Bob's 4th Quarter Newsletter

Bob Avey’s 4th Quarter 2018

Newsletter

 

Christmas is almost here and books make wonderful gifts. For more information, click one of the links below.

www.bobavey.com

https://www.amazon.com/Bob-Avey/e/B002BM2VJ8

 

Once again I want to express my heartfelt thanks to my loyal readers, and to everyone, who has signed up for this crazy newsletter. The growth of the list continues to amaze me. 31 new readers have signed up since my last newsletter. I truly hope that you find enjoyment and entertainment from my books and newsletters. In appreciation, instead of the usual drawing-one-name-from-the-hopper thing for the free autographed copy, I will give the first three respondents an autographed copy of their choice – Chosen from one of my books of course – and all you have to do is send me an email at bob@bobavey.com

I don’t think I’ve put this in previous newsletters, but if I have please just skim over. I had something rather unusual happen to me a few months ago. Here at work, we get a printout calendar that shows this and that. Anyway, I was attempting to take down the July 2018 calendar when it fell behind my cubicle wall. When I crawled beneath the desk to retrieve it, I found a July 2017 calendar in the same spot. Odd enough that an old calendar would be there, but for it to be the same month, exactly one year apart seemed almost spooky.

I know it’s been a long time coming, but I am finally finished with the 4^th book in the Detective Elliot series, which will be titled Identity Theft. It is now in the editing stages, so it will be a few months before it is ready for publication. Now, I have to decide if I want to self-publish, or go with a publisher. Such decisions used to be a no-brainer; self-publishing was a dirty word. That’s no longer the case. Now, at least with me, it’s a decision of economics verses technological ability.

After Identity Theft, I plan to go in a whole new direction, writing the kind of books I originally wanted to write. Stay tuned and together we’ll see where it goes.

Speaking of writing, most of you know if you’ve written anything from a letter to a grocery list and then had someone else look it over, how easy it is to make mistakes, misspellings, and especially grammar errors. Try it with a 300 to 400 page novel. Anyway, I was browsing the internet when I came across an advertisement for Editing Services. Editing is an important and necessary part of writing, but finding a good editor is not as easy as it seems. For example, the ad I mentioned earlier read like this:

Want to publish a book? Don’t know where to start?

Stare Here:

I stared for fifteen minutes but nothing happened.

Actually, the ad meant to read: Start Here.

Could you imagine hiring those editors to fine- tune your 300 page manuscript?

May everyone reading this have a happy Thanksgiving and a blessed and merry Christmas.

Please check out my writing at the link below:

https://www.amazon.com/Bob-Avey/e/B002BM2VJ8

Twisted Perception is now out in audiobook. Please click the link below:

https://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Perception-Detective-Elliot-Mystery/dp/B00XZKFWDM/ref=la_B002BM2VJ8_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502197925&sr=1-3

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. We give away prizes on occasion, so stay tuned. Signing up is easy – just email your request to:

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. Not only will you be directed to a link for a free e-book, but will also be entered into a contest to win a free paperback copy.

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, and Footprints of a Dancer. http://www.bobavey.com

 

 

The Joker - Part II

September 10, 2015 – Blog Post

The Joker – Part II

I left you hanging last time in the midst of my ramblings about criticism. Let me pick up where we left off.

A few days after having perceived my writing as being trashed – actually, while containing hints of inspiration, those early short stories were pretty bad – I was sitting home one night, watching television and feeling sorry for myself when something rather strange happened. An internal voice, which I realized as being a fictional character, actually told me how to pick up the pieces and proceed with my writing. You probably paused after reading that, and perhaps entertained certain doubts. I won’t go so far as to say there’s nothing to worry about, but having characters, which are actually part of the subconscious, pop into my thoughts with tidbits of story is now a common occurrence. However, with this being the first time I’d become aware of it, it was mildly unnerving.

This is how it happened: Halfway through some now forgotten television program, the internal voice, a character, said: You can’t fill out a homicide report, indicating the suspect to be a ghost.

