Saturday, November 30, 2013

Guest Post: Scott Eder (Knight of Flame)



Fire. The most chaotic of the primal elements. When wielded properly by the Knight of Flame, it burns like the sun. Otherwise, it slowly consumes the Knight, burning away his control, driving him towards dark deeds.

Stationed in Tampa, FL, Develor Quinteele, sixth Knight of Flame, waits impatiently for the predicted emergence of the last Gray Lord, his Order's ancient enemy. Hampered by a centuries-old tragedy, Dev knows of only one way to control his elemental power—rage. It broils just below his surface, waiting for the slightest provocation to set it alight.

After a brutal attack by the Gray Lord's minions for which Dev is blamed, he's stripped of his freedom until he learns to control his violent impulses. With the help of his fellow Knights, can he balance his rage and unlock his true elemental potential to prevent Tampa's devastation?

Genre Confusion (Doh!) – Urban VS. Contemporary Fantasy
By Scott Eder

Hello. My name is Scott, and I write Urban Fantasy. Wait, no, that's what I did a few weeks ago, before the revelation, before DragonCon.  Today, in my post-DC era, I write Contemporary Fantasy. And the funny thing is that I haven't changed a thing. I still write the same novels, but my genre perception has shifted thanks to the wisdom presented at Dragon*Con.

I've heard the advice not to worry about genre. Let an agent or editor figure out into which Fantasy subgenre the book should fall since the writer is not typically the best judge. That's all well and good after the fact, once the book is sold and the decisions on how to market it are made. What about when a writer is discussing his work with publishing professionals or other authors? 

When talking about my book, framing it in terms of genre is a natural thing. It's meant to set a certain expectation or set of rules in which the plot unfolds and the characters develop. So, when talking about my book, Knight of Flame, I start off by telling people it's Urban Fantasy with strong romantic elements. Here’s the kicker…I was wrong.

But, Scott, say it aint so. I wish I could. I feel kinda silly about it, actually. Thank goodness I came to the realization myself instead of having someone have to point it out to me. I don't claim to know a lot about this industry into which I'm trying hard to break into. In fact, I know fairly little.  That's why I keep asking questions, hanging with those who do know about this crazy business, and attending different cons and seminars. Look out World Fantasy, you're next.

I got my first inkling of my genre faux pas early on. I'd been trying to identify my niche, my stand-out factor. What made my Urban Fantasy novel unique? I realized that one of the differences is Point of View (POV). My novel has multiple POVs. I haven't seen that much in UF. Most UF stories turn upon the axis of a single driving character—typically a badass detective or bounty hunter protecting their slice of the world from the nefarious creatures of the night.

I was good with the multiple POV thing. I started talking that up and building my case on how my book differed from the others. That went well until I started asking questions of NYT bestselling UF authors about it and got some strange looks. Perhaps there's a reason there isn't much multiple POV in UF.

It seems that the general consensus about UF is that the pacing is very fast. That single POV ass-kicker drives through the story at a very fast pace. The characters don't typically amble about smelling the flowers. They find and fight the badies threatening their town. The tone is dark and gritty, like the dirty streets and water of the cityscape in which they prowl. UF is the noire of the Fantasy genre.

And that's where it all went crazy. Yeah, I see the dark and the grit and the detective aspect of UF stories. Mine decidedly did not have those elements. I realized the only things my novel and UF had in common was that it occurred in a city (for a little while) and brought magical elements into a real-world setting.

Sorry, but that's just not enough. So, Knight of Flame is not Urban Fantasy. It's Contemporary or Modern Fantasy. It doesn't have the grit and dark tones of a Faith Hunter, Jim Butcher, or Kim Harrison novel. It's more like the sense of wonder and camaraderie of the Companions of the Hall from R.A. Salvatore's Forgotten Realms books. I loved the interplay between Drizzt, King Bruenor, Wulfgar, Regis, and Cattie-brie. They fed off each other while they saved the world from utter destruction time and again. I wanted to make sure that my characters had that type of relationship and wrote that in from the beginning. Duh. I should have realized.    

The book held true to genre, but the writer got lost somewhere along the way.

Have fun,
Scott

Against the Shadow, burns a noble light.

