Write on Time ~ R.Y. Swint
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Gratitude is Always a Good Look

9/26/2013

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Thanks, so much, to everyone for supporting my 2nd release of The Other Side of 30 (TOST2). I'm pitching it as "a little saucy, seedy story of a good girl with bad intentions."  We'll see how that grabs folks.
I got some good feedback on my most recent elevator pitch, too.  I'm going to post it here.  If any of you want to offer feedback, I welcome it, as always.  Here goes:

The Other Side of 30 is a story about a woman who, after what was supposed to be this one last fling with an old boyfriend, a few weeks before his wedding to someone else, decides that she wants a second chance at what might have been.  Sebrina Cooper finds herself in unfamiliar territory on the other side of right, the other side of betrayal, the other side of friendship, and she also happens to be on the other side of the age of thirty.  

With all of these moral and ethical dilemmas embattling her biological clock, she's driven and manipulated most by whichever one is speaking the loudest at any given moment.  Sometimes, it doesn't matter that his new wife is a friend of hers, which was a complete accident.  It doesn't matter that glass house that she's unwittingly constructed for herself is only one misstep away from shattering into a mess of jagged little pieces.  Other times, it does.

No matter what happens with this title, if it takes off or not, people need to know that I'm thankful for their support and encouragement.  Without that, I'd surely have given up on this dream of writing something that matters to somebody besides me.  I think that gratitude is always a good look.  It's important to acknowledge people.  Period.  So again, you all are super awesome. Thanks, for reading, commenting, and spreading the word!
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To Thine Own Self and Others

9/13/2013

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Whoohoo!  The Other Side of 30, 2nd Edition (TOST2) is on track to go on sale this Monday, 16 September 2013. To say I'm excited about that would be nothing but the truth.

I find that with the release of a second effort of the same story, I see myself striving ever more for a close to perfect product.  Oh well. That's not going to happen, but it's nice to shoot for that goal. 

I just want to give people what I've asked them to expect of me:  Good, solid, entertaining writing.  If I call myself true to the craft, and true to myself , then the truth to others will follow. At least, that's the motto by which I tend to live. 

It's not an easy path, but I trudge along.  Some days, I skip. Some days, I run.  Some days, I ease on down the road, like Michael Jackson's Scarecrow in "The Wiz," though not nearly as gracefully.  Some days, eh.  I just stop and give myself time to regroup.

In any case, I always look forward to and feel energized by the support of my friends and family.  As with the first release, I'm dedicating this book to the memory of my Uncle Harvey, and as with the first release, 90% of the profits, if any, will go to selected charities, specifically, the Army Wounded Warrior (AW2) Program, and the Wounded Warrior Project; so, of course, I hope folks will continue to support the book, even if the subject matter may not necessarily be to their liking. 

I have to laugh at myself for my constant "apologies" for the content.  I can't count the number of times I've told a friend or coworker who is planning to support me, "It's not very wholesome," or "It's a little seedy. Brace yourself." And then, I follow up with, "But I still think it's a good story."

At the end of all of this, I just want to be read.  Being read by lots and lots of people would be really awesome, too, because that means that not only am I making some good money for charity, but I'm also increasing my chance of getting on somebody's bestseller's list.  Dare I dream?  New York Times?  Essence?  Yes. I dare dream.

I think some folks think I'm nuts for not caring about making money, but the truth is, I'm comfortable and blessed with everything I need, and most of what I want.  I'm in a good place.  It's the right thing to do to give back.  To the community, by donating money, to other writers, by launching my
publishing house, and to my family and friends, who believe in me, even when I doubt myself.  My sisters are convinced that I should be hearing about a movie deal, soon.  That would be pretty awesome, I must admit.  One can only hope. And dream.  And work.

Anyway, the positive energy that people give me is so powerful, because it's genuine.  I am tremendously humbled by that, and I want to continue in that energy.  I'll never stop trying to be a better writer, for the benefit of others and myself.  Who knows?  Maybe, one day, I will actually be I'm as good as I think I am.  Wouldn't that be sweet?

