Monday, February 24, 2014

Happy Anniversary, Baby...Got You On My Mind



Happy Anniversary To Me!

Five years ago, in 2009, I published my first novel.  The title was If You Could Read My Mind – A Nicholas Turner Novel.  It was the story of a young police detective that loses his wife and unborn child at almost the same time.  When he drifts down into a dark abyss, he loses his job and his feelings of personal worth.  His redemption comes to him ten years later, when he investigates the kidnapping of a widow’s young daughter…with a little supernatural help.  Nicholas realizes that what he thinks he lost all those years ago never really left him, and he has a second chance for happiness.

For years, I worked on and off as a radio announcer.  I prided myself in practicing different voices, and used them often in my radio programs and in recording commercials (I can do a really mean Daffy Duck…and Sylvester…and even Bugs Bunny).  For years, I thought that my personal destiny would utilize those vocal talents.

But, I always enjoyed writing.  I didn’t do much of it, because I just wrote silly little plays and essays over the years for various school grades, or to make friends smile ("I’ll get the funnel...").

In all the years of working in radio, I kept ideas in my mind that were suggested to me by various songs that I happened to play while doing a radio show.  I thought it would be cool to establish a series of books based on what ran through my mind as I heard these lyrics and titles.

Then, one day when I wasn’t working radio, I had taken a horrible job with a contractor for a major company.  This company’s focus wasn’t on doing a great job for the major company, but was on dodging responsibility for mistakes and quickly looking for scapegoats to blame for their own short-sightedness.  After my working there for almost four years, this contractor had a layoff in 2008.

One of many ideas had been running loose in my head for some time, and I had to get some of them down "on paper", or I was going to go insane!  I utilized this time off to write If You Could Read My Mind.  Well, I say I wrote it…but, the story actually wrote itself, and took off in directions that I had never expected.  I’ve said previously that the finished product bears very little resemblance to the story I set out to write.

I published that first book, intending to create a series featuring Nicholas Turner…and I still believe that the series exists within my mind.

But, I came up with a series about a not-quite-by-the-book security company named Justice Security…and it rapidly took off in my mind, quickly overshadowing Nicholas Turner’s debut novel, with three novels, four short stories, and one volume containing all three novels, The Best Of Justice Security Volume 1.  Madeline, one of the characters from If You Could Read My Mind, has made cameo appearances in two of the Justice Security stories, Jackie Blue and The Little Drummer Boy.

Was If You Read My Mind a masterpiece?  No.  But, it was a good story…with good characters.

A follow-up proved to be difficult, with my attentions on Justice Security, and now, Sardis County.  But, the first sequel to that premier novel starring Nicholas Turner is actually going to be a team-up between Nicholas and Justice Security.  The title is Hell’s Bells, and features a darkly intense turning point for the characters.  Some of the main characters from both series will not survive…but, the book will also offer a new direction for them.

Because of this, Hell’s Bells is taking some time to complete.  I hope that it’s well accepted by fans of both Nicholas and Justice Security, and will whet your appetites for what is to follow.

In the meantime, I’ve had fun with the new series that features a place – Sardis County.  The first story in the series is now available at Amazon.com in both Kindle and paperback editions.  The audiobook is under negotiation now…I should be able to tell you who will be narrating it later this week.  Coming soon is the second story in the Sardis County series – Junior’s Farm.  It will introduce you to a few more people that live in Sardis County, mainly Katie Montgomery and her daughter, Carol Grace.  Margo Sardis also makes a return appearance, with a huge surprise for Katie.  I hope you, as the reader, will enjoy it!

Oh, and just so you don’t think that I only played rock or Top 40 music in my announcer years, there is a smattering of country songs that have inspired stories in my mind:  (Ghost) Riders In The Sky, Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground, Boot Scootin’ Boogie, The Thunder Rolls, Ghost In This House, and Friends In Low Places are only a few, and will be coming eventually!

Thank you for five years of this roller-coaster ride…I’m having the time of my life!

Keep reading!

Michael  (T. M.)

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

The Tale Of The Missing Manuscript



I wonder sometimes about publishers.

Last week, I submitted an inquiry to Harlequin asking about the progress of the submission of  Don’t Come Around Here No More – A Tale Of Sardis County.  It had been submitted for their consideration on October 21, 2013.  I received an email confirming receipt of the manuscript.  I asked when I could receive a determination from them.

The response from them was that they couldn’t find a record of the submission, and suggested that I had sent it to an email that was no longer being monitored.  I was welcome to re-submit the manuscript.

Rather than allow my inner Tasmanian Devil to come to the forefront, I politely thanked them for their response.  I declined to re-submit, stating that I’d rather not wait another 12 weeks for their determination.

So, now, Don’t Come Around Here No More – A Tale Of Sardis County is now available as a Kindle ebook, and within a couple of days, the paperback should be available.  Here’s the link to Amazon.com for the Kindle edition:  http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Come-Around-Here-More-ebook/dp/B00IIALAWG/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392752648&sr=1-4&keywords=t.+m.+bilderback

Also, recently, I received two notifications on the same day about two audiobooks that are now available.  Both became available almost at the same time!

