Son Day again

   Well, my daughter Jennifer and I just returned from Palm Terrace, a skilled nursing facility, where we do a Bible study & worship time with some other brothers & sisters from our church (Harvest Christian Fellowship) here in Riverside. How's THAT for a long-winded introduction?
   It's been raining here since early a.m., thank You, God! We need it bad. It keeps me from having to waste time watering, too.
   I just found out another good old friend of mine from high school "friended" me on Facebook. It's made me realize how horribly out of touch I've been with people - for DECADES! Where have I been? In my own little world, I guess. It's amazing how much time goes by when you're just working and living life day-to-day. Scott, who contacted me, I haven't seen in like 34 years! WHERE does the time go?
   IF anybody's reading this, let me encourage you to rekindle old friendships. Friends are such a blessing, such a rare treasure. They are what makes this life sentence on this prison called earth tolerable.

Another post.

   My son Mike and I cleaned the garage today. That's always a therapeutic thrill.
   Besides the normal daily drivel of monotonous routinely stuff, there's nothing much to say. We're just continuing to live life one lump at a time.
   By the way, if you'd care to contact me, you may do so at fiveoklock@att.net or klockreations@att.net. Or you can click on my Facebook link. See? It's easy. I hope to hear from you. From SOMEBODY. ANYBODY! Thank you.

Fried Day

   Fry Day. Fried Day. Either way, it sounds like Friday. Isn't that profound?
   Another day feeling like a trash truck spinning my wheels in quicksand. Not really an unproductive day. Just somewhat frustrating. I didn't get stuff done that I needed to get done.
   I looked at my story again today. I added a little bit to it, which of course totally messed up my page numbers. I have my name & page number at the top of each page, which I eventually will have to completely re-do. Time consuming and tedious.
   Had a couple new friends on Facebook today. Was really cool. I need to try hard to keep in touch with people. That is the main reason I started this blog. But, I never hear feedback from ANYBODY. Does ANYBODY ever read this???? It wouldn't seem so. If you read this, please feel free to drop a line.

Thirst Day

   Well, today's just been a thrill a minute. ONE good thing did happen, though. Another of my favorite Christian musicians accepted my friend request in Facebook today. Bob Ayala. I haven't seen him in decades. It's amazing how many people I haven't seen in decades. Where have I BEEN?

Wins Day

   So, WHO wins?
   Been another busy, hot day. No word in the big wait from the agency I queried. No surprise there. I really don't expect to hear for several weeks, if ever.
   One cool thing DID happen today, though. Bob Bennett accepted my friend request on Facebook. Probably no big deal. He probably accepts everybody. But it's a big deal to ME. I LOVE Bob Bennett's music ministry. He's been one of my 2 or 3 all-time favorites for like 31 years. Awesome dude.
   Normally, I'd be at church right now. But I had errands & now I'm home.
   Not much else to say, except, if the Lord wanted to come back right now, that's okay by me.
   By the way, if you want something EXCELLENT to read, check out Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand. It's the story of Louis Zamperini. She's also the author of Seabiscuit. Great author, good Christian lady, and an AMAZING book!

Twos Day

   As you may have noticed, I didn't write anything yesterday. It was another one of those days.
   I DID do one monumental thing, though. I sent a query of my story to an agency for representation. Yeah, it would be a miracle if they took me on, and a bigger miracle if the story gets published. But, I'm not giving up until I'm dead. Then, I'll try to get published in Heaven or on the new earth.
   If I DO get a rejection notice, I'm going to keep it, frame it, and put it on my wall. I heard of an author who did that. He's a several-times-over published author. He kept his first rejection letter, mainly so that publishing house that rejected him would later feel stupid. It's like the producer I heard about who turned down the Beatles, because he thought they'd never amount to anything. I'm NOT, however, trying to be so conceited as to think that I'm the next Mark Twain or whoever. But I AM framing my first rejection notice. I'm trying to be brave about it, and trying to not get discouraged until after my 100th rejection notice. It reminds me of an old Yiddish proverb; If a man calls you a jackass, ignore him. If two men call you a jackass, ignore them. If a THIRD man calls you a jackass, consider buying a saddle.
   Putting out a query about your story is like slipping a note to a girl you like, hoping she'll like you, too. There's that fear of rejection. It's different with a query, though. There are dozens of reasons why your query may be rejected. It's not quite as personal. If a girl doesn't like you in return, it's more personal, and you can pretty much assume she thinks you're a geek.
   In case you're not familiar about the whole query thing, a query is like a proposal. It tells a little about your story, and a little about you. It's a one-page plea for someone to represent you & your story, or to publish your book. I'm seeking to obtain an author's representative to take on my story and to try to find a publisher for me. One of the most nerve-wracking things about it is, I may not hear anything from them for two months, if ever. Many are nice enough to send you a "We're so sorry" letter. But many don't have the time to personally reject you.
   Now comes the wait. I wanted to use a different agency, but that meant lengthening the story. Actually, making the story nearly twice as long. While I'm waiting, I may write a longer version, just in case. I'll save both and use whichever anybody is interested in.
   I'm sure this is the most intriguing thing you have ever read. The psychotic ramblings of a wannabe author. Oh well. What can you do?

