HAPPY NEW YEAR

As I complete my third year as an author of fictional accounts of a family’s saga, I want to take a moment to thank some of the people who have helped me develop this career.

None of this would have been possible without the encouragement and hard work of my wife and partner, Carolynn.  She creates the covers, listens carefully to my ideas, does the marketing, and provides a sounding board for the stories within the main story that are so crucial to my novels.  She’s the one who finds writer’s conferences for me, scans websites for writing tools and books, and still finds time to make a nutritious and delicious dinner for us each evening and a proper beginning to the Sabbath each Friday night. As we approach our golden years, nothing elevates my spirit more than the knowledge that she is my life partner. 

My editor, Lisa Martinez, provides thoughtful criticism and crucial feedback as she edits my work. Much more than providing grammatical corrections, Lisa has insight into my writing style that helps bring a sense of realism and continuity to the situations that my characters find themselves in.  Much of the readability of my novels is due to her input.

I also would like to thank all the authors who took the time to write about their craft. The knowledge gained from two books in particular, have provided a solid foundation for my writing efforts. Steven King’s book “On Writing,” recommended by my son David, and Sol Stein’s book “Stein on Writing.” King’s book taught me that my creative process wasn’t as unique as I had imagined.  Stein’s book, among many other concepts, demonstrated that the non-fiction I had written during my firmware programming days wasn’t that far from my present day fiction writing as I had imagined. Those books are worth far more than their cost. In addition, I have found “The Emotion Thesaurus” by Ackerman and Puglist a fine addition to my writing tool chest.

I wish you all a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year and Great Reading in 2013.

Special Give-a-way

Avoid Last Minute Gift Panic

December 21 – 23, 2012

Did you just realize that since the world has not come to an end, there are gifts you need to buy?  Don’t panic.  Here is an easy solution – give the gift of reading.  You can gift all three eBooks for $6, or purchase them individually.  Not bad.

  1.  The Life of Meyer, Book 1 in the Meant to Be Series is $0.99 from Kindle from December 21 -23.

2.  The Couples, Book 2 in the Meant to Be Series is FREE from Kindle December 21 – 23.

3.  Finding Each Other, Book 3 in the Meant to Be Series is $4.99 on Kindle.  

~~ Amazon Prime Members may borrow these books at no charge. ~~

Click to purchase Kindle eBooks

Your friends and family will thank you!!!

All of us from Village Drummer Fiction wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy Holidays and a wonderful New Year.  We pray 2013 will be a happy, healthy, and prosperous year for all of us.

 

The Meant to Be Series Trifecta

I am very excited to announce the third book in my Meant to Be Series, Finding Each Other is now available on Amazon Kindle.

Finding Each Other

EDITORIAL SYNOPSIS by Lisa Martinez

Life is a series of actions and reactions. Choices. Decisions. The things we do today lead to sometimes irrevocable changes—good and bad, happy and sad—to our life and the lives of those we touch.

But we move on. We grow.

Finding Each Other is a heartfelt continuation of the saga that began with a young Meyer Minkowski and his journey to find his one true love—his Bashert.

Book Two of the series saw new friends meet and new love grow, each story weaving itself intricately into the life of Meyer.

Now, in Book Three, watch the next generation find their way—find each other.

Mystery and miracles, sacrifice and soul-searching, the ties that bind this group of people to each other are strong. A young boy will be brave beyond his years, and a young girl will hold true to her beliefs that true love means being there, even when the one you love is pushing you away.

Loved ones are lost, others just seem so, but the struggle to go on is stronger than the pull to give up. If all it takes is hard work, then they can definitely do it.

Some families are born and others are born of circumstance, but the bond of family is the same either way, for it is not about blood—it is about taking care of each other. Mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, cousins, neighbors and friends—they will all have a part to play in each other’s lives and the lives of total strangers.

These incredible families endure. With faith and family values they thrive.

Through love and laughter, tragedy and tears, they band together—it’s all meant to be.

Finding Each Other, Book Three in the Meant to Be series, is another poignant look at life and love from acclaimed author, Richard Alan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

To read the synopsis for The Life of Meyer and/or The Couples, hover over the tab “Novels by Richard Alan – Meant to Be Series” in the menu on the left.

In honor of the third book’s debut, Village Drummer Fiction is offering the following special:

November 21 – 23, 2012

 1.  The Life of Meyer, Book 1 in the Meant to Be Series is free from Kindle from November 21 -23.

 2.  The Couples, Book 2 in the Meant to Be Series is reduced to $3.49 from Kindle November 21 – 23.

 3.  Finding Each Other, Book 3 in the Meant to Be Series has just been released and is available on Kindle.  Amazon Prime Members may borrow these books at no charge.

I am also happy to announce the launch of the new website for Village Drummer Fiction.  The blog and the website have been combined in one location.  Wonder through the various tabs and enjoy.  I would love to hear you thoughts on the new site, positive or negative.

