Embers ~ Winter 2024

On taking chances

Hitting the bunny hill with my buddy

On a sunny Saturday afternoon in early February, I finally told my wife, “Today’s the day. I’m going for it.”

Before leaving the house with my daughter, I grabbed a copy of my book, 50 Fifties.

I dropped off my daughter at her tumbling class, parked in a nearby municipal lot, and then walked toward the bookstore in my town, 50 Fifties in hand.

When I entered the store, the place was buzzing with activity. My confident strides down the sidewalk quickly turned into uncertain, anxious shuffling.

I calmed down for a few minutes by flipping through old fantasy and sci-fi paperbacks. The crowd thinned out. Many customers found their way toward the exit.

At long last, I made my approach and greeted the owner.

We chatted for a minute or two. She was incredibly kind, asked several questions about my book, but then politely declined to sell it at her store.

“It’ll be a tough sell here,” she told me. I was, after all, standing in a used bookstore. But I also think my asking price was a little too steep for her liking—eight dollars.

I thanked her for her consideration, forked over four bucks for the Arthur C. Clarke paperback I’d snagged during my awkward meandering, and then started for the door.

“You should bring this to Oblong,” she said, referring to a well-known bookstore in the next town over.

I thanked her for the suggestion and left.

When I got back to the car, I tried calling my wife. When she didn’t answer, I thought about who to call next. Despite the rejection, I felt victorious—thrilled I’d finally overcome the fear that had been crippling me for quite some time.

That’s when I pulled up Notes.

The response and support from the Substack community was immediate and staggering.

Image from Substack Notes

I took the bookstore owner’s advice—and that of the Substack community—and brought 50 Fifties to Oblong.

When I spoke with the attendant, his response was, “Oh, we love our local authors.” I knew at that moment it was a positive sign.

To make a long story short, Oblong Books agreed to sell my book on consignment. It still hasn’t hit the shelves, but my copies are at the store patiently waiting their turn.

I’ve allowed fear to call the shots in many aspects of my life. It feels wonderful to finally kick it curbside.

Other News: 50 Fifties

Though my sales have slowed down drastically, I couldn’t be prouder of this book—and I couldn’t be more grateful for all of you who decided to pick up a copy. Thank you. Here are a few random shoutouts—though I could rattle off dozens of names and special stories that will stick with me forever.

Thanks to my friend John Lightle for bringing Fifty Fifties to his art show last month and for selling a handful of copies. Thanks to Billy, an old high school buddy of mine, whom I haven’t spoken to in over a decade. He wrote to me, saying, “Anything for a hometown friend.” And thanks to Diane, an educational consultant/facilitator, who heard about my book through a good friend of mine. I recently met and spoke with Diane, and she informed me she plans to share 50 Fifties with her book club next month.

Podcasts & Off the Trail

If you’d like to hear me ramble on about fiction writing, the Hudson River, and my book, look no further than Natalie Phillips’ podcast over at Plotted Out. Natalie was a wonderful host, and I am incredibly grateful for the chance to chat about writing with her.

Check out her post here.

I also had the chance to speak with David Wangberg and Meg Oolders as well. They plan on releasing their podcast episodes soon. Fun stuff! Thanks to David and Meg for having me on to chat fiction.

In addition to the podcasts, I’m slowly chipping away at Off the Trail, my novel work-in-progress. It currently rests at 12,000 words. Maybe by summer, I can hit 20,000 words…we shall see.

Fifties by the Fire

Lastly, thanks to all who have stopped by the fire to read and write some microfiction. It’s always wonderful to see new faces, but I love seeing the regulars.

Our next Fifties by the Fire will be held this Friday, March 22, at 3:00 PM EST.

Prompt: Write a fifty-word story (fiction, CNF, or poem) about one of the following:

• Being stranded.

• The ship that didn’t sail.

“Barca Sei” by John Lightle

I look forward to seeing you by the fire!

Take care. Thank you for subscribing to Along the Hudson—it means the world to me!

All the best,

Justin