There's a great post on beliefs and writing over here: http://project4word.blogspot.com/ by yours truly. Well worth the time to read it. Let me know what you think.
Peace,
Gary . . .
1 comment | post a comment
| Date: | 2009-06-30 23:47 |
| Subject: | Project 4Word |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: |  happy | | Music: | iTunes Shuffle: I Ain't Got No Home (Bruce Springsteen) |
Hi all,
Because I know you need one more cool place to be, I give you Project 4Word: http://project4word.blogspot.com/
This is a blog started by Seton Hill University alumni from 2004. They've graduated from the Writing Popular Fiction masters program and decided to have a group blog. And after this passed weekend's writing retreat, they invited me along for the ride.
The retreat was awesome and I'll post more about it shortly. Suffice to say, I've rarely met a bunch of enthusiastic genre writers like these people. This was my second year and I expected a bit of second time let-down, but found none of it. If anything, I think I had a better time this year because I knew more people who introduced me to more people. Absolutely awesome.
This is the second year the retreat was open to the public (thanks to Ambassadora for talking it up on her LJ last year) and though I felt a bit awkward last year for being one of the few non-graduates there, this year was pure fun.
A huge thank you to the 106 crew (you know who you are). And to the rest of you, stop by, subscribe and enjoy. As it's just started, I don't know where we're going, but it should be a fun ride.
Peace,
Gary . . .
1 comment | post a comment
Here's where I'll be on Tuesday night. If you're in the area, you should come.
"THE SUSPENSE IS KILLING ME!"
How Authors Keep You Turning Those Pages
A free panel by
The New Jersey Authors’ Network
Tuesday, June 16, 7-9 p.m.
Ringwood Public Library
30 Cannici Drive, Ringwood, N.J.
Seven novelists share their secrets:
* Lee Barwood, environmental thrillers
* Peggy Ehrhart, Steven Rigolosi
and Cheryl Solimini, mysteries
* John Grant, fantasy & political satire
* Gary Frank and E. F. Watkins,
paranormal thrillers
Come learn the tricks of the trade!
1 comment | post a comment
Green Day's new CD, 21st Century Breakdown, has some questionable lyrics to the point that Wal-Mart, the country's largest seller of CDs, won't carry it. In other words, unless Green Day chooses to censor themselves, Wal-Mart won't carry the disc. Green Day's response? They aren't changing a word.
Here's the article: http://new.music.yahoo.com/green-day/news/green-day-lashes-out-at-wal-mart-policy--61988870
Imagine writing a book or putting together a CD and bleeding your heart into it, only to be otld that unless you clean it up, the largest retailer in the country won't sell it. It's called censorship. Who the hell is Wal-Mart to censor musicians? Is the American public so incapable of choosing what's appropriate, that we need Wal-Mart to censor music (and I'm sure literature) for us?
Oh sure, Wal-Mart gives artists the opportunity to come out with a "clean" version of CDs, but who decides what's "clean"? Who else? Wal-Mart. So, in other words, you speak your heart and if a few overpaid Execs at Wal-Mart are offended by what you say, you either rewrite the songs to suit "Them" or you can forget being carried in their store.
To be perfectly fair to "Them", they have the right to refuse to sell anything they choose. But they don't have the right to censor what we listen to. Unfortunately, in this money hungry world we live in, too many musicians are willing to give in to Wal-Mart's demands just to sell CDs.
I've never stepped foot into one of those stores and I do not plan to. This just solidifies my disgust. As a writer and musician, it is reprehensible to me that in this day, we have to have execs censoring what we listen to and what we read. We, the American public, are smart enough to make decisions for ourselves.
Have a nice day.
Gary . . .
3 comments | post a comment
| Date: | 2009-05-08 13:25 |
| Subject: | Living Authentically |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: |  contemplative | | Music: | iTunes 2007 Disc 2 |
What does living authentically mean to you? How do you live authentically when the world around you pulls you in every other direction?
Gary . . .
2 comments | post a comment
| Date: | 2009-04-26 22:59 |
| Subject: | Sunday Night Update |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: |  exhausted | | Music: | iTunes DJ Playlist |
Nancy's dad's home with oxygen. Nancy said he was doing better yesterday. The 3-6 month prognosis seems to have come from the doctor based on how dad looked when he was in the ICU. Now I'm sure there were other factors, but do you tell a patient he's got max 6 months to live because he doesn't look good? Apparently, he had a heart attack the day he was brought in. No wonder he didn't look good. He looks like someone with cancer on chemo.
