Prodigious Savant and Steal This Book (or at least the plot)

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday break. Thanks so much for dropping by today as I have a ‘new-to-me’ author I’d like to introduce to you.

Author J.J. White has a most intriguing novel, PRODIGIOUS SAVANT. I’ll give you a brief description of the book and then J.J. has an interesting topic to share with us.

According to Dr. Darold A. Treffert of the University of Wisconsin, there are fewer than one hundred reported cases of prodigious savants in the world. Those few who possess the savant syndrome all have an island of brilliance that allows them to excel in some remarkable talent. Unfortunately, they all share various developmental disabilities.
        Burlington, Vermont, 1962. Seventeen-year-old Gavin Weaver survives a dreadful explosion, six hours of brain surgery, and thirty days in a coma, to awake possessing not just one savant talent, but several, including art, music, mathematics, and memory, and all without suffering any of the usual mental disabilities associated with head trauma.
        The odds are slim Gavin will survive both the internal and external conflicts that keep him from the one thing he wants most, the girl he’s loved since childhood.

Now join me in giving J.J. a warm welcome to Thoughts in Progress. Welcome, J.J.

Steal This Book…..(or at least the plot)

In 1970, Abby Hoffman, the radical champion of the counterculture zeitgeist, couldn’t get his book published until he changed the title of it to, Steal This Book. The clever ploy paid off, with over a quarter million books sold and God knows how many stolen. 

With the tsunami of traditionally published and self-published books flooding the market, it might be wise to steal Mr. Hoffman's title to get your book to stand out from the crowd. This is perfectly legal, since titles aren’t copyrighted, but it would be unethical all the same. Still, I imagine the sales of your book would improve if you changed the title to say, The Godfather or Gone With The Wind.

But if you don't want to steal a title, then the next best thing is to steal a plot. Still perfectly legal, as long as you don't plagiarize entire sections of the book. I recently had a friend accuse me of stealing the plot of Stephen King's book, The Dead Zone, and incorporating it into my psychological thriller, Prodigious Savant. I had never read The Dead Zone so I was surprised and disappointed when the description was nearly identical to mine, with a boy waking from a coma in possession of extraordinary powers. It's like they say, every book has already been written. 

There are many examples of authors stealing plots from other authors. The first time I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone I thought to myself, where have I read this before? Then it occurred to me the plot was identical to Orson Scott Card's, Ender’s Game, except the milieu was in a medieval school instead of a spaceship. Rowling denies it, of course. Some other examples: Barbara Cartland’s, The Knave of Hearts, is nearly identical to Georgette Heyer’s, These Old Shades, and Dan Brown was accused of copying the plot of Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh’s, Holy Blood, Holy Grail, for his novel, The Da Vinci Code. Many novelists will admit to plot stealing and heartily endorse others to do the same. After all, West Side Story is nothing but Romeo and Juliet with music.
 
I'm working on a novel now where my protagonist endeavors to save a German girl in Berlin that he left to the mercy of the Soviets at the end of World War II. It's basically a rehash of the plot of Don Quixote.

So go ahead and steal other authors’ plots, steal the pace of their writing, steal their characters, and by all means, steal their settings. Do that and write any way you want, about anything you want, as long as you do it beautifully. And if you want to steal my book, you’ll have to do it electronically, since it's only available online. But if you do steal it, at least write a review.

JJ, thanks for joining us today and sharing this look at stealing involving stories. I can find bits and pieces of others books in various stories I read. It is interesting how some stories are reworked.

Now for a bit of background on J.J.

J.J. White has penned five novels and over two hundred short stories. He has had articles and stories published in several anthologies and magazines including, Wordsmith, The Homestead Review, The Seven Hills Review and The Grey Sparrow Journal. His story, The Nine Hole League, will soon be published in the Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine, Volume 14. He has won awards and honors from the Alabama Writers Conclave, Writers-Editors International, Maryland Writers Association, The Royal Palm Literary Awards, Professional Writers of Prescott, and Writer’s Digest. 

