A Package in the Mail
Yesterday two boxes arrived from Amazon. They were my 25 copies of the paperback edition of Open Wounds. I can’t tell you how good it feels to see my book in print, with a new cover, a beautiful font, perfect size and heft, and a new beautiful black and white picture of a competitive epee fencer next to the title page. Stephen Khinoy, my new editor/publisher at SwordPlay Books, did a wonderful job of bringing my book physically to life, again. Steve was a competitive fencer himself and knows fencing inside and out. His catalog of books is about fencing one of my two favorite sports ever (the other is Rugby!). Check out the picture of the epee fencer after the inside title page (picture below). He also did the work on the cover himself. Steve, we need to have a celebratory beer/wine after the holidays! Word of advice to new writers. There are still small presses out there with editors/publishers who care about books and publishing. They are rare and their space in the publishing world is getting smaller and smaller. But they are still there. Find one who loves your book and let them bring it to life.
Final Virtual Reading
Final virtual reading of OPEN WOUNDS on Friday, November 27th at 8-9pm EST. My good friend and actor David Brown will assist by reading the part of ‘Lefty’. Link for reading: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86891177093
“This beautifully choreographed coming-of-age story about a life lived by the fist and sword does exactly what it should – pierces the heart.”–Barbara Stuber, Crossing the Tracks, finalist for the William C. Morris Award 2010, Kirkus 2010 Best for Teens list title.
Please spread the word about the reading, publication and availability of the book at www.swordplaybooks.com (can you say “stocking stuffer?”)
OPEN WOUNDS First Sentence Contest!
FIRST LINES CONTEST for signed edition of my novel OPEN WOUNDS.
I love first lines of books. They are a hook for me to enter and they can be powerful tone-setters for the reading experience. Here’s the first line of my book which in effect is a memoir of the boy Cedric Wymann.
“It begins with blood and ends with blood.”
Here’s my challenge for you. Write and sent me an 8 word (or less), one sentence, memoir of the beginning of your life. What words would represent your story, your journey?
Send it to me at one of my readings on the 19th or 27th of this month, through this facebook page or messenger or my email with your email attached. Send it to me before the contest closes on Midnight Saturday, November 28th. I’ll give away 3 signed copies of my book to three winners. Anyone can submit. I’ll be the judge. Winners and runner ups will be published on this facebook page on Monday November 30th!
Send to jlunievicz@gmail.com
Open Wounds Paperback and ebook Editions
After a loooong wait and lots of slips and falls along the way, OPEN WOUNDS is coming out this November 18th in paperback and Kindle e-book formats!
PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY STARRED REVIEW – “Lunievicz’s impressive debut novel is a dark, often brutal story, balancing some of the meanest villains in recent memory with a beautifully portrayed historical New York and a movie-obsessed boy determined to overcome the hand life has dealt him…Lunievicz paints a grim picture of Depression-era New York: anti-Semitism, violence, and poverty (an early eviction scene stands out) dominate the storytelling, yet bright spots like Cid’s love of cinema are painted with equal brilliance and realism.”
Open Wounds is the emotional coming-of-age tale of Cedric “Cid Wymann” in New York City during the 1930s and 1940s after a distant relative takes him from the orphanage. “Lefty”—a shell-shocked survivor of the First World War—offers Cid the only family love he’s ever known, and helps the 13-year-old come to terms with the violent blood-legacy of his abusive father and anti-Semitic grandmother by teaching him the art of combat with a sword.
Special pre-publication sale of 10% off paperback and free shipping from now up through November 17th through the much loved indie-publisher and small press: www.swordplaybooks.com!
I’ll hold three Virtual Readings (reading by the author, contest for free signed edition, and Q & A at each event) on:
- Sunday, November 15th, 8-9pm EST – ZOOM Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89274237661
- Thursday, November 19th, 8-9pm EST – ZOOM Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87619613585
- Friday, November 27th, 8-9pm EST – ZOOM Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86891177093
Support my indie small-press publisher and order directly from: www.swordplaybooks.com
Waiting Games
There are different kinds of waiting games that writer’s play and none of them are fun. Well, for me most are painful, mixed occasionally with moments of pleasure, but not fun. Definitely not fun. What do writer’s wait for? Here’s four to start with.
- a response from an editor -This is painful because it means potential rejection and the more neurotic you are the more you focus on this part. Raise your hand if you are in the more rather than less. Also it creates more anxiety the longer it goes on and it can take weeks, months, and yes, sometimes years for them to get back to you. Some never get back to you. Some get back to you with foul language in a long letter with a large coffee stain on the center of it. Okay that only happened once. What’s good about waiting for a response? Your work is being considered and there are short bouts of hope. Hope, hope, hope. Got to have hope.
- a response from an agent – see editor above. This one holds even if the agent is your agent. Actually it’s worse in some ways if it’s your agent because they’re supposed to be responsive to you. How many emails should it take to get your agent to respond? How long should you have to wait? One day? One week? One month? One year? Should you ever call? Can you text? How about face time? Is it okay to visit the office? Mind you I don’t have the answers to these questions. I use to, but then all my answers were proved wrong. I will say though, that stalking is right out wrong. If you’re at that point you should probably be looking for another agent.
- a response from a reader of your manuscript. If it’s a friend, partner, spouse, writer’s group colleague, or family member, and you’ve given them a time limit (reasonable, be reasonable!), and they’re kind (only ask them if they’re kind), then waiting should be shorter and easier. It helps if they’ve read your manuscripts before – or any manuscript before and it helps if they owe you money.
- inspiration.
Lunievicz 