How To Read Body Language

I CAN READ YOU LIKE A BOOK: how to spot the messages and emotions people are really sending with body language, by Gregory Hartley and Maryann Karinch


I found this book at my work and took it home on a whim. It’s a quick read and is all about how to read body language and read hidden messages in people’s behavior. I learned that there are no absolutes. Everything has to be interpreted through context and culture. However, there are quite a few clues that are universal, and if you pay attention to them, you can learn a lot about what people are “not saying.”

The main source, Gregory Hartley, was an interrogator for the military and has vast experience. I’ve seen him on TV and think he’s the real deal.

If you want some more information on how to better interpret people’s behaviors and learn more about body language, this book is for you. As a writer myself, I picked up some great physical cues to use in my work, to give the characters in my novels and stories more accurate responses to situations. I am definitely better for having read this book, but am more interested in reading one of his previous books, which I believe is called, How To Spot a Liar.


Paul Genesse
Author of The Golden Cord
Book One of the Iron Dragon Series
www.paulgenesse.com

How Do I Become A Skilled Writer?

Hello,


I received an email from a friend of an old friend. He wants to become a writer and sent me a summary of his ideas and a lot of history related to the basis of a high-concept fantasy novel. It sounded really interesting and I sent him this response, which I think contains some good information for any new writer interested in improving their craft.

(My email response)

Your novel sounds interesting, and very complicated, as well as high-concept. I think the big danger here is to try and tell the reader too much too soon in a novel like you're suggesting. The first impulse is to do what you just did, tell a lot of history right up front. The paragraphs you wrote are cool and appropriate for the type of message you wrote, but what you really need to do now is figure out who will be the main character. You need a main character. Who is he? Or she. You have an idea, but the character is the critical part. You'll have to sell the character to make the reader believe in the fairly hard to believe storyline you're suggesting. I'm not saying it's bad, because it's not. But pulling of what you suggested, making the audience suspend their disbelief can be accomplished if the reader believes the main character is a real person. That's the trick.

I know just what you mean about trying to become a skilled writer. It's taken years for me to get published. So far, two novels have been sold and nine short stories. I still have so much to learn. It's not easy. It's harder now than it ever was before. The freedom of being a novice and just plowing ahead is great.

So, you must be a dedicated student of the craft if you want to become a skilled writer. Ideas are cheap and everyone and their dog wants to write a book. 1 in 100,000 novels that are completed and submitted are published. Think about that for a moment. If you're serious about this idea of writing your novel, check out my website, www.paulgenesse.com, and go to: Writers Resources. Download the free Writers' Symposium Ezines and read the articles, which are targeted toward beginners.

Get some books on writing. Study them. I suggest many on my site. Get them at the library or buy them.

However, the most important thing to do is . . . write. There is no substitute. Write a lot. It's going to be terrible prose, but you have to start somewhere. Writing is a journey and the more you write, the better you'll probably get. At some point you'll need a writers’ group and/or skilled amateurs to help you critique your work and improve it.

Honestly, I would not recommend going into a writing, but if you are a writer, you will write. Because you must.

Learn all you can. Then get writing. Plan. Figure out a main character and put him or her into a tough situation. Then learn even more. Revise it. Revise it again. Rewrite the whole thing. Scrap it. Write it again. Repeat this process for several years. Yes, years.

If you have the drive, it'll happen. You'll finish the book. Then the hard part begins, selling it. Or you cold self-publish. Not a good way to go if you want to be taken seriously, but if you just want to get it out to friends and family, it'll work.

I hope that helps. Now write something cool and send me the first page.



Paul Genesse, Author and Editor

Author of The Golden Cord
Book One of the Iron Dragon Series
(Five Star Books, April 2008)

Website: http://www.paulgenesse.com/
Blog: http://paulgenesse.blogspot.com/

Join me on Facebook, www.facebook.com
Editor of the Writer's Symposium Ezine
www.paulgenesse.com/writerssymposiumezine

Sandworms of Dune

Hello,

Here are my reviews of the last two Dune books, Hunters of Dune (the 7th book) and Sandworms of Dune (the 8th and final Dune book).

