Gency Brown

Seasons greetings friends. Have you been out fighting traffic and holiday shoppers searching for just the right gift? Never fear. I’m here to help. The one thing you can find in everyone’s size is, that’s right, a book. Oh, and don’t forget Bookshop.org, so you can support your favorite independent bookstore.

Welcome to my Little Brown Cabin, where I am resting after an extended vacation. Since my book is now available for pre-sale, I thought I would share more about the story and characters. Here’s a scene that shows how difficult Randy found life to be after arriving in Nashville.

Three years in the making is a trip to The Ozarks for my friend with the camera and me. She has never seen the beauty of the area and I am filled with memories to share. I’ve missed being there and especially in the fall when the foliage turns to every color of autumn. As an added bonus, I know we’ll find those hills filled with music we love. Of course, there will be vistas to frame and snap as well as writing opportunities galore.

Welcome back to my Little Brown Cabin. This time, I thought I would share a bit of my writing. This is a piece required during a writing class a few years back. Part of the reason for starting this blog was for writing practice, of course, but also to let you experience my style and share the journey. I welcome your comments.

Exciting news. I received the release date for my debut novel, A Right Fine Life. January 3^rd 2024 it will be available at all the usual outlets in print and e-book form. Presale will begin sometime in December. I’ll let you know later about that.

Hi, y’all. Welcome back to The Little Brown Cabin. I don’t mean to brag, but it’s nice here. Or at least better than the triple digit temperatures a lot of the country is experiencing. My little cabin retreat sits high enough that the coolness of morning lingers until lunch time. That means perfect fly fishing for my dinner.

This episode I thought I’d give you a feeling for how hard it was for Randy, the main character of my novel, to make it in Nashville. Randy has the dream, the work ethic and tenacity to get it done, though he is one of hundreds trying.

I became a joiner later in life. Not that I was a complete loner in my younger days. But then again, I realize my social life was pretty much limited to school, church, family, and the activities they offered. Maturity brought groups, classes, and organizations I connect with and can influence positively. While I’ve given up most leadership roles, I still support music, writing, fishing and other groups and enjoy them all.

‘That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet.' – Emily Dickinson

Over the past few weeks, I’ve learned what Emily meant. Life can occasionally give you pause. So much so that if you come out the other side, you’re ready to start living in a bigger way. Maybe a little smarter, too. With a new appreciation for all that surrounds you. Especially the people.

Hello friends. This time, we have a special guest in the cabin. I’d like to introduce you to the main character of my debut novel, A Right Fine Life. California born Randy Walters is an award-winning singer songwriter who is a real Nashville success story.

Hello fellow readers, writers and other creative types and welcome to The Little Brown Cabin.

I learned a few things last week. I made the drive to my old stomping grounds in Oklahoma to attend a writer’s conference and visit family. These conferences are always fun and informative if you go into them with an open mind. Family is always fun.

The heart is important. The brain is crucial. Eyes oversee everything. But hands pull it all together. It’s through those tools of love, work, and guidance that we’re taught about life.

I delight in looking at people’s hands. Sitting in the airport or a mall, the hands of strangers capture my eye. I imagine the stories they could tell of what they have experienced, enjoyed, endured.

What new movies have you seen lately? Going to a local cinema is one of my favorite pastimes. There’s more available on streaming services than I can ever watch, but there is something special about sitting in the dark theater, munching popcorn, and getting lost in what’s happening on the big screen.

Because I have a habit of reading the credits as they roll, I’ve noticed over the last few years that they adapt a lot of films from books.

“This is how you do it: you sit down at the keyboard, and you put one word after another until it’s done. It is that easy, and that hard.” —Neil Gaiman

Ever come to a point in your writing that you feel stuck? The words aren’t flowing onto the page as they usually do. You get frustrated. You question why you put yourself through it all.

What does that wrinkled shirt with a button missing say about you? You’re casual and approachable? Or that you didn’t care enough to present your best self?

I’ll admit right up front I don’t walk around like a page out of Vogue, but I try always to be clean, pressed, and coordinated. I hope that says I respect myself and your friendship enough to make the effort when we go out, and that I have something interesting to offer.

Ever feel like old Tevye, singing If I Were A Rich Man? Unless you live in the lap of luxury, financially set for life, you have. The dream of having everything you want and need is always just beyond reach. But then, doesn’t want become the greater percentage of that equation? Think about all you have in family, friends, and never being hungry. Or if you are, sustenance is only a few steps away in the cold refrigerator.

It’s celebration time here at the cabin. I signed a contract with The Wild Rose Press to publish my debut novel. I wish I could say it will be available right away, but as things go in the book world, it takes time. The contract says after I submit the final galley, they will release it within twelve months. That’s actually good. Some publishers are saying twelve to eighteen months and some as much as twenty-four. The work has begun on cover art and there will be a round of editing, I’m sure. I’ve met the editor I will work with, and this should be a good collaboration.

Put away the gloom and doom. Our friends, the independent book stores, seem to be making a comeback. At least every time I turn around, I hear of a new one somewhere. Yes, we’ve lost some old favorites, especially as a result of the recent pandemic, but hark, what looms on yonder horizon? A new place where I can buy the latest New York Times best seller or have a cup of tea and a cookie over an old favorite. A survey conducted by Statista shows an increase from 1401 in 2009 to 2023 in 2022. Of course there was a drop in 2019-21, but look how we bounce back.