Improvisations on Reality

Okay, guys, serious stuff.

There’s a website, http://www.spokeo.com that’s basically a listing of ALL your personal info, including where you live, your age, your estimated credit, etc. It’s also pretty damn accurate. Search yourself, and if you’re on it, click the Privacy link on the bottom. Follow removal instructions.

I saw this and nearly had a heart attack. The estimated credit thing is pretty creepy.  I removed myself from there successfully. Please do so.

I swear, my chasing music habit is going to be the death of me. In a good way.

At the moment, I have tropics on the brain. Tropics accompanied by the mellow sound of a flugelhorn, an alto saxophone, a well-compressed, no-reverb electric guitar… Yeah. It’s that time again. It’s cruise-booking season in the jazz world.

I’m all booked for Jammin’ in Jamaica, and just today, they announced the lineup for the 2012 Smooth Cruise. Smokey Robinson is a special guest. Tempting? You wouldn’t believe. The thing is, I can likely book this after I am done paying off Jamaica, provided that it won’t be completely sold out. I’m banking on a lot here, considering that Smooth Cruise 2010 sold out in moments and 2011 had to put up a second sailing just because cabins were going like hotcakes. 2012 also has two sailings. So, it’s still a possibility. I mean, the lineup other than that is pretty great. You have my favorites like Peter White, Jeff Golub and Boney James. Then you have Gerald Albright and Smokey Robinson.
So today I also started thinking about the Capital Jazz Cruise. Consistently, the lineup on that has been great and the ship gets packed every year. This year, my tropical destination is clear with Montego Bay. Next year, that’s what I’m hunting for: a piece of tropics and music. The lineup at Capital is inclined towards my own personal tastes: Brian Culbertson, Marion Meadows, Spyro Gyra (which, if I had a little extra change, would be an instant “Sold!!!” right there) and Chuck Loeb (also a “Sold!!!”) . So next year, that’s my destination, provided the lineup is the same.

And, of course…Berks. If I can do it again, I’ll manage it. I am pretty sure that, considering it’s again in Tax Season, I won’t be able to get away for more than the last couple days, if at all.

My battle plan for this year is laid out. I’m set with my non-destination shows; just waiting for one ticket, and that is Dave Koz. Ticketmaster was supposed to get me that, hmm…last week. Usually, it’s no issue, but I am raising an eyebrow. TM is yet to give me any trouble.

Of course, I will be doing music writeups as I go along.

And onwards I go, chasing music yet again….

K.G.

Check this out: Suite101.com article about self-publication. I give a few insights on what it was like for me to take the self-pub/print-on-demand route.

Thank you, madame!

ETA: Read Lisa Marie Basile’s blog for more insights – writing-related and others.

So, in news today, short version:

1. May blog chain topic is music (woohoo!)

and 2. ALMOST THERE with Book 4. Be patient, J.W.. Your article will come soon, for I tend to multitask as deadline approaches.

Book 4 is so close to finish that I can taste the victory drink I will have once this thing is completely done. The ending to the book is almost complete. Literally, all I will be missing by close of today will be the main battle sequence.

Now this I’m planning to take a little bit more time on. I want to actually research some WWII strategies and see if I can mirror the goings-on when I write my final battle – or at least come up with a slightly better strategy than I have in mind now. This is my true Achilles’s heel in writing; I can pace the everyday action well enough, I can pace emotions and character growth, but battles? That’s something else.
And, in keeping with AbsoluteWrite – where I really should try to become more active – I am a participant yet again in the May Blog Chain, with the topic this time turning to music.

The topic: What does your story/characters sound like?

This is phenomenal and, naturally, right up my alley. I’ve written the series to so much music of many different sorts, from silly to serious, from jazz to classical to rock. I have scenes that I’ve specifically matched to musical pieces because they fit so seamlessly that I cannot think of the music without the scene, or vice versa.

