Obliging the Readers...

It seems that my email bin is getting thick with questions, so I thought I would answer some of them in this space.

1. Are you really from the Golden Triangle area in S.E. Texas?
Yes.  Born and raised in the Groves area although I have moved around since.

2. Why are you so secretive about your identity?
I don't think of it as being "secretive," but I am a very private person.

3. Is the main character in your novel real?
Nicholas and his story are completely from my imagination.  I've been thinking about his story/plot line for several years, so I got to know him and his pain very well.  In fact, when I was fleshing out Nicholas's personality, I wrote down some questions that I would ask him if he were a real person.  Being able to imagine his answers only helped me to delve further into his psyche.  I've had other authors ask me the same question after reading the book and I think my quirky way of fleshing out characters helped to make Nicholas and his family seem real.

4. What do you want people to take away from this book?
Everyone has their burden to carry and each person will deal with that load in various ways.  I want people to know that spirituality and religion doesn't come in a nice, neat package, so don't assume there is only one way up the mountain.  Spirituality should be all inclusive, not divisive.

5. What is your favorite part of the novel?
I have several and I don't want to give the plot away so I'll try to answer this without being a spoiler. I love the relationships Nicholas develops with certain characters in the book.  For instance,  I love the relationship between Nicholas and Greasy Adam. He steps into a big brother's role somewhat carelessly for Nick. Yet, he fills that vacant role well.

I love the way Nick's co-workers become his family. Every last one of them are odd ducks, yet they find each other and you can feel their bond.  I love the way Charley and Nick connect.  The trust they have with each other is amazing considering the path they each traveled before finding one another.

I wrote this book hoping the reader would be able to envision the characters and action.  Those are the best kind of books.
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Now, if YOU have questions that you would like me answer, don't be shy! Contact me at authorjrstone@aol.com and ask away.  By the way, if you've read the novel, do me a favor and post a review on amazon, will ya? 

JRS

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

Purchase YOUR copy of My Novel HERE with a 30% discount while they last!

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Well without further adieu; You can now purchase a pre-sale book right here:   Coming to Amazon & other retailers soon.

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Do me a favor will ya?  Post a review for me.  Or, just write me here and let me know what you thought of it.  Be looking for more news about my novel soon!

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