Hunters of Dune

Read the Last Two Dune Books!

(No spoilers)

This is one of the best books that Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson have written together. I’ve read all of the original Dune books and the prequels, and this one is in my top two, the first being Sandworms of Dune.

I agree with most of the criticisms of the other reviewers here on Amazon, but I did find the book to be very intriguing. The big mysteries from the original series and the events set up in the prequels are finally coming out. Frank Herbert cannot be outdone, but at least we Dune fans get a taste of what was supposed to happen at the end of the series.
All of the crazy stuff that Frank Herbert put in starts to seem a little more palatable and understandable. This is the best characterization of the Duncan Idaho ghola yet. There are quite a few very intriguing characters throughout this epic and I was very interested in most of them.

If you are a fan of the original Dune books and read up to Chapterhouse, you should read the final two books. I waited for Hunters of Dune to come out in paperback, then bought it. I was surprised when I started reading it because it was so tense. The book grabbed me from the start and that’s not easy with me, as I’ve become very hard to please since I’ve become a professional writer.

However, after reading this one, I had to buy the final book, Sandworms of Dune, in hardcover. I just finished reading that book last night. I read the last three hundred pages in one sitting. It just didn’t let me go.

I say read the last two books of the series. The prequels are not required, though House Atredies was pretty good.

Paul

Sandworms of Dune


I read the last 300 pages in one sitting
(no spoilers)

I really enjoyed this book. It grabbed me from the start and I read the last 300 pages in one sitting. I had to keep going and just couldn’t stop reading. Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson did a pretty good job of keeping the tension up and pulling me forward toward the conclusion. All of the crazy stuff that had happened in the prequels and previous Frank Herbert Dune novels all made sense at last.

This book pulls it all together into a cohesive whole. I’m sure Frank would have done it in a more subtle way, but he died before he could write the ending. I’m glad that his son and Kevin Anderson wrote these books. I love the Dune universe and was very entertained by the whole last book. I could nitpick a few points at the end, but there were some great twists. I did see a few of them coming, but there were a few that were totally unexpected. I admit to getting a little emotional toward the end. It moved me to get a little misty-eyed. I think the authors did an admirable job in pulling it all together.

Yes, Dune fans, Hunters of Dune and Sandworms of Dune are books that you have to read.


Paul Genesse, Author

http://www.paulgenesse.com/
http://www.paulgenesse.blogspot.com/

Author of The Golden Cord
Book One of the Iron Dragon Series
Five Star Books (April 2008)

Off the Reservation

Sometimes a character you're writing about goes off the reservation. I don’t mean to be politically incorrect here with that turn of phrase. That’s just the phrase that works best. Last week (and this week) the main male character in Medusa’s Daughter, decided he should do something crazy.

The twenty-five page single spaced outline wasn’t good enough for Nikander. I thought I had it all figured out, but then he decided he was going to kill the main villain in chapter 16. Now, don’t get me wrong. Medusa deserves it in a bad way. But, it really wasn’t in the outline until much later—think chapter 26!

The good news is that Nikander knew the story needed to go in this direction and he went for it. The problem for me is that I feel a little lost now. I have three new chapters to deal with. They’re good chapters (I’m so humble, yes), but it made me pause and have to really think for a while. Which is good and I believe the novel needed to go in this direction. Still, it gave me the deer in the headlights look for a while.

My point here is that despite my anal, structured, over planning nature, I can be flexible—and so should you. I’m still advocating doing some extensive planning, via the Snowflake method. Go to:

http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/art/snowflake.php

for a complete description of the Snowflake Method and to sign up for Randy Ingermanson’s ezine, which is quite valuable—and free.

Have fun writing and when your main character decides to do something you didn’t expect, think about it for a while, very carefully, and then decide if it’s a good idea for the story. Sometimes, it’s going to be a great idea. Then you have to trust your character and let them take you like 10,000 words off the reservation.

Happy Holidays!

Paul Genesse

www.paulgenesse.com
Author of The Golden Cord
Book One of the Iron Dragon Series
Five Star Books (April 2008)

The Golden Cord's cover

Hello,

Here it is, the official cover of The Golden Cord. I love how it came out and am so excited to finally see it. The cover designer, Ed Vincent, did a great job and the art is fabulous--the work of Ciruelo Cabral. I was just stunned when I first saw it, but since it's my first book I guess that's to be expected.

