my group has not met for over six months, and I miss them all.  I have been an active member of the Lesser North Texas Writers’ Group for a little over nine years.  My experience with them has exponentially improved my writing skills and helped me to see my work through others’ eyes.  I have completed reading all three of my novels, and they have been beneficial in honing my voice.

Picking the Right Group – This is critical to your success as a writer.  You want a group that will nurture while at the same time doesn’t coddle you.  This is a delicate balance as you have to be honest yet not hurtful.

Develop a Thick Skin – Here is the hardest part.  Accept negative criticism with grace.  In our group, we recommend a hard copy be provided so that marks for grammar and comments can be given.  Time permitting, each person in the group will give a verbal summary of their thoughts.  Sometimes the reaction of the group may not be what you’re expecting, but remember it is representative of another reader’s thoughts, which is the exact reason you write–for others to read.  Now, maybe you feel that those people are not your target audience, but the critique is still valid.  The challenge is to let their comments simmer.  Take some time away from the chapter you wrote and then look at it with new eyes.  Most times, you will find the critique has value.

Take What You Want – This is a case where you have a variety of reviewers, which gives you a range of potential readers.  You can determine who from the group is not your target audience.  You can choose to prioritize other reviewers’ remarks before theirs.  Also, remember that with hard copies, you can always get grammatical or typographical suggestions.  Even if someone is not your target audience, they can spot problems and logical disconnects.  Which means: everyone’s critique has value.

Don’t Change Just Cause Someone Says So– Sometimes a writer can get confused with all the suggestions from their critique group.  Take all of it and think about it.  Don’t believe you must update your chapter to appease all the reviews.  Remember your target audience.  Remember that you are the god of your story.  And as god, you can decide whether to adjust your writing to fit things together as you believe.

Karma: Help Others While Helping Yourself – At times, I will read something and think, “I can write better than this”.  But most other times, I realize that OMG, there’s so much work I have to do with my craft.  I can’t stop.  I have to keep pushing forward.  Critique groups help you mature quicker as a writer.  You can’t write in a vacuum.

Be Polite and Helpful – Remember to critique but not bash your fellow critique member.  If time is tight, speak to the bigger things and mark the little ones like: Grammar, POV, Tense, Passive Voice, Echos, etc.

Writing Must be a Verb First Before it can Ever be a Noun – No one can critique a blank sheet of paper.  You have to get it out of your head and onto the page.

Cobra Kai – An Exercise in Writing Villains

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“The Karate Kid” franchise is a perfect example of writing villains. I recently got the opportunity to watch NETFLIX’s “Cobra Kai”, the sequel series to the 1984 hit movie, “The Karate Kid.” It was a fun trip down memory lane. The characters again enter into each other’s gravitational field and circle each other in combat.

Watching the movie “The Karate Kid”, it was clear that Johnny was the bad guy and Daniel was the hero. After watching Cobra Kai Season 1 and 2, I got an entirely different perspective. Johnny perceives Daniel as the villain.

Recap from Johnny’s Perspective

1. Daniel makes a move on his girlfriend, Ali. Johnny steps in and attempts to get Daniel to back off with a little shoving. Daniel punches Johnny in the face. Game on, and Johnny smacks Daniel down. Johnny loses Ali.

2. Later at the Halloween Dance, Daniel feels compelled to turn on a hose, dousing Johnny in a bathroom stall. Johnny and his friends chase Daniel down a hill and trap him in a fenced area near his apartment complex. While Johnny administers the beating Johnny believes Daniel deserves, Daniel’s neighbor, Mr. Miyagi, steps in and thwarts Johnny and his underage friends.

3. Johnny respectfully leaves Daniel alone while he trains for the All Valley Karate Tournament. Johnny gets lucky, and Daniel faces him in the finals. Finally, he gets his revenge. Johnny regrets sweeping Daniel’s hurt leg, but Johnny’s only obeying his sensei. Daniel then does an illegal Crane kick to Johnny’s head and wins the match, making Daniel the champion. Regardless, Johnny remains the good guy and congratulates Daniel on the win.