Son Day Post

   Well, Sunday IS Son Day, isn't it?
   Today just seemed to slip through my fingers like oil in your fist. Spent a large part of the day & evening hunting for a sink stopper. It had to be just the right one. Our plumber put in a special one. We couldn't find one like it anywhere. After going to basically every store in Riverside, we ended up at Walmart tonight and found a rubber stopper for 97 cents. It actually works. Now we can return the $9 one to Lowe's tomorrow that doesn't work.
   We sunburned Irishmen (and women) are recovering. Thank God for aloe vera.
   Well, I'm searching an agency site one more time for an agent who represents novellas. There's debate over what exactly a novella is. Some would say my story (46,000 words in length) is a novel. Others say it's a novella. Who really knows? It IS a short novel, if it IS a novel. If that falls through, I have a few more agencies to investigate. If THAT falls through, I guess I'll have to try lengthening my story.
   It's late, and my brain is closing down shop for the night. Hope to hear from you soon.  Tim.

Saturday Evening Post

   Hey! That sounds like a great name for a magazine!
   Well, we took a day away & went to Corona Del Mar. Hadn't been there in longer than I can remember. Thought a lot about my story today. I like to think at the beach. Maybe I'm weird, but I've always felt somehow closer to God there. Maybe because you are in front of this endless ocean. You're tiny, vulnerable, and can't hide anywhere. It's just you & the Pacific Ocean, just like standing one day before God. Just you & Him.
   I took several photos, which I hope to start adding to this soon. One step at a time. I'm STILL trying to figure this stuff all out. Please be patient with me. I've gone from the horse & buggy to the space shuttle in just a couple weeks.
   You know, this computer stuff really is cool. But I just love getting a real, handwritten letter in the mail. Like I've said, I think I was born 150 years too late.
   Well, it's getting late, and we're all fried. As careful as we were with sunscreen & trying to stay under umbrellas, we all got baked. I guess Irishmen just shouldn't go to the beach. You pay for fun at the beach with misery in the dermatology department later.   Tim.

A quick Friday note

   Here we are. Friday again already.
   Not a lot to say today. My son Mike & I tried digging up bush stumps in the yard. As bad as trees. They've been there like 14 years.
   I'm probably going to attempt to contact (or at least FIND) an agent who considers stories as short as mine. If that fails, it looks like I may try to lengthen the story.
   Bad news in the writing world. Our Borders store here in Riverside is going out of business. I'm not necessarily a Borders fan. I DO like the store. It's just that ANOTHER bookstore bites the dust. I HATE when bookstores go under! My own brother lost his Christian bookstore after 3 years. I think a lot of it has to do with these cursed electronic books, and the Internet. Sure, it's nifty that I could carry the Library of Congress around with me on an electronic gizmo. But if you meet an author, how's he/she gonna sign your book? I love BOOKS! You don't need to charge them up. Just flip it open & read! I feel threatened by this electric garbage, I'll be honest. As an author, how do I make a living if some dufus can download my book (probably illegally, for FREE) off the Internet? The movie industry has already lost countless millions due to pirates & illegal downloads. Computers can do amazing things, but there's always a dark side. Always some twisted evil genius hacking, send viruses, etc. I think I was born about 150 years too late. I like books. And I sure wish I could've met Mark Twain.
   Well, my whining will accomplish nothing. What do YOU think about this whole electronic book junk?           Tim.

Thrilling Thursday.

   Wow. Here it is Thursday already. It's been a busy, tiring one. Spent most of the day cutting down and removing plants & bushes. I DO live the wild life.
   I've been researching more authors' representatives. Can't find one that wants a story as short as mine. I hate to do it, but I may have to lengthen it. I REALLY don't want to, for many reasons. If it will truly improve the story, and my chances of getting published, it'll be worth it. I type slower than an iceberg going uphill. It took me 9 months to write the original story, which is only 46,000 words long. I need to double it in length to get it to a "true" novel length. Oy!
   I wish I just had $ lying around, so I didn't have to work. I could just write all day. I would if I could. I can give you my address, if you would like to send me money. The Support a Broke Writer Fund.
   Hope to hear from you soon. From somebody. Anybody!   Tim.

