Poetry the 13th: John Murray McKay

In the mood for a little classic romance?  Author John Murray McKay may be just what you need!  While my editorial eye did catch on a few cliché phrases and grammatical errors, as we are all guilty of from time to time, the wonderful use of metaphor and advanced and descriptive vocabulary bring McKay’s visions to full-color life.  If a whole set of acrylic paints spilled onto the Travel channel and seeped into its best shows, you might end up with this.  I felt as if I were floating in a comforting, inky blackness as I read.  I especially enjoy I Would Have, Dreams and The Last Poem.

I Would Have is a bittersweet tale of unrequited love.  My heart latched on to the extravagant phrasing of feelings I have had many a time and these are my favorite lines in all of McKay’s poetry: 

"I would love to run my hand through your wild hair

seeing the music notes escape from it" 

"your skin has always been my favourite canvas

a canvas of texture

of life"

Emotion evoked memories of the magical, sparking energy I experience when my universe collides with those of the right others.  I found myself missing the act of turning simple physical contact into an art form, taking something that can be so mundane and transforming those actions into a completely new and unexplored wilderness.

Dreams touched me in a completely different way, showing that McKay’s talents transcend beyond the boundaries of romance.  I find myself hesitant to say too much about this work, should it take away from the full impact it had on me.  Dreams reads as descriptive prose exemplifying everyman's dreams which every man seems to fall short of; unfortunately, some more than others.

The Last Poem is an endearing window, into the author watching his daughter grow up.  His pride is shadowed by having to let his protectiveness go, to facilitate her independence.  This poem is very relatable to me, as a writer, with such lines as,

"Hold and keep it safe

For words are all I have"

In the end, it is our words that remain and, by writing his down, McKay has left a legacy that will live on.

You can find John Murray McKay’s poetry here, though he has since moved on to novel writing.  In fact, he already has a very unique book, which you can delve into for free until November 1.  It will then be released for purchase on Amazon, in December.  Get it while it’s hot, over here.  You can also connect with McKay, himself, on his facebook.

Poetry the 13th: High Ground Valley Flashback/On the Midnight Stage by Walter Beck

Hello Misfits!

I’m Phoenix, your friendly Island poetry reviewer.  Long story short, I’m a college student, new godfather, LGBT activist, writer and fellow Misfit, who also happens to be friends with Diamant.  I aim to post a poetry review on the 13^th of each month, so if you have any you’d like to see featured here, please send it in!

We have a special author spotlight tonight, another of my good friends, Walter Beck.  Walter was actually the person who gave the idea for us to do poetry reviews, in addition to the book reviews, so his latest release is up first!  Being friends with Walter, I’m admitting my bias up front, but would also like to state that I originally contacted Walter because of his powerful poetry and political activism.  Our brotherhood grew organically from that soil of mutual interest.  So, without further ado, I bring you our first poetry review:

Beck’s latest release is notable from start to finish.  Akin to a double EP, it’s two separate releases married together into one.  I feel the whole thing paints a dichotomy of struggle vs. calm.

The struggle “album”, titled High Ground Valley Flashback:  The Early Days, features a cover depicting a dizzying, twisted, backwards photomanipulation of Beck; “We die young” scrawled across his chest in blood*, as he has been known to perform his works live in Indiana.  He describes this FourPlay as a collection of remixes of early works.  I describe it as “struggle” because I notice a unifying theme throughout, expressed as yells, shouts, sharp scents, battered, shirtless, still-bleeding scars of weary young warriors who take orders and march through the trenches of war, to claw and fight with heat.  All of these descriptors taken from this collection and remixed by me into the meaning I find in his words.  Whether that is the intended meaning or not, we may have to wait for an interview to find out.

These four poems use some great visualization and alliteration to present power struggle in a variety of forms, cultural warfare within the confines of a single, brick walkway and the mental worlds we escape to in order to make soul-numbing work bearable.  My favorite, however, is the “No Bad Publicity” Mix of Letter.  In what I’ve come to know as typical Walter fashion, he jauntily throws up his middle finger to those who would censor and sanitize his art, while priding themselves on so called “multiculturalism” and “diversity”.  I’m pretty certain that this speaks to Beck’s real-life experience, but it leaves me wondering how much is real and how much is poetic license.  An added bonus at the end of High Ground Valley Flashback is a photo of the writer in his natural habitat.

If you flip the book over, you find a print of an amazing painting our own, talented Jordan Diamant created of Walter.  I prefer this “album”, On the Midnight Stage, to the other.  Perhaps because this is an uncommon departure from Beck’s usual beautifully illustrated harshness and political frustrations into the land of love and romance.  The fashion of this album is that of calm, accentuated with human connection, sewn up with a thread of nature elements into one, big comfy pillow.

My favorite of this bunch, and the entire double EP, is Thawing Picture Frames.  Juxtaposing memories with newness, we find the poet transitioning from simple acts of love into true Eros.  This piece plays right into my heart, with things I personally find comforting.  I have my own bittersweet memories of new skin in badly ventilated, smoke-filled rooms, creaky gates in the summer sun, freaks playing beneath the midnight moon and the nostalgia of the photos that came before the popularity of digital cameras and smart phones.

When you put these two “albums” together as a whole, Beck takes you on a road trip from work life and dark hallways to embracing the raw essence of living in the moment and taking a rest stop to renew your spirit in hidden secrets, before journeying back to the norm.

You can purchase this compilation for $2 in the FourPlay section of the Writing Knights Press store and you can introduce yourself to Walter on facebook.  