The order of the blog chain will be as follows:

Aheïla: http://thewriteaholicblog.wordpress.com/
Stefanie Gaither: http://stefanie-gaither.blogspot.com/
AuburnAssassin: http://clairegillian.wordpress.com/
xcomplex: http://arielemerald.blogspot.com
Proach: http://everythinghistorical.wordpress.com
circlexranch: http://www.whyifearclowns.com
8thSamurai: http://digitalisdreaming.blogspot.com/
vfury: http://helencorcoran.wordpress.com
CScottMorris: http://cscottmorrisbooks.com/
RavenCorinnCarluk: ravencorinncarluk.blogspot.com
Hayley E. Lavik: http://hayleyelavik.blogspot.com
FreshHell: http://freshhell.wordpress.com
My turn will be here.
DavidZahir: http://zahirblue.blogspot.com/
Aimée Laine: http://www.aimeelaine.com/writing/blog/
egoodlett: http://wordlarceny.blogspot.com/

And, of course, I will be adding authors’ blogs as I read them into a new link section, appropriately titled Fellow Authors. If you are an author in your own right and want to be listed in my enormous and amazing linkage section, just say the word. I personally love reading authors’ blogs; the insight is excellent and inspiring in its own very unique way. Love it completely.

Back to the grind for me – not relevant whether numeric or literary.

K.G.

Book 4 is coming along a lot better than I figured – and I’m glad for it. The muse bit me with a vengeance, but out of order. I’ve written the funeral scene, a couple of interspersed in-between scenes, all approaching to the big battle. Unfortunately, since that’s my Achilles’s heel, it’ll take me a while to get that together and running.

It hit me this morning on the ever-crowded commute, that I’ve not properly relaxed myself from tax season. I realized it in a pretty simple manner: I slept through three alarms. This, for me, is a mark that I’m still in the “gunnin’ it” mode; wherein I automatically gear down and fight to meet a deadline. While it makes me a star at my job, it’s no longer the time period where such gunning for the deadline is necessary.

So, what’s on the agenda? First of all, finish the Book 4 manuscript. It’s been poking me over the shoulder, saying, “Did you miss me?” for the past month and, after three scenes and 2,000 words written within 72 hours, I sure as hell can say that yes, I missed it. Secondly, get back into the gym, because if I can lose myself in motion as I used to, that’s already a good thing.

Thirdly…I don’t know, but it feels that I should take a day trip somewhere. I’m seeing the lovely Jenna regarding some cover art – and have contracted another artist for the back cover, so Book 3 will be a visual cornucopia, to say the least – but aside from all of that, I’d like to take a day trip…somewhere. Somewhere with scenery, greenery, photographic opportunities. The thing is, it’s also absolutely gross outside as of late; rain is by no means my cup of tea.

Which likely means I will be a bad Londoner…kidding.

In other news…I’ve had my April music fix, now for my May music fix. Gentlemen of the Night, with Marion Meadows and Michael Lington, was a fantastic show. Marion’s funk paired with Michael’s mellow makes for a very intricate contrast on stage. But what shall I do with May? There’s a possibility for me to attend Chick Corea on my birthday, which I just might do if I have half a chance. I’m still waiting on Ticketmaster to get me the Dave Koz ticket I ordered (this is what I get for having it regular mail…argh, hindsight), but that’s not till June.

Methinks it’s time for me to do some research on when the Cannonball train to Montauk is running. I hear the scenery’s gorgeous, but first, let’s have the sun actually stay out for more than 20 mins. It’s a start.

Plenty of musical and day-trip possibilities…just not enough time to chase them all.

K.G.

They’re HTML-formattable, to boot! So this is fantastic.

New Book 1 preview: https://www.createspace.com/Preview/1068137

New Book 2 preview: https://www.createspace.com/Preview/1068138

Also, I did switch it up quite a bit. Book 1 preview is a small scene out of Chapter 5 that’s one of my favorite, action-packed scenes out of the entire thing. Book 2 is a scene from the second chapter, one that’s a little bit more on the psychological side of things than anything else, but it’s still an interesting scene.

Please review them! I did leave response boxes there and I do value your feedback.

