Thursday, November 24, 2011

Guest Blogger: Ty Johnston

Fantasy author Ty Johnston’s blog tour 2011 is running from November 1 through November 30. His novels include City of Rogues, Bayne’s Climb and More than Kin, all of which are available for the Kindle ), the Nook, and online at Smashwords. His latest novel, Ghosts of the Asylum, is now available for e-books. To find out more, follow him at his blog. And now, Ty:

Today is Thanksgiving, but as I write this it is still October. It is through the marvels of modern blog scheduling I can write this post weeks ahead of time, then Charles can set up the time and date for my little article to run.

Why would I write this post so early, especially considering this is a holiday for many? The truth is, I have a whole bunch of blog posts to write. This month, November, I am on a blog tour to promote my newest epic fantasy e-book, Ghosts of the Asylum, which was just released earlier this week. I am appearing on 30 different blogs, one each day of the month, which means I have 30 posts to write. And then there are posts to my own blog I need to write, plus as a fiction writer I’ve always got another novel or short story to be working on.

But just because it’s October here where I sit in the past, while November 24 there where you sit, does not mean I can’t reflect upon the holiday that is Thanksgiving for those of us in and from the United States.

The truth is, I have a lot for which to be thankful. Yes, there are wars in the world and modern politics and media consistently grate at the nerves, but I am one of the fortunate few who gets to write fiction for a living.

Yes, I can get up early or sleep in. I can stay up all night if I want. I can work whenever, or not. I don’t have any bosses to answer to, nor boring meetings to attend. All because of my chosen profession.

I don’t mean to rub it in for those not so fortunate as myself. Believe me, fiction writing for a living has plenty of its own downsides.

But I want to be thankful today.

I want to thank Charles for hosting me here on Thanksgiving. I want to thank all the other bloggers who are hosting me this month. I thank my wife for putting up with my nonsense, and I even thank my beagle for being such a good girl ... most of the time. I thank my mother and father, who usually don’t understand my writing but who support me anyway.

And, perhaps most importantly, I want to thank my readers. Without you, the readers, I would not have the life I currently enjoy. I hope my writing gives back at least a little, hopefully a lot.

It’s Thanksgiving. And I’m thankful for being a fiction writer.

Got to go. It’s time for lunch, which today is a bologna sandwich. Wish I was there with you on Thanksgiving so I could enjoy some turkey and dressing!
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18 comments:

Ty said...

Charles, thanks for posting me today. Hope you have a great Thanksgiving.

Watch out for the chupacabras or whatever.

Deka Black said...

And i want to thank Charles and all the visitors ofthis blog for not kicking my ass ;)

Btw: Ty, chupacabras is a pussy. Better watch out for the Beast of Exmoor ;)

laughingwolf said...

thx ty and charles... happy t'day to you and yours! :)

Charles Gramlich said...

Ty, no prob dude.

Deka, lol.

Laughingwolf, and to you, man.

ivan said...

Lucky for Ty Johnston that he can both fictionalize and "journalize."...And it looks like Ghosts in the Asylum is a kind of synthesis of his earlier trilogy.
Ah, the ways we find to break into print, or a least, copy.
I used to disguise my short stories as newspaper columns until they caught up to me. "With Ivan, it's never let the facts get in the way of a good story."
So I used what was left of my clout to finally publish my Black Icon in a provincial magazine here in Ontario...Then they canned me as a journalist. :)
I do admire real fiction writers who can use plot and charactr so well.

Adventuresfantastic said...

Happy Thanksgiving to both Charles and Ty and your families.

Charles Gramlich said...

Ivan, I would guess that about you, man. :)

Keith, thanks! And to you and yours.

Oscar Case said...

A-ah, the writer's life, nice article. Y'all have a great Thanksgiving!

Golden Eagle said...

Great post! :)

Charles Gramlich said...

Oscar, indeed.

Golden eagle, thanks for visiting.

Lisa said...

Happy Thanksgiving Charles and Ty. There's so much to be thankful for, we can't wait to say thanks. And I thank you Charles, for being here.

Mary Witzl said...

Congratulations on your book. No turkey and dressing here either, but I too am thankful for so many things, especially having a job -- and people who understand my work.

I think being thankful is a better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than eating ourselves silly.

Charles Gramlich said...

oceangirl, I appreciate your kind words.

Mary Witzl, what is wrong with both? :)

Danette Haworth said...

Ty, what a beautiful cover. Good luck with the book!

Charles Gramlich said...

Danette, thankee for visiting.

Erik Donald France said...

This is great ~ a split in time makes nine ~ happy October-Octogon-Thanksgiving to Ty Johnston, Charles and the gang ~ Huzzah ~

Charles Gramlich said...

Erik, thanks for visiting, man.

Ty said...

Everyone, thanks for dropping!