Did Anyone See Where I lay Down My Brain? Oh! There it is!

I was excited!  Anxious at all the possibilities! Thoughts were seemingly flying through my mind and I knew that I could grab a hold of any one of them and use it for my blog posting today.  But I was too busy at the time to make a note.  That's okay, though, I'll have no problem remembering this.

My creative mind was whirling away so much that you could almost hear it.  One subject after another whizzed about my mind and it felt like I had struck gold.  The Motherload of great ideas was now within my reach.  I could not wait for today to get here when I knew I would have the time to write and I could put up a real kick-ass blog.

I call it getting old.  I could also blame it on the MS, forgetfulness is one of the things really cool things that come with the Multiple Sclerosis.  Sometimes I even forget where I am.

You might find this odd, but I've slept since I wrote that last paragraph.  Now I remember what I wanted to share with you.  

I want to tell you that I have adopted a new way of reading and I'd like it if the whole world does it too.  From henceforth, I will no longer purchase and read best selling books that have been produced by any of the traditional publishing houses.  I am only reading books that have been self-produced.  By that I mean, independent authors who have no publishing contract with any traditional publisher.  

There are way too many good authors out here that can't afford to pay an editor, or can't get the attention of agents and whose perfectly good novel is laying at the bottom of a slush pile hoping to be discovered, but never will.  It's time we take a stand and make our presence known.  

I have read books by great authors who can sneeze on a napkin and their publisher will not only print it, but will promote the hell out of it so that it makes the NY Times Best Selling List.  I'm sorry, but I have read their books and I have read the books of authors like me that go unnoticed and I believe the quality of many, many self-published authors are as good, if not better written than the famous writers.

It's obvious that the big publishing houses want to keep us hidden.  Do you know that many of the big book retailers won't even put a book on their shelf if it hasn't come from the big publishers.  The chances that a new or unknown author has of getting discovered is so heavily stacked against him/her that their chances are almost non-existent.

Just imagine what it would be like if suddenly, the books of us indie authors started selling more than those on the New York Times Best Selling list.  The likes of Dan Brown, Sandra Brown, James Patterson, PatriciaCornwell,  Michael Crichton, Stephen King, John Grisham, Sue Grafton, Lee Child and on and on ad nauseum, would suddenly have competition.  As it is today, they are all established and well supported by the big publishers that they can turn out any drivel and make big bucks while we all struggle to feed our children.

We can turn things around in our favor if we could only manage to do this one thing.  Stop buying their books and start buying only those of us self-published authors.  I am sure that we would find new and very good authors who till now have gone unnoticed and may never be noticed.  

So, here's what I'm saying,  show your loyalty to the self-published industry.  Buy only our books.  I dare you. I double-dog dare you to do just that and watch how fast the publishers start coming to us and seeking us out.  We can change it all, ourselves.

Breaking Through the Ice

Hi friends!  It has been a few weeks since I blogged.  Today, I am trying to get back in the groove.  In my last posting I got political and I hate doing that.  Politics serves no good purpose and I really try to stay away from such debates.  I don't like to question the integrity of stupid unless it's due.

Nope, not today!  Today I am shaking off the tattered looks that discussions on politics leaves behind as a residue on our beings and I am opening the door to another discussion.

I am a writer!  More precisely, I am an author of two novels and am entertaining ideas for the third.  Writing is an art and like most writers, I've had to work hard at it.  The good thing about writing is that everything I put down on a digital piece of paper is subject to review before it is read by anyone.  If you were able to read my first draft of anything, that writing would expose me for the idiot that I am.  When I talk I do not have that protection and whatever I say is out there for all the world to wedgie me with.

Thank God that we now have computers.  The software helps me to preserve a measure of dignity by correcting errors or at least pointing them out to me so that I can make the needed improvements.  I remember the typing course I took way back in high school.  That was a chore!  We learned to type on worn out Underwood typewriters that no matter how hard you tried or how careful you were, the machine would mess it up for you and the teacher would always say it was my fault because the typewriter only types what I tell it to.  Oh, the mendacity!