*No cute, fluffy animals, humans or otherwise were harmed in the depiction of this poetry…  or were they…

Guest blog Time!

Stephen De Marino mans the island blog today as part of his spotlight week.

 When the Island of Misfit Independents invited me to write and to be a featured author, I was flattered beyond belief. But what to write about? I hadn’t a clue. I know, silly for a writer to not know what to write about. However, that’s me. So, I will go down that path, that has been well trod, of writing about writing, and why I write. Oh yeah, and I will have to write to do that, won’t I?

I am a misfit. Not the visible misfit, necessarily. I don’t have the large “freak flag” showing that many misfits proudly wear. I am a camouflage misfit. I don’t stand out, I fade into shadows, I blend in. Yet, people know instantly that I am different, that I don’t fit into their preconceived notions of what they think I am or might be, once they realize I am there.

I am a study in dichotomy and balance. I write poetry, sappy sometimes, and I was a rugby player. I write paranormal science fiction, I game, I enjoy nerdism, yet I coach football, like to lift weights, and to most people come across as a “manly man.” I get identified as an “alpha male” all the time, but I do not like dominance games, or to throw my weight around for no reason. I can run a bar, keep control of a tense situation, but screw up in one on one conversation all the time, and am terrified of talking in front of people if I have no authority over them. I am fiercely heterosexual, married with two children, I identify myself as a Christian man, but I am a big proponent of gay marriage, and I believe that other religions may very well have a path to God that will bring them to Him. I choose to believe in a loving, encompassing world, I do my best to reject the negative nastiness that is all around us. I know it is not real, but I work to make it so. I try in all things to have a balance between strength and softness. Between compassion and conviction, between hope and reality, between run and pass, between description and dialogue, between intellect and interest, between the light and the dark. It is not an easy line; it’s what makes me a freak, is that I would even try to balance all these things.

My appearance does not help. I am a big man, 300 pounds, with all the appearance of an aging ex-jock. Many people look at my shaved head, and my tattoo, my size, and assume I am a judgmental redneck-type. Others, who read my work, expect me to be some soft mushy guy who lives with his mother and plays video games all day. I don’t live with my mother, but I am a bit softer that I wish to be. But I still dance, I coach football, I walk to work, I am somewhat active with my son and my job. Yes, I have been prone to playing video games all day when I don’t have to work, and don’t have the kids in the house. Yet, if I hadn’t knocked my head so many times, I would probably still try to play rugby at least a few times a year despite how much it hurts when I do. I shave my head, more out of convenience and a fading vanity more than a political statement. I refuse to shave my goatee off, for similar reasons. I seem to constantly surprise people, who look at me and expect just another ex-jock, or older nerd, and try to limit me, and expect limited conversation back. But I give them my best, I go in-depth on the subject, I try to learn a little something from each of them, and occasionally try to teach something back. Shocking, I know, right? Try to have an intelligent conversation…sheesh, what am I thinking?
 

After listening to me ramble, here I am finally getting to the point! Be who you are, don’t worry about whether or not anyone else accepts you. You are a misfit or you wouldn’t be here. Think about the word…mis-fit. (As compared to Mrs. Fit, that bitch you really hate at the gym or sport club.) You do not fit, you are odd, unusual, strange in some way. That’s why you write, paint or sing. These are our outlets, our way to express ourselves, to establish some control over the weirdness and the pain that is our lives. A way to declare ourselves, to try and find others like us. We do not fit with most, so we try to find, through our art, be it word, song or image, try to find others who can accept us, even if they are not like us. You may be queer, you may be fat, you may be odd, or just plain. So long as you are willing to cast aside your judgment of us, and accept us, we in turn will bring you in, give you a place to be, a place to call your own. There is no hate here, other than a hatred of being alone in a world where that is far too common. Welcome to the Island. Try not to trip over all the square pegs. 

Stephen

 
http://www.amazon.com/13-Tales-Paranormal-ebook/dp/B005UNM7JY/ref=sr_1_2_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1377260035&sr=8-2&keywords=13+tales+of+the+paranormal

Interview Q&A Spot light week Two Stephen De Marino

Spotlight Day two: Author Stephen De Marino 's Q& A 

Interview Questions :

1. What shaped your imagination as a child, and do you feel that because of this your imagination as an adult is just as strong?  
My parents read to me from a young age, and my Mother, especially read me a great spread of stories.  We have a book, Tyler Gerber’s Big Red Book, which was published way back in 1942. Many of my early child hood imaginations came from stories in this book, though I didn’t always realize it until much later. I would constantly create entire worlds, scenarios, maps. I loved, and still love drawing imaginary maps of place I wanted to write about.

2. Did you have imaginary friends? Do you still have them and have they grown up with you? 

I was too grounded I think in many ways, I didn’t have the “friends” that a lot of kids have, the fully developed person that they blame stuff on, that ran around with them. None of the “Calvin and Hobbes” action for me. I did however constantly imagine myself in different roles, as a space captain, pirate captain, cannibal chief, corporate captain, captain of industry, steamboat captain. Something to do with nifty hats I think…

3. What is your earliest memory of reading? 

The earliest memory I have of reading on my own is actually the newspaper. I read the newspaper from a very young age (3-4 years old) and would read about these events that were happening the world over. I found it pretty fascinating. 

4. What was the first story you ever told and how old were you? 

 I would have to say the first story ever told was to my mother about how Heather Steele stole the cookies and not me when I was three. However, the first story I ever wrote down that I remember was in my early teens. I was writing a piece about how a choir boy turned into a mercenary because of the teasing that happened to him. Somewhat self-based.

