JR Stone's Blog (32)

They say the easy part is writing the book.  (I might beg to differ with that) Now, post novel, the author must bring out every nuance of their book to make it absolutely impossible to resist to their potential customers.

Easier said than done, my friends.  I've held this story…

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The other day, just for the hell of it, I googled "authors from Groves, Texas."  I was expecting to see authors closeto Groves, but no cigar.  Well, I was wrong. 

Imagine my surprise when I discovered Mary Karr's name staring back at me.  I guess there was a…

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Days like today is always a proud day for an author.  The manuscript you've been laboring over, staying up until all hours of the night rewriting, thinking about, wondering about it's success...is finally done.

Having said that, the easy part is over.  What?  The easy part?  Hell yes.  Now…

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I can tell you that I'm old enough that my generation grew up very different than the Gen Y'ers of today.  I know it's hard to believe Virginia; but there weren't computers in every home.  The only phones around were landlines.  No cell phones, smart phones, Droids, texting are anything else. …

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My apologies for my extended absence from my blog.  I fell prey to the John Lennon adage, "Life happens while you're planning it."  I wonder if he realized his wisdom while he was alive?  



One thing I have noticed in my absence is that I discovered a group page on Facebook that has reunited the youth of the mid 70's in my neck of the woods.  Yes, there were teenagers galore that drove up and down Gulfway Drive in Port Arthur relentlessly in search of girls, guys,…

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I've had professors tease me that only Blues singers come from this area, the rest o.d.

and live their life as a memory held by others.  He was partly right.  There are

ALOT of musicians from this area.  And, yes...most have a blues connection. 



I've already mentioned that Janis Joplin was our most famous resident but there

are many others who have made a name for themselves.  There are also musical

families that have passed the gift from father to sons and…

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Call it a writer's prerogative.  After conferring with my trusted confidante', Elaine; she has convinced me to rename the novel "The Long Road from Perdition".  Truthfully, it fits the story more accurately. 



And, the cover for the last title, seemed....well, too "bright".  I was happy with it and not happy with it.  So, after creating just the right look, I think I'm satisfied.  But, the proof is in the pudding.  What do YOU think?  Take a look at the two… Continue

For those of you not familiar with the website "Authonomy," it's a novelist's delight. Imagine wordsmiths from all over the world reading your novel and offering useful and valuable critiques in order to polish your book to it's best. That is what authonomy does. It's also a U.K. sister site of Harper Collins Publishers with the highest ranked books via the critquers submitted to the editor for possible publication!



I've been blessed to receive some incredible comments and… Continue

Post from JR's notes-



In "The Long Road to Extradition," part of the plot involves Nicholas discovering his sexuality and falling in love. In the time reference of the book, being gay was still a very difficult subject for a small town to embrace of it's citizens. In fact, it could be downright dangerous. While the gay community has made tremendous strides in equal rights, there is obviously still alot of work to do.



There is a reason I portrayed the MC, Nicholas as gay. In…

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Since my novel is set in Groves and Beaumont, Texas, I thought I would introduce you to my hometown. People from this area call it the "G-T," short for Golden Triangle. The reason why is pretty simple, the areas that are listed together as a community form the shape of a triangle if you were to look on a map (Beaumont, Port Arthur and Orange). Some of the better known areas are: Beaumont and Port Arthur.…

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You were thinking that JR would be writing his own blog? Nah, that would be left to a freelancer such as myself. It's not that he's beneath the idea of writing his own blog, it's just that...well, he's a recluse and doesn't find that much about himself to be interesting. I, on the other hand am a freelance writer and can find something interesting about ketchup if that is what the job requires. So, when I was contacted by his management, I thought I would go for the job since I need to pay my… Continue

After I got this gig writing for JR, I sent him a list of questions I had regarding his book. In order to give you a "behind the scenes" look at this novel, I thought I would delve into his emails and discuss that very topic with him.



Question: How did you come to write this novel? What was the first thing that got you to thinking about this plot line?…

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