I am getting closer to releasing my third book and although
the editing/revising can be tedious, I am excited. As with most writers, I go
through stages of hating everything I’ve written and wanting to throw it all in
the trash and never look at it again. This past week has been like that! Other
times, I really enjoy reading parts of my work and thinking it’s pretty good
stuff. I have had a few days of that as well.
One of the more difficult aspects of this novel has been
developing a cover. The one above is my latest effort. Although I like the
graphic and it has the right feel, it doesn’t match the image in my head of
what the drive-in looks like. At the suggestion of those I have allowed to
peek, I tweaked the fonts a bit. I’m still searching for the perfect photo, but
I don’t know if I’ll ever find it! Frustrating!
Here’s an early book description from a previous blog post
of mine:
Set in the fictional town of
Eastlake, Texas, the book consists of a series of short stories spanning six
decades. Central to the book are James and Ellie Sullivan who own and operate
the drive-in which is prominently featured throughout the novel. As the local
hangout, Sully’s Drive-In serves as a
backdrop for stories about the local schools, churches, and citizens. Several
overlapping characters appear in multiple tales that show them at different
stages of their lives dealing with a variety of trying circumstances.
Cole Bradford comes to Eastlake as
a young, single coach and returns later as the embattled principal of the intermediate
school. Ron Copeland is the veteran administrator who has spent over half his
life as the principal of Eastlake High School until he encounters a new
superintendent with whom he immediately finds conflict. Evan Peters is the
football coach and later Athletic Director with character issues aplenty. Cora,
his wife, has her own set of problems. Christopher Manning is the pastor at the
First Baptist Church, although we first meet him in Eastlake in the role of
youth minister. Brent Griffen, Ty Mills, and the Holder family also live and
work in the community. Come to Eastlake and spend some time enjoying the slow
pace of life and getting to know the locals.
Although based on true events,
these are entirely fictional tales. The characters are sometimes autobiographical,
and other times based on a combination of people with whom I have worked over
the years. Most of the events
actually happened and often they happened to me. In all honesty, in many of the
stories, I have changed the endings to reflect what should have happened
instead of what did. Hindsight and all. My way of re-writing history, saying
all the clever things I wish I had said at the time. I think anyone who has
ever lived in a small town will appreciate these behind-the-scenes tales of
comedy/drama/tragedy which shed insight into the day to day experiences of
ordinary people doing their best to survive and hopefully find some love and
acceptance along the way.
Let me know what you think of the new cover and start saving
your nickels and dimes! Hopefully, the book will be ready to publish by October
1.
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