Brooklyn's Lilac Brew (Summary)

When the trumpeter blared and the songbird sang…

IT HAS BEEN 57 years since Horatio Peters’ mystical horn and jazz songstress Delia-LaRue Amat’s otherworldly voice brought Fable Avenue out of the ethers and into physical existence among the streets that make up the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn, New York. People from all over the African diaspora have flocked to this street, answering the call sent out by Horatio and Delia’s enchanted jazz and blues songs, becoming permanent residents and adding to Fable Avenue’s conjure culture.

Rite into the hands of destiny...

ALL OF FABLE AVENUE’S young boys and girls go through a series of rites, but only the Goodspeed children, at the age of nineteen, receive what is known as the Second Gateway Rites. Tragic happenings have interrupted the last few ceremonies, and whispered rumors abound of Fable Avenue’s ill-wishers casting hexes against anyone from the Goodspeed family engaging in the traditional observance. Community elders are taking a chance with GORDON GOODSPEED, the latest in the Goodspeed line to come of age. Changing aspects of the ritual, the community’s elders hope to perform the sacred rites and invoke the lilac spirit.

FEY FORRESTER lives with her grandmother in Mount Vernon, New York, estranged from the Fable Avenue community after her mother’s suicide and her father’s mysterious disappearance. She has not been sheltered from her culture, however, learning its values and enchantments from her grandmother, and nurturing her ability to conjure African fairies called yumboes into the world. Now, at the age of nineteen, as Fable Avenue’s elders reach out to heal past wounds, Fey Forrester is set to receive the rites she’d missed after being alienated from Fable Avenue for thirteen years. When she and Gordon Goodspeed take interest in one another, the two of them begin scribing a grand, mythological tale that will guide them to the stars to dance with cosmic spirits, haunt the streets of New York to protect innocent residents, and move Fable Avenue closer to procuring the Grand Wish.

Moving a saga along

Editors at Twin Griffin Books are on the grind to put together the final product of Brooklyn’s Lilac Brew, the second installment of The Fable Avenue Saga. But as edits are applied, suggestions are considered, and queries are answered and resolved, I realize more than ever that I’m not just writing Book II of this series. I’m also laying the groundwork for what’s to come, and in this particular installment, it’s a lot trickier than in The Ghost of Gabriel’s Horn. This isn’t just an installment to a saga, the saga is one looooong book. And I gotta make sure all the chapters line up, because a couple two-t'ree of them are being published separately in large volumes.

There’s always been an outline for the entire series, once I figured out how the story connects. I knew what would happen in each installment (book) and how each book would lead into the next and leave a breadcrumb trail of clues pointing toward things to come. In the final stages of editing for Brooklyn’s Lilac Brew, coinciding with a lot of note writing and reviewing for Book III, I’ve found myself rewriting dialogue and scenes so that something introduced down the way doesn’t seem too random. I also don’t want the ‘breadcrumb’ of information to sound forced. I try to make it sound as conversational, and as pertinent to the story at hand as possible. How the ‘breadcrumb’ plays into the larger story is played down, given a passing mention. That’s been the tricky part, but I found a way around that [secret ingredient withheld…sorry]. One subject in particular, by book’s end, becomes a topic of discussion, which is an obvious lead-in to Book III. But in the final scenes of an installment to an on-going story, of course that happens.

Though history is often explored in Brooklyn’s Lilac Brew, the goal is to move forward, pushing the story ahead and into the future and toward its and the Fable Avenue saga’s conclusion. The Ghost of Gabriel’s Horn does this, but there’s a slightly didn’t outcome in the mechanics of the story. The Ghost of Gabriel’s Horn takes place between 1917 and 1957, not including the past lives of characters that arc back to the 1700s, expressed in the epic poem The Son Dial Tone. The main story itself is not told in chronological order, starting off in 1957, arcing back to 1917 and moving up to 1938 and then jumping back to, and concluding the story in 1957. Doing this allowed the story to reference itself. For example, in ‘57 we see the character Curly Burneside state that Sarinda has gotten impatient, no longer appreciating the drawn out battle and fight. He states that this wasn’t always the way. Arcing back to 1917 and going up to 1938, we experience Sarinda’s more patient side, but we also get to understand the experience that may have worn on her. As for future series events, there are small hints of what’s to come laid down throughout the book, even in the Epic Poem The Son Dial Tone. The obvious stuff comes from Joseph Pepper IV’s dialogue, but that still rings into time periods that the rest of the saga will cut back to.

Brooklyn’s Lilac Brew will show Joseph Pepper IV’s London adventure, taking up his story from when he said farewell to his beloved, sultry jazz singer Theresa Amat. It will also tell the tale of his excursion with legendary mystical outlaw Thunder John and The Brother Dogs, as well as delve further into their mythology and origin. Brooklyn’s Lilac Brew will also explore Joseph Pepper’s conspiratorial claims on what started World War I, what was found in the German occupied colony of Tanzania that spurred The 1884 Berlin Conference and jumpstarted the politics that culminated into WWI.