Book 1 available: http://www.createspace.com/3361877

Book 2 available: http://www.createspace.com/3395268

And, of course, I will be posting some excerpts here as I go about editing Book 3/wrapping Book 4. The muse has been very good to me as of late.

K.G.

FINALLY settled on the “right” theme for the blog. Very minimalist, crisp fonting, enough wiggle room to put all of my widgets, even if they’re a wee out of order. My style in a nutshell.

Day Job is still workish, so to speak. I’m getting back into the normal, non-frenzied groove of things, which lets me manage my time more efficiently. Which means I can, hopefully soon, finish out Book 4. The muse has me in its cold, cold grasp and refuses to let me go until I put down one of the ending scenes. Luck has it, it’s a scene that I’ve been percolating for a while and I know exactly how it should flow.

I hope to get started on the article on age in jazz soon. I’m gathering some intel as of right now to season the percolation process a bit, so this is also a bit of an info call: if you’re in smooth jazz in any way, shape or form, be it a listener, a musician, a producer, what-have-you – tell me how you feel about youngins. Musicians or audience members. Does the new blood compare to the pros? How do you get the younger people to the shows, aside from their parents? Where do you find new talent in jazz music?

Jazz season is all set up, now to hang tight until I hear the lineup from the cruising people on the 2012 sailing. I would love to go on another one. I truly would. There’s something about a music-filled ship in the tropics that’s magical.

Back to bookkeeping for now, and then, to booking and book-writing.

K.G.

Got my overtime check today for tax season and part of my Jazz Season expenses, that is to say the Fourplay show with their new guitarist – one of my very favorites, Mr. Chuck Loeb – and four out of six of the Spirit Cruises series that I’d like to attend are officially booked and paid for cleanly. The other two will be booked shortly, and soon as I know what’s what, I will also book Bobby Caldwell at the Blue Note because of the great saxophonist playing with him: Andrew Neu.

Still, I am very happy. I love this music and I love chasing this music, so chase it I will.

The writing muse has finally hit with a vengeance, so I’m also writing up a storm. The scene that ends Ch. 12 of the fourth book can stand to be expanded, so that’s what I’m working on… Article is still in percolating stages, but that’s a necessary thing. This weekend – Marion Meadows and Michael Lington.

K.G.

So far:

- Chapter 12 of Book 4 – completed. Only another chapter to go, but the more I look at the plot, the more I realize that it’s probably going to wear on for longer than that.

- Back story of how it all began submitted to the NaNoWriMo headquarters. As I said multiple times, I credit NaNo completely with the kick to the posterior that I needed to write the book to start with. Once this is posted, I will link it.

- Beginning the percolation process for my Age and Jazz article. You may’ve noticed that I like my contemporary jazz. For the record, I’m twenty-four; twenty-five this coming May. As it is, I’m the youngest person at most destination concerts and jazz festivals that 1. loves the music, and 2. is willing to spend a good price tag to chase it 3. completely solo. It’s very interesting to observe, and I will share my findings and thoughts in an op-ed piece…soon.

For now, all is well.

K.G.

Since I have a little bit more time on my hands, I’m going headfirst into the book, because it is way bloody overdue. I’ve been putting a little bit at a time into Book 4; there is one particular scene that bothered me for a while and it’s closer and closer to completion. After which, I have to wind the storyline down and do a segue into Arc 2. What that is…I haven’t the slightest hint of an idea.

While I’m at it, I updated the Shelfari page for Book 2 to include some of the new characters and give some info on the book. The digital edition of Book 2 remains to be properly formatted and uploaded, which I hope to do within the week as well. I have a checklist in mind from my prior entries to get through, and I have considered a wholesaler. But truthfully, I would like the B&N paper submission to go through. I don’t know if I’ll be able to get a wholesaler aboard for this, considering I’m a self-pub, but I may need to look into that.

Work is now in a slump – which I love, it lets me write! – and I will happily continue onward with the finish of Book 4. Then, Book 3 will get a once-over and be shipped to my editor.

Until then,

K.G.