Monday, May 25, 2015

Memorial Day, A Change of Mind, and Summer Discipline

I wish a blessed Memorial Day to everyone. I hope your loved ones are safe and nearby. This is a vacation day for many here in the States and usually marks the beginning of the summer season if not the official calendar start. I also hope every takes a moment to remember the reason for the day and thinks of those who have served and given their all.

"When it comes to the pinch, human beings are heroic." George Orwell

"One man with courage is a majority." Thomas Jefferson

I love the things summer brings. Outdoor exercise, swimming, taking care of my acreage, and sitting on the porch to read. My writing pace always slows down in the summer despite my determination not to slack off.  At the conference I recently attended, I sat in on a workshop about sprint writing. More about that in a later post but I'm hoping it is the answer to my summer slow down.

I'm pleased to feature Nick Wilford today and a blurb for his new release, A Change of Mind and Other Stories Speculative fiction published by Superstar Peanut Publishing

Blurb:

A Change of Mind and Other Stories consists of a novella, four short stories and one flash fiction piece. This collection puts the extremes of human behavior under the microscope with the help of lashings of dark humor, and includes four pieces previously published in Writer’s Muse magazine. 

In A Change of Mind, Reuben is an office worker so meek and mild he puts up with daily bullying from his boorish male colleagues as if it’s just a normal part of his day. But when a stranger points him in the direction of a surgeon offering a revolutionary new procedure, he can’t pass up the chance to turn his life around. 

But this isn’t your average surgeon. For a start, he operates alone in a small room above a mechanic’s. And he promises to alter his patients’ personality so they can be anything they want to be… 

In Marissa, a man who is determined to find evidence of his girlfriend’s infidelity ends up wondering if he should have left well alone. 

The Dog God finds a chink in the armour of a man with a megalomaniacal desire to take over the world. 

In The Insomniac, a man who leads an obsessively regimented lifestyle on one hour’s sleep a night finds a disruption to his routine doesn’t work for him. 

Hole In One sees a dedicated golfer achieving a lifelong ambition. 

The Loner ends the collection on a note of hope as two family members try to rebuild their lives after they are torn apart by jealousy.


Meet the author:



Nick Wilford is a writer and stay-at-home dad. Once a journalist, he now makes use of those rare times when the house is quiet to explore the realms of fiction, with a little freelance editing and formatting thrown in. When not working he can usually be found spending time with his family or cleaning something. He has four short stories published in Writer’s Muse magazine. Nick is also the editor of Overcoming Adversity: An Anthology for Andrew. Visit him at his blog or connect with him on Twitter or Goodreads.

Does summer slow down creep into your writing schedule? Does Memorial Day seem like the start of summer to you? Are you purchasing Nick's book today like I am?

23 comments:

Nick Wilford said...

Thank you, Susan! Happy Memorial Day. I'll definitely be thinking of those who have given everything today. It's a holiday for us too but just a regular Bank Holiday. Those of us with young kids have to be creative to keep the writing up during the summer, which means early starts, but I like to write early and it's nicer when it's light out.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Congratulations, Nick!
Have a relaxing Memorial Day, Susan.

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

I think I actually write more during the summer because I'm usually inside with the AC on. I'm outside more in the Fall and Winter, when it's cooler.

Looking forward to hearing about sprint writing....

Sandy said...

I always love being able to do the outdoor stuff, have spent the last 2 days doing mounds of yard work, with much left still to do. Got our flag up,and right you are to remind people of the true meaning of the day. Good luck with your plan to offset the summer slow down.

Sandy at Bridge and Beyond

Pat Hatt said...

Congrats, Nick.

Sprint writing sounds interesting. Once it gets really hot I'm indoors, so writing stays the same

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Congrats to Nick.

I wish we had a place to go swimming. I miss it.

Ann Bennett said...

Sprint writing seems like a great idea. The question is, Is it productive?

I always taught summer school. I would squander away my summers otherwise. Cool weather is my season. I lived in Canada for a year and the weather agreed with me.

betty said...

Seems like an interesting book with the stories outlined for Nick! Wishing him much success with it!

Always good to remember those who gave their all for our freedom. I guess Memorial Day does tend to be the start of summer; kids are out of school here, but it looks like rain so probably not many outside picnics today.

betty

Chrys Fey said...

Yay, Nick!!! :D

Happy Memorial Day, Susan! Many don't think about the real reason behind this holiday. That needs to change.

Barbara In Caneyhead said...

Sounds like a great book! Wishing Nick all the best with it's release!

Tyrean Martinson said...

Have a wonderful Memorial Day, Susan! Let's remember our fallen heroes.

Jennifer Ruth Jackson said...

Congratulations, Nick!

The Happy Whisk said...

Congrats to Nick, and Happy Summer to you both.

Karen Elizabeth Brown said...

Sounds like a great book to curl up with on a summer evening. Thanks for sharing.

Arlee Bird said...

I hope Nick's book is doing well.

Summer is coming fast. Hopefully I'll get some hiking in when I go back to Tennessee, but that's something I've often hoped for but end up not doing much of.

Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Wrote By Rote

Michelle Wallace said...

Nick is burning up the blogosphere today!
I'm looking forward to reading his book.

We have summer practically the whole year round - except one or two weeks of very cool weather during winter. Note that I said cool and not icy cold.
If we have three icy cold days during winter, then that's a lot.
During winter, holidaymakers from all over the country flock to our shores to swim. That should tell you.
Hope you're well, Susan. *waving*

J E Oneil said...

Funny, my writing pace usually picks up in the summer :). The weather is just conducive to writing, at least for me. Happy unofficial start of summer!

cleemckenzie said...

Taking care of acreage is my favorite summer activity. Nothing better in my mind. Here's to Nick's launch! Great job so far, Nick.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Congrats to Nick. I'm seeing his book everywhere!

Christine Rains said...

Summer slows my writing only because my little guy is at home. :) Yay for Nick! I'm seeing him all over.

Jay Noel said...

I love summer too, and I hope to get some actual writing done this year.

Congrats to Nick!!!

Tara Tyler said...

let's both get lots of writing and family time in this summer!
and yay for nick =)

Unknown said...

Congrats to Nick. I'm seeing his book everywhere!
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