Musings of Two Creative Minds

Well, 2013 was a rollercoaster of a year for me.  There were some great highs but an awful lot of lows that really made this a tough one for me.   Losing my father-in-law was probably the hardest thing to go through.  I looked up to that man so much and he gave me such great advice and encouragement.  To watch him fight the good fight and then lose to something other than the cancer, was gut-wrenching.  However, to see my wife's family pull together and know I was a part of them, helped a lot.  As did this Christmas.  This was the first one without him and was going to be especially hard for my mother-in-law.  Helen (my wife) and I had her and my brother-in-law over here for the holiday where we decked out the place and managed to create a magical Christmas in which it felt like he was right there with us the whole time.  We all felt his presence, and that made me feel so much better.  My debut novel "The Bridge" came out and 1477 copies were grabbed up.  Most of

Well, with 2 weeks left, it looks like my Kickstarter is going to fail.  Really bad timing on my part I'm afraid.  I've gotten a number of compliments on the video I did for it.  But, it just wasn't the right time to do something like this. So what's going to happen if it fails?  Simple, I've assembled some more people I can trust to help me edit the upcoming book ourselves.  My current Beta-readers are telling me they've seen a big improvement in my writing style compared to my first novel.  They say I've matured and the editing problems they've seen are much fewer.  I seemed to have learned a lot from my first go and they are still reading the first draft.  So, that says a lot I think. One of them is a published author and is going to come and stay with us in January and we're really going to go over the entire 2nd book and do some serious editing together.  I hope the final result will be really pleasing to all. To the editor I had lined up,

HAPPY BOXING DAY!!!! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. If Santa left you a nice new Nook, Sony, Laptop, or other nice new toy that allows you to read e-books, here's another gift you can give yourself. My paranormal/mystery "THE BRIDGE" is still on .99 Cents on Smashwords. Grab a copy for yourself so you can be ready when the sequel "THE SHIP" comes out in Feb/Mar 2014. https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/272613 However, if Santa left you a new Kindle, you can get the book at Amazon for .99 Cents as well using this link: http://www.amazon.com/Bridge-Para-Earth-Series-Allan-Krummenacker-ebook/dp/B00B86DR9G/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1388090753&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=allan+krummenacker Happy Holidays and enjoy yourselves.

"HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL"      No updates on Kickstarters, or discount books today gang.  Just a few thoughts on this holiday season.      This will be our first Christmas without my father-in-law, and I'll admit a part of me is a bit apprehensive about it.  But not all that much really.  There is still going to be the family gathering this weekend, where I will see a lot of familiar faces and a few new additions.  My wife's 'not-so-little cousins' have been growing their families and I will be meeting some of those children for the first time.  There will also be others I have not seen in a long while whose presence will be very welcome.            Although a lot has changed, the love and closeness we all share will still be there, a lot of this came from my father-in-law.  So in his own way, he will be there too.  And I'm really looking forward to that.        I know the holidays can be a rough time for those who've lost someone due to their p

SEASONS GREETINGS EVERYONE! First off, I hope you are all finding many ways of enjoying the holiday season.  I know things get hectic around this time of year and stressful.  So I hope all of you are finding joy and comfort in family, friends, cartoons, music, etc. I know there's a lot going on for everyone at this time, which means I screwed up.  This was definitely not the right time of year to have started my Kickstarter.  Unfortunately, three's not turning back because once a Kickstarter's been stared you can't hit a pause button and then restart it at a later date.  Once it's been set in motion you have to let it run its full course regardless of whether or not it looks like it will succeed. In my case, the Kickstarter is not doing well and looks like it might fail.  I set mine to run 45 days, and with a third of that time already gone I've gotten only 2 pledges totally $30.  My goal for funding the editing job for the "The Ship" is $

Okay fellow writers, here's a question for you all.  How many of  you find yourselves working and reworking a scene because something just isn't right?  In your mind, you know what you'd like to happen, but something just doesn't seem to be working right.  You make a change here, then a slight a tweek there and suddenly everything goes KAFLOOEY!    You suddenly hit a dead end, or the entire plot has taken a detour to No-wheres-ville.  When this happens to me, I get the same feelings I had whenever I tried to solve a Rubik's Cube.  I know all the parts and where I think they should go, but they're just not in the right spot.  And trying to get them in their proper place can be a nightmare some days. Now this has happened to me on a number of occasions.  Some people tell me to have an outline, but that never works for me.  Why?  Because my characters start going in other directions by saying or doing things I hadn't originally planned.  Admittedly I let t

