It's Selling!

Just a big ol' WOW and Thank Ye Kindly! My 1st book (BODIES) is actually selling! 

Publicly releasing an original work - whether it be a book, music, film, whatever - is somewhat nerve-racking. A person takes the time to create something - something that means something to them (which doesn't mean it's of any value to anyone else) - and they release it into the wild. I've heard it compared to a parent watching their child go out into the world on their own. I was always lucky, musically. I had enough of a reputation that some folks were, at least, interested in what I recorded. This guaranteed a few sales. In all honesty, some releases sold really well, some not so much. But I made them. They held their own. But a book? From ME? Why would anyone stop to give it even a cursory look?

Is it the greatest collection of words ever committed to paper? Probably not. I won't even say it's the best I've ever written. But there are definitely some gems in there that I'm proud of. I don't really consider myself a writer so much as a storyteller. There's a distinction here. A writer/author/poet has trained themself to choose words to convey a message. I approach my stories more like someone would if they were telling a story to someone over a beer at the local bar, or at a campfire, or just sitting around shooting the breeze. I like to think my stories are interesting. Whether or not others do is totally up to them. The best I can do is write them down, clear the clutter, search for typos and stray punctuation, publish, and hope y'all enjoy them. 

People ask me "What's it about?" 

Not an easy answer. It's not just one thing. It's a collection of short stories, so there's that. They do lean towards a certain level of darkness, but I wouldn't flat out call them horror stories. Some are, if I'm being honest, just my dark sense of humor. Some are based in my every day 'what if - and then what?' style of thinking. A couple of the tales were actually written as birthday presents for friends - taking old memories or personal inspiration - and crafting a bit of fiction. Some are loosely based on personal experiences, again repurposed into my bizarre fictional scribbles. I sometimes base things on different fears, and sometimes folklore. So, as you can see - "What's it about?" isn't a question with an easy answer.

Will YOU enjoy it? 

I guess that depends on a number of things. Do you enjoy short stories? If yes, put a checkmark by that one. Do you like dark tales? Again, if yes, put a checkmark by that one. Do you have a twisted sense of humor? If so, I think you'll, at the very least, get the jokes. My wife isn't a big reader. She enjoys these tales, so I figure others might. I have friends who are hardcore word nerds - and they like have been enjoying them, so I'll consider that a ringing endorsement. 

I was surprised to find out that a library in Australia wants my work on its shelves! To me, libraries are the best place to discover a book or a new author. Few people venture in there unless they want something to read. As a kid, the library was one of my favorite places. Now as an old man, I'm lucky to have two within a mile or so of my house. 

I've been blogging my weird little essays and stories for a long time - why switch up to physical books? Ego? Something else? A lot of this comes down to years of people saying, "You should write a book!" I'm aware that this might not be the book they had in mind. The great rock and roll tell-all book ain't gonna happen - at least not from me. Yes, I have those stories, and I might even tell you one over a beer. That doesn't mean I'll put them in print. It doesn't mean they didn't actually happen; it simply means I have a little more respect for others than to try to profit from my times with them. Most of those stories are more personal memories - and like I said, maybe I'll tell some over a beer - but not in a book. 

Why short stories?

This is an easy answer. Some stories don't need to be long. In fact, a lot of stories lose what makes them special if they get dragged out to an unnecessary length. How much detail is really needed? From my own editing, I'm well aware of my habit of blathering on and on about minutia. Then I start to digress. Anyone who has ever had a conversation with me already knows this! A quick blurb about pizza toppings can break down to my loathing of cheese, my shared view on the subject with my friend Moyer, details of a trip to Indiana, and if permitted, it will break down to a history of dairy farming in medieval Europe. Really, no one wants all that in a story. 

A personal reason for short stories goes back to my old friend Danny Gatton. He enjoyed reading, but rarely had the time to invest in sitting down with a good book. He often joked that he did most of his reading in the bathroom. In his memory, I've whittled a number of stories down to 'bathroom visit length'. It would, in its own way, be an honor to have my book in bathrooms everywhere. Who knows, maybe my stories will move you in ways you hadn't expected. Pun most definitely intended. 

It's an overcast, warm Sunday afternoon, and I'm practically giddy knowing that people out there are finding my writing worthy of their time and hard-earned money. I'm surprised anyone is reading it, but that's my own personal self-esteem issues. Again, Thank Ye Kindly to anyone and everyone who reads anything I write - including this.

Just know, there's more to come. 

MCM 6/28/26 3:35pm