Novelist

Author: Grace (Page 4 of 10)

“Half-Baked” Purple Heart – Smokin’ & Cryin’

Author’s note

I’m serializing the first 10% of Smokin’ & Cryin’ here on my blog. It’s the story of a young American rock band set in the early 1970s. Please feel free to share this with your friends.

Overture is the first installment. This post is #3 in the series.

 

Chapter 1 – Purple Heart continued (part 2)

At sunset, I pedaled my bike across the Third Street Bridge to Deuce Fitch’s pad, Lisa balanced on the handlebars. Fearsome drums and searing guitar poured from the windows above the phar­macy, echoing off the brick buildings along Midland Street. Arthur’s band in high school had been tight, but this was something else. While I propped my Schwinn against a parking sign, Lisa danced barefoot on the sidewalk to Susie Q in her flowered baby doll pajamas.

I gave her a piggyback ride up the long staircase, her sticky arms around my throat.Continue Reading “Half-Baked” Purple Heart – Smokin’ & Cryin’

“Consent for Enlistment” Purple Heart – Smokin’ & Cryin’

Author’s note

I’m serializing the first 10% of Smokin’ & Cryin’ here on my blog. It’s the story of a young American rock band set in the early 1970s. Please feel free to share this with your friends.

Overture is the first installment. This post is #2 in the series.

 

Uncool Utopia

No fans, no gigs, no reputation
Keep that sass to yourself, low expectation
Uncool utopia

Chapter 1 – Purple Heart (part 1)

All I was searching for in Dad’s dresser drawer was loose change to take to the barbershop. Why should I spend my lawn-mow­ing money when a punishment haircut was the last thing I wanted?Continue Reading “Consent for Enlistment” Purple Heart – Smokin’ & Cryin’

Overture – Smokin’ & Cryin’

Author’s note

I’m serializing the first 10% of Smokin’ & Cryin’ here on my blog. It’s the story of a young American rock band set in the early 1970s. Please feel free to share this with your friends.

Overture is the first installment.

 

On October 4, 1972, Cobalt Records, Inc. released Smokin’ & Cryin’, the second studio effort by Smoky Topaz. The double album needed no promotion from the label. It saturated radio airwaves and flew off record store shelves across the USA, Canada, and Europe throughout the remainder of 1972 and all of 1973. It would cling to the Billboard 200 album chart for two decades.Continue Reading Overture – Smokin’ & Cryin’

Why I love my first bad review

The first bad review. It’s a milestone, an inevitability of putting your story, your hard work, into the world. I’d always wondered how it would make me feel, and quietly suspected it would be a terrible blow to my ego.

Shortly before publishing my first novel, State of Love & Trust, in August 2016, I was reading a lot of Brené Brown.  In one of her books (if I can remember which, I’ll update to reflect that—she has many and I’ve read them all) she wrote that in order to withstand criticism of your work, you must first separate your ego from it. That means bad reviews are about the work, not you. But also good reviews are about the work, and not you.Continue Reading Why I love my first bad review

Reviews, Reedsy and more

I’m now sharing Smokin’ & Cryin’ on Reedsy. This will allow serious reviewers to grab a copy at no charge. Why would I give my book away? Well, reviews are crucial to the success of any book, but especially books like mine which are independently published.

I appreciate each review my novels have received. If you’ve read my latest novel, Smokin’ & Cryin’, (or State of Love & Trust) and left a review, thank you! If you haven’t, I’m not here to make you feel bad. I only want everyone to understand how important reviews are to authors.

Where to leave reviews

If you’ve read Smokin’ & Cryin’ and haven’t reviewed it, please review it wherever you’re most comfortable doing so. You can even leave reviews here by clicking the review tab above.  All reviews help a book’s sales and visibility. In no particular order, you can review this novel at:Continue Reading Reviews, Reedsy and more

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