For the most part, Brooklyn’s Lilac Brew and the rest of the series will be set in contemporary times. The biggest clue about the modern Fable Avenue culture comes in The Ghost of Gabriel’s Horn, expressed in Theresa Amat’s prophetic words as she gives birth to her daughter Philomena. “Dooley is a lilac flame…”

As the series moves forward, editing goes through its final stages for Brooklyn’s Lilac Brew, and as the outline for Book III thickens, I’m getting to know this second installment more, and seeing exactly what it needs to lay the groundwork for the rest of the series. I’m finding myself jumping back into BLB and saying, “I need to flesh this idea out enough to be accepted when its story really comes out.” or “I need to pull this back a bit, it’s a little obvious.”

I’m sure readers will inquire about some of the concepts, and I can answer “yes” or “no” on whether they will play a greater role in the larger story. But how they play out is a whole other story. I’m just making sure that all things have a proper connection.

Stay tune for some quotes from new characters from the Fable Avenue series...

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Like a Rockstar

Been a while, but don't worry. The book is on track. Intense editing. The editors have shredded the first act, and I have taken in all comments. I’ve mulled over all of them. Had some meetings, vetoed some (but still made changes to make the writing clear and not lose its flow), and incorporated the rest. Now the first act is going through the proper pagination, getting a setup for a final transition into book form.

There was a fair amount of red, and as much as I joke about my ego being torn to shreds, I really enjoy the editing process—even the long meetings with the long talks where I’m defending why it’s imperative that a character look over their left shoulder and not their right. It must happen that way. It must! It’s all a part of the larger story and deeper meaning! Can’t you see? Don’t you understand?

But at the end of the day, whether it’s just to do their job, or whatever, it’s good to see people toiling over your work to make it better. It might be uncomfortable to see big notes of red ink asking you to change a perspective, or really hammer the point that something doesn’t make sense, or is redundant (or that you’ve already said it), but the challenge to rethink what you’ve put down is always a welcomed experience. What’s truly scary is when a page is blank of red marks. Or several pages in a row.

The next parts of the book have been in the process of editing for a month or so, and while that's been happening, I’ve been creating the “intro pages” and carefully applying the edits to Act One. When all acts have been assembled into one “body final” document, the copyrighting process will begin, and so will a submission for a final proof.

Can’t wait for the copyright to be done, though. That’s when I can start running me mouth about some thangs concernin’ the plot and characters. I've also been hard at work with the final book trailers.

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Honeymoon on Fable Avenue

After a long stint of planning a wedding with myeditor-now-wife (Okay…she did all the planning, I just showed up…but at the end of the day, it was my idea)…we have now settled back into a full run with editing Fable Avenue’s second installment. While she and two other editors/proofreaders toil over the manuscript, tearing my ego to shreds, I’ll be overseeing some business to help publicize Fable Avenue (both Book I, The Ghost of Gabriel’s Horn, and Book II).

In the coming months there will be a partial release of the book’s synopsis and a video marking Book II’s official title. A few character bios will pop up to promote Fable Avenue’s next installment. All of this to get the audience properly prepped for this next project.

A late fall release is on the horizon, and even in a good span of time, there is a lot to be done.

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"I do."

We did it. We now husband and wife. She's the best editor a writer could ask for.

And the beautiful bride know how to strike a pose.

We married. Holla!

Get out the way! Get out the way!

"I do."

(Central Park Conservatory Southern Garden July 13, 2014)

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"Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up."

The synopsis has been finished and its text applied to the back cover. That was a couple weeks ago. Been meaning to post about this. This synopsis took some time to write, and since my editors haven’t taken a look at it, it is still considered a rough draft. There’s a lot packed into Fable Avenue’s second installment, and there’s a lot to the synopsis. But no worries, it’s not overwhelming. Fifty-seven years has passed since The Ghost of Gabriel’s Horn’s conclusion, and Fable Avenue is an established culture residing in Brooklyn, New York (with other branches of its cultures throughout the United States and abroad). This bit of information was important to start off with when it came to the synopsis, and I decided that should be the synopsis’ opening. Next, I needed information on the two main characters and a little backstory on where they are when the reader opens the first pages. I thought that was more interesting than giving an overview of Fable Avenue’s African conjure culture. It started to look like an encyclopedia entry. So, I did away with that and kept the first few sentences as a setup to the years that’ve passed since The Ghost of Gabriel’s Horn, and from there, I went into the two main characters and their journey together.

At one point, the opening text was cut from the synopsis I’d written, but it felt like something was missing. There were no set of words that grounded the curious reader on where this book was about, especially considering this is book two of a series. The text was reapplied when there came the wonderful trouble of getting the synopsis to fit on the back cover of the book. When I saw that there was enough space, I put the first few lines back in. It looks good and reads well.