J.J. was recently nominated for the Pushcart Prize for his short piece in The Grey Sparrow Journal. He enjoys writing, surfing, golf and tennis. He lives in Merritt Island, Florida with his understanding wife, editor, and typist, Pamela.

For more on J.J. and his writing, visit his website and blog and connect with him on Facebook, Prodigious Savant on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Thanks again for stopping by today. How is the weather in your area? Have you read a book that had a familiar plot to it?

My African Dream: Making a Difference One Book at a Time

Today I want to welcome an amazing ‘new-to-me’ author who wrote his book out of a desire he had after a close friend revealed her reverence for a way of life he had begun to take for granted.

Please join me in welcoming author Mario Saincic. After he tells you how his book, MY AFRICAN DREAM, came to be, I’ll tell you a bit about him and how you can find out more about his project and even help.

Welcome Mario, tell us about your book.

In a world of writing, we are often inspired by a mood, a memory, or even a dream. And then when we least expect it, we are consumed by a need to stand up and make our voices heard. Well, a few months ago this happened to me…

A very close friend told me a story of how she would stare at an image from a webcam positioned at a watering hole in the middle of Africa, watching as the wild animals mulled around in an existence that most of us didn’t understand or weren’t aware of. She had never left her home town never mind her state, yet here she sat dreaming of walking on the hot, dry sand that was far from her reach. It made her long to be there, and made me smile that someone could feel passionate about the world outside of their borders. I’d listen as she told me of how their every move made her wonder what it would be like to see these magnificent creatures in person. This soon unleashed a feeling inside that captured my thoughts for a few months as I was inspired to write about my own desire.

Born and raised in Africa, I often take the beauty of nature for granted. I could easily climb in my car right now and drive less than an hour to go play with lion cubs, feed a giraffe, or even pat a zebra; yet she can’t…and probably never will.

This realization moved me in a way I didn’t expect. Sitting in front of my television and listening to reports of what was happening in the world around me, on my doorstep, in my back yard…I thought of her and of future generations to come. 

The harsh reality of how a magnificent animal can dwindle towards extinction, while we sit back and watch, came over me like a Tsunami of icy water. Being spoilt with the vastness of the African bush, I remembered the countless times I had been on game drives. It always amazed me even though I had seen it a hundred times before, and listening to the questions she had asked, my mind wandered to what her face would look like if she were given the chance to sit on the back of an open Land Cruiser as I had done. I would probably muse at her silent stare, gaping mouth, and even laugh when she jumped in her seat as one of the wild animals charged.
 
This picture reminded me of one such occasion when I sat comfortably on the back of a vehicle, panic-struck, and watched as a majestic black rhino stormed towards us. The ranger stood up straight, rifle raised and ready, but held back. Probably more curious than angry and on its way back from a bout of supremacy over territory, the raging animal didn’t stop. I could barely hear a sound over the pounding feet that twirled up a cloud of dust, and there was no way the tranquilizer could kick in before the rhino struck the side of the vehicle. 

Looking down, I couldn’t believe what I saw. The horn that was probably two feet long had pierced the side of the vehicle, and the tip was hidden from sight. The animal shook its head a few times before freeing the horn and standing still as though to inspect the gaping hole. The effects of the dart must have kicked in because the animal suddenly seemed dazed. He staggered away, and soon after the ranger radioed for back-up. The second vehicle was barely in sight before we all drove off.

I loved that day. It was one of my favourite memories of being out in the open. But right now, it makes me extremely sad. My sons have not had the opportunity to take a game drive yet, and I am not sure when they will. I just hope it is some time very soon, for that rhino I had the honour of seeing up close, and many like it, will not be around for much longer. They are being brutally slaughtered on a daily basis, and unless we as the guardians of all animals on earth do something about it, they will soon merely be a memory and admired in museums much like dinosaurs are.