As always, good luck, to all writers and artists to put out the best products possible.  We have to remember that no matter how hard the work is to get to quality, junk peddling is not an option. Love the craft.  Truly.
BUY NOW
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Husbands May Come and Go, But Friends Are Forever ~ A Book Review

5/7/2012

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Yes, it's a very long title, but after you read this book, you'll see that it fits.  And if you've ever been a friend or had a friend who's shared and cared through a lifetime, then you'll enjoy Husbands May Come and Go, But Friends Are Forever.  Yes, even if you've never had a husband. 

I can easily see why Husbands May Come and Go, But Friends Are Forever, hereafter shortened to Husbands, by Judith Marshall, has been optioned for the big screen.  It's one of those stories that will make you laugh out loud and cry silently, with many heaving sighs sprinkled throughout. 

Marshall has written a book that makes me glad that I love to read.  Part of the reason it took me a while to write this review is because I was casting the characters in my mind.  It was a quick read, but I really wanted to take time to think about my characters.

Husbands is a story of a group of friends who have known and supported each other through decades of life, struggles, tragedies and triumphs, five of whom have to come together once more in the wake of the unexpected and mysterious death of the sixth.

Although Marshall's characters, Liz, Karen, Arlene, Gidge, Rosie, and Jo, are a generation of women who came of age in the 1950s and early 60s, they are like any group of girlfriends, from any place, from any time.  Having met as teenagers, they soon become something like "The Six Musketeers," making pacts and vows to never keep secrets and tell each other everything. Told from the point of view of Liz, the level-headed, Husbands is a series of thoughts, memories, and conversations, weaved together by a tragic event and the aftermath of the surviving friends trying to cope, understand, and heal, as well as uncover a couple of secrets untold.

Liz is the level-headed one, almost too level-headed for her own good.  She was a struggle for me at times.  She's only had one husband, Ricky, (a Tony Curtis or Robert Wagner type) who left her when the kids were still young.  We learn through a series of flashbacks, that Liz had trouble liking herself growing up, and I wondered if that trouble might have had something to do with her "trouble" with choosing a life with her smart, witty, good-looking, generous, kind, successful, emotionally stable, faithful boyfriend, Sam, (Gregory Peck, in my mind) after she'd lost her job to a company merger.  She got on my nerves, a little bit. 

Who would really be torn over the kinds of decisions Liz tortured herself with?  Oh yeah.  The same one who wouldn't be satisfied to be a Maureen O'Hara in a sea of Esther Williamses.  Geez Louise.  I'd make Grace Kelly, Janet Leigh, or Joanne Woodward my Liz.  Or, if Maureen O'Hara, I'd change Sam to Brian Keith.

Arlene is the friend that everybody either has, or is.  The one who is a shameless flirt, maybe even something of a floozy, who thinks she's more attractive than she really is, but makes up for her genetic shortcomings with self-esteem.  If you don't have a friend like Arlene, you are Arlene.  She's also once divorced.  I would choose the girl who played Erin in "The Waltons," or the lady who played Flo on "Alice" to be Arlene.

Jo is the mostly mousy, but has some spunk (if you coax it out of her) friend.  She's found her footing after leaving her high school sweetheart-turned-abusive husband, later becoming highly successful in real-estate.  I would cast Sally Field for Jo.

Rosie, the only one who has never been divorced, and so can afford to be "so pious" (Liz' words) is the goody-goody of the group.  She's also an apparent health nut, who likes to run.  I dig Rosie for being a middle-aged mama who's still got all of her act together.  She's the cryer, the emotional center, or emotional wreck of the group, depending on the time of day.  For Rosie, I'd go with Jane Powell.  Think Millie, in "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers."

And then there's Gidge.  Fabulous Gidge.  Married four times, and proud of every bit of it.  She's the crap-talking, while taking no crap, wise-cracking, calling it like she sees it, fun one.  I call her the hub of the circle. It was Gidge who brought the others together.  My Gidge would be Lucille Ball, red hair and all.  Or Rosalind Russell in her Mame-like character.

