Conscious Effort

“Maybe it would have. Maybe, if he believed her then, he could have saved her.” -Novel Excerpt, Allie Burke

A portion of my Twitter bio is credited to all of the tortured souls suffering from mental illnesses all over the world.

“mental health advocate” it says.

 

advocate [ad-vuh-keyt]

noun.
a person who speaks or writes in support or defense of a person, cause, etc.

(Why do I keep defining things? Because people don’t know what shit means. Weird means fantastic, in case you didn’t know. Look it up.)

 

What I mean by “mental health advocate” is this: standing up for a cause that I personally believe in. Or, maybe I should rephrase that. Creating, a cause, that I believe in. Because you don’t hear the words “Do you have alternate perceptions of reality?” blare from your car speakers on the way to work. You do hear depression commercials now – which is a huge leap, for us, as a society, and I feel a sense of – pride, almost – when I hear those radio ads.

But then, in the same day, we laugh, at the expense of those suffering from these illnesses.

I was indirectly involved with someone (through a business transaction) who committed suicide. And a colleague of mine, made a joke. Two, actually (people, not jokes). I couldn’t even bring myself to laugh out of courtesy.

When’s the last time you heard someone make a joke at the expense of someone suffering from cancer? Or… (heaven forbid) autism?

What gives us the right, to decide, what’s more devastating and what is off limits? Maybe that schizophrenic is so fucked up, they can’t even understand what you’re saying about them. Does that make it right? I mean, have you ever been to a mental hospital? Do you even have any idea WTF you’re talking about?

Think. Is what I’m asking.

I had a conversation with a friend today about what I call “conscious effort”. Because we do so much unconsciously, I believe, we should make that conscious effort to stop, and think, before we decide to judge. What element of the world are you affecting in that single careless moment in time? Because enough of those, and we’ll start locking everyone up like the worthless nothings that they aren’t.

I choose to raise awareness for this cause of mine through expression. It is one of my many passions. You can choose whatever you want. My goal, though, is that you will remember these words, when you do.

 

Paper Souls, A Novel by Allie Burke

YAY.

So, there it is, folks. My upcoming novel, to be released August 7th, 2012.

PAPER SOULS

The cover looks like this:

The novel is not part of a series nor does it have any reference to The Enchanters. It is fresh and new – something I’ve been toying with for a long time. It might have been called Existence once, and is in the final stages of writing a novel.

It’s… well, it’s…

Brendan Tanner, guitarist for underground rock band Black Shore has been playing music since the day he picked up his father’s six-string at seven years of age. Surviving twenty more years of life marred with pain, neglect, and life’s darkest evils, his only savior has been the music that flows from his veins and beats from his heart.

And then there was the girl.

The crazy girl who had never stepped a foot into his dreams of the perfect woman.

Alice Colt, a paranoid schizophrenic, practically lives out of an office of an independent bookstore her mother left to Alice when she was four years old. For the first time in her life, she is free of the binds that have threatened to destroy her, and she is falling hopelessly in love.

Lose yourself in Allie Burke’s latest fairytale, where music, literature, and crazy, fight for victory against life’s Paper Souls.

And, there you have it. PAPER SOULS, to be released August 7th, 2012. A Novel by Allie Burke.

YAY.

 

That Guy

I don’t want to be that guy (I never say ‘that girl’. It just doesn’t have the same effect.) who says I should blog more. Doesn’t that defeat the purpose? Blogging for the purpose of pleasing others? I mean, sure, when you write a book review it might please others – readers, the author, etc. – but why did you write the book review in the first place? Was it because the author wanted you to? Not really, no. You love reading! And your blog is a stage from which you can express yourself.

blog

Noun: A Web site on which an individual or group of users record opinions, information, etc. on a regular basis.

There’s a lot of people that I don’t want to be. That girl (there!) who says, “I never write stuff like this on my blog but it just needs to be said” before expressing my opinion. I don’t want to share a link on Facebook to my latest blog post with an attached apology for ranting. I don’t want to feel guilty about my decision to say Fuck instead of Golly Gosh.

I just, I don’t want to make up some lame excuse about how – about why – I feel the way I feel, and the way in which I choose to express myself.

Most writers blog about writing. Which is fine. It is never my goal to tell one what to do with their time or their life. But I want to blab about shit that’s on my mind. I mean, I know I boast about being a writer. I’ll admit it. I do. I love being a writer. But is that all I am? No, you’re a weirdo, too, Allie… kidding. But, seriously. I love. I’m passionate. I think and I dream and I cry, sometimes, because it’s all just too beautiful to bear in that single moment in time.

