More Can I Do

I was quite happy this morning to find this review of my first collection of blogs, The Sublime to the Ridiculous: Family Lore:

The Sublime to the Ridiculous is a delightful collection of short stories that captures the ups and downs of family life. The tales are fun, relatable, and often quite touching, making it a great pick for light reading. While I enjoyed the mix of humor and heartfelt moments, some stories felt a little too brief, leaving me wanting more detail or depth. That said, the writing style is inviting, and it’s easy to pick up and enjoy a few pages at a time. A lovely book for anyone who appreciates family anecdotes with a mix of laughter and nostalgia.

Well, a little too brief, eh? That can be easily remedied. I can become more elaborate, more verbose; I can inject a great deal more detail into my stories. I can talk a lot. Quiet, Ron.

Seriously, isn't it good to leave them wanting more? And if you want more Sublime to the Ridiculous, here's the link Thank you!

Self Analysis

I've long held to the standard that you aren't the best judge of your self, your motives, or your actions.  You're either too harsh - especially if you're Catholic, ha, ha - or too lenient. Indeed I will editorialize for a moment and say that unfettered leniency is the hallmark of the secular world, and look where that's gotten us. Still, know thyself, the unexamined life is not worth living, and all that. You should examine the things you've said and done, and probably more the things you've said as they might be the best window into your soul. And when you're trying to establish yourself as a writer, you discover very quickly that you've put a lot on the public record.

On the whole I like what I've written. Yet that doesn't mean I don't appreciate reasonable criticism. With five books available on various platforms and with each having garnered anywhere from 40 to 180 reviews, some brief, some extensive, I almost - almost - find the critical ones the most fair.

A more routine negative comment is that my writing is at times a slog. I could get angry, except that it's true. Sometimes I'm just bridging a gap because I couldn't figure out how else to jump from A to B and it shows. 

I've been advised that it can be hard to stay interested in my stories, and I know that to be true. My personal favorite book of mine is A Subtle Armageddon. Yet even I must concede that it drags at points. I think that story has to drag a bit, given the parameters inherent within the tale, but so it goes. 

Ah well. Before I go on too long (quiet, Ron) here's what I'm about today: links to my books. Buy them. If you are into examining your motives, you'll find that you've occasionally spent your time less wisely than in helping an aspiring author rise among the greats. Yes, that's cheeky. We writers can do that.

A Subtle Armageddon

Michael's Story (Kindle)

Michael's Story (paperback)

The Interim Generation (Kindle only)

David Gideon (all formats)

The Sublime to the Ridiculous - Family Lore (Kindle only)

Truly Sublime

Here I am, touting my own writing. How gauche, but my blog, my rules.

Still, here's a cool review of my 'memoir' The Sublime to the Ridiculous

Kidding aside, it's pretty much what I intended about the collection. It's available here: STTR

Kindle only just yet, but I hope to have a print edition ready soon!

That's Entertainment

I've said before that I don't always understand book reviews. One person on Amazon gave me three out of five stars for my Family Lore blog collection, saying:

There is nothing really to learn from this book other than just reading it as pure entertainment.

Um, Okay. I'm not sure that I was trying to teach anything but merely attempting to entertain as it is. In fact, teaching anything at all was nowhere near the front of my mind in putting that collection together. So, reading a book meant to entertain and admittedly 'pure entertainment' merits only 3 stars out of 5? What's wrong with mere entertainment anyway?

At times I just don't get book reviewers at all.

Oh The Humanity

I can take criticism. Oh, I have my days where I don't want to hear it. But I do try to bull through that resistance and accept what critics tell me. I wouldn't be putting my writing 'out there' if I couldn't do that.

Still, reviewers are human, and themselves subject to be wrong. A recent critic of my book The Sublime to the Ridiculous: Family Lore is in that spot.

She gave the book three stars out of five because "It reads more like a blog, which the author indicates is the source material, and would work better as that."

Oh. Kay. First off, I don't 'indicate' that a blog is the source material, I say flat out in the preface that the book is made up of blog posts. That's called a compilation. Many books are compilations. It's a standard practice.

Second, she knocks a blog collection because it's a blog collection? I'm deprived two stars for that?

Sometimes I don't get people. 

Convenient Drivel

Look at this! Just click that link and see the good news!

Family Lore

Charles Martin Cosgriff's, that is, my new book, is now available on Amazon. It's only on Kindle right now, but I hope to have a paperback edition soon.

It's a collection of favorite family tales from this very blog, The Sublime to the Ridiculous. I'm thinking of you, dear reader. Why read it for free one tale at a time one day at a time, which can be pure drudgery (Quiet, Ron) when you can pay 99 cents (not even a whole dollar!) and kill a couple hours reading several at a time. You're welcome. 

A shout out to my daughter in law Tarina Cosgriff for the cover. She stays in the will. Seriously, I love the cover and really appreciate her work!

Next up: STTR II: Cloyce Encounters. Thanks to my old friend Mark Koldys for the title. Guess who it features? It'll be up and running by October, just in time for Christmas!

An Explosion of Hits

My blog, which all of you have been kind enough to read, had for the last year an average of 50-70 hits per day, and 1500-2000 per month. My all time high was 3,377 hits in a month. 

But readership has spiked, and dramatically. Last week alone I had over 12,000 views. That's better than six percent of my total hits hits since I started in 2008. I'm both surprised and grateful, but I'd love to know how it happened simply so that I could pursue and maintain similar results.

The mildly paranoid part of me wonders if I am somehow being scrutinized. In looking over where the hits are coming from, it seems a great many are from blogs 14-16 years ago, when I was oh so much more serious. At the time I was frequently talking politics and political philosophy. But in looking those old missives I'm not seeing anything horrid. It is what it is I suppose.

Hopefully it means that my name is getting out there as my books sell. My fingers are firmly crossed. Or it could just mean that when folks read that The Sublime to the Ridiculous is the first thing Ron reads every morning people thought, 'Well, if it's right for Ron, it's right for me'.

Thanks old buddy!

A video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhK7VbozCcE&feature=youtu.be

Just trying something different. Enjoy!

An important public service announcement

Well, I think I'm going to do it. I think I'm going to pull the trigger and green light myself.

Tomorrow I begin a video blog.

I've already recorded the opening segment. I just have decide on the finishing touches. I'm going to keep it light if occasionally pointed. When I get serious I intend to be mere honestly poignant. In short, it will be most likely along the lines of what you've read (and thank you, I appreciate all who've read my ramblings) only with yours truly directly relating the tales and jokes and sometimes outright lies which I may over time produce.

I want it to be fun. As I say, many will be rehashes of old stories but I plan to throw in generous portions of new stuff. And Marty original comedy. Well, at least jokes and such which Marty finds clever and amusing.

I will make two or three new vids per week, and will continue with this effort for those of you still old fashioned enough, like me, to want to read. But if you actually (and I wouldn't know why) want to see my smiling face, I'll fire up tomorrow with a link and invite on Facebook.

I plan on my vlogs being short, in the two to three minute each range due to the shortened attention spans of so many of us in this face paced day and age. Hell, I'm already bored with it, so I can imagine an audience reaction.

We'll see what happens. Wish me luck...or does break a leg apply?