New Website!

After several months of work, I've finally completed my new website.  This is one of many things I've been up to this summer.  Go to www.davidtboyd.com and take a look.  Be sure to send me comments.

Official Announcement

June 19, 2010

Dear Friends:

As of August 1, 2010, Falling Down and Mystery, Malevolence & Murder will no longer be for sale through iUniverse. Instead, I have decided to take my career into my own hands and create an independent literary press, Another Shore Press, LLC.

Why now? Simple, because the time is right. With our economy being what it is, publishers and booksellers are not taking on new talent as they used to, and for those few who are being picked up, much of the advertising is left up to the writer. If I am going to spend my time getting the word out about who I am and what I'm all about, I might as go all the way and create something of my own. Besides, I would prefer to have full creative license to my work without compromise. To quote William Earnest Henley: "I am the master of my fate, I am the commander of my soul." True words to live by!

At present, I am working on updated editions to both books and will put them back on the market under Another Shore Press, LLC by Fall of 2010. I also have three additional projects I've been working on for the past few years that I anticipate will be released in either 2011 or 2012. Be sure to check www.davidtboyd.com or www.anothershorepress.com for more information.

Thank you for your continued support, and I'll see you soon!

Dave

Summer's here and there's lots of work to do!

Well, I've completed my second year of graduate studies on a high note. Now that the summer is here and things have settled down at my "day job" I'm able to focus more of my time and energy on various projects that I've been preparing for these last few months. By August I will have discontinued my contracts with iUniverse for Falling Down and Mystery, Malevolence & Murder - Volume One. I'm doing re-writes on both books and will re-release them through Another Shore Press, LLC. I've turned in all the legal paperwork to the state and have submitted notices of LLC formation (a requirement for New York State) to local newspapers. The IRS sent me information regarding taxes, which I've already completed. My fax and phone lines are done. I've got a working PO Box, business cards, etc. Things are moving along.

I have already completed Mystery, Malevolence & Murder - Volume Two. This will be the first original release of Another Shore Press, LLC sometime next year. I haven't determined the date yet, but will post it as soon as it's available. Based on the comments from people in my class, I will also be doing re-writes of Lux ex Tenebris as well. Thus far I'm quite satisfied with my progress on this novel and think it will do well.

I cannot say how blessed I feel right now for all the good things that have been happening lately. I've really worked hard at making all of this happen. I'm actually exhausted from work, school and writing non-stop since I went back to get my degree in 2006. I don't sleep as well as I did before this whirlwind started, but on the flip side I'm within a year and a half of having my MFA and am embarking on an interesting chapter of my life - writing and publishing my own work. Once all this is done, I'll make a little more time for sleep. :-)

Until next time....

"Lux" and LLC's!

Well, my fourth semester is drawing to a close, and though it's been a fairly hectic few months I've been quite happy with what I've accomplished. I've screened my latest novel, Lux ex Tenebris, to my novel workshop class and the response has been wonderful. In upcoming weeks I will be doing extensive re-writes of the book, with the hope that I will have everything completed (to my satisfaction) by the end of the year. I'm also in the middle of a new project titled The Merchant Chronicles, which is a four-part piece about a strange old man who owns a "curio shop from hell." Fun stuff! I will tell more at a later time.

I also have made a decision, one that I feel is leading me in the right direction. For a long time I've considered the possibility of running my own independent press. Given the economy and the change in how people read books (Kindle, eBooks), publishers are selecting fewer new writers, and for those they DO choose, funding for book tours and literary events is next to nothing. These days the writers have to, as Hercule Poirot would say, "exercise the little grey cells" in order to gain a following. Because of the sophistication of computers, the internet, social networking sites and a little will power, I think it's possible for writers to create a market of their own. I've spent the last year carefully putting together a business plan for an independent press - one that I think, if done correctly, will enable me to have the freedom of expression I've been searching for, as well as the ability to blaze a trail of my own. Therefore, after sharing ideas with a dear friend from Ohio, I've selected "Another Shore Press" as the name of my press for two reasons: first, it reminds me of The Marginal Way in Ogunquit, Maine - one of the most serene places I've ever visited. Second, it denotes an arrival at a new destination where there is opportunity in a place not originally seen before. This is the shore where I will search for the meaning of life through the written word. In this land is where my destiny resides.

A general site is now available. There will be further updates to the site as the official launch date nears.

www.anothershorepress.com

Good luck with "Lux?"

