Cooking Alabama Gumbo

Good morning:

 I'm pleased to announce the release of my first book at Splice Publishing, Alabama Gumbo. Barnes and Noble.com and Smashwords.com are among the places where it's currently available (I'll post the buy links later).
 Alabama Gumbo's subject line is near and dear to my heart. It just took me a while to get into writing the book and I can't thank Splice enough for giving me the opportunity.
 Here's an excerpt:

The Future Business Leaders of America’s convention at the Peachtree Hotel in Atlanta provided the backdrop for an unlikely reunion between Teia and Chase.

In the lobby, Teia bumped shoulders with a large man.“Excuse me.” Her head tilted up and it was a familiar face. Her eyes melted at the handsome man with a face full of stubble in a Crimson jumpsuit. “If it isn’t Chase Streeter, the great Alabama quarterback.”

“Hello Teia,” Chase said coolly. He extended his right hand and she shook it.

Teia apologized for her actions at the Sugar Bowl. “I was wrong to act like an ass at the presentation.”

Chase shrugged his shoulders. “No big deal. The only thing I felt that night was the loss, not you.”

“I really felt bad about it,” Teia confessed. She wiggled in her long black spandex, bit her lower lip to stifle a moan and control her emotions.

“Forget about it,” Chase said.

His arms crossed, Chase changed the subject. “I remember you being in the centerfold of Athlon’s college football magazine, pages forty-seven and forty-eight.”

 

Buy links: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/486565; http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/alabama-gumbo-kt-bishop/1120627337?ean=2940046361339; http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/alabama-gumbo

 

Enjoy the rest of your week.

www.kenibird.blogspot.com.

Welcome to Splice Publishing!

Good morning.  I've recently found a new home for my E-books, a company called Splice Publishing.
I love their statement: Splice was born out of a need for a dependable, professional e-publishing option that caters to both new and seasoned authors.
The first release will be Alabama Gumbo. A University of Alabama quarterback must juggle love with a rival and the high demands of playing football at the greatest program ever assembled (Ok, that last part is my opinion).
I look forward to a great relationship with Splice and learning more about the trade.

A bouquet of Black Roses

I apologize for my absence during most of the summer. It's been one of the toughest summers I've endured in years.
For the second straight year, I've managed to lose a publishing company.
First, it was Rebel Ink Press releasing my book rights back to me. The relationship lasted two years and they were professional enough to give me my book backs.
I'm sure all of you know about the horrific collapse by Red Rose Publishing. I'm not going into any more details, but the betrayal was harsh and still stings to this day. I was with RRP since 2008 until the bankruptcy.
The loophole states that our book rights are reverted back to us in the event of a website going down. But us RRP authors would love to see it in writing, because another publisher wants that as well.
If there's a bright spot, my unpublished stuff at Red Rose is good to go.
I've sent a few books out to different publishers, and been rejected by all three. Guess the only thing I can do is keep trying.

NUMBERS NEVER LIE!

While going down memory lane on a trip to Tuscaloosa, I realized a lot of key moments happened with the year ending in four.
1974: I learned how to read and write. (In those days, we didn't have Pre-school or Kindergarten from the Alabama School System).  That year, Happy Days debuted. The Fonz stayed with me all the way through Junior High in 1984.

1984: I entered Holt High School as a freshman and the Cosby Show debuted. I lost my way as a student the previous year, but thanks to Dr. Huxtable, I regained my momentum and graduated with honors from Stillman College in 1992, the year the Cosby Show ended.
1994: The last year my entire family was together. My mother died the following year, my uncle a month later and my grandmother put into a nursing home (She died in 1997).  Worldwide, it was the year we all saw O.J. Simpson riding inside a White Bronco on a California highway.
2004: Hurricane Ivan destroyed all of my college and high school memorabilia in Pensacola, Florida. On a world wide basis, America mistakenly re-elected George W. Bush as President. (He looked really bad during Hurricane Katrina).
It's still too early to see what 2014 will bring. Hopefully, someone will pick up the screenplay.

Enjoy the last few days of spring.....

Finishing the Screen

Good morning, I just finished the rough draft to my first screenplay, Picking Cotton.
After a month of studying the basics of screenwriting, I embarked on the journey to put together a short film.
In its E-book format, Picking Cotton is a 289-page novel at Red Rose Publishing. I had the herculean task to break it down into 45 pages.
As we already know, movies are completely different from books. The E-book was mildly successful, but I changed a few things for the screen.
After I let the screenplay sit for a few weeks, I may go back and add something else. At the moment, I'm pleased with the movie's overall theme.
That is all, Happy Memorial Day.

FIXING A SCREEN!

Good morning.......
           I have spent the last 10 days writing the rough draft to my first screenplay.
          After a week at the webinars studying the basics of screenwriting and reading various forms of movies, I decided to give it a shot. I wanted to see where the pages took me.
          At the moment, I'm at page 34 of the film version of Picking Cotton. I chose Cotton because it was my first book to get contracted and rewritten twice. Here's the link to it... http://redrosepublishing.com/books/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=100&products_id=1070
           Since I'm new to this, I opted on a short film version. A film of 30-45 minutes (A TV film with commercials) is usually 45-50 pages.  After I complete the screenplay, I'll put it on the shelf for a month.

That is all......

JOURNEY TO SCREENWRITING

Week one of my journey to becoming a screenwriter was paved with obstacles. Arrogantly, I tried to write a screenplay without taking a few webinars. It was a disaster. I couldn't gather enough thoughts for one page.
Monday, I participated in a webinar from Gigi New, a famous writer and professor. I learned a lot, especially that a screenplay has three ACTS and goes between 90-100 pages.
ACT I - the tonesetter and the purpose of your story.
ACT II- conflict.
ACT III- Resolution.
With that in mind, I'm going to take my first book, Picking Cotton, and make into a screenplay. I may fit the other three books into the screenplay" Cotton Patch, Cotton & Silk and Cotton Candy.
I'll take more training this week.
See you next time.........