The Arrival Midwest Book Review, Dark History and Horror Convention, And MORE!

This is longer than I intended, so I'll provide bullet points:
*Midwest Book Review critiqued "The Arrival" - skip to the end to read its awesomeness
*My health sucks and it interferes with my life and writing goals (surgery is higher in the air than the Flying Graysons)
*I'll be at the Dark History, True Crime, and Horror Convention in November #DHHC2018
*In a TBA release, my short story "How to Make Lemonade" will appear in a vampire anthology by Dark Moon Press entitled "Tales of Blood and Shadows"
*I hope to have Confessions on Kindle by the end of the year
*I'm making progress on the 3rd "Children of the Morning Star" book, have a tentative release schedule, and new working title
*I may have some speaking engagements forthcoming at the library
*The Library of Congress is cataloging Confessions
*I am bad about using apostrophes, quotes, italics, and underlining consistently for titles (forgive me)
*I write long blogs
*The above picture is one of several potential covers for Confessions that I chose not to use
*Signed copies of both books are available locally at G-Mart in Downtown Champaign

OK- AND GO!

Shortly after Confessions of the Second Born went live, I sent copies of it and The Arrival to Midwest Book Review with hopes of not only being selected for review, but also of gaining (hopefully) positive industry critiques.  I will get to that...I mean, it is the best part of this post (so skip to the end if you want), but first, updates and such.

While waiting to hear from Midwest Book Review, I prepped for the local Dark History and Horror Convention in November (#DHHC2018), dealt with another batch of health issues that may or may not need surgery, tried to work on the 3rd book in the Children of the Morning Star series, and wrote and submitted a short story to Dark Moon Press for a vampire anthology.

Sound like a lot?  You have no idea.  I don't allow my health to define me, but I can't help how it affects me.  Sometimes my brain works and sometimes it's way off--like, not off in left field, but not even in the stadium.  Or the parking lot.  It's more like finding Waldo in a zoomed out satellite picture of Chicago.  Throw in new things and Waldo's buried.  Essentially, nothing about this is easy for a normal person on a good day, so it requires a lot of hard work, energy, and time from me (and I always mess something up and need to fix it - par for the course). 

Ooh!  TWO sports metaphors from the geek in ONE paragraph!  I'm getting better at this.

Ok, so, in many ways, writing and editing is cathartic, which I've written about in the past, and can be both a source of stress and a coping mechanism for stress.  If you've followed my blog, you already know the story: I wrote the first two books over a decade ago, it started as a dream when I was 13, and health interruptions thrust me into a rut of edits.  To any creative type, a project is rarely ever finished.  We continue to peck at endlessly until we set a 'done point' and stick to it.

At points where I really needed something good to happen, I called 'done' on both of them and set up a rough plan for the 3rd.  But the 3rd is tricky.  I started it shortly after the initial two.  It's a patchwork mess of disorganized scenes and notes.  At some point, I organized several patches into the first five chapters, with the rest making up a potential 4-7 additional chapters.  The 3rd already contains 188 extremely roughly written pages.  The working title is "Children of the Morning Star." (COMS)

Truth be told, once Confessions went live, I was a nervous wreck about finishing the series.  I hadn't creatively written anything seriously in 6 or 7 years.  Can I still do it?  Will my health and brain and everything else allow it?  I'm in constant pain and my hands and arms have started going numb.  Sometimes I can't even hold a book to read.  How do I expect to type a new book?

Enter Dark Moon Press's Tales of Blood and Shadows A Vampire Anthology.  For weeks, I wrote out ideas for a submission.  I started 3 stories and abandoned them.  Then I had a dream, a dream of a nightmare I'd had years ago that made me sick to my stomach.  So I wrote.  And a short story was born.  I submitted it and recently learned it will be used.  (Release TBA plus happy dance!)  It is titled How to Make Lemonade and tells the story of a suicidal woman who falls into the arms of a widowed vampire.  The question, however, is whether he sees her as something to save?  Or savor?

I liked it.  I liked it so much that I was far too nervous to submit it because I knew something had to be wrong with it.  I read it aloud to a few groups of people and asked a few friends to read it.  The groups were captivated to an uncomfortable level.  I've never felt such laser-pointed focus from others before.  But that's a good thing.  And the readers loved it.  I held onto it for a few weeks, still unsure, and then called it done.  My nerves were on fire.  Not only had I not written in years, but I tried an entirely new writing style.  Seems like a good gamble.  How to Make Lemonade is not your typical vampire story, but, if you've read either of my books, you already know that I don't write "typical" vampire stories.  Visit darkmoonpress.com to subscribe for updates and notifications, and, of course, like and follow me on Facebook.  (My current stress relief project is making cute mini-bookmarks to market this short story and anthology, and I'm toying with writing a novel based on the short.)

The positive feedback boosted my confidence.  I read the 188 pages I'd previously written for COMS.  EGAD!  The writing is terrible.  The story is fine.  The story and characters were more developed than I remembered.  I took time to think over the story elements and direction, jotted notes, and so forth, and finally began working on it.  I've only just finished cleaning up the first chapter, but I've already cut thousands of words from the first 20 pages.  It's put me into a hybrid writing/editing mode that works.  It's a bit bland, but the twisty prose and phrasing will come.  I can't get ahead of myself.  I've also developed a new working title, but that's a secret for now.