Okay - here goes! I have completed a third draft of my new novel, "Lux Ex Tenebris," and have submitted it to my novel workshop class to review. To say I'm nervous is a bit of an understatement, but I think I have a good group of writers who will offer constructive criticism. The biggest thing is I'm confident in the abilities of the professor, who also happens to be the CW program director at CCNY, to lead the class and draw the very best from each student. It will be an exciting, and scary, time for me; however, I think my book turned out far better than I could have imagined and look forward to seeing what my other classmates think.

More on that later! Next week I turn in the copies for everyone to read.

Dave

A New Year!

As 2009 left me behind and the New Year made its way forward, I have to say I've really made some sincere progress in my work and educational pursuits. This past semester was my best yet, and as the year came to a close I managed to complete both a short story compilation and a first draft of a new novel. Mystery, Malevolence & Murder Vol. 2 is complete with seven new tales of suspense and intrigue; Lux Ex Tenebris went from being a simple short story (that originally was supposed to be the eighth story of MM&M) and developed into a 50,000+ novel that also has the potential to be an epic piece.

That's the magic of doing what I love to do so much. Through the coursework I'm taking at The City College of New York I'm finding the new concepts I'm working through grow and expand into areas I never would have deemed possible. During the fall term I took a Gothic Literature class where we read Bram Stoker's "Dracula," Poe's "Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Black Cat," plus Angela Carter's "The Bloody Chamber." Personally I like those kinds of stories because the gothic works of these talented writers are incredibly versatile. I never considered this before, and I'm sure many would disagree with me, but their works can be seen both as literary and cinematic. These are fantastic tales that very discreetly reflect the social issues of their day in symbolic fashion while clearly being rooted in the basic fallacies of mankind. In my opinion, that's what has given these stories their staying power, for material goods may change over time, but the needs of human beings will always remain the same. There's an aspect of magical realism that makes these tales so intriguing even today, but they clearly reflect the basic story-telling structure, scene description and good use of dialogue that classic writers like Oscar Wilde, Jane Austin, George Eliot and Charles Dickens have implemented.

The MFA experience is giving me so much thus far, and the depth and texture of my work has deepened because of it. It has been a wise choice on my part to attend graduate school and I am taking full advantage of it!

More to come!
DB

Preparing for the Future!

When I begin my first class of the spring semester at The City College of New York I will officially be at the half-way mark of my MFA experience. The time has really flown by!

While it's always a great thing that you are enjoying life in the "present," at some point it all must end. Those of my classmates who are near the end of their MFA experience are scrambling to find something to do once they receive their degrees. Others are unsure of what they will do next. This is one of the downfalls of being in the arts. Regardless of whether you are a writer, painter, sculptor, musician or whatever - you have to always think ahead, because before you know it, change will commence and you'll be left completely unprepared. Start NOW thinking about where you want to go with your MFA (or whatever degree you are pursuing). If there are things in place as the transition begins, you could seamlessly move from one area to the next and hit the ground running. The last thing anyone wants is to be stuck in neutral while those around you are moving forward.

Right now I'm making plans on life "Post-MFA." I've been lucky with City College. It's a vibrant community with great writers and instructors. There is a deep sense of community here, and there's also a true concern among the students for the "what next?" I'm attending a series of panel discussions titled "Life After the MFA," where writers, teachers and industry professionals are speaking to us about possible career choices to consider. The last one I attended had a former City College alumnus doing a reading and discussion, along with talking about the life of teaching creative writing students balanced with pursuing his own literary interests. Great discussion! If your school offers these kinds of events I highly suggest you attend them. They can be very helpful.

As far as myself, I've come to an understanding of what I want from this MFA experience that I'm privileged to be a part of. First - I want to continue to find my voice and develop beyond my main genre of interest, meaning in addition to writing mystery novels and short stories, I'd like to segue into literary fiction, script writing for plays and film. Second - I want to make long-lasting contacts with other writers and perhaps work on joint projects after my MFA days are over. Third, I want to write and publish, hopefully on a full-time basis. Not all of us are able to do that. Sometimes we might have to work for a while until our work gets noticed. Having the MFA will allow me to teach at any university or work at a magazine or newspaper as an editor.

Perhaps the most exciting venture that I'm up to is I'm in the process of starting my own small literary press! This is exciting and I'm busy collecting data for the press. I've found ways of doing it that are both affordable and professional. Very soon I will announce on my website what I'm up to once I've completed my research. If this works out, not only will I be an accomplished author, but a businessman as well. More on that later!

I'm so enjoying being in school. The City College of New York is a vibrant community. The campus is beautiful, the program is one of the best in the country. It sits high on a hill next to St. Nicholas Park in Harlem - home of the Renaissance. So much history and tradition at CCNY, but at some point it all must end. And when it does, I promise I will be ready!