A great friend (also a writer) once told me she was ridiculed for “writing stories”, because in the dull eyes of another, that was all she did. It’s definitely a possibility that this is the reason why I want to be more than a writer.

“You’re a writer? You write shit down? Yeah, me too. I wrote a text message this morning.”

Heh. People are so fucking closed-minded. I have no tolerance for ignorance.

People like me, us – thinkers – we are rarely understood. I think that’s why we strive to label ourselves with that writer, artist, with that latest word to help the people around us – the people we love – understand. But they don’t. And it just frustrates us further, to the point where we have to write a blog that says, “I want to be more than a writer”. Because what does ‘writer’ mean? Like I told you. I write shit down.

(That was a joke.)

And still, I’m not explaining myself. Because I want you to understand. I want to say “pink” and I want you to clap your hands together and yell “revolution!” Like a fucking Rise Against song, ya hear?

But, seriously. I love. I’m passionate. I think and I dream and I cry, sometimes, because it’s all just too beautiful to bear in that single moment in time.

That is writing. That is the point. Writing is love and passion and dreams and tears, bloody, bloody tears (as in bodily fluids not the bad word in some other English language) and I want you, the guy, reading this, to say, you know, I can see it from her perspective because reading a book (a good book) is not at all like watching a movie.

I don’t post lyrics from songs or quotes from books with the intention of reeling in comments like “I love that band!” or “that book sucked”. I want you to think. I want you to open your mind to the millions of possibilities that lay (that’s probably the wrong usage of “lay”, God knows I can never get that shit right) before you, smiling at you, and hoping, hoping that you will smile back. And I want you to stop posting shit like “I didn’t take my meds today woooooo” without thinking about the person on your friend list suffering from Bipolar Disorder or “damn druggies, we should take them all in the back and shoot them” without first reading Memoirs Aren’t Fairytales by Marni Mann.

Also, I kind of want to delete Sleepless Dreams. Posting the same blog to two sites is lame.

News, Fashionably Late

So… I know I told y’all I would make an announcement when Amber Passion was released.

I lied.

With all due respect (to myself, I guess), I didn’t mean to lie. Or, I didn’t write the last blog with lies in mind. It just sort of happened.

The point. Amber Passion has been released! Its official release date is April 15^th, practically hours after I announced that it was done and was in the editing process. The edits (in my opinion) went over well, better than the other two Enchanters novels I have published, and I was able to publish Amber Passion very quickly. And so, it is available on e-book and will be available on paperback soon. So, go buy it. If you like. : )

The release of Amber Passion means a few things. The Enchanters Trilogy is complete. That’s awesome and sad and wonderful and heartbreaking all at the same time. Also, I am now an author of an entire series, which is a pretty cool thought. Also, it means that I now have two projects on the horizon, instead of three.

Existence has recently taken a complicated turn, and it doesn’t look like I’ll be able to publish it as quickly as I wanted to. Like, today. But really, what is a novel if it’s not complicated? Right. So I’m working on it. : )

And then there’s Wonder Novel, called that partly because I don’t have an official title yet and partly because “Magical Novel” was taken. This is the novel that I’ve released a few snippets from, the one I’ve promised and promised I will release more information about after Amber Passion has been released. And I will. Post a couple chapters maybe, put a blurb together, maybe even a cover! But for now, the novel is in the beginning stages of writing a novel, and I don’t exactly have very much to go on. Except:

Hate. Illness. Imprisonment. Adventure. Love.

And with that, I’m off to write! Hope everyone is enjoying Amber Passion, their Saturday, and generally, their world. Much love.

The Enchanters… done?

Yes, yes, yes. I’ve written the last words. 

Wait, what?

Yes! Amber Passion is DONE!

It is currently with the betas, in the editing process, and should be available digitally everywhere… VERY soon. I don’t want to give out an exact date at the moment because I’d like to have it available as soon as possible, so we’ll just call it right around the corner. : )

My next project is to finish up Existence which is nearly done as well. You can read the first chapter of that here. 

And then, the new stuff I’m calling WonderNovel, because you can wonder about it until Amber Passion is released. 

Am I sad that the Enchanters series has come to a close? Not exactly. Sad as in, did I cry as I wrote the last pages of Amber Passion? Hell yeah I did. But, I’ll always have my characters. I don’t think they’ll ever leave me. And I think I’m still buzzing about the ending of Amber Passion. I think we’re going out with a bam, y’all. 

So, so, so. Busy, busy, busy. Off to editing in the morning. And then… release day!!!

Thank you so much for all your support. Those of you who have read my novels, fans of paranormal romance or not, and my friends and family who have supported this “writing thing”. Love you all. 

