Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

February 21, 2020February 20, 2020 ~ John W. Howell ~ 79 Comments

“Hey, Lucy. It’s Friday. Want to play?”
“Calamari?”
“Yup.”
“Toss the squid.”
“I don’t have an opposable thumb.”
“Run it over then.”

Another week rolls along. Eight more hours, and we can all jump into a giant container of our favorite coping substance.

This has been a pretty quiet week. I have pretty much tended to the blog, and that’s about all.

I am trying to put together some data that can be used to query agents. One of the cardinal rules of a query is you must tailor the information to match the specific needs of the agent. This means that a wholesale generalized query letter will probably hit the trash. I am doing the research now. Also, I’m working on a blurb and synopsis.

None of what I’m doing will be a waste should I decide to go ahead and self-publish again. So I look upon the work as necessary.

We had some much-needed rain this week. It was the gentle stuff that does some good as opposed to the frog strangler type, which just ends up flooding the low lands.

After a couple of days of fewer reported cases of the Coronavirus, yesterday saw an increase. Of course, the stock market responded to the fear. Since a vaccine is twelve months off, we all need to be mindful of the basics of prevention. This is true for the flu as well as Coronavirus. 1. Wash hands a lot, especially if you frequent public areas. 2. Sneeze or cough into a tissue or your sleeve. 3. Get the rest you need. 4. Wear a quality germ mask if you have to fly.

Today’s JohnKu talks about personal responsibility in staying well. I hope you all have a great weekend.

The government is,

able to do just so much . . .

We need to take charge.

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

February 14, 2020February 13, 2020 ~ John W. Howell ~ 77 Comments

“You going to play with that squid, Little One?”
“For some reason, I’m thinking of Calamari for dinner.”

Happy Valentine’s Day. Another Friday and a reason to celebrate. Only eight more hours until Saturday Eve. This week seemed to go pretty fast at least for me.

On the WIP, I’m very glad to say the manuscript is in the editor’s hands. Once done, I have a decision to make. Do I self publish again for the sixth time or do I try to find an agent? I guess one of the deciding factors will be how much I think the story will resonate with an agent. Another is just how much rejection and time currency am I willing to spend. This thought of agent representation always comes to me at tax time when I get a chance to look at the amount of royalties I earn vs the amount of money I spend. I don’t think I’m alone in this conundrum. We shall see.

This week also witnessed the arrival of the tree trimmers. We asked our neighbors if they would be willing to trim the trees that rub our roof. Two said yes. Two said no. So we hired trimmers to take out the tree limbs that cross our property line on the ones that said no. All is good.

This week’s JohnKu talks about why we write. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Is it the money?

Or maybe some other thing . . .

That holds us captive.

If it’s the money,

Is it Income or outflow?

A big conundrum.

Friday John Ku – AKA – TGIF

February 7, 2020February 6, 2020 ~ John W. Howell ~ 54 Comments

Lucy and Twiggy — “Dad will you please tell Twiggy it is Friday.”
“It’s Friday, Twiggy.”
“I think Mom should weigh in.”

Well, the week is almost over. Eight more hours, and it will be weekend eve.

Quite a week, actually. The Superbowl was an excellent game. For one who had no allegiance to either team, I certainly found the game better than the commercials. That last nine minutes was almost classic in its come from behind drama. For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, let me just say there was some exceptional teamwork displayed that allowed the losing team (Kansas City) to pass the leading organization (San Francisco) to win the game.

The Iowa Democratic caucus blew up with a new, untested app. It amazes me that no one thought to really test this app in live conditions. The voters and volunteers who worked hard on the campaigns were the losers in this fiasco. Of course, a couple of candidates said they won. The usual conspiracy theorists were also out in force, blaming everyone except maybe the Russians for the mess.

We had the State of the Union address with all the usual manure piles being thrown around. A lot of immature children were without supervision that night, and it is clear party politics will continue to throttle progress.

This week also saw Donald Trump acquitted of the two impeachment charges brought by the house. My summary of the whole thing is a partisan move by the house was offset by a partisan move by the Senate for a sum zero gain at a pretty healthy cost. Of course, the vitriol remans. I was shocked to read one blogger wish the Coronavirus on the Senate leadership and the President. Another thought payback against Democrats would be a good thing. Come on, folks. Don’t match the juvenile behavior in Washington with the same out here in real life.

It is really time for Americans to come together more than ever. Hatred should live elsewhere and not in our own town.

Today’s JohnKu talks about hatred. I hope you all have a great weekend.

It starts very small,

Then rolls on out of control . . .

To poison us all.

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

January 31, 2020January 30, 2020 ~ John W. Howell ~ 69 Comments

Twiggy and Lucy TGIF — “Hey, you two.”
“What dad?”
“It’s Friday. You should be out playing.”
“We’re working up to it. We decided on no sudden moves today.”

