BASED ON A TRUE STORY: REALLY ALMOST TRUE STORY (BOATS:RATS)
by Joey Jones and Mark Jones
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…has been submitted, accepted, and an excerpt is live for voting until January 28th. You can read the book’s opening at Amazon.com’s Kindle Scout, and then enjoy a sneak peek at the next few pages here on our site:
This is a painting I did of Merlin, aka, “Mr. Darcy” from our book, Based On A True Story: Really (Almost) True Story. We got the notification from Amazon’s Kindle Scout publishing program that they’re going to consider our novel! This means that you have a chance to read an excerpt, and if you like it, vote for Amazon Kindle to bring the novel out. If you vote for it and it’s selected, you get a free online advance copy of the book!
More info coming tomorrow, but we thought we’d share a secret with you… something that isn’t even on the page for the book’s campaign. Something the people who read early drafts of the book asked and we avoided answering directly…
“Did any of this really happen?” The short answer is “yes.” The slightly longer answer is “quite a bit of it, actually.” We did fictionalize events and people. So that thing happened, for example, but different people were there. A lot of times, things happen in life and they don’t link up to form a longer story. Or you don’t know why it happened or what it meant. In a book, by fictionalizing reality, you get to string things together that happened on different trips, and include anyone you wish was there. Some of the characters are true-to-life. Merlin (aka “Mr. Darcy”) was our beloved friend, a puppy found stray on the streets who became a Service Dog and saved my life. He was just like the Mr. Darcy of the BOATS books.
Some of the things in the book happened just that way. Pat, Mark’s mom and my friend, read the first draft of the book. She said it was odd reading it because she was present for many of the events in the book, so for her, it was part novel and part journal.
Ultimately, for the novel, it doesn’t matter which parts are 100% accurate accounts. When you read a book, if you enjoy it, it becomes a real world, with real people. It’s just that this one happens to be real in this world, too, in places. Like Mr. Darcy.
This is the second year we’ve put on Color For A Cause. You can participate wherever you are! All you do is draw (or print out and color) cards to be distributed at a local hospital or nursing home. We even have free artwork you can download, print and color (available for any non-commercial use, meaning no money changes hands), on our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/IdeaJones
This year, we’re donating cards to the local Shriners Hospital, to be given to kids who’ll be in the hospital over the holidays. Coloring makes a good break from holiday stress, and it’s also a good way to keep kids busy. Charities like Girls Love Mail (http://www.girlslovemail.com ) love cards created by kids (even toddlers — you can always print the artist’s first name on the card).
White cardstock (available in any office supply store) works great, and you can fit two on a page. Envelopes aren’t necessary, but if you want to include them, size your cards 3.5″x5.5″ and add a box of 4″x6″ envelopes.
Messages? The basic guidelines are: nothing obscene, nothing overtly religious (you don’t know the recipient’s beliefs), and keep it positive. Short messages are just fine.
Thanks to this year’s participants, Sarah, Micaela, Eva, Mila, Harper, Patti, Antonia and Mark! The cards will be going to the hospital in a day or so.
There’s still time to do this wherever you are — a fun break for you and a nice surprise for someone else!