But, many writers dread the write-up of their project’s synopsis (and most usually have someone else to write it). Personally, I can’t wait for it. It’s cliché for a writer to make the joke that if they could sum up what they’d written it wouldn’t be a 200-400 page book. Even though I’ve made the same joke from time-to-time (just to be funny), I actually love writing up any current literary project’s synopsis. I’ve always been inspired by the opening crawl in the STAR WARS movies, they themselves inspired by the opening crawl in adventure serials ofthe 40s and 50s, like FLASH GORDON. In the beginning was the Word, from movies all the way back to early stage plays from ancient times, there’s always been a quick, intense set of words as exposition to pull the audience in.

I also love movie trailers, and I believe that the synopsis is the literary form for the visual movie trailer. It’s the first set of words cast to immerse an audience into whatever world awaits them. I love movie trailers so much that I have a few of them on my iPod. And I don’t mean the actual visual. I have the audio. I even have trailers from movies I don’t like. It wasn’t the case of I got so involved in the trailer that the movie didn’t live up to it. In fact a couple of the film trailers I got stored on my iPod I wasn’t interested in and even knew the movie wasn’t going to be as exciting (for me). But I listen. I listen to the trailer’s music. I listen to the sounds of the movie and dialogue, and I get into how it all syncs up and creates an emotion. And it’s that when it comes to what I’m looking for in a synopsis: A dazzle of words that draws a curious reader in, and captures the emotion and tone of the book, but doesn’t oversell or overhype it. When you get into the book you see the synopsis as correct, what it was hinting it, what it was keeping from you. What it was proposing. What it delivered and left up to the book to expound on.

Now, let’s just get this out of the way and say it. A synopsis is exposition. And many writers fear exposition because it’s often considered bad writing. A lot of movies that use opening voice overs or words are really bad, and to be honest, if we’re dealing with a fantasy, it’s always put up against Star Wars’ opening crawl. What can also make any written form of opening narration bad is if expository dialogue was chopped or edited away and put into what’s being explained to the audience. So how do you make sure your synopsis isn’t boring? Well, I have no formula to give. I can only lead by example and talk about what gets me going to sum up 4-500 pages in a couple two-t’ree paragraphs or shorter.

As a quick UPDATE, if you're struggling a bit with your synopsis a simple template can be: 1) a hint of where your main character is at start of story. 2) what he/or she (or they) come across that advances his or her arc/plot, and 3) a hint of where the story will go, enough to lure in the reader's curiosity. Then you can give and take from that, expand as you see fit. Also, as an exercise, write a synopsis for your favorite movie/ or book.

What I can say is this: It’s your prologue, and you get to be the satyr to introduce your tale.

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Under Cover

There will probably be a few tweaks, but for the most part, the cover has been finalized. The cover evolved, and then it split into two monsters, which, on closer inspection, were good companions and blended into one. I like the cover’s look, and it continues the simplicity of The Ghost of Gabriel’s Horn’s cover while also adding its own flavor and announcing the second title of The Fable Avenue Saga. I started doodling the cover around January 2013. It coincided with me straightening up the notes I had for this next installment, turning the first act of this book into an outline. I always had a vision, but I also looked at other book covers to try and bring that vision more into focus.

I’m particular about my covers. In a very pretentious way, lol! I want a “classic” feel to my works. I’m not trying to make the book something it’s not. The Ronin Poetz is my fanciest cover. The art by Ray Cosico is spectacular. But it doesn’t scream ‘faux graphic novel’ with its drawing. It’s stripped down, rugged and rough like both the story and poetry that makes up the narrative. And it’s inspired by Star Wars posters. But it makes its own statement outside of its inspiration. I had fun working with Ray Cosico, and had a lot of fun putting it together. He knew what I wanted the cover to look like, and he had the knowledge on how to make the cover be its own, separate itself from its inspiration.

I wasn’t 100% focused when first approaching my other covers. A Company of Moors was the easiest concept, and by that time, I had something. 12 Stories High was the hardest. I always wanted a classic feel for that one, but I didn’t get it until this final iteration. Code-47 didn’t hit home either with its first swing. But as I started to really understand what I wanted (i.e., a classical approach, vintage, something that looked like a classic book, simple in its design), I went back and arrived where 12 Stories High is now (perfect, in my opinion). With Code-47, I was inspired by heist films and books. And the ones with the greatest influence were the simple designs for the Ocean’s movies.

When it comes down to it, I like the simple covers. I prefer the title being the heaviest thing that exists in the space. And though this cover will go through some more tweaks, the layout of it all is finished.

So what’s in other news? I’ve finished tightening all the acts of the manuscript. Now it’s all in the hands of the editors, and I’ll probably get the first blood-drenched, red-inked, manuscript massacre toward the end of the July. We’ll start our meetings. We’ll go over the edits and suggestions, and they’ll be applied. A second run through will be done throughout August, and we’ll have a first printed proof early September.

Over the weekend, a new teaser for Book II was created. It will be showcased after copyright.

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