MULTI-PART BLOG - part 1

I'm sure that everyone has certain places, things, habits, senses, etc. that they feel drawn to. I'm also certain that everyone wonders why they like some things but not others. Such as those who like lakes but not the ocean or why they like black & white movies but not contemporary movies in 3D and Surround Sound. Well, here are some of the most important things that I like and feel myself drawn to: mountains, forests, caves, the Middle Ages, the Latin Mass, the Mayan culture (especially the city of Copan), athletic competition, respect for all living things, astronomy, and biology. Chew on that and I'll bring in part 2 in a few days.

BACK TO WORK

I had a very busy month so far. I was on vacation and stained the back deck and front porch and had a few other errands to run. On the writing front, I attended another CAPA meeting in which they discussed CAPA's annual book sale at the BIG E, attended my first meeting of a new writers group at Barnes & Noble in Glastonbury, and received a request for a 30-50 page manuscript of 'The Killing Zone' from one of the publishers that I queried. Finally, I attended the first class of a beginner's guitar course at MCC. Although I received my first guitar 35 years ago, I'm still a beginner. That said, I can't play any popular songs, although I did know how to play 'Dust In the Wind'. I do know some chords and do play my own songs. Writing . . . Music . . . Writing . . . Music. Hmmm, I'll take writing.

Submissions

I've been very busy over the past few weeks and will also be occupied over the coming weeks as well. I've mailed approximately a dozen targeted query letters. So far I have received one rejection letter. I've discovered a new publisher that I will submit to by the end of this week and then will dive into my list of agents and publishers to see to whom else I can submit to. I've given myself a deadline. If I do not acquire an agent or publisher who is interested in my work by the end of 2009, then in 2010 I will self-publish 'The Killing Zone'.

WRITING FROM SCRATCH

Today I attended Eileen Albrizio's creative writing workshop in Middletown, not too far from the Wesleyan University Campus. We performed two exercises. The first was to review the Triolet form of poetry writing which originated in France. Containing eight lines of which five are repeated, it goes like this:

In the strangled synapses of my tangled mind,
dreams, illusions, past hopes buried beyond end.
Her love came to me and found a place to bind,
in the strangled synapses of my tangled mind.
She left without a word and tasked me to find,
the love I lost, and feelings to mend,
in the strangled synapses of my tangled mind,
dreams, illusions, past hopes buried beyond end.

The second exercise consisted of coming up with a one-sentence beginning of a short story. I came up with this:

Dr. Stuart Bridges held a file titled 'Alexander the Great - Property of the U.S. Strategic Initiative' while he peered through the window at the young boy directing the war games on the grounds of the National Cloning Institute.

CAPA-U

Last Saturday, May 9th I attended CAPA-U at Hartford Steam Boiler. I was very nervous. For those of you who know me, I usually stay within my comfort zone and when I leave it, I'm usually with my wife and I lean on her for support. However, I did go to CAPA-U by myself. I drove around State Street and Columbus Blvd a few times because I could not locate the parking garage. I did find it and when I reached where the conference was held, I saw another member named Bruce. He has been so kind to me as a new member and probably more kind than he realizes. Anyway, Gina Barreca gave the keynote address which was humorous in Gina's own irreverent style. I first attended a mystery writers workshop hosted by Nikko and Jim McGoldrick. I found them to be very down to earth, easy to speak with, and extremely knowledgeable about their craft. Then I had my meeting with New York agent Jennifer DeChiara. She was very helpful and took my query letter and the first fifty pages of 'The Killing Zone'. She promised to read it and will get back to me. Then I attended a fantasy writer's workshop with MJ Allaire. I still have the first few chapters of a medieval novel that I've always wanted to finish. Maybe someday under a pen name, of course. Finally, I attended a memoir workshop with Howard Layton. Let me make this perfectly clear, I do not intend to write my memoir . . . at least not until I've sold my first million copies of my novels. I attended the memoir workshop because what I read of Mr. Layton seemed so fascinating. He is 90 and is currently working on the final book of his trilogy memoir. He was an RAF pilot in WW2, an actor on the British stage after the war, was presented to Queen Mary, and played Robert Taylor's double opposite Elizabeth Taylor in the movie, 'The Conspirator' which I have to purchase as well as his memoirs. Need I say more? Mr. Layton is truly an inspiration to us all. He has lived life well.