5. What inspires your creative world? 

That’s a pretty complicated question, and one I constantly wonder about myself to be honest. I draw inspiration from many sources, but especially most recently, my children. My Daughter, Sarah is an aspiring young artist, and a misfit herself. My son, Vito has a vibrant and fertile imagination that is astounding and makes me wonder how my Mother handled me as a child without losing her own mind. He radiates images so loudly it’s hard to think about your own stuff at times. I read heavily in the Masters of Science Fiction, Isaac Asimov, Larry Niven, Gordon Dickson, Herbert, Poul Anderson, Heinlein.

6. What would you want readers to know about you in order for them to understand the world you create?

 I don’t know that they need to necessarily need to know ANYTHING about me to understand the world I create, if I have done my job well. I want what I write to be complete enough and properly constructed enough that they can get it without knowing anything about the author.  I don’t necessarily have an “agenda” that needs to be imprinted upon them. Folks can draw their own conclusions and their own ideas from my stories, without my leading them in a particular way. Indeed, it is interesting to see what different people have gotten out of the story I am currently writing, without my telling them anything about it.

7. What's your 'writing ritual'? 

Coffee in my right hand, brain in my left. Seriously, though, most mornings after my work out I get into my SCP (Steve Command Post) chair with the laptop and work for a bit in the mornings while my wife is on the treadmill. When I am going to write for an extended period, I set myself up with my thesaurus, my copy of Sin and Syntax, any research materials, and take two deep breaths and dive in.

8. Who are your favourite Indy authors currently?  

Well, honestly, right now, you guys [Diamant]. I *blush* must admit to being a newbie to the indy scene, but I am learning rapidly. Most of my initial experience with the independent authors has been from an editing standpoint rather than as a writer. Writing short pieces for anthologies and such helped me dip my toe in…then it got grabbed and sucked me up to my navel. Here I am. 

(* Blogger note : Awwww :D Thanks!!!) 

9. Do you feel there is anything that holds you back as an author? 

 Pretty much everything. I work full time. I like spending time with my kid and wife. I have a horrible video game addiction. I am a lazy bastard in general. Oh yeah, add in Facebook, watching football, and you know…reading stuff. So yes pretty much the whole darn world holds me back. The only thing forcing me onward, honestly, is the fact that I promised Michelle (my ornery, lovely, amazing, stubborn wife) that I would finish this book. She has read several of my false starts and always got pissed when I didn’t finish them. So…onward I go.

10. What advice would you give to new indies about the art of self-publishing?   

Make time to write, keep it separate from your time to promote. Write in the morning, deal with promotion in the afternoon. Or, if like Aubrey you work at night, write before work, promote after work.  Also, if you get a book deal, get a signed contract, get a lawyer to look it over. Be diligent. Business is business, and friends are friends, but always check your numbers, always check your accounts. Don’t assume. If you do not watch out for yourself, no one else will. 

Last, get yourself a good editor. If you need to pay for one, fine. If it’s your friends, fine. But get someone who will not be a “teddy bear” and will tell you what is broken or not working in your book .A good proofreader/editor is worth their weight in gold. They can help you with your art, they can help you be a better writer, they can be the coach that you need to become more, to get your story to its full potential.  At the same time, comments about HOW you write, take in.  Comments about WHAT you write, stuff in the orifice of your choice.

Though there are a ton of horror stories out there, have fun! Welcome to the world of writers. We are weird, strange, and bizarre folks, but we work hard to make new worlds. Being an independent writer means you are on the cusp of an amazing revolution in the literary world.

 

Week two spotlight is an unpublished author with a work in progress.

This is why I chose author Stephen De Marino; once again when I was looking for the first four authors in to start us out I put names in a hat. What made me place Stephen's name in the hat was that he'd just recently sent me pages to read from his WIP.

I took the pages with me to work, on occasion after I had run the audit, and finished all tasks on my checklist, I would have time to look over projects, and books, people send me to read. I read Stephen's pages very quickly, not because they were a quick read, but because I was riveted.

His work excited me on a level that I had not felt in quite some time. As I say each author I spotlight has given me a spark and a reason to offer them a slot be they published or not. Strongly descriptive words building a world for me that I felt was akin to one of my favourite authors Raymond Chandler. I'll be speaking more on that when I post my review of his work.

I shared the pages with my co-worker who is always up to reading new authors, He enjoyed what he read as well, and gave me his opinion on it.

We all start somewhere, and we all need that chance to be recognised for the worlds we build and share. There are many of you out there; I know this, and that is why I am giving you spotlights as well. I wrote my first book when I was fifteen, twenty-two years later I am finally sharing my work with the world. It takes a certain kind of steel in the veins to be an indy in my book, Stephen took the chance to show me something. He put it on the line, and is one of us who dared to dream.
Sorry this is so late, I will make it up to you, Steve.

Aubrey
 

http://www.amazon.com/13-Tales-Paranormal-ebook/dp/B005UNM7JY/ref=sr_1_2_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1377260035&sr=8-2&keywords=13+tales+of+the+paranormal

 

 Guest blogger Author Stevie Conradi on how she returned to writing and the discovery of Indie author community. 

