A Poem a Day (56): The house

This one is for Leland Hermit, who writes books starring dogs. 

His novels are great and include Angelo's Journey, which I reviewed (see the review page). 

Anyway, I asked him for a pic or a word prompt and this is what he came up with. 

Here is his photo (of his doggie, of course) and here is the poem I wrote for it.

Happy Sunday to you :)

The house

In the distance it endures,

still as the aching breeze

shaded by the magnificence 

of the towering mountainside.

He takes but one hesitant step,

then stops to sniff this chill air

as the dawn sun strokes his fur,

filling his eyes with gold specks.

As he pants, his mood lightens

for there lies the end of the road,

the haven forever calling him

to follow safely its distant echo.

A wooden house in hues of blue,

twisting smoke from a single chimney,

where the man will always reside,

ever awaiting his dear friend’s return.

Copyright Vickie Johnstone

Sample Sunday: excerpt from 3 Heads & A Tail

Hi, a big lazy Sunday to ya! I'm sitting here with a cup of tea, and a bowl of bananas and custard - deja vu to my childhood I guess, without the tea! Maybe just milk and a cookie then?

Today's Sample Sunday is an excerpt from my new book, 3 Heads & A Tail, which has just been published by Inknbeans Press. I wrote it for NaNoWriMo 2011, which was my first NaNo and tough! A big kick up the butt to write though! The result is this comedy romance with walkies! 


Book blurb:


When nature lover Josie moves into a house share with two pals, dreamer Ben and model man David, she sees it as a short stop and doesn't bank on an attraction developing with one of them. Meanwhile, Ben's dog, Glen, has the hots for Miss Posh, the beautiful golden Lab in the park. When dog meets dog it's puppy love, but a complication leads to Glen taking matters into his own paws. In this comedy of errors, romance and walkies, it's anyone's guess who is going to get the girl/dog and live happily ever after.


The book is currently available on Amazon UK and US.
http://www.amazon.com/3-Heads-A-Tail-ebook/dp/B008FRHCCO/ref=sr_1_5?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1342372962&sr=1-5&keywords=vickie+johnstone

Excerpt...

Chapter 2

Half an hour later, they had finished bringing everything in and were standing in the kitchen sipping mugs of steaming coffee. Josie wrapped her hands around her mug and smelt it, drawing in the relaxing aroma.

“Where were you living before?” asked David, flicking his hair.

“With me!” said Kay, before Josie could answer. “I broke up with my boyfriend and she moved in for a while, but then I had to move somewhere smaller when the flat sold, so I’m living on my own now.”

“And you decided to come here,” finished David.

“Yep, that’s about it,” smiled Josie. “We were good flatmates though.”

“Sure were,” said Kay, moving slightly nearer to her prey. “But now I have my own place, all to myself!”

“Is it nearby?” asked Ben, glancing at David, who looked disinterested in Kay’s blatant flirting.

Kay didn’t break her gaze, which was fixed on Mr Model. “It’s not far. Maybe you could pop round for coffee some time and I can return the favour?”

But it was me who made the damn coffee, thought Ben. Jesus.

Josie smiled at Kay’s directness. That was something Josie always had a problem with, getting straight to the point, but then a lot of the time she had no idea what the point was. The real point that is, which seemed to change with the whims and tides of the day. In fact, what was the point of most things?

“You seem deep in thought,” observed Ben.

“I was just thinking,” said Josie, glancing at Kay, who was telling David about the supremely amazing cookies she could make – if he came round for coffee that is. “I was wondering about the real point of most things.”

“How do you mean?”

“Well, you know, sometimes you just do things not thinking about the point, and they’re cool. Other times you think too much about the point of something and you can burn it out by thinking...”

“...that it has a real point?” finished Ben, cupping his coffee.

“Exactly,” smiled Josie. “I think you can overanalyse things. Maybe it’s best not to think of the point, and just jump in and do it, and to hell with the point.”

