The Trap's First Fall

The start of the very first draft of History of the Trap, written in early high school.

Part 1:

Alpha

September 8, 1 D. T. (1970 A.D.)

to

Oct 8, 1 D.T. (1970 A.D.)

Chapter 1

The Beginning

      I really don't know where to begin.  It is already the second day of the trap.  How shall I start?  Shall I write facts or dates, or shall I write how I feel?  Please give me a few moments to think.

     I think I shall start at the first day of school.  It was a fair, slightly warm day in early September.  It was warm enough whee I decided not to wear my vest.  I usually wore a vest to school and felt extremely uncomfortable if I didn't.  But since it was warm and I had not worn one all summer, I thought maybe I could get by without it for one day.  It has been three. 

     I was ready to leave home before my father.  It was the first day, and like most schoolchildren, I was anxious to meet my friends whom I had not seen all summer.  Unlike most students, I did not ride the bus.  Since my father works at the high school, I'm usually able to snatch a ride from him.  I'm very careful to get up early so I can get a ride with him.  The one thing I cannot stand about school is riding that damn bus. The crowding and pushing.  The three-to-a-seat and ten-to-an-aisle.  The childish pranks and dirty words.  And above all, yes, so far above all, is the realization of how cruel people can be.

     I wonder now if maybe that is what it will come to in this cage.  The conditions are so similar to the bus.

     By the war, my father's job at the high school is Principal.  The students do not tease or mistreat me because of this.  They are a very understanding bunch in that respect.

     The last thing I did before going to school that morning, was to decide whether or not to take a pill to settle my stomach down.  My stomach upsets easily, and it makes me go to the bathroom.  The doctor and my parents say it is because I worry too much.  But today I didn't take one.  Pressure would mount later when I knew what to expect.

     We rode in my father's over-the-hill at age 2 Buick Opal Kadett, a German car of the time period.  The clanky motor led us slowly out of the subdivision.

     The only living things that were awake were the hundreds of birds upon the people's yards.  They flew up in stupendous grace when our little car approached the piece of road next to them.

     To give you an idea of how the sub (short for subdivision) was shaped, the roads were formed like a circle split in two.  At the top of the circle was a short piece of road which led to the road which went to the main highway.

     We came to the road which was Williamson.  I looked at the familiar landscape.  I saw a dozen cows silently grazing in a small, well-trampled pasture.  Next to the pasture stood a tired, but proud, farmhouse.  In it was an old man who would shoot the young boys full of buckshot when they journeyed through his cornfield across the street.

    Next to the old farmhouse, a little one-story house was placed.  A large family of three or more occupied its tiny space.  I have no idea how to tell how small the house was.  The best I can tell you is that it's about the size of our family's living room.  Our living room is of fair size, about the size of the living rooms of most middle-class people on TV shows.

     In the house lives a girl of fairly huge size, whom the kids tease without mercy.

     We continue to pass houses.  Finally, we pass a subdivision of great proportion on the right.  The title upon the entrance is "Southfield Village". Upon a huge flagpole is an American flag.  Most of Bridgeport's extremely well off people live there.  Some of the people living there figured high in shaping my destiny.

     On the left is a good sized one-story school building.  I went to that school in 6th grade.  The tension-free atmosphere beckoned me back.  But no one could go back in time.  That would be the only way back.

     I leaned back in the bucket seat of the car.  I looked up at the telephone wires and watched them as they dizzily went by.  The treetops intermingled with the wires as drooped slowly down and then up and hooked upon a pole, only to go down again.

     We passed a Catholic church.  A modern one.  I had only been in there several times when I was 11 or 12 for bot scout meetings.  I only stayed in Boy Scouts for about one year because I couldn't get passed Tenderfoot when all my buddies were in 2nd Class.  You see, one of the basic requirements is that you knew how to tie knots. I couldn't, so I quit. 

    The houses and trees became thicker, and it was beginning to look more like you were going to enter a small community.  Finally, the road curves way over and you burst upon a railroad crossing.  With a slow bump-bump, the small car leaps over the crossing.

    On the next page is a small map of downtown Bridgeport.  I am not a good artist, but neither do I believe I can describe it without a picture,

I'm sure there's more, but that's all I  had in the folder I stumbled across.

The first paragraph accidentally brings into play one of the significant writing discussion points raging right now - are you a storyteller or a story-show-er?  Do you describe what's happening, or how somebody feels about what's happening?  I still don't know the answer.  I lean more towards tell, but I'm willing to play the field.

Beginnings of the Trap!

I've been desperately going through boxes of my old writings, trying to find a copy of the children's musical I wrote, Young Robin Hood.  So far, no luck with that, but I did turn up this file I started the first time I started writing History of the Trap -  when I was a  FRESHMAN IN HIGH SCHOOL!!!

Talk about a long germination process!

