Proof of Life Post

I’ve never liked it when I read someone’s blog and the first thing the blogger says is “Sorry I haven’t posted in so long.” I always think, Don’t apologize! Life happens, it can be a lot. Post when you can.

So I won’t apologize, but…It’s been a hot minute since I’ve posted anything, so I thought I’d put out a “proof of life” post, so to speak. For the few devoted BOJ readers out there who may actually wonder what I’ve been up to, let me catch you up:

I’m still working on the novel that was returned to me by my (former) publisher. To recap, I had changed the book to be strictly from the protagonist’s POV—at my (former) editor’s request—but have reintegrated two other character’s POVs, for two reasons: the book was super short, and it changed the tone of the book too much for my liking. Don’t get me wrong, it definitely sped up the pacing. If I ever write a more straight ahead, pulse-pounding thriller, I believe that’s the approach I’d take. But that’s the thing—this book isn’t a straight ahead, pulse-pounding thriller. I’d like to think it has its fair share of suspense, but it’s…odd. Offbeat, let’s say. Many of the characters are not exceptionally bright, make poor choices, and provide some levity to the otherwise dark plot. I would never consider myself to be in his league, but the book was heavily inspired by many of Elmore Leonard’s books, particularly books like The Switch and Swag.

I’m also adding some extra scenes for a romantic relationship that is really only mentioned in passing in the book, plus background on another character. As it stands, the book barely clears the 60k word mark, and I’d like to see if I can get it closer to 70k, which is pretty much the standard for crime novels. Once I’m finished revising and rewriting, I’ll have a big choice to make as to how to proceed—but I’ll save that for my next post (which I promise will be sooner than the next six months).

One of my new year’s resolutions was to get back to reading more, and I’ve done good at keeping that one! The last book I finished was Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica, and let me tell you, that book is awesome. If you’re not a horror fan you might be unprepared for some of the gore and horrific acts in the book, but in my opinion its worth checking out anyway. It’s about a world where a virus has rendered animal meat fatal to humans, and the majority of the world’s governments have adapted to legal, industrialized cannibalism. All the slaughterhouses that used to be for beef and pork are now processing “special” meat. The language in the book is so precise, the word choice so careful, that it manipulates you in ways you don’t understand until you finish it. The last couple pages (and especially the last line) are like a punch to the gut. Absolutely incredible.

I’m hoping to finish edits on my book in the next week or two, and then I have to decide what to make my new Work In Progress. If you’re out there writing/rewriting/editing too, keep it up!