Saturday In The Park – A Justice Security Short Story is now available.  The story is performed by David S. Fischer, one of the two newcomers to the T. M. Bilderback narrator corner.  Here’s the Amazon link:  http://www.amazon.com/Saturday-Park-Justice-Security-Short/dp/B00IGBWZ0S/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392753347&sr=1-1&keywords=t.+m.+bilderback

The second audiobook is MacArthur Park – A Justice Security Short Story, performed by our old friend Patrick Peterson.  The link to Amazon is here:  http://www.amazon.com/MacArthur-Park-Justice-Security-Short/dp/B00IGBRB48/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392753448&sr=1-12&keywords=t.+m.+bilderback

That should be enough to whet appetites for now!  All I ask is that you pick up a book, and…

Keep reading!

Michael  (T. M.)

Saturday, February 15, 2014

We Simply MUST Have Order!



Let’s have a little order around here!

I’ve often been asked about the proper order of my stories.  "Where should I start?"  "Where do the short stories come in?"

The reason I’m asked this varies, from folks, like myself, that want to watch the growth of the characters from the beginning of a series.  Others just want to fill in some stuff from the short stories that fit into the continuity of the novels.

Well, let me say this:  I try to write each story as a stand-alone story.  However, it is true that the short stories have a certain continuity that enhance the reading of the novels.  Characters from the Nicholas Turner book make appearances in the Justice Security books, and personalities from both stories will be making appearances in the Sardis County series.

So, with that in mind, here’s the order of the Nicholas Turner/Justice Security/Sardis County stories:
1      1.       If You Could Read My Mind – Nicholas Turner
        2.      Mama Told Me Not To Come – Justice Security 
        3.      Someone Saved My Life Tonight – Justice Security
        4.      Jackie Blue – Justice Security 
        5.      Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go – Justice Security 
        6.      Saturday In The Park – Justice Security 
       7.      Don’t Come Around Here No More – Sardis County (Should Be Available Week of 2/17/14) 
       8.      MacArthur Park – Justice Security 
      9.      The Little Drummer Boy – Justice Security 
      10.  Junior’s Farm – Sardis County (Upcoming) 
      11.  Hell’s Bells – Justice Security/Nicholas Turner (Upcoming)

There’s the order of the “series” stories.  The only reason I’ve included the first Sardis County story, Don’t Come Around Here No More, is to establish the series.  Also, in Junior’s Farm, it is established that the unnamed city that houses Nicholas Turner and Justice Security is a six-hour drive from Sardis County…close enough for occasional crossovers.  Junior’s Farm also contains characters first seen in Jackie Blue.

Now, as far as the other stories – The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald, Gold, and Hot Child In The City – all three of those are stand-alone stories, with no link at all to any series.

Well, maybe.

It could be argued that since the city in Hot Child In The City is never named, that it could maybe be in the same city…but I neither confirm nor deny that argument.  It’s up to the reader to decide.

Keep reading!

Michael (T. M.)

Monday, February 10, 2014

The News Is Fast And Furious



What do you do when the news is fast and furious?

First up on the teleprompter:  Hot Child In The City – A Short Story is now available as a Kindle ebook.  Here is the link to the Amazon.com page:  http://www.amazon.com/Hot-Child-City-Short-Story-ebook/dp/B00IBMALGW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1392061899&sr=1-1&keywords=t.+m.+bilderback

Second on the teleprompter:  Gold – A Short Story has completed the validation process with the audiobook company, and is now available for purchase at Amazon.com, Audible.com, and iTunes.  The performance is a straightforward read by David S. Fischer, one of the newcomers to the T. M. Bilderback audiobook universe.  Here’s the link to Amazon.com:  http://www.amazon.com/Gold-A-Short-Story/dp/B00IBIA4IQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392061946&sr=1-1&keywords=t.+m.+bilderback

Third on the teleprompter:  Saturday In The Park – A Justice Security Short Story has been completed as an audiobook, and is going through the validation process with the audiobook company.  It, too, is performed by newcomer David S. Fischer, and should be finished within the week.

Number four story on the teleprompter:  MacArthur Park – A Justice Security Short Story has also been completed as an audiobook, and is also going through the validation process.  It is brought to life by our old friend, Patrick Peterson, and it will be through the process and available for sale probably within the week.

Number five on today’s teleprompter:  I have mentioned that another newcomer to the T. M. Bilderback audiobook universe, Meagan Cunningham, is performing my very first book, If You Could Read My Mind – A Nicholas Turner Novel.  She’s completed the first fifteen minutes of the story, and she has captured the nuances of the conversational portions, and the frustrated impact that life has had on Nicholas Turner.  I wrote that story from the heart, because I have a daughter, and Meagan has tuned in to that feeling, because she is a mother as well.  I think, once this audiobook is complete, you will thoroughly enjoy it!

I’ve mentioned before that I’m working on Junior’s Farm – A Tale Of Sardis County, and that I was writing it as a straight romance novel, even though it was taking place in Sardis County (Where YOU Make The Magic).

I couldn’t do it.

There will still be romance, and action, and suspense…but, I made a couple of changes in the early chapters of the book, and have taken it to the proper “Sardis County” level.  Once the first Sardis County story, Don’t Come Around Here No More – A Tale Of Sardis County, is available, perhaps you will understand what I’m saying better.

That’s all the news for now.  All I ask is that you…

Keep reading!

Michael (T. M.)