I miss my mom

So, I've been a particular brand of numb for a while now. My book launch and a recent Facebook conversation with one of my nieces is breaking some of that numbness off... and though that is good, it's hard.

My mother passed away this year. I haven't "really" written about it yet. And I've hardly spoken about the pain it causes me to more than just a few. But it really hurts.

Feel free to call me a momma's boy... because she was one of my favorite people ever. She was infintly quirky and nearly infinitely flawed, but she was my mom... and she was my friend.

She saw the author in me many years before I did, and I always thought she was just biased.

She was one of the few people I couldn't wait to read to (in recent years her vision got very bad and that made reading to her more special). I couldn't even wait to finish a chapter some times.
I'd start a phone call or visit with, "Okay this is going to be a clifhanger, but I just had to share..."
When the aforementioned cliffhanger was reached, she would always say, "Agh! Oh, you dog... how could you do that to me?! Tell me more right now, Mister!".

But, it was all in good fun and we'd laugh together, and talk about what was important in our lives and about the ridiculous things that didn't matter to anyone but us. I'm grateful to have a few other people in my life who I can share with in that manner. But it's never as frequent... and it's not my mom.

I miss her.

She would be so proud to see people buying my books.... She was always assured I would be a success. I'm still waiting to see.

She had a way of always speaking into the dark moments of my life and bringing light there. That... I deeply miss. (There are still some people in my life who do the same. So, I am blessed. But, it does not make me miss her any less.)

When I sat to write this it was because the memory of her was bringing tears to my eyes for the first time in a long while. There's been a lot of business that had to be taken care of regarding her estate (did you know that even if someone has nothing they still call it an estate?), and there's still some to do.

Now as I type, I'm being reminded of so much that was wonderful about her. And for that I am grateful. She had a humor that was awe inspiring (awe inspiringly lame at times... but me too). She could craft a story (in words more than on paper) that would keep you in rapt attention. She was an artist in the truest sense able to do anything she set her mind to with surprising success.

She was wonderful... and she is gone. It's hard to believe.

She and I had three projects we were going to work on together: one a children's manuscript she wrote when I was a child that she wanted me to help structure and improve (I'm still going to do that... in memory of her, and so all her kids and grandkids get the chance to see the whimsy that lived inside her.), a brand new fairy tale we'd been writing together that will probably take a long time before I can touch it again and not cry, and my mouse book, Hickory Dock, that she was going to illustrate.

It hurts to have those projects tied to her with her gone... because I know she will never put pen to paper on them again. She will never question my use of an obscure word that "...would be better if it was....", and she will never tell me how hard such and such is to draw....

I really miss her. I always will....

With dad gone nearly a decade, and mom gone now too, the world is a very different place. Harsher somehow, and yet I'm blessed with the joy of my wife and daughter to bring some softness to this place... for that I am eternally grateful.

I hoped when I started writing this that I'd say something profound, but now I just feel like I'm rambling. I'd like to be saying something profound, but this is just my heart pouring over the keys.

Mom knew I'd be an author... back when only two chapters were written. ((bittersweet smile))

As this crust starts crumbling from around my heart and the barrier I've bulit between my day to day and the loss of my mom begins to drop, I'm sure I'll write more. But, for now I just want to say,

"I'm here, Mom. I'm published. I know you love it. I know you'd love me either way. Thank you. And thank you for the gift of story.
I love you."

Geno

Ick... still embarrassing...

So, I was just informed by a reader voraciously devouring my novel that there are several places where the noun of a sentence is missing. Like the aforementioned sentence that was missing it's subject. I thought... I cant have done that that many times. Sure once... maybe twice if I was in too bleary eyed a state, but I had this booked edited more than once by other eyes, by a professional.

So... that reader was gracious enough to give me one of the exact sentences he was referring to. I searched the core file everything was based off of and the noun... the subject of the sentence was there. So, I rushed over to the converted file that was uploaded to Amazon and discovered that somehow in the conversion process it had be automatically removed.

At this point I don't know how many places there will be like that.