I would take out this folder and add to it when I got to school in the mornings.  My Dad would take me, and I would have a half hour or more to write in the school cafetorium before anyone else showed up.  If you've read History of the Trap, you know that the setting is similar to where Lance Martin starts.

Yes, I had fake publishing names (not unlike the current Swamp's Edge Publishing), and the anticipated publication date - DECEMBER 1970!

The whole thing was written in longhand AND CURSIVE LONGHAND AT THAT!!!

I love to write.  Whether it's good or bad is for others to judge.

And all my life, even back to childhood, I have been struggling to find the time to stay engaged.

It's not always easy.

But I'll keep trying.

T. M. Strait Big Christmas Sale at Christmas in the Cross!

Come to Christmas in the Cross this Saturday from 9 AM to 3 PM!

At the Okefenokee Heritage Center!

T. M. Strait will have a table and will be doing a once a year

INVENTORY BLOWOUT!!!

(yeah, like I'm a car lot or something)

History of the Trap!  Great YA Novel!  Regular $15...for this event only $10!!!

Here Comes Tommy!  Autobiographical tales that are funny and poignant!  Regular $10...for this event only $7!!!

Crowley Stories: Swamp's Edge!  Interrelated short stories set in an imaginary town on the edge of the Okefenokee Swamp!  Regular $20....for this event only $15!!!

All these great books are being sold at pretty much replacement cost!

ALSO!!! A limited number of A Christmas with Pegasus featuring a cover by Kennedy Brice!  The perfect gift for that special young lady in your family - only $5!!!

Put a little T. M. Strait under your Christmas tree this year - you and other treasured readers in your family will be glad you did!

Give It Away Now Monday Musings

Rob Patton, who was kind enough to invite me as a guest author at Wayne County High School's Min-Con, holds a copy of History of the Trap, given away as a door prize.  I was happy that the person who won it decided to keep it.

Attending the Wayne County High School was an interesting and positive experience.  No, I didn't sell any books, but I did meet people and helped hone my presentation of my books.

I prepared a Google Slide presentation to be presented at the Author's panel that I was a part of.  Thanks to Benjamin, I was able to scratch out something the day before the event.  As I gain experience in its operation, I hope to improve substantially on it.

I still struggled with the pitch for History of the Trap.  Somehow starting out by saying "Imagine going to high school one day, and finding yourself trapped there for the next ten years!" just doesn't have the effect that I hoped.  Most who hear it react along the lines of "What a nightmare!  I can't imagine being trapped in high school!  How horrible!"  This is true whether you were a student, teacher, or someone who hadn't attended high school in decades.  Once people read the book, they enjoy it. But it's getting them to crack it open that's the problem.  I'm working on it.

Another plus was that the person who won a copy of Here Comes Tommy was very excited about it, and came by for me to personalize the copy.

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Football is about over at the Strait house.  Michigan will not be the national champion.  Detroit was crushed by New Orleans.  Speaking of Give It Away Now, the Atlanta Falcons certainly gave it away to the Miami Dolphins.  Up 17 - 0 at the half, they lose 20 - 17.  The theme the Falcons hit in the Super Bowl continues.

There is also the injury factor in football. Players get injured at such a rate that it's hard to follow favorite players, or get a dependable group playing games.  Aaron Rodgers has been such a warhorse for the Green Bay Packers, it's hard to believe he's likely going to be gone for the rest of the season.

Then there's the incredible rate of long term brain damage that results from football. It's very depressing to think about, and makes me wonder what exactly it is I'm devoting my time to.

As far as the kneeling, I sympathize fully with the message the kneeling players are standing.  I may not do it myself, but I have no problem with their doing it.  If we don't have the option to stand, kneel , or even ignore, the national anthem, then the freedoms so many have fought for mean absolutely nothing.

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This is the last day to enter into the OHC Writing Contest.  I wanted to create a new poem and short story just for the contest, but with the plays I had to concentrate on, I have been unable to generate new works.  

Well, I'm still going to try.  I only have a few hours left.

Wish me luck.

Until next time, 

T. M. Strait

Power to the Point!

T. M. Strait is going to a con!

That's right!  Me, not so world famous author, T. M. Strait, will be there with freshly minted new edition History of the Trap, Here Comes Tommy, and more!

My friend, Leslie Crane, fellow author and Wayne County High School teacher, has also invited me to be a part of a panel discussion, and wanted me to have a POWER POINT presentation.  I didn't know how to break it to her, but I had about as much understanding of that as my dog Boss-A-Man has of quantum physics.

Nevertheless, I may get a chance to try as I no longer have the play this weekend competing for my time.  Due to a last minute cast change, we now have a few more weeks of practice before we perform it.  So I'm going to dust off my limited computing skills and see what I can do.  Who knows?  I may surprise myself!