Johnny’s POV in his own words.

Flash Forward to Cobra Kai

The “Cobra Kai” series begins thirty-four years later with Johnny as a beer-guzzling, newly unemployed handyman. The loss to Daniel all those years ago sent Johnny on a downward spiral. He is at rock bottom. In a reversal of roles, he becomes a Miyagi-like character and saves his nerdy apartment neighbor from school bullies. The experience makes Johnny realize that he misses the discipline and confidence his training gave him. He decides to resurrect the Cobra Kai school.

Daniel believes he cannot allow Cobra Kai to infest the minds of new students and does some villain-type moves to destroy it. I won’t spoil the series, but this is essentially the setup.

Application to Writing Villains

Why is this interesting? Writers are told that to write a believable villain, you must make them three-dimensional. They can’t be just crazy. Crazy has only two dimensions. Crazy is flat and boring. The villain must believe their actions are justified. They are only doing what is required for their character to survive. The best villains must view themselves as the hero of their story.

“Cobra Kai” allows this duality to come into the forefront. Both Johnny and Daniel are heroes. Both of them are also human, so they have parts of themselves that are less than heroic. If they could visualize themselves through each other’s eyes, then they might become friends. This makes the NETFLIX series work. The viewer wants them to become allies, but fate and thirty-four years of bad history make this a difficult proposition. Besides, conflict drives the story, and without it, there is no need for Season 3.

Both of these characters reside in grey areas; neither exists completely in darkness nor light. The series is entertaining. I believe the key to its success is the writing team, who have created a complicated and multi-layered world. If you enjoy writing and want an example of writing villains, then check out “Cobra Kai”.

Looking forward to Season 3.

Saint Jim – Published: January 7, 2017

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Buy Saint Jim on Amazon

On Sale Now on Amazon – Click the Book Cover

What is Saint Jim About?

( Book Jacket Text )

Jim is a homeless addict. His drug of choice is healing people. But a gift bestowed can have a mind of its own. For some, he may only see colors, but when the disease manifests itself as an entity, then he’s compelled to action.

Each time his compulsion to heal overtakes him, it drives him further into a spotlight he wants to avoid. The Reverend Baxter, by mistake, believes he’s healed a dying boy at the shelter, and it pulls Jim in deeper.

Jim’s brilliant idea to be the reverend’s assistant will give him access to all the desperate people seeking miracles. Fame and power may consume everything.

Writing Saint Jim

In the Summer of 2009, I began my writing journey. I had several ideas in my head, but the one that jumped out and grabbed me was about a homeless man with an addiction to healing people. I started Saint Jim with a first chapter that read more like a short story. Next, I strung the following chapters along as a continuation of the previous ones. The story and the characters began to drive themselves. This is the kind of magic you hear about and great to experience. I kept the whole project secret until the Fall because I didn’t want to tell anybody until I knew I could actually finish it.

I completed the novel almost a year later in my spare time. My writing critique group and beta readers gave me feedback. What I found was that the magic was just beans. Magic beans, but beans nonetheless. The story worked, but it was full of passive voice, clichés, and disconnected plot points. Now, I had to plant those beans and carefully nurture them to germinate, take root, and emerge from the dirt. Another year passed of edits, beta readers, more edits, some more edits, and endless polishing.

Publishing Saint Jim

With a complete manuscript, I moved to getting it published. I sent query letters to literary agents to see if I could entice just one to ask for a partial or full copy of the manuscript.  Nothing really came from it. The novel got set aside, and I started my second.  Agents say they want authors who have multiple novels in their pocket, so I finished my second novel and began my third.  All the while, I continued with the traditional publishing route through queries and agents in what seemed to be an endless circle.

I toyed with the idea of self-publishing a couple of years ago. It stalled because I enjoyed writing too much. Then I realized, what’s the use of writing something if nobody can ever read it? My fellow writers were self-publishing, so I created a cover, got a copy-edit of the manuscript, and read this book again and again until it made me sick. I tried my best to scrutinize the details to deliver a quality product in both paperback and Kindle editions for Amazon.

