Trials and Tribulations

What No Publisher?

As most of you know already, Forbidden Publications has shut down. That leaves myself, and a lot of other writers to make hard decisions. A great majority of authors in the Forbidden stable were published in other markets and with other publishers; those hard working ladies and gentlemen will carry on without too many problems. It's a totally different story for others though; as you will see shortly.

In this craft, time and experience is a giant portion of ones ability to catch the eye of agents and publishers; whether they are involved with E-Publishing or the much sought after "Brick and Mortar" houses. It is as important, in many cases, as our skills as writers and the quality of our prose. The first thing that an Acquisitions Editor will see in a query will be a definite shortage of credits, and sales that were not all that great. Publishing is a numbers game and publishers are in business to support and market entertainment to readers that will raise the bottom line. That will often lead to a jaded view of any manuscript offered for review.

Now that is not necessarily a bad thing. A closer inspection of ones work will, in many cases, make strong points stand out as boldly as weak points in writing. Personally, I would want more than a cursory glance at any piece I submit before a decision is made. But, what of those that were still in the formative stage? Great plots do not just happen. Writing is a progressive, step by step, journey. You see, with every edit and rejection comes lessons learned that slowly make a writer better.

Decisions!

So, I and a lot of others need to find a new home for our work. It will not be short process. Some will remain in the realm of E-Pubs and some will take a shot at landing an agent and attempt to entice a New York publishing house to review their wares in hopes of breaking into the "Big League". And some will walk their books door to door as 'Self-Published' authors.

I haven't decided what I will do yet. I still add to stories that compel me. I chase my muse around the room in a frenetic frenzy when she comes whispering in my ear about a new idea or plot. I drink pots of coffee and burn the lights at home 'till early into each weekend morning. I am back at the stage of procrastination. I know I have a decision to make, yet I know I will not stop writing. So, what will I do now? Only time will tell.

I'm A.C. Croom, and I WRITE!

Finally! A Mainstream Western.

Coming this spring: Prophets Rest

Tucker Prophet has been a Texas Ranger for more years than he cares to think about. As a teen he fought valiantly for his beliefs and convictions as the Civil War ground to a conclusion. Returning to Texas, a state bereft of any form of law and order, he joined the Texas Rangers and worked his way into a leadership position. Traversing the state from the Rio Grande to the plains of Amarillo and from El Paso to Texarkana on the Red River, with only a brother to call family and few friends; tracking down outlaws, rustlers and Mexican banditos for twenty years had finally begun to wear on him.

When his younger brother is killed in a stage coach robbery, he and three other Rangers set out in pursuit of the outlaw Billy ‘Gunner’ Farren and his gang of cutthroats. The four month chase leads the Rangers into the mountains of Colorado, where they find that the Farren gang has struck once again.

All four resign commissions in the Rangers and band together to protect the survivors of this latest attack that resulted in the deaths of peaceful homesteaders and the abduction of two surviving young women. A cat and mouse chase through the mountains culminates in a showdown to once and for all rid the west of a deadly predator; or die trying.

Writers write and Dreamers dream! I'm Both!

She's beautiful isn't she? The culmination of thousands of years of evolution or one single instant of creation; take your pick. It is the dream of man to hold beauty close and cherish it. Offer himself or herself to an equal in the quest to create beauty, most times in the ultimate sharing of Love as soul mates, a fleeting, almost magical moment stretched into a single lifetime to be enjoyed time after time with smiles and happiness.

Writing is like that to me. A story begins with a single thought and grows to maturity in my imagination to become the most beautiful thing I can share. I try to know and understand each and every character in my stories so thoroughly that they can tell me the story in their own words. I try to create worlds that will please them and the people they entertain as their tale unfolds. I try to let the story end happily if I can.

When I was a young boy, I began to read the classic authors that were available to me; Hemingway, Dickens, Zane Grey, Longfellow and of course old Sam Clemens (Mark Twain). I read of impossible feats accomplished by determined heros, love as viewed in the 19th. century, hard fighting cowboys and the west as it should have been instead of the tough life that was in day to day reality, poetry that sang of far away lands with magical men and women, and innocence that always held purity high for all to see.

