Hopeless Romantic Guest Post by Gregory G. Allen

Hopeless Romantic by Gregory G. Allen

     So when I started writing “Patchwork of Me”, I wasn’t ever sure if I was writing a true romance. I was writing a book about a woman in search of herself and IF a man happens to play into that- sweet! I knew the rules for ‘chick-lit’ and thought “hmmmm….I’m not playing by the rules.” But I seldom do. My books have twists and turns that cause traditional publishers to throw their hands in the air and get upset with me. Yet I believe life is that way. It’s not always perfect and safe and laid-out smoothly.

Nor are the worlds I create. And yet, I believe in love and romance. I enjoy seeing someone wooed and courted. I think I’ve watched every date movie there is. Love Nicholas Sparks and where he takes us in stories. And my all time favorite movie (and the book it is based on) is “Somewhere in Time”. To show what a true romance geek I am – I wrote a musical based on that movie years ago. Only I wasn’t able to get the rights (and now, 20 years later I hear they are working on one for Broadway). I also took a trip to Mackinac Island where the film was shot and was completely swept up in the magic of it all. Yes, I am a romantic at heart even if the characters that I tend to write about are going through major adversity in their lives.

I think the feeling of being in loved (and being loved) can get us through so many difficult times in our lives. Both those that are tragic when you need that person to cling to and even those that are comical when you think “I want more than anything to share this with x”. And when someone says ‘it is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all’, I know that many scoff at that. But I tend to believe it true. To have known that amazing feeling. To have shared life with another. To have had that special person (even if gone) so you know what it is you are looking for the next time around. I say it is all worth it.

Everyone should get to experience the amazing joy that is love. When you’re ready for it. When you’re ready to give it. When all of those things align (or in the world of writing: when my character is truly ready for it) – I believe it can happen.

So yes, Virginia…there is a Santa Claus and some men believe in romance. There…I’ve said it! And I didn’t have to use a fake pen name to be able to stand up and share that.




About Patchwork of Me

A product of the foster care system, Sara Butler spends her early thirties hiding from her past while striving for a normal life with her small group of quirky friends in Arizona. Seeking treatment for an invisible rash and abnormal dreams, her therapist helps her unlock a heinous past that she is unsure she wants to open. To patch her life back together, she realizes she must travel across country to Maine to confront that past in order to plan for a future.

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Blog Tour: A World Without Books by Perry Martin (Guest Post)

A world without books …

By Perry Martin

   A world without books!  What an absolutely horrifying concept!  For starters, where would Hollywood get 90% of it's ideas?   I mean, once they've used up all the comic book characters, old television series' and remakes, what's left if there aren't any books?  That's not to say that there haven't been some brilliant films made directly from excellent screenplays.  But most of the movies I see these days seem to be adapted from novels.  Two almost larger-than-life examples come to mind in "Lord of the Rings" and "Harry Potter".

   But it's not just the effect a world without books would have on the movie industry.  I believe it would have a detrimental effect on society in general.  Movies and television, in this modern age and with the incredible technology available, provide the viewer with a visual feast that, while it's sometimes an exhilarating experience (e.g. "Avatar)  leaves little to the imagination.  The audience is not invited to contribute and I believe that's why some of the expected blockbuster movies fall flat.  They are all style and no substance.    Hollywood hasn't yet learned that it's not just about the biggest explosions, car chases and crashes etc etc.  I think that kind of thing eventually dumbs the audience down and I also think that many of them resent it, if only on a subconscious level.  Evidence the success of a movie like "The Sixth Sense".  One of my all-time favs, by the way.  That proves that people still like to be challenged by, and be involved with a story - - not just have it thrown at them with as much noise as possible. 

   The success of the first "Matrix" movie, compared to the two sequels, is another example.  The second two movies were effects-laden extravaganzas and they didn't do as well at the box office as the original.  Why?  In my opinion it's because they didn't involve the audience as much.  The first movie, as well as having amazing special effects, had an intriguing plot, a mystery that kept the audience guessing for quite a while. 

   A well-written book, on the other hand,  truly invites the reader's participation.  When you're reading you're expected to use your mind, to conjure up your own pictures based on the author's descriptions.  In a way, with the help of the author (if he's good) you create your own world and, in the case of a really good book, you can become completely lost in it.  I'm aware that can happen with a really good movie, too.  But, for me, there's something more personal about losing yourself in a book. The characters in the story can look just how you imagine they would look.  In fact, I had this illustrated to me perfectly with my own novel, "Pretty Flamingo".   Several people I knew personally, who read the book, each gave me their descriptions of one of the central characters - - and all of them saw her slightly differently.  That, to me, is the beauty of a book - - the reader contributes something of his own to it, whether he realizes it or not. 

About Pretty Flamingo

You’ll be taken on an emotional journey with David Perry, the central character, as he unlocks the mystery of a part of his past he never knew existed—a past that’s been hidden from him for thirty-five years. As the lost memories unfold David discovers a love so powerful it transcended the purely physical; a loss so devastating that it changed his whole life. And a promise that, if he can keep it, will return to him all that he cared most about in the whole world.

About The Author

 In his long and varied career as a musician, songwriter and producer Perry has worked with such people as Lefty Frizzell, Hank Snow Jr. and Sheb Wooley. Over the years as a solo performer or with a band he has also been the supporting act for such show biz luminaries as the Bee Gees, Ambrosia, Little River Band, B.J. Thomas, Hal Ketchum and Lonestar - - to name just a few.

More recently he completed his first novel, "Pretty Flamingo". Based on actual personal experiences the book is essentially a mystery/love story that takes some very unexpected twists and turns. 

Connect with Perry Martin on Twitter & Facebook
Website http://www.prettyflamingothebook.com/