The Vase is top notch-Killer of Killers will be, too.

I talked about how many times The Vase has been edited, with three total publishers, but most extensively with Penumbra. And I've talked  particularly about how much the writing has improved, that I must say Killer of Killers, also, is reaching that level of quality as far as writing is concerned.

Both are great stories, to be sure, but when I read them now, it's like, wow, this writing is just so good. I haven't resubmitted KOK to Melange yet, because I'm not quite done with it yet, but if you are someone who is considering buying a copy, I would suggest to wait just a little bit more. I'll be sure to tell you when it's been reloaded. But it will be worth waiting for if you care about literary writing and such. The story's the same. The characters are the same. The plot and events that take place are the same. It's just the writing is tons better now. And it will continue to get better until I finally call it done.

It's just another example of the same thing I've been saying for a long time now. Revisions are never done. Not until the book is published. And in my case, at least for KOK, not even then. It's been improved and improved, and improved, and at this point, well what more can I say? It's just so good, like I already said. Look, I know tooting your own horn is not kosher, but unless or until you read it for yourself, how else will you know?

You can't even go by reviews anymore, because many authors actually pay reviewers for good reviews. Even for books they never read. And on the flip side, there are those jerks who just seem to get off on giving bad reviews, and again, even for books they never read. Not because anyone's paying them, but just because they are jerks. Of course there's a better word out there, but I'm a Middle School teacher, after all, and the word 'jerk' will have to do. And that's why many people give no credence at all to reviews. It doesn't mean I wouldn't welcome another good review, though. What author wouldn't? I mean the kind you don't pay for, of course.

So, stay tuned.

Keep On Writing

Even if you're revising, that's still writing. It doesn't have to be new material. If you make the material you've already written better, than that's still making great progress. Even better. If you write something that needs to be improved, and you don't improve it, than that's not so good. You absolutely have to make your writing the best it can possibly be. And until it is, you just have to keep at it. And I don't think anyone in the world can have a first draft be at that level. No one.

Finally Saw an Amber Heard Movie

Amber Heard

I know that my posts about Amber Heard have attracted many readers, since my 'stats' page indicates that. She must be a pretty popular girl worldwide, and that's understandable. She is, after all, my choice for the part of Samantha Jones, the police detective in my debut novel, Killer of Killers. And speaking of Amber Heard, I finally saw an Amber Heard movie. It was last night on the Showtime channel. The movie was called Drive Angry, and I watched it because Amber Heard was in it. I thought it was my first chance to see if she could act. And she CAN. She co-starred with Nicholas Cage, and even though I had some problems with the screenplay, it did showcase the acting talents of Amber Heard, and they were more than credible--as good as any of the other actresses out there. So she still gets top preference for the Samantha Jones part, if KOK ever gets made into a movie. We'll see. I want it reloaded first, and then we'll talk more about that.

Back to Work

Back to Killer of Killers, that is. I'm not finished with that one yet. The Vase, yeah. I think that one is a wrap. But taking all those guidelines to Killer of Killers is my goal, now. And hopefully it will be reloaded or reprinted, or whatever publishers do. I think that it would behoove Melange Books to do it. It will only make one of their books a better book. Who wouldn't want that? Back to work.

Final Edits Sent to Publisher

Penumbra answered that they have received my edits and they are in queue to be reviewed. I expect them all to be implemented, as I've adhered to their guidelines after all, and it is better than ever. I think the writing, thanks to what I learned from them, is better than ever and really has reached another level of quality. I hope it gets read, and if it does I think word might spread and it will catch on. Only time will tell. So we'll see.

Third and Final Round of Edits Completed

The Vase is good to go. Dare I say great to go. I'm referring to the level of writing that so many rounds of edits have achieved. Two other publishers put it through a round each, and then Penumbra's three preliminary rounds and now three additional rounds that came by me have made this the best manuscript it could possibly be. I'm ready to send it back to them, but I just want to give it a quick once over before I do. I always find something else to change, and just now I did. I changed a couple places already since I declared it done. Sure they were minor changes but they were changes nonetheless. So one more pass. Not a word by word read through. Just a quick going over, checking all the changes I made, and seeing if they might be made better. That's how the last couple minor changes happened. So that's what I'm going to do. I fully expect to send it today though. And it will rock and it will roll!

Writing Has Reached Another Level

The Vase is being edited. Wow, is it ever. It received three rounds of edits with Penumbra before it was even sent to me for review. It underwent two rounds of edits after that. And I'm in the midst of a third round, right now. And none of that even includes the two rounds of edits it underwent with the two prior publishers who were going to publish it before Penumbra.

But it was Penumbra who really taught me so much about editing. And I'm a much better writer now. In fact, I dare say my writing has reached another level. Especially right now during this latest round of edits, which I'm about three quarters through. I should be done by tomorrow. And then I'll send it back. Can't wait. You'll see.