In other news, my neighbor's mother died. My uncle's mother died. My stepmother is going for tests to see if her cancer's returned. What the hell is going on?
Nancy's going to interview for her job tomorrow. The position is shifting under a new business area so she has to interview to keep her job. Un-freakin-believable.
On Tuesday, I bring my Mazda in for repair. Oh, I didn't tell you (or maybe I did). Last Wednesday, someone hit my car in a parking lot and took off. $1,100 worth of damage to the rear bumper and the tail light plastic. One and a half months old. No note. Nothing. I was on my way to a gig and needed a cord. Somehow, the show turned out awesome even with everything going on.
All the dishes in this house were clean; then we ate dinner.
Cut the lawn today in the 80+ degree heat. Not fun but it looks better than I thought it would.
Did anyone see the CSI episode at the Star Trek/Sci-Fi convention? Awesome show. Real geek stuff. I was able to name the Star Trek episodes they parodied. I don't know if that's good or bad.
Liberty States Fiction Writers meeting was quite enjoyable. The main meeting was on the Male POV. Lively discussion that turned into a psychological cross-section of gender issues.
Lastly, I was the featured guest at a chat at www.Writerschatroom.com. It was awesome fun and everyone had a great time.
Novel Update: I'm on page 95. It's coming along really well and I like it much better than what it had been.
I think that's everything.
Be well, take care, have fun, and don't forget to tell the ones you love that you love them. Don't assume they know because you told them last week. Tell them again. Thank you.
Peace,
Gary . . .
2 comments | post a comment
As a writer, words are everything. If you tell yourself someone has cancer, it keeps it at a distance, like someone has a cold and they'll be over it soon. It's like oh, my friend has a new TV. It's no big deal. It's about possession and that's about it.
But when you say my father-in-law is dying of cancer, it turns so f'king personal and becomes near to impossible to digest in even the smallest bite. The doctors say he will not see Thanksgiving or Christmas. As far as I can think, there's no way to rationally take that in. Someone close to me is going to disappear soon from all these lives and all we can do is say goodbye.
I know people die. It happens every day. Life goes on. And all that bullshit. But in the meantime, when you're in this space of having to be a spectator in a relatives slow demise, it really rips your heart apart. It's not just watching my father-in-law, but my wife, my mother-in-law and my brother-in-law going through this.
Writer-self aside, no pretty words: this sucks.
Gary . . .
4 comments | post a comment
Hi all,
If you're around Sunday night, April 26, stop over here: http://writerschatroom.com/ at 7pm EST and say hello. Just follow the "Enter Chatroom" link to the chat. I'll be talking about writing, the first two books, the next book, and who knows what. Bring questions and we'll have some fun. And one lucky person will win an autographed copy of Institutional Memory.
Gary . . .
post a comment
Another day like any other day and there are people starving in the world. Thousands of them. Did you know that a child dies from hunger-related illnesses every five seconds? Go ahead. Count. 1…2…3…4…5. There's one. Every five seconds.
Concern Worldwide is a non-governmental, international, humanitarian organization dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world's poorest countries.
To that end, they hold a hunger fun run/walk in Central Park every year in April. This year, I'll be taking part in the event to raise money for Concern Worldwide and their American affiliate, Concern USA. My wife, Nancy, and my friend, Jim, and I have formed a team, Running Down a Dream, and we'll be walking (or slowly running) the 4 miles through Central Park to raise money and awareness of this organization and the great work they do.
The economy hasn't made giving very easy and no one expects anyone to give a lot. But even if you donate one dollar, it's something. If you can give more, $5, $10, $20 or even $50, that'll go a long way to helping Concern Worldwide continue their mission throughout the world.
We're all on this planet to help each other, to make a difference, to do something greater than what we believe we're capable of. We can end hunger and the suffering going on around the world. We just need to reach out and give a little.
Thank you in advance for any donation you can afford. Please pass this letter and these links to everyone you know and together we can end hunger.
Thank you for your time. We now return you to your normally scheduled reading.
Peace,
Gary . . .
If you'd like to join our team, you can get more information on the Hunger Fun Run/Walk here: http://www.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=300411&lis=1&kntae300411=B6A7355186154948AB4CC5CB59EBF2ED
My personal donation page is https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=300411&supId=249486512
Information on Concern Worldwide (USA) can be found here:
http://www.kintera.org/faf/help/helpAboutOrg.asp?ievent=300411&lis=1&kntae300411=38E36040B0B145598A361D6AB334A857
Concern Worldwide's website: http://www.concernusa.org/
post a comment
| Date: | 2009-03-17 10:19 |
| Subject: | Something New! |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: | amused | | Music: | Solomon Burke: Don't Give Up On Me |
According to Tower.com's sales ranking, Institutional Memory is number 186 on the Top 100 Erotica - Lesbian list! Now that's awesome. I may have to reread the book to find those scenes that I don't remember putting in there, but I'll take the ranking!