It was this revelation that led me to sit down and write in the hope of creating awareness of what was happening, and four months after I started I wrote the final chapter of MY AFRICAN DREAM. It is a romantic suspense set in the heart of Kenya, and finds Millicent Cramer in a world she only ever dreamed about. Even her wildest imagination could not have prepared her for life on African soil, but what she experienced there changed her life forever. She found the harsh beauty overwhelming, the people comforting, and even found love… But the biggest thing she discovered was a purpose for her life - a calling far beyond anything she had experienced before.

MY AFRICAN DREAM was written with a need to get the message out to the world. I held it back from self-pubbing with the idea of approaching agents and publishers. To be honest, I have only queried a handful, and as much as any writer would like to see their work in print…I kind of got lost in the process. You see, it all changed from getting a message across to the pride of being published. I sat with the manuscript for months while wondering what to do with it, until my writing buddy and editor reminded me of something. They highlighted the passion I’d had while writing the chapters and creating the characters, the laughter I experienced when I threw the book at Milly only to see her come out on top every time. But most importantly, the awareness I was trying to create.

So with this, I have finally decided to publish MY AFRICAN DREAM as an eBook. Some may say ‘whoopee doo-dah,’ that’s easy to do… Well yes, they are right, and it is…but in showing my support for the organisations that are combatting rhino poaching and in an attempt to get the message across, I am making a pledge.

Seeing as I am not able to physically help track down poachers - and believe me when I say that I will take extreme pleasure in doing more than just tracking down - and I wasn’t born with a golden spoon in my mouth , I am going to help in the only way I know how.

For the life of the book, I will donate 50% of all author proceeds to various organisations that are actively part of rhino conservation. This is the least I can do to help make sure that future generations are able to see these majestic beasts like I have: roaming free and out of danger.

Over the next few weeks I will be updating my blog with regards to the cover, the organisations that I will select, and then also the release date of the book. I will post it on Amazon as a pre-order, too. I am also giving serious reviewers and book bloggers the opportunity to receive a copy of the book, and they can contact me via Facebook, Twitter, or by leaving a message on my blog.

Remember that each book sold will help fund rhino conservation and preservation.

To the animals of Africa it is not a dream…it is their life.

What started as a dream, at around Christmas time last year, has finally become a reality. The months trailed and I thought I’d never finish, even threw it in the trash a few times, but were it not for certain people…this day would never have arrived.

My African Dream
by Mario Saincic
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publication Date: September 25, 2014 Available on Amazon!

My African Dream finds Millicent Cramer in the heart of Kenya, a world she only ever dreamed about. Even her wildest imagination could not have prepared her for life on African soil, but what she experienced there changed her life forever. She found the harsh beauty overwhelming; the people comforting; and even found love…but the biggest thing she discovered was a purpose for her life - a calling far beyond anything she had experienced before.

Sneak peek...

Never before have I been more excited to release a book, and never before have I been proud to stand up and make a noise in the hope that someone actually listens. My African Dream was released recently, and I am seriously looking forward to stand by my pledge of donating 50% of all author proceeds to rhino conservation.

Mario, thanks so much for visiting with us today and sharing how your book came to be. You have an amazing project with the publication to help a worthy cause.
Now let me share a bit of background on Mario.

Mario Saincic was born in 1970, and has a passion for life. Starting off in restaurant kitchens and ending up as an architectural designer, he has managed to turn his creativity into a career. Writing is one such desire, and since the release of INFIRMITY, there is hardly a day that goes by without characters sitting around discussing their lives with him. "Inspiration appears at the strangest of times, and we need to embrace it."

His desire in life is to be as perfect an example to his kids as his father is to him.
For more on Mario and his writing, visit his website and connect with him on Twitter, Amazon, Facebook and Goodreads.

Thanks so much for stopping by today during Mario’s visit. Have you ever been to Africa? Have you gotten to see any of the animals Mario mentioned in their native habitat?

Learning About The Admiral’s Daughter From Beth Jannery

I’m delighted to welcome ‘new-to-me’ author Beth Jannery here today to tell us about her release, THE ADMIRAL’S DAUGHTER, and her thoughts on writing.