I went to this event last year and it was a blast and a half!  If you like video gaming, table top gaming, cosplay, reading, science fiction, fantasy, and just plain having fun, come on out and join the party.

And see how much power I have in my point!

History of the Trap: Revised Prologue

As mentioned in an earlier blog post, I had submitted the novel to a contest, and in the review, the only real negative was about my prologue.  They had a point, in that the prologue was written much earlier than the rest of the novel, and I had a different idea about pacing and focus at that time.

I am continuing my attempts at revision.  This section here, the second of the prologue, completely replaces the discussion Dr. Duncan has with the Morgan's parents.  I'm trying to convey the most essential elements of that discussion, but in a much more succinct fashion, and putting them in a Morgan-centric point of view.

The next thing I have to deal with is that the third part of the prologue also centers on Morgan.  I have to edit for things I've already said in this section, and continue to look at what important plot points I may have missed in sections I cut out.

Any feed back would be appreciated.

2

Present Day

Once, she ruled them all.

She was the Queen Bee, and everyone buzzed around her orbit.  She was the Princess of Loren high, and there was no one she could not charm or entice.  She was the Siren, and no boy could resist her call.  She was the fashion maven, always impeccably groomed and coiffed, and hundreds of girls tried to emulate her style.

Every word she said, every breath she took, every gesture and nod, could the very fabric of reality for everyone around her.  She determined who was in and who was out, who was to be detested or tolerated.  No one questioned the ultimate superiority of Morgan LaDona Tigh.

But that was then.  Before the Trap. 

Now, everything was different.  Now, she waited in a jailhouse hallway, plainly dressed and stripped of makeup, pacing like a jungle cat, waiting to meet with a prisoner, waiting for someone the old Morgan would have considered a nothing, but now was her whole world.  She was going to meet Lance Martin, and she was determined to do whatever she could to help him, no matter the cost.

In her hands, she clutched a carefully wrapped package.

One of the two guards looked at her, eyeing her warily.  She smiled at him, trying to disarm his suspicion.  “It’s Razzbutt Fudge, Mr. Guard.  It was a favorite of Lance’s while we were trapped.  I made it just for him.  I even found wild raspberries right outside Gregor Park, just like the ones that grew in the Trap.”

The guard scoffed.  “You’re as crazy as he is.”

Morgan huffed up.  “Well, Mr. Guard.  That’s a terrible judgement.  Aren’t you supposed to be neutral?  Do you think Dr. Duncan would appreciate you expressing such opinions?”

The guard just shrugged and stopped looking directly at her.  Thank God, Morgan thought, that he didn’t decide to take a closer look at what she was holding.  That might put a huge kink in her plans.

She desperately wanted to see Lance, but her parents had blocked her every effort. They were puzzled by her change in personality, and blamed Lance for everything. 

Then, in a sudden reversal, her father, Eddie “Speedy” Tigh, after a talk with Dr. Frederick Duncan, the adolescent psychiatrist assigned by the state to evaluate Lance, Daddy changed his mind and allowed her to have a meeting with Lance.  Why?  She didn’t know.  Dr. Duncan must have thought it would help him in his analysis of Lance, but why Daddy suddenly went along, she wasn’t sure.  It must have had something to do with money.  He was a highly successful entrepreneur, with car dealerships, restaurants, storage facilities, and who knows what else. It was hard for her to keep track of everything he was into, and frankly, she wasn’t that interested.

They kept her drowning in material things.  As if that alone would keep her feeling loved and wanted.  At one time, she didn’t mind.  Now, it just made her feel bought off. Her father thought a new car would take her mind off things.  Her mother wanted to get out of Loren and spend time with her Aunt in Battle Creek, and go on spectacular shopping sprees with her. They didn’t know her anymore.  She had grown to care less about … things.

Before she was granted permission to see Lance, Morgan had a talk with Dr. Duncan.  She didn’t think he was a bad man. But she also didn’t think he believed her or Lance.  He knew something happened that night at the house.  And he knew, of those present, she was the last one to openly express an attachment and belief in Lance.  It was important to figure out why it happened the way it did, and some explanation for Lance’s behavior, besides simple cold-blooded murder.  He had come to believe that Morgan was the only one who could open him up, get him to explain whatever madness or fear lurked behind the delusion that some of the children (in her mind, of course, they weren’t children – they were survivors, and by all logic, should really be in their mid- twenties) were originally expressing.

But now, Lance had stopped talking to Dr. Duncan.  He was losing hope that he could help.  It was a last-ditch effort on his part, allowing Morgan in to see if she could help kick start him in to talking again.

She didn’t care what Dr. Duncan wanted.  She had her own ideas as how to help Lance.

And now she would get her chance.

Award Winning Monday Musings

Congratulations and super kudos to Alison!  She attended the Georgia School Nutrition Association, and won the Central Office Staff Support Award not just for her district, but also FOR THE ENTIRE STATE!!!  

