November 2005 Blogs

The November Photo of the Month comes from Lake Tahoe, July '05. My wife and I rented a boat one day and took it out on the lake. Lake Tahoe is the second deepest lake in the United States, and let me tell you, you feel it when you jump off of the back of a boat. The water is crystal clear, cold, and it just descends to depths that inspire the imagination. What's living down there, you know, 1,600 feet below the surface?




Wednesday November 30, 2005
Click here to listen to Stacey's 11-30-05 Audio Blog

Busy, busy, busy...

I've started doing a daily "To Do" list. Yesterday's took up the front and part of the back of a whole sheet of 8.5x11 paper. Today's was better, just taking up the front of one.

I love making stuff happen.

I have a couple of newspaper articles coming out in local papers next week. I'll be at Gecko Espresso next Friday. This weekend and next week, I'll be handing out flyers all around the east valley to try and attract folks to the event.

I met with two 8th grade teachers yesterday at Thunder Mt. Middle School to discuss a speaking engagement I have at the school on December 22. I've visited two more local libraries to set up Teen Events, called the Main Phoenix Public Library to discuss the possibility of setting up an event, visited five more bookstores to ask about setting up events, called two Barnes & Nobles in Tucson, called every NPR radio station in Arizona, spoke with one on-air host about the possibility of setting up an on-air interview, got another bookstore event (this one in Sedona), and arranged to hand out flyers at a local library this Saturday announcing the event for next Friday.

This morning I spoke on the phone with Melinda Siegel who produces KCRW's Bookworm, based out of Santa Monica, California.

Stacey







Wednesday November 23, 2005
Click here to listen to Stacey's 11-23-05 Audio Blog

Well, today is the official book launch day for Amber Page and the Legend of the Coral Stone. You'll find links to most of the more popular online retailers on the front of the staceycochran.com website. You may also order signed copies via PayPal through the front end of the site.

I'm just really excited to have pulled everything together on schedule. All the links, all the cover images, all the descriptive contents, everything just came together right on schedule, and it's been a really neat, really exciting couple of weeks leading up to today.

So, rush on over to Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble online and order your copy of Amber Page and the Legend of the Coral Stone, and tell all of your friends about it and all of your family and anyone you can think of who might find it interesting.

Thank you so much for reading the blog, and I wish you all the best.

Now, go buy a copy, man.

Stacey



Tuesday November 22, 2005
NEWS FLASH: The haircut was a success.


Monday November 21, 2005
Click here to listen to Stacey's 11-21-05 Audio Blog

NEWS FLASH: I will be getting a haircut this afternoon at 3:30 PM MST. Pray for me...

Stacey




Friday November 18, 2005
I'm giddy, which is really an interesting emotion. Giddy.

Let's look it up...

gid·dy Audio pronunciation of "giddy" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (gd)
adj. gid·di·er, gid·di·est

1. Having a reeling, lightheaded sensation; dizzy.
2. Causing or capable of causing dizziness: a giddy climb to the topmast.

Emotions absolutely fascinate me. I've said for years I need to write a novel where the study of human emotions play a critical role. What is the purpose of emotions?

What biological objective do they serve?

I tend to think they're the mind's barometer, and as long as you're staying in the happy, open, positive range you're doing whatever you're supposed to be doing.

If you're depressed or anxious or worrying, it's your mind's way of telling you, you need to change things around a bit.

Got to go. Pizza's done reheating!

Stacey



Thursday November 17, 2005
Click here to listen to Stacey's 11-17-05 Audio Blog

Rock on!



Tuesday November 15, 2005
2:27 P.M.
I just got the mail in, and the T-shirt for our October 31st T-shirt Give-Away winner was in with the mail. It looks really cool.



I'm so excited about how good these T-shirts look I just can't tell you.

Click Here To Order Yours

I also called the Arizona Republic today to set up a notice for the two events I have so far for the Events Calendar, and I visited the Arizona Star's website and submitted info to get the events listed there as well.

Stacey



10:07 A.M.
For the first time in I don't know how long, I woke up determined to begin writing first thing this morning. When I wrote the novels The Band, Culpepper, Amber Page and the Legend of the Coral Stone, The Colorado Sequence, and Claws, my process was to write early in the morning as soon as I got up and had coffee brewing. Most days, I would write off and on all day and would call it a day towards late afternoon.

On the most recent three novels Maggie's Inferno, Claws 2, and Dr. Plant, I've gotten in the (bad) habit of putting off the writing until mid-afternoon. I don't like this trend.

I think I do my best writing if I start fairly early and work through to the afternoon, and I feel a renewed sense of energy and conviction this morning to try and do just that on the last two month's of this calendar year. I'd like to finish Dr. Plant with that kind of drive.

Stacey


Monday November 14, 2005
I crossed the -- gasp! -- 900-page mark today in Dr. Plant. I don't know whether to feel good about this or to be unnerved by it. Part of me just wants to get the thing done; another part of me wants to have a fitting ending to this monster. Another part of me doesn't think anybody will ever read it. Another part of me wonders how in the world I've written over a million words of fiction and have not gotten a book deal yet.

It's like some grudge match. I swear I'll write twenty novels if I have to (I've been writing novels for a decade, now, and God willing, I'll do it another decade).

