James O. Youngcliff, Fiction Novelist

Category: Adult Fantasy

  • Been Too Busy to Post

    For Those Diehard Fans

    I haven’t updated my blog in a year, and I apologize for that. But I’m not even sure if anything I say is worth saying regarding my writing. Wait. There’s one thing. There is still a part of me that wants to write the great American novel.  And although it’s been a struggle, I’m halfway through it—that is a novel, not the Great American novel.

    One nasty caveat. I’m writing it under a different pseudonym. Yes, James O. Youngcliff is taking a big break for now. I’m not going away, at least not yet. But my current interest has me needing a new name. And yes, I will let everyone know here, but you’ll have to wait till the end of my rant. Or skip to the end, as most will do, who can’t wait or are impatient.

    Hey, don’t get me wrong. My BluBerrie days aren’t gone. Just on hold. I’m proud to report that An Artificial Christmas is one of the most popular novels, and I plan to come up with something like that in the future (don’t hold your breath or write to me, please).

    My Big Surprise

    I promise to be brief, but I felt guilty for my fans and loyal followers…. hold on, my dog is having a fit… BRB….

    I’m back…

    Sorry, turns out Yogie is more like a cat than a dog. He must have had a hairball or something like that. He’s fine now.

    Okay, back to the big surprise: If I hadn’t spoken of this in my prior post, I have had many ideas and many attempts that include several chapters written for each, but none of these ideas have come to completion—except one will….

    I wanted to write about the Old West. More like a fantasy taking place in the Old West. Remember, fantasies are my great love. Crazy idea, you say? Well, no, a fun idea, yes! Okay, no more teasing. But first, one disclaimer: this and other novels written under my new pseudonym, Clay Stoner, are for adults. Sorry, kids.

    Don’t ask or wonder how the name Clay Stoner came about. I’ll leave it to those of you who like mysteries to post your educated guesses here, and I’ll write confirmation or deny if you’re correct. So what do you think?

    Oh, one more thing. Don’t search just yet for Clay Stoner—oh, okay, go ahead, if you must. I have a website, sort of. (ClayStoner.com) It’s still in the “construction” phase. But you won’t find anything there yet about my Western Fantasy.

    There it is, …

    Here are a few parting gems on my new Western manuscript and laments:

    It’s halfway done. It will be worth your pesos. And I promise to finish it by Christmas!

    Before I part ways, I must make a political comment. And I’m not sorry to say, we’re in for some “good times,” folks, if you haven’t noticed or had your head buried. Truly, this past election has had a big “downing” effect on me and my writing. I know, some have said to me, not to let that “****” bring you down, but I just couldn’t help it.

    I’ve cut myself off from current events. Concentrated on friends, family, and farm life, and wondered if we, as Americans, our country, can endure another wannabe despot? Keep reading books, keep authors writing with your patronage.

    “See you in the stirrups!”

    j.o.y. / c.s.

     

  • 2024 Is Here And I know, I’ve Neglected My Blog–Sorry!

    2024 Is Here And I know, I’ve Neglected My Blog–Sorry!

    RE-CAP:

    It seems, and once again, it’s been another year since my last post. So, if anybody is still interested, I have only one word for you: Sorry. As the quote goes, “Life is hell, and then you die,” seems to make sense for me as I get older; and perhaps, less wiser.

    • I’VE LOSS MY WAY: As of today, writing doesn’t mean as much as it did when I first started. Why? Well, for one, I feel I’m writing to no one other than myself. Sales are down, readership is terrible, and even negative feedback is scarce–if you can believe that…
    • My kids and grandkids are all grown now. And my stories are either too young or beyond their years, or interest, and for that matter, perhaps, too busy in their daily lives to care.
    • And finally, somehow, my farming interests have taken a big chunk of my time and energy.
    On A More Positive Note

    Colorful Book Cover: Demons at Clay RiverI’ve published Demons at Clay River, a fantasy/horror/romance novel, and it’s currently available both in paperback and digital formats at www.amazon.com/author/jamesoyoungcliff! It’s one of the longest stories I’ve written for young adults with chapter illustration by Jacabo, a surrealist painter and illustrator ( me 🙂 ).

    In addition, I’m currently rewriting and editing a manuscript I wrote several years back and never published, and I have another story in the works with five chapters already written. Yes, I’ve been producing, but these few novels in the works will be the end for the foreseeable future. (We’ll see?)

    As I see it

    It’s going to be a turbulent year for me, both personality and work-wise. More to come on these and other subjects. For now, let’s see if I can pull my enthusiasm out of the other gutter and onto the page.

    CYA!

    j.o.y.

     

  • Happy Holidays, With a Footnote

    Not a Profitable Year

    With somber tidings to all, may 2022 bring us better times? We pray it does. I for one, intend on re-evaluating what I’ll be doing professionally next year. The book publishing division within Jacabo Studio is not happy with sales. And my best guess, they’ll be cutting back on advertising and investment in publishing and are refocusing on their core business: Art.

    So, in 2022 I will have to put the second book in The Potter’s GraveYard Trilogy on hold for now. Fear No Evil If You Dare, the first book in the horror novels is gaining traction, since it was published in October 2021 but not enough to warrant another book for next year. Unfortunately, new “pickings” will be limited for James O. Youngcliff in the coming years.

    I Guess, I’ll Be Dusting My Drawing Skills

    My artistic juices want to burst and writing is not doing it for me! And so, I plan on picking up where I left off five years ago by using my pencils and charcoals to let my writing frustrations out. However, I’m not sure that will happen for my oil painting: sad but true. Oil painting takes a big chunk of inspiration and dedication, which is the only way to go, and I don’t feel it — not just yet!