Yes, that's NUMBER ONE out of support personnel from 181 school systems!

Alison works very hard at her job, and is very well liked by the administration, her co-workers at the Board office, the school nutrition workers, parents and students.  It is a well deserved honor.

I think my Dad won some state awards while he was principal, but I am hard pressed to find other family members who have received such honors.

I was in the final round of  a state Forensics (speech contests) competition when I was in high school, Humorous Interpretation Division.  I don't know where I finished, but it wasn't in the top three that got awards.

Accounting is not a profession chock full of awards, or even pats on the back.  So I was very happy to see her get this recognition.  

Kudos, Alison! 

This isn't an award, but it's something that made feel very happy, nonetheless.

My book, History of the Trap, has finally made its way into the public library!

The picture above is of Benjamin in front of my book on the new book shelf.

I confess this picture is staged.  That is one of my own copies of the book on their shelf, and not the library copy.  That's because the library copy had already been checked out! Woohoo!

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But the awards don't stop coming!

We've been invited to an awards banquet for student academic awards.  So tomorrow night we will go and see what may be in store for Benjamin!

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So the awards just keep coming!

Who knows?

I may be up for the award of being the second best accountant on the second floor of Higginson & Paulk!

You just never know!

History of the Trap: Prologue Practice

History of the Trap by T. M. Strait.  Available as paperback and/or ebook on Amazon, at the Okefenokee Heritage Center, or directly from the author.

Well, as some of you may have heard, I entered a Writer's Digest Contest for Self-Published novels, and did not win a place.  An email received later, that was personally done by one of the judges, was very high on the book, except for the prologue, which they thought was slower than the rest of te book, and I needed to hook the readers faster.  I see the point, and I must say the prologue part of the book was written some twenty or more years from the rest of it.

I plan on keeping the three page or so Year 8, but I will change the rest of the prologue substantially for the next edition.  This rewrite will probably mostly happen after tax season is concluded.  But I did have an idea that I wanted to write down before I forgot it, so I might be able to use it later when I have more time.

2

Once, she ruled them all,  She was the Queen Bee, and everyone buzzed around her orbit.  She was the Princess of Loren High, and there was no one she could not charm or entice.  She was the Siren, and no boy could resist her call.  She was the Fashion Maven, always impeccably groomed and coiffed, and hundred of girls tried to emulate her style.  Every word she said, every breath she took, every gesture and nod, could change the very fabric of reality for everyone else around her.  She determined who was in or out, who was to be detested or tolerated.  No one questioned the ultimate superiority of  Morgan LaDona Tigh.

But that was then.  Before the Trap.  Now, everything was different. Now, she waited in a jailhouse hallway, plainly dressed and stripped of makeup, pacing like a jungle cat, waiting to meet with a prisoner, waiting for someone the old Morgan would have considered a nothing, but now was her whole world.  She was going to meet Lance Martin, and she was determined to do whatever she could to help him, no matter what the cost.

In her hands, she clutched a carefully wrapped package.  

That's all I've got right now, and I'm sure that will change a lot as I fit it in.  

Rest assured to old and current reader, that what ever changes I make will not change the plot or characters.  It will merely consolidate parts of the prologue into something that is quicker and more entertaining, without losing the essential information that it conveys.

Thanks for your understanding and support.

T. M. Strait

Choose Your Adventure!

I am at a crossroads in my writing projects.  I have spent much of my writing time trying to figure out ways to promote my book, History of the Trap.  The biggest disadvantage in self-publishing is that the shy person (me), is in charge of marketing and promotion.  The horn I would rather have somebody else toot I have to grab and toot away.

I am figuring out those buttons and levers.  The ebook has done okay, the personal sales are pretty darn good, but the paperback sales on Amazon are languishing.  I am slowly springing out more ideas, and hopefully I can get that cranked up.

If you have read and/or are reading History of the Trap, or any of my other books (others exclusively in ebook or eshort format), please be sure to leave a review.  These books are often placed by number of purchases and number of reviews, so any help in that regards will be greatly appreciated!  I am on Goodreads as well, so you can also leave reviews there if you are a part of that community.

Where to go next?

Crowley Stories: Swamp's Edge is currently being edited, but is otherwise complete.  We are also in the process of setting up a new computer, and when that is complete, I hope to set up Crowley Stories in a program called Scrivener.  Crowley Stories was written over many months, in different formats using different computers, and Scrivener should help me even out and make uniform the formatting. I don't know how long this will take but it will be my next published novel-length project.

I am also working on a novella entitled My Europa.  It is my accepting of Jack McDevitt's challenge to write a futuristic story with a more optimistic point of view.  That does not mean there isn't drama and tension in the story.  But it does view a world some twenty years from now that has not descended into an apocalyptical hellhole. Translation:  Trump does not get elected.

