the Bella Vita

I really don't like going to the casinos these days. But, here I am being serenaded by local mariachis for my (mumble under breath) birthday. I'm at Route 66, one of our local indian casinos, with my long-time Romero friends. Sophie, seen in the second pic below, absolutely loves the buffet and still enjoys her slots. So, I go. This was actually Sunday, July 3rd, not my actual birthday, and I would have preferred to stay home in the A/C and watched the closing arguments in the Anthony trial. Sigh, it's true, I was so caught up in that drama. Devoted a month of afternoons to live testimony on HLN.

Why? Who knows. As I posted on Fbook, others watch fictional TV dramas, this was real life drama. A young mother who probably chloroformed her baby so she could enjoy the bella vita (beautiful life.) She got that tattoo a day or so after her child died (or was killed.) And, now it seems she will have that "beautiful life" she craved. A million dollar book deal, some say.

I spent years writing my novel. Casey will have a ghost writer. Okay, I too had a ghost writer ;) Mine was rather demanding. He wanted the story told. I did not get a million dollar book deal. I'm not even in the black. Maybe crime does pay.

A Kindred Spirit (my novel)

This is the actual novel -- as much as I'm willing to preview. There are 8228, a highly portentous "phildickian" number of words in the first three entries, and over 88 thousand words as I work on revisions. It's going to be published finally, 2010!

• The Prologue

• Chapter One - the Grand Alignment

• Chapter Two - End Times (removed pending publication)
  

Sometimes I call it AKS, Redux (or AKS III, or maybe 4 N final!) I've been at it so long it's sort of become a sequel to itself now or recursive fiction. But, knowing Phil wrote like this helps. (see Status entry.) The novel has entered its own time warp! 2007 is an important year since it's the 25th anniversary of Phil's death, or rebirth as I think of it. 2010 Phil would have been 82, so that is the definite Final Frontier for us!

The entire proposed novel layout is on my main website. A click will magically take you to it. The purple listings (on the layout page) mean they're "done." Since I really do want to publish AKS, I don't want to post more here. Perhaps I'll use this link to entice someone like Patrick Lobrutto to take another look. It's totally different than the weak version I let him review years ago. But even in it's embryonic state back then, he loved the concept. It's vastly improved, Pat!!

If you read this, PLEASE comment. That's why it's out here. I need feedback! (not junk mail or spam. I delete those.) The blog is enabled now so anyone can post comments. THANKS!