As always, Happy Reading!

Richard Alan

Locked Down at WIWA Retreat

Two weekends ago I attended a writers’ lockdown retreat sponsored by the Whidbey Island Writer’s Association (WIWA).  It was held at the Captain Whidbey’s Inn on Penn Cove in Washington.  Typical for fall in the Pacific Northwest, the air was filled with mist and the ground was covered with a cacophony of colored leaves.  The cool, damp wind, made the historic lodge appear warm and welcoming.  It was a perfect weekend to spend locked down in a rustic lodge on a beautiful lagoon with twenty-two other writers.  A great blue heron watched as I made my way to my room facing the lagoon.

Lagoon View from My Room

I had never been to a writer’s retreat or conference and had no idea what to expect. My concerns ran from the cost (would it be worth the time and money) to wondering if the “experts” would think I couldn’t write.  The twenty-three inmates gathered in the tavern at the beginning of the lockdown.  While enjoying drinks and finger food the wardens provided the rules of our captivity and reviewed the schedule of activities.  Nervously we introduced ourselves to each other.  I could tell my trepidations were shared by most.  It came as a relief that two writers had voluntarily returned to be locked up for a second time.  The camaraderie warmed me as much as the fire roaring in the lodge’s stone hearth.

The Lodge Tavern

Lobby Fireplace

The coach/mentors were Bharti Kirchner, Terry Persun, and Stephanie Kallos. (Click on their names to link to their websites.)   Not only are they each extremely talented, they were generous with their time, advice, teachings, motivations, and encouragement.  The weekend was structured to provide plenty of workshops (with specific topics), salons (for group discussions on any writing topic of interest), and time to write, write, and write some more.  The tranquil environment, complete with its isolation was perfect.  No phones, television, or internet interrupted the peaceful atmosphere of creative minds soaring.

Lodge Lobby – A Great Place to Read!

Prior to the retreat we each submitted a writing sample which was reviewed by our assigned mentors.  On the last day each participant received a one-on-one critique. For some, the experience aided them in moving from “writer wanna-be” to “author”.  Most left with the determination to finish the project they have been thinking of, or working on, for years.  I was in the process of writing my fourth novel, after completing three novels this year.  For me, the experience sharpened the tools I already use and added more to my toolbox.  We all learned from each other during the 2 ½ days we spent together.  We are all better for it.

I would highly recommend attending writer’s conferences or workshops.  In addition to the advice and critiques you receive from the professionals, you share ideas, make new friends, expand your network, learn and support each other.  Kudos to our wardens from WIWA who organized a professional, productive, and fun lockdown.  We were all paroled, but I expect we will be incarcerated again sometime next year.  I look forward to it.

View of Penn Cove

What retreats or workshops do you recommend?  I would love to hear about them.

Happy Reading and Writing!

Richard

Book Four Teaser

Hi Friends and Followers,

It has been awhile since I posted to my blog.  It’s been a very exciting time.  Book Three is in editing and Book Four is taking form.  You can read  the first ten pages of Book Four in the Meant to Be Series.  I hope you enjoy it.  Your feedback is welcome.

We have been very busy with many family happenings in addition to my spending the rest of my free time writing the fourth book.  The summer schedule includes two weddings (one of which is our son’s), a family reunion, a 70th birthday party and a 95th birthday party; all of which have, or will, involve travel.  I’m trying to get back to balancing it all so I will be catching up on reading many of your blogs (which I have missed) and look forward to commenting on them soon.

Enjoy the excerpt.  Happy Reading and Writing!

Richard

 

When the Writing Bug Bit

Many people ask me why I started on this new career as an author.  They wonder if I’ve always had the writing bug.  When my boys were young, I used to write short stories for them.  They were always the heroes.  I’m sorry I did not keep those stories as they grew older.  That, however, had not put the writing bug in me.

Writing Bugs

Writing Bug

It all started when I was asked to write an article for a blog (http://memoirsfromnam.blogspot.com/) about my experiences in Vietnam.  I submitted the article and it was published.  The blog owner, a published author, asked how long I had been writing.  I replied that I hadn’t ever been and she replied that I should.  That was about a year and three months ago.  My wife has often told me that I am a great storyteller.  (We’re talking about family history kinds of stories.)  She encouraged me to take some time to try writing a novel.   Since then I have written and published Meant to Be and The Couples.  My third novel in the Meant to Be series, Finding Each Other, is currently being edited and I have over 20,000 words written for my fourth book in the series.

There is NO cure!

The only relief is writing!

I may not have always had the writing bug, but now that it has bitten me, I can’t think of anything else I would rather be doing.  I love writing.  Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with a fully formed story in my head and spend the next four hours writing it down.  Other times, I will be doing something completely unrelated to my writing and a new character or plotline will fill my imagination.  I then have to stop what I’m doing, open my laptop, and start writing.   I don’t do outlines.  My process includes first developing the characters and then they tell me their stories.  The stories they tell me always provide twists and turns.  I follow them wherever they take me.  Sometimes I am as surprised at the outcome of a relationship as I’m sure my readers will be.  Occasionally a subplot will be very interesting but not fit the main thrust of the book.  I save those for subsequent novels.

