Catching up with myself

Maybe it's the old newspaper reporter/editor in me, but I pride myself on making deadlines. Imagine my shock and dismay when I opened my OWN blog today to add a post and read that my last entry was back in October!

I could say there hasn't been much to report, but then I'd be lying. Well, as a writer of fiction, I guess I could be expected to lie ... a little. Truth is, I've been very busy. I finished out a wonderful semester of college teaching, and I landed a marketing communications position with a community college in Pennsylvania. Mind you, I'm in North Carolina. I knew that some day, this "virtual" work world would really, well, work out. It has finally happened, and I'm thrilled. I work remotely for HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College, on a part-time basis. This schedule leaves time for family, travel, and writing.

Speaking of which, I have two things in the works now. The first is a novel titled, Deceived. This is story I wrote years ago, but was warned off from seeking publishing because the it is based on a true story, only slightly fictionalized (you could say it's "Faction"). At the time I wrote it, I was warned that someone could get killed for it ... perhaps even me. I dug deep. I researched. I waited. And then, like all novelists do to a certain extent, I lied. I think enough time has passed, and I've rewritten it substantially, so it's now more fiction and less facts. It's being edited now. I'll keep you posted on its release date.

The second story is much less controversial. It's a true story about a young man who made a very difficult decision at the age of 16. After a car wreck mangled him and killed his stepfather, this young man told a surgeon to amputate his crushed and useless leg. What he did after that decision was life-altering and awe-inspiring. I don't think anyone will object to this story. In fact, I hope many will look at Justin Webb as the hero he is becoming. More to come!  

50 Shades ... E-book to Sensation

I love to read stories of successful authors. So when I read a piece about the author of 50 Shades of Grey, I had to delve deeper. This book has become a best-selling phenomenon, and the buzz is appearing in uncommon places. Have you read this book? If so, what about this book hooked your interest?

The Pirate's Bastard is getting a facelift

We should all be so lucky. 

I mean about getting facelifts of the non-surgical kind. The Pirate's Bastard, my debut novel, is going to get a new cover and a new look (plus a thorough editing) when it is reprinted in May. Originally released in 2010, the book has garnered award nominations and wonderful reviews; but still, I wasn't entirely pleased with the presentation of a story that took me six years to research and write. It also has international distribution now, something that was unavailable by the first publisher of the book. If you're looking for something fun to read this summer, I invite you to look for the new-and-improved version of The Pirate's Bastard coming out in May. It will still be available for e-readers of every kind as well as in paperback version from my new publisher, Broad Creek Press.

Debut Novel, released October, 2010:The Pirate’s Bastard

Reading lists aren’t complete without one good pirate story. This book fits the bill perfectly. It’s titled The Pirate’s Bastard, and it is the debut novel by North Carolina writer Laura S. Wharton.

Set primarily in coastal North Carolina in the 1700s, this story follows Edward Marshall on his mission to free himself of his past while weaving fact and fiction about the coast’s rich boat-building heritage and social mores of colonial life. When Edward sets sail for the Caribbean islands, a high-stakes battle at sea changes his life’s course, and forces him to confront his heritage – and his dead father’s choices.

Exciting: First Review of Children's Book is Positive

There's a certain nervousness I feel when I hunt for reviews of books -- maybe all authors feel that sense of insecurity.

I was especially nervous, because Mystery at the Lake House was my first children's book. I co-wrote it with my son, making an impression on him at least. He now wants to write one all by himself. (His summer project, he assures me. Good thing, because school, karate, and homework tend to take up most weeknights, and now that it's warmer, I have the anywhere-but-here syndrome on the weekends. I truly need to live at the coast, given the ever increasing cost of gas!)

Fortunately, I shouldn't have worried with this first one that's out now. The review is positive, so I guess that means we're off to a good start with the series. You can read it here, if you like.

Ahoy, sailors: Children's Mystery about to be released!

In just two weeks, I'll have entered the realm of children's book author. My first book for readers ages 8-12 is Mystery at the Lake House #1: Monsters Below, and I wrote the book with my 10-year-old son to encourage his writing skills. He is a natural at telling stories. I suppose all kids are. Oh, dear. What have I gotten myself into, I wonder?