See you soon!!

Indie Awareness Month Blog Hop

I’ve chosen to participate and to help All Indie E-Books celebrate Indie Awareness Month by giving away an e-copy of Violet Midnight, book one in my Enchanters trilogy. So please, comment below with the best way to contact you for a chance to win.

Review: Buffalo Soldiers by Nicholas Denmon

Nicholas Denmon’s debut thriller For Nothing had me in awe from its first pages, and Buffalo Soldiers is no different. It is different, though, all the while keeping with its Upstate NY Mafia Tale tone, if that’s even possible. But it is, you know, possible, for this author, who is not just talented with words but in his writing is insightful, unique, and beautiful.

If there was one thing I never expected from this series it was to fall in love. In For Nothing it was not just Rontego (back off ladies, this one’s mine) but the things found between the lines like the elegance of murder and the necessary evils that play alongside revenge. In Buffalo Soldiers it was Ivan. I was happy to see Raf again (like catching up with an old friend if you get my drift), but Ivan was who I was after as I flipped the pages. From his introduction I was enticed by him. For reasons this brilliant author should only have the right to give away, it turned out. Ivan, and Buffalo – I was in love. I am, in love. With the art of telling a damn good story, and reading one. With Buffalo Soldiers, for having achieved this feat, this level of otherworldly wonder where the mafia meets love meets tragedy meets family meets dammit, you don’t have to do this to yourself. I mean, you don’t have to live in this warzone of fire and regret and loss… so much loss. And as you realize it you cry, and then you ask yourself what the hell am I doing? because you’re reading a freaking book, and it’s not even real.

But it is.

You can feel it. And that’s what matters to you.

Don’t pass over this book because you think it’s a mafia crime thriller and that’s not “your thing”. Read it because you like reading or because you believe in the power of the written word. Read it because you follow Nicholas Denmon on Twitter or you just don’t know what to read next. Just make sure… you read it.

There’s plenty of killing and shit, too.

Blog Tour: Buffalo Soldiers by Nicholas Denmon

To celebrate the release of Buffalo Soldiers in the coming days, the second in the Upstate NY Mafia Tales, today I have author Nicholas Denmon over to answer a few of my questions. For Nothing (book one) was one of my favorite books of 2011 (okay I think we can say favorite books ever), and its sequel Buffalo Soldiers is nothing short of breathtaking. I am super excited for the release of the sequel and honored to have him over to share some of his insights about his novel.

 

Allie: The main focus of For Nothing (book one) was Alex Vaughn and Rafael Rontego, and the way the world is perceived on alternate sides of the law. Buffalo Soldiers branches out a bit, introducing your readers to a slew of new characters that offer points of view from every corner of the mafia lifestyle. And you transition so fluidly from one character to the next. Do you have a favorite that you were really able to connect with, or that is in any way based on anyone in your life?

Nicholas: I think each character has bits of me in them, just shades really though.  I am really drawn to the bad guys in my novels.  What made them who they are?   In this novel, the journey of Ivan Nivsky is really one that I enjoyed.  He has lived such a hard life and does some really horrible things.  But deep down you get a sense that he wasn’t always this way.  There is a real strong loyalty factor that this character has, especially to another ‘bad guy’ in Rafael Rontego.  The thing about these types of characters is that their bonds are forged in such terrible fire that it really is difficult for those of us with normal lives to understand how someone who does such bad things can have such honorable characteristics.  This dichotomy is really fun for me to explore as writer.

Add Buffalo Soldiers to your Goodreads shelves.

Allie: Your Buffalo, New York references are so intricate, it makes me want to visit, if only to bring me closer to the events in this intriguing series. Can you tell us about your time there?

Nicholas: For me, Buffalo is simply home.  In the first novel of the series, For Nothing, I showed the dark, cold, wintery side of the place.  In this one the novel takes place in the autumn and the city has a real splendor during that season.  For as harsh as the winters can be, the autumn has breath taking beauty.  My fondest memories are standing there looking at leaves in shades of purple and burnt orange and blood red.  It catches the eye and holds it.  I have never seen its equal anywhere else I have ever been.

Nicholas’ blog, Cat Get Off My Keyboard

Allie: Readers reacted to the complicated character Rafael Rontego (especially the females, if you get my drift) in an astounding way. Based on your reviews, everybody loves him. Do you think there is a particular character in Buffalo Soldiers that may have a similar effect on your readers? (Ivan. Say Ivan. Please, say Ivan!)