 How I re-discovered writing (with a little help from my friend ): I originally started writing when I was about 12 years old. I always had a soft spot for angsty stories staring my favourite characters. Sometimes I felt there wasn't enough angst in my favourite shows, so I started to create my own. My first ever story was a 2.5 pages, handwritten story about TJ Hooker (yes, I'm that old, lol). What I didn't realise until much later was, that this was my way of dealing with the chaos in my family (first, absent father, then later abusive step-father). Eventually, my stories grew longer and more complex, but they were still fan fiction. And since it was too much of an effort to always translate my stories for my English speaking pen pals, I started writing in English altogether. 

My most active fandoms were Star Trek (in my earlier days) and then later Nash Bridges and Third Watch. I can't really pinpoint when I stopped writing, but I think it was when I was about 20. It was the time when I met my fiancé and moved out from home. There was no need to deal with those family problems any more, plus with a relationship, professional training and then later university, there simply wasn't enough time. But looking back, I have to say there was always something missing, like something nagging at the back of your head. 

Then in 2009 I met a fellow Pet Shop Boys fan after a concert in Berlin. Once she learned I used to write, she urged me to start again. And that's exactly what I did. Again, I started with fan fiction. My first 'new area' story was 4 pages typed. Then my friend and I started to write together and eventually, our stories became longer and longer (we have a WIP which is over 80 pages already and is nowhere near finished). Then, with us being fans of some of the same stuff, like Sherlock Holmes and Victorian London, and Diamant looking for authors for their urban fantasy anthology Other Voices, we started writing something original. And now I have to say, my life feels complete again. The nagging voice at the back of my head is gone - or rather it now urges me on to find time to write. And guess what? I officially call myself an "author" now and it feels damn good! 

Stevie

 https://www.facebook.com/StevieConradi?fref=ts 

 Michelle Rabe helms our guest blog spot today!

Michelle is raising funds for the publication of her novel. I thought this was a very interesting concept for you, readers and authors to learn about.

Aubrey.

Author Michelle Rabe

 We’ve all seen it, the bad rap that independent authors are getting. We have people attacking us, saying that we decided to go indie because our writing wasn’t good enough for a publisher to pick up. They lump all indie authors together and paint them with an unprofessional brush. I believe that they are mistaken.
I made the decision to independently publish because I wanted to have greater control over my work and yes I wanted a greater portion of any profits that I earn. Just because I have chosen to go it alone doesn’t mean that I want to cut corners. I still want to put out a high quality product and to do that I need to raise funds. I am lucky to be part of a community of like-minded creative people who are willing to give me discounts on their services and for that I am thankful but don’t want to take advantage of their generosity. The time and effort that goes into creating a cover, laying out the eBook, and even catching the grammar mistakes I’ve made deserve fair compensation. Beyond that no book is going to sell in a vacuum, it takes time and money to market the book so that it has the best chance to be successful. This project has been from the start and remains a labor of love. Love of storytelling and the process of refining the tale to create something that stays with the reader beyond the page.

 So, I am reaching out to the community of readers at large to help me see it through the final steps. I’ve started a crowd funding campaign on indiegogo.com. All money raised will be used for publication and marketing of ‘Cast in Blood’. Please take a look and even if you are unable to donate spread the word.

http://tinyurl.com/castinblood

 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Michelle-Rabe/247098858763273?fref=ts

Author spotlight four. 

Guest blog by Natasha Wetzel

Words have power!

So I realized that something so small as my thoughts that help me, can help others. After posting the below on my facebook page and having it go viral, I thought I would share it here too.

Author friends that have low moments, think of this....
For every person that doesn't support you, countless others do!
For every bad review, you have silent devoted fans!
For every person that says you cant do it...
You can, you will and you have.
You are halfway there, the other half... is just believing in yourself. Because in the end, you are doing this for you! Its your dream, not everyone else's. 

Natasha 

Here's Natasha's Goodreads blog : 

http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/4602555-words-have-power *

And a link to Goodreads :
 
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6949203.Natasha_Ann_Wetzel webpage/Blog- http://www.opnovels.com/
 

Author Spotlight day Three :

Today Starving Blades, Natasha's first novel is free today on Amazon! ?http://www.amazon.com/Starving-Blades-Otherworldly-Prophecies-ebook/dp/B009SZKBAW/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1377618856&sr=8-1&keywords=starving+Blades


 I thought I'd go ahead and post the review I did for the book a little bit ago. Once again when I review I do it a little differently, I look for something that holds on to me and is the 'lightening moment' every book has it and I look for it. I know when an author is writing because they are driven versus writing because it is profitable. The driven author no matter the subject will eventually reach me.

This was my review of Starving Blades.

 

Let me start off by saying I'm an atheist, that said I also enjoy Angelic lore, especially when it is told very well. There is a part of me who cannot shake the ol time religion as much as I like, so when I read books like this it is like running into a trusted old friend rather than something to run from.

I found this book terrifically written. The yearning and depression of a man who has lost his love, but determined to get her back again well done. There is a struggle between darkness and light revealing we all live in shades of grey. This brings me to the point of the book that grabbed me by the lapels and shook me. I speak often of the books I read having to have that one point where the connection has grounded me to it. This part came when Emeri speaks of his desire of a world based purely on a black and white society. Good- Evil – a clear dividing line with no grey area and possibly no free will. There is a starkness, a strictness to this thinking that makes you connect with those in danger, those "grey area" people he wants to destroy. After all, no matter if he believes in this clear cut categorised world, everyone is a grey in reality, no one can be purely black or white- good or evil- we are all shades of unwanted grey.

Well done, indeed.

