Dummy
by John Gibson

[Jon3] = John Gibson

[Thumper6488] Same ol, same ol
[Jon3] Hello Oh, yes, I’m here. Just being quiet, getting to know you all.

[chinyere] I hear ya brother

[Thumper6488] Oh, let me introduce him, Jon3, is the author John gibson

aalbc> Hello Alll, Welcome John!

>> thandie has joined channel #XC.1141852

[Thumper6488] Hello, troy

[Jon3] Hello all

[SisterDi] Good evening John

[chinyere] Thumper you heard of a publishing company called toExcel?

[Thumper6488] Hello, thandie, How are you doing?

[SisterDi] Hi, Troy. I fianally made it

aalbc> Glad to "read you" Sis Di!

[Thumper6488] Chinyere: No, I haven’t heard of it. Sorry.

[chinyere] How about xlibris?

[thandie] Type HEREHi everyone..I’m doing fine thumper

[SisterDi] Do you have any format? or can we just ask?

[Thumper6488] Chinyere: Nope, sorry. Another blank

[Thumper6488] SisterDi: You can just ask away

[chinyere] Hi thandie, sister di, jon 3

[Jon3] Hello Chinyere

[SisterDi] Ok, John, is any part of Dummy true?

[Thumper6488] John: I wanted to wait until we had the session that I loved your book.

[Jon3] Hahahah! No, not at all. Everything is from my head.

[chinyere] How long did it take to get Dummy published?



[SisterDi] Well, according to Thumper, you must have quite and imagination

[Jon3] Whew! About two years. Went through al of the usual avenues. Tough job.

[chinyere] I know. I’m going through the same thing, man

[Jon3] Yes, it’s really difficult, but don’t give up. It’l be worth it.

[Jon3] Chinyere, what are you writing?

[SisterDi] Do you know anyone who does ghost writing?

[Jon3] No. Sorry.

aalbc> Tell us more about the Greenfield Publishing Group what any other author we might know

[SisterDi] Just wondered. I have a story that needs to be told, but I’m not a writer.

[thandie] Jon, is there any one thing that you could call your inspiration for the theme of Dummy?

[chinyere] A novel about a man whose fed up with working for some tired old company and seeks to change his situation despite all kind of

- objections, even from his girlfriend.



[Jon3] Well, while writing another story, bits and piece of DUMMY began to form. The inspiration Humm, I guess it was just the story itself. It

- sort of took me over.

[SisterDi] Most girlfriends object the most. Afraid to mess with the status quo. finanaially that is.

[Thumper6488] John: How did you decide to write about spies and counterspies and all?

[Jon3] Well, as a young fellow, the spy thing was everywhere, what, with all of the wwii stuff around. I hope I’m not dating myself too much

[chinyere] Say john— is Dummy your first novel?

[Jon3] DUMMY is my first published Novel. I’ve written four others. and writing a sith



[thandie] John, did you try to publish the others before?

[Jon3] No, there were not gtood enough. They were more of a learing experience.

[SisterDi] Do you this it will be easier to get your others published now that Dummy is successful

[thandie] It takes a real writer’s writer to say that about his own work

[Jon3] I would like to think so. Not so sure, though.

[SisterDi] You could save them with rewrites, couldn’t you?

[Jon3] Yes, I try to be as real about what I write as I can.

[chinyere] How long did it take you to write it, Dummy I mean.



[SisterDi] How long have you been writing?

[Jon3] No re-writes. The problems with the other four were structural. aND IT TOOK ABOUT 8 1/2 MONTHS TO WRITE.

[SisterDi] Did you start with short stories? or plunge right into books? LOL

[Jon3] I’ve been writing about eighteen years.

[Jon3] Long time

[chinyere] Not bad, you must have been smoking the keyboard!

[Jon3] I could never write short. I don’t know why, just couldn’t

[Thumper6488] John: I know you had to have spent some time around Congressmen to have the Sentaors behavior down pat. You’re not an insider or

- anything or you?



