Happy New Year!

This is me wishing all of you a Happy and Safe New Year's Eve Celebration. May 2009 bring significant advances in all of our projects.
Remember the novel I was going to write in a month? (http://www.nanowrimo.org/) I finished it in 18 days. To be truthful, I had a lot of research on my hard drive already, so there wasn't a lot of extra stuff to do, just write and refer to something already found from time to time. What began as “Unfinished Novels” was later renamed as “Deadly Research” and turned out to be an exposé.
CreateSpace made all those who finished their novels a nice offer: a free proof of their book, free ISBN and listing with their page and Amazon. The proof copy looked so good that I took them up on their offer. The result is that my book is now available. See www.jonbatson.com for the link.
Yes, I did do an edit and correct before pulling the lever. Several friends read the book as well and made some observations. The usual errors were found and corrected.
The trick for 2009 is to deal with four novels, three that are print-on-demand needing promotion and one (Nina Knows the Night) that is still seeking representation, while writing the next one. There are four started at this point and deciding which to put attention on next will be my chore for next week.
Incidentally, I am wide open for an agent. I want to pitch my books to the movie industry as well as the publishing industry. POD is one thing, but a bona-fide publisher is a good thing to have. My book made into a box-office-smash is even better.
Happy New Year! May prosperity find you in 2009 and shower you with goodness.
Jon

A New Novel written this month

Currently, I am in the middle of my novel, the one that gets written in a month. I'm at 37556 words out of 50000 so I am ahead of myself. That's pretty normal.

So if I haven't answered your email, or been to your show, that's why. I'm writing chapters as fast as I can just to get everything in that is in my head.

Who would like to see my novel? First chapter?

Jon

Novel Month

First of all, let me say that I am in the middle of three novels. I don't know which I want to do next and so I am writing them all as the inspiration hits me. Inspiration comes at me from all angles, so I am also making random notes about future projects. So the natural thing for me to do is to take on more.

There is a site (http://www.nanowrimo.org/) which challenges authors to write a novel in a month, starting November 1 and ending on November 30. The novel is to be in excess of 50,000 words, or roughly 1700 a day. This includes Thanksgiving, which, if done right, would yield about five words before tradition drives one to the television set to watch the big game with loosened trousers. On Thanksgiving, even I am likely to watch the big game. But I digress.

My plan is to put all other writing projects to one side as of October 31st and to focus on a new project, as yet defined, for 30 days. I will probably outline where it is going, as that is my road map, but I will also write with abandon and let the story take me where it will. I will be posting my pages per day on the site, just to see how I am doing. I might post it as I go along as well, for those who would care to read.

December will most likely be “edit month” as I go back and correct all my gaffs, ramblings, misspellings and digressions.

Between now and the end of the month, I will be working on the three incomplete novels, sending out short stories to various people, pushing my recently completed novel, Nina Knows the Night, and promoting Walking Targets, the book I publish by Beverly Eakman.

In my spare time, I will work on my breathing.

No Place to be Lousy

George Burns said it: “These days, there's no place to be lousy.” What did he mean?

Well, let's take a look at George Burns. He grew up in Vaudeville, honed his act in small towns in front of audiences of many or few, and grew into the part. He fell on his face, figuratively and literally, flubbed lines, forgot lyrics, got laughed off - or booed off - the stage and somehow survived. He developed a style that took him through the early days of Radio, performing with Gracie Allen.

Gracie herself was a Vaudeville veteran who developed her perfect air-head style. She was anything but in real life, a highly intelligent woman who was on top of every nuance of their act.

Sid Caesar, Art Carney, Jackie Gleason, Milton Berle, Jack Benny were all cast in that nightly fire.

Many comics, such as Lenny Bruce, Shelly Berman, polished their acts in the Catskills for vacation audiences for many years before they played Vegas.

The Beatles played many small, dingy pubs in England and Europe before they actually played someplace nice or got any recognition. I caught Peter Tork of the Monkeys at a small coffee house in The Village on an open mic night. There were three other people there besides me. I have also open miked with John Sebastian, Fred Niel, Richie Havens and Robby Basho. All of them honed their talents at open mics or pass-the-hat open stages.