My goal with this series is to encourage young readers to think about adventures (and mysteries) in a new way. Adventures don't have to be BIG, and mysteries don't have to be SCARY. In each book, the three characters solve a simple mystery without gadgets, but by using their own abilities (the minds of children can be so much more advanced in these matters if we adults let them find the answers). They each grow in little ways through the course of the story, and most of all, they have fun.

The first book involves a sailboat. Hey, I'm a sailor. To me, enjoying childhood is about being OUTSIDE and exploring ... at least it used to be safe to do that. Today, for some children, it may not be so. I learned to sail as a child, and I'm sure there are lots of you sailors will concur that the excitement, joy, and rush of sailing is an adventure all unto itself. For those of you sailors who have a passion for encouraging the sport among children, this might be a good title to try. I'd appreciate feedback, too. As soon as I have a link to Amazon (it's available on all e-readers and in paperback form, and will be available for the asking at any brick-and-mortar store, too), I'll post it and twitter it and release it wide and far.

We have another story, the second in the series titled, The Mermaid's Tail. A professional mermaid is helping me build a background for her character, and we're going to have a lot of fun with the book's play on words (and title). More on that one in another post.

Happy reading, happy sailing.

Go Indie!

See the cute little fish bowl on the right of the blog? If you click on it, you'll see all the independent bookstores around the south! Please support them when you want to buy books and gifts. My own books, Leaving Lukens and The Pirate's Bastard, can be found in a few of them (I'd love all of them to carry my books, too!) Thanks!

Leaving Lukens made a List!

My novel, Leaving Lukens, made a reviewer's top ten list of best books read this year! I'm honored and humbled!

From New York Reviewer Fran Lewis
My picks for 2011: Here are my first ten picks for this year. I have read and finally tallied up over 500 books in two years. So, for those of us that do reviews for the joy of reading learning from others these are my first ten:
IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER:

Stovepipe: Bonnie Virag
Signs of War: Gerard de Marigny
... A Quiet Vendetta: R.J. Roger Jon Ellory
Bad Signs: R.J. Ellory
Agent of Artifice :S Evan Townsend
Leaving Lukens : Laura Wharton
Red Hat Club: Haywood Smith
Silent Girl: Tess Gerritsen
Helpless soon to be released by Daniel Michael Palmer
Bone Rattler: Eliot Pattison
The 29 author J.M. Rob Richardson

YA books
The Calling of the Flute: Fran Orenstein
Kaptain Vamp;Joanne Lecuyer
just because I think they are great: A Fish Named Ed: Sam Oliver
Come Back to Me: Melissa Foster

Interesting article in Wall Street Journal

It can be done. Says so, right here.

A self-published author of an e-book (no hard copy) wanted to test the waters with her work. Seems like the water was just fine for her. Surely there's a tip or two in here for the rest of us. Leaving Lukens is available for e-book readers as well as in paperback, and so far, the response from reviewers and readers alike is positive, wonderful "better than your first" kind of stuff.

Now, if you haven't finished all your Christmas shopping yet, I invite you to try out a low-cost option, and buy my e-book (Leaving Lukens) for your favorite person -- or yourself. I'd be happy to autograph a paperback copy, but if Kindle's your thing, go for it. Please, and Thank You. 

Work in Progress: Mystery for Children

I love telling stories of all kinds. I especially love telling stories to my nine-year-old son. So when he asked me to write a book with him for children about children after Leaving Lukens was released, the wheels started turning. He helped me come up with traits for each character, developing each person's background, habits, reasons for acting, likes, fears, etc., until each character seems real enough to touch and talk to like a real child. I expected my son could have fun developing the storyline with me as we went along.

What I didn't expect was that these well-developed characters would "talk" so soon to me. They each have peculiarities we didn't plan, and yet they are as natural as a next door neighbor's kid can be. Putting enough twists and turns into a plot to keep the story interesting (without being too gimmicky) is fun for my son, too -- he's learning not to be too obvious so the clues can unfold one at a time.

I applaud his desire to help with the story, though I wonder if what I'm teaching him will come back to haunt me later when he's making up an alibi for staying out too late one night. I guess we all get to learn it somehow.

