Margarita Nights

Query Tracker has an excellent post about Building Your Platform – click on the hyperlink and ingest the knowledge – this morning. As normal, the blog posts get the brain cells doing their synapsy-thingy. My initial response: well, CRAP, something else I have to do! My okay, I’ve calmed down a bit response: hey, wait a minute, I’ve already considered some of these aspects. Whew! No reason to reach for the margaritas . . . yet!

So today’s post is all about MY platform. Yes, MY platform. This post is about the next great breakthrough novel . . . Margarita Nights. There, I wrote it, the secret is out . . . of the closet, so to speak! I wrote a book about margaritas (stop laughing, LitGirl01!!). Seriously, I didn’t, but they do play a part in the book, or rather the fact that the characters in the book meet for margaritas once a month.

So, that’s the first (well, second, since I already wrote the book and edited it ad nauseum) step of the platform process . . . at least for me. I’ve let the title of the book out of the closet.

What’s the second step? Well, since you asked so nicely (yes, I’m quite snarky this morning), I guess I could give you some (admittedly) biased reviews . . .

From one of my dearest friends (hard as nails sometimes, direct, to the point, no holds barred and not one to cushion a crushing blow, even for her dearest friends) . . . I have started the book. I am on vacation all next week and I am doing nothing but finishing this great read!! No phones, no family, no people, just me and my babies! I had no idea how well you can write. I am in love with each character! I know when some one writes well because I can actually visualize the setting, the people, all of it! And that is what you have accomplished. Do I see a little of you in Jared??? This is great and I can not wait to finish! (This was her response not long after I emailed her the book and wondered why I hadn’t heard from her).

Now, here is her response after she finally finished . . . Scott, I think your writing is great and the book was wonderful. From your comments, I think you are a tad hard on yourself. You write so well, so descriptive, and all the while I can feel what all the characters are feeling; humor, insecurity, loneliness, appreciation for what is gone; the hope of what is to come; and the meaningless relationships that ironically have meaning in the end. As far as hetero women enjoying....I can't think of one that wouldn't. And if they didn't, they probably wouldn't want to read any thing but self help books!!

Last, but not least, are some comments from someone I have never met. He works with my sister, has never met me, and was kind enough (since he’s one of my people) to take time out of his very busy life to read the book . . . Overall, liked it alot. It got better as it went along and very good concepts. I liked the style of writing and very realistic scenes. It ended up a nice fun read. Thanks for asking and please don't take the suggestions as critical. Love it that Scott is even writing this. Very admirable. Thanks again.

Oh, and just so somebody else doesn’t get his feelings hurt . . . I will put some of your comments up in another post.

That’s it for this post. The next step of the platform will be . . . I have no clue, but it will be something! Seriously, perhaps an introduction to the characters and some brief excerpts from the book every now and then as I, step by step, build the platform even as I go through the agony of querying! Perhaps some clever, and a bit snarky as well, agent might stumble across my blog and go . . . . hmmmmmmm!

S

Oh, and I know what some of you are thinking reviews from friends don't count! Well, you don't know my Suzi. As much as she worships the quicksand I walk upon, she's going to tell me the truth, harsh and brutal, no holds barred. If I'm having a bad hair day - she'll tell me. If I look like crap after a hard night of partying - she'll tell me. If the zipper on my pants is open - well, she'd probably not tell me because she get great amusement out of my embarrassment when I finally realized my fly was open! I'm just saying . . .