So, my few but brave and wonderful fans, what should I focus on next?  Keep in mind that I am working towards retirement  from accounting, and the more success I have, the sooner that can happen.

Here are some of my choices:

1) Continue finishing My Europa.  The first few pages are published as a blog entry on The Strait Line.

2) Another Eric Reid story, continuing the characters of Eric Reid and the Time Team, this time focused on trying to stop an assassination in November 1963.  These can be combined and published as a Bookshot style paperback, for the low price of 5 to 6 dollars.

3)  Another Escape the Office romance, similar to Through the Closet and Into the Woods, and then combined to present a Bookshot style paperback, for the low price of 5 to 6 dollars.

4) Do not pass go, do not collect $200 (which would be nice), and go directly to the next book of the Trap series, History of the Trap: Revolution & Rebellion.

5) Concentrate on publishing an extending the collection of autobiographical stories, currently under the title Here Comes Tommy.

6) Collect poems, already written and news ones, and organize into a poetry collection.  Fake Poems Unite!

7)  Any other idea or interest you have, please let me know!

I wish my writing time was not as limited as it is.  So I do have to pick and choose.  Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Your favorite author (or hopefully somewhere in your top 525,600),

T. M. Strait

Changing of the Con

My son, Benjamin, dressed as McRee from the video game OverWatch.

Two of the many cosplayers at the convention, one dressed as Supergirl and the other as Rey from Star Wars.

Ah, it didn't used to be this way.  Conventions of this type were more often centered on comic books, illustrators, writers, and discussions of popular literature, movies and TV.  They were centered on getting the signatures of favorite writers, artists and creators; maybe even get the chance to talk to them.  There were many comic vendors, with people looking to fill in gaps of their collections, or find rare gems, like the first appearance of so-and-so.  And often, it was exciting to meet somebody new, somebody selling their own independent comic or book.

But times, they are a-changin', and so are the Cons. In the last decade or so, the largest growth area at conventions has been in the attendance and now domination of cosplayers.  These are people who meticulously dress up as a character from popular fiction.  And they range from characters in video games (like Benjamin as McRee), comic books (the young woman above as Supergirl, which also represent the very good recent TV show), and movies (the young woman above dressed as Rey form Star Wars).

Some cosplayers bring more than one costume to the convention, and change into different characters during the day.  I saw one woman start as a character from the Japanese anime Sailor Moon, and then later come back out as a character from Frozen.

This is not a terrible thing.  It never is when people are expressing themselves, meeting new people and having fun.  Benjamin had a blast meeting other characters from OverWatch, and in shouting his character's catch phrase, "It's High Noon!"

The cosplayers, however, are not readers, at least for the most part.  Many of them have read little about their own characters.  Often times, they are most interested in characters for their ability to display their uniqueness,  It may be what they have the materials for, how physically suited they are for that role, and how much they will stand up and be noticed for their portrayal.  This only requires a superficial knowledge to acquire the "look".

Some cosplayers are a little bit more serious about going beyond the look, and may improvise lines or interactions to show a greater depth of knowledge, and to immerse more into the world of their character.

But they don't really read.  There were only a couple of vendors, out of fifty or so, that had any depth of comics.  I saw some of them, but even I didn't buy, as I was trying not to go too much into the hole for the experience.

There were a few more than that, something between six and ten, that were authors selling their books.  I don't think any of them had a spectacular day.  Most of the attention at our own author's table was from middle-aged women, who might have been there with children or grand-children.  Others came by who wanted us to know they were budding authors and either hoped to publish soon, or had stuff they wanted us to consider.  But young readers, like I needed for my young adult novel, History of the Trap?  They were few and far between.

Overall, I got the impression that there were more people who wanted to write than wanted to read.  Not really a sustainable proposition.

I don't really mind the cosplayers.  They are expressing themselves, making friends, being creative in their own way.

But I do miss the days when the book and the art were the thing.  When writers and illustrators ruled the con.

Sigh.

Maybe for the next con, I'll try to attract attention by wearing my own costume.  Since there doesn't seem to be many popular manatee characters, I might try George R.R. Martin.  That way when people bombard me with questions about when I'm finishing Game of Thrones,  I can say, "Yes, I'm trying but I have writer's block,  I just had to get out this other story inside me, History of the Trap, written under a pen name, before I could concentrate on Westeros.  Check it out!"

Yeah!  There's a plan!

 

Discouraging Wednesday Wanderings

If you are one who doesn't like kvetching and prefer more positives posts, you may want to skip this one.

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For those of you on the general facebook feed, you may know that we lost our recent foster, Jessie.  She had gone with her new family, and slipped out of her harness on one of her first trips outside.  She had not bonded to the them yet, and ran off instead of staying near them.

My family and others have searched the area carefully.  We have spread the word.  But it is like the dog has completely vanished.  We could not find her and no one has seen her.

