With Tongue Firmly Planted In Cheek

My All New – Tongue In Cheek – western trendy novel.

Looking at new trends in what is selling in the world of fiction, I believe a western could be a top seller again. A few things may need to be added to entice readers, a couple of zombies, a sexy female vampire, and someone famous from the era, like Billy the Kid or Buffalo Bill, maybe Wild Bill Hickok.

The story line needs to concentrate on romance as western romance sells well in today’s market. To be a top seller it might be best to make it an Amish romance.

Yep, I have it, a sure fire best seller, a steampunk, Amish, romantic western, complete with zombies, vampires and Billy the Kid. This has BEST SELLER, written all over it!

My working title – “The Kid, The Lady and the Bite Marks”

----Opening paragraph----

When Billy woke up he felt something he had never felt before, he was in love, and his neck hurt real bad. Then he saw her, dressed in a long, flour sack, dress and a bonnet, the undead, he had never before believed in zombies, but now he did - and it was love at first site.

Now I have work to do, write the book, open a new bank account, hire a financial consultant, and see who wants the movie rights. Believe I will shoot for around 75,000 words and, as you can see from above, I already have 57. Not that much left.

 My mind may be wandering a bit today, think I will head out to the garden and see if I can find something to water.

Gratuitous Photo from last evening, for no real reason, but it is a pretty cool sunset.

 

A Western For Everyone

Much like the murder mysteries I also love, you can be certain that one thing will happen in a traditional western novel, someone will wind up dead and someone is going to pay.

Many of today’s best sellers are based on social problems, relationships, sex, stress of work and daily lives. Readers like this type of material as best seller lists will prove. But traditional western readers, like me, probably would have a tough time reading a western based on working too hard and trying to buy better things than the neighbors.

But one of the things that make the genre so special is that there is room for almost anything in westerns. Romance, mystery, sci-fi, steampunk, fantasy, historical and shoot-em-ups all have a place on the western shelf. I have read some western-science fiction, many historical, one steampunk, a western fantasy or two and yes, a few that were classified as western romance, but I still like the shoot-em-ups best.

My personal choice in westerns – something with a good mystery element, set in mountain man or cattle drives, now that’s some fine reading.

-And On Another Note-

Just finished reading Lawrence Block’s, The Burglar Who Counted Spoons, I am a huge Block fan and this was another terrific book in the series. He is my favorite mystery writer, great stories, told with humor and remarkable writer imagination.

Just started Richard S. Wheeler’s, An Accidental Novelist - A Literary Memoir, this is a must read, can’t put it down.