Dear Subscriber,
Such a heart-warming story about the former attorney who spend 14 years writing a thriller and it never really sold. But the independent and retired author was so loved by his daughter that she sent him “viral” on Tiktok, and he exploded to the top of the charts of Amazon sales! As I am a researcher of facts, I wrote about this good luck, and I also pointed out some possible irony for the guy, based on my over thirty years of publishing as an independent author:
This is what my fave non-thriller author, David Foster Wallace calls “A bitch-slap by Fate.” Never can tell what marketing will get you.Fact check: The hero in his thriller Stone Maidens was allegedly “attacked” by natives in Papua New Guinea? Interesting, as a real cultural anthropologist named Dr. Jared Diamond, who lived with and studied these folks for years, said they were the “most civilized and environmentally efficient humans on the globe.” But I digress. Read Collapsed by Diamond if you want to see what I mean about what’s truly “savage.”Also, I dare say, most readers never read a book completely today, as it’s been verified (and Amazon actually gives authors less money if they don’t read it all!), so there’s that. Even if an author took seventy-five years to write the book. Readers usually don’t care and are very fickle, unless the author is at the top of his/her game all the time.I think it’s fabulous this gentleman’s daughter cared enough to do this for him. He deserved it more than many authors I know, and it does, as this young lady so wisely surmises, show the power of the Internet.The possible “irony” for this poor fellow is that Congress might pull the plug on TikTok completely! Sad.
I’ve been working for lawyers, doctors, and scientists most of my professional life. I also taught young writers in college how to research on the Internet for all kinds of topics and critical thinking arguments. I take my research in fiction work very seriously. I have written thrillers, like Sins of Darkness and Russian Wolves that required some very in-depth research. In fact, in the case of Sins of Darkness, Sirhan Bishara Sirhan’s attorney called to request some of my research information, and it resulted in their client getting a parole, only to be quashed by Governor of California, Gavin Newsom. I still believe Sirhan deserves his freedom, and I’m working toward that goal.
I now am proud to give you a chance to participate in a new collection of stories based on the main character in the thrilling and existential psychological horror novel The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson.
My short story “Eleanor, Willow, and Tania,” will be published in an upcoming anthology filled with literary female characters who never got what they “deserved” in their first life inside the author’s novel, story, or poem. In my case, it was Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House (get the free copy to read–you’ll need it, and you’ll enjoy it!). Or, listen to the audiobook recording on YouTube.
In addition, you can win a free copy of this collection of the nine stories by filling out this form and answering the questions.
By answering the above form, you can win with your suggestions of a title for my new collection, and/or your suggestions of locations/settings/characters (other than Eleanor Vance, who will be in it) for the other eight stories in my collection. I might even put you in the story if you can finagle a way to suggest why you should be included! I have done this in two other historical mysteries I’ve written, The Stockton Insane Asylum Murder and The Dancing Murders.
New! I am actually using a suggestion by Lillian Haugland of Norway. The second story in my collection will be:
Thanks, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day. Keep reading and stay healthy!
James