Author Biography
Since he was a kid, Scott wanted to be an author and explored many genres through high school and college. Fantasy, though, captivated his soul. Tales of Knights and magic, dragons and elves filled his dreams. After greasing the gears of the corporate machine for many years, he escaped the Information Technology vortex to focus full-time on writing. The stories he’d envisioned years ago—of nobility and strife, honor and chaos—demanded they be brought to life.
Scott lives with his wife, two children, and a giant Chihuahua on the west coast of Florida.
Visit him at:  http://www.scotteder.net/
- See more at: http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2013/10/15/pump-up-your-book-chats-with-scott-eder-author-of-knight-of-flame/#sthash.mCe6JFFh.dpuf
Since he was a kid, Scott wanted to be an author. Through the years, fantastic tales of nobility and strife, honor and chaos dominated his thoughts. After twenty years mired in the corporate machine, he broke free to bring those stories to life.

Scott lives with his wife and two children on the west coast of Florida.


http://www.scotteder.net
 
Since he was a kid, Scott wanted to be an author and explored many genres through high school and college. Fantasy, though, captivated his soul. Tales of Knights and magic, dragons and elves filled his dreams. After greasing the gears of the corporate machine for many years, he escaped the Information Technology vortex to focus full-time on writing. The stories he’d envisioned years ago—of nobility and strife, honor and chaos—demanded they be brought to life.
Scott lives with his wife, two children, and a giant Chihuahua on the west coast of Florida.
Visit him at:  http://www.scotteder.net/
- See more at: http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2013/10/15/pump-up-your-book-chats-with-scott-eder-author-of-knight-of-flame/#sthash.mCe6JFFh.dpuf
Since he was a kid, Scott wanted to be an author and explored many genres through high school and college. Fantasy, though, captivated his soul. Tales of Knights and magic, dragons and elves filled his dreams. After greasing the gears of the corporate machine for many years, he escaped the Information Technology vortex to focus full-time on writing. The stories he’d envisioned years ago—of nobility and strife, honor and chaos—demanded they be brought to life.
Scott lives with his wife, two children, and a giant Chihuahua on the west coast of Florida.
Visit him at:  http://www.scotteder.net/
- See more at: http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2013/10/15/pump-up-your-book-chats-with-scott-eder-author-of-knight-of-flame/#sthash.mCe6JFFh.dpuf

Review: Second Verse by Jennifer Walkup

Second Verse
by Jennifer Walkup
Release Date: October 1st, 2013
2013 Luminis Books
Softcover Edition; 288 Pages
ISBN: 978-1935462866
ASIN: B00FN78A48
Genre: Fiction / Supernatural
Source: Review copy from Novel Publicity Tours

3.5 Stars

My Thoughts
Second Verse was an interesting take on the theory of reincarnation and second lives. (You can check out more about the story further down.) It definitely had an interesting premise and I thought the author's way of writing was quite captivating, but truthfully, I wasn't quite sold on the whole idea throughout the novel.

What I really liked:  Definitely the setting as you can't get a whole lot creepier by staging the scene in a house where a really horrible murder took place almost a century ago, with a creepy barn, and lots of woods to play around in.  Furthermore, you've got a private school that seems to totally be into Halloween by setting up their own mock murders and including the whole school and you definitely have set the stage for something really bad to happen.  It was almost too good to be true.  Ms. Walkup's writing style was another big bonus as I found myself drawn into the story despite myself and it was quite compelling.  She certainly has a lot of interesting material with which to play. I also liked the link between the past and the present as I enjoy things like that, and was looking forward to their research in order to learn more about the past.  This is always something that interests me, and I always love the paths that characters take in order to discover the links to the past. 

What sort of fell flat: While I did enjoy the story and thought it was quite compelling, there were some things that did bother me towards the end.  And these might be more personal preferences rather than real weaknesses in the plot lines, but for me they were enough to give it the rating I did.  The twist in the end was rather sudden yes, but looking back into the novel, there was little indication of such a twist and while I like to be surprised, I also like my surprises to be fact-based and not be ones that seem to be drawn out of the blue, and frankly, this one bothered me.  And while I like the reincarnation bit, I wasn't totally sold on it in this novel.  Wouldn't it be great if the main characters, Vaughn and Lange could solve an actual crime using their own merits, even if reincarnation is involved, but leave the reincarnation as a side feature, rather than the main event?  We never really found out exactly what happened 80 years ago and this really bothered me.  Again, this may be more of a personal thing and is definitely not a criticism of Ms. Walkup's style as the story was interesting in its way.  For me, I just found myself distanced from the characters towards the end and that disappointed me somewhat.