Jessie is very shy and scared...she may not seek people out, and may be in hiding.  If she is hiding nearby, she may eventually come out.  There are some busy streets nearby, but if she was run over, we could find no evidence of it.  If she went into the nearby woods, she may never be found.

I skipped large portions of my workday, searching the area on foot and by car.  I was joined by Alison and Benjamin in the late afternoon.  She loves Alison and if she was going to come to some one's voice, it would be hers.  She did not.

If you live in the Wacona area of Ware County, and you happen to see Jessie, please contact us or the Humane Society.

Jessie is a tiny dachshund/chihuahua mix, black/dark brown.  She was not wearing a collar when she ran off.

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To one degree, the RNC Convention is a joke, with lots of moments that are so extreme and ridiculous, it makes for great humor, with comedians and satirists having a field day (more like field week).  But it gives me no great joy.  Yes, the shouts of "Lock her up!"  and calling her a murderer are disturbing and over the top.  Yes, his super-model wife plagiarized parts of First Lady Michelle Obama's speech.  Yes, the Never Trump forces were steamrolled in a dictatorial matter (as will the Bernie people be next week).

Yet none of it gives me great satisfaction.  He should not be the Republican nominee.  He should have lost embarrassingly.  And he needs to lose the general election.  He not only needs to lose, he needs to lose by the greatest landslide in electoral history.  He and his ugly followers need to be excised from the body politic, and marginalized back into obscurity.

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And now, to make matters worse, Hilary is tipping her hand that she will indeed pick a Corporate Democrat as her running mate, with my prediction, Sen, Tim Kaine of Virginia, still the frontrunner.  She keeps misdiagnosing what she needs.  There is a hunger in the country to diminish the power held by the wealthy and corporate elites.  She is abandoning Progressives, and making the more naive of us either inclined not to vote or vote third party.  This will only increase Trump's chances.

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I have not found the right buttons to push to boost sales of my book.  I have only sold four paperback copies online, and so far, I am ZERO for July.  I will keep experimenting, but I would be lying to you if I told you I wasn't discouraged.  I am.

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There are many, many positives in my life, which I am extremely grateful for.  You just have to realize...with over 1200 blog posts, not all have them are going to have the fresh, flowery odor of Pollyanna.  Sorry, Hayley Mills.  It's just the way it is.

Wandering out for now,

T. M. Strait

OverWatch Corral at the Ancient City Con

Benjamin Strait, as the character McRee from the video game Overwatch, is watching over ,y portion of our vendor's table at Ancient City Con in Jacksonville.

It's High Noon!  Well, according to Benjamin's character.

We introduced History of the Trap at a convention, a first for me.  Sharing a table with Michael and April Lee, who had their own great books, it was also the first event for us as Swamp's Edge Publishing.

Saturday was a good day.  Everyone sold some books.  Even I sold two, which may not sound like much, but was actually more than I anticipated.  The goal was to get out there with my book and my business card, and start having a presence, maybe make some contacts.

Most people were fairly positive.  Those that engaged with us were pleased to see so much local writing, and in addition to those who bought, there were those that took our business cards and said they would check us out on Kindle. So far, that hasn't resulted in any Kindle sales, but I have high hopes.

I am still trying to perfect my pitch for the book.  If I say that they are students who are trapped at a high school for ten years, I get squeals of  "Now that's a NIGHTMARE!"  Sigh.  I'm still working on it.  I do strongly believe that it is a very good book, and that it's closed set premise, although a little extreme, is not that unfamiliar in literature.  I'll keep trying to articulate it better.

There was an author's panel discussion, and April and I were invited to go.  We weren't sure whether we were supposed to go up front on the dais or not.  That question became academic when all the seats were filled, and there was no room for us.  We sat in the front row.  I was poised to raise my hand and tell them they had two more authors in the room.

I squandered my opportunity to talk, as the dominant shy gene took over.  My worst problem with shyness is initiating conversation.  I have be to be explicitly invited.  I'm like a vampire who has to be invited in to your house to enter.  I came close when an author friend, Winfield Strock, took the time to invite April to talk about her recent experiences in publishing.  April did a great job, and I thought I would be invited next, but it didn't happen, and I wasn't aggressive enough to insert myself.  A great opportunity blown.

The most exciting opportunity I found out about was the world of audio books.  It appears to be easier to make audio versions of your books than I thought.  Not only that, but that it may be easier than I thought to get hired to record OTHER people's books.  This may be another way I can make money post-accounting retirement (or cutting back hours, or whatever it is I can eventually work out).  After all, some have said I'm a lot better speaker/actor/read-alouder than I am a writer.  So there you go.

Benjamin had a great time.  He made a number of friends and contacts, meeting others dressed from Over Watch, and playing in a tournament of his favorite video game, super Smash Brothers.  He didn't make it far, but he had a great sense of humor, and was funny and appealing.

