Friday, November 04, 2022

Hideouts and Secret Places

 

Hideouts and Secret Places

Last quarter I talked about movies and why writers write. In continuance of that theme, I stumbled across another old movie that brought me to happy tears. It’s titled Angels in the Outfield, the 1951 version starring Janet Leigh, Paul Douglas, and Donna Corcoran.

The movie doesn’t really tie in with this newsletter with the exception of it being from the past, but I wanted to let you know about it. Speaking of time, on November 5th, I will turn 72. Of course, that got me to thinking about the past. I’ve often wondered why certain memories pop into my mind instead of others, but my propensity toward creating hideouts and secret places inspired this edition of the newsletter. In particular, years ago while hiding in such a place, it occurred to me that in the year 2000, I would be 49 years old. At the time, which would have been around 1958, the thought of being that old was difficult to conceptualize. Now, it’s difficult to wrap my head around why a 7-year-old in 1958 would have been thinking about the year 2000.

Then again, I wasn’t your typical kid. But I got pretty good at creating secret places. I once constructed an elaborate two-story hideout out of cinderblocks. My dad had brought home the load of bricks and stacked them in the backyard. I don’t know what he had intended to do with them, but after they had sat there for several days, I rearranged them to better suit my needs.

As time went on, I built treehouses, underground forts, and everything in between, but at some point, I abandoned physical structures and began to find hideouts and secret places in my mind. I began to write fiction.

I know. You thought this newsletter was going somewhere mysterious and philosophical. Maybe next time.

The updated version of Sandcastle for Pegasus, is now available. If you haven’t downloaded, or ordered a copy of Sandcastle for Pegasus, I ask that you give it a try.

 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B095TYJ7CR/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i3

Also, please don’t forget about my latest Detective Elliot novel, Identity Theft:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081K53NZV/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i1

As a bonus for reading this newsletter, I will send the first respondent an autographed copy of their choice – Chosen from one of my books of course: Twisted Perception, Beneath a Buried House, Footprints of a Dancer, Identity Theft, or Sandcastle for Pegasus – and all you have to do is send me an email at bob@bobavey.com

Please tell your friends about my newsletter.

 

I love each of you and pray that God will bring peace and love to you.

From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for your continued support.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Identity-Theft-Kenny-Elliot-Mystery/dp/1684334020/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?keywords=identity+theft+bob+avery&qid=1567108177&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmr0

 

And:

 

https://www.blackrosewriting.com/mysterysuspense/identitytheft.

 

 

I want to thank everyone who signed up for my Reader List. I hope you enjoy the newsletters and special mailings. If you know of anyone who might be interested, please forward this newsletter to them.

bob@bobavey.com

Or click here: http://www.bobavey.com/

On the right side of any webpage, or the bottom if on a smart phone, you will find a notation that reads: Sign Up for Bob’s Newsletter. Put your email address in the box and hit subscribe. Then, you will be directed to a link for a free e-book.

I also give programs for writing clubs, reading groups, or any group that’s interested. If you belong to a club that needs a program speaker, keep me in mind.

You have permission to reprint, forward, or use the contents of this newsletter in your newsletter, blog, or e-zine. The only requirement is the inclusion of the following footer:

This article was written by Bob Avey, author of Twisted Perception, Beneath a Buried House, Footprints of a Dancer, Identity Theft, and Sandcastle for Pegasus. .http://www.bobavey.com

 

Saturday, August 20, 2022

Bob's Third Quarter 2022 Newsletter

 

Making Sense of Things

 

I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching lately, drawing closer to God and trying to make sense of things. My son, David, goes skating on Friday and Saturday nights and I usually end up watching television, searching for movies and programs to occupy my time. Unlike the old version of me, I now search for comedy-based content.

Last weekend, I stumbled across two similar but very different movies: It Could Happen to You, with Nicholas Cage and Bridget Fonda; and Peggy Sue Got Married, with Kathleen Turner and Nicholas Cage. Both are well-written and well-acted movies and I mean no reflection—one way or the other—but I found the first one uplifting, but not the second.