Marketing Saint Jim

The paperback minimum price I could sell it for was $8.72, so I rounded it up to $8.99. The minimum price for the Kindle Edition to be part of the KDP marketing with Amazon was $2.99, so I set it to that price. If you purchase the book, then the Kindle version is free.

The journey was long and full of frustrating turns, but I have finally completed this leg of the race. It’s all been a learning process. I’m still not finished, as I have to figure out the marketing portion of this equation. More work to do. This post is the first step.

Buy it Now from Amazon

Saint Jim – A Droste Effect Press Original

The Homeless Are Among Us

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What I’m Writing …

I am getting ready to self-publish my first novel, SAINT JIM, within the next month. I believe it’s good enough, but it’s difficult to find an agent to represent me being an unknown author. Currently, it’s with an editor going through a Copy Edit run to ensure all the typos are culled.  The novel is about a homeless addict.  His drug of choice is healing people.  He is bestowed the gift of healing and sees auras on those that need his gift, but when an entity appears in, on, or around people in need, it compels him to action.  He hears a voice in his head saying, “Help Them.”

rethinkhomelessness

So A Few Weeks Ago …

I had stopped at a local store to pick up something to eat on the way to work.  I noticed a couple of guys talking.  Upon leaving, one of the two, a high school kid, was passing me while telling the other that he had no cash but would pick up some food.  I glanced more closely at the guy.  He was wearing ratty coveralls.  We made eye contact.  Damn.

“Excuse me,  I need a ride … ” he said softly. I pretended not to hear him and got into my car.  He ran up the passenger window and waved, and I shrugged my shoulders and pulled out and left.  I almost got out of the parking lot, and I felt this pull on me.  It felt like my novel.  Don’t  know if it was my conscience or God or guilt that intervened, but I felt a force saying, “Help him.”

I pulled back into the lot and drove back to the store, where he stood getting the food from the kid.  I pulled into the parking space and waved the guy to the passenger side.  He said he needed to get to a cross-street near the Tollway, because that’s where his stuff was. I thought about it for a second, and my gut instincts said he was harmless.  I told him to get in.

On the drive there, he told me his name was Brett.  He had come back down to this area to get his coveralls because the weather was changing, and he didn’t want to get caught in the cold. I asked him if downtown had any shelters he could stay in.  Brett said that he would rather be homeless in North Dallas. The homeless in downtown were hardcore, and some were into drugs, and he did not need that temptation.

Brett mentioned that others had told him he was too young to be homeless.  I figured him for about twenty-four close-cropped hair and clean-shaven.  Unknown to him, he pointed to my neighborhood as we passed it, and said he used to live there.  He rattled off the names of my children’s elementary, middle, and high schools.  He continued saying that he had no family.  His grandparents had died, and his parents had written him off.  His brother had gotten out of jail, and he hoped he could team up with him to get off the streets, but his brother was caught up in drugs now, too.

Being on the street was tougher than he thought.  He mentioned that he had to be careful to eat properly and drink plenty of water. The ride was greatly appreciated, and he told me it made his day, because he said it would have ordinarily taken all day to walk it. I gave Brett whatever cash I had, and he left my car with a smile on his face.

We are all sinners and saints.  It depends on which voice we want to listen to.  I have guilt about my initial reaction.  I was a jerk.  We can remain afraid and do nothing, or we can extend our humanity to others.  If a child is crying alone on the street, most of us would stop to help them. Homeless people cry out, but not in the same obvious way as children. They have emotions mixed with pride, shame, and helplessness that debilitate them. Sometimes, a kind word, a sympathetic ear, and a few dollars are all that is required to make their day.

Don’t forget that they are out there.  They’re not relegated to just downtown/urban areas. They’re in the suburbs and may have once been your neighbors.  We are entering the season of giving.  We can all work to be more like saints and try not to ignore them.

I searched on “homeless in suburbs” and got this as the second hit in the list:
Hidden Homeless Grow in Number in North Texas Suburbs – Dallas Morning News

Is Tolerance Enough?

