Illustrations are Awesome (in my humble opinion)

I don't know about you, but I love illustrations in books. They help bring an added... something... some extra oomph that adds depth and beauty to the text.
I have a dandy of an illustrator for Treasures of Darkness - Treasures of Light (yes I said  "Dandy" but only because it's true).  Zachary Kraft may not (currently) be a household name, but he is an artist through and through. And I'm amazed by him all the time.

I bring him up because he sent me an update today (or last night and I got it today). I'd share the pictures here, but they give bits of the story away that you'll want to be surprised by (I think... let me know if I'm wrong).  He has a way with picking a scene from my novel and portraying it better than I envisioned it when I wrote the text. It's truly amazing.  When I get the final version of this most recent illustration, I'll have to share it here.  I love it.

That's about all... sorry to whet your apatite for illustration then leave you high and dry...

Well...
Wait...
Hold on for just a second and I'll see if I've got something I can share. (I guess you didn't really have to hold on. It took me a minute to pull it up, but you're just reading right on through.)

Here's an illustration from chapter one (of which I have an excerpt available here) You'll have to read that to make sense of the image....

Anyway... Just excited to see things coming together and so grateful to have such an amazing illustrator to work with.

More soon,

Geno

Thinking about Marketing Myself

Currently reading a book called "Crush It" all about making a brand out of yourself.  I kinda like that Idea....
I could have a slogan like, "Just write it." or "Geno Allen: The choice of a New Generation" "Geno Allen Word Factory: we're mooooore than great books"

Okay so those actually aren't very good ideas, but I like the Idea of a "brand" that's genuinely me.

The author (Gary Vaynerchuk) says he live by three simple rules.

Love your family
Work Superhard
Live your passion

It struck me after reading that... That is why my Dad was a success in life. He wasn't rich, but we weren't poor either (not by the end anyway).  The only piece missing from that set of rules---that my dad would have added---would be, "put God first."

Just pretty neat.  I guess I realized I have success in my DNA, and what I'm learning now, is just how to tap into it.

That's all for now. Have a grand one!

Geno

We have a cantankerous cat

I got suckered into falling in love with a stray cat. It's seriously cute. I'm allergic to it... and it's had at least three vet trips in the last several months. Her name? Kitty. Pretty original right?
Okay so the name morphed into Kit Kat which is what my wife and I call her most of the time. She's lovable even when a pest... and last night she was snuggley (sigh of joy). Snuggley Kit Kat is a beautiful thing. Kit Kat the rest of the time? Well I'll put it this way... my mom is writing a children's story and there's a cat in the story named Mr. Cranky Butt.

She got the idea from our cat.

Just thought I'd share.
Geno

Hickory Dock Excerpt Available

Upon finishing chapter Six of Hickory Dock, I remembered I hadn't posted the sample chapter. So, now I have. Check out the tab at the top, or simply click this link. The Adventures of Hickory Dock
That's about all for now. About to head for my day job (when I'd rather stay home and write, but c'est la vie).

Geno

What dreams may come

So... Last night was not spent writing. Rather it was spent watching three episodes of Star Trek The Next Generation (or TNG for the more nerd savvy) with my wife.

Wife: If you're going to write, I'm going to watch TNG.

Me (my inner nerd crying out): Don't watch it without me....

Subsequent conversation wore down my writing resolve (my doing... not hers). So, I wrote today on my lunch break. It felt good. I reached the end of chapter six of The Adventures of Hickory Dock (which I just realized I still need to post a sample of). The chapter title now that it's done... Hickory Dock: the Way is Blocked.

But I also realize I haven't referenced the title of this post. So, currently it's hanging in this nebulous space where one might wonder how it relates. Well...
Several episodes of TNG led to really strange dreams, like a cross between some poignant tearjerker, Star Trek, and the Robin Williams movie What Dreams May Come... including a scene where I was searching for an old friend with the help Commander Data the angel.

Man if only I could write that as a movie... uh... yeah maybe not ;o)

What Dreams May Come when we shuffle off this writers coil... if it's dreams like that, perhaps I shouldn't shuffle that coil off very often  :o)

Here's an update on Willitzberwundle and the Amburffling:
It's complete and edited and I love it. But I'm lamenting the fact that I still don't have any illustrations (or even a definite illustrator).  I feel it's my best piece of children's literature yet, but it suffers without just the right art.

Ah well... such is life

Ideas (on how to attract a super stellar illustrator to a project I can't guarantee will make money but am personally convinced it will) appreciated.

Been a bit of a ramble (from my phone again... love that!) But, thanks for reading... and here's to pressing on.

Geno

When Life Invades

So today I'm having a hard time....
Hardly got to write anything over the weekend. (Did get to go to birthing classes with my wife... That was awesome. 1 month and 2 day til baby is due. Woo hoo!) Full time job and full time husband and seriously being the author is hard. I had one day last week where I got over a thousand words written in one day (fealt good. that's been a record for me this month.) Been averaging about the length of this post (maybe less) ... but nevertheless I press on. When disheartened, I make myself "heartened" and take another step ... Here's to taking another Step... HUZZAH! Thanks for listening to my ramble. I'll write again soon.

Geno

The it's-published-but-nobodys-buying blues

So... feeling the it's-published-but-nobody's-buying blues. I know there's a lot of promoting to to, but life keeps intervening. Blah. I love the fact that our baby is almost here, but the stress of trying to figure out how to write (and promote) while working full time and planning for baby is a little on the difficult side. (by little I mean, "Holy crap dats not easy.")

Just felt the need to share. Not sure if anyone's readying me yet... but I'm sure eventually you will be. :o)

So, here's to keeping on and continuing to press forward.

Blessings,

Geno