Lucian Clark's Blog: Writer News - Posts Tagged "dark-romance"
Cemetery Drive GIVEAWAY!
I am currently giving away THREE paperback copies of my novel, Cemetery Drive, through a Gleam giveaway. Unfortunately, this is only for mainland USA and Canada, but keep your eyes open for an eBook giveaway next!
Numerous ways to enter through Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and my website!
Check it out HERE!
Numerous ways to enter through Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and my website!
Check it out HERE!
Cemetery Drive – Two Years in Review
Two years ago I took the massive leap and self-published a story I had been working on for approximately five years. We were (and still are) in the middle of a global pandemic. Most people decided to start a podcast or do what I did, and write a book. Working from home and unable to really go out due to lock down, I spent my time working on Cemetery Drive.
Cemetery Drive went through a lot of revisions, many due to my anxiety around the story and how it would be perceived. I changed the ending numerous times. I changed the perspective. I changed Jack’s history and relationships. I changed how the story began and ended so many times. I always ended up going back to the original though. A true car crash of a tragedy, told from the point of view of its catalyst. A story that held no punches, held no twists. You knew how it was going to end from the beginning, but you still kept reading and biting your nails as you watched.
Unfortunately, I’ve found it hard to create since then. I’ve written pieces for two zines, both almost immediately after publishing Cemetery Drive. It’s not a lack of ideas, I have so many starts, snippets, and written ideas across my notebooks and Google Docs. The energy to write has been difficult to find. The best way to continue to be relevant and to get your work out there is to continue to do so, but I’ve been severely lacking. I do hope to begin to fix this problem soon, either another novel or a collection of short stories.
But, let’s not focus on my creative issues! Cemetery Drive currently sits at 4.7/5 stars on Amazon and 4/5 stars on GoodReads. My novel is carried by the local queer bookstore, the oldest in the country. I’ve learned a lot about the other end of the writing process, what comes after you publish and get your book out into the world.
I’ve met some pretty cool people through my book also. It’s a wild feeling when a total stranger tells you how much they love your work. Something I never really experienced until now.
And yet, the coolest and wildest experience by far, is that on September 20, a little over a month before my book turned 2, I was able to pass along a copy to the very band that inspired it: My Chemical Romance. Despite being ghosted by the original person who was supposed to through it on stage, another person grabbed the copy and said they would do so. In a fit of desperation before this I had tagged the band and their most responsive on social media stage hand, Worm. Worm responded and the book was passed on to him to give to the band. Never in my wildest dreams would I believe that my novel, based on a My Chemical Romance song, and filled with references to Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge would ever get to that same band.
Will they read it? I won’t hold my breath on that one. As much as I like to imagine they would, with a world tour currently going on, it will probably end up where they keep most of the things given to them by fans. Still a wildly cool experience! They also played Cemetery Drive at the show which just added to the already special night.
There are some things I wish I had done differently, looking at the novel two years later. However, I feel that most writers feel that way. We’ll continue to pick and change things, never ever actually saying something is perfect. This is something I believe all artists feel, but that is what makes art so human.
Thank you to everyone who has bought or received a copy, especially those who have left reviews. Reviews are so extremely important. Every time a new review shows up, I sell another copy. It boosts its visibility and helps the algorithms promote it to others who may be interested. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. It’s been a wild two years and I cannot wait to see what the next brings.
If you want to see this post with pictures, please head over to my website.
Cemetery Drive went through a lot of revisions, many due to my anxiety around the story and how it would be perceived. I changed the ending numerous times. I changed the perspective. I changed Jack’s history and relationships. I changed how the story began and ended so many times. I always ended up going back to the original though. A true car crash of a tragedy, told from the point of view of its catalyst. A story that held no punches, held no twists. You knew how it was going to end from the beginning, but you still kept reading and biting your nails as you watched.
Unfortunately, I’ve found it hard to create since then. I’ve written pieces for two zines, both almost immediately after publishing Cemetery Drive. It’s not a lack of ideas, I have so many starts, snippets, and written ideas across my notebooks and Google Docs. The energy to write has been difficult to find. The best way to continue to be relevant and to get your work out there is to continue to do so, but I’ve been severely lacking. I do hope to begin to fix this problem soon, either another novel or a collection of short stories.
But, let’s not focus on my creative issues! Cemetery Drive currently sits at 4.7/5 stars on Amazon and 4/5 stars on GoodReads. My novel is carried by the local queer bookstore, the oldest in the country. I’ve learned a lot about the other end of the writing process, what comes after you publish and get your book out into the world.
I’ve met some pretty cool people through my book also. It’s a wild feeling when a total stranger tells you how much they love your work. Something I never really experienced until now.
And yet, the coolest and wildest experience by far, is that on September 20, a little over a month before my book turned 2, I was able to pass along a copy to the very band that inspired it: My Chemical Romance. Despite being ghosted by the original person who was supposed to through it on stage, another person grabbed the copy and said they would do so. In a fit of desperation before this I had tagged the band and their most responsive on social media stage hand, Worm. Worm responded and the book was passed on to him to give to the band. Never in my wildest dreams would I believe that my novel, based on a My Chemical Romance song, and filled with references to Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge would ever get to that same band.
Will they read it? I won’t hold my breath on that one. As much as I like to imagine they would, with a world tour currently going on, it will probably end up where they keep most of the things given to them by fans. Still a wildly cool experience! They also played Cemetery Drive at the show which just added to the already special night.
There are some things I wish I had done differently, looking at the novel two years later. However, I feel that most writers feel that way. We’ll continue to pick and change things, never ever actually saying something is perfect. This is something I believe all artists feel, but that is what makes art so human.
Thank you to everyone who has bought or received a copy, especially those who have left reviews. Reviews are so extremely important. Every time a new review shows up, I sell another copy. It boosts its visibility and helps the algorithms promote it to others who may be interested. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. It’s been a wild two years and I cannot wait to see what the next brings.
If you want to see this post with pictures, please head over to my website.
Writer News
Just updates for any upcoming stories, anthologies, etc. I have coming out!
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