As she said the words, they both looked at Kay, who seemed to have David almost pinned up against the wall. They were talking very intently, or rather she was talking intently and he was kind of wriggling to escape.

“You see my point?” asked Josie, sighing.

“I do! But I’m not sure he’s seeing it.”

Josie giggled. “And she’s seen it far too often!”

Ben laughed and put his coffee mug down.

“What’s so funny?” asked Kay.

“Nothing,” said Josie, biting her lip.

 “Well, do you want to meet Glen, our fourth housemate?” asked Ben, winking at Josie.

“Sure do,” said Kay. “I want to see this big, hairy guy. I bet he doesn’t snore!”

Josie laughed. David looked confused, but managed to flick his hair back neatly anyway. She noticed how the guy didn’t have a single flaw or wrinkle on his face. Maybe he was some kind of beautiful android that had travelled back in time. Some crazy old scientist somewhere was now looking for his long-lost dream project...

“Hey, dreamer!” called David. “Are you coming?”

“Oops, yes,” said Josie. “Daydreaming is my favourite pastime. You’ll get used to it!”

Josie swept out of the room behind David and up the stairs. Ben and Kay were waiting. Kay adjusted her skirt and pouted her lips. Josie smiled. That effort was sure going to be wasted on Glen! Her friend was so man crazy all of a sudden. The brave explorer of Testosterone Mountain – never to be defeated, she would climb every...

“This is Glen!” announced Ben, opening the door to his room. It swung back, revealing two big brown eyes, two soft and erect ears, and a goofy grin. Glen didn’t need to be announced twice. He bounced out of the room and straight into Kay. Up he went on his hind legs and out popped his glistening tongue in a friendly attempt to lick her face.

Josie grinned. “Hope you put your best lippy on!”

“Ooh, you trickster!” sighed Kay.

David emitted a deep-throated, sexy laugh. Josie tried to ignore it and focused on stroking the animal – that animal! Stroke it, she told herself, and don’t even think about the sexiness of his laugh. She didn’t dare look at Kay because she knew her friend was thinking the exact same thing and she would go as red as a beetroot.

“I think he really likes you too!” said Ben, unaware of the sparks of sexual electricity pinging round the room. “Sometimes Glen’s a bit too friendly and he can be a bit much for some people. He’s just enthusiastic.”

“He’s lovely!” said Josie, and this time she really was focusing on Glen.

“Right,” said David. “It was nice to meet you two. I’m off to make some music, so I’ll catch you later.”

If only he was making music with me, thought Kay, watching the departure of David’s perfect bum in his perfect jeans. She had goose bumps.

“Bye,” said Josie, not looking up from the dog. He was so soft. His big eyes were really brown and dreamy.

“Think you’ve found a new friend,” said Ben.

Josie was pretty sure she had found two new ones. She had a feeling that she was going to be really good mates with Ben. He seemed really easy to talk to.

Glen

Humpf! I thought he was never going to open that door! I thought I was going to be locked in there all night, running around and chasing my tail. That gets boring after ten minutes. If only he’d left a stick and his room was the size of a football ground – now that would have been a fun-packed afternoon.

Josie seems nice. She was stroking me for a long time. Though I thought my eyes were going to pop out when Kay kept patting my head over and over again. Something tells me she was not expecting a four-legged fellow. But it was voofing funny seeing the look on her face when I tried to lick it!

I bet Ben likes Josie. He always likes the sweet, pretty girls. But why has she got red hair? It doesn’t look real. I like her big green eyes. She looks like a dreamer and Ben is definitely one of those. He dreams too much for his own good, but he’s a good soul. Ah, I could see that Josie didn’t want to turn round when David said goodbye. Maybe that’s not so good. Voofing not good. If she likes him, that’s not good at all. Anyone but him! “Voof!”