We'll definitely have to do it again, and maybe at some point we can clear enough to cover our table costs, and if we get really well known, enough to cover our gas, food and money we spend buying other people's stuff.

Ten years, you say????  Boy, that's a NIGHTMARE!!!

Sigh.  

I'll keep working on that pitch!

Triumphant Tuesday Tidbits!

I am attempting to return to a normal schedule, but we will see.

The book is consuming a lot of the time I normally reserve for writing. The last few years, post tax season, I have usually gotten back into the swing of writing fiction, particularly on Fridays.  That has not been true yet this year.  Trying to perfect and publish History of the Trap has been my priority.

The result?

Kinda mixed.  Only four online sales so far.  I have sold about 15 locally, though.  WayGreen was very successful, selling 11 copies.

The cover is very attractive, and getting a lot of attention.  Thanks to the cover artist, Shardel!

I have created a facebook page for T. M. Strait the Author.  If you have not subscribed to that or liked it, and you are a blog follower, you may want to.  I will try to keep all the latest news on there.

For the first time, I read the book in print.  Yes, I had looked at it a lot on the computer.  But I had sat down and read it as a paperback this weekend.  I had somebody who bought it who had found a couple of typos, so I wanted to check it more carefully,

I did find a few things, enough to let you know that this was indeed a self-published book put out by a very human author.  I did not find anything that altered the story or the enjoyment of it.

But what I did find, reading it over  the weekend as if I was reading a novel written by somebody else was...that it's good.  Damn good.  I know.  I'm biased.  I'm the author.  But I was worried. I had gotten some feedback but not a lot.  And now I know - if nothing else, it's the type of book I enjoy reading.  The characters and what happened to them  meant a lot, and had great impact on me.  The scene where Diane and Lance comfort their father - caused me to cry uncontrollably for quite awhile.  It won't hit many that way.  But Principal Martin is based on my father, and now he's gone, and I could see him saying the things that the character said, and it just affected me deeply.

Well, this is supposed to be a Tuesday Tidbit, so let's see what else I can say....

..............I did not go to any fireworks this year.  And that's just fine with me.  Alison and Benjamin walked to the lakefront and watched some, while I stayed at home and tried to keep the dogs calm.

.............we did not see a movie at the theatre, although Benjamin saw Finding Dory with his MeeMaw, and really liked it.  Alison and I saw the movie Dark Places (starring Charlize Theron) at home.  Alison had read the book, and thought the book was better.  Ain't that almost always the case?  Although, if by some incredible miracle, History of the Trap is made into a major motion picture, I will not be fussing about the quality as I will be too busy purchasing a condo in Traverse City.

...............speaking of Traverse City, it was the highlight of our recent trip to Michigan.  I think, if we had money, Alison and I would become snowbirds, spending our summers in Traverse City and our winters in Blackshear.  Ya gotta have dreams, real or not.


...........the Tigers are starting to get beyond the 50-50 morass they were in, but not enough yet to be true playoff contenders.  You never know, though.  There still is a lot of season left.


.............I'm going to repeat this one a lot, so get used to it.......Is it possible for you to be a Christian and vote for Trump?  Yes.  Is it possible for you to say you're voting for Trump because you are a Christian? No.  No, you can't do that.


Tidbit over and out,

T. m. Strait

History of the Trap is In!!!

I have received my first copies! 

I will have these copies available in the following venues -

1

At the Okefenokee Heritage gift shop, beginning Tuesday, June 28th.  The price for these copies will be $17 plus sales tax, with $4.25 of each sale going to the support the OHC. Each copy will be signed by the author.

2

At the monthly Way Green event for $15.  The first of these is this Saturday, July 2nd.  These copies will be personally signed by the author after your purchase.  Way Green is held the first Saturday morning of each month at the Okefenokee Heritage Center.

3

By mail order.  Please send me a check or money order to 

T. M. Strait

202 Glenwood Drive

Blackshear, Ga 31516

The check should be for $18, to help cover shipping and handling.  Please include any requests for personal messages to include with autograph.  If anyone would like more information about this option, please leave me a Facebook message or e-mail me at tmstrait@hotmail.com.

4

There soon should be a copy at the Pierce County Library, thanks to my friend, David Rollison.

5

I hope to announce a series of cons I will be attending in conjunction with Michael and April Lee, at a shared table for Swamp's Edge Publishing.

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And don't forget....all are available at Amazon, both kindle and paperback version.  There are even other online vendors where the book is available.  Any locals who buy the book online, I will glad sign them if you see me.

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Yes, this is a self publishing effort.  Swamp's Edge Publishing is ME.  Consequently, please be aware that there are almost certainly still typos in the book.  The truth is, I will probably be still adjusting and refining the book for the rest of my life.  I wish it wasn't so, but such is life for the imperfect independent author.