THE ADMIRAL’S DAUGHTER has been in the works for a decade, and is finally ready for readers to snatch up. It is a story about that moment of clarity we are all faced with at least once in our lives that impacts the path we choose.

Lacy Redmond is undercover working as Trinity, a spy. She has learned all her tricks from working in the field and attending the United States Naval Academy. Lacy’s training in the CIA has helped her work hard and play hard. Though, moments of Lacy’s past haunt her future. 

Lacy struggles with the honorable choice. Something life altering happens at the Naval Academy that changes Lacy’s life forever. Is it something that she will be able to overcome? Will she find meaning to life after the loss of her family and create a family and life of her own?

Here’s a brief synopsis:

        In that moment of clarity, if we are lucky, and we see it, we realize what we've wanted for so long is right there in front of us.
        She looked up to her father, the Admiral, and attended the United States Naval Academy, not to follow in his footsteps, but because she wanted to prove to herself that she could rise to the elite. Her father climbed the ranks of the hardworking enlisted to join the brass as Chief of Naval Operations. They never accepted him as one of their own. As Lacy moves on to the CIA, she becomes a top interrogator, and she soon finds herself with power and prestige, but just as he was slated to fill the CNO billet, Admiral Redmond is killed, and his legacy is now left in the hands of his daughter.
        Lacy Redmond. Be strong. Discover your true north.

Please join me in giving a warm welcome to Beth, Welcome, Beth!

How did the story of THE ADMIRAL’S DAUGHTER come to your mind?

Beth:
This novel started as a spy thriller set in Washington, DC when I was a young reporter back in my 20's. It was originally going to be called Capitol Kill. And the opening chapter was about an experience I encountered with a man who was thought to be a Russian spy at the time. But I never thought of myself as a fiction writer, so I set it aside for years and picked it up again after my own father died in 2012. I think the timing was right for me to write this story as there are very human experiences in the novel - not all good - back in my 20's I wrote more of a rose-colored glasses novel and now in my early 40's I write about the ups and downs of humanity and it is much more real and authentic than it would have been. 

Some of the life moments Lacy Redmond experiences are not so pretty but they are human and they create layers in her character. What I love most about Lacy is how she erects these fierce walls over time but then begins to shed her protective layers one brick at a time. 

What was the hardest part of the story to write for you?

Beth:
The hardest part of the story was to write the chapter about Lacy when she goes camping with her father. The Latrine guy is a Stephen King-inspired character who is sick and flawed. His book called On Writing taught me to write about what I was most afraid of. A monster like that, someone who preys on little girls, is a frightening concept to me. That was difficult to write about because I did not want to be judged by readers for conceptualizing such abuse and nastiness. But he is an essential story-line of Lacy's motivation for doing what she does. 

Ultimately it is not about this man at all, but about Lacy's desire to feel that safe harbor, that ultimate protection from her father that she once felt, that drives her. Sometimes as writers we have to be afraid too. And in doing so we let go of what anyone will think and we write the truth, which becomes powerful because we stop caring and become more real. 

The final chapter was also challenging to write because, like the reader, I truly did not know what Lacy would decide. Her path was unknown to me. It came out of me in real-time. Her reference to True feeling like home just flowed. The sign she sought, which was ultimately the model ship and its significance, was a surprise to me. It was nothing that I had planned. 

What is the best part of your book being published?

Beth:
The best part of being published is a hard question. Finishing a book or a piece of writing is like giving birth in a way. It is such a labor of love. It is tangible evidence of the hours, the days, the months and the years put into the effort. The checks from the publisher are always nice too. This summer my two daughters and I enjoyed a great trip to the beach that we would not normally have gotten to do as a result. It's an incredible feeling to earn money doing what I love. Pinch me! I feel like the options are endless now. I saw something I believed in completed and published and now I dream about having THE ADMIRAL’S DAUGHTER adapted into a screenplay and made into a movie. It is what it is so I'm just enjoying the ride.