Right, that’s my dinner finished. I always have my big thoughts when I’m eating. Ben says he thinks in the shower – I wonder what that’s like. A big doggy bath, maybe? Water from the sky! Think I’d prefer the river. It smells better. And you get to shake it, really shake it – shake that water off, baby. “Voof, voof.”

“Are you still hungry, Glen?”

Ben’s staring at me. He’s always worrying if I’m eating enough. “Voof”, I say. I try to smile, but it probably doesn’t look like one. Probably makes me look a bit goofy and weird. “Voof,” yep, I’m okay. I’m doggy okay. I wag my tail. Ben likes that. Now he’s smiling. I’ll just wag it again. Whoa, I like it too. Waggy, waggy, waggy. Look at my bum go!

“Ready for walkies?” he asks.

Ah, the magic word! Now I’ve got to muster up as much enthusiasm as possible for this so he doesn’t change his mind. “Voof voof voof!” Now for a quick chase around of my tail and that should do it. Wooosh. Wooosh. “Voof voof.” Oops, now I feel a bit dizzy. Dizzy doggy. “Voof.”

“Come on, you old thing,” he says, bending down so his face is right in front of mine. I don’t mind. Ben is great and I seem to make him really happy by doing the smallest things. “Voof.” He grins. See what I mean? But, less of the old, I’m not old. I’m six. That’s okay for a doggy. I’m still fit. I think. I hope.

“Come on, let’s go to the park,” says Ben, opening the front door.

Ah, the magic words! I speed down the steps, my ears flapping in the breeze, all of the lady doggies looking my way – in my head. In reality, I walk slowly down the steps, side by side with Ben, who is gripping on to the lead like I’m going to rush off and send us flying into a tree like I’m riding some magical skateboard. There was one in that film, Back to the Future. Now I know I’m just a dog, but I really fancy myself riding one of those – whoosh I’d go, and I definitely wouldn’t hit that tree.

Pad, pad, pad down the street, avoiding the small piles of other doggy doo doo. Yikes. “Voof.” Some dogs like the smell of it, but not me. Does that make me a strange doggy? Am I weird? Ben, I really don’t wanna sniff it! Too close, too close, toooo close! Ah, a near miss! I just avoided that one. But the smell, yikes! Doggie, what are you eating to do doo doo like you do?

“Come on boy, what a lovely day,” says Ben, looking down at me.

“Voof.” I look up and smile. Well, you know the score by now, I do a goofy kind of smile. Don’t know what I look like when I’m doing this because I’ve never seen myself doing it in one of those mirrors...  they really scare me, mirrors. Like, is that really me? I know it’s meant to be me, but are you sure it’s not just another dog? A big dog – one with some crazy, problematic grinning action going on! It beats me. Who invented mirrors anyway? They’re just confusing.

Now we’re heading into the park. Heading, heading... Yep, we’re in the park. I love the smell of those flowers and the trees. Ah, I could stay here all day, but I count my pleasures here by the hour. It’s the best part of my day – my walkies with Ben.

“Voof.” See, he’s smiling again because he knows I love it here. I hope he brought the Frisbee. Oh, no, he didn’t bring it! “Grrrr.” Sorry Ben, I’m not angry, really. Don’t look at me sadly. “Voof Voof,” wag, wag. Now I’m totally overdoing my enthusiasm. I hear bees. Buzz buzz. Ah, not so close. Get away! Good bees. Yikes! “Voof.”

Ah, now we’re talking. Looky, lady doggy, look at her! She’s here every time I come here. She’s a golden Labrador, just like me, but I think she’s a bit younger, maybe four, and so much better looking! So much! Ah, off she goes – every time, every single time, she just walks on by, never noticing. Her owner looks a bit of a hippy girl. Wonder what Ben thinks. Ah, he’s staring. He must like the hippy girl. Wonder why she never notices me? We’re both golden labs. We’re the best dogs around. “Voof!” Nope. She didn’t even blink. I’ll try a bit louder – “Voof!” Not even one ear perked. Off she goes. Guess I’ll have to live with that beautiful memory until tomorrow.