Giving Thanks Continues Well Past Turkey Day

Even though the big day with too much food and wonderful time with family has passed, I'm still giving thanks for the many good things going on in life now. It doesn't take much effort to look around and see what's good, what's real, what's true. For instance, we've spent a glorious weekend outside (working on a never-ending pile of leaves), and had warming fires in the evenings. Good books are all around us here at home, and funny stories told at last week'sTellabration still make us giggle.

December is looming with all manner of activities including two book signing events for Leaving Lukens before Christmas (hint: I'll even gift wrap your book purchases), and book sales are starting to show on sites like Amazon.com (e-books are outselling the paperback copies, for those of you hold-it-in-my-hands book lovers who want to even up the score). I can't wait to see what's in store for the new year!

'Tis the Season

With holidays quickly approaching, opportunities abound for writers and readers to come together. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to participate in a Holiday Shop Stop at my local community center. I brought books to sell. others brought jewelry, Pampered Chef, and other represented merchandise.

The day went quickly with a number of people stopping in the see what I had..."you wrote these?"  What a great opportunity to tell others not only of my books, but of North Carolina's coastal history! Yeah, I sold some books!

Next up: Speaking/signing at our fabulous regional history museum during Autumn Leaves Festival (Friday, October 14, 3-5 p.m.). If you're in town, stop by and say hello!

In November, I'm off to New Bern/Oriental for signing/book selling (and a little bit of run).

Then, December 11 will be my official book launch party at Trios Restaurant in Mount Airy (2-5:00 p.m.) -- come celebrate with me! December 17 I'll be in Winston-Salem for a signing at Barnhill's Books on Burke Street. If you need to do some holiday shopping, this is a great place to do it! Wine, books, and other neat gifts await!

'Tis the season for shopping! Enjoy!

Children make a wonderful audience

I had the opportunity to speak to the fourth grade at MCA this week -- what a creative group of children!
http://www.mtairynews.com/view/full_story/15449636/article-Wharton-leads-students-on-writer%E2%80%99s-journey?instance=secondary_stories_left_column

Leaving Lukens Advance Review Copies Mailed

We're getting to the fun -- if not slow -- part of book promotions: asking for reviews that might hopefully help promote and sell Leaving Lukens. I am so pleased with the way the book looks. I've been blessed with an excellent editing and design team. We'll see if the reviewers agree with me!

Leaving Lukens Finished

Well, at least the very rough draft of the manuscript is. It took me six months to write -- far better than the six years it took to research and write The Pirate's Bastard. (What a relief!)

The story took a few unexpected turns, and I am quite pleased with the work. The story is a bit of a roller coaster ride of an adventure tale. There's a bit of a love story woven in, too, for readers who like to see how relationships develop -- or don't.  There's an element of mystery, but not in the traditional sense. I wasn't meaning for it to be a mystery. Honestly, I don't know what I intended with this one, other than to tell a good story. That's what I think it is -- a good story set in 1942 coastal North Carolina.

New Bern and Oriental figure prominently, and I hope I've caught the essence of what these wonderful towns were like in 1942. Because New Bern is such an incredibly rich town in terms of history, information is abundant about what it might have been like back then. Oriental has always had a uniqueness about it -- and that continues today.

Special thanks go to the owner the The Bean in Oriental. He's allowing me to use an image of his delightful coffee shop on the cover as part of a design element. Other places in Oriental are mentioned as well, like Steamers, a great restaurant there. I look forward to enjoying the quiet quirkiness of Oriental in the future. 

That won't be today, though. I'm heading in the opposite direction for a book signing tomorrow in Banner Elk at the Banner Elk Winery. Author and friend Mary Flinn has invited me to this event, and I'm so grateful to be included. I only have a few copies of The Pirate's Bastard left in my "signing" stock -- wonder how many I'll come home with after this event?

Sailing New Bern

Sailing New Bern -- well, the Pamilco. We had a blast touring New Bern this weekend, including a sail with Captain Malinda aboard her 43' center-cockpit Irwin. We were trying to get a decent photo of me for the back cover of my new book, Leaving Lukens (due out this summer), but I decided I didn't like any we took -- I was squiting into the sun without sunglasses, and with -- well, you can see what I mean. Anyway, we had a great time! Also, I had a book signing at the Hanna House Bed and Breakfast. This is the only place I will stay in New Bern!