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Tolerance For All

Tolerance For All

I read a story about a family reunion at a California campground being terrorized by a man threatening them with what appeared to be a shotgun and yelling racial slurs. The community there established a GoFundMe page for the family and staged a protest to ensure that the world outside their community knew that this one jerk didn’t represent them. USAToday Article

One protester had a sign saying, “Tolerance For All” and said things like, “If you can’t tolerate people having a good time … go home.”  The sentiment was pure, but being a wordsmith of a sort, I can’t help believing that we are using the wrong word here.  “Word Choice” ( WC ) as my critique group would write on the page.

This is only one example of what is out there, and I’ve seen it applied several times to people of other religions, races, or sexual orientations.  And it continues to bother me.

If I told a stranger that I tolerate them, do you think they would feel warm and cozy with me in their presence?

If I told a Muslim friend that I tolerate his/her religion, would they be comfortable discussing their faith with me?

Declaring to a co-worker of a different race that I tolerate them, will that give them a sense of inclusion within my work family?

When someone comes out and reveals that they are gay, and I tell them that I tolerate that, will they trust me?

The answer is: no, No, NO, and Hell No.  Tolerance is not enough, and it is not the right word.  I believe it should be Acceptance.

Acceptance for All

What’s wrong with saying that you accept someone’s faith, race, or orientation?  I am not saying that you claim to understand them.  I’m just saying that we accept, consider, and include their right to express their ideas and thoughts into our everyday lives.  Acceptance does not give anyone the right to infringe upon your right to pursue your own happiness.  It just means that if someone else is different from you and not hurting you, then accept them into your heart.

To tolerate someone, I believe, falls short of the mark. The world will be a better place if we accept more than we tolerate.

Chicago ’71 – Short Story

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After “Chicago ’71” was published upon winning the 2014 Grand Prize at the Texas Writers Journal, the rights reverted back to me.  I just have to provide a first publication credit to TWJ.  So here is the link and credit to the piece for those who are interested:

CHICAGO ’71 – Duke Droste

NOTE: I’ve been asked what is history and what is family lore.  The story is a collection of historical facts about how families survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.  Parts that are mixed in from family stories passed down to me:
– Herman was my Great Great Grandfather.
– A canary was found and kept in a jar.
– The furniture was buried in the dunes.
– The oriental rug was a fixture of my Grandmother’s house for a long as I can remember.

Chicago ’71 Wins Grand Prize for Texas Writers Journal

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I was just notified today by the Texas Writers Journal that my short story, “Chicago ’71”, was selected as the Grand Prize Winner for 2014.  The piece was selected for the quarterly publication in July, which made it a finalist for the 2014 Annual Competition.

TWJ is only for Texas writers, and I’m really honored that my short story was selected by them as their annual winner.  It helps to receive validation that one’s writing has merit.

Chicago ’71 is a historical fiction based on family stories passed to me from my mom’s side of the family, who survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.  I mixed it with research I did on the fire, how it spread through the city, and what some people did to survive.

The prize was $500, an Award Certificate, a year’s subscription, and a copy of the 2014 Annual publication.  I’m really excited. This is the first time I have received actual money for my writing.

Texas Writers Journal's Grand Prize Winner for 2014

Five Whys versus Five Y’s

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Five Whys versus Five Y's

The concept of Five Whys is for quality analysis and finding the root cause of a problem. Let’s take a software defect. Find the first “Why” for the bug.  Maybe it’s a missing test case. The second “Why” derives from the first, so you ask why the test case missed?  The answer might be that the test case was missing because you didn’t understand that your software feature interacted with another feature.  Once you go five levels deep on your “Why” analysis, you should find the true root cause of the issue.  I’m also a software development manager, and the quality of the product is paramount. Understanding how the bugs get there in the first place lets you catch them earlier in the process.  Once they enter the field, they are exponentially more expensive.

It got me thinking that you could apply these same principles to your personal life.  For example, let’s say you are unfulfilled with your job.  You might go through this process and realize at the fifth “Why” that it was your choice of major to study or that you wish you had gone to a different university.  You might use this analysis to figure out the root cause of things you don’t like about yourself.  Now, for most people, this may be a depressing exercise because it dwells solely on the past.

