My new poem: Who Were the Savages?

Yesterday I wrote a new poem entitled "Who Were the Savages?"

Who Were the Savages? is a long, free-verse poem addressing the fate of the Indians during invasion of the West.

The old warrior chief sits
atop his magnificent stallion
on a high hill overlooking
the green valley below
through which a wagon train
of many Conestoga wagons
is snaking its way slowly.

Anger fills his body, giving way
to dread and consuming despair.
Like a plague upon the land,
spreading their contempt
for both Nature and the Red Man,
in more and more increasing number
come the White Man with his hatred,
his lies, and his superior guns.

Once the buffalo herds roamed
in great number, flowing across
the land, providing his Native Peoples
with plentiful food and hides.
The buffalo were like the stars
high in the nighttime sky,
but then came the White Man
to slaughter the buffalo for
hides and for sport, shamefully
leaving the meat to rot in the sun.
Now Indian children hunger and die.

The White Man considers
Indian ancestral lands to be his
for the taking. The Native Peoples
tried to make peace with these invaders,
but the White Man has broken treaty
after treaty. They murder Indian women,
Indian children for fun and bounty.
They consider Indians an inferior
race of men, even though Indians
have lived for centuries in complete
harmony with the land. The White Man
doesn’t see the soul of Nature that resides
in everything they are destroying.

The old warrior knows his tribe
soon once again must fight gallantly
to attempt to preserve their heritage.
But he also knows deep in his heart
that they cannot stop the humiliation
of his people and the destruction
of their way of life. He understands
loss of their lands and confinement
to a reservation at the mercy of the
White Man will be their pitiful fate;
he also understands his proud people
will fight as long as they are able
against the passage of their culture.

As he turns his horse to ride away,
his heart breaking with sorrow,
he’s spotted by the wagon train.
He hears them shout as they point,
“Up there. It’s one of those savages.”
The old warrior gallops away peacefully
as shots ring out from the White Man.
All too soon the shameful decimation
of the Indian Nations was complete.


[Note: To read more about this shameful chapter
in American history, read the new book
“Conscience: Breaching Social Amnesia”
by vehoae. Look for the warrior on the cover.
http://consciencebreachingsocialamnesia.com/ ] ]

I was an editor at 4RV Publishing for vehoae's informative book. Her book should be read in every American history class. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting more information about treatment of the Indians during "settlement" of the West after the War Between the States (otherwise known as the War of Yankee Aggression).

Cheers!

Harry

My Kirkus Indie Review for Aldric and Anneliese

I paid the exorbitant $425 fee charged by Kirkus Indie for obtaining a review from them. I bought into their claim of a review from Kirkus being a high-quality and widely respected review, making it worthwhile to pay the excessive fee. Well, here are two salient points from their review of Aldric and Anneliese:

1. “There are no surprises in store for the reader, delightful or otherwise.”, according to the Kirkus Indie reviewer.

This surprised me immensely since almost all other reviews that Aldric & Anneliese has received commented on the surprising twists and turns of the plot:

Excerpts from reviews which you can read at Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/Aldric-Anneliese-Jr-Harry- Gilleland/dp/0982659407/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1299221085&sr=1-1 ,
stating they were surprised at the plot’s surprising twists and turns:

"Gilleland throws us quite a curve ball, as the plot proceeds through a series of implausible twists, turns, and surprises, but we stay with it, leading us to an ending that I didn't expect and nor did I predict." Norm Goldman

"The twists and turns are sometimes surprising, but always fun to follow." Ben Langhinrichs

"Readers everywhere will be unable to let go of this adventure with its surprising (and sometimes quite tragic) twists and turns---and they will find a very satisfying end for seeing this tale through." C.Cuadro

"It is an interesting book full of unexpected twists and turns!" Kim Aures

"I did find myself captivated enough to keep reading to find out what would happen next. The plot has several twists and turns and I did not see the final twist coming at the end, which is always a good thing." Tyler Tichelaar

“The author does well with the mystery, the love, the turmoil and the reactions of the audience. It is a quick read and because it is a page turner you will most likely read it over again … This is a real neat story, the details are wonderful and the author keeps you engaged.” J. Cormier

“Read this book to see what happens next. This is a big surprise, … Believe me, however, it holds your interest and is a fascinating and unpredictable story. Wow. Read it.” By Donna Doyle of Romance Reviews, posted at Romance Reviews

When I questioned the editor at Kirkus Indie about the fact their reviewer seemed to be the only one not surprised by the twists of plot, this reply was provided by the reviewer:
“I have a long history of devouring romance books, especially historical romance, …written with no big surprises for a seasoned romance book reader."


I invite you to read Aldric & Anneliese and see for yourself if you agree with the Kirkus Indie reviewer or with all the other reviewers about being surprised by the twists in the plot. You decide!

