Why Tara Hall should read this blog post

So, as promised, if I was fortunate enough to win the NEO word processor, then I would have a random drawing selected from all my donors. Now, I would like to note that the anonymous donor sent me a message requesting that he or she NOT be included in the drawing. Just one more selfless act by a wonderful human being. So, after gathering the names and throwing them in the hat, I am thrilled to announce that TARA HALL is the winner!

Tara, I need you to contact me via email so I can have an address to ship this wonderful prize. Again, I want to thank each and every single one of you for your support. I have a very strong belief in NaNoWriMo and the importance of the arts in a society that has seen funding of these sorts of programs plummet. I was blessed to attend a high school that had a nationally recognized theater arts program and a top notch English department with courses such as Gothic Lit (where we actually did a comparison of Poe versus the modern day slasher horror of Friday the 13th...now a days, that teacher would probably be fired...THANK YOU DEAN JOHNSON!) and Fantasy Lit versus Shakespearean. Today, we are fortunate if the student can write a complete sentence without using texting language. (OMG IDK!)

All the support I received during NaNoWriMo brings me to another point: Friends. I have been blessed with some of the best. To say that my past has some smudges is like saying that the Exxon Valdiz had a little accident. I found out over the past decade who my real friends were, and have been blessed to make some great ones recently. It is very easy for people to find reasons to cut and run. However, I have found that those who stick by you no matter what are the ones that are worth a damn. Being a friend means standing through thick and thin. Sure, you may get a little mud on your shoes standing beside somebody, but don't we all want somebody to be there when our times are darkest? WHile taking on the world alone seems like a "Macho" idea...it is not ideal. Each of us has had times when we needed the shoulders of others to get us through. How many times have you looked around in times of need or dejection to discover an empty room? So would you willingly inflict that on another? You can call it "paying it forward" or "do unto others" but the bottom line is that we make ourselves better people by being there when those we CALL friends have a time of need. 

To those of you who have stood by and supported me, taken me for who I am now and not what you "think" you know about my past, know that you will have a loyal friend in me for life. To those of you who cut and run, it is your choice...but I have overcome every single obstacle set before me and achieved my goals. My latest goal is to become a best selling author. I will. And I will never forget my friends no matter how big I become (because failure is not an option, for me it is a question of "when" not "if"), but neither will I forget those who turned away. Petty? Perhaps. But at least it is honest.

Who the heck has time to read these things?

I am going to make an admission. I only read a few blogs, and I only read them sometimes. The only sure-fire guarantee that I will read an entire blog post is if it is about me or a person I consider a friend.  I WANT to read more, but a lot of times, I just get busy and don't get around to it. The problem is...I write a blog and WANT everybody to read it. That makes me a pretty big hypocrite. SO where am I missing the big picture? What am I doing wrong?

So I started trying to be more loyal to some of the blogs I follow. My idea of loyal included trying to visit more often and to make at least one comment per week. Seriously, if the blog does not raise at least one thought that incites me to comment, then why am I reading it? But is that the right attitude? Do other bloggers care if anybody comments...or is it just me?

I can admit here to you that I have a certain degree of insecurity. Couple that with the general quirkiness and peculiarity of being one of those "artsy" types. And not even the classy "artsy" type. I write horror...more specifically, I write zombie fiction. Sort of the redneck cousin to the "artsy" type. The gauge of my success as a writer is easy to follow (in my opinion). I simply check my sales numbers(more on that in a second). I read reviews(more on that too). And now, I have a blog that I can check each day for number of visits and comments.

Checking my numbers has become my newest addiction. For me, the true test is not book one, it is the subsequent sequels that allow me to feel joy. Of course, every day, I have to fight off that inner monologue... remember the end of Carrie? "They're all gonna laugh at you!" Well just substitute "Nobody is gonna buy your books anymore!" Be sure to use the same creepy voice, though. I hear that every day. As for reviews, they seem to come in bunches. I can go days without a single review on ANY of my titles...then I get four or five in one day. Those who follow or know me, you know how I feel about people who complain about negative reviews. I take those as part of the job and I search them for anything valid that I can use to make myself better as a writer. That is what makes writing reviews such a tricky prospect for me. I WILL NOT fluff up a writer with a bogus review. And even in the best stories, I try to leave a critique because I believe that none of us are perfect and I believe in offering constructive criticism. The tricky part is when it is somebody I know or like. How do you tell a friend that their work is less-than-stellar? I only know one way.

So that brings me back to this blog. You are the ones who read it. So...more interviews? More book reviews? Less on both? Ranting and raving like a nut? Or simply sharing insights to the not-nearly-as-exciting-as-people-think life of a writer?

