I am now working on my next book titled, "Once, Twice" about a successful business woman, Sydney, who has come home to see her dying mother. When she arrives, not everyone is outwardly happy to see her as she has been away for a few years. After her mother passes she is given the task of taking care of her father, who hasn't gotten passed the fact that his oldest daughter left home to make a life for herself.
She decides to take her father back to the West Coast, where she lives, for a few months. He wants to return home after a few months and visit with family and friends and check on his house. In the mean time, Sydney's fifteenth class reunion is set to take place. She runs into a few friends leading up to the reunion who insists that she attend.
Against her better judgement, she goes to see her old classmates. While there Sydney encounters Tony, her first true love. He is now divorced and childless. Sydney is happy to see Tony and after the reunion they spend a lot of time together over the course of a few days. They carry on as if nothing had happened, as if they were never apart. Then David shows up, Sydney's long-time and faithful boyfriend. He misses her and realizes that absence does make the heart grow fonder. She however, realizes that although she does love David, she never got over Tony. Things get a little stickier when David decides its time they got married and start a family, however, Tony wants the same thing for the two of them. Yikes!!
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
My Book Signing
I had my book signing last week and it was very successful, for a first signing anyway.
There were family and a few young ladies who were there to support me and wanting to know what "Another Chance" was all about. I was a tad nervous, but not that much.
I decided to give a synopsis of the story and then read the first 12 pages of the novel and leave it at a cliff hanger. Since I was given an hour and a half, the first half hour was given to give people time to arrive, I had to pace myself. The cliff hanger approach seems to work, as people want to know what happens next.
This is a suspense romance novel, so I am able to read a little just to whet the appetite. There was one unknown in the crowd who just asked what happened to the character, and everyone in unison told him that he needed to buy a copy and find out. This gentleman decided that he wanted to give me pointers on how to "look' the part on my next book signing, all the way down to using lip gloss to stand out as it is shiny. I've heard of creative criticism, but lip gloss, from a man?
After I read I was able to sell a few copies. There was even an attendee that purchased four copies to give as gifts.
I have another signing in a few days with unknowns and this will be the test to show how I handle being out of my comfort zone and really starting to "work" an audience.
There were family and a few young ladies who were there to support me and wanting to know what "Another Chance" was all about. I was a tad nervous, but not that much.
I decided to give a synopsis of the story and then read the first 12 pages of the novel and leave it at a cliff hanger. Since I was given an hour and a half, the first half hour was given to give people time to arrive, I had to pace myself. The cliff hanger approach seems to work, as people want to know what happens next.
This is a suspense romance novel, so I am able to read a little just to whet the appetite. There was one unknown in the crowd who just asked what happened to the character, and everyone in unison told him that he needed to buy a copy and find out. This gentleman decided that he wanted to give me pointers on how to "look' the part on my next book signing, all the way down to using lip gloss to stand out as it is shiny. I've heard of creative criticism, but lip gloss, from a man?
After I read I was able to sell a few copies. There was even an attendee that purchased four copies to give as gifts.
I have another signing in a few days with unknowns and this will be the test to show how I handle being out of my comfort zone and really starting to "work" an audience.
Friday, April 17, 2015
When I decided to become a writer
When I was younger my mother always told my brothers and me stories. Whether they were made up or found in the one of our books she always told us a story. I don't think at that time I gave much thought to becoming a writer, but mom knew how to keep your interest with her made up stories and we got to hear them every night before we went to bed.
I remember in middle school the students were given an assignment to keep a journal. Not really knowing what that was, I only knew that we were suppose to write thoughts everyday. I felt that this was a unbearable challenge at first, then I realized that I had a lot to say about different things in life.
Writing became cathartic as I entered high school and I continued to write in my journal, now by this time five binders filled. I could not stop keeping up with things. I still didn't give too much thought to becoming a writer during this time. When I was in English class I knew that I was good at writing, but it still didn't make me give writing a second look. My feeling was, I doing something that I am use to. By my senior year in high school my teacher told me that she was impressed with my work. Still nothing. I was determined to look elsewhere.
