Rollercoasters

Loved rollercoasters when I was a kid. Loved the one at Palisades Park in New Jersey and the Dragoncoaster at Rye Beach. Of course, the Six-Flaggs coasters when my own family went on child friendly outings were even more awesome. Pure adrenaline.

But now that I’m older I am sad to admit that the experience has lost some of its thrill. May explain my tinnitus. https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/roller-coaster-rides-could-injure-your-ears.4759/

It’s that eternal white noise that basically reminds me of the slight whistle of a steam radiator in the winter. Only really bothers me when it is absolutely silent. So I like to have music playing when I’m alone.

And when I’m having a conversation or watching television it basically fades into the backround.

Given the ailments of some of my contemporaries, I’m way ahead of the game. So mustn’t grumble.

I still get to enjoy the virtigo inducing feeling of a rollercoaster by following my books on Amazon.

As I mentioned, the rankings change hourly, so one minute your are up, then next you’ve dropped twenty spots. Precipitously.

Luckily, The Wise Ass tends to hold steadily at one of the top two spots, but An Alien Appeal and Kissing My Ass Goodbye can fluctuate hour-to-hour among the top 20 in Dark Humor. And I cannot complain, given that I am so blessed to even have a book up on Amazon at this (or any) point of my life.

Still, I am only human, at times. Barely.

But when I open up the ranking page each morning, I have that same rollercoaster anticipation, that same holding of a deep breath, and sometimes the same vertigo, as I go in search for my books.

And sometimes, like this morning, I have that same adrenaline rush, when I see them all appear together towards the top of the list. Thank you my fine, five readers, for making that happen.

And I cheer on my writer friends. I love their successes. A rising tide floats all boats.

For example, Christy Cooper Burnett is a wonderful writer, also at Black Rose Writing, who I became acquainted and then friends with when we found each other’s books. CCB is a brilliant writer.

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Christy-Cooper-Burnett/author/B084WXQ1QJ?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

We have similar personalities, and the same bizarre (dark) sense of humor.

We often kid each other that we are just two schizophrenic personalities of the same entity. The yin and the yang.

I have always been a half-book behind her in the creative process, and I have found that watching her write each book has always inspired me to get back to the keyboards.

I now have The Claire Trilogy and she has the Christine Stewart Trilogy. Mine is magical realism – Goodfellas meets Wizard of Oz – with a bit of sci-fi, and hers is sci-fi time travel. Loved her trilogy. Loved her characters.

Anyway, CCB then started a new series with her latest book Passpport To Terror with a wonderful protagonist Madison Taylor, and equally wonderful antagonist, Jack The Ripper. I loved Maddy Taylor so much, I asked CCB if I could bring her into the next book I was writing, Finding Jimmy Moran, as a cross-over character, and CCB graciously agreed. So Maddy meets Jimmy Moran in a Hell’s Kitchen bar and they have a brief adventure in Manhattan together. It was so much fun to write. It is also the first time I believe that a character cross-over has been done as between two living writers.

So, if you want to truly enjoy the fine nuances of FJM, I strongly suggest you give PPTT a read before April 13th. Maddy Taylor rocks.

Anyway, yesterday was one of those writer-twinning moments between CCB and me. At a certain hour in the afternoon, while we were exchanging texts in preparation of our upcoming appearance together next month at the LA Bookfest, we both ended up with a book at the #1 and #4 spots in our respective Amazon categories.

It felt like sitting next to a friend in the first car of the rollercoaster, listening to each other shriek with excitement. Fuck the tinnitus.

And if anyone you know is going to be in LA on the weekend of April 22-23, look us up- https://events.latimes.com/festivalofbooks/

We will be at Booth #60 (or in jail).

Well, I need to get off the rollercoaster now and get to my weekend chores.

But first, a kitty cuddle, my rounds and the dreadmill.

You fine, five readers take care of your errands and then relax.

Seriously, you have earned it.

But most of all, make today agreat one.