Verdict
Second Verse was an interesting debut novel about reincarnation and what happens to souls when they find each other again.  I found the writing very compelling, but thought it fell a little flat with regards to character and plot development, although it was never boring.  That being said, I would definitely read another novel by this author as it did have that chill and atmosphere that is needed in such a story, and it is worth reading just for that alone.  Although I did have some issues with this novel, it was a fun read, and I definitely recommend it for those who might not be ready for more serious horror reading as of yet.

About the Book - About the Author - Prizes!!!

Welcome to another exciting publishing house spotlight tour from Novel Publicity. Join us as two new titles from Luminis Books--we're calling them the Luminis Dyad--tour the blogosphere in a way that just can't be ignored. And, hey, we've got prizes!

About the prizes: Who doesn't love prizes? You could win either of two $25 Amazon gift cards, an autographed copy of Second Verse by Jennifer Walkup, or an autographed copy of its tour mate, The Field by Tracy Richardson. Here's what you need to do...



  • Enter the Rafflecopter contest



  • Leave a comment on my blog

  • That's it! One random commenter during this tour will win a $25 gift card. Visit more blogs for more chances to win--the full list of participating bloggers can be found HERE. The other $25 gift card and the 3 autographed books will be given out via Rafflecopter. You can find the contest entry form linked below or on the official Luminis Duo tour page via Novel Publicity. Good luck!

    About the book: Can love last more than a lifetime? Can Murder? Bad things come in threes. In Shady Springs, that includes murder.

    Lange Crawford’s move to Shady Springs, Pennsylvania, lands her a group of awesome friends, a major crush on songwriter Vaughn, and life in a haunted, 200-year-old farmhouse. It also brings The Hunt: an infamous murder mystery festival where students solve a fake, gruesome murder scheme during the week of Halloween. Well, supposedly fake.

    Weeks before The Hunt, Lange and her friends hold a séance in the farmhouse’s eerie barn. When a voice rushes through, whispering haunting words that only she and Vaughn can hear, Lange realizes it's begging for help. The mysterious voice leads Lange and Vaughn to uncover letters and photos left behind by a murdered girl, Ginny, and they become obsessed with her story and the horrifying threats that led to her murder.

    But someone doesn’t like their snooping, and Lange and Vaughn begin receiving the same threats that Ginny once did. The mysterious words from the barn become crucial to figuring out Ginny's past and discovering how their own past is connected to hers. They must work fast to uncover the truth or risk finding out if history really does repeat itself.

    Pick up your copy of this Young Adult/ Paranormal/ Thriller l through Amazon US, Amazon UK, or Barnes & Noble.

    About the author: When Jennifer Walkup isn’t writing or reading, she’s spending time with her husband and young sons, listening to Red Hot Chili Peppers, and coming up with costume ideas for Halloween. She’s obsessed with good coffee and new recipes and likes broccoli on her pizza, flowers in her hair, flip-flops on her feet, and the number 13. A member of SCBWI, Jennifer also serves as fiction editor for The Meadowland Review and teaches creative writing at The Writers Circle. Second Verse is her first novel. Connect with Jennifer on her websiteblogFacebookTwitter, or GoodReads.

    Luminis Books was launched in January, 2010 by husband and wife team Tracy Richardson and Chris Katsaropoulos with a mission to publish thought-provoking literary fiction for children and adults. We publish what we love: Meaningful Books That Entertain. Our award-winning books engage and inform readers and explore a wide range of topics from love and relationships, teen sexual assault and homelessness to string theory, consciousness, and the Universal Energy Field. Luminis Books is a proudly independent publisher located in Carmel, IN. Learn more at www.luminisbooks.com.

    Learn more about Second Verse's tour mate HERE.



    Sunday, November 24, 2013

    Review: Stoker's Manuscript by Royce Prouty

    Stoker's Manuscript
    by Royce Prouty
    Release Date: June 13th, 2013
    2013 Putnam Adult
    Hardcover Edition; 352 Pages
    ISBN: 978-0399158551
    ASIN: B00AR2RZ3Q
    Genre: Fiction / Horror
    Source: Review copy from publisher

    3.5 / 5 Stars

    Summary
    When rare-manuscript expert Joseph Barkeley is hired to authenticate and purchase the original draft and notes for Bram Stoker's Dracula, little does he know that the reclusive buyer is a member of the oldest family in Transylvania.