“You okay, boy?” Ben asks, bending down again. He gives me a tickle under the chin. I love those tickles! As long as she didn’t see! Not too doggy manly!

“Do you want to go home, Glen?”

No, no, nooo! “Voof, voof, voof!” I start chasing my tail again in some crazy circle, which makes me feel slightly woozy, but it works because he’s smiling again and letting me off the lead for a run. Cool!

Whoosh! I’m off, hurtling across the grass as fast as my paws can carry me, but not in her direction. No way. That would make me a doggy stalker and I’m not one of those. I’m not desperate and I’m running. Freedom! I’m running with the breeze lifting my ears, my tongue hanging stupidly out of my mouth and my tail whirling in funny circles behind me.
Doggy cool!

Words with... Leland Dirks

Thanks to Leland Dirks for this interview

How long have you been writing?

Really since I was a child. I loved writing poetry then. My career of twenty-five years with a large US company involved a lot of technical writing and editing. I’ve been writing for myself and to make a bit of money for about the last two or three years.

Do you have a day job or do you write for a living?

This is my life!

What do you feel is the ideal recipe for a good novel/story/poem?

Well, someone a long time ago said there were only three real stories: Man against Man, Man against Nature, and Man against Self. I think any good novel or story has to have that as a basis. There has to be a transformation of at least one of the characters, and there has to be some ‘bad’ in the story. I took a lot of heat from some reviewers for including a crazy, dog-beating character in Angelo’s Journey, but it’s important to represent the real world in our writing too, and it’s not all rainbows and bunnies out there. I also believe that we, as writers, have a responsibility to hold a mirror up to society so that we can see the beauty to appreciate it, and the ugly so that we can transform it. For poetry, I think there are a lot of different recipes, mostly depending on the type of poems. Haiku is most definitely different than a ballad. In poetry, form is closer to substance than in a novel or story.

What/who inspired you to write and still inspires you?

My oldest brother loved to write. Tragically, he died before he was widely published. I think he planted the seed of the dream. Then I was very fortunate to have some very encouraging teachers who nourished that little seedling of a dream.

What books have you written? Do you stick to one genre?

I think the ‘genrification’ (not a real word, I know) of American literature is a curse and a blessing. It’s a blessing because you can assume that the reader has a lot of knowledge based on the genre. For instance, if you write a vampire novel, you can assume that readers will know that vampires don’t do well with the sun. But that same genre-assumption makes the writer lazy, and she/he doesn’t spell out the rules of the game. I also think that this obsession with genre stifles creativity. When it came time to choose a genre for Angelo’s Journey, I couldn’t find one. There is no ‘dog as hero’ genre. So, the book wound up in 'Short Stories' and in 'Dog Care' on Amazon. If William Faulkner were alive today, where would As I Lay Dying be classified? 'Mortuary Science'?

My published books: 

Angelo’s Journey: A Border Collie’s Quest for Home; 

Border Collie Haiku, a short collection of thirty-something haikus, written from Angelo’s perspective;

Maggie’s Book of Wisdom, a very short collection of observations and some cute photos of a puppy’s first year;

The Hermitage at Ojito Creek (in three volumes) describes the day-by-day meanderings of building a house in the middle of nowhere. It is a collection of my blog entries from the first six years of owning the property, all the way from finding it through to most of the interior work. Also included are daily observations and a TON of photographs from this beautiful place.

How long did it take you to write your book/s?

Honestly, Angelo’s Journey took about a month of solid writing, and another month of editing, with a huge amount of help from friends.

How long did it take you to get published? Did you take the traditional route or DIY?

It took a couple of days for the Kindle edition. I chose self-publishing. Life is too short for me to spend time fighting my way through the traditional publishing process. They offer huge benefits in terms of marketing, exposure and getting the books on to shelves, and I applaud them for all they do for making good books, but they weren’t for me.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers/those just starting out?