Local Paper Covers Book - Nice Article

Well, I finally made the lifestyles section of the Mount Airy News. The article is a profile of my work at Habitat as well, so there is a mix of information. The author did a nice job tying it all together, though I had hoped he would have included my website or at least the local bookstore's name where the book could be purchased, but the angle of where I work seemed to take first place. Oh well. It's publicity.

I've not blogged in awhile, primarily because of my nutty work schedule as of late. The good news is that I hope to see my work hours get to the "normal" range after this week passes, and then I can get back to blogging, promoting, and writing my book. Speaking of which, I've had more great reviews of The Pirate's Bastard, and I've hit nearly 30,000 words of the work in progress. The working title is Leaving Lukens, and I really like the storyline so far. I'll tell you more about it later, but I have so little time to write this week, so I'm going to get to it!

Memories of place gone by

My son has taken a liking to Star Wars. He was so surprised to learn that when I was a kid of 15 or so, I piled into a Toyota Corolla with eight or so friends and we dashed for the downtown theater in Annapolis to see the opening night of Star Wars. It was an event not to be missed.

Now, I've never been a Star Trek fan, and am not really that into SciFi these days; but back then, Star Wars was a major happening, something akin to a Harry Potter release these days, I suppose. The funny thing is, I don't recall the sequels (Clone Wars) having as much fan fare as the sequels to Harry Potter's introduction. Or perhaps I'm not paying attention, anymore.

With an exhausting amount of Lego's around the house, my son can build anything he's seen in books, movies, and life. So, put Star Wars and Lego's together, and you have any number of sand cruisers, star ships, R2D2s, and dashing characters vying for attention. He is saving his money for a $72 kit to build ... Darth Vader's Death Star.

Ah, the days of childhood.

Book signing at Tellabration the best so far

Back when I was single, the prospect of going to the library on a Saturday night was NOT a good thing...it wasn't cool, it wasn't hip, and it certainly wasn't a way to attract a date worth having.

I must be getting old.

I had a great time at the library Saturday night! Real fun, listening to very talented story tellers spin their webs and catching the fully packed audience in their webs of laughter or suspense. Add to that the selling of nine books, and lots of friends, and you can see why it was wonderful to be part of the Tellabration! I encourage everyone who loves a good story (or six) to attend next year.
http://www.mtairynews.com/view/full_story/10398265/article-Tellabration--draws-record-crowd?instance=secondary_stories_left_column

TELLabration coming this weekend

On Saturday, November 20 at 7:00 p.m., I'll be part of a national event called TELLabration. The cool part is I'll be included from the comfortable surroundings of my local library in Mount Airy. There will be story tellers from the community to round out a night of good tales. This is the first time I've been involved in such an event, so I'm really looking forward to it. Join us for the fun!

A little birdie told me ...

At my book signing in Elizabeth City at Page after Page, one of the lovely young sales people (who is also a writer-- imagine that) asked if I was on Twitter, and I am sure I had a deer-in-the-headlights look about me. So it's come to this, I thought. Ellie had to explain a bit more about what it is and how helpful it is to writers, and I've taken her word for it. I signed up for an account.

As I enter the world of tweeting on Twitter, I marvel at some of the tweets others post. From links to articles (done that) to not-so-stirring reports of what was for dinner, I'm wondering where the happy middle ground is. Twitter is supposed to be a fast way to communicate with others what's happening in a little corner of the world; but how much is too much?

My Dad told me that it was never a good idea to open the kimono too soon when I was younger. My natural tendency is to talk, talk, talk and tell, tell, tell. How boring that must be for anyone (everyone?) around me. Writing, then, is a great channeling mechanism for someone like me. His advice also forced me to become a better listener and observer. One never knows where the story will come from, after all.

Now Twitter is presenting another option. Tell all you want ... in 140 characters. What to tell is the question. I'll keep you posted on how I resolve exactly how far to open the kimono on Twitter.