Publication Day for the Starry-Eyed Author

This is a momentous day for me as a writer, researcher -- and person. Synod, my debut novel which I wrote during my days as a MFA student at Fairfield University, is now out with Zimbell House. Though my work was with a small press, it was very hands-on, extremely professional and eye-opening -- revealing the substance behind the curtain, the grinding gears that keep the business world turning. The proverbial smoke and mirrors.

But as an author, to see a story -- once just a nugget of an idea embedded deep in your subconscious -- burst to life is the ultimate reward. Holding a tangible item, constructed wholly of your words, is humbling. These words will endure. And I think that's what art is -- understanding humanity, our emotions, our motivators, our fears. And communicating it in a way that's accessible yet challenging.

I stumbled across two extremely enlightening quotes when searching for some creative words to accompany the release today. Here they are:

Kazuo Ishiguro: "There was another life that I might have had, but I am having this one."

That life is an artist, a writer.

The other, from Stephen King: "“Writers remember everything...especially the hurts. Strip a writer to the buff, point to the scars, and he'll tell you the story of each small one. From the big ones you get novels. A little talent is a nice thing to have if you want to be a writer, but the only real requirement is the ability to remember the story of every scar. Art consists of the persistence of memory.”

This is not just the physical scar -- but the pull of history, a social injustice, the recollection of what once was.

Keep that in mind when you gently open the first page of your next book...

In the meantime, take a look at Synod, it's literary, elemental and descriptive -- even sometimes high-concept in its endeavor. Its plot communicates a message of freedom.

Find it here (with additional purchasing options to Amazon & Barnes & Noble): http://zimbellhousepublishing.com/product/synod/

Until next time!

-Dan