I’ll assume that anyone who wants to write is also an avid reader. I think you have to be. Once you start writing though you’ll also change how you read. Some of the smoke and mirrors of a good writer will become clearer. You’ll understand more of the mechanical devices that a good author uses, and sometimes you’ll discover devices that are not so good. I’ll also assume that even a beginner writer knows that, like a carpenter, she/he must know the tools of the trade. Learn to spell, punctuate and make a complete sentence. Beyond that, the first bit of advice is, ridiculous as it sounds, to write. 

Get your story down on paper (okay, on your monitor) and work it through to the end. Don’t go back and edit until you’ve made it through the book the first time. Don’t give early drafts out to friends while you’re still working your way to the end. Get it done in some form. THEN go back, and edit and share. I also believe in simple outlines. Most often, I just start with chapter titles, and those serve as my outline. On the other hand, if your story takes you somewhere your outline doesn’t go, be willing to adapt. Listen to the story and your characters! 

Finally, get to know your characters. Before you start your story, write a simple biography or thumbnail sketch of your main characters. List their physical attributes, what matters to them and how they see life. In short, interview them. Then keep those notes handy as you write your story. It helps with continuity, and it’s also a way to make sure you let your readers know everything that you consider important about your characters.

Do you have any works in progress?

I always try to have two or three works in progress… not that I’m working on them all the time, but to know what’s coming up next. The next book will be released in September, and it’s called Seven Dogs in Heaven. It’s part memoir, part parable and part fantasy. A man dies and, instead of all the angels and archangels everyone expects in heaven, he meets the dogs that played roles in his life. In no particular order after that, I have a mystery, Angelo’s ‘pawtobiography’, and a fictionalised memoir of my mother.

Which character from your books do you like most/are most like?

I’m most like The Man in Angelo’s Journey. In fact, I am that character. But the character I like the most was the cowboy in Angelo’s Journey.

Where and when do you write – do you have set times during which you write or is it just when the mood takes you?

I try to write every day, after the first couple of walks with the dogs. I get up just before sunrise, take some photographs, spend a little time on Facebook answering readers’ questions and emails, do a little marketing, and then I write. I write anywhere I can… I’ve written under trees, in a tent, in a pick-up cab, on a mountain top. A lot of times I’ll write with pen and paper, and then key it later.

Marketing – the bane of self-publishers - how do you find the experience? Do you have any marketing advice for other writers? Do you use a blog or twitter, etc?

I find the experience both time-consuming and delightful. Time-consuming because it takes time away from putting words on paper, but delightful because the best marketing is a dialogue with one’s readers. I spend an enormous amount of time on Facebook and on email, just talking with readers. I’m continually in awe of how generous and kind readers are, and the suggestions and feedback they offer. I also have a blog that I’m rather intermittent about posting to (shame on me). 

Marketing in our time isn’t about one-way communication… it’s a dialogue. The biggest mistake I see a lot of writers make in marketing their own material is that they just post a blurb and wait for people to buy. Instead, it works better if you ask your readers what they liked or hated about your last book, what they’d do differently, and so on. And, if they answer you, for heaven’s sake, respond to them and THANK them!

Some of your fave things... Animal? Food? Drink? Film? Colour? Band? Song? Place to chill out?

My dogs are with me wherever I go, especially Angelo. He keeps me rooted; he keeps me humble. Maggie reminds me to play. And they’re about the best friends I have.

I love Italian food… everything from the simplest pizza to the more complex dishes.

Drink… a nice merlot or shiraz will always mellow me out, and it’s a delightful conversation starter. I don’t drink a lot of hard liquor, but if I do, it’s usually a vodka tonic.

Favourite film of all time is Rich and Famous, with Candice Bergen and Jacqueline Bisset. It’s a film that everyone who aspires to being a writer should see – the struggles of the serious writer, the accidental bestseller, and the dialogue is rich in humor.