Wonderful(?) Wednesday

   Dia duit! That's Howdy! in Irish. As you so astutely observed, I didn't write in here yesterday.  Sorry. It was one of those days. I spent the whole day running around like a blind dog in a meat house. I didn't touch a computer all day.
   Yesterday, my daughter Jennifer went to the barber and got 10 inches of her hair cut off to donate to Locks of Love. Very cool. Very sacrificial, especially for a girl. For a dude to get a Camp Pendelton Special is no big deal. But it's a different story for girls. Her hair is still fairly long, and looks really nice. Locks of Love makes wigs for children with cancer who've lost their hair. The lady who cut Jenny's hair said there was enough for THREE wigs just from what they cut off. Very cool! Gee ... maybe I could grow MY hair down my backside, so I could donate to Locks of Love! I don't think my thinning mane would ever get long enough.
   Well, I'm STILL waiting to hear a reply from an Agent that I sent a question to about my story. I DO realize that authors' representatives are unusually busy, but I do hope I get a reply soon. I'm anxious to get my story published. I COULD make the story longer, but there's no guarantee that that would improve the story. I'd love to hear from you what you think.
   I better get going. Much to do and I still need to check Facebook. I hope to hear from you soon. Feel free any time to contact me on my Facebook page or by e-mail. Seriously. Hey! It just dawned on me that today makes one week since I started this blog! That calls for some M&Ms! Or ice cream. Or at least a drink of water. Talk with you soon, I hope.   Tim.

Mundane Monday

   Well, here it is Monday already. Wow. What would life be if everything didn't always go wrong? At least that gives us something to talk about.
   We bought a brand new hose the other day for my parents. I was watering their lawn this morning and the hose BROKE. That's right. It broke. When will the Chinese learn to make quality products? Seriously. EVERYTHING is made in China, including my American flag. I don't get it. Nothing against the Chinese. I'm not racist, so send no nasty comments. I just wonder what Americans do. Don't we make ANYTHING? Big Macs, I guess. I went to a gas station this morning. The pump was having trouble. The lady working there came out, then the manager/owner. Neither of them knew enough English to tell me what was wrong. I had to move to a different pump. HOW do non-English-speaking people buy, run and own businesses? How do they STAY in business? I don't get it. Do YOU?
   Well, I gotta return my Chinese, busted hose to Home Depot.
   This is one annoyed, puzzled American signing off for now.   Tim.

Sunday Update

   Well, I didn't write in here yesterday. That's probably best. We were in our 5th day of battling with GoDaddy. After going in circles with them at length, I finally told 'em that they would be hearing from our attorney. Last nite, they sent an e-mail saying we're getting a full refund. We'll see. I'm not holding my breath after getting jerked around for 5 days.
   I hope your day is going better than mine.
   Now for a story update. The story previously mentioned in this blog is only 46,000 words. That's really short for a novel. Many would call it a novella. I've been considering adding to it. I've thought quite a bit about things that I could add. The question is, would it enhance the story? Or would it just be semi-meaningless fluff, just filling up pages so as to appear longer? I have actually thought up quite a bit of interesting things to add to the story; a couple twists, a little suspense. But, then there's the ever-present problem of, "I have waited for ten years, and I want the doggone thing published!" But, if being longer would help, then the extra work would pay off. I don't know. Maybe a novella would be just what some agent and publisher are waiting for. What do YOU think? I'd love to hear what you think.
   I have to go organize my room and pull some more weeds. It never ends. If I ever get published, maybe I can hire somebody to do all that stuff for me.
   Hope to hear from you soon!   Tim.

July 15, 2011

   Wow ... we're 1/2 way thru July already.
   So, how are you? I had a great  time hearing from family & friends on Facebook. I've been horribly out of touch. Well, I've ALWAYS been out of touch, but you know what I mean, I hope. One reason I seldom do Facebook, etc., is because I have to use my wife's or my son's computers to do anything. I have a computer, but no Internet, etc.
    Well, my battle with GoDaddy is in day 4. Those guys are incredibly inept. Apparently, nobody there communicates with each other. They ask us repeatedly for codes, passwords, etc. They (probably purposely) lead us round and round in pointless circles. They're probably doing it so we become so exasperated, we'll give up & let 'em keep our $. AIN"T gonna happen! Just so happens, we DO have an attorney (no lie) and he's about to get a call if this nonsense continues.
   I have to eat and then go pull weeds. I DO lead the exciting life, to be sure.
   Well, I'll try to write whenever I have something more worthwhile to say. Thanks for reading this. Feel free to write. Congratulations to Jenny Smith for being the first follower on this blog! I'll have to think up some nifty prize for you.