Aubrey

 Author Spotlight Day two :  Natasha Wetzel

I sent Natasha some questions to answer so here we go! -Aubrey

Interview Questions :

1. What shaped your imagination as a child, and do you feel that because of this your imagination as an adult is just as strong?

" Books, movies, things that happened to me, friends... everything did. I think it's more of something that you are born with, the desire to be a writer, painter, artist, anything. Not something that is truly inspired by one thing in general. But a collection of events and things. As an adult I think I have more of an imagination now than I did as a child. Hell, I still turn on every light in the house between my room and the bathroom on my nightly tinkle adventures because 'something' might get me in the dark." 



2. Did you have imaginary friends? Do you still have them and have they grown up with you?

"I used to have an imaginary 7 1/2 foot dragon named fluffy.... I don't have him anymore, but the memory of his lingers with me always." 

3. What is your earliest memory of reading?  

" I have all the books I was read, pretended to read or read myself as a child. Some of them with nifty crayon drawings on the covers with my backwards 'A's' and number '5' sketched in."



4. What was the first story you ever told and how old were you?

 "Do lies count as stories? Kidding, but the first story I told was when I was five. Had to do with a turkey that didn't want to be eaten for Thanksgiving so he hid in the woods till winter. Then there were endless poems from five on up."

 
5. What inspires your creative world? 

"Everything. I mean it. One time I was making coffee in the kitchen, a song was playing faintly in the background and I was staring at a jar with a dead butterfly inside it and just like that, -snaps fingers- I snatched my mug and scampered off to the computer to jot down my new thoughts."




6. What would you want readers to know about you in order for them to understand the world you create?

 " Pain. My books are not a light or fun and fancy free read. There is pain in the pages. There is a lesson to be learned, and if you have not lived a life with some hardships, or have an open mind to such a woven tale, then you will not connect with the characters, you will not understand the story, you will not.... This is important.... NOT enjoy the book. Never the less, they are my stories, and demand to be told. It's like an addiction, I can't stop them. So write I will and must"  

7. What's your 'writing ritual'?  

" A strong hot cup of coffee, turning on 'Two Steps from Hell' on my youtube playlist. Putting on my headphones, and falling into the story. It takes me on a journey. I know the start and end of the book the rest... just comes to me as I write it."
 

8. Who are your favorite Indy authors currently?  

" I like a lot of them, so listing them and forgetting others would be far from fair. Some are still growing as authors and becoming the budding writer that is nestled within. The thing about writing is you get better the more you do it. Harry Potter was the same way. Read the first book and the descriptions of the people. It was almost flat and lifeless. As the book series went on, the writing improved. (Not to say it was bad, you could just immensely see the difference.)"  

9. Do you feel there is anything that holds you back as an author? 

" Lack of money, or people willing to render services for free. The truth of the matter is that even though you can have the greatest story ever! Lack of editing, or digital imaging for a book cover to make your baby shine the way it should, can make it seem dull, uninteresting or just plain not appealing to the reader. For now, I have awesome folks and connections that help me out to the best of their abilities and for nothing or little money in return. I am blessed, because it turned out far greater than I could have hoped for. But it hinders me at best, because with any dream, if it isn't hard to achieve, then it isn't worth daring to dream or pursue in the first place." 

10. What advice would you give to new Indies about the art of self publishing? 

"Read your work till you are sick of it, then read it again and add, take away and improve your skills always. Remember that you are doing this because it's your dream, not everyone else's. Above all, be honest with yourself and even if a review is bad, pick it apart and take away the lessons from it, not the negativity."

Thank you for sharing with us! 

The Author Spotlight week one

Although I chose Natasha's spotlight at random this is why she was put in the ol' hat to begin with. I was just starting the page and wanted to pick the first of the spotlights from the community I was socialising with. I was coming home one night after work and the thought popped into my head, Natasha's name popped in there with it.

I had been riding my bike and lost in thought during the 20 minute ride home, when I reflected on a blog post I had just read by Natasha on Goodreads. Needless to say her blog post about how much it can cost to be an independent and that when you have a family sometimes these things just cannot be done, and should that get in the way of your dreams, had stuck with me.

Being an indy means sometimes it really is DIY.

I came from the old ashcan zine days. We were the underground culture fueled by Love and Rocket comic books, black ink, typewriters, old punk bands, and liberal amounts of David Bowie. We didn't care about if what we were doing was going to be looked up to or down upon. We were pre-internet baby! Armed with rolls of stamps and weekly trips to the post office we were sending books all over the world. We were making art.

So now here I am nineteen years later since those first zines and watching my fellow makers of art being misjudged and hammered to spend money they simply don't have at times. Telling us to stop because we haven't got the money is not helping the situation. It goes against this new movement of taking control back. The Haves are still telling the Have-nots they aren't allowed to compete only divides the community. We know what we need to do to put out a better product and we are doing what we can getting editors within meager budgets, using betas, and working with artists.

I don't want to have to see authors feel kicked out of being an indie because they haven't much money. Again this goes against the spirit of the new movement. It has been likened to punk rock, when the kids picked up instruments and took control away from the industry. There were the haves (Malcolm MacLaren) who attempted to run things, but no one was taking control away from Adam Ant (though they tried) and no one was taking control from The Clash (listen to Complete Control) not without a fight and Joe Strummer wouldn't be cowed into changing the way he sung or how they wrote their songs because it wasn't polished.
 