And, that is embarrassing.

I will be endeavoring to get that fixed and re-uploaded ASAP.

So, here is my humble request... any of you who stumble upon a sentence that appears to be missing it's subject, please leave the exact wording of that sentence as a comment here on this blog post and I will fix it, and when all is done, I'll let you know how to get the corrected copy downloaded to your device.

Frankly it's embarrassing to be asking this, but if we work together it will happen a lot quicker. And I'll still be able to put the time needed toward the physical copies to have them out to you in a timely manner.

Thank you in advance for any input.

Geno

A little under the weather

I should have expected it... but somehow I didn't. All those nights of working past midnight then getting up between 4 and 5 am to work on the novel, followed by the 42.5 hours without sleep trying to make the deadline I'd given myself.... and now...... I'm sick. Got to stay home from work, sleep in, and rest (which was greatly needed), but this one day isn't going to be enough to kick the ick out of my system. So, I'll be the working sick tomorrow—which is entirely better than the walking dead, but still no fun.

That's all for now. Just putting myself out into the blogosphere, since I promised I'd be at it more regularly.

Thank you for reading...
Oh, two points of interest. My Author page is live on Amazon finally, and I'm meeting with a potential illustrator for Willitzberwundle and the Amburflfling on Friday. Hoping hoping hoping her sketches will show she's a good match to the story.

Okay... I go back to resting now. Have a grand evening!

Geno

Whew! 42.5 hours without sleep... but It's Published!

So, I did not make my Cyber Monday goal. Missed it by a lot actually. The goal was to make Cyber Monday sales, but I hit the "Publish" button more than an hour after Cyber Monday ended. But...... I hit the button :o)

Checked this morning... and all looks well with it. So, for you who are interested, head over to Amazon.com's kindle store, do a search for Geno Allen and... ((choir singing an angelic chorus))...

There it is!

(OR... you could just follow this link: Book One: Through the Dark Wood)

Alrighty... my break is almost up ... but I had to share :o)

Have a grand day and enjoy the book!

Geno

Okay... so this is embarrassing....

Treasures of Darkness ~ Treasures of Light, Book One: Through the Dark Wood is Live on Amazon...

Please don't buy it today :o(

So, I pulled an all-nighter working to get it published before I had to come to my day job today...

The saying if something is worth doing... It's worth doing right didn't enter into my bleary thoughts this AM when I hit publish.

As I carpooled to work, I discovered I had:

* Forgotten to include the map in the novel
* Somehow deleted the subject of an important sentence in chapter five
* Goofed up the paragraph spacing on all poems in the novel

and most embarrassing of all...

* Misspelled the title and series names as it is listed on Amazon...
           [] So currently my novel is called "THreasures of Darkness ~ Treasures of Light..." and for the series I spelled Darkness... "Darknes"

So yeah... I'll be fixing that today and it'll take about 12 hours for Amazon to update it once I've been able to make the change (currently I can't make changes because it's "Publishing". It's live on Amazon to buy, but as the Author I can't touch it until they remove the label "publishing" and relabel it "Live"

So, here we are... I thought I'd share my embarrassing moment ((blushes like crazy)) and my punchy sleep-lacking foibles.

Hello, World. Welcome the author Geno Allen to the list of people who got a little too excited while toooo sleepy.

Other than that... this is sizing up to be a pretty good day all in all (for working on Zero sleep)

Have a grand day, Blogosphere!

Geno

A poll for my eBook cover

Alright... I'm inching ever closer to ready to release Treasures of Darkness ~ Treasures of Light, Book One.... I think I may actually make the Cyber Monday deadline I gave myself. But one of the last things is deciding on the cover. I looked at the cover I made previously and despite Zachery's great art, what I did with his art looked a little cheesy. So, here are three just made potential cover designs.

I'd love it if you'd check them out and post which you like best (or some combo of them):

Thanks in advance :o)

(1)

(2)

(3)

Almost there!

