The Stories of Scott D. Southard

December 11, 2012

First Review for A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM!
From Dan Wiggs, author of The Jane Austen Travel Guide:

This book made me smile. The closing pages of a Jane Austen biography always reduce me to tears, what with her singular failure to find love and her horrible illness and early death. This book takes the opportunity to dream her up the romance we are not sure she ever had. Do not come here looking for historical or biographical accuracy; these are not its concern. It is, as its title makes clear, a daydream, a lighthearted flight of fancy, intended to amuse and distract. Watch out also for the many references to her novels, which are like a puzzle, challenging you to recognize where they are taken from.

I hope you will check it out:
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December 10, 2012

A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM has a Facebook page!
A Facebook page for A Jane Austen Daydream has been created on Facebook by my great publisher. I hope you will consider liking it. There are samples from the book, comments, and giveaways! Yes, prizes related to my book. How cool is that?

Right now they are giving away a poster. (I kind of want one.) You can find the Facebook page here.

And as always, you can find the book for purchase here:
I can not wait to hear what people think of the work…
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December 4, 2012

The First Trailer for A Jane Austen Daydream
A video of me introducing A Jane Austen Daydream and talking a little about the book. Also includes the first glimpse of the cover.
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December 3, 2012

My Five Favorite Posts, 2012
I know we are not at the end of the year yet but I couldn’t wait. Yes, I am the kid on Christmas Eve wanting to open all of the presents early. And. let’s be honest, every blogger or writing site is going to be a doing a post like this. Why not be ahead of the curve?

So that’s me- Mr. Ahead of the Curve.

Before I get to my favorite posts, let me begin by saying how much I got a kick out of running this site this year. As a writer it has been very satisfying. Over the course of one year, I went from zero followers to 213 with over 25000 views this year alone. That is pretty awesome in my book, and just as satisfying this blog gave something back to me as a writer.
- I was able to share fiction; things I have cared about that have been collecting dust around my house (and in my brain). The Dante Experience radio series is once again available to listen to, along with the unproduced scripts of the sequel.
- A new collection of short stories, Upon The Ground, was shared on Green Spot Blue.
- And I am writing a new book, Permanent Spring Showers, right here live for all to follow along… and many do!
A lot of what drives me and this site right now are you the readers. I know people say things like that all the time, but I am being very honest. You have no idea how powerful a like and a comment can be in spurring me forward, inspiring me. I might have abandoned this months ago if it wasn’t for the numbers and the responses. So this year, I am the most thankful for you the readers.

Thank you.

Here is my list of my favorite posts in no certain order… (more…)
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November 28, 2012

My Online Literary Experiment: Okay, Am I Stupid?
Deep breath…

So a few weeks ago I got called out by a writer/editor/publishing professional on Twitter questioning my goals and my thoughts behind this experiment of mine, Permanent Spring Showers. My little book inspired by Dickens.

Twitter, in its limited word span, can make things seem harsher than the writer may actually have meant it to sound (I did feel like he was condescending) but it threw me a curve.

Was I jarred? Yeah, I was jarred. I still am jarred.

I also like the word “jarred,” but let’s continue.

Basically, his argument was broken down into this point:

What publisher would publish or consider a book that people were getting for free?

Before other bloggers and writers take to my twitter site (@sdsouthard) to find the guy and twitter attack, let me say that about two-years ago I would have agreed with him. Yeah, I was in that camp then because I was trained in writing grad school to think of the publishing world in that black-and-white way. Heck, every book on writing and publishing would agree with him!

But the fact is that while this argument once made sense to me, it is not that way today. The world has changed, I have changed. (more…)
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November 26, 2012

The New Kid in the Audience: A Holiday Confessional
Hi, my name is Scott and I’m a Christmas-aholic. It has been two hours since I last listened to Nat King Cole sing “The Christmas Song.”

–

I love this season.

I always have.

I look forward to putting up the tree and buying presents (many times I have been known to do this in September and October… the presents, not the tree).

–

I love the stories that come up each year. A Christmas Carol is in my opinion one of the few perfect works in literature (Right up there with Pride and Prejudice). (more…)
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November 22, 2012

Re-Blog: Thanksgiving Shadows
Some people love the middle child. That is what I learned after writing the piece on Thanksgiving. I even had people tell me after that Thanksgiving is their favorite holiday, surpassing Christmas and Halloween… Really? Okay… Well, whatever you feel about this holiday, I hope you have a good one and you get to spend it with people that you love. I am honored to have the piece also running on GreenSpotBlue today. I hope you will check it out there as well- http://www.greenspotblue.com/world/2012/11/22/words-thanksgiving-shadows.html

The Stories of Scott D. Southard

It seems every year that Thanksgiving becomes more and more the great afterthought of the holiday season.