Other than that there isn't much to say other than I keep writing and move onto the next set of characters that rent space in my head. The best part is really giving life to voices in my head. They lived there for so long it's almost a sense of relief to have them gone. Although I hear them getting louder now and then so I'm wondering if there might be a sequel to come. We shall see. I know, that sounds crazy that I hear voices, but I believe any novelist would know what I'm talking about and will identify with that crazy statement.

Beth, thanks for joining us and sharing this look at how THE ADMIRAL’S DAUGHTER came to be. Sounds like the timing was finally right for this book to be written.

Now, let me share a bit of background on Beth.

Beth Jannery started her journalism career at 21 for CNN’s Investigative Reporting Unit. She went to Boston University for graduate school. Her masters are in Broadcast Journalism.  

Beth also worked for the largest English-language newspaper in Bangkok, Thailand called The Nation. In Bangkok she wrote feature articles and covered politics. She was on the first writing/producing team for Southeast Asia’s Face the Nation and Good Morning Thailand.

In Washington, DC she was a defense journalist covering the Pentagon prior to 9/11. At Harvard University she was Communication Officer for the John F. Kennedy School and was editor for two national magazines in Boston and DC.

She is the author of several non-fiction books. In addition, Beth teaches Writing Across the Media for the Department of Communication at George Mason University and has also taught for American University and Marist College in New York.

Beth blogs and stays connected via social media. She lives in Northern Virginia with her two daughters, Skye and Tess. She has just signed a new contract for her next novel: FINDING GRACE AGAIN.

For more on Beth and her writing, visit her website and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

THE ADMIRAL’S DAUGHTER is available on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com.

Thanks for stopping by today during Beth’s visit. What do you see as the hardest part of writing a story? To entice you a bit more to check out THE ADMIRAL’S DAUGHTER, here a book trailer for your viewing pleasure…enjoy!


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Science Fiction or Science in the Fiction?

It’s always an honor when I get to introduce a ‘new-to-me’ author to y’all as it’s fun to learn about the writer and their books. Today I’d like to welcome author J.L. Greger to Thoughts in Progress. She’s going to talk about ‘Science in Fiction,’ as well as share a bit about her books. 

Welcome, J.L.

Do readers want science in their fiction?

In 2013, at least fifteen TV shows featured realistic portrayals of science, medicine or technology. Before I continue, I should define realistic. Real labs can’t provide analyses instantly as shown on TV, and most scientists don’t have perfect hair. Even so, the popularity of TV shows suggests viewers, and presumably readers, like bits of science in their fiction.

Fiction that focuses on realistic science is called “science in fiction,” not science fiction. Many of the writers of science in fiction, like me, were or are practicing physicians or scientists. In one sense, this isn’t a new phenomenon. Arthur Conan Doyle and Robin Cook were physicians.

What’s important in science in fiction?


Accuracy. In my third novel, my heroine Sara Almquist learns silver miners in Bolivia carry little food or water into the mines. In order to endure the pain caused by thirst, hunger, and heavy exertion at a high altitude (13,000 feet), they chew coca leaves. The active ingredients in coca leaves and its derivative cocaine are not analgesics that dull pain. They are stimulants and help users ignore pain. Accordingly I named the book IGNORE THE PAIN not Dull the Pain. 

In case you think the facts seem a bit dry, here’s a synopsis of the action. Sara Almquist couldn’t say no when invited to be the epidemiologist on a public health mission in Bolivia. Soon someone from her past is chasing her through the Witches’ Market of La Paz and on to the silver mines of Potosí. Unfortunately, she can’t trust her new colleagues, especially the charming Xave Zack, because they might be under the control of the coca industry. Worst still she’s not only put herself in danger but also her sister, Linda, back in New Mexico. 

 
Excitement. As a biologist, who regularly reads scientific journals, I am amazed how easily a few mutations can change a fairly benign flu virus into a virulent one. A variant of the common H1N1 flu virus killed three percent of the world’s population between 1918-20, and the wrong mutation to a flu virus today could kill millions if scientists weren’t prepared.