If an of my early readers find a glaring mistake, please let me know so I can fix it in subsequent editions.

I can assure you, though, the problems are minor, and should not interfere with your enjoyment of the story.

Please remember, Amazon places my book on its lists based on its sales and number of reviews.  Online purchases help in that regard, and also posting a positive review (you are free to post any kind of review you want - I'm just letting you know what will help the book the most).

Those who frequent my blog and facebook feed may get tired of my constant shilling of my writings.  I apologize and hope you can bear with me - but the importance of this is outweighing my desire to not be annoying.

Thanks for your support!

And there will be more paperbacks and Kindle books to come!

Your favorite amateur author*

T, M. Strait

*well, hopefully at least in your Top 100

The Books Are on Their Way!

Big news!

History of the Trap Paperback Edition has been finalized!

It should be available to purchase online for $14.99 in three to five days!  Super important update!!!!  The book is available to buy NOW on Amazon!

It should be available at the Okefenokee Heritage Center gift shop around June 29th! Those copies will be signed by ME!

It should be at the next Way Green on July 2nd, where I can personally sign with a note to YOU!

Mail order signed copies, direct from me, will be available to order by June 30th.  Price may be slightly higher to cover shipping.

I will provide more details as these dates get closer!

Please, if you are so inclined, how highly they place my book in searches is dependent on sales AND reviews.  I encourage you to post reviews to Amazon if you can.  You, of course, can review it any way you want, but positive reviews will help the most.

If you like Kindle books, the Kindle edition is available now, and already ranking as high as #229,112 in the Kindle Store.  (Ranking estimated - although you would think if I was estimating, I would do a more Trump-like inflated number - it's YUUGE!)

An Unfortunate Delay

What?  I've already done a blog story with this picture?  What can I say?  The repetition has only just BEGUN!  I AM THE SHILLMASTER!


I have some unfortunate news for those blessed few who are waiting for a trade paperback version of my book.
There will be a slight delay in publication.
Why, Tom, why?

Well, thanks for asking.
I have decided to get my book identified  with a special number/code, the LCCN, that will allow it to be placed in the Library of Congress and more easily with libraries and maybe with retail booksellers.
That's good, right?
Well, yes it is, BUT, the process takes up to ten days and it must be included in the book.  That means I can't finalize my proof until that number is entered.
That means I won't have any books available before I leave for Michigan.  That means I won't have any copies to hand deliver to my Michigan friends.  And it may make it difficult to have copies at the next Way Green - I'm still hopeful that I could get some by then, but I can't guarantee it.
I'm so sorry, but I hope you understand that I can't pass up this opportunity for increased distribution.  Who wouldn't want to be among the millions of books at the Library of Congress?
Given this, I still promise to get the book out as quickly as the process allows.
Hang in there!
The Trap paperback is coming soon!

Maybe not as soon as I hoped, but still....coming soon! 












 

Justifying Monday and Other Monday Musings

What can I say?

It's my first book and I didn't know any better?

I've read thousands of fiction books and it didn't occur to me until church Sunday that maybe the typeset should be justified.  I frantically looked at the Bible in the pew and saw that it was justified.  Then I looked at The Book of Common Prayer and saw that it was not justified.  Then I looked at the hymnal and realized that was like music and notes and stuff.  I needed a larger sample.

After church, I looked at many books and concluded that only a few self-published books were not justified. It was clear that, although not required, that it would give my book a better feel and look.

Ugh.

Back to formatting hell, and putting at risk my goal to have copies of the book to distribute on our upcoming trip to Michigan.  The problem is that my Word file has to be translated into pdf again, and who knows what the result of that will be.

There are also a  couple of  typos to correct, so wish me luck.  I'll update y'all as to how it goes.

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Way Green, our local farm and arts show, had another pretty big crowd.  The OHC Writer's booth did okay, with both me and Grace Lee selling some of our chapbooks (homemade pamphlet-like books).  Michael and April Lee were very helpful in managing the booth, adding a whole array of book-related crafts.  It was terribly hot, and my Mackinac Island Fudge threatened to melt into hot fudge sauce.

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Game of Thrones is rollicking far past the books.  I still like the books as much as the series, and I am disappointed that the show is moving faster.  Yes, it's George R R Martin's story and he can basically tell it at what ever pace he wants, but I would've like to have read the books first.  I have little ground to complain.  It took me forty-five some years to complete History of the Trap.  But I promise you this - if somebody picks up the movie/TV rights to History of the Trap and I'm paid beau coup money - you better believe I'm gonna churn out books ahead of the movie/TV series.

Yeah.  Can't wait for that.

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So that's about it.  My weekend was mostly book related, starting the exciting journey from becoming book author to turning into market shiller.

Did I mention that the Kindle ebook version is available for sale on Amazon for only $3.99?

Until next shill,

T. m. Strait