Nicholas: Haha! Yes, Ivan I think has that ability.  He has suffered tremendous heartbreak through his life. Throughout a long prison stint it was love that sustained him, an unrequited love, to be more specific.  If you have ever loved but not been loved in return, Ivan can be a sympathetic character.  At the same time, he is a grizzled mob veteran and the shell, the armor, around his heart is very thick.  I think those diverging characteristics bring a depth to the character and I think we start to hope he might one day realize that he can be loved in return.

Allie: You’ve mentioned that you have at least one love story in you. This being my blog and all (don’t think we haven’t noticed how many romance fans read your work, including me), can you elaborate on that, or any of your other stories? Can you share anything about what you’re working on now?

Nicholas: Yes I can.  I am working on the third and final novel in the An Upstate New York Mafia Tale series, but I am also working on a love story called The Hundred Heartbreaks of Harlan Halifax.  It is more of a slice of everyday Americana, but even our normal lives can produce the most tremendous of love stories.  I believe that Harlan Halifax’s story might be one of them.

 

Well then. I’ll be looking forward to that. It’s always a pleasure, Nick. Thanks for stopping by.

For those of you not caught up on the series, you can pick up a copy of For Nothing here. You can also visit Nicholas Denmon on Twitter @nicholasdenmon or on Facebook.

Look out for my review of Buffalo Soldiers very soon!!

Happy release day to me… ha… fooled ya

I have the coolest Friday-night-blog-post-while-drinking-red-wine for you ever.

EVER.

Get it?

… Now you do.

Meet Ever, an Enchanters short story I have shared on this very blog (feel free to look for it instead of paying for it – here, I’ll even give you a link [though there it's called something else, oh well]) that has officially been published! Like, today!!!

So yes, it is happy release day to me. Not Amber Passion. Not quite, anyway. But still release day.

I have another Enchanters short story I’m going to publish in the near future, and another (not Enchanters) short story I *might* publish as well.

For now, I hope you enjoy this one, and, once you read it, because you’re so awesome, I think you should take a minute to review it. : )

Yay!

Blog Tour: For Nothing by Nicholas Denmon

Undercover cop Alex Vaughn goes deeper than ever into the organized crime family of Buffalo, NY. Motivated by justice and revenge, he seeks out the assassin that laid his friend Jack low.

Professional killer Rafael Rontego traverses the deadly politics of Buffalo’s mafia underbelly. In a city whose winter can be just as deadly as those wielding power, Rontego tries to stay ahead of the game.

Their two worlds collide in this epic thriller that takes the reader on a search for self, justice, and truth.

 

What can I say about For Nothing that hasn’t been said by mafia crime thriller fans everywhere? By… Nicholas Denmon fans? Because that’s what they are, really. Fans of the mafia, the thrill of the written word who for whatever reason gave this debut author their undivided attention… those who, never regretted it for a second, because when they were done reading, all they could think about was that next chapter. That next book. That next Nicholas Denmon novel.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC copy of For Nothing before it had been published, and I honestly didn’t know what to do with myself once I had read it. For Nothing was like, an introduction, for me. Which is weird, because it’s not like I haven’t read my share of thrillers. Maybe not so much about the mafia, I’ll admit, but thrillers/suspense/mystery – these are the books I started with. That started me… on the written word. But, an introduction, nevertheless. An introduction because I think I realized, once I gave myself a moment to absorb the novel in all its glory, this was the way a thriller was supposed to be written. Supposed to be read. It wasn’t all about heartless murderous rages and non-stop action (which there is no shortage of in this book) but about the world around us and how much colder the people in it can be than the weather in Buffalo. Maybe a thriller was just as much about having the courage to look in the mirror long enough to discover one self as how fast one assassin can take down a room full of people. Maybe it was there all along, this careful attention to every detail from the sounds, smells, sensations of the cold wind as it blasted past, to our gritty nature as human beings, to finding love, giving up on love, to… killing for love. For family. For loyalty. Maybe it was there all along, waiting to be let out into the world of readers wishing for that outlet. Wishing for that book, that book that had the power to change their perceptions on… everything.

For Nothing is a different kind of thriller. This is a novel that delves into the world of good versus evil, and how the line between the two can go from a little blurry, to nonexistent. The author’s unique style grants this novel a level of exclusivity that soars it from the mafia crime thriller shelves to the every shelf. As in, everyone should read this book.

 

For Nothing on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Nothing-Upstate-York-Mafia-ebook/dp/B0050WA44K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1331523771&sr=8-2

Visit the author on his blog http://dratednovelist.blogspot.com or his web site http://best-fiction-novels.com/. You can also interact with him on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/authornicholasdenmon or on Twitter @nicholasdenmon.

Look out for the sequel to For Nothing, Buffalo Soldiers, out March 20th.