I just ordered a bunch of promo materials from Vistaprint.com for my signing coming up on September 14 at the biggest Barnes and Noble here in Salt Lake--really the store is in Sugarhouse. Please come and visit me. I'll be there from 6PM to 9PM with a few other local authors.

Life is good and if I'm proof that things can come true if you just dare to dream.

Paul Genesse

Author of The Golden Cord
Book One of the Iron Dragon Series
Releasing in hardcover April 2008

Fellowship Fantastic

Here's the cover of Fellowship Fantastic from DAW Books, edited by Kerrie Hughes and Martin H. Greenberg, featuring my short story, Almost Brothers. It comes out January 2008. My story happens to be the lead story in the book! (insert sound of me cheering here)

When I first saw the back cover I said, "Why is my name first?" Then it hit me when I saw it first in the title listings. Wow. I'm still in shock a little.

I'm so excited about this anthology and am so pleased that my story was chosen to be first. It's my third published short story, I have five more coming out over the next year and a half, and I feel like it's some of my strongest work. I had some great help with it, but I worked really hard on this story.

Anyway, the cool thing about this book for me is that I'm in there with some amazing writers that I've been reading since I was a kid. I've been reading Alan Dean Fosters's books since I was a twelve. Also, Nina Kiriki Hoffman is a World Fantasy Award winner and I love her work. Then there are also several up and coming writers like Brad Beaulieu, Chris T. Pierson, Steven Schend and Don Bingle. Russell Davis is a great writer as well, and I'm feel very blessed to have my story in such good company. There are also stories by Jody Lyn Nye, Brenda Cooper, Fiona Patton, S. Andrew Swann, and Alexander B. Potter.

The back of the book says it best: "The true strength of a story lies in its characters and in both the ties that bind them together and the events that drive them apart. Perhaps the most famous example of this in fantasy is The Fellowship of the Ring. But such fellowships are key to many fantasy and science fiction stories.

Now thirteen top tale-spinners offer their own unique looks at fellowships from: a girl who finds her best friend through a portal to another world . . . to four special families linked by blood and magical talent . . . to two youths ripped away from all they know and faced with a terrifying fate that they can only survive together (that last line is about my story) . . . to a man who must pay the price for leaving his childhood comrade to face death alone . . . to a group of urban mages playing the “True Game” for high stakes indeed . . .

There are memorable tales of those brought together by necessity, by friendship, by family bonds, and by twists of fate, joined—willingly or not—in fellowship that can change their futures and their worlds."

Cool description, eh?

So, I read the first 13 pages of Almost Brothers at Gen Con and it was a very emotional experience. I almost cried while reading it--I teared up a few times. I had forgotten how brutal I was to the characters in the story and reading it out loud to twenty-something people brought out my emotions."

Even when I was reading the proof pages the other day as the final check before publication I got emotional. I think this story just brings out things because of the harshness. Being brutal to your characters is a good idea in fiction. It makes the reader keep going and obviously, it makes the writer cry. Sniff.

Be well and good luck with your own writing.

Paul Genesse

www.paulgenesse.com

Author of The Golden Cord
Book One of the Iron Dragon Series
Five Star Books (April 2008)

Pirates of the Blue Kingdoms anthology reviewed

The stories in Pirates of the Blue Kingdoms are fun to read. The author’s came up with some exciting tales that keep you asking for more. There are also three really cool poems by Lester Smith, who is the President of the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets. Now, here’s a little description of the stories to give you a taste of the swashbuckling adventures.

The Accidental Pirates by Marc Tassin is reminiscent of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. It’s a fun story that makes you laugh out loud. I couldn’t help but smile and loved the plot twists and creative solutions to the most vexing problems. How does a slow ship with a suspect captain and only a few pirates, break into a heavily guarded fortress? The answer will surprise you.

Treasure by Jean Rabe is very creative. Jean has come up with one of her most unique characters. Green William will not be forgotten and the tale is very clever indeed. I’ll not spoil it here, just give it a read.