Gary . . .
3 comments | post a comment
| Date: | 2009-03-09 13:34 |
| Subject: | |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: | amused | | Music: | Dead Can Dance: Dead Can Dance |
Another day like any other day and there are people starving in the world. Thousands of them. Did you know that a child dies from hunger-related illnesses every five seconds? Go ahead. Count. 1…2…3…4…5. There's one. Every five seconds.
My friend Jim brought an important organization, Concern Worldwide, to my attention. This group is a non-governmental, international, humanitarian organization dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world's poorest countries.
To that end, they hold a hunger fun run/walk in Central Park every year in April. The difference this year is that I'll be taking part in this event to raise money for Concern Worldwide and their American affiliate, Concern USA. Nancy, Jim, and I have formed a team, Running Down a Dream and we'll be walking (or slowly running) the 4 miles through Central Park to raise money and awareness of this organization and the great work they do.
The economy hasn't made giving very easy and no one expects anyone to give a lot. But even if you donate one dollar, it's something. If you can give more, $5, $10, $20 or even $50, that would go a long way to helping Concern Worldwide continue their mission throughout the world.
We're all on this planet to help each other, to make a difference, to do something greater than what we believe we're capable of. We can end hunger and the suffering going on around the world. We just need to reach out and give a little.
Thank you in advance for any donation you can afford. Please pass this letter and these links to everyone you know and together we can end hunger.
Thank you for your time. We now return you to your normally scheduled reading.
Peace,
Gary . . .
For more information on Concern USA: http://www.concernusa.org/
If you'd like to join our team or for more information on the Hunger Fun/Walk
My Personal Donation Page
1 comment | post a comment
| Date: | 2009-02-19 21:21 |
| Subject: | Prayer Request |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: | sad | | Music: | None |
Hello everyone
We received some very upsetting news this evening. My father-in-Law has been told he has metastatic cancer and they are in the process of finding the primary site. They think it may be lung cancer that spread to his abdomen. I am asking for prayers for his healing and for strength to weather this storm.
Additional prayers are needed as well for my step mother, Mary, who had healed from her breast cancer last year and now she is being worked up for leg pain that is either a fracture or a tumor.
Thank you.
Gary . . .
P.S.: Apologies to anyone who already received this from Nancy
4 comments | post a comment
Why is it, when a musician goes independent and puts out a CD on a small label (or their own), their hailed as champions of freedom of music, bucking the system and doing what they want.
But when a writer goes independent and puts out a book from a self-pub or POD press, they're looked at as ... well, not a champion of anything.
Just, you know, wonderin' aloud.
Gary . . .
P.S.: Anyone know what band the subject (Wonderin' Aloud) is from?
6 comments | post a comment
| Date: | 2009-01-19 00:01 |
| Subject: | News of the World |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: | complacent | | Music: | iTunes "Party Shuffle": Styx: Number One |
With apologies to any Baltimore Ravens fans...
The Pittsburgh Steelers are now the AFC division champions and will go to the Superbowl to play... the Arizona Cardinals? Hey, you Giants fans happy that Arizona beat the Eagles?
So Ken Whisenhut, former offensive coordinator for the Steelers, gets to see his old team from the other side of the field. Irony's pretty ironic, isn't it? I feel bad for the Cardinals. To come all this way, make it to the Superbowl for the first time ever, only to inevitably lose to a superior team. Sigh.
My third novel, Fallen Angels, is in the revision stage. Nancy thinks it'll be completely done in two months, but we'll see how much rewriting it needs. I saw a movie the other night which inspired me to change the race of beings from what they are to what they will be (makes sense, huh?), hence a good chunk will need to be rewritten.
What's Fallen Angels about? Two homeless people who meet up with this gent who tries convincing them they he's an angel and they are as well and he needs their help in a battle against an evil that will devour humanity. It's potentially the first book in a series called The Eastham Chronicles that take place in the fictional (and bizarre) town of Eastham, NJ.
Speaking of movies, if you're into dark fantasy, horror, or very imagistic movies, check out the Pang Brothers Re-Cycle. A great movie with deep meaning. It's much more than just a standard horror flick.