[Jon3] Well, Thumper, I would like to say, yes, but it was intensive research

[Jon3] I lovethe political areana

[chinyere] So haw many other genres do you write in, other that the suspense spy mystery type?

[thandie] what’s there not to love with all the intrigue and novella type drama



[Jon3] Actually, I love the thriller stuff, but in a future book I’m planning to write a genarational sage, with suspense thrown in

[SisterDi] How do you take all your little ideas and put them together to form a book with a plot and direction.



[Jon3] It normall begins while writing a current book. so many ideas come that won’t fit the one that I’mwriting, so I archive

[Thumper6488] John: So did you talk to retired CIA agents about their techniques?

[chinyere] Did the publishers try to get you to change any part of your work, and if they did what was your reaction to it.

TO Thumper6488> I hate not having read the book! But I guess you can;t do everything..

[Jon3] I read, read, read!



[Jon3] Well, no. They were pretty satisfied. Did change a few small things, but that was all

[chinyere] Small things like what-punctuation?

[SisterDi] Wow. Some people have to change a lot

[Jon3] Most technical things, like usage



[Thumper6488] John: You had me going trying to figure out who Eddie was.

[Jon3] Hahah. Good. That’s what I was trying for

[SisterDi] Do you have an agent or did you go directly to the publisher/

[chinyere] How did you find an agent? I’m striving to find one as we speak. It’s tough man, to find one that really wants to represent you.



[Jon3] I don’t have an agent. I’m trying to locate one now to market the film and other rights. But I went right to the publisher

[Jon3] Yes, it is tough

[Jon3] I’m still trying as well

[SisterDi] Sometimes that works if you happen to be or have just what they are looking for.

[chinyere] For what- you’re alreadt published!

[Jon3] Yes. We just have to stay persistent

[Jon3] The other rights. Film, TV etc

[Thumper6488] I think the movie would make an excellent film, I wish you luck on selling the rights.

[Thumper6488] book, I meant book.

[Jon3] I have to thank you for all of your support. Thumper

[chinyere] Who were some of the writer’s whose works inspired sparked the urge to write in you?





[SisterDi] I’m sorry I haven’t read your book, yet, but from Thumper’s description, sounds like you have a hit on your hands. I would think you

- might want to run contracts by a lawyer, too.

[SisterDi] LOL @ Thumper!

[Jon3] Umm, James Baldwin, William Goldman, Many of the spy/thriller witers, Sidney Sheldon

aalbc> John: We had a discussion recently on the value of Book Reviews — What is your take?

[Jon3] Oh, yes, I’ve been in contact with a lawyer.

[chinyere] I like Richard Wright, brutal and to the point.



[SisterDi] I’ve read two of Sidney Sheldon’s novels recently and I don’t find them all that. ……

[Jon3] I read that. And I think that book reviews can only help.

[SisterDi] Not like James Baldwind

[SisterDi] Baldwin

[chinyere] I beg to differ

>> thandie has left channel #XC.1141852

[Jon3] About Sidney Sheldon, not the recent ones, get the early ones MASTER OF THE GAME etc

[SisterDi] Richard Wright and Ralph Ellison



[SisterDi] OK, the two I’ve read are recent

[Jon3] I’m lost

[Thumper6488] Slow up everyone

[SisterDi] Tell me Your Dreams and something else, oh, I know, Nothing Lasts Forever

[chinyere] Don’t be lost, John. This is your show and you’re the star

[Jon3] My dreams - to be the best writer that I can be

[Jon3] haha, thanks thumper

[Jon3] I mean chinyere -

[chinyere] No problem

[Jon3] No, I’m good

aalbc> Jon tell more about yourself. Are you supported by your writing? If so how long?

[Jon3] No, not yet, but that, I hope, will be taken care of shortly. I do research in a lab

[Thumper6488] John: Do you believe that the true world power is not the president, but someone(s) pulling the strings behind the scene?



