This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Peter Perry and Kathleen Sumpton will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
To a new writer starting on their first novel, I can think of no better time to begin your journey. With so many resources available, and new marketing avenues opening up all the time, becoming a novelist has never been easier. Think of it as the perfect part time job, where you can be your own boss, set your own hours, and tell a story you’ve been dying to tell.
What you choose to write, though, will have great bearing on how long your journey will take. Choosing to write about a subject matter with a broad audience will shorten the distance.
“Do what’s been done to death but give it a new twist” is advice given to screenwriters but the same applies to novels. That said, you should write what your passionate about. Not every writer should attempt a short cut by appealing to broad audiences. Writing what you’re passionate about improves your craft and can make you a big fish in a small pond.
What scares me, are gurus who claim their method of writing is the only one to follow. What they’re actually saying is, statistically speaking, following their format should lead to success. There is no “one way” to elicit emotion from book readers. And make no mistake, that is your goal. To make a compelling novel, is to elicit emotion. Like a complicated machine, there are a hundred moving parts and a hundred tools to allow those parts to work efficiently. The writer uses tools to improve parts to achieve something compelling. To do this requires many drafts. Like a sculptor, the art does not take form after the first few chisel strikes. Only with much fine detail and polishing does the final product take form.
The hardest part about writing is finding your routine. Some writers edit while they go. Others need to plow through the first draft and edit after. Some are morning writers. Some write all night. Explore and find your routine. Writing uses a muscle. The more you exercise, the easier writing becomes.
If you’re having trouble staying focused, don’t worry. Exercising is always hardest in the beginning. Try writing for one hour and read for seven. Once that becomes easy, try writing for two hours and reading for six. Reading will help to calibrate your own craft. And even experienced writers will often continue that calibration by writing for four hours and reading for four hours.
Whatever works for you.
Follow your muse and start down the path of your writing journey.
Have you ever come face to face with the devil? In a tapestry of sports, business, and dating, there is an evil presence that is not quite visible to anyone: The Bedroom Strangler. A serial killer that scales fifteen storey buildings, enters through the balcony, and stealthily slithers under the bedroom bed, with the sole intent of raping and murdering innocent women in their sleep. He has been classified as the worst serial killer in Ontario history and Canada’s most dangerous criminal ever, operating at the height of London’s 40 year serial killer period, from 1974 – 1978.
The Bedroom Strangler is a member of a gym. It is the same gym the protagonist managed during the 1970’s. Members of the gym trained and worked out together, never knowing their friend’s true nature. In fact, Mike even introduced the killer to a female member friend at a gym party, a woman who lived in the same building as the murderer; a woman who would become his last victim. As a result of unprecedented tactics by police, Mike ends up becoming part of the investigation—but will he be able to stop this evil predator? It took 40 years to write this story and it’s important to remember that this story is being told by someone who was there.
Origen: A True Story of Evil truly began when Mike’s real-life persona, Peter J. Perry, was just 17 years old. At the time, he was just a student of St. Mary’s College in Sault St. Marie who would carry out heated discussions with a priest, Father Lawlor, about the existence of the devil. Father Lawlor tells him that one day he might meet someone so evil, he will surely know the devil exists, and maybe he will do some good by it. And we will. Part of the proceeds of this novel are being contributed to good causes to respect both the victims and Father Lawlor.
The novel’s title reflects a belief about the dynamic forms of energy as Origen believed that demons can take human form and humans can also be demonized. What follows is inspired by true events. All the names of characters have been changed and many of the events happened, although not all.
This painting of the gym scene, the dating scene, the underground fighting martial arts scene, the psychiatric scene, and Origen’s beliefs may cause you to rethink the devil. If you dare to read the contents of this book, you can come to your own conclusion: Is there more to evil than what we think?
Based on an original screenplay by Peter Perry and Geoff Hart.
Property of the Origen Foundation Inc.
Enjoy an Excerpt
Imagine…
You are managing a gym after just graduating from university, working very hard with a staff of thirty and creating a positive atmosphere of energy to motivate and keep members physically fit. Your mission is to create goodwill in the community at the same time as being a role model, because you have an athletic gift. You are an international powerlifting champion, undefeated. As a Canadian powerlifting champion, you become a living legend in your community, with people of all walks of life joining your gym simply to be around your positive vibe.