Post for 7/14/11

   Well, you may be wondering, "Why did Tim cancel his website after 5 days?" Indeed, that is something worthwhile to ponder. Well, in a nutshell, here's the deal. I will leave the website provider (GoDaddy) somewhat anonymous at present. Or maybe not. We heard about this great deal. Unheard of. So, we signed up. After we signed up, EVERYTHING you need for a website cost you extra. You have to pay so much per month for this, for that, for everything. Nothing about that's mentioned until AFTER they have you committed (in their web, as it were). We ended up having a lame website without a lot of stuff that SHOULD have come in a basic package deal. If these dudes were car salesmen, they'd be like, "Oh, you want tires? That'll be $98.56 each month. A windshield? That's $26.99 per month. An engine? That'll be $89.99 per month. You want seats too? $22.50 per month. A radio AND a/c? We have a package deal this month. We can lock you in at $72.99 a month." We basically felt like we had been flim-flammed. It was a major pain in certain places to cancel. We battled with them for two days. One computer expert guided us through by phone for an hour, only to find out the next day he used the wrong form. We spent $83.63 on a website that did nothing. We had no store, no way to see how many visited our site, etc. So, if you are interested in seeing our art work, Click here . Or, you can talk with us at klockreations@att.net.
   Well, I've whined enough for now. Hopefully that answers the question that you probably didn't ask. But you MAY have some day. Thanks for your time. Hope to hear from you.  Tim.

Failte! (That's Welcome! in Irish)

Dia duit! That's Howdy! in Irish. Welcome to my happy little blog. I'm slowly attempting to join the 21st century, like it or not. I've sort of resisted all this high-tech stuff. I have an in-born mistrust of computers and stuff sometimes. I know you can do amazing stuff with computers these days, but I just have this weird mistrust of machines. I am terribly inept when it comes to gadgets, too. If I'm seen carrying a screwdriver, I'm usually questioned in concerned tones about where I'm going with that screwdriver. Most things have to be repaired or replaced that I tried to fix.
   Anyhow, after that weird introduction, I just want to let you know I just got this blog today (July 13, 2011). I will try to update as often as possible. I had a website for 5 whole days. We cancelled it yesterday for many reasons. It's a long story, and even longer when I tell it. But I'm going to try to do with a blog, e-mail & Facebook what I wanted to do using a website.
   So, why a blog? First of all, to try to connect and reconnect with my friends. Also, I hope to promote my writing, and display art work and crafts that my sons and I make.
   I do have a Facebook account. I've been terribly slow at keeping up with it. I get on it about every 6 months. I'll try hard to keep up with it. Sorry ... I'm not doing funky games & stuff. My interest is communication. I wrote a story about 10 years ago. I get it out, re-read it, polish it, re-write stuff. It's finally at the point where it's finally ready to go out to see agents & publishers (I hope). I COULD make it longer, but it would probably just be meaningless fluff that a publisher would probably edit out, anyhow. I have been doing tedious agent searching lately. I have spent more months than I care to remember looking for an agent who may be interested in taking a look at my story.  I have literally  researched dozens of agents. I've narrowed it down to about three. One of whom I really would like to represent my story, but she only represents novels that are longer than mine. I just came across a list with 40 Christian agents. Each would have to be researched individually, and would take days. Oy.
   I currently have more story ideas than I could write in my lifetime, unless I live to be 198 years old, and the nursing home I end up in has a computer I can use. More about the story I wrote in later blogs.      My sons and I got turned on to a fun art form. I first saw it like 20 years ago. It's spray painting space pictures. It's really fun and surprisingly easy. We have many that are 8 1/2 X 11" and some that are larger. If you'd like to view some of them, check out http://www.facebook.com/pages/Klockreations/139065046170879. You can find my hideously outdated Facebook account by looking up Tim Klock, the one who lives in Riverside, CA. Believe it or not, there are other imposters who have the audacity to call themselves Tim Klock. Or maybe their parents called them Tim Klock. If your name ISN"T Tim Klock, WHY would you say it IS? If it IS Tim Klock, why would you admit it? It would be much more advantageous to go by Melchizedek Reynolds or something intriguing like that. If your name is Melchizidek Reynolds, please don't sue me. It was a name that just came to me. Really. Relax.
   We (my sons and I) also have an e-mail account at klockreations@att.net. We would love to hear from you. Really. That's what this is all about.
   I also do occasional oil paintings. Bob Ross (the "happy trees" dude from public TV) was my inspiration.  We also do photography and have lots of fun with Photoshop. Any of our paintings, photos and sundry crafts are available for purchase, if you so desire. Just let us know what you're interested in & we'll get it mailed to you.
   Well, I better get going. Thank you for taking your valuable time to look at this. Please write back. If even you live in a shack in the South Pole and we've never met. I'll write back.
   Last, but certainly NOT least, I am a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, and have been for 38 years. Also, I love beautiful Ireland, where my family came from back in the 1800's. I'm learning Irish, and I hope to visit Ireland some day. We came from County Cavan, last name of Clarke.
Hope to hear from you soon, and I'll update as soon as I can.

Thanks,
Tim.