In COMING FLU, a new flu virus hits a small, walled community near the Rio Grande. A quarantine is declared because experimental vaccines and antivirals are ineffective against this flu mutation. Epidemiologist Sara Almquists pries into the lives or everyone in the community looking for way to slow the spread of the flu. She finds promising clues - maybe too many. 

Relevant science. Almost all Americans are interested in easy ways to lose weight. Scientist know fat animals (including humans) lose weight when their gut bacteria are altered, but scientists don’t know which of the 15,000 to 36,000 species of bacteria in the gut are important. I thought descriptions of this research (based on current ongoing studies) would be intriguing, maybe slightly funny, to readers.

In MURDER: A NEW WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT, a diet doctor is found dead after she charges her partner with recklessly endangering the lives of obese subjects in their clinical trials. Linda Almquist, the associate dean in the medical school, must protect the subjects in the clinical trial, while she searches for a sophisticated killer who knows a lot about drugs. 

Would you like to read a science in fiction novel?

BTW, Bug, my Japanese Chin dog and character in all three of my novels, says hello to Traveler, the resident cat at Thoughts in Progress.

J.L., thanks for joining us today and sharing this difference in science fiction and science in fiction. All three books sounds like they are quite intriguing ‘science in fiction’ stories. And, Traveler sends a hello back to Bug.

Now for a bit of background on J.L.

J.L. Greger is no longer a professor in the biological sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, instead she’s putting tidbits of science into her medical mystery/suspense novels. 

For more on J.L. and her writing, visit her website, check out her blog, JL Greger’s Bugs, and her Amazon link.

Thanks so much for stopping by today and visiting with J.L. Had you ever considered the difference in ‘science fiction’ and science in the fiction’ writing?

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Author Dean Carnby Talks About Magically Mundane Inspiration

The world is filled with endless possibilities when you have books and blogdom is a wonderful place to discover new authors and the vast adventures they offer through their stories.

I’m delighted today to welcome Dean Carnby, a ‘new-to-me’ author, here to talk about his latest release, WEDNESDAYMETER, a satirical urban fantasy novel for adults who have had at least one thankless, dead-end job before. 

First, here’s a brief synopsis of WEDNESDAYMETER:

      “An eggplant wails, a ladder breaks, and the guise of civility shatters.
      A professor of festival studies, a potato hunter, a deadly career counselor, and a part-time terrorist are struggling to retain their sanity in a magically mundane city. Their carefully laid plans fall apart when they meet Mr. Pearson, an everyman who suspects a conspiracy of evil polygons behind his company’s absurd practices.
      Theirs is a world in which people use raw produce and wasted time to alter reality. If it were not for the stringent safety standards on fruits and vegetables, the citizens would live in misery. Most live a life of willful ignorance instead, desperate to avoid facing the threats surrounding them. Festival season is about to begin, but the colorful banners cannot hide the tragic past any longer.”

Please join me in welcoming Dean as he talks about ‘Magically Mundane Inspiration.’

Despite their magical nature, fantastic environments often resemble our own world. The drama might be more subtle in real life, and real characters might hide it behind a veil of propriety, but it’s there. It’s at your workplace, it’s at the local kindergarten, and it’s even in your neighbors’ home. You know, the nice couple whom you would never suspect of hosting meet-ups for a pineapple-worshipping cult during each solstice.

Of course, your neighbors are probably fine. Most of them tend to be. There is only a small chance that they are plotting something heinous, involving a stepladder and a tray of empanadas. The important thing is that you will not know for sure until it’s too late. Inspiration works in similar ways.

Corporate life, especially at dysfunctional institutions, is a cornucopia of stories waiting to be told. Most people experience frustration or helplessness when encountering a bureaucratic organization. I welcome it as a chance to get new materials for my stories.

When someone nonchalantly mentions that you should screen future employees for being terrorists, you may begin to wonder how one goes about such a thing. It would certainly make giving feedback to candidates a bit awkward. It’s easy to refuse someone’s application for the lack of relevant experience, but what would the recruiter say on the phone if the applicant’s last employers were suspected of being fronts for sleeper cells? That’s an awkward call better left for the interns. They might fumble the issue and start a major international conflict, but it’s okay: they’re getting college credit for it.

