I Don't Think Jimmy Page is Talented

I don't think Jimmy Page is talented, nor Dan Abnett, or even Qui-Gon Jinn. Greatness has little to do with talent. If I believed in talent, I'd stop writing. You see, I'm not talented, nor do I know how to become talented. I do, however, have something in common with Jimmie, Dan, and Qui-Gon. I know how to work hard. And I enjoy sharing the fruits of that labor with you...my six readers, as well as the 11 people who bought my first novel, the unfortunately named, A Craving for Blood.

In short, talent doesn't sell books. Hard work does. That, and a huge dose of marketing. Andy Nunez, a friend of mine and versatile author, recently read the first draft of my Revelation and liked it, closing his comments with "but will it sell?"

It's a good question.

Genre bending is a tough, and Revelation turns the military adventure genre into a pretzel. But the twisting of genres is only tough until someone mixes a 13-year old wannabe wizard's magic with normal adolescent tribulations, sells 78 gazillion books, and everyone says, "Geez, why didn't I think of that?" It can be done.

Genre benders (really any books) need to be placed where people who might be interested will see them. I believe in Revelation, and I'm not so egotistical as to feel I'm the only person who thinks this type of stuff is interesting. The story is simple, believable. The Soviets invade Germany in 1985. The death, destruction, and misery wrought by this brutal war gives rise to mythic creatures that have long existed, but remained hidden. There's no goofiness in this rising. People don't accept vampires, license them, or have tea with them in the early afternoon. The werewolves aren't your handsome best friend, nor are they inherently evil, they just are. Demons (there is only one in Revelation), bathe in humankind's misery, and relish prologing, even intensifying, the suffering in some seriously creepy and distastefull ways. Rare humans, humans that have always possesed telekinetic and telepathic powers, now find those powers intensified--as if a veil has been lifted, as if their talents were being revealed. And of course, there's a love story, and yes (I hang my head and sigh), it is between a vampire and a human. It just worked out that way. Sorry.
 
All this is woven into the backdrop of World War III. I strove to make everything, from tank on tank battles in the streets of Eisenbach, to a vampire's slaying of a Soviet mortar crew, as gritty (not gross, gritty) as possible. Like I said yesterday. I hate goofy.
 
So, I think that it's just a matter of presenting the book where those who might like it will see it. Of course how to do that is a $64 question. This blog is part of the answer, the rest? As Qui-Gon once said, "A solution will present itself."
 
See you tomorrow.