Posts by Brock Talon

42

Generation changes chart - 3rd edition

by truthseeker in

jw
friends

i started working on this chart 5 years ago.

i didn't think i'd have to update it again so soon.. .

linky in case image doesn't show below.

Brock Talon

Regarding our dear departed Brother Gangas, I can almost hear again how he started his prayers:

Oh Jehovah, our Almighty, Beautiful, Celestial, Delightful, Energetic, Fantastic, Glorious, Honorable, Illustrious, Jubilant, Kind, Long Suffering, Majestic, Noble, Omniscient, Powerful... heavenly father....

42

Generation changes chart - 3rd edition

by truthseeker in

jw
friends

i started working on this chart 5 years ago.

i didn't think i'd have to update it again so soon.. .

linky in case image doesn't show below.

Brock Talon

I was at Bethel when that iconic Watchtower was published, the one with Brother Gangas and other "1914 generation" anointed were printed on it. I was close to brother Gangas as well at that time, so I felt comfortable asking him about the cover, that is, what did he think about being on the cover and about the article itself.

He just smiled at me his Yoda smile and said nothing.

36

Today I got a review that left me scratching my head - what do you make of it?

by Brock Talon in

as a published author on amazon, i'm used to getting negative reviews from time to time.

it goes with the territory and i'm ok with it.

writing is an art form, so no art is liked by everyone.

Brock Talon

Mary J Blige, Thanks for that. Tell your mother that if she writes a review of my book, it will make my day. For the record, most of the experiences I have regarding my books are positive. So, it's not all bad reviews and people Facebook flaming me and saying they want to kill me. I didn't want to leave that impression. But every once in awhile I like to share with the ex-JW community the craziness I occasionally experience because I think you all will understand it the best and will usually have words of reassurance that I need too. This is so I don't regret publishing my story to the entire world.

36

Today I got a review that left me scratching my head - what do you make of it?

by Brock Talon in

as a published author on amazon, i'm used to getting negative reviews from time to time.

it goes with the territory and i'm ok with it.

writing is an art form, so no art is liked by everyone.

Brock Talon

OnTheWayOut, That was an interesting way of handling things. I suppose we each have our own way as an author. I personally try to resist the urge to comment on my book reviews at all, but I wouldn't say it was wrong to do it. I've just read in a number of places where responding to reviews, especially negative ones, can backfire on an author. By the way, three other people have already answered that review with their own comments and the reviewer didn't respond back to those people, so I doubt my responding would have served any useful purpose.

runForver, Yes. Totally. This person cannot say they were not warned.

tiki, Well, it was worth my time reading it, but probably not yours.

36

Today I got a review that left me scratching my head - what do you make of it?

by Brock Talon in

as a published author on amazon, i'm used to getting negative reviews from time to time.

it goes with the territory and i'm ok with it.

writing is an art form, so no art is liked by everyone.

Brock Talon

OnTheWayOut, well, that's an idea, but I don't like to respond to reviews on Amazon. It's generally considered a bad idea by most authors. (Conventional wisdom holds that we are supposed to be above such things... so I don't break rank from that.)

Fortunately I have this forum and Facebook to do the occasional venting about the trials and tribulations of being an ex-JW book author. For example - I found that same extreme review in English this time on another book site. Boy, this woman really must hate me to post it twice under two different names...

36

Today I got a review that left me scratching my head - what do you make of it?

by Brock Talon in

as a published author on amazon, i'm used to getting negative reviews from time to time.

it goes with the territory and i'm ok with it.

writing is an art form, so no art is liked by everyone.

Brock Talon

TD, True, dat. I was one of those people myself at one time, so I'll give this poor woman a pass.

Steve2, I really appreciate the thought. I think leaving the review up with, along with the comments some folks are making on it on Amazon is a better (**ahem**) "witness" than anything else I could do. And as I've stated before, these kinds of 1 star bash reviews seem to make the book sell better for some odd reason, so it doesn't really hurt anything in the long run.

I'm also tickled whenever anyone mentions my work in any context along side Ray Franz... a man whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.

36

Today I got a review that left me scratching my head - what do you make of it?

by Brock Talon in

as a published author on amazon, i'm used to getting negative reviews from time to time.

it goes with the territory and i'm ok with it.

writing is an art form, so no art is liked by everyone.

Brock Talon

Scully, yeah. I thought all those things myself.

Kairos, ha!

Simon, My thoughts on that as well. It's like I said at the end of Journey to God's House:

Neither do they really love. Not others. Not even each other. Their so-called love is based on merit only. If you do what they like, they'll put up with you. If not, they'll drop you without hesitation and not feel a thing about it. I'm sorry to say it, but this kind of behavior is simply not love.

When I was a Witness, I was just like them too. But, I couldn't see that what I was doing was wrong. As a rule, Jehovah's Witnesses simply can't see this about themselves in the same way a person with bad body odor usually can't smell themselves.

36

Today I got a review that left me scratching my head - what do you make of it?

by Brock Talon in

as a published author on amazon, i'm used to getting negative reviews from time to time.

it goes with the territory and i'm ok with it.

writing is an art form, so no art is liked by everyone.

Brock Talon

Sir82, I agree totally.

ToesUp, Yes, they just can't see the conditional relationship... usually until it's too late!

Regarding not taking the review by Beth personally, I don't.

But, what about this review I found on an Italian website (through Google Alerts). Would you take this one personally if you were me? Somebody translated my book Escape from Paradise into Italian and this person called "TheSurvivalMama" wrote this review about it (named in Italian "Fuga Dal Paradiso").

36

Today I got a review that left me scratching my head - what do you make of it?

by Brock Talon in

as a published author on amazon, i'm used to getting negative reviews from time to time.

it goes with the territory and i'm ok with it.

writing is an art form, so no art is liked by everyone.

Brock Talon

Xanthippe, You're so right. It IS ironic that she doesn't have to be perfect to be a JW, yet still doesn't feel she is good enough to be one. I thought Christianity was about accepting the undeserved grace of God and just believing in a savior, not waiting to be "good enough" to accept said savior to be baptized. What good is an all loving, all accepting savior if you have to jump through hoops to get saved from your own weaknesses so much that you can't make up your mind after 5 years? This works-based faith the JWs espouse really gets my goat.

38

I'm writing a novel!

by punkofnice in

jw
friends

i'm up to about 30k words at the moment and still going strong.. i don't expect it'll ever get off the ground.....at least i'm going to try though.. i'm thinking of 6 months time and looking at the route of self publishing.

yes, i want to be a publisher.. it's very violent in places, has violent sexual scenes and very strong language.. it's everything the watchtower(r) said i should avoid.....i wonder if my authentic self has exploded into freedom?.

if you want more info or wish to read a snippet let me know.. i can't think of a title and have changed it several times, at the moment it's called 'boomshot.

Brock Talon

Good for you Paul! Nice reviews too. I hope you sell a million.