I was a poor kid. I wore shoes till they were in pieces and still do actually. I learned the value of chasing my dreams but living within my means. If that keeps me from being an indy author in your eyes then so be it. When our first book came out we were living in a safe house (basically a homeless shelter but protected due to the safety threat to those of us who lived there) while I struggled to find a job in the new city we moved to. We absolutely had no spare money for putting out the book. We had enough for the copyright that was all. The book is shaky I admit, but it was written in a time that was unstable; financially, safety-wise, and emotionally. 

Anyway,

Natasha, your blog touched me and gave me reason to put your name in that list among all my others author friends who struggle. May our struggles end because we have found our audience, not because someone told us to give up because we aren't wealthy like they are.

Aubrey

Indy is not a dirty word.

Think about it; indie rock and indie films are all seen as a concept of high art. Then people scoff at indie authors and call us losers who could not get published. I understand that many of our critics champion that belief. That all indy authors are authors who were too bad to get published therefore they are vanity published.

So let me get this straight, in order to be 'legitimate' I have to pay a publisher my money for them to be a middle man taking their percentage and taking creative control of my work all for my benefit? So yes I will concede that publishers have the massive power of promotion and their established monopolies with bookstores behind them, they will push what they believe will sell and the readers are consumers being told what to read. We do the same thing in smaller doses-but we keep our profits and our control.

Why I am such a stickler for authors protecting their copyright? Because I lost mine, and it happened at a low point in my life to top it all off. We signed a contract that signed our rights away on our intellectual property. We were convinced by our partner at the time that it was a solid deal and our ticket to fame in the comic book world. A year later no book was done; the artist breached the contract dragging us writers/creators into the breach, and I spent my last seventy-five dollars on a lawyer who slides the contract back to us and says "You can sue the artist but otherwise the publisher owns your work. It's airtight.". Meanwhile the artist is just as broke as we are, ran off with the eleven hundred dollars in advance money and supplies I'd paid him. We never received our advance and we have no rights to our comic book creation. Meanwhile we were homeless, I was in a ridiculously low paying job, J was donating plasma twice a week, while trying to survive as our dream just crashed and burned.

In hindsight, I would have gone with my gut feeling and stopped the deal before we signed. I had qualms about trusting the artist, but he was one of the best artists in the business, and had been a friend for years. He unfortunately lacked focus and was paranoid as soon as the book took off we'd fire him despite our pleas we would have kept a successful team together. He deliberately sabotaged us and the whole project. I will not reveal who this artist is, nor who the company was, suffice to say the publisher is still up and running and the artist is drawing for a much smaller company and working a part time job last time we saw each other.
What did I learn other than trust your gut reaction? I learned to protect my copyright like a Tasmanian devil! I harp on it, yes only because I don't want any of you to go through what I went through. It's the worse feeling in the world to have your dreams stolen because of a contract loophole. Read your contracts, have a lawyer read your contract, protect yourself. If it's too good to be true watch out.

This is why I am independent. I have a need for control of my art, good or bad. It is what I am doing to protect myself and still tell the stories I want to. I am not saying being published is a bad thing. There are some awesome indy publishers for instance; lets look at them as the Epitaph or Subpop label of publishing. I consider Amazon and other ebook self publishing platforms akin to Kobalt Label Services which allows established musical acts to be independent. George Lucas built his empire as an independent film maker as did Spielberg.

This is what I want: I want out critics to stop calling us losers because a few hacks with cringe-worthy self published. I want for us all to take a pledge to overachieve in our craft and never give our critics a reason to blanket us all with the outdated 'vanity press' stereotype.

We are Indies!

Aubrey

Guest Blog :

Author Mel Skubich

'Speaking English as a foreign language'
How does writing all of my fiction and most of my poetry in English make me a misfit? It’s fairly simple, really. English is not my mother-tongue. I learned it at school from the age of 11. English is a foreign language to me – you could even say that after my native German and Latin it was the third language I had to learn. Ever since I fell in love with a handful of British bands and singers (most importantly Pet Shop Boys, Marc Almond and Holly Johnson) in my teens, I became obsessed with everything British. I tried to pick up slang words and funny little proverbs, read my favourite books in English and began watching TV shows and films in English as well. I did what kids in the 80s did, I had pen pals all over the globe and we all communicated in English. Some of us even collaborated on little fan fiction stories together, which were sent back and forth in letters. It got to the point where I gave up reading books in German altogether (until I discovered some excellent German fantasy authors).

Okay, so now you know that I’m a bit of a geek but all that still doesn’t explain why I started to write in English.

At first it was because those pen pals in other countries were my only audience. Then it was because the best Star Trek and Harry Potter fan fiction on the web was in English. I also chose to write in English because in my fan fiction (which was based on real life pop stars that shall remain nameless), I wrote about British guys and I could not bring myself to writing their conversations in German. Now I am at a point where I think I have found my voice – in English. I don’t think I would be even half as good, if I started to write the same stories in German. My sentences just seem to be so awkward and forced and simply not right when I don’t write in English.

Which puts me into a strange spot: I cannot attend writers groups and workshops in my hometown because everybody is expected to be working on a German text. I cannot submit to German publishers or magazines. I know that neither my English nor my writing are perfect but when asking for feedback on my stories I noticed that my English-speaking friends are often reluctant to point out grammar or punctuation mistakes. Because: “English is not your mother-tongue.” While it’s nice that they think I’m doing a fairly good job, I don’t want to get an A for effort. I simply don’t want my readers to notice that I’m from Germany and not some place on the British Isles. So I’m struggling to find my place but that is what I’ve always done. Why should doing what I love best, namely writing, be any different?