On another day, you may find out that one of your coworkers harbors an unhealthy affection toward certain pieces of office equipment. Would you stand between a man and a three-step ladder? What if he were referring to it as the light of his life? I know I would nod, smile, and try to keep my interactions with that person inside my comfy aura of denial.

It’s almost magical how many things we can turn a blind eye to. There might be a steamy romance story unfolding at an otherwise boring workplace, and most of us could dismiss its signs as random, unrelated events. To others, it might spark a series of novels spanning thousands of pages.

Poor science journalism can also be inspiring. If newspaper articles about recent scientific studies were literal truth, we would live in a land where the laws of nature shift faster than you can say carrots. And you wouldn’t even have carrots, because one week, they would cure cancer, and the next week, they would be the literal root of our society’s moral decline.

Of course, researchers don’t usually suggest such bold claims. They prefer to say something reasonable and logically sound, which is a recipe for tedium. That’s when the miracles of a reporter’s misperceptions and biases come into play. A study’s boring abstract can become a headline you can scare little children into cleaning their bedrooms with. This is nothing short of magical, and it’s not the reporter’s fault: it’s simply part of the artistically inspiring ways humans act.

As box office results suggest, misery also makes for great stories. I consider dystopian elements fun, as long as they are plausibly inane. I don’t have enough faith in human competency to imagine an efficiently oppressive state like Oceania in 1984. Someone would present a squirrel to the upcoming despot, unaware that the poor creature had contracted rabies, and the regime would fall due to its arbitrary ban on vaccines. Or they might run out of guacamole, resulting in a violent, yet tasty coup.

In my book, WEDNESDAYMETER, thinly veiled power struggles make citizens’ lives gradually more absurd. Instead of adapting to a world filled with handy magical powers, these people opted for conserving as much of their unsustainable lifestyles as possible.

They have a great capacity to ignore unpleasant information, and use their willful ignorance to shield themselves from threats to their comfortable ways. They like to feel that their questionably significant roles are part of something grand and meaningful. It’s only natural to do so.

I wanted to see a mix of magical and mundane elements on the cover art as well. I approached a number of illustrators, but they were reluctant to create an image with a flying pineapple as its centerpiece. Some suggested focusing on more mainstream solutions, which would have done little to differentiate the story from others.

However, I found a talented and hard-working artist a few years ago. I knew I would like to ask Tyler Edlin for a commission at one point as soon as I saw his image of a Wookiee riding a battle squirrel to fight a group of Third Reich soldiers. My concept for the book’s cover seemed like a natural fit for his style.

The resulting artwork is an “exactly what it says on the tin” type of image. If you like what you see, you’re in luck. Alcohol, raining glass, unconventional fruit use, and the surreal cityscape are not only symbols: they actually play important roles in the book.

Dean, thanks for joining us today and sharing your insight in the magical mundane. I don’t think I’ll ever look at the workplace situation the same way again.

Now let me share a bit of background on Dean in his own words.

As a fan of science and fantasy novels since my childhood, I spend most of my free time learning about our world and worlds created by our imagination. I believe that everything can be made light of, especially the things we would rather not examine up close.

One does not have to travel to other dimensions and meet exotic aliens to live a life of adventure. Given the right framing, a battleship gray cubicle can be just as terrifying as a tentacled monstrosity. If you do not believe me, just look up which one drives more people to madness in actuality.

Links related to the WEDNESDAYMETER universe:

You can check out the book’s website and sign up for updates on future releases. The first three chapters of WEDNESDAYMETER are available as a free sample in epub, mobi, and pdf format. The sample contains no romantically inclined vampires or crafty zombies, but it may contain trace amounts of peanuts.

You can also follow Dean on Twitter to hear about any real life events resembling WEDNESDAYMETER’s world. Between the impending whiskey shortage and the rise of designer fruits, there’s always something improbable going on.

Thanks for stopping by today and visiting with Dean. Have you ever taken mundane events and turned them into a magical story?

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