DARE TO SHINE!!

It's finally here! DARE TO SHINE was released on World Goth Day, and our anthology, the beloved labor of several like-minded people came to fruition in support of The Sophie Lancaster Foundation...or S.O.P.H.I.E.

My story is called 'Late Bloomers'. It's a short story about an ex-hippie, cat-lady widow who befriends an awkward goth kid with the help of their guardian angels. They find that despite their age difference, they're not so different after all. They're just odd to everyone else. You'll like Triam. He's the mastermind behind the meeting.

That's all I'm willing to tell you...for now. ONE HUNDRED percent of the profits of this project belong to S.O.P.H.I.E., So I'm not sure how much I can tell you about the contents. I can tell you that it's important to us. Many people donated time and talent to get this done. For free, because we believe in the anti-bullying campaign. I can tell you Emma Hibbs put her heart and soul into this, despite her busy life, and when this settles a bit, I'd like to interview her for this blog. This was her idea.

Okay...I CAN tell you my story includes cats and talks about music from the sixties right up to current. Also, local drag queen Chelsea Horrendous makes an appearance. I can tell you it was surprisingly easy, as I picture myself as Julie someday. The setting is in my neighborhood, in my own house, although the cats are fictional.

So I would encourage everyone to buy this book. Again, every cent will go to The Sophie Lancaster Foundation. Here's a link!Dare to Shine

What's New Mimsey?

My friend Mims just celebrated 200 blogs posts. Not only that, but he has a couple of brand new releases, titled. “The Girl Who Loved Dan Landis’ and ‘The Rose Bandit.’ Check out the trailer!

Rose Bandit Book Trailer

Jay would you mind telling us a little bit about them?

So, here’s the most important tip I can give any writer: Save every idea! The story of a serial cat burglar, who leaves a rose at every home in a small town, only for a murder to be blamed on the burglar, is an idea I’ve been kicking around for ten years. I loved it. It wasn’t until I started writing the Dan Landis stories that I realized: Of course Dan would believe the cat burglar isn’t a murderer. It was perfect! I also realized, shortly after starting writing my first book, The Five Santas, that The Rose Bandit should be a prequel. The book is set in West Falls, and if you pay attention, you’ll actually see hints about events that finally take place in The Rose Bandit.

The short story was another idea I’ve had FOREVER. Roger the Bear has been in Dan’s office from the beginning, and I knew there was a story there. I knew the entire story almost from the beginning. The story is an eight year old girl hires Dan to find her missing teddy bear. And, what’s really nice is: It all flows together. You can read The Girl Who Saved Dan Landis which leads directly into The Rose Bandit which flows into The Five Santas.

Nice! You’ve got several titles now, despite a full time job. Where do you find the time to write?

Working and writing is probably the hardest thing to do. One of the easiest and worst pitfalls as a writer to fall into is NOT WRITING. Which, once you are an actual author, with published books, you are forced to be your own social media guru, chief cook and bottle washer. It can get hectic. I am fortunate to have a clear idea of each book in advance. I have thirteen books in total planned, and have a clear idea of the plot for each. I tend to write in spurts, so when I’m in the zone, I can usually write at least a chapter or two of each. I’m fortunate to be blessed with a very understanding and compassionate spouse, so that’s always nice. I can just grab my laptop and start going. The most important thing, though, is to keep writing. At the end of the day, you MUST KEEP WRITING!

And as if you weren’t busy enough, you have a huge new project that involves actors. What’s going on with that?

So, a funny thing happened in this thing called life! I actually have an MFA (Masters of Fine Arts) in Film Directing, and Dan himself was a result of my MFA portfolio film. So, I’ve been wanting to do a movie with Dan and friends almost since the beginning. I recently found out about a short film grant, which allows independent filmmakers to apply for matching funds to create a ten minute film.

So, for those that don’t know, I so happen to have a short story, The Girl Who Saved Dan Landis, which I have adapted into a ten minute film. We have a cast, and are now just waiting to hear if we got the funding for the short. If it works, the goal will be to use this short film as part of a fundraising campaign to bring Dan Landis to the big screen.

Exciting! Where can we find this ten minute film, and can you let my readers know how to find you so we can keep posted on Dan Landsis’ big screen debut?

Absolutely, the best way to keep track of the film and any information about my antics is on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/JayMimsey/ and of course you can also find my blog at http://themimsey.blogspot.com/. If you’d like to learn more specifically about the movie I’m doing, check us out on https://www.facebook.com/DanLandisthemovie/