The enigmatic phrase might seem like gibberish, but I immediately recognized it as a possible answer to my current dilemma. The character’s reference to a homicide report indicated he was involved with law enforcement, which meant, if he hung around, he would lead me toward some type of crime story that would be conservative enough to satisfy the critique group. At the same time, there was this ghost thing thrown in, which could offer substance, if you will, to satisfy my leanings toward the not-so-conventional. In short, it was perfect.

I immediately went to my office, which consisted of a cheap desk crowed into a corner of the master bedroom of our rented house, and began banging out what would eventually become a mystery novel. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, the bruised feelings I’d erroneously nurtured due to my misunderstanding of constructive criticism resurfaced and planted the seeds of mild revenge. 

To be continued.

Please check out the results of my quasi insane writing with the links below:

http://www.amazon.com/Bob-Avey/e/B002BM2VJ8

For an audio version of Twisted Perception:

http://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Perception-Detective-Elliot-Mystery/dp/B00XZKFWDM/ref=la_B002BM2VJ8_1_2_title_2_audd?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1441901683&sr=1-2

With the help of my publisher, I’m putting together a program we are calling: Bob’s Reader List. With the list, I hope to offer true value to those who subscribe. Check it out by clicking the link below:

http://awoc.com/BobAvey-TwistedPerception/

Where do those Characters Come From?

Round and Round We Go

Picking up where we left off in the last post, what was it, exactly, that urged me off the sofa and into the writing chair?

As is often the case, the answer to the question is a bit complicated or perhaps multifaceted might be more descriptive. I’ll try to explain. Some of you might remember the cartoon character, Droopy. Those who don’t can easily look it up. Anyway, the animated pooch was famous for his droopy face, which intentionally defied and hid the emotion going on inside the character. I used to be a lot like that. However, most of us reach a point in our lives, typically around the middle-age mark, where we become disillusioned with the way things have turned out. Never being one to under emphasize things, I rode the disappointment wave with a zeal that would have made old Droopy crack a smile. Stephen King summed it up quite well when he wrote: Creative people tend to have creative breakdowns. I believe the phrase showed up in his novel, Duma Key, but I could be wrong about that.

But that’s enough of that. Long story short, Kathi and I lost everything we had and moved back to Tulsa to start over. It’s turned out all right. Rather than give in to self-pity, I directed my frustration and poured my anger into my characters, especially the villains, cathartically cleansing my soul in the process. I know, but I have to get expressive now and then.  The writing has been good for me. Through my characters and the stories they populate I’ve learned a lot about them, and about myself.

I hope my emotionally charged characters and unusual stories have, and will continue to entertain you.

 http://www.amazon.com/Bob-Avey/e/B002BM2VJ8

Footprints of a Dancer - a paranormal mystery

Not your typical mystery.

Footprints of a Dancer, the third book in the Detective Elliot series was released for publication October 11, 2012. That's 10/11/12, a special date for a special book. The book is now available for the kindle version. The paperback and other e-book versions, such as Nook will follow soon.

To celebrate the book's launch, I will be posting some specials very soon, but I just wanted to let everyone know. I've posted the the link below. Please let me know what you think. If you would be interested in getting a free copy just for posting a review on Amazon, please let me know.

Here's a description of the book:

Most of us come into this world with an inborn need for religion, a higher power to believe in. However, when fear and misunderstanding are the driving forces behind that desire, the result is rarely a good thing.

Eight years ago, Laura Bradford mysteriously disappeared off campus, causing quite a disturbance in the lives of Kenny Elliot and Gerald Reynolds, a journalism student with a fascination for Mesoamerican artifacts. When Gerald calls unexpectedly to tell Elliot he's recently seen Laura then sets up a meeting only to be a no-show, Elliot tracks him down to get some answers. Instead he finds his old friend murdered in ritualistic fashion.

Elliot takes a leave of absence from his job as a Tulsa police detective and launches an unofficial investigation, which leads him into the world of an Aztec diety with an appetite for blood.

http://www.amazon.com/Footprints-Dancer-Detective-Mystery-ebook/dp/B009PFNI3M/ref=la_B002BM2VJ8_1_4_title_0_main?ie=UTF8&qid=1350064071&sr=1-4

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