It got me to thinking. As writers, we are often asked why we write. We answer in a variety of creative ways, but there is only one true answer. Writers write to understand or make sense of their own lives. The beautiful balance of the equation is that readers read for the same reason. As writers, we pour ourselves and our hearts into the protagonist, or hero, and as readers, we open our hearts to the same thing. That’s why simple three act stories with happy endings are so satisfying. We all want our lives to make sense, have a purpose, and end happily ever after.

Tragedy based stories can convey valuable life lessons, but they are not for me. Most stories end up being a mixture of comedy and tragedy, but in order to be effective they have to lean one way or the other. Stories that try to balance the two, or are intentionally written with an aim to break convention and abandon plot altogether usually fail. If well written, which many are, they might go on to win literary awards but such stories are rarely successful. And by success I don’t mean achieving monetary rewards but truly satisfying the reader’s needs.

It just makes sense.

The updated version of Sandcastle for Pegasus, is now available. If you haven’t downloaded, or ordered a copy of Sandcastle for Pegasus, I ask that you give it a try.

 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B095TYJ7CR/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i3

Also, please don’t forget about my latest Detective Elliot novel, Identity Theft:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081K53NZV/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i1

As a bonus for reading this newsletter, I will send the first two respondents an autographed copy of your choice – Chosen from one of my books of course: Twisted Perception, Beneath a Buried House, Footprints of a Dancer, Identity Theft, or Sandcastle for Pegasus – and all you have to do is send me an email at bob@bobavey.com

Please tell your friends about my newsletter.

 

I love each of you and pray that God will bring peace and love to you.

From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for your continued support.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Identity-Theft-Kenny-Elliot-Mystery/dp/1684334020/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?keywords=identity+theft+bob+avery&qid=1567108177&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmr0

 

And:

 

https://www.blackrosewriting.com/mysterysuspense/identitytheft.

 

 

I want to thank everyone who signed up for my Reader List. I hope you enjoy the newsletters and special mailings. If you know of anyone who might be interested, please forward this newsletter to them.

bob@bobavey.com

Or click here: http://www.bobavey.com/

On the right side of any webpage, or the bottom if on a smart phone, you will find a notation that reads: Sign Up for Bob’s Newsletter. Put your email address in the box and hit subscribe. Then, you will be directed to a link for a free e-book.

I also give programs for writing clubs, reading groups, or any group that’s interested. If you belong to a club that needs a program speaker, keep me in mind.

You have permission to reprint, forward, or use the contents of this newsletter in your newsletter, blog, or e-zine. The only requirement is the inclusion of the following footer:

This article was written by Bob Avey, author of Twisted Perception, Beneath a Buried House, Footprints of a Dancer, Identity Theft, and Sandcastle for Pegasus. .http://www.bobavey.com

 

Tuesday, May 24, 2022

 

Bob Avey’s 2nd Quarter 2022

Newsletter

 

 

Hello friends and valued readers,

 

For starters, I have some wonderful news. My granddaughter, Emilia, and her husband Josh are having a baby. It will be my first great grandchild. I know my sweet wife, Kathi, is looking down from Heaven with a smile on her face.

In light of this, the other news pales in comparison, but the re-edited, and rewritten version of, Sandcastle for Pegasus, is now available. The new version is much tighter and carries the reader along more swiftly. To put it more succinctly, I eliminated the extraneous clutter and cut to the chase. If you haven’t downloaded, or ordered a copy of Sandcastle for Pegasus, I ask that you give it a try.

Also, please don’t forget about my latest Detective Elliot novel, Identity Theft:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081K53NZV/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i1

If you recently signed up for my newsletter—this one of course—, contact me and I will send you an autographed copy of your choice – Chosen from one of my books of course: Twisted Perception, Beneath a Buried House, Footprints of a Dancer, Identity Theft, or Sandcastle for Pegasus – and all you have to do is send me an email at bob@bobavey.com

Please tell your friends about my newsletter.