But in the midst of this tapestry of sports, business, and dating, there is an evil presence that is not quite visible to anyone: The Bedroom Strangler. A serial killer that scales as high as fifteen story balconies, only to discreetly slither into the unlocked balcony doors of women unbeknownst, with the sole intent to rape and murder. He has been classified as the worst serial killer in Ontario history and Canada’s most dangerous criminal ever. The Bedroom Strangler was a member of the gym I was managing. He trained and worked out with me and other members, unbeknownst to us his true qualities. He socialized with us. In fact, I introduced him to a female member friend of mine at a gym party, who he then murdered. The Bedroom Strangler incidentally lived in the same building as this friend, who was his last victim.
As a result of unprecedented tactics by police, I ended up becoming part of the investigation that stopped this evil predator. Over the years, I questioned why I met someone so evil. I questioned God. Eventually, I came to a conclusion by studying the writings of Origen: do we really understand evil? Can evil be much more than a psychiatric disorder?
People are very uncomfortable considering other possibilities. Origen believed that demons can take human form and humans can also be demonized. What follows is inspired by true events. All the names of characters have been changed but many of the events happened, although not all. At the conclusion of this painting of the gym scene, the dating scene, the underground fighting martial arts scene, the powerlifting scene, the bodybuilding scene, the psychiatric scene, and the Origen scene, you can come to your own conclusion: Is there more to evil than what we think? How have we grown to understand evil, through both language and symbolism perpetuated by our surroundings? What, even, is time? Who, or what, represents the greatest way to understand and defeat evil? And, most of all… What is the difference between death and evil?
About the Authors PETER J. PERRY’S athletic accomplishments include being an eight-time Canadian open powerlifting champion from 1976-1984. He won the North American powerlifting championship in 1979, and dedicated his trophy to the woman he promised he would dedicate it to in this novel, Jessica. Peter was also the U.S. deadlift champion in 1980, International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Open fifth place in 1982, World Masters level-one drug-free powerlifting champion in 1991, and three-time Canadian Masters Powerlifting champion in the years 1991, 1992 and 1993. Best gym lifts certified by the IPF judge are: squat at 750 lbs, bench press at 450 lbs and deadlift at 775 lbs at a body weight of 208 lbs. Knee wraps and squat suit plus a lifting belt were the only pieces of equipment used.
Peter founded Peter Perry Insurance Agency LTD in 1978 and is still the operating president. The company is a London-based insurance and investment brokerage specializing in RRSPs, tax-free savings accounts, segregated funds, tax shelters, RRIFs & LIFs, creditor proofing, annuities, educational savings plans, GICs, and Mortgage insurances. Being a certified and award-winning independent brokerage allows Peter to custom-tailor financial portfolios to suit the specific needs of the client and easily make amendments as one journeys through the various stages of their life. Peter’s acclaimed background in health and fitness as a drug-free world & Canadian powerlifting champion makes him particularly mindful of retirement, health and long-term planning and incorporating all aspects of life into the advice he provides his clients. Click here to learn more about Peter’s athletic accomplishments.
Some interesting facts about Peter are that he was born in Toronto but grew up in Sault Ste. Marie. He became a St. Mary’s Knight due to his academics and sports and is a graduate of St. Mary’s College in Sault Ste. Marie. He was the manager of Vic Tanny’s gym from 1974 to 1978 before launching his insurance company and beginning a new career path.
KATHLEEN ELIZABETH SUMPTON is an advocate for the arts and often works with languages. With a passion for culture and a focus on communications, she is an Author. Poet, and Communications Professional with a primary focus on writing. She has a working background in fourteen different languages.
Her five-year plan is to secure two master’s degrees in English and business, followed by a PhD in English, while running her freelance business.
Her 10-year goal is to publish novels and other works in the genre of satire in order to strengthen communications locally and globally by discussing the proper use of language and terminology.
Her work brings awareness to large societal issues such as the criminal justice system, substance abuse, and mental health, a variety of topics everyone else is too afraid to talk about.
As a representative for members of the community as well as for her own projects, Kathleen hopes to enrich her surroundings with both the beauty and power writing holds. It is now her personal mission in life to provide meaning and entice insight through literature. When she is not busy with her work, you can find Kathleen enjoying the outdoors or spending time with family. Favourite hobbies are working out and people-watching. She operates out of Southern Ontario.
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Thanks for hosting!
Sounds like a good book.
Sounds like a good book.
Thanks for sharing your writing advice.
Happy Friday. What do you like to do on the weekends?