I had a thought about the reverse effect.  What if you looked forward, but instead of using “Whys”, we use the Five “Y’s”? To me, a “Y” is a fork in the road; a place to make a decision.  What if I looked at each decision each day and wondered what might be the outcome of my choice?  Let’s take my wife. ( Yes, take her, please – Henny Youngman ) No, seriously, let’s say she asked me to help her with something.  First “Y”. I have the choice to say yes or no. Maybe I’m tired and I say no. The Second “Y” might lead to an argument with her.  She may be hurt that I wasn’t willing to help, but now she’s hurt by something I said, because I chose (Third “Y”) to say the wrong thing in the heat of the moment.  ( Hey, I’m a guy.  It goes with the territory. )  Now, she asks me to sleep on the couch.  I could choose to apologize or sleep on the couch. Fourth “Y”.  My pride forces me to choose the couch, which is not very comfortable.  Let’s say I get a crick in my neck from an uncomfortable night’s sleep, and I don’t notice the step down in the den. I fall, breaking my leg. Fifth “Y”.

The moral for me is to make better decisions in life and hopefully it will lead to a more fulfillment and enjoyment during my journey   A corollary lesson: Don’t piss off your wife or you’ll get break your leg.

 

Chicago ’71 – The Texas Writers Journal

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Just wanted to announce that I got a new publishing credit.  My historical fiction short story of the Great Chicago Fire, “Chicago ’71”, was chosen for the quarterly publication in the Texas Writers Journal for July and is eligible as a finalist for the overall winner of 2014.

The story is based on family lore handed down through my mother’s side about the Chicago Fire of 1871.  I mixed it with research I did on the fire, how it spread through the city, and what some people did to survive.

I’m excited about getting a new publishing credit to add to my bio for my agent queries about my YA paranormal/fantasy novel, “Dream Across This Mortal Coil”. Every little bit helps.  

Chicago '71 - Texas Writers Journal

Dream Across This Mortal Coil

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DATMCTheDrosteEffect1x16_04302104

This is my second novel.  I have finished my second draft and will soon send this out for beta readers. Still working the query/synopsis below, but here is a start.   I have updated it, so take a look:

=============================================================

Fifteen-year-old Lucinda is always awake in dreams.  Once a sanctuary, her dream world makes a dramatic shift and twists out of control, blurring the line between sleeping and waking—maybe even sanity.

It’s hard enough being a high school sophomore without being the girl who nods off during Spanish and wakes up screaming on the classroom floor. Lucinda fights for normalcy, but her dream reality has other ideas as unwelcome guests bleed over from the other side, wrecking her social life.  Her only comfort is seeing glimpses of her mother’s soul.

David, a boy from her dreams, introduces Lucinda to others, who claim they will teach her to control these nightmares.  They remain wary.  Her homegrown abilities and her lack of training makes Lucinda the equivalent of a toddler playing with a loaded gun, and anyone in either of her realities could get hurt.

She’s torn between balancing the intricate life of a high school student with the complex realm of her dreams.  When her powers make a quantum leap, warring factions in her dream world compete for her allegiance.  She is a weapon, but for which side?

DREAM ACROSS THIS MORTAL COIL is a YA contemporary fantasy novel with a metaphysical bite, complete at 80,000 words.  I’d compare my potential audience to readers of “The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer”, “The Iron King” with a slice of “WICKED”.  I’ve been an active member of the Lesser North Texas Writers for over three years.  This is my second novel.  I’ve written several short stories.  Three are currently published: “Medium Medium” at Dark Media Online and “Lotto Man” at the Nautilus Engine.  “Chicago ‘71” is an annual finalist selected for publication in The Texas Writers Journal, appearing in the July 2014 quarterly issue.

 

Life Rules of Forrest Gump

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Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump – Letting the Wind Guide Him

Forrest Gump is making the rounds on cable again.  It has been a while since I’ve seen the film, and I found myself mesmerized and pulled into its cinematic vortex.  Around the house, I start talking like him to my family, and it cracks them up.  Later, I realized as I imitated his words that I wished that I could embody more of his attitude and spirit.

