Novella’s ?? What’s a novella?

  “Many of the most loved, famous and influential books in modern history have been novellas…” (Suw Charman-Anderson – Forbes Article) And John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is one of them.

  Steinbeck’s offering, as noted in Amazon’s ebook listing, racks in at 112 pages, amounting to less than 30,000 words, making it fit categorically as a novella. Yes, something less than a novel length book (50 to 60,000 plus words), seem to be a quandary-length for many writers and readers. Some writers are convinced that publishing a book that is any less than 60 to 80,000 words will not sell as well as one that contains those volume of words. Not true. Steinbeck pretty much refuted that argument.

  It’s no surprise that the big five New York publishing houses (Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillian U.S. and Hachette Book Group), prefer novel-length books which are heftier, offering the book-buyer a greater perceived value…many hardback’s now fetching $30 or more. Readers however are finding these shorter books do have some appeal; given the ebook sales trend using devices like phones, tablets, ereader’s, even computers…and ebooks are outselling all print versions both hardback and paperback. Amazon even has a separate listing for ‘shorter’ offerings called Kindle Singles, with word count between 5 to 30K.

  Typically, as you would expect, short books (short stories and novellas), sell for much less than novel-length books. Readers expect to pay less. Ebooks in general sell for less money than paper or print versions…that’s why people buy them. That and the fact that more ‘readers’ are reading books via an electronic device.

  There is much more to this story, which I will not elaborate here in this post. The question is (you knew there would be a question – hehe), how many of you are: 1) reading shorter books and 2) reading them on electronic devices as opposed to print versions and 3) feel you are getting your money’s worth?

  Drop a comment with your answer…let’s see if a trend exists regarding short books.

  Thanks - Henry H.H. Hittlebloome, Author, ‘The Mystery Maxims of Jake Spade – Case #1 FORGIVEN.’

Snippet–between Jake and Clarice…

Here’s a little snippet from page 63, where Jake (channeling his great-great-great grandfather Sherlock), responds to Clarice (his associate), about why they are parked in front of the Leo Burris home (who now is a suspect in the case).
“…“QUIET, please” he snapped. “I realize your anxiety at the arrival of Epic 8, knowing his saturnine history with the criminal element, et al, yet, as you well know from past ventures, he compliments our inquiry of sordid villains with his unique, hasty manner and bold technique...both most circumspect to this present inquiry. You’re angst is well noted, nonetheless, I must ask your indulgence of Epic 8’s introduction to the case – no one cuts through bureaucracy like his noble self, moreover, the occasion requires it. Additionally, what you fail to comprehend my dear Darby is that our Mr. Burris’ involvement in this case engenders more complexity than you credit him. You failed to notice the ‘black rook’ pendant attached to his shirt pocket during our interview…this medal ornament obviously connotes membership or station relative to some chess fraternity – his backyard game reveal him playing chess not checkers. Chess! Dear Darby, a game requiring long-term strategic thinking coming from a mind of complexity and cognitive capacity...not an aged, tired and minimalistic maintenance worker. Secondly, you missed Mr. Burris’ pronounced eyelid flutter when speaking to his daughter, a sure sign of either heightened anxiety on his part or perhaps some arcane method of communicating with his daughter, or both. Thirdly, dear Watson…ur, Darby, there exist traces of white powdery substance on the back porch steps upon which we set during said interview, possibly if not probable from similar residue found in the alleyway where concrete drilling occurred on the back walls of the 2^nd Precinct building. All observations, however minute, causing me to travel here, to the Burris’ home, where clues suggest the case foundation lies, not in the attempted assassination of Detective Jones, who may very well have discovered inconsistencies on his own resulting in his being here, near where the shooting occurred…and that my faithful chronicler should answer your question as to why we’re…”
“Okay, okay, give me a break and just so you know I’m not writing any of this stuff down. You forget sometimes…no chronicling going on here, OKAY?”
So, there you have it. The passage tried to capture the essence of the noted Sherlock Holmes in my own imagined (and researched) way of how he spoke, conveying his indefinable manner.
What do you think?
Regards, Henry H.H. Hittlebloome, Author
The Mystery Maxims of Jake Spade, Case #1 FORGIVEN. Release July 2013. An Amazon exclusive ebook.