But today, where can you go? Where, George, can one go to be lousy? George replies, “There's no place to be lousy.”

Many would-be performers today believe that they are a finished product, ready for stardom. After all, given the opportunity, the big stage, costumed dancers, hot band and lots of money and drugs, they could be a Brittany or Justin. If only the world would recognize their natural talent! It's so unfair!

No, actually, it's totally fair. Outside of the pre-packaged acts that the industry occasionally brings out, most entertainers are years in the making, doing free shows, open mics, songwriter-in-the-round sessions before half-a-dozen drunks week after week, attending workshops and showcasing everywhere they can get a piece of stage for the length of a song.

The thing I hear more than any other complaint boils down to: Nobody's making opportunities for me to show off my natural and completely stage-ready talent. That's right! It ain't happenin'.

Why? Because, “These days, there's no place to be lousy.”

But there are a few places to be lousy, if you have the guts to go and be lousy. There's Open Mics, Songwriter Workshops and Jams.

NC Songwriters Co-op holds a Song Jam on the second Sunday of each month where you can play your song and get adulation, or not, from your fellow performers and songwriters. You might get a critique. But you can take it or leave it. You can go home and cry about it if you like, if you think that will help. We won't be there to hear you, so - don't care. But if you want a place to be lousy, in order to one day be good, the Song Jam is a place to start.

NCSC holds three open mics each month, go to the website, www.ncsongwriters.org, or open the Independent, there are open mics listed there on practically every night of the week. No one's stopping you from going to every one, it's an “open mic.” Sooner or later someone will notice you and make you a star. Probably later, because all your sooner time will be spent being lousy.

The open mic gives you a chance to play your song, watch the audience and see what kind of response you are getting. Taking a simple tape recorder and going over it later is helpful to some. Are you talking too much, laughing at your own jokes, nervously kicking the mic stand (sending booming thumps through the audience) or mumbling your words so that no one can understand your skillfully written song? Is your audience chatting through your set? Did you lose them from the start or in the middle of the second song? Did you spend your first song tuning? Was your song 25 minutes long, and you did four of them, taking the time from all the rest of the performers? Was your song 25 minutes of inner angst and who cares?

All of these things and more can be discovered while being lousy at Open Mic. So what if they say, “He's lousy!” If you keep doing it, in six months time, the same people will be saying, “He's great! I've been a fan since the beginning!”

NCSC also holds a Song Doctor Workshop on the third Sunday of the month at the Royal Bean coffee shop on Hillsborough Street in Raleigh. This is a chance to shake your song out in public and get real, positive and useful feedback. Each songwriter brings enough lyrics for the group (10 sheets will usually do) and performs the song unplugged. Just you and your instrument, unadorned, naked before the world. No amp, no effects, no back-up vocals, no chorus line. The others will listen and follow along with the lyric and you will get feedback on the good points of the song and those that would be better after a bit of thoughtful editing.

In a professional town, such as Los Angeles, where I have experience, some artists will bring the same song month after month, sharpening and honing until it is a smash hit and worth of spending the bucks to get a professional demo made. Such people will often bring a new song and knock everyone's socks off first go, because they have now learned how to craft a song.

So, I'm sorry, Mr. Burns, but you're wrong. Here in North Carolina, there are still a few places to be lousy. And like always, the one's you find there being lousy are the best performers around, because you have to go through being lousy to be good.

Advice from a fellow author

On advice from a fellow author (who is published and better known than I am) I have taken my latest novel down from the serial format. If you were into the story already, write me at starlostchild@yahoo.com.
Make it a great day!
Jon

April Showers

May the 4th be with you!

True story: Two years ago, in April, I was honored to be a Troubadour Musician at the Umstead State Park annual walk/run/bike fund raiser. The job was simple, to stand by the path the runners, walkers and bikers (non-motorized, of course) came down and to sing, making it a delight as they passed by. At the tented pavilion, I sang a song or two from stage, including “April Showers,” which, being April, seemed appropriate. Out on the trail, I sang many well-known songs, including “April Showers.” By Noon the event was winding down and I returned to the parking lot to put my guitar into the car. The moment I closed the door, it began to rain. The rain came down in drops as large as your fist and the tents raised up with the wind, then fell down with the rain. Tent poles buckled under the inundation of water. As I pulled out onto the street, I could not see two car-lengths ahead, the rain came that hard. The streets ran deep with rainwater, the gutters overflowed; it was the hardest rain of the year.