In other writing news, my gig as president of the Garden State Horror Writers is over and done and now I can join the ranks of the civilians once again. I don't mean the non-writing folk that writers call civilians, I'm mean the non-GSHW board folk.
I heard about another writers group, the Liberty States Writers Group, that meets in Edison and I'm thinking to check them out. They seem to be mostly romance (that's how their website looks to me) but they say they're a multi-genre writing organization (sound familiar?). So what the heck, right?
I'm once again looking forward to the Seton Hill Writers' Retreat coming in June. I had a great time last year and I can't wait to go again. Necon's on my radar, but at $400 a person, paid upfront in full, I'm trying to wangle that kind of cash out of my monthly income and this year it's not as easy as it's been. Of course I'm a little more financially conscious now, so it may just be that we couldn't have done it in previous years and I just didn't care.
On the adoption front, we're with Holt International, a new agency, after Seedlings had to close due to the Hague Conference's financial requirements. We've been on this path for over three years (just with seedlings) and longer for the entire adoption process that began with a failed domestic adoption back in 2004. Fingers crossed that China will speed up their processing dossiers and we'll be on our way.
Sales for Institutional Memory are...unknown. As much as I'd love to tell you it's going great, I really have no idea.
That's about it. I should be writing, so I'll say good night and talk to y'all soon.
Peace,
Gary . . .
P.S.: Not entirely edited for missing words.
3 comments | post a comment
| Date: | 2009-01-04 21:23 |
| Subject: | Letting Go |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: | contemplative | | Music: | iTunes Party Shuffle |
Here's a question to ponder: What can you let go of that you've been dragging around for years that will make 2009 an awesome year?
Regrets? Toxic relationships? Past failures? Grudges? Broken heart? Negative attitudes?
The hardest thing for me to let go of is my Ego's demand for perfection. Being human is not good enough. If I'm not perfect, then I've failed. It's my Ego driven ideal that keeps me insane.
This isn't just about being perfect in little things. This seeps insidiously into my creative life. If I can't write the perfect story, then why bother? No need to comment on that question; it's rhetorical. I know the answer. Perfection isn't realistic nor is it spiritual. It comes from a belief system created years back and perpetuated through the years until it's what I believe as "truth" when I know it's not.
But letting go of perfection? That is real hard. Who wants to look foolish? Better to be perfect in a small life than foolish in a wide life. But that leads to narrow living, squeezing all the adventure and discovery out of life in lieu of being perfect. See how that works? If you truly Live life then inevitably, you're going to make mistakes. If you push the envelope of your own existence by learning new things, by doing new things, by (gasp!) risking, then you're bound to misstep, bound to make a wrong turn, bound to be...what's the word...oh yes...Human. Wouldn't that be terrible.
So back to the question: What can you let go of that will make you happier, more joyous, more spiritual, more positive. What will make 2009 an awesome year?
Wayne Dyer said, "With God, all things are possible." That doesn't leave much not working out.
Happy new year, everyone.
Peace,
Gary . . .
5 comments | post a comment
| Date: | 2008-11-26 20:48 |
| Subject: | Happy Thanksgiving! |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: |  tired | | Music: | iTunes 2007 Anthology |
Hi all,
Remember me? it's been a while and all that.
I want to wish everyone a happy and joyous Thanksgiving. Don't forget to take time for gratitude and remember what you're thankful for. Sure we can easily remember all the crap and all the bad things that happen to us, but there are good things as well. Whether it's a smile from a stranger, an unexpected phone call with good news, or just a sunny day, we need to be grateful for these things and hold on to them so that when darker days happen, we can know that there will be good vibes at any moment.
Peace,
Gary . . .
2 comments | post a comment
Hi all,
Suddenly, it dawned on me that I should share with all of you my upcoming book tour. I'll be selling Forever Will You Suffer, Institutional Memory, and Dark Territories, the new Garden State Horror Writers anthology that I co-edited with Mary SanGiovanni. The anthology will only available at the Halloween Haunted Attraction and the Montclair Library event. If you have any questions, please let me know. Otherwise, I'll see ya out on the road!
Have a Gruesome and safe Halloween!
Gary . . .