Also... if you've read my short story How to be a Hero, I'd really appreciate a review on Amazon. I've gained 260 new readers so far from this most recent promo, and I'm grateful for every one of you. Reviews would help my rankings on Amazon and prep Book One for a better launch.
So, (this may be a shameless self-promotion plug, but sometime we indie authors just have to do that) if you could write those reviews and tell everyone you know that likes this genre (facebook, twitter, telephone, face to face, I'm not picky) to download it while it's still free, I'd very much appreciate it.

That's all. I must get back to building the final eBook for Book One, but thanks again for reading and for commenting on the covers!

Have a grand evening :o)

Geno

Appendices...

Part of me is saying, "Why did I decide to add appendices?" another part of me is saying, "Because, you dope, it helps bring the book's world into sharper focus for those who read it." and still a third part says, "'Cause you think it's cool, and it brings the world into even sharper focus for you."

Quotes two and three are correct. And I'm drawing ever so close to having the appendices done. If I can get it done and quickly reviewed, the Treasures of Darkness ~ Treasures of Light, Book One: Through the Dark Wood eBook should be for sale by tomorrow. Woo Hoo!

Okay just wanted to give a little update as to where things sit right now.

Here's a little curiosity for me... and feel free to comment in answer.

How did you find out about my books?

Just curious :o)

Geno

Okay 5

5 posts! Ah Ah Ahhh ((thunder cracks))

Sorry :o) felt a bit like "The Count" the way I started this post off. I added one more page to the blog here as it looks like I may be able to start moving forward with another book that's completely written, just in need of illustration. Check out the "Willitzberwundle and the Amburffling" page for more info.

Thanks for reading!

Geno

Wow... four updates in one day

Okay so it's only two posts on this blog, but I added content to both my Hickory Dock page and blog and my Treasures of Darkness ~ Treasures of Light page and blog. So, I'm feeling like I accomplished something :o)

Have a grand one!

Geno

Wow! It's been a while since I left my cave.

As anyone who follows my blog will see, I've been away for a while. In the past I've had this nasty tendency to step into my novelist's cave and get so focused in there that I leave the Blog Cave unattended.

When this morning greeted me... I felt the call, "To the Blog Cave!"

...and when I got here... man things are a little dusty. I wish I had an Alfred to keep it tidy for me while I'm away... and to remind me, "Master, Bruce (or rather Master Geno) you ought to give some attention to being Blogman."

Not that Batman would ever need Alfred to say anything like that, and not that I'm comparing myself to Batman really... none of my vehicles—or clothes for that matter—are that cool... or Kevlar-laced.

That's not what I'm writing for this morning.

This morning I am simply saying hello to the blogosphere and to you who are reading this now.

I'm a little excited... all my novelist's cave time is about to pay off (well I hope it will pay...either way it'll definitely result in something). I'm only days away from launching my Treasures of Darkness ~ Treasures of Light series with Book One: Through the Dark Wood

I hear the crowd cheer, "Yea!" and I cheer with you, "YEA!" and maybe a, "YAY!" or even a, "Yeah!"

So... now that I'm here, I'm making a commitment to Alfred... or actually not to him. I forgot... I don't have an Alfred. I'm making a commitment to you... that I will dust the Blog Cave and set things in order here. And, that posts will become a regularity not a bi-annual event ((blushes shyly)).

So, as this is the first day of the rest of our lives... aaannd of my commitment to blogmanning up, here's a nifty little tidbit I've spent nearly 50 hours on in the last two weeks:

The regional map for Through the Dark Wood

The color is for the eBook & The gray-scale is for the print version

(I hope you enjoy):

One last thing...

The eBook of my short story "How to be a Hero" (set in the same world as the novel) is on free promo through tomorrow (11/25/2012). It also includes the first two chapters of Through the Dark Wood as a bonus (used to only have one bonus chapter...so it's more bang for no bucks).

Here's the link if you're interested. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/tags-on-product/B005628KV8/ref=tag_dpp_cust_edpp_sa

I believe that's all for this morning. Thanks for taking this journey with me, and Have a Grand Day!

Geno