    After delivering the manuscript to the legendary Bran Castle in Romania, Barkeley—a Romanian orphan himself—realizes to his horror that he's become a prisoner to the son of Vlad Dracul. To earn his freedom, Barkeley must decipher cryptic messages hidden in the text of the original Dracula that reveal the burial sites of certain Dracul family members. Barkeley's only hope is to ensure that he does not exhaust his usefulness to his captor until he’s able to escape. Soon he discovers secrets about his own lineage that suggest his selection for the task was more than coincidence. In this knowledge may lie Barkeley's salvation—or his doom. For now he must choose between a coward's flight and a mortal conflict against an ancient foe.


    My Thoughts
    I am one of those people who has been veering away from vampire-themed books lately as I feel like I've been over-saturated with them and so, it was with some trepidation that I began this one when asked by the publisher.  To my surprise, I quite enjoyed it, simply because it was somewhat different than the usual vampire flare and I think I've been looking more for the old Dracula type horror novels where vampires aren't romanticized so much, but are just downright evil, simply for a change of pace.

    What I liked: As always, whenever there is research to be done over long-lost manuscripts and hidden secrets, I am hooked.  With the plot taking place mainly in Romania, and having the main character, Joseph Barkeley, deal with the cultural differences between North American and Romania, was quite fascinating and interesting, and I quite enjoyed learning more about the Romanian culture and some of the history of their beautiful land.  It was quite easy to become captivated by the setting and the eeriness of the surroundings, and I could picture myself there with little problem.

    It wasn't one of those novels where it was overly gory or disgusting, although there were moments for squeamishness, but it was the way the Draculs managed to capture Joseph in their net and tighten the lines around him that I found quite interesting.  Although he only went to Romania in order to sell an original manuscript, he obviously knew too much, and was involved in some way unbeknownst to himself, and the web slowly tightened around him until either he fought back, and he was not known to be a courageous man, or he gave in.  This led to a lot of philosophical questions about the nature of evil and courage without sounding preachy or over-the-top.  I didn't always agree with a lot of Joseph's choices, but I definitely understood his position.  The novel was also fairly well-written and I managed to read it in one sitting.

    What I was unsure about:  I do have to admit there were some things, and events, where I had to suspend some disbelief in order to carry on, but it didn't necessarily affect the novel in its entirety.  What I also couldn't exactly figure out is what the two Dracul brothers were fighting over, other than it had to do with their two wives.  I'm afraid that part of the story was sort of murky.  I read that there will be a sequel to this novel, so perhaps this information will be clarified there.  Because of this murkiness, the battle between the two brothers didn't quite have the impact on me that it might have had as I didn't really care who won.  I also felt that character development needed a bit more work as I didn't feel as involved in the characters as I could have.  

    Verdict
    Stoker's Manuscript was an interesting take on the Dracula story and I definitely enjoyed reading more about Romania and its culture.  There are a lot of elements to enjoy in this story; travel, adventure, small battle scenes, historical research, mystery, suspense, and some horror.  There were some elements that were confusing, especially when it had to do with the Dracul family itself and why there were so many great conflicts, and where were the other brothers?  Some of the facts surrounding Joseph and his family were also unclear.  Needless to say, I still enjoyed this novel and I will probably pick up the sequel when it is released next year. 



    Saturday, November 16, 2013

    Review: The Diabolist by Layton Green

    The Diabolist (Dominic Grey, Book #3)
    by Layton Green
    Release Date: June 4th, 2013
    2013 Thomas & Mercer
    Softcover Edition; 375 Pages
    ISBN: 978-1611099843
    ASIN: B00AR04IHE
    Genre: Fiction / Suspense
    Source: Layton Green

    4.5 Stars

    Summary
    In this gripping thriller, the bizarre murder of a Satanic priest in San Francisco draws Dominic Grey and Viktor Radek, private investigators of cults, to the scene. Witnesses claim a robed figure, seemingly able to appear and disappear at will, set fire to the priest. When the leader of another Satanic cult in Paris dies under similar circumstances, the case only grows stranger… and more dangerous.

    Convinced that a charismatic New Age prophet is behind the murders, the investigators undergo a perilous journey into the world of the occult as they try to penetrate the prophet’s inner circle. From the catacombs of Paris to London’s nefarious East End, from the haunted walls of York to a monastic fortress in the Sicilian wilderness, the case plunges Viktor and Grey into a vortex of black magic, ancient heresies, and the dark corners of their own pasts.


