What's Going On?

Did I warn you that music would play an integral part in everything I do? You should see me at home. "I'm not washing the dishes-I'm listening to my Ipod. I'm not dusting or vacuuming-I'm listening to my Ipod." Get the picture?
The point of all of this, you may ask? Well, since no one has heard from me in a while on this thing called blog, I thought it fitting to use the late, great Marvin Gaye to help provide the ice breaker. That's him above. If you don't know that album, I highly recommend it.
So, now let me begin to fill you in on just exactly what has been goin' on with me of late. I have seen my novel published in multiple electronic formats, including for Apple's Iphone. Until recently, being published was only a dream, and now it has been fulfilled. Now, there's further word that the novel is headed for paperback, not by the end of the year, but perhaps a lot sooner than that. This was something I definitely did not think I would ever see. Holding my creation in my hands!
Okay, many of you knew this already. So, what else?
Well, the second book: Dance on Fire: Flashpoint, wrote itself during the time that I was looking for representation or a publisher. Draft one and two took eight months. And although I have a rough outline for book three, as well as chapter one written, the rest is all just floating around in my head; images and scenes and occasionally dialogue. I hadn't begun writing anymore of that because I wanted to see whether this thing was only a hobby or something more, something bigger. It turns out that this is something more, and just how big it might be remains to be seen.
Although a handful of sweet people have been buying the novel and telling me what they thought of it, and a handful more have asked for/won free copies, I have yet to hear how well received the novel might be. As I pen this, The Kingsburg High School is reading Dance and poised to feature it in the next edition of the student newspaper which is due just before Spring Break. The good people over at Traffic Magazine, a free and widely circulated Central Valley magazine, are doing a book review as well, and look to be featuring it in their April/May issue. From there the local newspaper, The Kingsburg Recorder, has also been pitched the idea. Whether they are interested or not, I really can't say, although I think I can safely guess that the answer will be a resounding: yes. That's not cockiness, talking. The novel is about vampires loosed in our city right near the start of the Swedish Festival (a real event), which just so happens to be the high point of our city's year. So, yes, I think they'll be interested...just a little bit!
I was going to title this post: the calm before the storm, because that's where we are, in a matter of speaking. I'm all over the Internet now. I have 57 fans on my Official James Garcia Jr Author's Page over on Facebook. A couple of times a week I'm hearing about someone who either just finished reading the novel, is reading the novel or is preparing to buy it. A couple times a week I have an opportunity to share with someone about it, because someone else will mention the subject (I don't like to hit people over the head with this). The reception in nearly every circumstance has been extremely positive.
Perhaps "eye of the storm" might have been a better title. A lot of exciting things have happened, but very shortly, so much more. Potentially, this could be a lot more...something bigger!
For now, I simply enjoy the goals that have been achieved. I sit back and listen to Marvin... Okay, you caught me. I should have said, "listen to Marvin on my Ipod while I finish doing the laundry". So, you were paying attention!
Well, Fire Enthusiasts, thanks for stopping by. Stay tuned. I'll be sure and let you know how it turns out...