Pictures or Not?

  The residence of Jake and his associate/chronicler, Clarice Darby, is 666 15th Street, in Detroit, Michigan. Having the address expressed in the storyline sorta picks up on Sherlock’s 221B Baker Street address premise. At least, that is the thought process the reader should glean from the Jake Spade narrative.

  The picture pasted here is the actual address of the ‘nondescript building’ portrayed in ‘FORGIVEN,’ the first case in the series. It’s located in the bowels of inner-city Detroit, near the Ambassador Bridge and the river where Jake swims on occasion. The surrounding area is rugged, nasty and dangerous…just the way he likes it.

  Have been wondering whether or not to include any, maybe a half dozen or so, pictures into the narrative of the book. It’s not done much (putting pictures in a novel), but, it would break the reading up, as there are no chapter’s in this novella length book (novella = what they call something less [in word count] than a novel, but more than a short story). Anyway, the pictures would be grey-scale, like this building picture.

  What do you think? Include pictures or not?

Regards, Henry H.H. Hittlebloome, Author, The Mystery Maxims of Jake Spade.  

Jakes favorite tool…

  The MPA30SST 9MM ‘ghetto gun’ is Jake’s favorite power tool. He likes the attention it gets from the criminal element, ‘it gives me the professional gravitas so important in our industry,’ he boasts.

  An understatement, agreed?

  ‘The Mystery Maxims of Jake Spade,’ contains a scene where Jake brandishes his tool among four perp’s being detained for an interview. Naturally, he has their full attention. Jake avoids extraneous accessories (suppressors, laser pointers), attached to his tool, mainly because he likes positioning the short barrel into the interviewee eye socket…assuring their focus. It works great!

  The first case in the series, ‘Forgiven,’ details Jake’s, his partner Clarice Darby and the irregulars (four adventurous techies) work in solving a mystery of missing money – from the Detroit Police 2nd Precinct’s evidence holding room. Readers will enjoy twists, turns, astute deductive reasoning, all wrapped inside a modern-day technological skin (much like Chinese mystery eggroll). It’s delicious!

  The book will be of novella length, approximately 20-25 thousand words and will sell exclusively on Amazon in ebook format, for $0.99. Release is tentatively scheduled for May, 2013. Should you want a pre-release snippet, please leave your email address in the comment section of this blog post.

  Thanks for supporting ‘New Independent Authors.’

Regards, Henry H.H. Hittlebloome, Author 

‘The Interview’ – Jake Spade style…

  Have come to a point in the story, ‘The Mystery Maxims of Jake Spade, Case #1 FORGIVEN,” where Jake, his associate/chronicler Clarice Darby, and a few irregulars, have captured two perp’s and are interviewing them in the basement of home base, 666 15th.     

  Some critical information was acquired utilizing the teams teeter-totter and the ‘hydroponic play area,’ aided by a few harmless snakes…but now Jake and Company seek a more complete, descriptive narrative from the perp’s, something requiring more than a yes or no answer. Soooo, next in the interview process they introduce Max and Joanie, two 2XL Bullmastiffs. Naturally, the perp’s began to talk.

  The freelance investigative team of Jake Spade, Clarice Darby and ‘the irregulars,’ have always been sought primarily for their methods, their ‘way’ if you will. Their way consists of a combination of; quickness, agility, technology, persuasive technique, and incredible deductive reasoning. The poor, disenfranchised population, Jakes primary client, along with most of the law-enforcement types, love their methods…their results.

  Jakes great-great-great grandfather, Sherlock, would be proud.

Look for, ‘The Mystery Maxims of Jake Spade, Case #1 FORGIVEN,’ coming this Spring, 2013. Exclusively Amazon Ebook, $0.99.