Last year, I asked if I could come and sing again; it was fun and I got a tee-shirt. I was told I could, but when I checked the calendar, I had already been booked for that day. Heartbroken, I went to my paying gig. I missed my chance to sing “April Showers” at Umstead State Park. What followed was a year containing the worst drought in North Carolina's history. I felt so bad.

This year, as soon as I saw the announcements, I volunteered. On April 19th, out on the trail, in my new Umstead State Park tee-shirt, I sang “April Showers” once again and that night, it began to rain. It wasn't the hard rain of two years ago; it was a soft, gentle rain. It rained for three days, then the sun came out and a day later, it rained again. It rained off and on for two weeks. The TV news has been hesitantly calling the drought over, especially since it is still raining. I have ended the drought, perhaps not single-handedly, but I had a part.

You're welcome.

In Memory of Azalee Sain

Azalee Baker Sain died on April 4, 2008 at Mayview Convalescent Center in Raleigh of cancer following an extended illness.

Azalee was a person of many interests. She was a world traveler and an avid reader, but most of all she loved her work at the Raleigh Rescue Mission, the Salvation Army, and the Healing Place for Men and Women. She served on the boards of these organizations for several years and was always a loving advocate for the homeless and downtrodden.

Azalee was very proud of the fact that she was a member of the original North Carolina Friendship Force to Newcastle, England and a founding member of the Thomas Wolfe Society. She was a longtime supporter of the Thompson Theater and eventually the University Theater. In the 1960's, she was a Welcome Wagon Hostess and a member of the first Women's Auxillary at Wake Medical Center.

For fifty years she was a member of Longview United Methodist Church where she taught Sunday School, served on the Board and held many offices in the United Methodist Women. At the time of her death she was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church.

Her career was with North Carolina Community Colleges where she was in charge of acquisition of library books for the system until her retirement. She had many friends throughout the state and nation in connection with this position.

Azalee's favorite saying and basic philosophy of life was, "YOU CAN'T OUTGIVE GOD". Although we will miss her, we know we shall surely see her again one sweet day.

That was from her obituary.

My second cousin Azalee was also the stern taskmaster who insisted that you be on time for Thanksgiving dinner. “We're going to start eating at 12:00. Not 12:15 or 12:30, 12:00. Be on time.”

She went regularly to put flowers on the graves of departed family members. In later days, I drove her to the town of Four Oaks, to the cemetery at Barbour's Chapel. Before we went to the cemetery, we would stop at the drug store where Bill Canady would make us a soda from the fountain, just like he has for nigh on to 75 years. Afterwards, she would insist on barbecue at the White Swan, where she knew the owner, who was also the mayer.

On those days, Azalee would walk slowly, mentioning that her body hurt but not so much complaining as explaining. She would say, “This growing old is not for sissies!” She never forgot to send a written thank-you card.

Azalee traveled regularly to Israel where she had a fellow who was sweet on her. She brought back tiny crosses made from the olive tree. There's one in her coffin and one hanging in my house.

When I gave Azalee a copy of my first novel, she insisted on paying me. As her house was one large bookshelf, it's a wonder she found room for my little book. And as she was prone to biographies and non-fiction, I doubt she read it. That's all right. I don't mind.

Her favorite artist was Al Martino and she asked me to learn a couple of his songs. At her grave site, I sang “Let's Get Away From It All” and “Fly Me to the Moon.” I know she's pleased.

The list of community projects, charities and organizations noted above does not begin to tell the story. When Azalee would find herself with time on her hands, she would find a good cause and go fight for it. She had a perimeter of small field stone erected around the Four Oaks City Cemetery. I drove her out to see the dedication. She suggested, started and saw completed the Healing Place for Women in Raleigh. There wasn't a good venture in town that didn't have Azalee on the board.

That sort of industriousness runs in the family. I for one am glad for it. Thanks, Azalee.