    Sorry, if I’ve totally depressed you by now?

    A Couple of Bright Bits

    My eldest boy and his family are coming to visit us for the holidays! They’re bringing my two beautiful granddaughters, both handfuls, mind you, but nonetheless wonderful news. With Covid-19 and my heavy writing schedule this and past years, we’ve cut back on the traveling and they’ve grown a lot since our last visit. So, my wife and I are preparing for their visit this month.

    Which, gives me an easy segway to my next piece of news: An Artificial Christmas, my first children’s Christmas novel, is on my do list for this week. The manuscript was returned from the editor last month and it came back in bad shape. Not surprising. I jumped on this story too soon after my previous novel, in order to take advantage of my artistic high, and because of poor story planning, it is in need of changes–big changes!

    I normally write down two or three-page outlines on every story I write before I sit down and start the full-length novel… This time, I didn’t. I banged on the keys and out flowed whatever…

    And after re-reading the manuscript I’ve not touched in weeks, I’m now forced to sit down and fix it! Not a good practice, but hey, it is what it is, a struggle to get it out before losing all interest in the subject. I’m sure I’ve lost sales because of the delay. “But better late than never,” is all I have to add.

    An Artificial Christmas Cover
    Coming Soon.
    “…And to All a GoodNight”

    That’s it for now. Please be on the lookout for An Artificial Christmas at Amazon.com/author/jamesoyoungcliff, it will make a nice Christmas Gift this season.

    CYA, j.o.y.

     

     

  • The Writing Goes Slow and Steady

    Hello World

    Yes, I’m still alive; Covid-19 hasn’t hit, thank God, and the Moderna vaccine. I have just dropped out of the blogging gig for a while. Personal issues have taken quite a bit of my time lately. But everything is fine now, and so is my writing.

    The final chapters of my current YA fantasy/horror/mystery novel are coming along and after that, what’s left to do is a fresh edit from the start. Then off for editing bids at Reedsy.com.

    New Story Ideas

    In the maze of confusion, I did manage to jot down several new ideas for an adult novel and one for young adults that I liked. But unfortunately, my illustrations for my next BluBerrie manuscript are on life support. James O. Youngcliff the writer, is draining all the creativity and won’t share it with the artist/illustrator in him for inspiration.

    Not Much More to Share

    Yes, there is one more thing: the Stimulus Checks from the Dems have really helped me out. Because book sales have plummeted for James O. Youngcliff–but no worries, I plan on taking a part of the Stimulus money to help with advertising. Problem is, I don’t know where I can get the most bang for the bucks? Amazon? Google? (Let me know if you have any idea which is best on a limited budget?)

    I wished Amazon hadn’t stopped their Author’s free Give-A-Ways. I had great participation for a modest investment. I might consider doing “something” like that on a smaller scale.

    Having several different hats available to wear i.e. writer, artist, publisher, etc., seems difficult enough but at my age, I’m not sure if I’d like to split my time up anymore. That much effort requires more energy than my vitamines can offer. And I certainly don’t enjoy the “business” aspects of self-publishing.

    Even securing an agent or an outside publisher makes me want to puke at the time it would take (if they would consider my work) to find reasonable and affordable help.

    That’s It!

    CYA, soon. Stay safe. And don’t forget, “Life is but a dream, don’t let it slip away…”

    –j.o.y.

  • Looking Back at a Very Productive Year

    Well… I’m back in Florida 

    Great family Holiday vacation without much of the usual squabbles, except for one: the dogs caused a bit of a problem. Much to do with them this year: barking, feeding, and stepping in s**t, perhaps it would have been better if we all had left them in kennels back home, but let me not digress.

    Over halfway done with my latest novel, The Weeping Past: A Forbidden Legacy, the wordcount is climbing (40K), with the four-letter words stacking the deck I’m afraid to say.

    Also needing attention: The cover of the novel wasn’t right, so I’ve changed it around again. I’m not able to post it here since I’ve not secured the rights to the photos yet; however, with this last cover, I think I’m getting closers to the final version.

    As far as the story goes, a few issues keep annoying the hell out of me. First, I find that my fantasy resembles, it seems of late, a currently streaming media series, so I find my novel lacking originality in many areas by comparison. Secondly, and most importantly, with this novel, I’m so far from my true calling (of writing children’s books), that the words and plot are not flowing with the same vitality.

    I’m not having writer’s block, for just recently I was able to break out of a corner that did have me stumped. Forgive me for lack of details and if I sound like I’m whining, but it’s a strange feeling and it is not that I just question whether this novel is worth writing, but if my writing is worth the effort anymore?

    BluBerrie…

    I set out to write BluBerrie stories I told my children, and now my grandkids, throughout the years; and that was fun. Don’t get me wrong, I love writing as much as I do painting and illustrating, its that with the visual arts I was able to let my imagination roam free, with the writing not so much.

    Struggling with structure and plot and originality weighs me down. My broad brush strokes with the keyboard is painful at best, and devistating to my self forfillment at worst. But no worries my fans, I’ll finish this novel if only for the sake of disipline and determination and you, my fans. And I promise to do better with the sequel to it. (That novel is also halfway finished but requiring major revisions.)

    Year End Chores

    Many before the grapes and cider come tonight, so I bid you all a fond New Years, and may life’s demands never bring your spirits down — whatever the percentage of alcohol they contain! 🙂 

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