No-one’s a misfit without a reason and once you accepted the fact, you don’t want to be anything else.

Mel

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMelSkubich?fref=ts

As a blogger my responsibility to the authors who I review.

This is what you can expect from me, I will not use my power as a review blog to control authors or make them scared of reviews. Does this mean I'm a 5 star softy? If I find something that needs work, I will point it out to the author, but rest assured I do look for the positive and usually anchor my reviews on the best bits.

I will work with an author, I will never blind side them and not allow them to defend their work. I will continue to promote an author and their projects because I believe everyone has it in them to grow and just because I wasn't too keen on it doesn't mean I'm the absolute authority on the matter. I like things others don't and others like things I don't. Does it mean it is all wrong? NO. It just means that we all like what we like without judgement.

I believe in positive negative as a learning point, when I received a bad review, and yes I have today from a fellow blogger I took into consideration what they said. I was happy that they did not give me too bad a star rating but felt that if they had shown me the review first perhaps it would have been more professional than just posting at Amazon and doing a runner. Did they do this thinking I would come down on them and be hysterical? Possibly. I did unlike their blog and I did this not because they did the review, but because the blogger essentially said they would not support or promote our books. They did not take into consideration that people have minds of their own and we could have still be something that someone is looking for.
So yes I learned something today, as a blogger I have power (albeit it small power). I have the power to ruin or frighten authors. If you have to ask "What if you don't like it?" then I see how authors have been abused by the review system. I will not use my blogger influence to ever harm an author.

You have a promise from me to give you fair treatment.

A promise that I will not misuse my influence.

A promise that I will continue to support the author community with real support and not as a weapon to bludgeon you with.

Aubrey

  
 Autism Spectrum

We all have odds against us and this is why we all must learn to understand that everyone is different and everyone has something that has stacked the odds against us. I explain briefly about me and my brother Jordan Christopher Diamant. Our story is often sad and troubling, I won't get into everything, suffice to say thanks to our friends new and old we have our happy ending. 

This is my post on why the letter from a angry housewife to a mother of an autistic son really bothered me. We all have heard the story so I will not link to it, but here is what I have to say.

This letter bothered me greatly. You may not know this but Jordan the other half of Diamant is on the autism scale as well as extremely bright and gifted. He suffered a few nervous break downs (one as early as 12) and has anxiety disorders that makes it difficult for him to work. I have been taking care of him for about 10 years now, I am his sole caretaker. He's done very well with therapy, and yes although we're 37 you wouldn't think this sort of thing, letters like this would bother us. But it does. J is easily overwhelmed and panicked.

I am seen as the 'capable one' (I've even been called that) but it was a struggle for me to push myself off the spectrum (as I was on it too). When it came down to it I know I was the stronger twin and so I trained myself, learned to drive a car and keep a long term job. My parents who disowned us for being LGBT also told me for years to dump J off into a mental facility or worse just kick him out and leave him to fend for himself -telling me that "would fix him". I refused and in some aspect have become my brother's parent, but rest assured he takes care of me too and so I am not burdened. He wrote 'In The Night' and published it believing he could help me get out of the work force, and I work to keep our art moving forward.

Please remember although he has made great strides in dealing with his panic disorders and trained himself to deal with new stimulus and criticism sometimes he can't. And That's where I step in- he's not being a crybaby or overly sensitive he cannot process things as you or I may.

In much of the work you'll see Simon Thorsby play mother to his brothers and this is why, he speaks from my own caretaker's POV.

We've had an incredibly hard time these past few years being homeless and such, but we climbed back up to take care of each other. Now you know why we work as hard as we do.
Thanks,
Aubrey.

Drowning.

This morning I met an author whose story broke my heart. I was bullied as a child, being beaten up and injured was almost a daily occurrence. So nothing angers me more than seeing someone being bulled.

A beautiful author Lauren Pippa has cancelled her début novel because of an onslaught of Goodreads trolls. She went to the message boards to inquire why a goodreads user can rate a book before reading it. She faced the sort of rage one might expect from a hot button political debate or kicking a hornets nest. She was told that users can and will do whatever they want, not only that but the harassment went so far as to suggest she be raped and sodomized.

So here comes our society's rape culture rearing its ugly head! I am a firm believer that there is a class war on women, and sometimes because of the nature of the beast other women will target one another. "Mean girls" and the likes. They troll and harass because they can, I've been witnessing it all over, including people who will send death threats in fan flame wars. Rape is a form of control and to suggest the author be raped was saying "I can control you and cause you fear."The last bastion of a coward who is hiding behind a computer screen.

No author should be stopped before they start.

I am an atheist and I am so because I was tired of seeing people who say " Judge least ye be judged." turn around and judge someone. I was tired of seeing them say " Love they neighbour" but slipping notes under the door of their neighbour’s home telling them to euthanize their young autistic son. When I stepped away from religion I did so to become accountable for my own behaviour and reputation. I do not believe I will pay cosmically for being a bad person after death, I believe I am judged and responsible for my reputation in the here and now. Perhaps if more people were made responsible for their reputations publicly there will be  less harm done to fellow human beings.

Lauren, please publish that book!

Please do, please do not allow anyone to stop you. I know you aren't letting the bullies win by pulling your novel because yes your safety and health is more important. However, there are more out there who have opened their hearts to you and want to bring you to a place of love and safety. We want to read and support your work.

You have an open invite to join us on the Island of Misfit Indy Authors and I would love to give you a spot light and some promotion to restore your faith in humanity.