The week seems to have flown by. Not sure why. Maybe it is because it has been a busy one.

I have received most of the beta reader comments on my WIP. I have been very pleased with the quality of the suggestions. Beta-reader comments are seldom a surprise to me because they usually are directed at a part of the story that was bothersome when it was written. It sure helps to have another set of eyes look at the work.

All of the beta readers enjoyed the story which makes life worth living. I am now waiting for the final comments and then will finalize the MS and send it to the editor.

I am very grateful for the support and attention to detail that each beta-reader gave. You have my gratitude.

All else is good. I am currently beta reading a memoir written by a well known New York antique dealer. It is a fascinating story of the NYC celebrity scene from the 50s to the 90s.

We finally got some much-needed rain that was more than a misty sprinkle. Hopefully, more is on the way.

Today’s JohnKu talks about how we look at life. I hope you have a fabulous weekend.

When you see a glass,

Do you ever ask yourself. . .

Half-full or empty?

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – Sunshine Blogger Award

January 24, 2020January 23, 2020 ~ John W. Howell ~ 63 Comments

Sunshine Blogger Award

I was very honored this week to receive the Sunshine Blogger award from three terrific bloggers.

Mark Bierman

Ron Yates

Gwen Plano

I don’t usually do awards, but I was so touched that these three would ~~gang up on me~~ separately nominate me for an award that has anything at all to do with sunshine. Well, yes, I’m an outgoing, happy person, but sunshine? For example, I was called a curmudgeon, recently, and it wasn’t by the internalist doing my colonoscopy either.

So the rules are:

Thank the blogger(s) who nominated you and link back to their blog.
Answer 11 questions the blogger asked you.
List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award in your blog post.
Nominate 11 new bloggers & their blogs. Leave a comment on their blog to let them know they received the award and ask your nominees 11 new questions.

Whew. That means 33 questions to answer and 33 to write.

Let me thank each who nominated me and link back to their blog.

Thank you, Mark, Ron, and Gwen. If you haven’t visited them before now, you should. They all have a lot to say and do it very well.

Rather than answer separate questions, let me make a summary statement that will cover a number of them.

I started blogging in March of 2012 and have been doing it every day since. So this year marks my eighth and so far I have over 300,000 views and over 90,000 comments.

My blogging philosophy is to present content that folks want to read. I like humor and prompts. Most of my posts could be considered on the fluffy end of the spectrum. I do this on purpose. Maybe someday I’ll get around to an “author” blog where I can write about writing. Right now, I would prefer to just write and leave the teaching to others.

I am a dyed in the wool panster, and many times on my blog, I have no idea what I’m going to write until the first word. In my novels, I lay out the last three sentences of the book and work to reach them. I’ve done this for six books now, and it seems to work for me.

I get my ideas from living every day. Most of what I write is made up. I do have some philosophical beliefs that wind their way into my stories, but they are rare.

The writing system I use is to keep at it until I have written at least 1000 words. Since I write every day, that is my daily goal in just my novels.

My advice to new writers is to write every day, no matter how much or how little. Grammarly tells me they have checked 10M words since I started. I’m still learning. I do intend to keep writing until they pry the keyboard from my cold fingers.

Thank you again, Mark, Ron, and Gwen. I’m honored that you thought of me.

Today’s JohnKu talks about peer recognition. I hope you have a great weekend.

You never expect,

The day would come, then it does . . .

A nod from your peers.

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

January 17, 2020January 16, 2020 ~ John W. Howell ~ 72 Comments

“Lucy. When’s it Friday?”
“Today, Little One.”
“Took forever.”

Another Friday and another weekend eve.

I don’t have a lot to report this week but was pleased to receive back three beta reader comments. These guys were way ahead of the due date, and I’m grateful for their attention to the book. I am looking forward to the others.

I am working on the marketing plan during this period. I think it will include a tour but more on that later.

We got a little rain this week. Not enough, but every little bit helps. We started the week with cold temperatures and have had record-breaking highs in the last few days. It is supposed to get cold again today. (Okay for you Northerners, cold to us is in the 50s)

Today’s JohnKu talks about the weather. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

It’s something we have,

When it is perfectly clear. . .

Talk subjects are nill.

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

January 10, 2020January 9, 2020 ~ John W. Howell ~ 70 Comments

Friday has rolled in and not too soon. This week has to be one of getting things cleaned up, so to speak.

My WIP is now in the hands of beta readers. Thank you, everyone. The comments are due back on February 16th. The feedback will be interesting, I’m sure.

I have contacted the cover artist, and we are in the process of developing the basis for the cover. Since this book has multiple locations and time frames, it makes it challenging to decide a representative and compelling cover. The only constant is a 1956 Oldsmobile, which the protagonists use to move from place to place. Maybe there is a way to work that in.