[Jon3] Oh, absolutely. i believe the pres is just a figurehead these days

aalbc> Yeah Hillary is in control (smile)

[SisterDi] LOL

[Jon3] eah, that’s probably right

[chinyere] Do you find yourself changing stuff as you type away? Or do you make all the changes at the end of you first draft?

[Jon3] Both



[SisterDi] Actually, the government was not really set up for the Pres to be in sole power, you know..

[Jon3] True - Congress, Senate

[SisterDi] and Judicial

[Jon3] Yes, sorry



[Jon3] Oh, and unofficially, the media

[chinyere] Have you ever lost any work in your computer? Just vanished into the labyrinth of files? That happen to me once—five chapters down the

- hole! I wanted to SCREAM!

[Thumper6488] John: The senator’s wife being an assassin on the side was a nice twist.

[Jon3] Aw man! I would have had a fit. No, thank goodness

[Jon3] I really look for different twists. In the new book that I’m writing, it’s really becoming a challenge

[SisterDi] Unoffically? LOL The media has definitely become the fourth branch of gov.

[Jon3] yes

aalbc> Chinyere, Always back up! Would you believe I trashed this entire web site one night! But I had it restored before too many people

- noticed. You can usually restore loss data on a harddrive



[Jon3] I must stop you all for asecond and tell you that I’m really glad to be here, and I appreciate that you are here as well

[SisterDi] Chinyere. I do not use a Mac. But they do give good advice. Save, save, save!!

[Thumper6488] John: We’re glad to have you.

[Jon3] Now, on to the next

[SisterDi] I’m glad to have met you, John.

[chinyere] John, it’s a pleasure.

[Jon3] Me, as well

aalbc> John it is indeed a pleasure. Please email some biographical information I’ll add it to the web site — I should have done this a while

- ago.



[Jon3] I will, soon

[SisterDi] Well, John, looks like besides an agent and a lawyer, you need a PR man!! LOL

[Jon3] Aboslutely

[Jon3] Or woman

[chinyere] So much to ask, so little time? How long is this forum?

[Thumper6488] John: Do you think you would have had an easier time selling your book if it was a book about relationships instead of intrigue and

- spy rings and murders?

[SisterDi] Of course.



[Thumper6488] Chinyere: The forum is one hour.

[Jon3] I’m not sure, but I think so



[Thumper6488] I know as being part of a reading audience that is always on the look out for more variety+

[Jon3] I hope that changes for us, though

[SisterDi] Relationships are old news, unless it is about something different, like interracial

[Jon3] I would like to think there is room for all of us, but we seem to latch onto one thing and beat it to death

[Thumper6488] John: I do too, I think it is beginning to change, we just have to get the word out.

[Jon3] Yes,

[chinyere] Oh, and back to my previos statement, I saved it all. Everything was saved. And then one day—God it was so awful. I’m pretty sure the

- neighbors thought I was getting murdered or something.

[SisterDi] The media. If it sells, copy it!!

[Jon3] hqahahahah



[Thumper6488] I’m seeing a small emergence happening with the mystery and suspense genre for black authors

[Thumper6488] John, are you going to continue in the genre?

[Jon3] I think that’s a good thing.We should expand

[SisterDi] That’s true, Thumper.

[Jon3] Actually, I like thrillers, but I am going to change a bit into generational

[SisterDi] Have you heard of Evelyn Coleman’s book?

[Jon3] Huumm? Don’t think so.

[chinyere] John, what do you think about the world of publishing these days? Do you think it’s become a bureaucratic mess? What is your take on

- self publishing?

[Jon3] Oh oh, absolutely. A terribly turn of events.

aalbc> Please describe "generational"

[SisterDi] It’s billed as what a woman will do for her man, but Lord what the woman does?

[Jon3] It’s a shame that talented writers can’t get published

[Jon3] I’ll get it

[SisterDi] That’s true about talented writers

aalbc> The industry will have you believce talented writers and Good books get published

[SisterDi] John, you’ll get what?