    My Thoughts
    The Diabolist is the third novel in the Dominic Grey Series and is my favourite one so far.  It's not my favourite because it is more gripping than the first two in the series as I found The Summoner somewhat more suspenseful and 'edge-of-your-seat' thrilling than The Diabolist, but I liked it more because of the character development and the interaction between Dominic and Viktor.

    Viktor and Dominic find themselves immersed in another case of cultism as they research and investigate the death of a new age priest through burning, in front of an audience, as well as the death of a Satanic cult leader in France.  Claiming that a robed figure can manifest and disappear at will, witnesses attest that the priest was set afire in a 'miraculous' manner.  Phenomenologist Viktor is skeptical about the whole 'miracle', and sets about to debunk the theory that mysterious powers are at work and seeks an alternate solution.  Unfortunately, that investigation puts both Viktor and Dominic in dangerous territory as they fight off a frightening foe.  

    As always, I found the plot to be quite fast-paced, interesting, with a lot of things happening at once. There is never really a boring moment in The Diabolist and yet, at the same time, the plot is rich in detail and research.  I definitely learned a lot about cults and cultists and the history that is unearthed is quite fascinating, especially to a history buff like myself.  One of the strengths in this novel is the writing; it is definitely precise, clear, and quite intelligent in the sense that the conversations between the characters really make you think.  I especially like the discussions about what is evil and how the answers and discussions are never clear or concise.  They are meant to invoke discussion and thoughts and ideas and I definitely like that aspect.  It would be a good novel for a book club discussion.

    The best thing about this novel is the on-going, and developing, relationship between Viktor and Dominic.  Going into this novel, we knew so little about Viktor, it was definitely a treat to learn more about his past and how he developed such an interest in phenomenology. And the best part, there is still so much more to learn.  I liked the growing trust between these men, a difficult task considering their upbringings and I can't wait to see how things develop between them.  Viktor's deepening dependance on absinthe is surely going to go into crisis mode soon and I'm curious as to what the author is planning on doing with this storyline.  

    One of my big concerns with all of the novels has to be the feminine arc.  I find the women tend to be stereotypical in all of these stories, and Anka was no exception.  I had brief hopes at the beginning, but they soon died as they novel wore on and I could predict where her story was going. While most of his female characters did manage to avoid the usual cliches and stereotypes, there was a bit of the 'needy' girl that I would like to see dispensed with.  I would love to see stronger female characters, similar to Dominic and Viktor, appear in these novels as permanent fixtures as this would certainly create some interesting story lines (and perhaps give Dominic a 'run for his money').  

    Verdict
    The Diabolist is one of those novels that will appeal to fans of different genres as it has something for everyone.  If this is the first time you have heard of this series, I do recommend you start at the beginning, with The Egyptian, as it makes some things easier to understand, although this novel could be read as a stand-alone.  This novel tends to look at the darker side of society, and the means to which some people will go to get fame and stardom.  It also takes a look at some of the cults that exist in our society today and examines them more closely.  I recommend this to anyone who is looking for a fast-paced, intelligent thriller.