Aubrey.

Four weeks- four authors


I've at random selected my authors to spotlight for the next four weeks. Watch this space!

Aubrey

Swimming in a sea of sharks

This is how it feels sometimes to be an independent in whatever you do. I'm not saying you should fear the sharks, but don't allow them be the reason you never jump into the waters of independent publishing. We all want to be recognised for our talent, and skill, and much like the shark you must keep moving. Swimming about all day and all night to keep up constantly in promotion and exposure of the world you have crafted. One day you become the shark you have feared. Sometimes we need the teeth and the voracity of the shark to survive these cold treacherous waters. However where we fail each other is allowing the slightest amount of blood in the water to send us into a frenzy, and it can be just about anything good or bad that can provoke this.

We need to be tough, and thick skinned but we also need to stop our eyes from rolling back and chomping on the others blindly. It can happen, I have said before that I am not innocent- I have done things which I regret in the past that if I had the chance to do again I'd do things different. I learned to be kinder and more level headed, not to say I don't fall off the wagon every so often. We can all be accused of this because emotions are something we cannot deaden, even if we wish to do so. You have passion being an author and those passions rise up in other areas, it can be a good thing but it can also be a bad thing.

The good:
You show your passion for your art and creations. This in turn will attract people who will be drawn to it because the deeper your passion runs the deeper your work is.

The bad :
You are so deeply fortified into your world that when it is perceived with the slightest rejection you feel it much more deeply. I know- I have felt it and I have had the same thought that the person just didn't understand and it was a miscommunication. It was, it was a miscommunication on my behalf- I expect readers to fully see what I am describing to them. When they fail to see it I chalk it up to them being blind when in fact I have forgotten that not everyone can see what I am saying; it is my communication error. I may have a fit in private, and think the person didn't know what they were talking about! But- they did and they told me what they felt and thought, they do so to be honest so that I will continue to grow as a writer. We learn our lessons if we stop to listen. I have listened to quite a lot of feedback from readers and with each book we carefully attempt to consider what people have said to us, we want to present the best possible product we can. That meant letting the sharp emotional response pass and let constructive criticism sink in and then understand it. I don't bow to the critics, I don't think about how to make myself more commercial; I think about how to improve whilst keeping true to myself. That is the best way in my opinion to deal with it when your passions raise to anger.

I'm not saying let interwebby trolls walk all over you! I'm saying that positive negativity will happen, yes, an oxymoron but you know what I mean. It is your emotional response to it that will make you a shark that keeps swimming or a shark that starts a blood frenzy. Use your passions wisely.

I always have to tell myself that when people correct me, to ignore that first initial heated flush of hurt. They mean it as a way to help me, and it is difficult to deal with mistakes but remember when you learn from it you don't repeat it. In my night job I get barked at on occasion for something. I accept that I have erred and I learned from it. My manager is only pointing out the error so I can be a better employee. I can't take it to heart because at the end of the day he knows what he is talking about and he has taken the time to teach me something. Everything in life is a learning experience.

Aubrey 

How does it feel to be a misfit? I can tell you from my perspective it can be both wonderful and lonely.

* Wonderful :
I say this because I feel really good about who I am and what I do. I enjoy my work and the stories I tell it's a labor of love and not of pain. Being around other eclectic dreamers is stimulating and exciting.


* Lonely :
It feels as though there aren't as many eclectic dreamers left in the world. Often you hear about wonderful creations from authors or artists of the fantastic only after their deaths. Sadly, more often than not, you find they were often broke, misunderstood, and ignored during their lifetime. The world feels huge and sometimes against you when you hear of an author who made 90 million dollars in one year, while you struggle to wonder if you can pay your rent or if you have to take a second job. You wonder if you'll die penniless and ignored but also long for someone to discover you even if it be ages from now and hold you as valuable.



Being an independent misfit author is hard work; that is fact. The hardest part is putting in the hours which would usually be spent writing, to promote in order to sell your books; spending as much time as possible to gain readers as well as network with bloggers/book lover pages, and other authors. Yet with so much work done, at times, it still feels as if no one out there is listening.

Aubrey

Welcome to the blog, this is the inaugural post. Let me introduce myself and why I have created this blog.

I am Aubrey Diamant, the other half of the writing partnership known as Diamant. We write the Night Boys series of novels which are available on amazon world wide- but enough of that. I noticed in a stormy sea of independant authors little eclectic and unique writers were getting crushed by the mainstream genres that dominate the community.

So many of us don't fit in, so we are in a sense lost, and stranded on the Island of Misfit toys! Yes, start singing the song I know you know it..

So much like the King of the Island of Misfit toys am I gathering my toys from all over the world and giving them a place to be noticed and paid attention to. I don't want the "next hot best thing" I want good stories, odd ball writers who have amazing dreams and stories to tell, gonzo writers, and dreamers who have found that being ignored by their own community for being a misfit is a very dark place. Good news is its pretty crowded here and I want to aim some light instead of shade.

I hope to be able to introduce you to a new author once a week, we'll talk to them, show you their projects, their pages and blogs, and review what they have to offer.

We'll also promote new projects from our past author spot lights and continue to share on fb as well. So look for the Island to appear on Facebook soon!

I will have to have a waiting list and may have to ask for assistants as already there is enough interest that we may need some extra hands to help.

Watch this spot I will be trying to post once a day depending on my work load(I have a dreaded night job)

Hello my fellow misfits, and welcome to a place for you.
Aubrey