It's 9AM
There are some things I work on I wish you liked more.
Like Touched.
Which started as a WIP called Orthodox.
I had an idea about a slick enforcer for the Russian mob who goes on the run after stealing a million bucks from them.
He ends up in a car with a preacher going to a new assignment.
When the preacher dies in an accident, the tough guy turns con man and assumes his identity, rolling into town and taking up the pulpit.
Where he promptly starts doing some very un-preacherly like things.
Sleeping with a string of women in the Church, running a scam and taking in a just over eighteen run away to give her shelter.
A lot of the guy was based on my Dd.
Who was, himself, a very un-preacherly like man.
And based on a lot of preachers I’ve known.
Who also do a lot of un-preacherly like things and hide behind a smooth spine King James to say it’s okay.
Then I had the local crime boss get wind of it, and want to know more.
Then I had a couple of thugs from the mob find him.
And planned for the Cartel to find him too.
There were side characters with great arcs, like a deputy who fell in love with a woman being beaten by her husband.
And the mob boss’ grandson who wants to be a boss himself, despite an IQ that needs a step up to hit zero.
Plus a hunter/hitman with one of the best names I ever came up with.
Camo Jenkins. Ex-Army sniper turned special deeds do-er for Myrtle, the mob boss.
Man, I really liked that story because it was off the wall and fun to write and yeah, it touched on a lot of things that people like to put up on a pedestal.
Preachers. Grandmas. High School Football. Tiny Towns in the middle of nowhere.
I had the first three books planned out, and though book one got good reviews, no one bought it.
I think I know why.
I didn’t pick the right genre for the cover.
I mean, it’s got crime, and thriller and off beat comedy in it. But the cover makes it look like a horror/serial killer story.
And while there is death in it, it’s more off beat southern noir than stalker story.
Plus, let’s face it, a lot of folks do not like to think that their preachers and doctors do anything wrong-
And if you toss rocks at those two paragons of knowledge and virtue, people cross their arms and stamp their feet and say things like, “That wouldn’t happen” or “No way.”
Despite the man Pat Baker’s and Joel Osteen’s and a hundred others I can’t name, except they sell holy water, and prayer request for $20 love donations.
But…
Can I finish out the trilogy and republish it under a new title/new cover/better hooks and blurbs?
Last night, I had a flash of inspiration for a scene.
Which led to an easy 2000 words for a chapter in book 3.
I wonder if it’s time for a reboot?
And if/then, where in the schedule can I fit it?
That’s the great thing about being a small publisher though:
I can experiment with things to see what works best.
Which is what I think we should all do.
With ideas, with food, with business plans and exercise.
When you have an idea, execute.
Fast.
If it works, great.
If it doesn’t, well, you’ve learned what not to do.
And that works.
Go grab your copy of TOUCHED today.
AND
These are FREE today, but I wonder if covers like this would work better:
DEAD BISHOPS DON’T LIE a fast-paced, action-packed international thriller FREE
IN PURSUIT (An Ivy Nash Thriller Book 2) FREE
The Vengeance Man FREE
Which style would you pick?
PLUS
ALSO
Check out #10’s homerun this weekend! Swing, swing, baby!
(it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing)
Personally, I think the story sounds great. There’s a little bit of that in some of the movies but you cover a wider spectrum and I find the characters in just a little blurbs on each of them sound funny, and then violent but kind of interesting I think there is a series I can’t think based in Arkansas, where the guy was, you know hide money for the mafia in the mafia guy killed everybody but him he was to go there and hide the money and got the rednecks up in the Arkansas to join with him and send us that sounds I mean along that line, not anything like what they had and your ears are totally different, unique, and I find funny and interesting, I mean you don’t call it. Funny when you’re killing people but the way you approach it sounds pretty interesting.