In my own story, The Pirate Witch, Maeve Tierney learns how wrong she was in marrying the infamous pirate, Bull Tierney, because he did what all pirates do, he went after someone else’s booty . . .

The Coins of Darkun, by Robert E. Vardeman is pretty scary. What would make a captain cut off the magical figurehead of his own ship? Read it and find out.

J. Robert King wrote the The Dreaded Pirate Fuzzytail, but don't let the title fool you. This is the story of the pirate ship, Reaper, the most feard ship in all of the Azure Sea. When Captain Wade Sutherland of the Avenging Angel is hired to find Reaper and sink her, he doesn't realize what he's getting himself into. Be afraid because Reaper is a ghost ship.

Cyren’s Eyes by Kathleen Watness is a fascinating story with the “stranger in a strange land theme.” Who is the mysterious main character and where has he come from? Find out in her engrossing tale that brings out the transitory nature of the Blue Kingdoms. This is one of my favorite stories in the book.

Battle with the Gray Ghost by Jim Ward is a combination of a Harry Potter and Master and Commander. It’s like the famous nautical novels by Patrick O’Brien (the author of the Master and Commander book) have been crossed with a Harry Potter book. I really enjoyed it and many readers will want to read his Halcyon Blythe Midshipman Wizard novels.

Just My Luck by Brandie Tarvin is pretty funny with characters so crazy and unique you’ll probably laugh out loud. It makes you wonder how unlucky a pirate can really be.

Judgment by Lorelei Shannon is a rollicking tale that features Amazon like dog headed pirate women, the Al-Kabar, who romp over the sea and kick so much ass you’ll howl for more. I loved it and I can see why the author had such a great time writing it.

Return of the Black Seraph by Kelly Swails shows you that avenging angels are not to be messed with. The God of Wrath has to have his own champions, doesn’t’ he?

Captain of the Red Coral by Dean Leggett is my favorite story in the book. I loved this tale and thought it was extremely well written--with a great twist at the end. The bite of one of the snake-like Corilla is bad news indeed.

Haunted Isle by Steve Winter is tense, gritty and real. The point of view character was great and the story was very well written. I have great respect for his talent as a writer.

The Adventures of Keva the Freemariner and the Notorious Pirate-Hunters by Jason Mical tells the story of Lord Stockton, hired to get rid of Keva the pirate once and for all!

Shipmates by Stephen D. Sullivan is great story to end the anthology. It has it all, cool battles, heroic characters and lots of pirates. The main character is a ruthless anti-hero put in a tough situation. Stephen helped create the world and has a great grasp of what the Blue Kingdoms are all about. Pirates. Lots of pirates.

Paul Genesse, Author/Pirate

ConDuit Convention Book Signing

Hello,

The pirates were out in force at the ConDuit convention in Salt LakeCity this past weekend. Many people were dressed as buccaneers. Most of them stopped by to say hello at my book signing. I even ran into the Dreaded Pirate Roberts #7,352--hey, that's what his T-shirt said! He bought a book and wished me well. The convention was a lot of funand the salt water taffy (made from imported water from the Blue Kingdoms) went over well. Too bad it was all stolen during one of mypanels! Just kidding. [grin]

Arrrr!

The ConDuit convention here in Salt Lake City went great. It's a small convention, but was very productive for me and allowed me practice my book promotion strategies. I networked with fans and authors, hung posters, did a reading, a signing, and was on four panels.Everyone noticed the promo posters-the ConDuit staff let me put up a big 16x25 poster right beside the door into the dealer's room.

A dealer, Hastur Games, let me hang a poster at their booth as well, plus they let me display a few books on the table and sold some for me. Everyone appeared to love the book cover and checked out the posters.

It was my first ConDuit in two years, and my first as a published author, so few people knew me. I did manage to sell a few books during the signing, and had drawings for a book at three of the panels and at my reading. I also gave out about 180 bookmarks.