I failed or almost failed many a test because of the evil Underwood.
thoise days are now in the past and typing hasn't goptten any easier fro me.  Oops!  I meant to type, those days are now in the past and typing hasn't gotten any easier for me.  The previous sentence is evidence of the mental damage that was created by the wicked manual machine.  I don't remember the location of all keys of the keyboard and if left up to the expertise of my fingers I often type badly misspelled words.  I have to watch my fingers do the typing.

Enough of that!  I am leaning towards a sequel to my latest, The Thorium Endeavor.  I left some things in the story unsettled specifically for this purpose.  I've not yet decided on whether to do the sequel now or later after I've seen how well received is the original story.

I could do a takeoff of Rescue of the Heart, too.  I've thought about Colleen and writing about her life after Jonas.


I don't know.  Tell me what you think.  Please leave your comments in the space below.

Thank you all for helping me to break through the ice and kick start my brain.  I must write now.  I will see you later.


If you have yet to read these two wonderful stories, I've provided links below to where you can get a copy for yourself.  They are available in paperback and in eBook at Amazon.com, B&N.com and on Smashwords.com

Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Rescue-Heart-1-Joel-Wilson/dp/1477485783/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362775963&sr=1-2&keywords=Rescue+of+the+Heart

http://www.amazon.com/Rescue-Heart-1-Joel-Wilson/dp/1477485783/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362775963&sr=1-2&keywords=Rescue+of+the+Heart

B&N.com:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rescue-of-the-heart-joel-wilson/1111887676?ean=9781477485781

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-thorium-endeavor-joel-wilson/1114668112?ean=9781482564426

Smashwords.com:
Rescue of the Heart (eBook)
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/275461

The Thorium Endeavor (eBook)
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/288612

A Nose Job? A Face Lift? Maybe Just a Fighting Chance.

Good Afternoon, Everyone!  I trust all is going well in your neck of the woods.  Everything is fine here.  I have made a decision though.  No, this does not have to do with MS.  Actually, this has to do with my last best chance for making something of myself.  If you've been following along for a while now then you will know that I published my book as an eBook several months ago.  Many of you were gracious enough to buy it and I thank you with all my heart.  I like the idea of the electronic book with a couple of exceptions.  One is that if your reading device fails, so does your library.  Two is the fact that a collection of books in your home says something about you that others can see when they visit. Plus it looks impressive in your home.  

However, there is one thing that I have come to realize over these summer months and that is that a lot of people are still going to book stores and buying printed copies of books.  I don't think that can ever be replaced.  The value of having a printed book does more than just to give you a page to dog ear.  It also serves as a trophy, especially after you have read it.  I think the eBook is a great thing and possibly the wave of the future, but that's just it.  It is the future and like a young tree, it is still growing.  It's nice to be in on the beginning of something like this.  But in my lifetime, I doubt it will overtake the prestige of having a printed copy of a book.

So, I've adopted a new attitude about myself as an author.  Yes, I have written a book.  I'm sure it's not a great book but it is a good read and it is better written than other books I have read that were published by the big book publishers and produced in massive quantities.  I know that I have a lot of growing to do as a writer but I am getting there and this book is a good start.  So, I've decided to give my book a fighting chance among other well read authors.  I've submitted my book to be available in print.  Due to lack of money, I have chosen to publish it through Create Space as it is the only affordable way for me to do that and the quality of the book will be equal to those that are published by the big publishing houses.  Also, it will be made available to a much wider audience.

So, what's all this about a face lift and a fighting chance?  That's just it.  I've changed the title of the book to "On Barnacle Way."  It will also now have a professional cover.  Up until now the covers I've used on 

Amazon were what I could make up on my Paint program on my computer.  Also, the title of the book was too used.  By that I mean that if you do a search for "Lost Hearts" on your computer you will get many hits.  As the new title, "On Barnacle Way" it will stand alone.  What that means is this is a title that will always be attributed to me and not a hundred other people.

What does that mean for you?  Well, if you already have a copy of "Lost Hearts" then you already have the book as an eBook and I do appreciate your support.  However, in few short weeks the same book will be available also in print but under the new title of "On Barnacle Way," for those of you who prefer the printed book.

I feel like I've missed out on a lot of book sales due to not having it in print.  After all, when people go into bookstores, they aren't looking for an eBook. As soon as it is available for print, I will change the name in Amazon too.  So, there you have it.  I'm taking more pride in my work and running with the big guys.