    Wednesday, November 13, 2013

    Guest Post: Bart Baker



    n Conner Carter is banished from New York for cheating on his socialite wife, he flies across country to Sonoma, California to stay with his brother Cody, Cody’s ridiculously wealthy husband, Rhett, and their two adopted Cambodian children. Since childhood, Conner has been jealous of the gilded life Cody has led, but Conner learns that what glitters often tarnishes and shatters in shocking and dangerous ways. Having always taken life’s easiest route, Conner now finds that path closed when he is forced to step up for his brother when Cody’s personal life crumbles after Rhett goes missing in Colombia on a documentary film shoot. Conner’s world unravels when the woman he’s fallen in love with, their black Puerto Rican nanny, Zinzi, finds her violent past catching up with her. From the tattered and surprising pieces of these characters’ intense and complicated lives, these people will discover the strength in WHAT REMAINS. - See more at: http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2013/09/07/virtual-book-tour-pump-up-your-book-presents-what-remains-virtual-book-publicity-tour/#sthash.bCaxKNVd.dpuf
    When Conner Carter is banished from New York for cheating on his socialite wife, he flies across country to Sonoma, California to stay with his brother Cody, Cody’s ridiculously wealthy husband, Rhett, and their two adopted Cambodian children. Since childhood, Conner has been jealous of the gilded life Cody has led, but Conner learns that what glitters often tarnishes and shatters in shocking and dangerous ways. Having always taken life’s easiest route, Conner now finds that path closed when he is forced to step up for his brother when Cody’s personal life crumbles after Rhett goes missing in Colombia on a documentary film shoot. Conner’s world unravels when the woman he’s fallen in love with, their black Puerto Rican nanny, Zinzi, finds her violent past catching up with her. From the tattered and surprising pieces of these characters’ intense and complicated lives, these people will discover the strength in WHAT REMAINS. - See more at: http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2013/09/07/virtual-book-tour-pump-up-your-book-presents-what-remains-virtual-book-publicity-tour/#sthash.bCaxKNVd.dpuf
    When Conner Carter is banished from New York for cheating on his socialite wife, he flies across country to Sonoma, California to stay with his brother Cody, Cody’s ridiculously wealthy husband, Rhett, and their two adopted Cambodian children. Since childhood, Conner has been jealous of the gilded life Cody has led, but Conner learns that what glitters often tarnishes and shatters in shocking and dangerous ways. Having always taken life’s easiest route, Conner now finds that path closed when he is forced to step up for his brother when Cody’s personal life crumbles after Rhett goes missing in Colombia on a documentary film shoot. Conner’s world unravels when the woman he’s fallen in love with, their black Puerto Rican nanny, Zinzi, finds her violent past catching up with her. From the tattered and surprising pieces of these characters’ intense and complicated lives, these people will discover the strength in WHAT REMAINS. - See more at: http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2013/09/07/virtual-book-tour-pump-up-your-book-presents-what-remains-virtual-book-publicity-tour/#sthash.bCaxKNVd.dpuf

    When Conner Carter is banished from New York for cheating on his socialite wife, he flies across country to Sonoma, California to stay with his brother Cody, Cody’s ridiculously wealthy husband, Rhett, and their two adopted Cambodian children.  Since childhood, Conner has been jealous of the gilded life Cody has led, but Conner learns that what glitters often tarnishes and shatters in shocking and dangerous ways.  Having always taken life’s easiest route, Conner now finds that path closed when he is forced to step up for his brother when Cody’s personal life crumbles after Rhett goes missing in Colombia on a documentary film shoot.  Conner’s world unravels when the woman he’s fallen in love with, their black Puerto Rican nanny, Zinzi, finds her violent past catching up with her.  From the tattered and surprising pieces of these characters’ intense and complicated lives, these people will discover the strength in WHAT REMAINS.

     

    When Conner Carter is banished from New York for cheating on his socialite wife, he flies across country to Sonoma, California to stay with his brother Cody, Cody’s ridiculously wealthy husband, Rhett, and their two adopted Cambodian children. Since childhood, Conner has been jealous of the gilded life Cody has led, but Conner learns that what glitters often tarnishes and shatters in shocking and dangerous ways. Having always taken life’s easiest route, Conner now finds that path closed when he is forced to step up for his brother when Cody’s personal life crumbles after Rhett goes missing in Colombia on a documentary film shoot. Conner’s world unravels when the woman he’s fallen in love with, their black Puerto Rican nanny, Zinzi, finds her violent past catching up with her. From the tattered and surprising pieces of these characters’ intense and complicated lives, these people will discover the strength in WHAT REMAINS. - See more at: http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2013/09/07/virtual-book-tour-pump-up-your-book-presents-what-remains-virtual-book-publicity-tour/#sthash.bCaxKNVd.dpuf

    LEFT BRAIN, WRITE BRAIN

                Writers of any ilk are an odd lot.  And I mean that with love and affection, most especially since I fit into that herd.  I have made my living for the past 30 years as a playwright, screenwriter, novelist and writing instructor at the college level.  I’ve had my successes and I’ve had my failures.   But I’ve managed to keep a roof over my head, food on the table and raise my two sons.   I love writers.  Hell, I love artists of all varieties.  They are the most interesting people I know.

                But most of us have one thing in common.  We are terrible with money.

                Not sure what that stems from, maybe it’s the “art” thing.  You know, artists shouldn’t have to worry about money.  Artists should focus on their art, money should be secondary.  Or thirdary.  Or fourthdary.  We should live in small stone hovels with our imaginary friends to keep us company, eat lighting, wrap ourselves in tattered blankets to keep warm from the winter chill, all to maintain that status as an artist.   After all, isn’t a good artist one who starves?