When I’m writing, I’m likely to listen to Mozart or Bach. They really do make me feel smarter, and the words flow better. When I’m not writing, I’m sort of an oldies guy. If you’d told me that I’d ever consider music from the 80s oldies, I would have laughed at you, but there it is.

My favourite place to hang out? At home, or walking around in the outdoors. I live in a really remote area, so it’s fun just to pick a direction and start walking or biking.

One day you’re walking in the forest and you bump into an alien librarian from Mars. He wants five book recommendations from you…

These five would be the only representations of Earth in the Martian library? The first two would be the King James Version of the Bible and, of course, the Complete Works of William Shakespeare. Both have some of the most beautiful prose and poetry ever written in the English language. I think I’d suggest a copy of The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury, so that the Martians could laugh at what a twisted perception we had of them, and still recognise that we did it with good writing and imagination. I’d also recommend something from Asia, so that the Martians didn’t become too enamoured with English only. Perhaps Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. And, of course, I’d recommend they make room for a copy of Angelo’s Journey.

Which book do you wish you had written?

Illusions by Richard Bach. It is such a deliciously simple book, with so very much truth in it.

Who is your favourite character from any book and why?

I don’t know that I can actually narrow it to one. Buck, in Jack London’s Call of the Wild, has been a favorite of mine since childhood. Louis, from Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, is a perennial favorite as well. Both of them are loners by choice, but forced into a ‘society’ of sorts in order to survive. They hold on to their hermit hearts, and go their own ways while still coping with the demands of others. A dog and a vampire – I wonder what that says about me as an author?

Which three authors (living or not) would you like to take to the pub?

Mark Twain, Dorothy Parker and Thomas Jefferson. Maybe not all at once!

What other hobbies/interests do you have or has writing taken over?

I’ve been building my own house for the last four years. It’s kind of on hold right now, but very livable! I’m completely off grid and in the middle of nowhere. I enjoy photography and, of course, I love to read.

What would you like to achieve in the next five years?

I’d love to have a book on the NYT Bestseller list. I’d love to have the house all done. And I’d really like to win the Lotto, as long as we’re wishing.

If you won the Lotto, what would you do with all it?

Ahhhh… good question! I think I’d like to start a small writers’ and photographers’ community. I live in an area where land is still available at reasonable prices, and I’d love to see some of my friends move into this beautiful, rural area, and support them for a bit while they get to publish their first books and get discovered. Oh, and Angelo says that I would hire a personal assistant for him. Excellent idea. He wouldn’t mind having his own photographer too.

Now for the creative bit… please finish this story in 100 words or less – ‘There once was a small gecko called Fred...’

There once was a small gecko named Fred. He was a very young gecko, and wondered why there were so few geckos on the lanai that he called home. One night, a human sat on the lanai with a book, and read as the sun went down. As the human finished the book, something PLOPPED on to the lanai. Fred was startled. He saw another gecko! The other gecko looked up, and as Fred followed his gaze, he saw hundreds of other geckos on the ceiling! At last, he’d found companions! The two geckos climbed the wall together to gecko heaven.

Finally, what question do you wish I’d asked and, of course, what is the answer?

You didn’t ask me about anything I’m afraid of! I have a secret fear that there are really only five or six really loyal and dedicated friends and fans buying my books, and they’re buying them in large numbers. I hope that’s not true, but knowing the kind of good and loyal people who read my books, and knowing the sorts of kind friends I have, it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility either! Thanks so much for such thought-provoking questions!

My blog is available at www.hermitblog.com

Where Angelo’s Journey is available: 

Through independent bookstores at http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781461169307
(please support your local indie!)

In the UK, it’s available on Kindle at http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004RYW53U

Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Angelos-Journey-Border-Collies-ebook/dp/B004RYW53U/ in both paperback and Kindle editions

Barnes and Noble at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/angelos-journey-angelo-dirks/1103793697 in paperback and nook editions

My Facebook author page is http://www.facebook.com/LelandDirks