Henry H.H. Hittlebloome

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Another ‘Jake Spade’ snippet…

   Thought I’d drop a little something about the progress of the thriller piece, ‘The Mystery Maxims of Jake Spade, Case #1 – Forgiven.’ 

   Well, here it is.

   It seems, from this specific point in the story, (maybe 75% through), Jake and Darby (his modern-day Dr. Watson character [like Lucy Liu in Elementary]), are on a stakeout using these ‘reach out and touch me’ earphones [parabolic hearing amplifiers shown above], listening to the perps conversation going on inside a house some distance away. It’s after midnight and as you know, ‘nothing good happens after midnight,’ sooooo, as the story continues…Darby is upset when Epic 8 [one of Jake’s irregular team members] shows up at the stakeout – Darby knowing full well 8’s history and predisposition of torturing people to make them talk – whispers in Jakes ear…

“What the hell is he doing here? Who invited him? What are you gonna do Jake?”

“Calm yourself counselor! [Darby was an attorney in a previous career] You know how readily 8 gets to the point…time requires his services.”

If my pen and morbid imagination have anything to say about the outcome of this scene [and they most assuredly do], it doesn’t look good for the perps. hehe.

Anyway, this case is reaching it’s finale, the important last 5000 words. That’s not to say the first 5000 words are crap, they’re not. And, the 20,000 words in between really set the stage, so it’s all good. Jake has a lot of clues to tie together, lot’s of plot twists to unfurl and maybe even some, okay one, big surprise revelation. Huh! Yes, I said BIG!

So, stay tuned. Or, tune in. You should enjoy this little read [novella length, between 20-25K words and it’s price, $.99], the first in a series. I know I have had a wonderful time [that’s a lie], writing it.

All for now, your writer pal, HHHH.

Education Alternatives - A New Era

  It’s been five minutes ago, I swear, when I’m listening to a talk radio show (Mitch Albom), a native Detroiter of some celebrity, relating a story about his trip to St. Louis University.

  Albom, if you’re unfamiliar, began as (and still is) a sports writer for the Detroit News/Free Press newspapers, whose has also written the novels; Tuesday’s With Morrie, The Five People You Meet In Heaven and Have A Little Faith, many of which have been made into movies.

Anyway, he goes on to tell the story about his speaking engagement at the university, beginning with the arrival at the hotel near the campus. It seems his hotel check-in was accompanied by a swarm of 12 to 15 year olds of a similar motley appearance – not one seemed out of place with a tidy, well-kept, or physically attractive appearance. Scruffy hair, old scraggly t-shirts, dirty jeans was the motif…ALL seemed to subscribe to the same fashion construct.

Albom inquired about the group and was informed it was a convention, gathering, assembly or supreme powwow, of the persuasion greatly influenced by robotic image caricatures.

Yes, they were game coders.

A elevator trip to the twelfth floor with a dozen or so in tow, Albom distinctly identified an pungency unlike he had ever experienced. He said, ‘It couldn’t have been adult body order as they were too young. I finally realized it had to be some mystic brain omission.’ The group had, not only a look and a distinct behavior but also a characteristic odor about them. Albom later admitted to embellishing his encounter.

The point Albom was making; was that here was a group of very young people who were brainiacs, who wrote computer code and who came together to fraternize with similar ‘transformer’ coders, not unlike any other meeting of professional types and kinds. He found that interesting.

Okay, I’m getting to the point, just wait a minute.

The point is: there is no way you can capture the attention of individuals like this in a typical college setting. It’s not them. They’re the unique (however you define unique), population of young students who must have a different path toward education. They are the square peg not fitting the round hole. Typical doesn’t define them. And, that’s a good thing.

Knowledge, understanding, education doesn’t always have to be acquired inside the ivory towers. Self study, apprentice studies, independent research, et. al., will produce the same result. Perhaps more.

Winter 2012, look for my book: ‘College ? How You Can Make More Money And Lead A More Rewarding Life Without A College Degree In the 21st Century.’