Bullied

I used to think that I was the only kid that had been bullied when I was growing up.  As time passes, most "odd ducks" realize that they were not the only ones.

I often wonder what drives someone to become a bully?  Insecurity? False sense of superiority? I don't know and I suppose I'll never know.  All I know is that I've seen, experienced and read about some really horrible accounts of those who were bullied and it's enough to bring you to your knees at times.

My own account of bullying began early.  It's the primary reason I hated school as badly as I did.  Every day was a struggle to get up and face my opponents.  While I experienced a garden variety of bullying tactics, none hurt as badly as when my school was adorned with graffiti that was directed directly at me.  There's something about seeing words on display that were written with the intent to hurt and demean.

Thank God, I wasn't pushed to the point of ending my life over it.  I've seen the PSA's about "It Gets Better".  Yeah, it does.  But  damn, waiting for that day to come when it gets better can seem like a lifetime.  That's one of the reasons I wrote The Long Road from Perdition.  The tag line,  "The scars you can't see are the hardest to heal," ring achingly true. 

God bless the Odd Ducks.

JRS

Who IS JR Stone?

I hate that question.  I bet if you were to interview as many authors as you could (me included), you would find that one of those authors absolutely HATES interviews.  And, if you haven't figured it out by now, I am that author.

Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't want to get the word out about my latest novel.  I do.  I'm just not sure that I have enough charisma to tempt the potential reader into reading my book.  Every author feels like they have written the best novel in the market and I'm no different.  I want to read feedback from readers and see it reviewed in the newspapers and magazines.  The only problem is that in order to do that, the author has to put him or herself "out there" along with their book for literary consumption.

Believe me, it's not a marketing scheme to claim the personality of being a recluse.  I am what I am.  In fact, I had a reporter from the Beaumont Enterprise approach me about an interview for the paper.  I had to level with her; I don't do face to face interviews.  I've been a writer for alot of years so it's not the fact that I'm a newbie.  I can't make myself do them anymore.  I prefer to let my writing do the talking for me.  That's why when I found authonomy.com (Harper Collins's U.K. sister site) I was so pleased to find fellow authors praising my work.  Writers are basically supportive of each other, but I was even surprised at the glowing reviews and references.

"...The scars you can't see are the hardest to heal." A book well worth reading from beginning to end. How many people can carry an unspoken burden for 23 years? Nick is a very sympathetic MC, with the brooding personality that suits his looks. I know some such . . . quite a few. Is all of this fiction? You manage to portray your characters in such a real way, I have to wonder. Very talented writer with the ability to sustain interest in the reader. Happy to have backed it and best with it."  

The written word is powerful.  Much more so than an author telling you that fact.  So, Beaumont Enterprise, if you are still interested...allow me to stay in the shadows while you expose my words to your readers.

JRS

Charley

When I decided to write my novel, there were a few characters that I had in my head that I wanted to bring to life.  One of those characters was a guy named Charley.  Granted, he is a fictional character, but he is based on someone I used to know some years ago.

The only similarities between the character in my book and the guy I used to know was the number of years that it took to completely harness his hopefulness about life in general.  You see, there was a time when "Charley" felt like he could make a difference.  There was a time when he fell in love and didn't worry about getting hurt in return.  It was just before the latter years that I wrote about Charley.

To me, he was a pure spirit.  He had his faults as we all do, but he really tried to love better than he was loved, work harder than others worked for him and sometimes, people took advantage.  It was during these times that I saw him help those down and out even though he couldn't see they were dragging him down with them.

Never mind trying to help him or warn him.  People see what they want to see.  While those who took advantage of Charley took on an ugly reflection, somehow, Charley was still able to see the beauty that had been lost long ago on these souls.  It is then that I imagined Nicholas meeting Charley.  Full of emotional baggage but able to love someone who felt totally unlovable without taking advantage.

Sometimes watching life happen is a cruel vision while being a writer can give solace to the weary.

Read about Charley in my novel.  You'll be glad you did.

JRS

Now Begins the Marketing Process...

They say the easy part is writing the book.  (I might beg to differ with that) Now, post novel, the author must bring out every nuance of their book to make it absolutely impossible to resist to their potential customers.

Easier said than done, my friends.  I've held this story close to my chest for at least 3 years.  I know the characters as if they were breathing, living human beings.  I see this book as a movie because I can see expressions of my characters, the horror of discovering the death of a loved one, living through what seems to be hell, to live and re-live trauma until you're sick of it, questioning faith, questioning sexuality, not knowing where "home" really is and finally, going through the emotional work it takes to find your way back.

The book starts with a jolt and the main character, Nicholas becomes our guide into living within a dysfunctional family and trying to find some semblance of happiness.  Sometimes we make it, sometimes we don't.  That's our challenge.

For some reason, the actor Adrien Grenier reminds me of my MC, Nicholas.  I guess he was my honorary muse.  Who knows what will happen with this novel?  The last word was written to the story, so I twittered Grenier to let him know.  I've kept him apprised of my progress all along and offered links to my work along the way.  I'm happy to say that the links were used.  Now we'll have to see where this goes.

