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.

Self-publishing

                         

Here I go... diving into the seemingly endless maze of the Self-Publishing world! An entire industry has been built around it. Mucho $$$$$... organizations promising you the NY Times Best Seller category if you go engage their services (well, not quite). It is a tad daunting. However, as a musician who's lived through the demise of the CD, I welcome the ability to self-determine my own content and marketing.
                                         Book publishing has been democratized.
Yes there are millions of new books being published every year, many of them self-published. Yes, the publishing industry is in the in the midst of serious transformation... But people are still reading.

                                    
               So here's the good news - ever an optimist, I like to share some cheer!

• Books are NOT going to disappear - humans enjoy sharing stories and information. 
• Book publishing is like buying a lottery ticket - if you don't publish you'll never know if you wrote a best seller.
• If you're creative, resourceful and like to think outside the box - then the world is your oyster. 
• You don't have to lug boxes of books around. Phew!

At the end of the day, writing is about the process... and that is what I love. Stay tuned... right now my book is being formatted for Smashwords! I'm on the roller coaster! Yipee!

First Book Club Review!

The first Book Club reading of Pursuit of the Golden Lily was successful! Ten ladies from Naples, Florida participated. They loved the book and had lots of questions! 

The novel is not yet published, but these fans were willing to print it so they could be the first readers! I am very grateful to Ruby and Sugar Rubin, who made all this possible. Due to my current work commitments I have had to delay my actual publishing date for a month, however, if you are part of a book club, or know of someone who is, please let me know and I will be sure to contact you the minute the book is available.

Ruby created a wonderful photo presentation that allowed the readers to journey with us into the book! If your book club would like to include this presentation too, we're open to possibilities - especially if you are in Florida, Maine, Quebec or Manitoba... or anywhere else for that matter!

Writing a novel and being able to jump into the story in real life has been an incredible experience! Stay tuned... the book will be available soon. 

Food & Lodging on the Journey

Fried Green Papaya Salad

My favorite dish, hands down! The only place we found it though, was at Zab Zab restaurant in Kanchanaburi, Thailand. Frequented by locals, this simple establishment is always packed. If you are in Kanchanaburi, do yourself a favor and go for a meal. The food was great and inexpensive. 

One of the things we loved on our journey was meeting entrepreneurs - we met quite a few, including couples running their businesses together. The Ten O'Clock Cafe, also in Kanchanaburi was one such establishment. 

Mr. and Mrs. Ten'o'clock

This small cafe satisfied our early morning coffee cravings, not to mention our lust for good deserts!

But there was one special dish at Ten O'Clock that captured our hearts. So much so, that the owners allowed us into the kitchen to see how it was made!

Omelette on rice with prawn.

The Chef                    

A blend of omelette, shrimp, mushrooms and rice covered with a divine sauce flavored with coconut and kaffir lime leaves - a signature ingredient in Asian cuisine.

Of course, what would a trip to Thailand be without tasting the ubiquitous Pad Thai prepared in its native land!

 The best Pad Thai I experienced was at the Green Tiger Vegetarian Guesthouse in Chiang Mai - which, by the way, is also a fabulous place to stay. The owners & staff were wonderful!

Paul

Roxy and friend

Mrs Green Tiger

Then, there was Vietnam! The food and hospitality in Vietnam were also incredible. First off, we stayed on the beautiful Cat Ba Island... at the Cat Ba Island Eco Lodge.
                            
Nestled in luscious green hills, this modest but comfortable lodge was just what we needed!  Plus, the island is known as the island of butterflies! There are hundreds of species there, we were astounded at their beauty. On the food side, we were treated to some cooking classes and learned how to make fried spring rolls.

                                           
                              
Oh.. did I mention that their breakfast mango pancake was amazing....
                           
... and that all the food was presented in a beautifully unique way!

We even got to sing karaoke with our fun hostess and the chef!
                                                  
After Cat Ba, we were booked on a three-day, two night cruise and home stay through Indochina Junk Boat Cruises. Everything was impeccable, from the boat....
                           
...to the five course meals, to the cabins... and let's not forget the views! One of the loveliest places I've ever visited on this earth.
                                 
Our home stay, in the village of Yen Duc, Vietnam, was a truly meaningful opportunity for us to engage in village life, learn about traditions and.... yes, enjoy authentic Vietnamese food. Our host Mr. Shan welcomed us into his home...
                                      
Our gracious guide Nah, was both knowledgable and delightful.
                                              
We learned about rice .... a mainstay of village life in Vietnam...
                      