I also gave a copy of Pirates of the Blue Kingdoms to a reviewer, Rex Rouviere, known as T-Rex on his online radio show on http://www.iscifi.tv/. He said he would review our book. Check out the link below to listen to a pod cast containing an interview with Alan Dean Foster, who Rex interviewed a few weeks ago. He told me that after I said I was so excited to be in the same anthology as Alan Dean Foster. My story, Almost Brothers is going in the Fellowship Fantastic anthology from DAW Books, which also features a story by Mr. Foster. It comes out in January of 2008. So, the interview with Mr. Foster is at the 28 minute mark of the show. There's some funny fanboy skits, sci-fi news and such on the show, run by fans.

Listen to the Alan Dean Foster interview by going to:http://www.iscifi.tv/podcast/

Rex offered to interview me before my novel comes out next year. He also said to refer authors I knew to him, to be interviewed on the show.So, all of you authors should get in touch with him if you're interested in doing an interview. Email Rex Rouviere and mention that I sent you his way.

Rex is a big gamer, (D&D), and he plays D&D online and much more. He helps run Mountain Con, a local fan convention here in Salt Lake City that gets some of the stars to come out-like Richard Hatch from Battlestar Galactica and lots of Star Trek actors. Visit the main ISCIFI site at http://www.iscifi.tv/ or visit http://mountaincon.org/ for information on that con.

Best wishes,

Paul Genesse, Author

Website: http://www.paulgenesse.com/

Blog: http://paulgenesse.blogspot.com/

Author of The Pirate Witch

in Pirates of the Blue Kingdoms

www.popcornpress.com

Author of The Golden Cord

Book One of the Iron Dragon Series

(Five Star Books, April 2008)

I'm Feeling It

Hello,

Well, the pressure is off and now I can work on a new project. The Golden Cord is in to the editor and I've been working on Medusa's Daughter. I'm liking it and am ready to make strides forward. I worked on chapters, one, four, and five. Chapter five isn't done yet, but it will be soon.

I'm feeling that urge to write and have managed to crank out a few pages. Medusa's Daughter is percolating in my mind and I'm excited to work on it. Also coming up will be a convention (ConDuit), this coming weekend. I've got a reading and four panels, which should be lots of fun.

Mostly, I just want to work on my new book. I need to get rolling on it again. Good luck with your own projects and when you have the feeling to write, go for it.

Paul Genesse

Author of The Pirate Witch in
the Pirates of the Blue Kingdoms anthology
www.popcornpress.com

Spider-Man 3

I just saw Spider-Man 3 and really enjoyed it. I loved the first two movies and this one did not disappoint me. Peter Parker is such a great character and there is so much in him that I admire. Knowing who he really is, a really good man, makes it so sad when the black suit (Venom—as I believe it was called in the comic books) takes over. We get to see the dark side of Peter and of Spider-Man.

Characterization in writing is so important. We all have a duality in our nature and this movie explored the dark and light in a way that I hope makes masses of people think. The world is not black and white, but shades of gray. One of the supposed villains in the movie, Sandman, is just a man who wants to help his daughter. The Green Goblin wants to avenge his father and punish a murderer, Spider-Man. These characters have a dark nature to them, but they are just like Spider-Man in a lot of ways. Even he is fallible and can make mistakes or let his dark side take over.

We are all that way, whether we admit it or not—which is why I think people like characters who have dual natures. Pure white or pure black characters don’t make sense. They’re not real or believable. They seem fake, not true.

There are characters in novels called villains, and they are considered evil. Really, they are antagonists, while the main character is the protagonist. When I read George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire books I hated Jaime Lannister—the obvious villain. Then in a later book I got to see Jaime’s point of view. I was so mad that Martin wrote from his POV. I put the book down when I saw that fact and refused to read it at first. Then I started reading and had a revelation. Jaime is not a bad guy. When you see things from his POV and find out the truth of certain events you understand so much—and realize it’s all a matter of POV.

We are all the hero of our own story. Good or evil, black or white, it doesn’t matter. In the end I think most people are just shades of gray—though I prefer my Spider-Man in red and blue.

Have fun out there and if you are a writer, think hard about characterization.