It is really difficult to stay on task, though (I gotta admit) when you're working on novel eight, and none of the previous seven have found a publisher. It is an exercise in sheer mental discipline.

Sometimes you just want somebody to help you, but there's nobody who will.

My dad used to use this phrase when I was a kid, "Sometimes you gotta take matters in to your own hands."

Bring it on, I say! I'll write fifty novels if I have to!! Rahhh!!!




Saturday November 12, 2005
We're going out with a group of friends to Malee's on Main in Scottsdale tonight. Malee's (pronounced "May-Lee's") has some of the best Thai food in the area.

Tomorrow is my wife's birthday!



Thursday November 10, 2005
Living in Arizona, we get some really amazing sunsets, but nothing could have prepared me for this just otherworldly explosion of gold that happened just a few minutes ago. I was sitting here at my writing desk, hammering away on Dr. Plant (178,693 words, as of today), and the sky went from black and cloudy to just a radiant golden color in a matter of seconds.

Had something to do with the angle of the sun on the clouds at just the right moment, I guess. But everything outside turned a golden color. Sort'a like being on Mars or something. The photo just doesn't do it justice, but it'll give you an idea...

It was really wild.




Wednesday November 9, 2005
Click Here to Listen to Stacey's 11-09-05 Audio Blog

Good news! I got a call-back from the Principal at a local middle school near where I live in Arizona, who has invited me to come speak to two eighth grade classes about Creative Writing fundamentals, how to get a literary agent, and how a novel gets published.

I was totally inspired to do this by reading Chris Paolini's story of how he got started.

How did this come about, you might wonder?

I called the Principal, told him a little about myself, and asked if there was some way I could get the word out to kids at the school about a Public Library Event I have in the area on January 17, 2006.

He called back and suggested I speak to the classes. How cool is that!

I think I may do a t-shirt give-away drawing at the event. That'd be fun...

I can't wait. The whole event will be fun, really, and it inspires me to think about contacting other middle schools around the state of Arizona.

Stacey


Monday November 7, 2005
My wife and I spent a wonderful weekend up at the Alma de Sedona Inn in Sedona, Arizona, USA. During the trip, we had the opportunity to visit several of Sedona's so-called "vortex" spots and had a terrific dinner out at a couple restaurants in Sedona.

I also took the opportunity to visit the Well Red Coyote and met owner Joe Neri. I showed Joe a proof copy of Amber Page and the Legend of the Coral Stone and asked about setting up an event/signing at the store. He seemed enthusiastic and said I should call back in December.

Additionally, I visited the Sedona Public Library and received contact info for the Youth Services Librarian. She was not in, but I was told when I should call her to ask about setting up an event at the library.

On the trip home, we stopped by the town of Jerome, Arizona, known as "America's Most Vertical City" because it is literally perched on the side of a mountain one mile above sea level.

We ate lunch at "The Asylum" the Jerome Grand Hotel's fancy restaurant built around the theme of the hotel's having been a hospital for the mentally ill in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. There are a number of pictures of ghosts around the hotel, and I was told by one employee that the still-functioning 1926 Otis Elevator once "chopped someone's head off."

My wife chastised me for being so gullible as to believe it.:)



Thursday November 3, 2005
Click Here to Listen to Stacey's 11-03-05 Audio Blog

I just wanted to say a few words about the Audio Blog vs. Written Blog debate. My wife, who is wonderful at pulling me back on track when I start to veer off course, mentioned that I shouldn't go exclusively to Audio Blogs, that some of you guys may actually enjoy and prefer the written blogs.

So, I'm going to try to balance both, doing an audio blog every few days, but keeping the written blog going sort'a as my foundation.

As always, I love to hear from you, Dear Reader, and if you have any thoughts and/or suggestions either way on what you prefer -- Audio or Written (or both) -- please let me know.

The one thing I can guarantee: I won't be going to Video Blogs any time soon.

Though, now that I'm thinking about it, it would be neat if I could find a way to synch up the podcast Audio feed with a video feed. Hmmm....

See what happens when the wheels get to spinnin':)

Have a good one, folks!

Stacey




Wednesday November 2, 2005
Today, I got my first public library event call-back for Amber Page and the Legend of the Coral Stone. The Youth Services Librarian at the Apache Junction Public Library in Apache Junction, Arizona USA called to let me know that the library board approved a discussion with me for the library’s Teen Chat Cafe on January 17, 2006. I am really excited about this, and I just want to do the best job that I can.

Basically, I’ll talk with a group of teen authors for about an hour regarding some Creative Writing fundamentals, how to get a literary agent, and how the publishing business works. I may even be able to sign some copies of Amber Page and the Legend of the Coral Stone afterwards.

If you have any questions or would like to attend, feel free to contact me via the Comments Box up above and I’ll give you all the info I have to give.

Stacey


Tuesday November 1, 2005
Well, a new month is upon us, and with the new month, we have a winner in the Free Amber Page T-Shirt Give-Away. I chose the winner by drawing from a black bag. All total, we had exactly 25 entries from two countries, and the winner came from Ontario.

I felt the give-away was such a success I'm going to do it again.

This time we'll give away a short sleeve Amber Page T-shirt to one winner on New Years Eve, December 31st, 2005.

Stacey