****HOLIDAY SPECIAL**** From now until Christmas Day The e-book version of Book 1 in my Para-Earth Series is available for all e-reader formats at Amazon and Smashwords for just $0.99 CENTS!  Within these pages you'll ecnounter psychics, spirits and an old stone bridge with a terrifying secret.  Mystery, the paranormal and a sci-fi twist similiar to the old Twilight Zone series await you.  You can find a number of 4 and 5 star reviews can be found at both Amazon and Smashwords as well as get a sneak peak at the first few pages.  so take advantage of the opportunity to get to know the characters before book 2 comes out in February 2014.  For the Kindle version click on this link: http://www.amazon.com/Bridge-Para-Earth-Allan-Krummenacker-ebook/dp/B00B86DR9G/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1385995458 For Nook, Apple, Sony, PDF file, and all other e-readers click on this link to Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/272613

It has begun... My Kickstarter is now active and ready to be visited folks.  Remember, a ll funds raised will be going to the editing of "The Ship" and any extra pledged monies will be going to get "The Bridge" professionally edited so I can put out a new proper 3rd edition. I have some nice thank you gifts for those who donate, so please come check it out and/or help spread the word. I've only got 45 days to make this happen. Naturally, I'll be making more videos and posting updates on how things are coming and possibly adding more thank you gifts as time goes by. Thanks so much everyone... http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/975056676/editing-my-2nd-novel-the-ship?ref=live

Today, I'm going to be setting aside progress on my writing and giving advice to praise one of my all time favorite shows that just turned 50 years old, "Doctor Who".  This show has been a part of my life since I was 3 years old at least.  How can I be so certain?  Because it was way before I entered kindergarden that I saw a creature that captured my very young imagination, a Dalek. It is said among the Doctor Who fans you never forget your first Doctor, for me I never forgot my first villain. These oversized 'Pepper Pots' fascinated me to no end.  So every time I happened to run across them again, I was able to realize a show I'd loved had come back.  Or rather I'd found again.  Being so young I'd had no concept of time and what day of the week it would be showing again.  My first Doctor was Hartnell.  Mind you I'd also caught the Peter Cushing movies, but when I saw him in the role I thought, "I remembered the Doctor as being older wit

Okay, I know right off the bat most of you are going to be wondering, "What the hell?  I thought he had book 2 almost finished.  What's he talking about kickstarting it?"  Well, what I'm really talking about is Kickstarter.com.  For those who are not familiar with Kickstarter, here's a quick overview.  Kickstarter is a site where you can raise money for a specific art/creative project by getting people to donate to it.  Now it has to be something artsy or creative, like a comic book, cutting your own music album, an art project, or some other creative work that you need funds to help complete.  Mind you, the monies are intended to go to that project, not for you to take a vacation or go on a personal spending spree.  The object is to be able to get help to make a dream project a reality.   In my case, I'm going to be doing Kickstarter to pay for the professional editing for "The Ship".  Originally, I was going to try and fund this myself.  Unfor

Okay gang, I have a special treat for you all today.  My good friend and fabulous author Keira Kroft has agreed to talk to you all about building a fan base for your writing.   Now, a little about Keira before I unleash her on you all.   Keira carries a vet assistance degree; her love for animals is as great as her love of people. She gives a percentage of her personal book sale profits to the animal welfare league. Residing in a quiet suburb in the outskirts Chicago with her husband, she manages their comic book store fulltime, spending any spare time that she has working with her cats Scamper and Sawyer to achieve total world domination, one shared Twinkie at a time. Her passions include reading, writing, football, comic books and family.  And now, without further ado.  Here is Keira...  remember to take notes, there may be a quiz afterwards. Building a fan base... If you follow a few simple steps, you can be in paradise within days. This is assuming you have

****TIME IS RUNNING OUT**** You have until midnight tonight ot get your free copy of "THE BRIDGE" through Smashwords.  Remember: only at Smashwords can you get an e-copy for your Nook, Apple, and Sony E-readers.  Also, if you don't have an E-reader, you can also get a PDF copy for your laptop.   Just click on the link below and type in this coupon code: TR27S to get your free copy of book #1 in the Para-Earth series.  Ghosts, psychics, a mystery that dates back to the Paleo Indians await you, along with surprise Sci-Fi twist reminiscent of the Twilight Zone.  And don't forget to share this link with others so they can take advantage, they'll thank you. https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/272613

