Dead deer prank riles students at rival high school
10/18/2007 12:01 PM
By: Associated Press
BLANCO, Texas -- When fans of Blanco High School held signs reading "Slaughter the Deer," they apparently weren't just flush with team spirit.

The Comfort High School Deers volleyball team found a rotting, bloated carcass of a 90-pound doe in their bus before losing an important match Tuesday against Blanco.

Comfort team captain Maeghan Eckert said her squad couldn't focus after discovering the prank. She says she believes Blanco should forfeit its victory.

If the culprits impressed any fans, their cover-up probably didn't. One of the Comfort High parents, Brian Vaughan, is a law enforcement officer. He says he found a bloody trail leading from the bus to a nearby pickup.

There comes a time, when you have a new book on the horizon, that you have to start seeking blurbs from other authors. You know what blurbs are--those little cover quotes that say things like, “I couldn’t put it down!” or “A real page-turner!” or “Ben Rehder is sure to win the Nobel Prize!”

Nobody seems to know if blurbs have any influence on readers or not, but as most people in this industry say about most marketing efforts, “It can’t hurt.”

There are several schools of thought about getting blurbs. Many agents and editors think an author should get blurbs from authors who write similar material. That’s why, in the past, I’ve sought blurbs from writers like Tim Dorsey, Tim Cockey (whose name got printed on the paperback edition as Tom Cockey--I was very embarrassed), and Kinky Friedman. They all write humor, so it’s a natural fit. I’ve also sought blurbs from Carl Hiaasen, Elmore Leonard, and Dave Barry, to no avail. They probably get a dozen blurb requests a day, and I can’t blame them for saying no. Carl Hiaasen was kind enough to send me a nice note the three times I pestered him, as did Elmore Leonard when I asked for a blurb for Gun Shy.

One thing that’s a little irritating is when you ask a big-name author for a blurb, and they say they flat-out don’t do blurbs. Then you see a blurb from them on a recently released book. Come on, if you don’t want to blurb my book, just tell me so. Say you don’t have the time or interest. I can handle it.

I’ve also gotten blurbs from authors who don’t necessarily write humor, but they do write bestsellers. Jeff Abbott and Lee Child, for instance, were each very kind in giving me a blurb last time around. I know they’re both buried all the time, so it meant a lot that they were willing to help an author whose sales, uh, don’t quite match up to theirs. That’s pretty classy.

So, right now, I just began seeking blurbs for Holy Moly. I already got a yes from an author whom I’ve gotten to know well on the road. Great guy, and a terrific writer. I won’t give his name, in case he reads the manuscript and hates it. That’ll save him and me some embarrassment. I also sent an email to another author whose work I admire. I don’t know him--and it is a definite advantage to know the author to whom you’re making the request--so we’ll just have to wait and see.

There’s a story that goes around about a bestselling author and blurb requests: He supposedly says something like, “I can either read your book or blurb it. Your choice.” Kind of lowers the credibility of blurbs, if it’s true.

Oh, and by the way, if you are a big-time author and want to blurb my book, let me know.

Last year, I was asked if I'd like to be included in an anthology about Texas crime fiction, published by The University of Texas Press. Well, absolutely. I told them it would be an honor.

Check it out:

http://www.amazon.com/Lone-Star-Sleuths-Southwestern-Collection/dp/0292717377/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-9852514-0599112?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1192045006&sr=1-1

The pub date is November 1, and it is available for pre-order on Amazon. Here's a description:

Texas has always staked a large claim on the nation's imagination, and its mystery literature is no exception. Hundreds of crime novels are set within the state, most of which have been published in the last twenty years. From the highest point atop the Guadalupe Mountains in West Texas to the Piney Woods of East Texas, from the High Plains of the Panhandle to the subtropical climate of the lower Rio Grande Valley, mystery writers have covered every aspect of Texas's extraordinarily diverse geography.

The first book to emphasize the wealth of Texas's mystery writers and the images they convey of the state's wide range of regions and cultures, Lone Star Sleuths is a noteworthy introduction not only to the literary genre but also to a sense of Texas as a place in fiction. Celebrating a genre that has expanded to include women and an increasing diversity of cultures, the book features selections from the works of such luminaries as Kinky Friedman and Mary Willis Walker, lesser-known stars in the making, and even some outsiders like Nevada Barr and Carolyn Hart who have succumbed to the allure of the state's weather, geography, and colorful history.

Lone Star Sleuths captures the sense of place that distinguishes much of the great literature set in Texas, and is a must-read for mystery lovers.

About the Authors
BILL CUNNINGHAM is a San Marcos, Texas, public relations consultant and former Chairman of the Texas State University System Board of Regents. STEVEN L. DAVIS is the Assistant Curator of the Southwestern Writers Collection Texas State University-San Marcos. ROLLO K. NEWSOM is Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Folklore Emeritus at Texas State University-San Marcos.

And the cover is below. You are not a true Texan if you don't buy this book!

Over on his blog (http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/features/arts/offthepage/blog/), Chauncey Mabe, the books editor for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, offers the following advice for aspiring writers: “Stop. Give up. Quit. Don’t write another word.”

He’s not kidding, either. In summary, he believes that there are a lot of untalented writers out there wasting their time, and that they “gum up the machinery for those few who are gifted.”

It’s an interesting position, and I’ve been tempted to take the same approach when speaking to various groups of wannabe writers. The truth is, many people think they can write. Most of them are wrong. I’ve seen the work. I’ve held it in my hands. Plenty of it is absolutely horrid.

But here’s what I’ll add to Mr. Mabe’s thoughts: Even if you do “make it”--even if you are a talented writer with a quality product to offer--getting published probably isn’t what you think it is. Chances are, your print run will be much smaller than you expect, and so will your advance. You won’t be making any bestseller lists. You won’t get reviewed in the New York Times. You won’t be appearing on Oprah or The Today Show. Fans won’t be lining up at booksignings. After your book comes out, you could stand on a street corner in your hometown and ask random strangers if they’ve ever heard of you. They won’t have.

This is a downer topic, I know, maybe because it’s Monday. But it’s the truth. Most authors toil away in obscurity, hoping that they can slowly build an audience and climb out of the ranks of “midlist” authors. Of course, very few make it, and that’s simple mathematics. There always has to be a midlist.

What’s my point? Frankly, I’m not sure. I know that it’s disheartening when someone like Jenna Bush “writes” a book and receives tons of coverage, plenty of money, and a place on the bestseller lists. (Current ranking for her book on Amazon: 152; current ranking for Gun Shy: 111,334.) It’s discouraging to know that there are literally millions of people out there who would enjoy your books--if they’d ever heard of them.

So why do most authors continue? Many would say it’s for the love of writing, and maybe that’s true. I also think many of them believe that their next book will break out and get them the attention they deserve.

For me, it’s a combination of reasons:

I do enjoy writing. Wait, that’s not exactly accurate. I enjoy the sense of accomplishment I get from having written. The actual writing itself can be a chore at times.

I enjoy sharing my thoughts with thousands of people (though I wish it were millions).

In spite of the innermost thoughts I share with friends and family (they see a lot of cynicism on my part), I AM optimistic enough to think my next book can be a bigger success than the last one.

Honestly, I do it because it’s what I know how to do.