One Over X News

Updates

There have been a couple of updates to the www.acbooks.com website which lists the two books that are in print and shows the cover of the third book that will be out later this year.

I highly recommend James Ela's "Finding CJ" by the way. I am a little partial as I did some of the editing on the project but it is really a very well written book with enough twists and turns to keep even an adult reader occupied. It is intended for an 11 year old but from the feedback from adult readers it is entertaining and very unlike other books targetted at that the pre-teen audience.

"New Light of Day" is another book that I read while it was in progress. It is historical fiction set in the post World War II Franco Era thru the turbulent times of the late 1960's. It is written from the different perspectives of the members of a well-to-do family in Spain that have economic ties to the government as well as historic tires to Mexico that date back to Cortez.

I think what I like the most about Peter van Benten's first novel is the way he demonstrates the linkage between events in the distant past and present times, perhaps suggesting the importance of the decisions that we make in our own lives as they will impact our progeny.

I have read it again since its publication. The writing style of the book is engaging. It is hard to believe that van Benten's first language. He creates an almost poetic flow at times and has a good deal of fun with verb tense. He is a skilled writer and a gifted story teller.

As for my past week, if you couldn't tell from the blog, I was in a bad mood. I spent much of last week avoiding others. It was my time to be anti-social. I guess it was mostly that I had a lot of things on my mind. Some were creative challeneges but most were just personal. A good bit of that has settled, mostly for the best and now I am again my old lovable self. It was not a good time to be my friend, I'm afraid. I hope I did not piss-off anyone. Family forgives and forgets. Friends sometimes can't. The vast majority of the few people that I am close to know how I am and also know that whatever is going on with me will pass in a few days.

Anyway, as a result of last week, I think I have been frightening people, even at work. I have a very intense, focused and serious side that is in stark contradiction to the playful, wise-cracking prankster that I usually seem. Some people don't know how to take that transition. It may seem like a Jeckle and Hyde thing to some. It isn't that my personality changes so dramatically with my mood it is just that I am usually patient and tolerant. Last week was a good example of how I am when the patience is worn thing and my tolerance is connected to the one remaining nerve that is not irritated.

When I was younger I used to worry a lot more about the mood swing and how I affected others. I would have a bad week each month and spend the other three weeks patching things up. I know what causes the moods and it is a natural cycle. It can be controlled as long as I am cognizant. Over the years I have gained a level of control that I think evens out my mood swings, at least how others perceive them.

Lately I have not cared so much about control. I have things to do and dealines to meet. Relying on others when their priorities are completely at odds with mine is something that I simply did not want to endure last week.

To my friends, if I went to far or said something rude and inconsiderate, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you do not know me well enough yet and I am sorry that you took a wire brush to my nerves last week. It is something that each of us will need to address and correct. You will need to get used to it as sometimes I will go through those episodes of seriousness. I also know all about your moods too. So don';t think any of us is perfect. It is how each of us responds to a certain level of pressure.

I am very tired. I plan to take a power nap and maybe get up in the wee hours and work on the third installment of "The Curse". I am really going to try to post it tomorrow or Wednesday. I hope that everyone enjoys the story. It is an experimental thing, using 1st person to tell a story that is roughly based on some things that are autobiographical. I won't go into what is and what is not true. A lot of it is bold face fabrication, much like everything else that I write. The major points are accurate. There was something called The Curse and it is as I described it. The smelly socks is also a true story. Beyond that I am sworn to secrecy.

E

posted by Unknown @ 10:14 PM