Next post, I'll talk about "Charley", the owner of a small drag bar in New Orleans and how he revealed himself to me.

JR

Discovering another Groves, Texas author

The other day, just for the hell of it, I googled "authors from Groves, Texas."  I was expecting to see authors close to Groves, but no cigar.  Well, I was wrong.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered Mary Karr's name staring back at me.  I guess there was a pompous side of me that was convinced that no one from this little town boasted literary credentials.  Now, if you're talking musicians, the Golden Triangle is bursting at the seams with such notables as Janis Joplin, The Winter brothers, George Jones, Percy Sledge, Jerry LaCroix, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and the list goes on and on.

I have to be honest though, while it is a well-known fact that musical pioneers are plentiful in southeast Texas, I find it intriguing to find another author who knows my town like I do.  Granted, she lives in the New York area now, but now literary types have someone to look up to from our area now.  They know the stifling heat, the oil refinery as the employment of choice and that life stops for the Pecan Festival each year.  I remember picking up pecans in my family's yard so that we could sell them to pay for our taxes.  Groves is a way of life.  It just is.  I can't say that I was always happy with the type of life it presented, but my main character in my new novel knows it as well as anyone.

I'd like to get Mary Karr to review my book before it goes to print.  Maybe she'll be reminded of how it is to be from Groves and offer to do it for me.

Synopsis

Young Nicholas witnesses a horrifying scene leaving him emotionally broken only to discover, “The scars you can't see are the hardest to heal.”

Nicholas Fontenot is a precocious yet sensitive teenager who lives in an abusive home with his family. After witnessing a horrifying scene, his world is torn apart and leaves him emotionally broken. As the only witness of a grizzly crime, he is shuffled through the Foster Care system until he escapes his life of misery and abuse. Through his journey, Nicholas meets a kindred spirit in Charley, a drag queen and owner of an off the beaten path gay bar in New Orleans.  A host of colorful characters within this bar become Nicholas’ extended family.   Yet, his troubled past continues to haunt him until he is forced to leave the only happy home he has ever known .   His struggles give new meaning and insight to the thought; “The scars you can't see are the hardest to heal.” His journey is a long one, but his travels to find peace is even longer. It is through his journey that he discovers "The Long Road from Perdition." 

JRS

Glory Days on Gulfway Drive

My apologies for my extended absence from my blog.  I fell prey to the John Lennon adage, "Life happens while you're planning it."  I wonder if he realized his wisdom while he was alive? 

One thing I have noticed in my absence is that I discovered a group page on Facebook that has reunited the youth of the mid 70's in my neck of the woods.  Yes, there were teenagers galore that drove up and down Gulfway Drive in Port Arthur relentlessly in search of girls, guys, friends and any remnants of excitement they could discover.

I was one of those teenagers who "rode the drag" with my brother or with my friends searching for our next girlfriend.  At first, I wasn't impressed with the monotony of the endless back and forth cruising.  But, then again, we tuned into channel 5 on the CB radio.  Yes, the CB in those days was our mode of communication.  Think of CB's as the old "internet."

As I read the posts, I relived some of my glory days as I was catapulted back into 1976.  All of the old haunts were reminisced.  Lists of roamer of this road are listed to let others know who has left this world.  CB handles were displayed along side of their owners, revealing the person behind the persona.

I tell you, I've had the best time with this page.  Speaking of pages,  why not like mine?  Here's the link:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-JR-Stone/143787462351082.  In the meantime, I think I'll drink a Bud and listen to Boston's "More than a Feeling". 

Sigh, the good ole days.

Buddy, Can you Spare a Literary Agent?

It's no secret, I find writing novels to be a delicious experience.  However, after the last sentence is written, my brow often furrows because I know what's coming.  Reading my manuscript over and over to make sure it reads as I typed it, spellchecking, editing and tweaking.  All in the name of perfection.  Or, as close to it as I can get.

I find that process to be extremely draining as I am someone who likes to pass off the "detail" tasks to someone who thrives on proofreading and editing.  That's why I thrived as a ghostwriter in my earlier years; I would write the book and smile as I handed it off to a crackerjack editor who delved into the painstaking task of proofing and editing.  Writers, be kind to editors.  They are your friend and they earn every nickel they make!!!

This go around, I've decided to do the entire process myself.  I've written my query letter, an email intro of the book and myself and have even developed a spreadsheet of what agents I've queried.  I've just begun the literary agent process and it's just as much fun as everyone says it is (that's a sarcastic joke). 

All I have to do is query and do what drives me up the wall:  WAIT.

Growing up in the Golden Triangle

Greetings all, JR is busy tweaking his novel and working on promotion options (shhh, not supposed to tell you that). Anywho, he emailed me last evening and asked that I post something for you to read on the blog. Along with that email was an attachment, so without further adieu:

Everyone has memories of growing up in the town where they spent the majority of their youth. I have mostly bittersweet memories and I'm not sure if that is the case with everyone, but when you're an odd duck, it seems to be the norm. I wasn't most popular in school, I wasn't a "brain" or even a nerd. I was just somewhere in there amongst the crowd.

