Transparency - Fact & Fiction

The clandestine Japanese wartime operation called the Golden Lily is oftentimes referred to as the legend of Yamashita's Gold.

When I began writing my novel, Pursuit of the Golden Lily, I had never heard of this WWII atrocity. I was searching for some event that I could weave into a story about a girl returning her father's POW diary to Thailand. But when I stumbled upon Sterling & Peggy Seagrave's book - The Gold Warriors, I knew I had found the thread that would bind my story. 

I am not one for conspiracy theories, although I do believe that there is a kernel of truth in everything. However, the more I researched the Golden Lily, the more it felt as if I was falling down a rabbit hole. How to verify fact from fiction? The nefarious audacity of this clandestine operation, meticulously executed by the Japanese, is chilling. The alleged complicity of the Japanese Imperial Family and subsequently that of members of the CIA, is particularly disturbing despite the inevitability of post war alliances. Some information I read is indisputable, other accounts, well, let's say each individual must make their own assumptions. But thanks to the U.S. Freedom of Information Act, newly released court documents do lend credibility to the meticulously documented work of the Seagraves. 

As a novelist, my first desire is to tell a good story. As a human being, my commitment is to seek transparency; to shed light on the unfamiliar, the under-reported; to give credence to that which is undermined for the sake of political gain, greed and power. But I am one writer; one voice echoing in cyberspace; a blip on the cosmic screen. Still, I am grateful at the very least, to be able to commemorate the victims of the Golden Lily, for there were thousands upon thousands of them. And while I am not seeking to vilify the Japanese, I do believe that being informed of such activities and collaborations reminds us to be vigilant. In this time, when vitriol is ubiquitously seeping into our political landscapes, I hope we shall not forget how quickly the past is forgotten.

Pursuit of the Golden Lily is released tomorrow, May 22nd. You can download the first two chapters at Smashwords

Here is an interesting website on Yamashita's Gold.

Learn more about The Gold Warriors 

A Latte, a Novel or a Song? A little perspective....

Photo Credit:Takeaway

I love a good café latte, well actually I've recently switched to the Aussie Flat White, which is slowly steaming its way into North American cafés  (There is a difference between the two - ask a barista.) But this (tiny) rant, is not really about the coffee, although I will mention that the ecological and social costs of cup a latte are probably much higher than the price one typically pays at most coffee outlets. No, this is a reflection, a comparison really, between what we are willing to pay as societies, for a cup of coffee versus the price of a creative work.

Photo Credit: David Shankbone

 What piqued my curiosity happened to be a conversation overheard as I stood in line waiting to buy... a coffee. A couple in front of me were discussing where to find the cheapest books. About to self-publish my own novel, my ears perked up. The first person complained that there weren't enough options @ $0.99 or better still, for free. The second person commiserated then made some website suggestions. I watched them pay well over $10 for their coffees and sundries. As they walked away, I couldn't help but wonder..

 When did the currency of creativity devalue so drastically? And when did the price we're quite willing to pay for a speciality coffee, or a nicely packaged bar of chocolate, rise so high?

OK. you say, I'm only saying this because I am a creative artist. True, I am, but I have been fortunate enough to be able to transform my creativity into work that does pay. That's not the point. 

Photo Credit: Rugby471

It can take years to write a good book. YEARS. Then you have to either find a publisher or self-publish in which case you have to market the hell out of it to sell any copies. It can take months to write a good song - then you have to record it, probably pay for studio time, musicians maybe, mixing and mastering. It all costs a lot of $$$$. So when someone says they want to find a book or a song for free, what that says to me is that the person does not put any dollar value on creativity. And because so many people now expect to be able to have books, songs, music, films, newspaper articles etc. for free, doesn't that mean that as a society we are collectively declaring that creativity in all its forms no longer has value? Or if it does, a minimal one.

We certainly don't think that the creators of these works deserve to be paid. Or perhaps we just don't think about it. 

Suddenly we feel we're entitled to it all.

Photo Credit: Avsar Aras

We still want great novels, fabulous songs, stars to worship, films to inspire and trustworthy news, but we are no longer willing to pay for it. Instead, we expect thousands upon thousands of artists, writers, actors, film makers and journalists to basically work for nothing. Maybe I'm crazy, but this does not make sense to me. I fear it leads us down a slippery slope. Or perhaps we've collectively drunk the Koolaid Meme of the starving artist.

Let's hope I'm wrong. But I think it is worth having a conversation about.

That's my (tiny) rant for today! Back to work...

Book is available for Pre-orders!

My book is available as an eBook and can be PRE-RORDERED. I invite you to take a look @ Smashwords - you can download the first chapter and a half for FREE! It will be formally published on May 22nd 2016! I am so excited. I know my work is only just beginning, as far as marketing etc., but to see it up there is a THRILL. Next, I will proceed with facilitating the print edition. I have a few kinks to iron out on that, but hope to have those smoothed over in the next few weeks.

Was the process painful?

I have to say that Smashwords was not too difficult to navigate. However, since I am NOT one to enjoy formatting, I engaged one of their recommended formatters, Lucinda Campbell and that was a brilliant move - Lucinda formatted the book so it up-loaded without a hitch - well a few blimps, but nothing that really made me tear my hair out. A big 'Thank You' to my friend, Guy Dauncey, who just published his new novel: Journey to the Future - Guy gave me lots of tips and encouragement. Check out his book, it's a good read with an optimistic vision of the future - something sorely lacking these days.

Next - the print edition. Hope to have that ready in the next few weeks. Please share with friends, family, everyone you know. If there's a Book Club in your circles, invite them to read it. Stay tuned! Thanks for your support.