Meant to Be introduces the reader to Meyer and Joan, the main characters.   They meet in the library when they are 4 and 5 years old, respectively.   At the time, they had no idea the two of them would be spending a lifetime together.  Their friendship took off slowly due to their age difference.  Joan did not want to bother with someone who was not old enough to be entering kindergarten. They reconnected a few years later when Meyer’s family moved from Iowa to the Seattle area, where Joan’s family had moved the year before.

Joan and Meyer remain friends throughout their high school years until Meyer leaves for Viet Nam and Joan’s family experiences a tragedy that impacts Joan’s view of friends and family.  The interactions of three generations of friends and family help them reconnect so that they can celebrate the good times and get through the difficult and tragic times as loving partners.

I had so many ideas for future characters and storylines, I realized Meant to Be would never come to an end.  It was then I decided to break the book into a series.  The Couples continues the theme of people who may belong together and how the world around them helps, or sometimes defeats them, in their search for a life partner.  It follows the lives of couples, their friends, and their support systems, as they explore their relationships.

Meyer and Joan return in The Couples, along with several other characters from Meant to Be.  New people are introduced who also interact with Meyer, Joan, and others.  Anna and Michael, both of whom are techies, are the main characters.  Michael is emotionally hurting due to the sudden death of his fiancée a few weeks before their wedding.  Anna has to get over her poor self-image and learn to trust her feelings.  The book centers on their ability to help each other and to grow to become a couple.

Couples

There are several supporting characters.  One of them is suddenly confronted with the opportunity to become the mother of the daughter she gave up for adoption ten years earlier.  Another is a rape victim who is trying to rejoin society as a whole person.  Also there is a teenage boy musician who is trying to get past his unrequited love and finds happiness with a ranch girl. These and several others come together as a community to support each other in finding their life partner.

My hope is that the characters in these books are people that readers will want to know.  You will laugh, cry, and love with them as they seek the partner they are meant to be with for the rest of their lives.

What motivated you to become an author?  When did that writing bug bite?  This is my third major career, but I’m sure it is the last.  I will write for the rest of my life.  How many careers have you had?  Do you expect writing to be the last?

Happy Reading and Writing!

Richard Alan

Fibonacci Numbers, Rhododendrons & Writing (Fibo – Who?)

Fiction writers have more in common with writers of non-fiction than they might believe.   Here’s an example of non-fiction from the world of Fibonacci numbers and mathematics.

Rhododendrons

My wife and partner, Carolynn and I visited the Rhododendron gardens in Federal Way, Washington over the past weekend.  Many of the plants were in bloom and we’ll be returning in a week or so to see many others which hadn’t bloomed yet.   As we gazed at the intense colors of the blooms and the compact buds that were just opening, I was reminded of the Fibonacci series.

The numbers consist of the unending series:

0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89…

Fibonacci, Leonardo Pisano, lived in Pisa, Italy around 1200AD and gave his name to the Fibonacci numbers.

Carolynn at Weyerhauser Rhododendron Garden

Fibonacci numbers can also be seen in the arrangement of seeds on flower heads such as the Coneflower or sunflower.  Look at the way the petals of a flower are arranged.  You will find them in 2s, 3s, 5s and more, but no fours.  If you think you have found a flower with four petals look closer and you will notice that two of the “petals” are actually part of the reproductive parts of the plant!  For some reason, nature doesn’t like the number four.

Most daisies, for example, have 34, 55, or 89 petals which are the 9th,10th, and 11th Fibonacci numbers.

I have enjoyed numbers most of my life.  One of the best definitions of mathematics is that it makes the invisible visible.  Every time we take a ride on a jet there was a team of engineers who used mathematics to design and build that plane so it will go safely through the air at 400 miles per hour.  We can’t see what they’ve done just looking at the airplane and most of us wouldn’t even recognize the Navier-Stokes differential equation that was used to design the wings; but without that equation and its proper use the plane would have never left the ground.

Did you know that it’s a good thing bees can’t read?  If they could, they might find out that, from an aeronautical perspective which considers their wing area and body size, the bee shouldn’t be able to fly.  Being illiterate the bee just flaps the heck out of its wings and flies on his merry way.

I could have shortened this drastically by simply writing the series.  Wouldn’t that have been boring?  I add to the facts by using imagery of flowers and leaves.  I then provide a definition of mathematics the reader most likely hasn’t thought of and then a humorous story about the bee.  These are obviously the same techniques I use when I write fiction.  Surely this makes the rather dry subject of Fibonacci numbers and mathematics in general come to life.  Would you agree?

 

All photos were taken by Richard Alan.