By the time I entered college, I had to take the placement tests. The guidance counselor gave me my results and he had informed me that my English testing allowed me to take any English class I wanted. I chose creative. Now the interesting thing about this class, we were always give the task of describing something and doing an entire page on this one object. I wrote my paper and turned it in. The next day in class the professor decided that he wanted to read his favorite paper. As he began to read, much to my horror, I realized he was reading MY paper. I slowly started sliding down into my chair, hoping no one would see me. "I love this paper. This writer really knows what I am looking for," he said aloud. I on the other hand wanted to crawl under a rock. The good thing was nobody knew it was me. That wasn't the last time this would happened in that class.
I had another class that really had nothing to do with creative writing so much, however the professor was very strict about how we wrote our papers. Once she decided that we would do a five page paper on fashion, as this was a fashion class. There was an a free dinner or lunch with the professor for the best paper. This project was supposed to have all the trimmings including fashion clippings from magazines that coincided with your paper. I put my paper together and turned it in when completed. After a few days my professor announced to the class that only one person had made an A on their paper. Surely it wasn't me, as there were others who I assumed had done a nice paper. She slowly walked through the class room and it appeared that she was taking too long to get to me. Finally the last paper handed was mine, with a big fat A-( the minus was because of grammar). I was shocked to say the least. the class clapped, although some I assume begrudgingly. My professor when on to tell me after class that I really should consider becoming a writer. I started thinking my I should become a writer as it was told to me several times. I mean what could it hurt I thought.
This was put on the back burner for many years, and finally after thinking that I had wasted enough time, I decided to publish my first book. It has been re-edited and re- published and I have not looked back. I have more books to come.
I remember in middle school the students were given an assignment to keep a journal. Not really knowing what that was, I only knew that we were suppose to write thoughts everyday. I felt that this was a unbearable challenge at first, then I realized that I had a lot to say about different things in life.
Writing became cathartic as I entered high school and I continued to write in my journal, now by this time five binders filled. I could not stop keeping up with things. I still didn't give too much thought to becoming a writer during this time. When I was in English class I knew that I was good at writing, but it still didn't make me give writing a second look. My feeling was, I doing something that I am use to. By my senior year in high school my teacher told me that she was impressed with my work. Still nothing. I was determined to look elsewhere.
By the time I entered college, I had to take the placement tests. The guidance counselor gave me my results and he had informed me that my English testing allowed me to take any English class I wanted. I chose creative. Now the interesting thing about this class, we were always give the task of describing something and doing an entire page on this one object. I wrote my paper and turned it in. The next day in class the professor decided that he wanted to read his favorite paper. As he began to read, much to my horror, I realized he was reading MY paper. I slowly started sliding down into my chair, hoping no one would see me. "I love this paper. This writer really knows what I am looking for," he said aloud. I on the other hand wanted to crawl under a rock. The good thing was nobody knew it was me. That wasn't the last time this would happened in that class.
I had another class that really had nothing to do with creative writing so much, however the professor was very strict about how we wrote our papers. Once she decided that we would do a five page paper on fashion, as this was a fashion class. There was an a free dinner or lunch with the professor for the best paper. This project was supposed to have all the trimmings including fashion clippings from magazines that coincided with your paper. I put my paper together and turned it in when completed. After a few days my professor announced to the class that only one person had made an A on their paper. Surely it wasn't me, as there were others who I assumed had done a nice paper. She slowly walked through the class room and it appeared that she was taking too long to get to me. Finally the last paper handed was mine, with a big fat A-( the minus was because of grammar). I was shocked to say the least. the class clapped, although some I assume begrudgingly. My professor when on to tell me after class that I really should consider becoming a writer. I started thinking my I should become a writer as it was told to me several times. I mean what could it hurt I thought.
This was put on the back burner for many years, and finally after thinking that I had wasted enough time, I decided to publish my first book. It has been re-edited and re- published and I have not looked back. I have more books to come.
About the main Characters in Another Chance
The main characters in my novel Another Chance is Jay, the single mother, Julian, the freshman in college and the apple of his mother's eye and Keith, the mostly absent, but well-meaning father.
Jay is a dreamer and a little naive about some points in life. She is a hard worker and very astute when it comes to her business. Jay gives a lot of herself to people, especially her family. She is a very loving mother and would do anything for her son. The awards and many accolades she has receive all pale in comparison to the great job she has done as Julian's mother.
