Monday, 24 February 2014
Brook Cottage Books is thrilled to welcome the extremely interesting Robert K Swisher to the blog. Robert has had a fascinating writing journey and I think when you read his guest post you will agree. Thanks to Robert for taking the time to write the post.........
I started writing in 1967 after discharging from the army. I
served in Vietnam as a radio operator in the 23rd Infantry. Lost and
with no set direction I started writing poetry. Over several years I
placed hundreds of poems to literary journals and a book of my poetry -
Touch ME IF YOU LOVE ME - was published. It is no longer in print. I
then started writing short stories and placed many in literary journals.
During this time to feed myself I worked on ranches in New Mexico -
literary journals pay in copies - if you are lucky you also get a dollar
- still true to this day. After short stories I started writing a
novel and did freelance articles for outdoor fishing magazines. It took
me several years to finish the novel - titled - THE LAND - it is the
story of a certain section of land in the west and a story of four
groups of people that lived on it - Indians, Spaniards, Mexicans, to the
cowboys. While sending it out to publishers I started working on
another one.
THE LAND was rejected 400 times, during which I wrote
three other novels, also rejected. A small press picked up THE LAND and
it was reviewed by Publishers Weekly, Best Sellers, Library Journal,
and many others. It was also turned into a audio book for the blind.
With the success of THE LAND fourteen of my novels have been
traditionally published - eight of these are still in print and three
have been turned into e books. All of my novels revolve around people's
need for love. Over the past several years I have turned indie and
released a four book mystery series - Bob Roosevelt and his Snide
Guardian Angel - Roosevelt is trying to find the love of his life and
his center while all his Guardian Angel wants is to have a good time.
He thinks Roosevelt is boring and is trying his best to become the
guardian angel for a rock star. There are four books in the series - A
BUCKET FULL OF LIES, TROUT FISHING FOR BODIES, DOUBLE BOGEY MURDER, and,
FROGS DON'T CROAK IN THE WINTER - they are funny, snide, and a little
off center. So far A BUCKET FULL OF LIES has received many good
reviews. I also released a funny golf book - CONVERSATIONS WITH THE
GOLF GOD.
All of my earlier work is serious and I changed directions
for awhile. Over the past several years I have written three novels -
HOPE - the story of an old folks home and how the residents learn how to
fly. THE LONELY COWBOY - the story of an old cowboy riding around a
ranch and telling his life story to his horse, and, HOW BRIDGE MCCOY
LEARNED HOW TO SAY I LOVE YOU - the story of a man that walks two steps
forward and then one backward, hates change, vows he will never fall in
love, but when he does whenever he tries to tell the lady he loves her
he starts to choke and can't get the words out. I plan on releasing
these this year. HOPE has recently been edited and the other two are
off to the editor. I am also working on a novel titled Vent that is a
reader participation book. I did not go to college but I have taught a
college class called THE REALITIES OF WRITING. With all my years in the
game I have seen it all, bad contracts, good contracts, thieves, and on
and on. You may think tell don't show is new, sorry, but I have seen
books both ways. Getting published has never been easy but indie
publishing has opened many doors. I can say I made a lot of mistakes
when I went indie but I am slowly learning the process. I have only
done my books through KDP, no paper copies. Amazon has the biggest
market share and if one hits I can sign a book deal. I have also never
written for the market and only written what comes into my head - it is a
choice a writer has to make.
During my writing career I have held over
200 jobs, normally working long enough to have enough money to write
until I need another job. If I have any advice to young writers it is
simply do it, don't be afraid, any review is a good review, when you are
done with one book go on to another, and schedule your time where you
write more than you promote - remember it all ends up the same, the
grave is always only one step away. Here is the link to my author page
if you would like to check out my novels. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Robert-K-Swisher-Jr/296768763702474?ref=hl
I
am also on author central and Goodreads. I wish you all the best with
your writing. If you want to contact me with a question merely message
me I will get back to you. Once again, the best.
Robert K. Swisher Jr.
You can find Robert's books HERE
Inspirational. x