Getting Ready for CAPA-U

With my final edit of 'The Killing Zone' completed and my query letter in hand, I've been compiling the individual chapters together to see what length my novel is. It's approximately 118,500 words in length and either 213 pages on full 8.5x11 inch paper or 344 pages if set in a 6x9 inch format for local publishing.

Here is a summary of my novel:

Released from an Oklahoma prison, Videl Tanas joins up with members of his former motorcycle gang. Seeking revenge against his ex-girlfriend who testified against him, Videl murders her and then stalks and kills the arresting police officer and his wife. On the run and traveling to Montana to initiate a guns-for-cash deal with a corrupt local deputy, the gang encounters a Native American boy named Acaraho and his three friends. Videl’s gang viciously assaults Acaraho and his companions, murdering one of them. After the gang quickly departs the crime scene, the authorities arrive and arrest a semiconscious Acaraho, charging him with murder. Sheriff Jim Buchanan becomes involved in the case upon hearing of the charges against a member of his own tribe. With Jim closing in on the murderers, the gang kidnaps Jim’s daughter, Alma, using her as a hostage. Faced with the risk of losing his only child, Jim’s fury is unleashed. He enlists Willie Longfeather, an ex-con friend, to help him track the gang on horseback. With Willie’s assistance, Jim pursues the gang on tribal land until they faceoff in a climactic confrontation in the untamed backwoods of western Montana.

As Rocky would say, la fine!

I've finished my final edit of 'The Killing Zone'. After 117,600 words on 228 pages, I've put to bed what was the most enjoyable and I believe, my best work yet. Next up will be CAPA-U and my 10-minute pitch to an agent. If that's unsuccessful, I'll be sending out query letters before the end of May. My next project will be a final edit of 'Mystery at Little Bitterroot'.

I'm on Twitter

I set up a Twitter account. If you have a Twitter account see if you can 'Twitt' me.

Creative Writing Workshop

I will be attending Eileen Albrizio's creative writing workshop next month. Ms. Albrizio worked for National Public Radio as a broadcast host and journalist.

CHAPTER 26 AND COUNTING

I've completed a final edit up to chapter 26 on 'The Killing Zone' and only have 10 more chapters to edit. I'm targeting next Sunday (April 26th) as my completion date. This will then give me a couple of weeks to prepare for CAPA-U where I will have an opportunity for a 10-minute meeting with an agent during which I can pitch my novel. Once that is over, then it's on to a final edit for 'Mystery at Little Bitterroot'. If all goes well, I'm hoping to dust off 'Montana Harvest' and complete the last third of that novel by year-end. 2009 could be a very productive and rewarding year.

CAPA April Meeting

Today, I attended CAPA's monthly meeting in Avon, CT. Agent Gina Panettieri, President of Talcott Notch Literary Agency was invited to speak about writing and submitting winning query letters. She provided handouts and I learned some things that I hadn't known. The CAPA organizers also mentioned the upcoming CAPA-U on May 9th.

Time to Blog

The start of my post is going to sound a little bit like the lyrics from a Sam Cooke song but here I go anyway:

Well, it's Saturday night and I spent a good day editing 'The Killing Zone'. One thing that I've discovered about editing is that nothing you write needs to end up being discarded. What were the remnants of a modified storyline becomes the plot of a future novel. A scene in my novel involving a deputy who rescues a girl from an outlaw biker gang, just didn't seem to fit. Now it will become the central theme for a future novel. The same deputy discovers a mysterious girl who doesn't remember who she is or where she came from. With a different scene, a few word changes, and new dialogue, a rough section that went nowhere becomes the hook for a future spinetingler.