It's no secret that there is a lot going on in my life, always.  This is one, tiny facet, but it's a dream come true.  All my life, I wanted to be an author.  I wanted people to read my words.  I wanted my writing to make people think.  And it is!  Currently, Confessions is only out as a paperback.  A Kindle version is coming, and when it does, it will be free to download for the first several days.  I hope to have it ready by the end of the year.  I apologize to anyone who is waiting for it.  It is a project that requires more focus than I can give it right now to do it right, and I want to do it right.  My readers deserve that.

Additionally, my local library asked me about possible speaking engagements and possibly entering my books into circulation.  That is also very awesome!  It's hard for me to commit to anything (I mean, I've got help for the upcoming Con, but I am terrified of how I'm going to get through it, both physically and mentally given the challenges I face just getting through a day at home with my cats - lol), but I would love, LOVE to do this.  My therapist sees my books as a shining beacon in my treatment.  I love to talk about them, about the process, about the different meanings people take away - she says I light up.  I perk up.  I've spent so much time in their world that it's real to me.  And when I'm there, I don't hurt.  When I "come home," I pay for it dearly, but it's a price she thinks is worth it for the relief and happiness it provides.

And so, with everything going on, I'm closing in on my tentative time table for COMS.  3 months or so to write it.  3-6 to edit and polish.  Another 3 to start publication and proof, proof, proof.  Plus 3 months extra for delays with an estimated release by the end of 2019.  Health complications and stress loom over this time table, placing me in an unfortunate position of already being behind.  It's a self-imposed deadline that can obviously change, but I'm not going to drag this release out.  It's a different story now.  People want to know.  I have readers!  They want books to read!  I can't allow myself to fall into another ten year rut.  And trust me, that is not an option.  If I need to, I'll work with another author.  This story is my story, and it's been my story since I was a kid.  It deserves readers, and the readers deserve something compelling and good.

Alas!  That brings us to today!  Today I learned that the Library of Congress is cataloging Confessions, and I found "The Arrival" in the October issue of Midwest Book Review's Small Press Bookwatch!  And with an awesome critique!  Many, MANY thanks to the reviewer(s) at Midwest Book Review.  Thank you so much for accepting my submission and for enjoying it.  I am incredibly happy right now and that's something my aching body or Wheres's Waldo brain can't take from me.  It follows:

"The first volume in Kastie Pavlik's 'Children of the Morning Star' vampiric fantasy series, "The Arrival" reveals an author with a genuine flair for originality and character driven narrative storytelling. A deftly crafted and unfailingly compelling read from beginning to end, "The Arrival" is unreservedly recommended and certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Fantasy Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated vampire fiction fans that "The Arrival" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $1.99)."  - Midwest Book Review

Much love to everyone who is on this journey with me.  It's a Hell of a ride.  I hope you're enjoying it.

(And don't forget that copies of both books are available locally at G-Mart!  If you purchase a signed copy, message my author page and I'll arrange to customize the autograph and give you extra goodies!)

Book Status Update - Boring Blog Title

It appears that I’m neglecting my blog again.  Shame, shame!

A lot has been happening.  I’ll release info in bits as I get stuff nailed down (or staked down, if you will – bad joke, I know). 

For now, I’ve pulled THE ARRIVAL from sale to reformat the interior to match CONFESSIONS OF THE SECOND BORN.  It cut the page count by almost 100 pages, which also brings the price point down!  So, win-win for the readers! 

When THE ARRIVAL goes live again, it will be across various distribution channels and no longer an Amazon exclusive.  I may, periodically, return it to being an Amazon exclusive because that allows me to drop the price considerably and is really the only control I have over putting the title “on sale.” 

Meanwhile, the Kindle version remains live.  I will update it, eventually, but only to add a cleaner family tree and fix a few formatting issues.  Nothing too big.  It will continue to be a free download with purchase of the paperback.

I’m awaiting a physical proof of THE ARRIVAL to approve.  Once that’s done, it’ll go live within a week. 

I’ve been busy putting together sketches and information for the Notations section of CONFESSIONS.  I’ve heard this book is very intense and I don’t give the reader a break.  So prepare thyself for an emotional whirlwind. (evil laugh)

I love how THE ARRIVAL sets the stage for the overall story.  CONFESSIONS OF THE SECOND BORN takes that setting and runs with it (like Juggernaut and The Flash had a baby – which would probably be an ugly baby, no offense to the Flash).  It’s not fair to THE ARRIVAL, but I love CONFESSIONS so much more.  I don’t know if it’s supposed to be like picking a favorite child, which we all know is a thing, but it’s easy for me. 

If you haven’t been by the FB author page in a while, I’ve posted a picture from my day playing with the Civil War Cavalry, along with little things here and there.  And, if you’ve read THE ARRIVAL, join the discussion group!  They’ve been treated to early peeks at character sketches, marketing materials, and info teases. 