 

I love each of you and pray that God will bring peace and love to you.

From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for your continued support.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Identity-Theft-Kenny-Elliot-Mystery/dp/1684334020/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?keywords=identity+theft+bob+avery&qid=1567108177&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmr0

 

And:

 

https://www.blackrosewriting.com/mysterysuspense/identitytheft.

 

 

I want to thank everyone who signed up for my Reader List. I hope you enjoy the newsletters and special mailings. If you know of anyone who might be interested, please forward this newsletter to them.

bob@bobavey.com

Or click here: http://www.bobavey.com/

On the right side of any webpage, or the bottom if on a smart phone, you will find a notation that reads: Sign Up for Bob’s Newsletter. Put your email address in the box and hit subscribe. Then, you will be directed to a link for a free e-book.

I also give programs for writing clubs, reading groups, or any group that’s interested. If you belong to a club that needs a program speaker, keep me in mind.

You have permission to reprint, forward, or use the contents of this newsletter in your newsletter, blog, or e-zine. The only requirement is the inclusion of the following footer:

This article was written by Bob Avey, author of Twisted Perception, Beneath a Buried House, Footprints of a Dancer, Identity Theft, and Sandcastle for Pegasus . http://www.bobavey.com

 

Sunday, January 30, 2022

Bob Avey's1st Quarter 2022 Newsletter

 

Hello friends and valued readers,

 

I’m in the process of revising and rewriting, Sandcastle for Pegasus. Hopefully, the revised edition, which is basically the same story with a few revisions, will be released shortly. The new version is much tighter, better written, and carries the reader along more swiftly.

Also, please don’t forget about my latest Detective Elliot novel, Identity Theft:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081K53NZV/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i1

 

I am doing something different with the giveaway this month.  I usually only include readers who recently signed up for the newsletter, but this time I will include all readers. I will give the first three respondents an autographed copy of their choice – Chosen from one of my books of course: Twisted Perception, Beneath a Buried House, Footprints of a Dancer, Identity Theft, or Sandcastle for Pegasus – and all you have to do is send me an email at bob@bobavey.com

Please tell your friends about my newsletter.

 

I also decided to include—with this issue—a little family update:

 

My daughter, Karen, and her husband, Dan, started RPI Group, a Real Estate investment company several years ago. Recently, they added RPI Management, expanding their business to include both Investments and Property Management.

 

My grandson, Nathan, a Captain in the National Guard, is currently helping guard our borders. His wife, Randi, works as an ICU pediatric nurse, and is studying to be a nurse practitioner.

 

My granddaughter, Emmy, and her husband, Josh are successful software engineers.

 

I love each of you and pray that God will bring peace and love to you.

From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for your continued support.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Identity-Theft-Kenny-Elliot-Mystery/dp/1684334020/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?keywords=identity+theft+bob+avery&qid=1567108177&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmr0

 

And:

 

https://www.blackrosewriting.com/mysterysuspense/identitytheft.

 

 

I want to thank everyone who signed up for my Reader List. I hope you enjoy the newsletters and special mailings. If you know of anyone who might be interested, please forward this newsletter to them.

bob@bobavey.com

Or click here: http://www.bobavey.com/

On the right side of any webpage, or the bottom if on a smart phone, you will find a notation that reads: Sign Up for Bob’s Newsletter. Put your email address in the box and hit subscribe. Then, you will be directed to a link for a free e-book.

I also give programs for writing clubs, reading groups, or any group that’s interested. If you belong to a club that needs a program speaker, keep me in mind.

You have permission to reprint, forward, or use the contents of this newsletter in your newsletter, blog, or e-zine. The only requirement is the inclusion of the following footer:

This article was written by Bob Avey, author of Twisted Perception, Beneath a Buried House, Footprints of a Dancer, Identity Theft, and Sandcastle for Pegasus . http://www.bobavey.com