2. I wanted readers to have mixed feelings about several of the main characters and have to argue whether they were good or not. The reviewer seems to have not seen any of this. For one example, Aldric ordered all the wounded and captured enemy soldiers after one battle to be murdered instead of letting them survive as Edmund had always done in the same circumstances. Hardly the act of a "good guy". Yet the Kirkus Indie reviewer said, “Characters are predictable, yet likeable, and fall into either good guys or bad guys.” Aldric is considered your typical “good guy” no matter how many people he murders. Hmmm.

I’ll leave it up to you readers to decide who is correct in this instance about the nature of the characters in Aldric & Anneliese, whether they are always predictably “good” or “bad”. You readers decide!

Cheers!

Harry

Contacting Public Libraries to Buy Aldric and Anneliese

I spent the last several days mailing material to more than fifty-five libraries across the U.S. asking them to consider buying copies of Aldric and Anneliese for their library's book collection. The mailing was a cover letter, a two-page "Excerpts from Reviews Received" with excerpts from eight reviews received to date, and a press release for Aldric and Anneliese. Each letter required a 61-cent stamp, which the Post office actually sells.

I mailed materials to fourteen Louisiana public library systems, covering all the major cities in the state. I emphasized that I was a Louisiana author with them. Then I mailed letters to selected cities in Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, emphasizing my being a regional author. Finally, I mailed materials to a variety of libraries in major cities across the country. I chose the ten most prosperous cities according to a Google search, along with random cities by size.

It was a lot of mind-numbing busy work to get this accomplished. And, I'll probably not get any favorable results. But, if you don't at least try to market your book, then you know you'll get no sales. You gotta keep plugging away with marketing!

Cheers!

Harry

Working my fanny off to market Aldric and Anneliese

Greetings ~

Ever since getting home from our trip to Orlando, FL and Macon, GA last Tuesday, I've spent the week trying to get a buzz going for Aldric and Anneliese. I got a notice placed in the Shreveport Times mentioning the book, and it ran while we were away. This last week I have mailed first-class review copies of Aldric and Anneliese to nine paid reviews sites, including the outrageously overpriced Kirkus "Indie" program, to three other free book review sites, and to four individual reviewers who agreed to review it. In addition, I have emailed thirty-two book review sites/blogs requesting a review for Aldric and Anneliese. So far, I have received back one 'yes' and two 'maybes'. Many of these sites tell you up front that they won't answer should they decide not to review your book; they are overwhelmed with review requests. It is getting harder and harder to get your book reviewed! I even offered to give anyone a copy of the book if they would write an Amazon review after reading it. I posted that here and also at my Writing.com blog and to the Bragging Rights group on Yahoo. From the three postings, I got three takers. I guess I have done about all I know to do to solicit reviews for Aldric and Anneliese. Now it is wait and see what happens.

I also purchased a Spotlight Cover ad to run for four months on MyShelf.com, beginning in April. I also donated copies of Aldric and Anneliese to the public libraries in Shreveport and in the surrounding towns of Ruston, Minden, and Homer.

Now I need to try to line up some book signing events locally. I will be at the North Texas Book Festival at Denton, Texas on April 16th at the 4RV Publishing tables.

Anyone who has a suggestion for marketing Aldric and Anneliese that I haven't tried yet, please let me hear from you.

Cheers!

Harry

Free copy of Aldric and Anneliese for review on Amazon

My new short novel "Aldric and Anneliese" is now available on Amazon. It is a tale of nation building, kings, knights, fair ladies, battles won and lost, triumph, betrayal, tragedy, revenge, redemption, and great loves It is a story for the ages. It is an action/adventure, historical fiction, love story. It was published by 4RV Publishing.

Check it out on Amazon: Aldric & Anneliese


I am currently seeking reviews for my book. Therefore, I will send a complimentary copy of my Aldric and Anneliese paperback book to anyone interested in reading it in exchange for a commitment/promise by him/her to post a review on Amazon.com within two months of receiving the book. A free book for a review of it posted on Amazon! If interested, please let me know.

Cheers!

Harry

First review for "Aldric and Anneliese" now posted

The first review for my upcoming short novel (46,000 words) is posted now at The One Hundred Romances blog . I think the review is fair and accurate. The reviewer liked the book, while noting it is not your typical romance story. This is true; the story is filled with action and adventure but has a couple of love stories also. The reviewer found Aldrich and Anneliese to be "...very satisfying. I liked it, and would recommend it to fans of medieval intrigue and chivalry." Thanks for the honest review, Ben!

Aldric and Anneliese should be published mid-February by 4RV Publishing. Please make a note to check out the book then.

Cheers!

Harry

Today I sent "Aldric and Anneliese" for its first review

My newest novel, "Aldric and Anneliese", is currently in the formatting stage at 4RV Publishing, getting ready for publication as a paperback book and as a ebook in another month or two. A & A is a historical action/adventure/romance short novel. Today I sent a pdf copy of the novel, the cover art, and the supplemental material to get a review from The One Hundred Romances Project. They plan to review 100 romance novellas and novels in 2011 from small presses and self-publishers. I decided to ask them for a review of A&A, and they graciously agreed to do a review. If you get a chance, go and check out The One Hundred Romances Project.

Cheers!

Harry