Song of the Midnight Whistler

Welcome to my Blog. What occupies my mind, fills my eye and takes up 110% of my day is my publishing enterprise, Midnight Whistler Publishing. That is because a genius, Beverly Eakman, wrote a series of articles and I said, "You have to put these into a book!" So she said, "I will if you will publish it." We got it together and out in record time, even with all the updates and extra pieces she wrote for the book. Here is the press release:

PRESS RELEASE
New Book – Walking Targets by B. K. Eakman exposes how our educational system is driving a wedge between parents and children

Washington, DC, January, 2008 – Just released, Walking Targets: How Our Psychologized Classrooms Are Producing a Nation of Sitting Ducks is B. K. Eakman’s latest exposé of our educational system. This is a wake-up call for parents and educators alike. With over 40 articles covering Education, Family, Behavioral Science, Mental Health, Privacy, Political Correctness and Manipulation of Public Opinion the reader will come to see how educators and provocateurs are driving a wedge between parents and their children.

Walking Targets points to an agenda that begins with government-controlled childrearing and force-feeds young people a pseudo-education under the cover of "mental health," "safety," "jobs," and something called "lifelong learning." She shows how, under the cover of educational and mental-health testing, computer technologies popularly believed to be restricted to use in defense of our country, have been redirected for use in tracking the opinions of schoolchildren from the earliest years. She shows how psychographic techniques, once confined to market research, have been retooled for data-mining purposes.

“The hook to keep kids in school is lax dress codes, sports and entertainment even as the dropout rate continues to soar,” answered Ms. Eakman in explaining the book.

She went on to say, “I take issue with teaching methodologies whose primary purpose is to target the emotions rather than challenge the intellect. Teachers do not exist to strip away a parent’s belief system from children in their classrooms, and to then transmit ‘new’ values. Today parents are waking up to see children who are nothing like them – people they don’t know and who don’t even share what few values they have left.”


What people are saying:

Charles M. Richardson, Founder & Chairman of the Literacy Council in Long Island, NY

“Walking Targets is a devastating indictment of the pernicious partners intentionally sabotaging our education system. She correctly observes that one of the most critical casualties has been our diminished communication skills, compromising the nation’s ability to solve all its other problems.”

Arizona State Senator Karen S. Johnson

“Unlike most of the psychobabble that passes for advice to parents, this book hones in on the real problems with education today. No parent should enter the public school system before arming themselves with Walking Targets first. This book is the best parent guidebook there is on navigating the public school system.”

Richard L. Cutler, Ph.D., Vice-President, Univ. of Michigan, retired

National Association of Scholars, Michigan

“This book is terrific, insightful, provocative … a must-read for anyone who cares about kids and their education. Bev Eakman sees troubles ahead and tells us how ‘mental health’ devotees are taking kids down a fatal path to thought control.”

E. Ray Moore, Chaplain (Lt. Col.) USAR Ret., Director, Exodus Mandate

“Beverly Eakman astutely chronicles the psychological abuse taking place in the public-school classroom with impeccable credentials and incontrovertible conclusions. ... Walking Targets points to the ominous threat of government-controlled childrearing, the use of pseudo-education under the guise of mental health and lifelong learning as three means of controlling the beliefs of the population.”

Bruce Wiseman, US President Citizens Commission on Human Rights

“If you want to know who Big Brother is, what he does, and where he lives you need to read Beverly Eakman. She has been exposing behavioral psychology’s covert, attitude- manipulating agenda for more than two decades. Her current book, Walking Targets is no exception. ... If ‘Knowledge is Power,’ Walking Targets is empowerment at its finest. If we are to prevent our schools from becoming mental health clinics, it will be people like Beverly Eakman and books like Walking Targets that will point the way.”


This 301 page compilation of her published articles, capitalizes on the success of her three previously published books: Cloning of the American Mind: Eradicating Morality through Education, Educating for the New World Order, Microchipped: How the Education Establishment Took Us Beyond Big Brother and her workbook How to Counter Group Manipulation Tactics.

Walking Targets is just now rolling off the press, so it is not yet at the bookstores or some of the better-known online outlets. For fastest service at no additional cost, get the book directly from the printer through http://www.lulu.com/midnightwhistler, where it is now available for $24.95.