                I’ll save the suspense.  No.  A good artists isn’t one who starves.  A good artists shouldn’t have to have two or three jobs to support their “art.”   Quite honestly, I’ve always believed that a good artist/writer/musician/actor should have good commerce to support their habit of actually having an adult life.  Of raising kids if they wish, supporting a spouse, going on vacations, and enjoying the best life has to offer.

                But our business endeavors often fall short of us actually making a living doing what we love.  And isn’t that the key to life, finding what you love and discovering a way to make a living at it?

                For me it was writing.   I just love it.  It’s one of my passions in life and I’ve been blessed to make a living at it.   Maybe I should consider myself one of the lucky ones.   But I actually believe all artists should make a living from their work.  It may take some time to climb that unsteady ladder but it is doable.   I grew up very working class.  We always had food on the table but we didn’t have a lot of the luxuries that my own sons now enjoy.  I’m not complaining, I didn’t know better nor did I care much about what I didn’t have.  I had enough.  And I enjoyed what I had.  Mostly because one of the greatest gifts my God gave me was a fertile imagination where I could make anything far better than it actually was.

                I’ve taught screenwriting at the University level over the last few years.   I don’t think I’m particularly a great teacher but I know of which I speak since I actually have made my living doing what I teach and I’m a great motivator.   I’ve been doing it long enough that I can help younger writers find their voice, learn the craft and take their first steps towards making their passion a career.   And I start every semester by saying the same thing to each class.   I tell them if they take nothing else away from my class, I hope they remember these words.  “When you make money you put it in the bank.”

                Having worked in the film industry as a writer, where the money is probably better than any other form of writing perhaps not counting being a New York Times bestselling author multiple times, you actually can make a living as a writer.  You can support your loved ones and lead a relatively normal existence, even being what is considered a B-level writer.   But most writers, like most other artists, since they have never learned the art of money that people who deal more closely with money and how to handle it do, blow through it when they get it like a bomb going off in a mud dam.

                We either think it will keep coming at the level it does or perhaps go up, up, up.   Not realizing that while that may be true, the up, up, up part.  It’s only for a while.  And then, for most of us, it goes down, down, down.  And we’re still spending like it’s up, up, up.

                This is where the very simple concept of putting the money away, of living not only at your means but actually below your means helps.   Because those down, down, down times can last longer than you would like.  And if you haven’t socked that money into investments with a broker that you trust enough not to follow him to work, know where his kids go to school and what retirement village his parents live in…you know, just in case…converted it into gold or simply stockpiled it in the bank, the winters of your writing career can be cold.  And often lead you to places you do not wish to go to.  Like getting a part time job to make ends meet.

              My mother was the cheapest soul to ever grace planet Earth.  I used to hate it.  Second-hand clothes.  No vacations.  Leftovers three nights a week.  Now I know she was looking out for me.  Because while I’m still not very good with money.  I knew how to save it.   She made me smart enough to know that gravy trains end.  That physics applied to money: if it goes up, it will come down.  So, I never lived above my means.  I lived modestly, never wanting but never extravagantly either.  I saved when I made, and when I wasn’t making, I tightened my belt that much more and stretched a dollar as if that was an art unto itself.

                But it allowed me to keep writing.  To keep creating.  And this guy of modest means has been able to live a life of passion for almost all of his adult life.  And it’s a gift I am trying to pass along to my two sons.  To find what they love and find a way to make a money doing what you love.  There’s such freedom in that.  And it can be done.  But you have to know what to do with money when you make it.  And the key to that is never live past it.  To take your joy not from the money you earn, and yes, in the arts you earn your money, it’s not a gift, but to take it from the passion of creation.   It’s rare that anyone gets to do that.  And it is the greatest gift you could be given…or have earned. 

                Money is hard to understand for most of us who work in the arts.  But if we don’t fear it, don’t believe it’s never ending, and simply live at a comfortable level below what we earn from our art, we will always have to the time to create which allows us to make more.  That’s the circle of life I am comfortable with.

    About The Author
    With two feature films, eleven movies for television, four television series credits, as well as eight theatrical plays produced around the world, WHAT REMAINS is Bart’s second novel. Bart’s first novel, HONEYMOON WITH HARRY, was a critical and commercial success and the movie rights were bought by Warner Bros./New Line Cinema for a feature film.  He’s recently sold a film project in conjunction with the hit song by Miranda Lambert, OVER YOU, to the Lifetime Network.   Bart lives in Ellisville, Missouri with his family. For more information about the author and his work, please visit www.bartbaker.com.