  The women showed us the traditional process of cleaning the rice.
                                      
 All the food that Nah and her assistant made for us was grown or raised in the village... from the delectable morning glory vegetable, to the fish and shrimp, farmed right there, and the assortment of vegetables that we hand picked with them. Nothing like 'local' food! Wouldn't have missed this part of our journey for anything.
                                       
Finally, what would the trip have been without a mention of 'street food'. Our first night in Hanoi, we wandered up the road from our amazing Old Town Hanoi Hotel (well worth the visit - the staff are amazing, especially Mina) and found a fantastic array of street food...
                  
...along with some sweet characters to welcome us!
                                                             
From dinners held on a floating bungalow at Khao Sok Lake...
                                                    
.... set against the backdrop of southern Thailand's mountains...
                                                 
.. to simple home-assembled breakfasts,

     prepared at our bungalow on Railei Beach, Thailand...
                                                 
... our journey offered up some of the best culinary feasts I have ever experienced... and we got to stay at a fantastic array of small hotels - mostly very inexpensive - but always clean, welcoming and friendly! Cheers to Southeast Asia... and by the way, I didn't even get to our adventures in Laos, or Malaysia... that's for another time!
                                                     

Forgotten Heroes of WWII - Pacific Theater: Force 136

Major Hugh Paul Seagrim GC DSO MBE (1909-1944) 

 Nicknamed - 'Grandfather Longlegs'

One aspect of research that I relish more than anything, is discovering incredible people on whom I can base a character. As I was seeking a covert British team (to include in my plot), that would have been operating in the jungles of Burma during WWII, I came across Force 136, and subsequently the amazing story of Major Seagrim. Force 136 was a covert group of British commandos fashioned after Winston Churchill's Special Operations Executive (S.O.E.) that operated behind enemy lines in Europe. The preliminary S.O.E. team in Burma was called the 'Oriental Mission'.

The British Royal Air Force meticulously trained thousands of men from the Karen Hill Tribe, to bolster the ranks of British agents. The clandestine war Force 136 waged on the Japanese invaders, was strategically significant. You can read a more in-depth Article here.
Major Hugh Seagrim was one of Force 136's heroes. He loved the Karen people, and when the Japanese began waging a campaign of destruction against Karen villages, Major Seagrim heroically surrendered himself to the Japanese Imperial Army for execution, in exchange for the lives of the village inhabitants. The last two Survivors of Force 136 were found in 2009 within a mile of where their commander, Major Hugh Seagrim surrendered.
There are surely many unsung heroes of all wars, and in all walks of life. I am humbled when I learn of one. It reminds me of the great potential that resides within humanity. This is what gives me hope in the face of continuing horrors playing out on the global stage.
I am almost ready to publish Pursuit of the Golden Lily, please stay tuned - sign up for BLOG updates so you will be the first to know when the book is available! 

Human Trafficking

When I began writing Pursuit of the Golden Lily, I did not fully appreciate the quote: "The story writes you as much as you write it." - Billy Marshall Stoneking.

Now I do. 

A component of my life path has been to seek out, whenever possible, opportunities to raise awareness of social issues. So when the plot line of my story invited me to examine the nefarious world of sex trafficking, I accepted. The official number of known victims of sex trafficking is staggering - about 4.5 million globally (International Labor Organization). Sadly, one must assume that the actual number is much higher since most victims never escape their captors. 

While in Bangkok, we met with Sudarat Seerwat, Director of the FACE Foundation which confronts the issue of sex trafficking in Thailand. 

Sudarat and her team of volunteers advocate tirelessly to change laws; they do what they can to rescue girls and young women from pimps and brothels; they try to educate the police and the public about the issue. We were amazed by her energy and optimism in the face of such challenges. She has devoted her life to this. You can listen to Sudarat speaking on this a short Video.

Sex trafficking is a global issue. In North America the problem is on the rise. Gangs prey on vulnerable girls and boys, luring them in with promises of companionship, easy money and an exciting life. Don't think it doesn't happen on your street. It can happen to ANYONE. In the USA the National Helpline is:  

1 (888) 373 7888. If you encounter, or see a young person who might be in a precarious situation, call. One phone call could save a life.

To learn more read the The US State Department's Trafficking In Persons Report 2015

                      Thanks to Sudarat, and people like her, who are doing all they can.