That’s all I’ve got for now.  Stay tuned.  But don’t hold your breath.  I do tend to neglect this blog.  ^_-

Processing . . .

Every writer has a process, whether it's winging it, brain storming, or outlining.  I've never been good with outlines.  I hated doing them in school.  Most of the time, I cheated and did them afterward. 

Oddly, doing the outline afterward actually works for me to track continuity.  I also keep a timeline, a family tree, and a character list with details.  Oh, and journal upon journal upon napkins and notebooks and scratch paper of notes.  And every single manuscript I've ever printed and every copy I've ever worked on saved and dated on my laptop and two external drives.  (Think I'm paranoid?  I did work in I.T.  Things fail.  Files disappear.)

The gist?  Never throw away anything you've written and write notes on whatever is nearby.  But pencil on toilet paper needs to be copied onto something else if you ever want to read it again.

For the most part, I wing it.  I've had the story in my head for a long time, after all.  However, I was talking with a friend yesterday and rediscovered a problem I'd had when I hit a certain point in the plot.  And, of course, I can't say what it was without spoilers, but it stopped the story dead. 

I've said before that this all started with a nightmare I had.  That nightmare was the driving force for the original tale when it was about witches and witchcraft.  Around this time, I had read THE MAGIC COTTAGE by James Herbert and it influenced how I shaped a story around my dream.  It made sense and I wrote off and on for many years.

As an adult, I shifted away from the witchcraft theme and decided to go with vampires.  I don't have a clue why.  I don't know where Eric came from initially.  I do remember sitting at the diner where I waited tables thinking about this handsome vampire named Eric L'Blanc who fought in the French Revolution under Napoleon Dynamite.  Wait . . . Tater Tots.  No, just Napoleon (he's a Ziggy Piggy).


When I realized that - A.  I knew nothing about France or the French Revolution, and - B. I'd have to research France and the French Revolution, I chucked that idea.  There are iterations around here somewhere in which Eric L'Blanc exists.  But he was short lived.

Maybe if I hadn't winged it, the story would have been written sooner.  But I don't think so.

So instead, he became Eric Ravenscroft, the last name being inspired by H.P. Lovecraft, Lara Croft, and THE RAVEN (also, Jonathan was originally able to shape shift into a Raven, which I took out but wanted "Raven" in there somewhere, and I also don't know where Jonathan came from - neither were in the original story).  I still wanted a war veteran, so I had to pick between the Revolutionary War and the Civil War.  Have I ever mentioned that history was my worst subject?  Because history was my worst subject.  Thankfully, as I dug into Civil War research, I found that I actually enjoyed it.  And one on of these days, I'll do a blog post about my brief stint as a Civil War Reenactor, which is touched upon in the acknowledgements in the book.  

I've derailed from my originating subject.  Which just illustrates that I write as I go and don't plan it out.

SO - my process.  I wing it.  When I get stuck, I yank on my hair, bang my head on my desk, and stare at my screen and usually mutter curse words.  Not so much the first two any more, but the last two happen a lot now that my brain goes on strike.  Because I got stuck so badly in THE ARRIVAL, I tried something different for Confessions.  I created flash cards.

The initial batch contained major plot points and the second batch was for secondary plot points, and for character and world building.  I spread them out so I could see them all and started grouping them together and stacking until I had an order and a direction.  It worked really well.  I had too many points to get them all into Confessions, so I divided them and started over with a pile for Confessions and the leftovers for COMS. 

The flash cards worked for the overarching story that developed in THE ARRIVAL, but they wouldn't have worked for THE ARRIVAL itself.  The problem I ran into needed to be thought through and dissected.  The whole story initially revolved around that nightmare, and I reached a point where I realized the nightmare was missing.  And I couldn't figure out how to tie it into the new world I'd created with vampires instead of witches around my central character.  Essentially, I had half the book written without even knowing where I was taking it and I had no map.

Thus, several candlelit nights and many hours of hair pulling and head banging and cursing at my laptop ensued.  I'd write in the story itself or I'd open a new window and just type out ideas.  I'd space out in the car driving and hurriedly jot down notes at traffic lights.  Eventually, I got there.  It wasn't smooth sailing and I got stuck a few other times to answer the whys and hows of the situation (every writer should be able to answer Who, What, Where, When, Why, How, AND get the character through the door - a metaphor I read about as a way to see the plot:  character starts on one side of the door and winds up on the other side at the end via the plot), but I did it.  Frankly, I'm surprised it worked at all, let alone as well as it did.

I don't have structure.  I don't make myself write X number of words per day.  I don't necessarily do research ahead of time (I'll just write what I want, highlight it for research, and go back to it later).  I let the creative process work at its own pace.  Sometimes I pause to sketch out a character or a weapon or add to the family tree or timeline.  But my mantra is to write when I want to write.  If I force it, I'll end up deleting what I wrote.  It's a waste of time.  I learned that several times.  

For a lot of it, I just got lucky.  Or maybe I'm not giving my brain its due credit and somehow I knew what I was doing thanks to research and creativity.  Either way, I put together a well-written, addictive, and cohesive story that many of you are enjoying or have enjoyed