With all those beautiful images in my soul, how else could I be. Everyone has a story to tell. I have many! Once started on the road as a bard, it's hard to imagine life without the beauty of the telling or the happiness it brings.

I'm A.C. Croom and I write!

Welcomed News

A year has passed and a new one approaches. With the new year I will see a new direction to my writing. Edits are done and the release date is yet to be set for my Western Romance; Showdown In Shadow Creek. While I still use a more sensual tone and style in my stories instead of the more heated sexuality of more experienced writers, I am confident that Showdown is my best effort to date. Here's the blurb.

Showdown In Shadow Creek

What could be better than loving a brave and beautiful woman? What could be better than seeking a true home after years of the dangerous life a gambler and gunfighter leads? What could be better than having friends willing to back your play, with no questions, because it's the right thing?

What could be better than all that?

Surviving a Showdown In Shadow Creek!

Showdown In Shadow Creek steps back in time, to a place where men earned what was theirs at the end of a smoking gun, where nothing was free except the air to breathe, where a bend in the trail could hide fortune or death, where the only land a man was sure to own was a four-foot by eight-foot plot on boot hill.

Being shot at was nothing new to J. R. Bell. A gambler by choice and gunfighter by necessity, it was the risk he faced everyday of his life. But now he wants to change that life and his fate leads him to Shadow Creek and his one chance to settle down. In town only hours, he meets Eve Southerland and is wounded by an unknown assailant. His fortune and misfortune combine and lead him inextricably toward a confrontation with destiny.

Amid unanswered questions of a town hiding a secret, the streets of Shadow Creek becoming over-populated with hired guns and a murderous scheme to separate him from what’s rightfully his, J. R. falls in love. Only one thing stands in the way of his claiming the heart of Eve Southerland and starting a new life.

A showdown is building. Are John and Eve willing to fight to get what they want? Or, will they lose everything in the Showdown In Shadow Creek?

Kate's Song: Awakening

Kate's Song began with a journey of discovery for Katie Kitchens. It led her through a fairytale childhood filled with love and understanding, to a magical rekindling of a love lost for six years. Magical and fascinating for her after years of confusion and disappointment.

Now though, comes Kate's Song: Awakening, the conclusion to Katies' story. Magic and Love are destroyed by an unpleasant truth and her decisions affect all around her. She discovers a new direction, a new understanding of herself, a new love that has never been far away.

Kate's Song: Awakening
Available at http://www.forbiddenpublications.com/


An Authorized Excerpt:


It was just past noon and the day was turning into a scorcher. Kate sat with her back to the willow tree that she and her grandfather had planted. Even with the shade, the combination of humidity and heat brought perspiration and discomfort.

"Katie, can we talk?"

"Not that it will do any good, but okay, talk." Kate sullenly stared out across the water.

"I'm sorry, Katie. I know saying that seems trite after all that's happened, but it's the truth. I messed up. Even with the feelings I have for you, I got scared of the speed everything was moving and I bailed. I can never make up for the pain I must have caused you, and I know you will never forget that I did it. I guess I'm asking you to give me another chance. I want you in my life. I love you, Katie. Please let me prove it." Jim stood and waited for the onslaught of her reply.

"I'm sorry too, Jimmy. I can't love you the way you want me to. I can't trust that you will not have another fit of fear and run off again. You and I had a wonderful time together. Let's remember that and leave all the other to heal in its own time. You made a decision for whatever reason, and I made mine. Love died in that hospital. I just want to keep the friendship alive.

"A lot has happened to us both. I'll know for sure after I visit my doctor next week, but I think I'm pregnant. You are the father, and that puts another decision on your list. If I am pregnant, I want you to be part of the baby's life, a big part of her life Jimmy, as her father. How involved you get; still another decision for you.

"Jimmy?"

"Yeah."

"Though you messed up, you are still the friend I grew up with. Please be a father to this baby. For me and for her." Kate pulled the young man into a hug and gently kissed him.

Frank and Natalie watched as Kate and Jim talked. Their granddaughter seemed to have gained an inner strength. They saw the interplay of a man and woman confessing truths and baring emotions to the other. Natalie's heart soared when Kate appeared to accept what she was being told and plummet as the expression on Jim Phillip's face kept changing when Katie had her turn to speak.