October 24th & 25th, 2008
Halloween Haunted Attraction
8pm – 1am
Depiero's Country Farm
300 Grand Ave.
Montvale, NJ
http://www.night-mares.com/
Also appearing: Friday: Neil Morris, JG Faherty, Hildy Silverman, Eileen Watkins. Saturday: Brian Pedersen, Ed Greaves, and Mary SanGiovanni (tentative)
Saturday, October 25th, 2008
Borders Books
2pm – 5pm
Garden State Plaza, Suite 2200
Paramus, NJ
(201) 712-1166
Tuesday, October 28th, 2008
Montclair Public Library
7pm – 9pm
50 South Fullerton Ave.
Montclair, NJ
(973) 744-0500
http://www.montlib.com/
Also appearing: Peter Gutierrez, Mary Sangiovanni, Brian Pedersen, Meghan Knierim, Hildy Silverman, Rob Hauschild, and Dennis Seuling
Friday, November 7th, 2008
Doylestown Bookshop
7pm – 9pm
16 S. Main St.
Doylestown, PA
(215) 230-7610
http://www.doylestownbookshop.com
Saturday, November 8th, 2008
Borders Books
2pm – 4pm
52 Route 23 North
Riverdale, NJ
(973) 831-6670
8 comments | post a comment
What's fascinating about modern society and culture is our need/desire to share with complete strangers our breakdowns, our hopes, and our successes. As much as one keeps a private journal, it's not quite as satisfying as coming here and letting everyone know what's going on. I know more about people from their blog posts on LJ and MySpace then I do from talking to them.
Here are some other things I realized today.
I've become an agnostic. Since our adoption fell through back in November 2004, God and I haven't been on good terms and the more I try to say Yes, there is a loving God, the more I think I'm lying to myself. Marianne Williamson tells me that God wants the best for me. So, good for me, but what about the hungry, the poor, the people out in Darfur, Sudan? The heck with them? I just have a hard time buying a loving God that loves everyone, even if it means letting them die at the hands of mercenaries.
Everything I think and feel right now, including my apathy and lethargy are directly tied into the job I've had for the last 9 years. It's hard to be passionate when the folks I've worked with are content to exist without truly living. This includes such questions as:
What's the point?
Why bother?
Who cares anyway?
What difference will it make?
As you've read here before, how does one maintain their own passion in a place devoid of such?
Nothing in the store window will make me happier. Nothing in the catalog will make me a better person. Merchandise will clutter, yet rarely enhance, my life. But I am drawn to purchase because a thing has the potential to make me feel better, albeit for a limited time, at which point it should be recycled/regifted away. But I am a packrat, so I accumulate. I have a to-be-read room. I have magazine boxes filled with unread magazines. I have DVDs still wrapped in plastic. The only thing I consume immediately are CDs, which are easy enough to consume. You put them in the player and be on your way. No need to spend hours watching or reading or playing. You just listen. Everything else is just tinsel for my life.
I don't know how to get out of where I am. The downward spiral keeps going and tomorrow will be the same as today. Get up. Work. Come home. Eat. Pretend anything I do for 4 hours matters. Go to sleep. Repeat until death.
I feel so f'n joyful.
Gary . . .
4 comments | post a comment
Sad news about Richard wright, one of the founding members of Pink Floyd, passing away today.
From the Associated Press
LONDON - A Pink Floyd spokesman says founding member Richard Wright has died. He was 65.
Wright died Monday after a battle with cancer at his home in Britain. His family did not want to give more details about his death. The spokesman is Doug Wright, who is not related to the artist.
Richard Wright met Pink Floyd members Roger Waters and Nick Mason at college and joined their early band Sigma 6.
Sigma 6 eventually became Pink Floyd and Wright wrote and sang some of the band's key songs. He wrote "The Great Gig In The Sky" and "Us And Them" from Pink Floyd's 1973 "The Dark Side Of The Moon."
He left the group in the early 1980s to form his own band but rejoined Pink Floyd for their 1987 album "A Momentary Lapse of Reason."
3 comments | post a comment
| Date: | 2008-09-13 00:51 |
| Subject: | A Friend's Blog |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: | pleased | | Music: | Silence |
A friend of mine and a friend of his have started a new blog called Progressive Gumbo and you can find it here: http://progressivegumbo.blogspot.com/
The taglines (so he tells me) are:
A hearty bowl of wit, wisdom, news, and reviews
A blog that's almost perfect but that it leans gently to the left
Spread the word; tell your friends, go and see for yourself. Right now it's a bit political and Ed has a lot to say, but I'm sure once the blog gets rolling and JC starts posting more, it'll all balance out.
Peace,
Gary . . .
1 comment | post a comment
|
|
|
|
|
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
garyfrank's journal
aggravated