It got me to think that if Forrest could sum up his rules for life, what would they be?

1. Life is Like a Box of Chocolates: You Never Know What You’re Going to Get – This is the essential quote from the movie that explains the core belief system that Forrest lives by.  You take what’s given in life and do your best.  If you’re like me, then anything chocolate is good.  I know that some choices in the box may be better than others, but hey, it’s all chocolate.

2. Keep your Eye on the Ball – To succeed in ping-pong or the shrimping business, Forrest knew to never take his eye of the proverbial ball.  He channeled an obsessed focus on what he enjoyed or believed, and in return, it allowed him to transcend his mental shortcomings.

3. Love Your Family – Forrest loved his mother dearly.  She was the guiding force that drove him to see that life had some truly beautiful things to offer.  He realized that he was her whole world.  When Forrest met his son for the first time, he openly cried.  He asked if his son was smart.  Forrest’s limitations were clear to him, and he did his best, but his love for family was paramount.

4. Be Loyal to Your Friends – This one comes through loud and clear.  Forrest was fiercely loyal to those people in his life whom he determined were his friends.  He ran out into an active battlefield to retrieve his best friend, Bubba.   When called upon to help his fellow comrades, he couldn’t let their cries for help go unheard.  Then, later after Forrest established himself in his shrimping business, his friend, Bubba, was only a spiritual partner, and yet, Forrest took care of Bubba’s mother by giving her half of his share of the business.

5. Be Friendly No Matter How Disagreeable Those Around You May Be. ( See the Good in People Unless they Hurt the Love of Your Life, then You Pound Them ) – Forrest showed this best with Lieutenant Dan.  He saw beyond the pain and the depressed spirit of the broken soldier that was his commander.  He allowed Lieutenant Dan to be angry and upset, but did not let his irascible behavior dull his dedication to him.  Forrest was his secret friend until Lieutenant Dan understood Forrest actually was his best friend.  But refer to rules number 2 and 3 if you decide to slap Jenny, your Black Panther Party will get ruined.

6. Never Give up on Love – Forrest had his heart broken by Jenny time after time.  He knew his limitations in life, but his capacity for love was unflagging and unlimited.  In the end, Jenny saw that quality and realized that he was the right man for her.

Conclusion: Regardless of the curveballs that life or fate handed him, Forrest took them in stride and endured certain difficult moments to arrive at those times in his life he could enjoy.  He fiercely held the promises he made to friends, the love for his family, and his undying dedication to his childhood sweetheart.  It wouldn’t hurt for all of us to live like Forrest Gump.

Jim Valvano: A Life of Inspiration

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Jim Valvano giving his 1993 ESPY Speech
Jim Valvano at the 1993 ESPY Awards

I caught an episode of 30/30 that reviewed the 30th reunion of the 1983 N.C. State NCAA Championship. As I watched the show, it became clear that it was also a tribute to their coach, Jim Valvano.  The man had a gift to motivate and squeeze every bit of guts and determination from his players.  They all loved him.

It followed the team throughout the ACC championship and the March Madness of 1983.  His team came from behind multiple times and beat opponents that no one would have expected.  When they won it all, Sports Illustrated claimed it as the greatest college basketball moment of the 20th century.

As I watched, I was amazed at the man’s charisma and his gift of speech.  At the age of sixteen in a basketball camp, Valvano heard a speech from the Reverend Bob Richards, a pole vault Olympic gold medalist.  Richards looked over the group of kids and said, “The Lord must have loved ordinary people because he made so many of us.”  Valvano said he was sitting there thinking he was special, and these words momentarily crushed him.  Then Richards gave the line that Valvano said had changed his life: “In every single day, in every walk of life, ordinary people do extraordinary things.  Ordinary People accomplish Extraordinary things.”

The following are some quotes from Jim Valvano to take with you into your daily life:

“There are three things we should do everyday.  Do this every day of our life.  Number one is laugh.  Number two, you should think.  You should spend some time in thought.  And number three, you should have your emotions moved to tears: could be happiness or joy.  Think about it.  If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day.  That’s a heck of a day.  You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.”