****TRICK OR TREAT TIME BEGINS TODAY**** From now until November 1st, you can get a e-copy of my paranormal/mystery "THE BRIDGE" for free on Smashwords. Just click on the link below and use this Coupon Code: TR27S That's all you need to do to get your free copy in any of the following formats:  Nook, Sony, Apple, or PDF for those who don't have an e-reader and just like to read on your laptop or desktop computers.     And if you already have a copy, tell everyone you know so they can take advantage of this offer.  Remember this is Book#1 in the Para-Earth Series.  Book #2 "THE SHIP" is coming out this December just in time for Christmas so get to know some of the characters and the wonders of a totally new take on the parallel word concept.  Its unlike anything you've ever seen before.   4 and 5 star reviews can be found at Smashwords, and Amazon if you're still not certain and would like to hear what others have said. Come c

     Well, one third of October is gone already and Halloween is coming.  But so is something more terrifying, at least for those who brave the challenge.  November is Nanowrimo Month and I've signed up for it.  For anyone unfamiliar with Nanowrimo, it's quite simple.  Starting on November 1st you have until the November 30th to write 50,000 words of a brand new novel.  That's right.  You start a brand new novel from scratch at the beginning of the month and try to write at least 50,000 words in 30 days.  It doesn't mean the novel has to be completed, you just have to have written that amount of words for your novel.      Now to some this sounds easy, to others it sounds daunting.  The object here is not to create finished product, but a first draft and have those 50,000 words of it done by the end of the month.  It has been calculated that a person would need to do 1666 words per day, without missing a single day to make this goal.  Easy right?  Wrong!  In my case, I

Today, instead of a one of my usual posts I decided to change gears and try something a little different.  I thought some of you might like to see a sample of some of my other writings that are not related to the Para-Earth Series.  So here's a piece I did for my creative writing class a couple of semesters ago.  The premise was to write a scene where something unexpected happens.  Well, I went beyond that and created an entire short story.  I hope you enjoy it. BAD HAIR DAY By Allan Krummenacker           Jane couldn’t believe it, the call had come.    They had wanted to see her the next day.    She had spent the previous evening going through her clothing for just the right look.    Glancing over at the corner of her bedroom, she could still see the pile of rejects she’d tossed aside during her quest.    They seemed to glare at her with resentment for being treated so poorly.    She promised to give them all a good washing and to put them away nicely when she got

Thomas Henry, the Explorer: He walks the road ahead, In the undiscovered country, Learning the calls of the dodo,  Tracing the prints of the sabertooth.  He does not forget, Nor will he be forgotten. Love knows no time or distance, Love knows only truth.  He is with us, with the unfurling of the flower. I hear his voice vibrating in the rustle of the leaves.  I see his shadow pacing so we need not walk alone. The connection is unbroken; that's what I believe.  So while we weep, we smile, And hold him in our hearts, Because we don't forget him,  We'll never truly part. by Helen Kathryn Henry Krummenacker (my wife) Yesterday, I went to Stockton with my wife to attend the "Celebration Of Life" her mother was holding for her late husband, my father-in-law Thomas Henry.  It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever been to.  This was not a memorial service, it was exactly what the name says.  We celebrated this w

Starting today (9/15/13) and ending midnight next Sunday (9/22/13), the e-book version of  my paranormal/mystery novel "The Bridge" is available for just 99 cents on Smashwords and Amazon.   Smashwords covers Nook, Apple, Sony, and other e-readers as well as PDF copies of the book.   Amazon has the Kindle version.   So take advantage of this opportunity while you can.  Ghosts, police, psychics, shamans and a 300 year old bridge with a terrifying secret awaits you within the pages of this book.  This novel is also the first in the Para-Earth book series.  Book 2, "The Ship" will be coming this December and will follow two of the main characters in "The Bridge" as they journey to the west coast to bury one of their own. Just click on the appropriate link below to get the e-book version that works best for you.  And if you already have a copy, please help spread the word of this one week special deal.  Thank you. Smashwords:  https://www.