I have submitted the copyright to the Feds. That’s about a six-month wait.

Time to start setting up the launch.

This week’s JohnKu is about fear, which is plentiful these days. I hope you have a great weekend.

It comes any time,

The result of no control. . .

Take back, and it’s gone.

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF and Call for Beta Readers

January 3, 2020January 3, 2020 ~ John W. Howell ~ 77 Comments

“What on Earth are you looking for Twiggy?”
“Friday.
“Friday is already here. Today is Friday.”
“You’re kidding. I thought it was Monday.”

It is Friday again on the calendar, and yet I am so confused as to what day it is really. Yesterday felt like a Sunday because of the mid-week holiday. I had what would typically be a Sunday meal yesterday, so my body still thinks today is Monday. Yes, today feels like Monday but then if it were, tomorrow would be Tuesday and four days before the weekend, and that feels all wrong. So let’s just go with the calendar. TGIF.

My WIP tentatively titled Eternal Road – The Final Stop is now ready for a beta read. This is a different story than the one I usually tell. Here is the blurb.

James and Sam are on a quest to find James an eternal home. You see, James just died today in a car wreck. Sam was taken fourteen years ago in an abduction and not seen since. Now Sam has come to lead James to his eternal home. Yeah, you guessed it. Sam was taken and murdered.

Why is she back? She has been in training all this time for the sole purpose of leading James through the process of selecting his eternal place. The point is, Sam, and James were close in grade school and so Sam was selected to help James cross over to his new life.

It is not easy to determine where to spend eternity. The pair visit a number of times and places and are witness to a number of historical events. The rules dictate that they do no harm to the time continuum while they search. Trying to be careful, they inadvertently come to the attention of Lucifer who would love to turn their souls into his subjects. They also find a core threat to human survival and desperately want to put in place the fix necessary to save mankind. Of course, Lucifer wants nothing of the kind.

The question becomes, will James find his eternal home in grace or lose the battle with Satan for his immortal soul and the future of human life with it? If you like time-travel, adventure, mystery, justice, and a touch of paranormal, this story is for you.

If you would like to beta read Eternal Road – The Final Stop be advised that it will be available in three formats, ePub, MOBI, and PDF. I will be emailing it to you and would like your comments returned by February 21st. My questions are easy.

Did you enjoy the story?
Was the ending satisfactory?
Were there missing or confusing parts?
Did the story flow at a comfortable pace for you?
Were the characters believable?
What if anything would you want to be included in the story?

If you would like to beta read, Please send me an email johnhowell(dot)wave(at)gmail.com. Let me know your format preference. I will be sending the file out when I get your response.

Thank you, All.

Today’s JohnKu talks about the new year

The last one flew by,

Just like the one before it . . .

Make each moment count.

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

December 27, 2019December 26, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 56 Comments

“It’s Friday Let’s ruckus.”
“Okay Little One. I’ll count to five.”

The last Friday of 2019 has arrived. It is hard to believe that 51 of them have preceded this one. The good news is that there are now 52 more getting ready to be issued as soon as the new year turns over.

I hope you all are having or had a great holiday. I managed to keep to a timetable and am just about finished with the final edit before beta read on my WIP. I will be working on a blurb and will send out a call after the first of the year. The beta will be available in three formats, MOBI, ePub, and PDF.

The beta readers will have six weeks to return comments. Since the MS is about 305 pages, this should not be a burden. If you would like to read the story, which I’m tentatively naming The Eternal Road – the Final Stop, look for the announcement on Monday, January 6th.

Today’s John Ku talks about the New Year. I hope you have a great weekend.

New Year by John W. Howell

Always great promise,

In starting over anew. . .

Old habits die hard.

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

December 20, 2019December 19, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 79 Comments

Here it is another Friday. It is Friday before Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa. It makes it a pretty important Friday for sure. It is that kind of Friday that makes you really nervous if you don’t have all the gifts bought and all the plans made. It is the kind of Friday that makes you wish you had started the holiday preparation a wee bit earlier….like October. Don’t forget there are 24 hours in a day and if you don’t need a lot of sleep, plenty of time to get everything done. Well, maybe not everything but enough, so no one will know you put off your preparations until the last second. Yeah, that’s what Friday feels like, the last second.

Todays, JohnKu talks about procrastination. I hope you have a delightful weekend getting everything done.

Many things to do,

Not enough time to do them . . .

Why did you delay?

To really get into the spirit if you want a really great time go to Sally Cronin’s blog today. She is hosting a fabulous Christmas Wish post which features music, food and the wishes of a number of your friends and fellow authors. If you don’t visit another post today this has to be the one. https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2019/12/20/smorgasbord-blog-magazine-christmas-party-just-one-wish-guests-food-music-and-laughter/