[Jon3] Generational: The family, the offspring, their offspring, and the trils they all go through. It’s really going to be, I think, agreat book

[Jon3] The book, Coleman’s

[SisterDi] Sounds good

[chinyere] In your opinion, do you think it’s "vanirty " for a writer to publish his on work in spite of all these set backs? Would you do it

[Jon3] No, not vanity. Writing is difficult, and after all of that work, get it out any way that you can

aalbc> Jon# Evelyn participated in a discussion with us last year, I believe she may have been the first author to participate.

[SisterDi] Oh. the name of it is What A Woman’s Gotta Do and it’s about genetic research and a tribe in Africa who have ancient knowledge.



[Jon3] Wow. Tell me a little more

[SisterDi] Well this tribe has information on how to control melanin

[SisterDi] IOW to create a white race.

[Jon3] Interesting. Boy, am I going to have a lot of reaeding to do

[Thumper6488] Evelyn’s book is titled What A Woman Gotta Do.

[SisterDi] And these white men are using info from a tribe of Blacks in Africa to create a white race

[Jon3] Another in the basket

[Jon3] Book to get, that is

aalbc> Check out Coleman’s AALBC page http://aalbc.com/evelyn.htm complete with a Thumper review and audio interview

[Jon3] As soon as we’re done

aalbc> John You have about a minute left any parting thoughts?

[SisterDi] It sure surprised me once I got into it!! LOL



[Thumper6488] We have a few more minutes. Is there any last minute questions for John?

[Jon3] Thanks. You all were great1 And thanks to you Thumpewr, for inviting me

[chinyere] Control melanin? Sounds reminiscent of something Hitler would do.

[Jon3] Also, all of you writers,keepm plugging away

[SisterDi] Thanks, Troy, I will. AFter I’ve read the book! i was impressed with her reaearch. She even mentioned Achebe Chinua

[Thumper6488] John: Man, Thank you. you wrote a damn good book. It’s solid and tight. I enjoyed the hell out of it.

[SisterDi] Things Fall Apart

[Jon3] Thanks

aalbc> The transcript of this chat will be posted shortly





[chinyere] John, thanks for all your input.

[SisterDi] Yep, Hitler exactly

[Jon3] You, as well, for being here

[chinyere] Good luck, buddy

[Jon3] Thank you all

aalbc> Peace John, Don;t forget the bio!

[Thumper6488] OK, everyone, that’s about it for this session



[Thumper6488] OK, everyone, that’s about it for this session

[Jon3] Sure thing

[SisterDi] Thanks for you time, John and I’m going to read you book as soon as I finish Monica and Hillary

[Thumper6488] Thanks for coming. Next month it’s Ring Around The Moon.

[SisterDi] LOl

[Jon3] Yes, very good

[Jon3] I’ll be here,

[chinyere] aalbc be a sport, give us one more hour! I got more questions to ask!

[Thumper6488] Thanks

[SisterDi] Is it in paperback, yet? Yes, I’m cheap!! LO



[Jon3] If I canget the time to get the book and read it. It’s been pretty hectic lately

[Thumper6488] Yes, it’s in paperback

[Thumper6488] Good Night eveyone!

[SisterDi] I’m off to Amazon.com

[SisterDi] LOL

[Thumper6488] SisteDi: Barnes and Noble

[SisterDi] ’night Thumper, John

[chinyere] Hey john, I’ll be looking for your next book!

[Jon3] Night

[SisterDi] Chinyere

[Jon3] Good

TO Jon3> John you may actually stay on as long as you want the time constraint is there just so that you don;t get worn out?

[chinyere] Good night,all

[Jon3] ok

[Jon3] any time


[chinyere] Say, what’s it going to be titled anyway?

[Jon3] TRACK THREE

>> Thumper6488 has left channel #XC.1141852

[SisterDi] Ooo, what’s it aBOUT

[Jon3] Long story - Bay of Pigs, Cuba, another political thriller Also, a black female co lead

[chinyere] Sister Di are you a writer?