It is the hub between the ever more popular Halloween and Christmas, the great holiday hump day; in other words, like Wednesday it is not a weekend, but at least it isn’t Tuesday or Monday.

There are no Thanksgiving trees at Hallmark. No one has a turkey ornament. I have never received a Thanksgiving card

Worse, if you go to many stores today it is almost nonexistent in our world, except being remembered as the day before we can all shop like fiends… Well, some stores open Thanksgiving evening now, so maybe for the next generation Thanksgiving will become something akin to the food and water station at a marathon, the haven for that bit of energy before you get to it!

Run, my little shoppers, run…

Could it be argued that Black…

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November 21, 2012

This Black Friday Consider Southard
Hi readers!

Have you enjoyed my editorials on this site and my original fiction here, Permanent Spring Showers and Upon the Ground? If so, consider picking up one of my already published novels this holiday season for yourself or as a gift! I have two very different books currently in print and if I can promise one thing it is that you will be surprised. One of my goals as a writer has always been to give a reader something new on the written page (or screen).

My Problem With Doors

Jacob’s life changed in a single moment when, as a toddler, he walked through his bedroom door only to find himself in the office of a British officer in Capetown, 1870. This would begin a thirty-year journey which would take him from ancient to future civilizations, and innumerable places and times in between. Through all of his travels, Jacob seeks for the purpose of his predicament while meeting pirates, poets, loves, and even Jack the Ripper.

My Problem With Doors is available as a paperback (on amazon here), an eBook (on Google Play here) and even as a downloadable audiobook (here).

Megan

Megan Wane is caught in a life of dull dreariness. She goes to work in a dead end job with a boss she can’t stand, and comes home to a silent apartment with only a standoffish cat for company. She can only get away through her imagination. And there, in her thoughts, there exists a fairy-tale kingdom with wizards and dragons. A place called Prosperity, where she is both a princess and a hero. On this day, both Megan’s external reality and her interior world will suffer tragedy that will turn her life upside down and shake her to the foundation. Can Megan turn disaster into deliverance?

Megan is available as a paperback (on amazon here), an eBook (on Google Play here) and even as a downloadable audiobook (here).

Oh, and did I mention A Jane Austen Daydream is coming as a paperback and eBook this December??? More info to Come!

Happy Holidays!
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November 20, 2012

Book Review: Cozy Classics- Pride and Prejudice, Jack and Holman Wang
There is a conundrum out there unique to lovers of literature that others might not understand. Might even laugh at.

See, we lovers of books want to express and share our love of a good story, and many times this aim is focused directly on our unsuspecting children. The idea of our kids, at any age, having a library of classics is a dream. We want them to be readers like us! And we parents will try every trick in the book to make it happen.

So where is the conundrum?

I’ll explain it via a story: When I was a child I was given a large collection of illustrated classics. Basically, they were cut-down edited versions of great works for young readers with a black-and-white illustration on the right page; so I was, honestly, being spoon-fed the story. While as a kid, I loved reading these… but there was a cost. See when I was finally at the age to read many of these classics in their original (as the writer intended) form, I really didn’t have a driving need or interest. Yes, by getting an adapted version for the young, the book was ruined for me!

On a side note, this is one of the reasons I love and hate the old TV show Wishbone as well…

Before you toss aside my point as frivolous, consider this, when was the last time you watched a movie adapted from a book and thought I want to read the book now?

Ah, now you are getting the point, eh? (more…)
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November 19, 2012

Nine Thoughts on Turning Five
My wife was in labor for 22 hours. 22!

It started the night before and I was deep in sleep when she broke the news we needed to leave for the hospital NOW. I was so deep into it that it took almost a minute of her waving at me, as I stood dumbfounded, that we needed to move.

I drove so slowly to the hospital, my wife was getting frustrated. I wanted everyone to be safe, I even avoided the highway, worried about drunk drivers.… Yes, it was a Sunday night, but someone could be drunk on a Sunday, right?

Once we were there my wife’s suffering began as future parents after future parents went in the delivery room before us. Finally, I had had enough. There are only a few times I can remember that I got all “extreme,” but this was one of them, as I confronted the doctor and nurse in the hallway. They said there were two ahead and I corrected them, without blinking, no, my wife is next… After five minutes of arguing, my wife was being prepped and ready to go.

One of my most vivid memories is of my son’s birth. When we first heard his cry, my wife turned to me, her mouth open in surprise, tears streaking her happy and tired face. Then they showed him to us. His face was bright red from the screaming. I asked politely (and very overwhelmed) if I could see him; they of course said yes. I stood over him consoling him. At the sound of my voice he immediately stopped crying and then rolled on his side towards me.

You don’t forget things like that… (more…)
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