CAPA 15th Anniversary Celebration

Last night my wife and I (we've become busy folks lately) attended Connecticut Author's & Publishers 15th Anniversary meeting in Avon, Connecticut. With food, drink, and music on the menu it was an enjoyable three hours. I meet quite a few members and relished the opportunity to spend some time with people who share the same writing interests as I do. I'm looking forward to CAPA's April meeting which has agent Gina Panettieri as its featured speaker.

KATE BUCHANAN

Katelyn Nelson and James Buchanan became high school sweethearts when they were each seventeen. Upon graduation, they left for the University of Montana, Jim on a football scholarship and Kate to study music. Five years later, Jim proposed to Kate and they married three years after that. Kate's and Jim's souls were spiritually bonded but their lives were emotionally separate. Kate became an accomplished guitarist playing before local and regional audiences while Jim had difficulty determining who he really was. A mixed-blood native of Scottish and Crow Indian descent, Jim played in the NFL for three years, then spent four years in the U.S. Air Force, and then began a career in law enforcement. Although Jim was uncertain about his career aspirations, he didn’t have any second thoughts about Kate. She was the love of his life. Tall and athletic with long brown hair, Kate could have passed for a model. She recorded a country western CD (see song list below) that was acclaimed by those in the professional music business and was on the cusp of national notoriety when, in 1995 she vanished. My novel ‘Montana Harvest’ (expected completion date of December, 2009) details the circumstances, events, and the official investigation into the disappearance of Katelyn Nelson Buchanan.

When You Talk To My Heart (Kate’s CD)

1) Tennessee Waltz (ballad)
2) Take This Train (country rock)
3) Silos In September (bluegrass)
4) When You Talk To My Heart (ballad)
5) Great Northern Lights (country rock)
6) Holes In My Pockets (bluegrass)
7) Mountains To Remember (ballad)
8) Any ‘ol Cave Will Do (country rock)
9) Stardust Trails (ballad)
10) He’s My Man (country rock)
11) Another Clip off the Chain (bluegrass)
12) Montana Skies (ballad)
13) Thirteen Eggs and a Pound of Bacon (country rock)

(all songs written by Katelyn Buchanan except Tennesse Waltz written by Redd Stewart & Pee Wee King, and When You Talk To My Heart written by Renee LaChapelle)

NATIVE AMERICAN GIs

http://naihc.net/NAIHC/files/ccLibraryFiles/FILENAME/000000000454/Native%20Veterans%20Returning%20from%20Iraq%20Ask.doc

Use the above web address or click on the heading of this post to go to a MS Word article which explains what returning Native American GIs are facing today. With a new administration in Washington perhaps attitudes will change for the better. It cannot get much worse.

The Rimrocks

Like a monument to the vast prairie, the sandstone cliffs just outside Billings, Montana are integral to my new novel, 'The Killing Zone'. A portion of the Rimrocks, called Sacrifice Cliff, was where fearless Crow youth rode their blindfolded ponies off the precipice with the hope that their offering would cure their tribe of a deadly Smallpox epidemic. On that plateau in my novel, under a summer’s night sky, Indian lore, hopes and dreams and criminal intent draw a group of companions into an unlikely encounter with a homicidal ex-convict and his gang of cohorts. With no witnesses except perhaps the spirits of the 19th century Crow horsemen, it’s a race for Sheriff Jim Buchanan to find and bring to justice the runaway murderers before they make their escape to Canada.

Connecticut Authors & Publishers

Last week, I joined Connecticut Authors & Publishers (CAPA) and received two warm and gracious welcomes from the organization's leadership. This week, I found the February issue of CAPA's newsletter, 'The Authority' in my mailbox. I brought it into my house and immediately read the 8-page mailing from cover to cover. Topics included developing a mindset and environment in which to write, website links intended to assist authors with their writing and to help them publish their work. There was also a calendar of upcoming CAPA events and a recap of January's monthly meeting in Avon, CT. Next month's meeting will be CAPA's 15th Anniversary Party. With a membership in excess of 160, I'm looking forward to meeting an energized group of people with whom I share a
common interest.