A few thoughts in closing...today's Olympic challenge will be difficult, but those who can get to a swimming pool, go out to where you can not touch and tread water for ten minutes...the catch? Have somebody grab you, dunk you, and elbow you in the ribs every few seconds. This challenge brought to you by the amazing athletes who participate in water polo. Also, I am days away from starting my Camp NaNoWriMo--August Edition. The 5th book in the DEAD series is in my sights. That means lots of guest posts...I will try and get in a few words here and there...but my focus will be on my writing. I will be posting some raw samples here, so stay tuned. Also...knee be damned, I am returning to my workout schedule. P90X updates will be posted...if you can't find anything else to comment about...feel free to mock my inability to do pull-ups.

Anthologies, NaNoWriMo and a word to my friends.

This month has been a busy one for me as an editor. I have some of my first "outside" contracts under my belt now in addition to my own work at May December Publications. I will admit to not being perfect, but I am constantly reading and studying and doing my best to improve. Also, when mistakes are pointed out to me, I make it a point to address them. I want to revisit some of our older titles because I have learned so much since we produced that first anthology--Eye Witness: Zombie. I did not realize until this evening as I sat down to put this together that I have edited 13 anthologies that are currently in print, with a few more coming out this year. The biggest thing that I am still in awe of is the fact that so many talented writers send the result of their hard work to ME! I can't list you all here, but I want to thank every single author who not only has appeared in an MDP anthology, but simply taken the time to submit. Whether or not you were selected, I still appreciate your hard work.

That is the good part. Sadly, there has to be a balance. Perhaps it is because we are starting to offer a few bucks here and there, but we are seeing a considerable amount of submissions when we announce our newest projects. The good side is that I am seeing some amazing stuff. Sometimes I read a story and I honestly can't believe that the author sent it to ME. Some of you are so amazingly talented. Even better, you read the submission guidelines and so everything is neat and orderly. A few of you have gone so far as to have an editor clean up your work before submission. It is so nice to read a clean submission. Sadly, there is also the polar opposite of that scale. What would possess you to think that your third-person zombie western fits our first-person vampire anthology? Or...and this is a REAL example that I saw several times.when we put out a call for FIRST TIMERS and you have an Amazon Author page with a half-dozen titles...are you just that dense? Can you write, but some malady struck you so that you can't READ? I am not going to harp on this today...but I will say this--if you aren't able to read the submission guidelines, I won't be reading your story. The end.

So, if you are sitting there with your panties in a bunch...chances are, you are part of the problem. So let me pose this to you. If your boss told you to do a project a specific way and you threw those suggestions out the window and just did it "your way" and ended up getting sacked...whose fault is it? And if you think I would do it out of some personal spite, you are not paying attention. I have no idea who writes the stories I read for any given anthology until after all the submissions are read and scored. I don't play favorites. Funny thing, I could despise your being, and if your story scores high, you would make it in based on talent. We will never change that aspect here at May December Publications.

Okay, enough of the soapbox. Nobody really wants to read a thousand word rant. And if you do, there are plenty of nutjobs to oblige that need. I want to take a second to announce for those who don't know that I am choosing the August Camp NaNoWriMo to write (or get a good start on) the fifth book in the DEAD series--Dead: Siege & Survival. However, I have also decided to participate in their sponsor program. So, if you are so inclined, donate to support the cause. 50,000 words in the month of August is not so bad, but my goal is closer to 100,000. I need to log over 3,000 words a day and my personal goal is 3,500 for a total of 108,500 words. I hope I have your support, and just as importantly, I hope some of you will decide to support NaNoWriMo. You can do so right here from this blog if the mood strikes you.

As I wrap up today, I want to take a few minutes to address some people in my life that I am very fond of and probably have seemed distant from lately. The funny thing about deciding to pursue my dream of being a full-time author and editor is that I actually have less free time than when I did this AND held a day job. The reason is simple; there is no safety net. If I tank...if my books don't sell...the electricity is shut off. I'm not making Stephen King money. In fact, if you broke me down hourly versus what I make in a month, I am barely beating out a Third World sweat shop. I hit the ground running around 6AM and can often be found at my desk after midnight. That is Monday through Saturday. It would be Sunday, but we made a choice in this house to commit to family time on Sundays. There are no computers on in this house until after 7PM. We (Denise and I) read, go for hikes, take walks, and basically tune out the world. I am determined to make it doing what I always dreamed of doing. Sadly, I have had to cut out a lot of "hanging out" time. This first year is crucial. I miss some of you terribly because I have made so few real friends in my life, but I hope you will be patient and wait this out with me. I promise that I haven't forgotten you, and very soon, things will get better. I won't necessarily have less work, but I will be able to allow myself the chance to breathe. Right now, I feel like if I take a moment, this whole thing will dry up and blow away. I understand that is irrational thought, but it doesn't make it any  less real in my head. I will try my best to say "Hi" and socialize every so often, but I have issues that are my own and I have to work hard right now because that is how my mind works. I know for a fact that I wouldn't be where I am without the support I have received from some of you who are reading this page. Don't think I am not aware...and never feel that those of you who have embraced my books and taken the time to introduce yourself to me are not important. I WOULD NOT BE HERE WITHOUT YOU!!! I have called some of you friend...and that is a word I don't toss out there on a whim. So, my friends, be patient with your slightly crazy writer friend. This really is harder than it looks.