Paul

The Deadline

Hello,

On May 18 I'm sending my editor the manuscript. The Golden Cord, Book One of the Iron Dragon series and a lot of ancillary material will be turned in--via email--Thank God. I didn't know how much other stuff I would have to do, but it's all coming together.

This week I polished off the front flap copy, back cover excerpt, author bio, catalog copy, acknowledgements, dedication, and author check-sheet (a document for the publisher with lots of stuff about the book plus some of what's on the previous list).

The other big thing was rewriting the first page once I received comments from a few excellent critiquers: Brad Beaulieu and Patrick Tracy. Re-doing the first page was a daunting thing for me, but it came out great and I'm really pleased. Page one has to sell the book and the one I had before had to be improved. My editor asked for a change and though I didn't want to face it, he was right. I'm so blessed to have such a great editor.

Now I'm just waiting for a blurb to finish the whole packet. Jean Rabe, a bestselling fantasy author who has read the book is sending it along. I can't wait.

I've met such great people since I got into writing about seven years ago. The journey has been long and if any of you decide to become writers I think you'll really like the other people who also do this crazy thing. Other writers are the only ones who know what it's like. They feel your pain and know what you're going through.

The people around me have given me such amazing support and I am truly thankful. Writing the acknowledgements brought up all sorts of memories about the people who have helped me along the way.

Thank you all so much for being supportive and good luck writing!

Paul

Writing is complicated

Hello,

I managed 3,750 words in the past couple of days. I finished the first draft of chapter four of Medusa's Daughter. It's going well and was a good chapter for me--the first from the male lead characters POV. Most of the chapter is pretty clean, but I need to polish the ending.

My goal is at least a chapter a week or more. I need to get cracking and write as much as I used to--but I'm slower now--more ponderous and careful about what I write. I used to just blaze ahead, not really thinking about how I put the chapter together as much. If I explained the gist of what happened I was okay with the chapter. Now I have to ramp up the tension, create twists and scene ending disasters. Writing has become so complicated as I've learned more. The perfectionist in me has slowed me down. I edit and revise a little too much as I write first drafts now.

I'm going to be fast again dammit!! Even if it kills me. I must work on it.

I hope you are all well and that you had a good St. Patrick's Day yesterday. I wore green, just so you know.

Oh, I went Barnes & Noble yesterday and got two copies of Elizabeth Vaughn's new book, Warlord. I have one for my Mom, who loved books one and two--as did I. Beth is a great writer. Check out her site http://www.warprize.com/ to learn more. Tor marketed/is marketing her books as paranormal romance, but they're really fantasy with a strong love story. No magic either, just a kick ass barbarian and his Warprize. They're worth a read. The first book is called Warprize by the way. Check out Anne McCaffery's glowing blurb on Beth's site.

I need to start reading more! The damn TV must go!

Paul

Author of The Golden Cord
Book One of the Iron Dragon Series
Releasing April, 2008

Redream the dream

Hi Everyone,

I've been working on my novel, Medusa's Daughter. I got the first draft of chapter four (almost) done last night. It went well, but it was the first chapter from the point of view of the lead male character--Nikander. I have a huge outline that is very detailed, but I had to change things once the chapter got going. I needed to add characters to make things work. It was a big change to the outline that needed to happen. Nikander could not be alone to back up a major point in the first three chapters. I didn't realize that until I got to writing chapter four.

I learned from a book on writing called How to Write A Damn Good Novel by James N. Frey that sometimes you have to "redream the dream." You have something in your head for a while, but when you actually start the writing you realize it doesn't work.

My message is: even if you have a detailed vision of a book, be prepared to change it. Redream the dream. Throw out what you had originally thought. Change it. Read: How to Write A Damn Good Novel for some great advice.

Good luck with your own writing!

Paul

The Pirate Witch story

Hello,

I just sent my short story, The Pirate Witch to Jean Rabe, editor of the Blue Kingdoms anthology. I think it came out great, though it's 8,371 words, and the ideal was four to six thousand. Oh, well. It's a swashbuckling adventure with a lot happening, so I hope she goes for it.

If not, I think I have the start of a fun novel. It wouldn't be half as good without the help of three of my friends, Brad Beaulieu, Patrick Tracy and Kelly Swails. They critiqued the story and provided invaluable help.