She watched her granddaughter rise from the ground, embrace and kiss Jim Phillips gently.
Sadly, it was clear to Natalie that her granddaughter was saying good-bye.

The young man's demeanor was one of acceptance and determination. He stood erect and held his head high walking around the side of the house and out of sight. Jim would survive and go on with his life.

June News

Hi everyone. With the start of summer, it looks as if my plate will be full. On June 10th Forbidden Publications, accepted my Mid-Category conclusion to the previous release of "Kate's Song". I have an idea that the new manuscript, working title "Awakening" will see release near the end of 2007 or early in 2008. Either way I face edits and polishing of "Awakening" until she is ready for her debut.

I also learned that my short story, "Kate's Song", has made it's way to and is offered for sale to everyone. That is a pleasing thought. I can see now that I really need to spread the word about my writing and develop a genuine plan for promotion and sales.

Well, with that and the project story I have set for myself for this summer, It looks as if time will have to be used very very prudently. That is, unless I find a bucket full of Gold on my trip to retire on. Hmmm, guess I can count on working harder in the next few months.

For now though, y'all keep reading. Here is the blurb for "Awakening":

Kate's Song: "Awakening"


Kate Kitchens' expectations for a lasting romance have faded. After three months of flash and flame, she finds herself cast adrift amidst doubt and confusion. The discovery that her lover is playing the field with a hated rival turns Kate's world upside down. More and more she finds a lasting relationship just beyond her reach.

Recovering from an automobile accident Kate faces another problem. The rival her ex-boyfriend chose over her brings violence into Kate's home with Vicky Campbell as her victim. With trust gone Kate sends both her ex-boyfriend and his new lover packing for good.

In a burst of honesty, Vicky's sexual orientation and inner feelings are exposed. Vicky is unwilling to force herself on a friend and starts plans to move away so Kate can pursue a "normal" life. This starts a chain of events that lead Kate and Vicky into each others arms and begins the journey to discovering the truth of "True Love Ways"; Kate's Song.

Behind the scenes, people and events are shaping themselves into more twists and turns for Kate. Some she must face immediately, others, she has no idea are in her future.

THE BIRD MUST FLY!

Kenai Gold! This is gonna be fun.

"North"

With views most spectacular and the clearest air of any of the 50 states, Alaska reigns alone in my opinion. This year, my 57th on this old rock called Earth, I am embarking on a grand vacation. With my brother as my guide, I plan to visit the interior of Alaska to follow the lure of yellow GOLD.

I know what you're thinking; this guy has far too much time and money on his hands to be chasing a rainbow. You would be 100% wrong on both counts. This old bird has to work for a living every day just like any one else. Bills have to be paid and the duties of a husband, father and Grandfather never end. I just thank the good Lord that I have an understanding wife.

What follows will be a journal of sorts into my preparations, expectations and a scrapbook view of the actual trip along with the realities of travel and camp life to experience a week working at a gold claim. Be advised; I am not going to give the exact location or any direct landmarks that can identify this claim. All I can say is the claim is remote and it is also in an area of proven gold recovery.

Now with that out of the way, we begin. I hope to lead you through the steps it takes to step back in time 100 years and join the hearty explorers of the Alaska gold rush. If you think those men and women at the turn of the 20th century simply gave up everything they owned and took off to the gold fields, think again. Nothing a person did in that world was simple.

Intermixed with this journal will be excerpts from the fictional exploits of Joe Morrissey. I am, after all is said and done, a writer of fiction and what better platform for a story than one that parallels my own little adventure; or mis-adventure depending on your point of view.

"North"
A story of adventure by Texas Writer, A.C. Croom.

Joe was a farmer, father and husband. Hard working, as most were in that day and time, he and his small family were happy in their day-to-day struggle to get a crop in every year and survive harsh and deadly weather on their farm in Central Kansas. His valiant efforts to hold his small family together while struggling against those great odds were dashed, as one by one his loved ones were taken from him by illness, accidental misfortune and heartbreak.

After all this sacrifice, fate tears his life from him and casts him out to seek solitude and solace in the hard work and loneliness of the Alaska gold fields.

In my story, "North", you will, not only watch but travel with Joe as he sets out on this journey as a man alone.

ENJOY
2007 © Arthur C. Croom (all rights reserved)