And finally, there's Karen, the fallen angel.  To say that Liz worshiped Karen would be about accurate, which is why I had trouble with the fact that Liz "was never able" to tell Karen how much she loved her.  That bothered the crap out of me.  You've been friends for 40+ years.  Surely, the opportunity to tell each other, "I love you," must have presented itself a few times.

Karen, who had been married three times, has layers and layers that are peeled back slowly by Liz and the others, who spend days contemplating what led to or contributed to her untimely accident.  We see the sweet side, the vulnerable side, the bold, mischievous, fun-loving side, the warm and nurturing side.  But was it an accident?  And if it wasn't an accident, who was the culprit?  I was glad this book didn't lend itself too much to the whodunnit, or did-they-do it angel.  She would have been played by a young-to-middle aged Farrah Fawcett, or Marylin Monroe.

Well, to say the ending is happy would be an untruth; but there is happiness and healing, which is why I gave this book a full five stars, instead of the four that Liz kept asking for.  After over 3/4 of the way through the book, the mystery of Karen's death unravels into a neat pile of heart strings (not sure how much I really liked that explanation, seemed somewhat out of place); while Liz's life finally weaves itself together into a comfortable place, the minor snags working themselves out. 

At the end of Husbands, I found myself pleased.  Obviously, I recommend this book to others.  And I'd be interested to see who other readers cast in certain parts.

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Eyes on the Prize

3/3/2012

6 Comments

 
It's a sad reality that sometimes, the people from whom you expect to get the most support and encouragement will be the ones who will be the wet blankets at your picnic.  If not that, then choose the cliche most to your liking.  Wet blanket at your picnic, rain on your parade, or just plain naysayers to everything and anything at which you put forth some effort.  Maybe they don't even realize they're bringing you down, and maybe they do.
And unfortunately, that includes family, friends, agents, publishers, and yes, even fellow writers.  It's tough to think that not everyone is happy for you, even though they like to caveat their bad vibes with, "No offense," and "I'm just saying," and other crap.  Sometimes, it's hard to tell if comments are useful constructive criticism and advice, or genuine apathy and spite; but if you're going to write or take on any other business venture or pursuit of dreams, you have to accept it all and still keep it moving. 
Sure, some of your ideas and plans will be less than perfect, some of your work not great, some of it just plain bad; but with all of that in mind, just keep your head up and your eyes open. 
Only time will tell if you'll ever reach the prize that you're pursuing, but if you stop reaching, then you can be sure that you never will.  Never stop reaching. 
It's true that everything won't work for everyone.  I've been told that a large part of being successful in any business is just being prepared for luck and chance to favor you.  Be in the right place at the right time, and don't be afraid to try something different while you're working at your "lucky coincidence" or whatever it's called.
Most of all, don't let anyone tell you that it'll never work, or it shouldn't work, or even if it does work, it's really has no real value.  All of that is a back-handed, back-biting, often passive-aggressive, not-so-slick way of someone trying to convince you that their opinions of your efforts and ideas are worth more than your own.  Phooey!
That said, I wanted to post a couple of blogs that I read today that might be encouraging.
Here's one from Martin Crosbie, who shares a story about being among those who made the top of the Amazon bestsellers list, despite many, many rejections before he decided to self-publish.
Here's one from Emlyn Chand, of Novel Publicity & Co., about leaving your readers wanting more.
Another, from Tawdra Kandle, about considering the indie-published route, and how "indie" is NOT a bad word.
And one more, from Michael Fogus, on reading, especially for those of us who are short on time these days.  Yes, another plug for the benefits of being a reader.  :)
One of my favorite Michael Jackson songs is called "Keep the Faith," where he sings about keeping your eye on the prize and your feet on the ground.  I don't think that was meant specifically for writers, but it's still great advice.
Happy reading, writing living, and reaching!
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