Julian is a very good-natured young man and is very committed to his education and becoming a child psychologist. Julian feels that he would have more to offer a child as he has personal knowledge of the pain. He is very close to his mother and comes to her for advice on the opposite sex.
Keith is kind-hearted to people, however is oblivious to the needs of his little family. I say that his oblivious, but Keith really does not know how to give Jay and Julian his true self. He feels that he is the head of the family, but in reality Jay is the one who has kept everything together all these years.
Keith loves for others to perceive him as this great man. This is a facade to his inability to cope with the things that has happened in his life.
Jay and Keith met as young teenagers and Jay thought the world of Keith. He felt the same way about her, however he was very immature. This wasn't a problem for Jay, as all she could see was a future with this young man. They got along fine for many years.When Julian came along, Jay felt that he was the beginning of their lives and the start of a larger family. They were a lovely family until Keith decided that he couldn't handle being "husband" and father anymore and wanted to see if the grass was greener on the other side.
As you find out in the story that what you think is a great thing to do, you begin to realize that what you had was the best thing you had all along. Just like with Dorothy, she found out the hard way that there is no place like home.
Jay is a dreamer and a little naive about some points in life. She is a hard worker and very astute when it comes to her business. Jay gives a lot of herself to people, especially her family. She is a very loving mother and would do anything for her son. The awards and many accolades she has receive all pale in comparison to the great job she has done as Julian's mother.
Julian is a very good-natured young man and is very committed to his education and becoming a child psychologist. Julian feels that he would have more to offer a child as he has personal knowledge of the pain. He is very close to his mother and comes to her for advice on the opposite sex.
Keith is kind-hearted to people, however is oblivious to the needs of his little family. I say that his oblivious, but Keith really does not know how to give Jay and Julian his true self. He feels that he is the head of the family, but in reality Jay is the one who has kept everything together all these years.
Keith loves for others to perceive him as this great man. This is a facade to his inability to cope with the things that has happened in his life.
Jay and Keith met as young teenagers and Jay thought the world of Keith. He felt the same way about her, however he was very immature. This wasn't a problem for Jay, as all she could see was a future with this young man. They got along fine for many years.When Julian came along, Jay felt that he was the beginning of their lives and the start of a larger family. They were a lovely family until Keith decided that he couldn't handle being "husband" and father anymore and wanted to see if the grass was greener on the other side.
As you find out in the story that what you think is a great thing to do, you begin to realize that what you had was the best thing you had all along. Just like with Dorothy, she found out the hard way that there is no place like home.
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Monday, April 13, 2015
Book Signing Part 2
I will be preparing for my book signing this week and promoting my book Another Chance. The realization that when I left my job in February this year and the fact that now I'm doing book signings and I have been invited to discuss my book at an event in May, this is truly awesome. I feel that I can finally believe that this was meant to happen and the fact that I have been telling people that if you have faith that all things are possible. Whatever is meant for you IS for you.
At church yesterday the sermon was titled "Go back and do it again". Basically, if you did something before and it didn't work it probably wasn't the time, but go and try it again, when GOD means for you to do it. The minister also spoke about how your blessings may be the beginning of someone else's blessing. I thought that he had to be speaking to me, as I published my book the first time in 2006 and it didn't do as well as it could have, due to the fact that I really didn't try to promote the book. It wasn't time for the book to take off. However nine years later, I had to go back and do it again as this was the time it was meant to be promoted and to be seen by all.
At church yesterday the sermon was titled "Go back and do it again". Basically, if you did something before and it didn't work it probably wasn't the time, but go and try it again, when GOD means for you to do it. The minister also spoke about how your blessings may be the beginning of someone else's blessing. I thought that he had to be speaking to me, as I published my book the first time in 2006 and it didn't do as well as it could have, due to the fact that I really didn't try to promote the book. It wasn't time for the book to take off. However nine years later, I had to go back and do it again as this was the time it was meant to be promoted and to be seen by all.
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Another Chance Trailer
Another Chance Trailer from Allen Gathers on Vimeo.
A "teaser" trailer for J.V. Boswell's romantic-suspense novel Another Chance.
I created the trailer in Photoshop and rendered it out in After Effects.
Music:
"Wounded" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
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