Rocco Salentino

One of the supporting characters in the Jim Buchanan Novels is Rocco Salentino or 'Rocky' as everyone calls him. Rocky is a 1st generation Italian-American. His parents immigrated to Brooklyn, New York from a town called Avellino which is near Naples. Arriving in the 1950's with just the shirts on their backs, Rocky's parents moved in with relatives and took whatever jobs they could find. Shortly thereafter, Rocky was born. Rocky's dad borrowed some money and opened a restaurant. Success came easy for the hard-working Salentino's and Rocky grew up making meatballs and kneading pizza dough. Now in his 30's, a six-footer with crew-cut, black hair and a muscular build, Rocky is the Assistant County Sheriff of Sanders County. Rocky is Jim's old Air Force buddy and although they are best of friends, Rocky longs to be back home in Brooklyn where he used to sing street-corner ballads with the rest of his friends. If you ever met Rocky and he liked you, he might bond with you and call you Paesano but watch out. If you came across with not too much on the ball, he might refer to you as a googootz, a stounad, or a cabbadost.

Titles of upcoming novels

A few titles of upcoming novels in the Jim Buchanan series are:

The Disappearance of Joshua Nelson
The Great Lakes Mystery
Cries from the Flathead Valley
The Vanishing Tribe
The Legacy of Dan McCoy
Justice for Little Hawk
Mission Mountain Mystery

CAPA-U

I'm attending CAPA-U in Hartford this year. CAPA (Connnecticut Authors & Publishers Association) is hosting its 6th annual writing conference (link attached) on Saturday, May 9th. I'm hoping to meet some interesting people and acquire some fascinating insight into the writing and publishing business. I will complete a final edit on my most recent novel by next month and then work on finishing my 3rd novel by year's end. I've already begun my 4th novel, titled 'Secrets of the Cabinet Mountains'.

http://www.aboutcapa.com/

New Jim Buchanan Novel Completed!

After a tulmultous start to 2008 with 2 broken ribs, a punctured lung, bruised kidney, heel spur, and a herniated disk, I'm back to writing. As a follow-up to my first novel (Mystery at Little Bitterroot), I've finished my 2nd novel (The Killing Zone) and am hoping to see it published soon. I'm halfway through my 3rd novel (Montana Harvest) and will begin the 4th novel (Secrets of the Cabinet Mountains) of the Jim Buchanan Series in late 2009.

ANGEL - SANDERS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

Angel, a female German Shorthaired Pointer, is Jim's constant companion and spiritual connection with his late wife, Kate. Rescued from a puppy mill at the tender age of six weeks, Angel is trained in search and rescue as well as cadaver detection. Officially a member of the Sanders County Sheriff's Office, Angel participates in criminal investigations and suspect apprehensions. When Jim is reminiscing about Kate or stumped during a particular investigation, he can always rely on Angel's sixth sense to guide him through his personal crises.

Who is Jim Buchanan?

No, I'm not referring to the 15th President of the United States. Jim Buchanan is the main character of my novels. A mixed-blood county sheriff in Montana, Jim is 34, 6’4”, with shoulder-length brown hair, worn in a pony tail. His father was Scottish and his mother a full-blood Crow Indian. Also known as Little Hawk, Jim was a 3-sport athlete at Thompson Falls High School. He graduated from the University of Montana where he was a football star, winning the Outland Trophy in his senior year. A 1st round National Football League draft pick, Jim played defensive end for the Chicago Bears before an injury-filled three years convinced him to retire. He then became a United States Air Force Military Policeman (dog handler) and next, a Montana Highway Patrolman before he found his calling as Sheriff of Sanders County, Montana. Jim is principled, self-disciplined, and strives for perfection. He holds himself and society up to strict ideals. He sees other people and their actions as either right or wrong. There's no middle ground with Jim unless common sense dictates otherwise. His decisions to sometimes do things his own way, send him on a separate path with the law though he always achieves the intended results.