Friday, February 27, 2009

Fox Elipsus

I know I promised last night not to bore you with too much of my American Idol addiction, but I love music. So obviously, I’m not completely deaf. Tonight, I discovered a wonderful new musician, a young man from England named Fox Elipsus. He was giving a concert at Borders in the café when I walked in intending to get a lot of work done on my story for TEB. (ha! I really got a lot of work done tonight.) I don’t know that I got nearly as much writing done as I’d intended to, but how often do I get a concert? Actually, I’ve pretty much stopped going to concerts in stadiums as they’ve been making me physically ill since my ear surgery in 1980. I don’t know why since I hear worse. But this concert was perfect. I think because it wasn’t so loud it blasted me away. I sat right in front of Fox as he played his electric piano and sang. To be honest, it was the only table open next to a plug or I probably wouldn’t have had the nerve to sit right up front. He dedicated a love song to me, “Unrequited”. No, he’s not infatuated with me. I’m just sitting up front and clapping after every song and also, I’m sure, since I bought both his CDs. Actually, when my younger daughter and her friends just walked in a moment ago, his eyes lit up. I’m sure they’re much more his age and prettier than me. He’s the age of my second oldest son. He’s online at www.elipsus.net and on My Space so I’ll make him one of my friends tonight. He said something that really surprised me. He told us that often he sells only one CD per concert (he’s on an international tour at places like Borders and restaurants). Tonight (so far) he’s sold four CDs and another guy is looking at one now and I think he’s going to buy one, too. He said his record (lately) is 15 CDs sold in one performance. He said sometimes he sells none (but usually at least one). When I used to do book signings, I was horrified to sell zero or only one book. I felt like a failure. And so I didn’t set up many book signings and haven’t any in quite awhile. Fox said he came from a concert in Sarasota earlier today and he’s got two concerts scheduled in the Miami area tomorrow. I really admire his perseverance and courage. He’s no doubt serious about his music and making the big time. He’s obviously going to make it. I’ve got to get a thicker skin and put myself out like him. Even as I’m writing this, my inner voice is going “BUT you have a day job and only get weekends and 3 weeks a year off. BUT you have kids still at home – you can’t quit the day job and go on an international tour or even set up four book signings in a weekend – not and be a good mom. At least not for many weekends. BUT no one at your church knows you write erotic male-male and male-male-female romances and if you do book signings around your home town, you’ll get ex-communicated.” He’s doing something I’ve not seen any of my fellow book signers do – he’s even offering to let people without money today take his CDs for free on the honor system. He’s telling them they can send him the money later or even if they can’t, he’ll still give them his CD. If you’re in South East Florida and read this in time and want to see Fox in concert, here’s his schedule this weekend. Saturday 1 pm Boca Raton Borders Saturday 7 pm Dolphin Mall Borders Sunday noon in Jensen Beach Sunday 6 pm Aventura Mall in the North Miami Beach Borders Now he’s just dedicated a song to my daughter and her two friends but he said this one is NOT for me because he’s already dedicated one to me. He’s cool. He also mentioned he’s got about 2000 + fans on My Space. That beats my 200 plus. I figured a guy who’s given concerts internationally would have more than 2000 friends on My Space. I don’t say this to put him down. Again, I’m revising my personal opinion that my efforts are too small – well they are – what I mean is that I shouldn’t let myself be discouraged by small numbers to start, or that the numbers aren’t as small as I perhaps thought. Okay, I’m rambling, but I’m learning tonight (even if I barely got any writing done). Lately it seems that music is teaching me about writing, and not only the promo end of things. So (here’s the word my editor told me I used more than 200 times in the last book she edited for me – I didn’t realize I used the word that many times, not even close)…I’m going to have to come out of my promo shell and get out there and keep going no matter what. Back to Fox’s concert – he’s got a hilarious song about his cat Anderson Brown, and he does awesome meows. The rest of the songs are serious and he’s got an awesome voice. So, check out Fox on his My Space and Face Book pages. Here they are: www.myspace.com/foxelipsus www.facebook.com/pages/Fox-Elipsus/10102302541 And now, Fox is my newest friend on My Space. :) ALSO, don’t forget to come and support me today on my first day as a deadly vixen at: http://www.thedeadlyvixens.com/ You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

10 comments:

Molly Daniels said...

What have I been telling you? I guess I needed to set it to music, ha ha:)

Yes, you can do one or two signings a month on the weekends and still be a good mom! And my kids are younger than yours...

Start with a small radius and work out. You'll do fine! And I'll have to check out Fox...he sounds awesome!

Unknown said...

Yes, Molly, I'm hanging my head in shame. I was thinking of you, too, when I wrote this. YOU and Fox have the right idea. Now if I can get my hubby to agree even for one or two weekends. He expects me to take the daughter to softball games and practices all weekend, every weekend. He gets mad even when, especially when, I have a FREE radio interview - because it means not only am I not free to go to softball, but it means there has to be quiet in the house so I can do it. Hubby's a trip. If not for him, I'd probably host my own radio blog show. One of these days... I'd have you, the gang here, and Fox all as the first interviewees.

Unknown said...

You push yourself too hard - and you know it - step back a bit - look at the books you have out there - you've well girl.So what if 6 books release in a year when you want 20...what does it matter?

Unknown said...

I do push myself, I think. Other times it seems I don't push myself enough - when it comes to book signings and conferences, anyway. Other times, I stress out and get overwhelmed and just make myself go to bed early. One thing I do no matter what, is to put the family and day job first. The day job is our security. So if I have to work late or not take early vacation so I can go to a conference if it means risking my job - especially now in this economy - the day job safety comes first. This past week when I had the worst of the bronchitis I made myself sleep a lot and relax and didn't work on the books, even though on one hand, I felt bad about it. I just cannot jeopardize the day job, or my health - same difference.

Molly Daniels said...

Are you going to Lori Foster's again this year? Is she still having it in Cincy? I need to go to the website...

Sold 2 more today:)

Unknown said...

Molly, I'm hoping to go to Lori Foster's conference again. Let me check with my dad to see if it's okay if I visit him again and I'll let you know. With hubby losing one day of work every week, I also have to make sure the $ is kosher. It's not Lori's fees but the plane ticket and rental car fees that might stop me. But I'd love to go and I'd love to see my dad and other family again, too.

Unknown said...

Yeah Molly! If I do get to come to Cincy this summer (or whenever) maybe we can set up a booksigning together in Indiana or Ohio.

Molly Daniels said...

That'd be cool! Esp if Kenzie's book is out by then:)

Unknown said...

It's a date. I'll let you know soon as I do. Don't you hate it when you don't have a release date?

Sandra Cox said...

Ooh, a song about his cat. I like that!

Website Content and Copy: Ashley Ladd, 2008.|Blog Design by JudithShakes Designs.
Graphics hosted by Flickr.