Tomorrow, Dana Fredsti will be here. Yep, an honest to goodness DEADITE from Bruce Campbell's Army of Darkness. How many of you just quoted your favorite line? "Well hello, Mister Fancy Pants!" She is also a writer AND a cat lover. She will tell you all about it on Friday. Don't miss it.

Stuff about what I do every day...

Every morning at around five, I wake up to my Border Collie wriggling up my chest and licking my face. That is Aoife's way of letting me know that it is time to get my butt out of bed. So, after watering my tomato plants and feeding my fish, and taking the dogs out with Denise, I settle in at my desk. April of this year (2012) I left my "day" job to devote my full attention to writing and editing. I found out just how far behind I had fallen these past few months as I can not seem to dig out from under all of the editing projects and get in some quality writing time. I am pleased to say that I am almost at a point where I can breathe. 

Next month, I will be immersed in the August edition of Camp NaNoWriMo. For those not familiar, that is where you set out to write 50,000 words in a month (or 1,666 words a day). I will be using this time to get deep into the fifth book in the DEAD series, titled Dead: Siege & Survival. I looked at my writing calendar and decided that was my priority. Oh yeah...I got a few other stories in the pipeline. "Such as?" Thanks for asking. I am cleaning up Zomblog: Snoe for the October release. (That is book four of the Zomblog series for those keeping track.) I have the second Gruesomely Grimm Zombie Tales book where I will take on the next 20-30 of the 200+ stories attributed to the Brothers Grimm. I am committing to the second book in my non-horror Dakota series. Last, but not least, I will be making a go at writing a full-length offering for my That Ghoul Ava horror/comedy. All the while, I am dipping my toe in the blogosphere (thanks for visiting by the way). All that and I haven't even mentioned my editing jobs or my quest to reach the top 1,000 as an Amazon reviewer (as of July 19, 2012 I am ranked 3,233) and make regular posts on Brutally Honest Reviews. Yep...I am a busy guy.

Some might say I have too much on my plate. Others may worry that I may get sloppy. THAT is the problem. What you are not seeing on my list is spending hours each day skulking around Facebook. It's not that I don't think there is a certain degree of necessity when it comes to the social media, but hanging around in a bunch of rooms TALKING about all the work I have to do is not GETTING any of my actual work done. Thank goodness I have a wife who is very supportive and helpful. She reads various posts to me throughout the day. If I have an opinion that has not been hashed and re-hashed over and over again, I offer my two cents. Sometimes I just say hello to a few people that I really like. (If I try to list you all, I will leave somebody out, so...you know who you are.) I just don't have time to relive high school.

Yep. There went a few ruffled feathers. but seriously...take a step back. Pluck you feelings off your shoulder and put them in your pocket. Pop in to some of these rooms lately and tell me I am wrong. Gossip. Name-calling...and cliques! Don't even get me started on that topic. Too late! Room after room it is the same thing. "He said this" and "She said that". Honestly, I just got tired of hearing who pissed who off. Everybody is an expert, nobody can take criticism, and the "I got a bad review...WAAAAAAA!" I started getting numb. One day, I just said "I'm done." Did anybody notice? Not likely. Why? Because I still say hi to my friends. I still support writers I enjoy, I read and review several books a month. I just cut out the garbage. It was a waste of time. Now I work 12-15 hours a day and I have never been happier. I still have a few problems to iron out...and I have yet to crack the top 100 in SALES in the Kindle Horror market. I flirted with it early this month...but ran out of gas. But I know I will get there one day and see my name up there with some pretty cool names. (I'm looking at you Mark Tufo...you are my benchmark.)

I am not doing anything special. I am just not wasting time with things that are meaningless. And if you think I am coming off snobbish, then you aren't paying attention. I still like all the people I liked before. I just don't get into the drama. And you KNOW there is a lot of drama lately. I don't need to name names...each of you can probably think of a half dozen on your own...some will be the same for many of you...others not. Instead, I have committed myself to READING. I decided it was time to support all these people I have cultivated relations with. And my TBR list is epic: Armand, Billie Sue, (the aforementioned) Mark Tufo, Jeff Dawson (thanks for the tee-shirt, Jeff!) and too many others to list. THAT is my new social media. Book reviews. Next, I will talk about how book reviews are way better than LOLing. Tune in.