“My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.”

“Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul.”

Jim Valvano fought hard in his battle to beat cancer. He lived a beautiful life, and many wondered why such a life had to end. The Jimmy V Foundation he started, has raised upwards of 100 million dollars for cancer research.  Through his death, the impact he made on those around him, and his foundation, he has extended and saved the lives of many others.

Here’s to Jim Valvano: An ordinary guy who did extraordinary things with his life.  He inspires us all to do the same.

 

Dad Is Bad

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My son’s protest sign,
“Dad Is Bad”

In the picture my son is eight.  If you read the cardboard sign he’s holding, it says “Dad Is Bad” and was born out of a grievance he filed against me.  My wife and I prepared to sell our old house, and we decided to paint a short white fence that surrounded the flower garden in our front yard.  The boy wanted to help, but I wouldn’t let him because we were in a hurry to get a number of things done, so I didn’t want to spend the time to supervise a slop-fest of latex all over the bushes.

He was not pleased, and while we finished the paint job, he prepared this sign.  When I went around back to cleanup, I heard this chanting from the backyard.  I looked over the fence and saw my son standing on the top of his plastic fort holding the sign up to the street running along the side of our house and repeated his protest mantra, “Dad Is Bad”. The audacity: he was conducting a protest against his own paternal unit.

This was one of those moments as a parent that I made the right choice.  It made me laugh. I got him to come down, took a picture of him, and commended him for using his words like his mom and I had always taught him.  The result is we let him know that we were proud of him.  This picture is part of a collage on my desktop PC.  I noticed this recently and remembered this slice of family time in our lives.  It still makes me smile. My boy is turning eighteen later this April.  As a parent, I have faith that he will apply the lessons learned while he treads down his new path in adulthood.  Happy birthday, my civil disobedient son.

 

Meeting Your Novel’s Character in Real Life

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Healing Hands

I am currently on the last revision of my first novel, SAINT JIM.  It has been a long road of culling passive sentences, removing useless words, fixing connection points, etc. I have read it so many times, I think I have parts of it memorized.  The story is about a homeless man named Jim, who develops an ability to heal.  He comes upon this gift by accident, but is reluctant to use it because he wants to remain anonymous.   The gift, however, has a mind of its own and compels him to help others–almost like an addiction.

I had completed the first draft of my novel in 2010, with all the places and characters complete, and was in a hospital helping my wife as she recovered from a surgical procedure.  When I arrived at the refreshment area on that hospital floor to make my wife some tea, I found an older white-haired gentleman there in his patient gown getting some water.  I asked him how he was doing.

“I have my faith in the Lord,” was his response.

I found him interesting, so I struck up a conversation.  Now, understand that I never brought up my novel or healing in any way during our talk.  I asked why he was in the hospital, and he said that he had cancer and was recovering–the Lord willing.  He volunteered that he had been reborn and even a healer at one point.  This caught my attention.

The gentleman told me that he had been given the gift of healing when he re-dedicated his life to the Lord after being away from the Church for a long time. He remarked that the power of healing was real and beautiful at the same time.  He claimed to have healed one particular man of a deadly disease.  He told the man that he would remain healed on the condition that the man turn from his dark path within a year.  The man was healed, but a year later abruptly passed because he remained unrepentant.  The gentleman told me that he had lost this healing gift after he once again had a lapse in his faith.  He no longer could heal, but his trust in the Lord remained strong, so he assured me he would be all right.

I asked that man his name.  Somehow, I knew what he would say.  He said, “Jimmy.”

This gave me a small sign that maybe I should complete my latest revisions and somehow get it published. I never saw Jimmy again on that floor, as my wife was released soon afterward.  That was two years ago, and I’m thoroughly amazed, even now, that every time I read my latest draft, there is still some typo, unconnected detail, or polishing to be done.  The time has finally come, though, for me to wrap it up.  It’s like an old friend you spent several years with who’s moving away to another city.  I don’t want that relationship to end, but I have to give it up.  Who knows, maybe we will reconnect someday.