Brad's initial critique really helped me fix the story, then Kelly's ideas and Pat's additions polished it off really well. Kelly had some good suggestions and Pat added some really pirate-like language. The tale is more cohesive, makes more sense, and has a strong rudder.

The reader will understand the main character, Maeve a lot better and will care about her more. Most of the initial problems were related to me being worried about word count and going over. But screw it! Write the story and make the editor decide if it’s too long. Arrrr! Savvy?

To all of you writers out there who get critiques or give critiques: Llife will be even better for you if you start using the Track Changes tool on MS Word. It makes giving critiques a snap (adding comments, deleting lines etc.) and helps the poor writer see what terrible lines were there before the critiquer made them a LOT better. Without the Track Changes it makes finding changes quite difficult.

John Helfers, the editor who bought my first novel and hired me as a copy editor a while back, asked me to get MS Word and to use Track Changes when we first started working together. I was nervous at first, but once I started using it I realized that it was amazing. Critiquing with Track Changes and adding comments in the text makes you look like a pro.

Well, today I'm going to send a query to an amazing artist, Ciruelo Cabral, and hope he can do the cover for The Golden Cord. I have authorization from my editor to contact him. I just hope we can afford him.

Well, I best get busy. I’m working five 13 hour night shifts in a row this week—starting tonight (Sunday-Thursday). Yes, I will have a lot of loot at the end of the week, but I’ll be very tired.

My unit lost two charge nurses this week (one to the ER and one to the mechanical heart program), so I must step up and shoulder the load. Damn! I need a clone!

I wish you all a great week!

Paul the Pirate

The Pirate Witch

Hello,

Well, I'm 3,400 words into my 6,000 word short story, The Pirate Witch for the Blue Kingdoms anthology. It's going well and I'm at the halfway point. I'm loving the story and am just wondering about length. I hope I'll be able to keep it at 6,000 words, which is the limit. The editor, Jean Rabe said we could go over, but I'd rather not.

The main character is Maeve Tierney, The Pirate Witch. She's a fiery character with a past that is catching up to her in a bad way. Marrying the infamous pirate, Bull Tierney was probably not the greatest idea, but as a witch she got even when the sea dog did what most pirates do--he went after another person's booty . . .

Now Maeve's on the run with only a single friend in the world. Her and Bax were hiding out in a remote pirate town called Bilgewater, and it would have been a perfect place to hide if Cap'n Coyle of the buccaneer ship Vulture hadn't found out where she was.

All she has to do is escape on the last ship in port, a leaking sloop captained by a highly contagious leper and two salty sea dogs. Except for Maeve, all of the crew is about thirty years past their prime.

If she only knew that the worst is still ahead. I hope you'll all enjoy reading The Pirate Witch in the Blue Kingdoms anthology edited by Jean Rabe and Steven D. Sullivan. The book should be out this summer when Pirates of the Caribbean 3 comes out, savvy?

Paul

P.S. I guess this is all assuming that the story is accepted, but I have a good feeling about this one. Visit www.bluekingdoms.com for more info on the world.

Follow your dreams

Hello Everyone,

This is my first blog post and thank you for reading it. It was time to become one of the cool people and get a blog. Setting up my blog was going to be one of the first things I did in 2007, but I figured I'd get a jump on things in the waning hours of 2006.

The big news is that I just signed the contract for my first novel. The Golden Cord, Book One of the Iron Dragon Series is coming out in hard cover in May, 2008. I'm very excited about it and can't wait to actually see the thing in print. Right now the editor and I are figuring out who we can get to do the cover art. I'm voting for Ciruelo Cabral. He's an amazing fantasy artist.

The journey from wannabe to published writer took me about six years, though I told my mom that I wanted to be a writer when I was four. So, it's either six years or twenty-nine years, depending on how you look at it. I pay the bills as a nurse in a cardiac unit on the night shift. I love helping people and I'll always be a nurse, but writing is one of my passions.

I guess the point I'd like to make is trite and totally cliche: follow your dreams. If you're passionate about someting you can make it happen. If you are interested in getting published get in touch and I'll give you some practical advice.