I did have a small group of like minded odd ducks that were friends of mine. That made all the difference in the world. I've heard others talk about growing up and the memories they hold and each of them are unique and resemble the type of town or city of their upbringing. To give you an idea of "My Golden Triangle" here are some one worded or phrase memories that I have:

~~~~

Pecan trees

Van Buren Elementary

Groves Jr High (formerly Woodlawn Jr High)

PN-G

Groves Golf Course

Leo & Willies

Drakes Drive-In

Drydens

Parkdale Mall

Lubys

Bruce's Supermarket

Refineries

Short Stop Convenience Store

West Groves Circle

Lamar University

Groves Kindergarten

Groves, Texas

More later regarding JR's novel, "The Long Road from Perdition"

What is it about Southeast Texas?

I've had professors tease me that only Blues singers come from this area, the rest o.d. and live their life as a memory held by others.  He was partly right.  There are ALOT of musicians from this area.  And, yes...most have a blues connection. 

I've already mentioned that Janis Joplin was our most famous resident but there are many others who have made a name for themselves.  There are also musical families that have passed the gift from father to sons and daughters to watch it glow in strength through the years.  If you grew up in the G-T area, you can only marvel at the number of talented artists that claim this area as home.  People in town use to joke that the musical bug was "in the water".  Maybe so, because there is a long list of the famous and not so famous.

Some of those artists are:  Edgar Winter, Johnny Winter, The Big Bopper, Harry James, Barbara Lynn Ozen, Blind Willie Johnson, Johnny Preston, ZZ Top, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Clay Walker, Mark Chesnutt, Wayne Toups, Jivin' Gene, George Jones, Tex Ritter, Tracy Byrd, Don (It's 5'o'clock Somewhere) Rollins, Becky Barksdale, Lisa Locke, Johnny Piggott and of course Janis Joplin.  That's just a short list.

There is something about living in this area that gives you a feel for living life in the fast lane.  It's the type of feel I tried to instill in Nicholas Fontenot's character in "The Long Road from Perdition".  Let's face it, ya gotta be tough to live in the South. 

Have a question about life here in Southeast Texas?  My new novel?  Drop me a line.  I'd love to hear from you.  I think I may listen to a little ZZ Top or maybe Edgar Winter.  Here in Texas, we just call'em neighbor.

JR Stone

Title and Look have Changed - The Story Hasn't

Call it a writer's prerogative.  After conferring with my trusted confidante', Elaine; she has convinced me to rename the novel "The Long Road from Perdition".  Truthfully, it fits the story more accurately. 

And, the cover for the last title, seemed....well, too "bright".  I was happy with it and not happy with it.  So, after creating just the right look, I think I'm satisfied.  But, the proof is in the pudding.  What do YOU think?  Take a look at the two covers and let me know if you think I made the right decision.

It all depends on which cover will entice you to read the novel.  I'm betting on the latest one.

Let me know your thoughts.



Welcome to Author JR Stone's Blog

You were thinking that JR would be writing his own blog?  Nah, that would be left to a freelancer such as myself.  It's not that he's beneath the idea of writing his own blog, it's just that...well, he's a recluse and doesn't find that much about himself to be interesting.  I, on the other hand am a freelance writer and can find something interesting about ketchup if that is what the job requires.  So, when I was contacted by his management, I thought I would go for the job since I need to pay my electric bill. 

I thought that I would be meeting JR Stone either via phone or email at least but I thought wrong.  Instead, I was given a copy of his latest novel to read that is about to go to print.  In this "interview process" I was to read the novel and tell his management truthfully what I thought about it.  Okay, you get my dilemma.  I'm all about being supportive to other writers but by the same token, I wanted this gig.  I thought it would be interesting to offer my insight regarding this writer that no one seems to know but yet they do. 

So, I picked up "The Long Road to Extradition" and began reading.  I thought the novel was a dark subject yet offered laughter along the way.  It wasn't the least bit predictable.  I cried in several spots and I laughed out loud in others.  My heart ached and I wanted to cheer for Nicholas at the end.  Oops, maybe I gave too much away.  Anyway, I wrote down what I thought and emailed it to his people and I got the job.  Don't get me wrong.  I don't gush over most authors.  But this JR Stone...he's a helluva writer.  He's the kind that when you read his book, you'll be thinking about it days after and hoping that someone makes it into a movie. 

It's like I know Nicholas (the main character) personally.  And, I'm a better person because of it.  So here's to the beginning of the launch of "The Long Road to Extradition."  Just a freelance writer giving my opinions about this author I've never met and the stories he writes. 

JR will write some posts, but he will be busy getting the novel and publicity together with his management for the most part.  In any event, I am here to keep you, the reader abreast of all things JR Stone.  Questions?  drop him a line at AuthorJRStone@AOL.com .  Or better yet, visit him on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/AuthorJRStone , Twitter:  @AuthorJRStone

Til Next Time, The Freelance Writer