Jeff’s Comments (group member since Jun 26, 2008)

Jeff’s comments from the Q & A with Jeff LeJeune group.

Glad to have you as part of the conversation, Shirley.

Perry and Noel go to the Orioles-Brewers game on July 4, 1973 and have the time of their lives. Discuss here your Independence Day memories.

Father Perry Burns relives his checkered past when he gets the letter from Noel. Part of that past is remembering the fond times he spent with her.
Here, I'd like to discuss our favorite "date" moments. Hopefully our spouses are included, but hopefully you feel free to talk about others as well :).
Remember to keep it PG! :)

This essentially is the conflict Perry Burns in the book cannot negotiate, and it ends up destroying him. Thought I'd open up a conversation for all of us who need help or want to offer it in this category of life. It's sometimes difficult to live our lives when there is the clash between following the rules and letting our creativity run free.

Hi, Shannon. I don't ever consider an audience because I believe that the story must come first. The story generates it's own audience. If I tried to make a story fit, it would come off as phony.
I am my audience when I write, believe it or not. I write what I know and what drives me every day. If that inspires people, great. But I can't inspire someone if I'm constantly trying to catch up to what people want.
Thanks for your question and your support.

The book is being delivered now, Celeste. There was a small hiccup in the process, but it seems to have been corrected.
Online orders at this point may be the best and quickest option. If you're comfortable with that, I invite you to do so because the more online orders we have, the more the distributors and bookstores will trust that the book has a fanbase.

Thank you for your support!

The writing process is difficult. Since I teach and coach, and, oh yeah, grade, it's difficult to find consistent time to write. I do find it, though, but it's usually in bursts like you said, especially during the school year. I am able to work on a manuscript much more consistently during the two months of summer vacation, but even then, necessary home projects can get in the way.
I have a manuscript I'm going back over now, and I try to work on 10 pages a night before I go to bed. It's worked well so far. I hope to finish it by summer's end.

I do sometimes, and it did affect my writing in The Final Chase because I was sometimes too descriptive. I was seeing the landscape in my head (like Chase sees it in his dream) and I wanted to capture that vividly to match the vivid nature of dreams. Honestly, I think I succeeded in my quest, but I'm not sure if my purpose with that translates to the reader. One thing I've learned is you can be right about something you write, but if the reader's not getting it, it just becomes a source of frustration for you as an author.
I did see Postmarked Baltimore being played out in movie form, but I learned my lesson from the first book. During the final stages of revisions and edits, I made sure to ask myself if every sentence I was reading was necessary. I cut out some stuff I had fallen in love with, so to speak, but it's that stuff that is usually the fat that can be trimmed.

Oh, and as far as the book's delivery, they should be mailing the ordered books off today, that is if you ordered from the publisher direct. I'd say two weeks in that case.
If you ordered through Amazon or something like it, it will have to go through two shipping phases, so it may be three-four weeks in that case.

You know, I actually thought of both of these two. We were watching Wedding Crashers and of course The Notebook, and she is just the cutest thing. Not just looks-wise, but personality. You are so right.
The other night we were watching 15 minutes, and I told Shannon I thought Edward Burns would be excellent as Perry Burns. She disagreed, but now I have some clout with your opinion :).
Of course, all we have to do now is make the book a bestseller or have it fall in the lap of some hot shot film person. Nothin' to it.

I absolutely love this question. I actually can see Postmarked being a movie one day. If it were a movie, it would be a mix between For Love of the Game and Mr. Brooks (total coincidence that both feature Kevin Costner). For Love of the Game because of the flashback nature of the story; and Mr. Brooks because of the main character's "shadow" walking around with him.
As far as a cast of characters, Perry Burns, the main character, would have to be played by someone who plays the tortured soul well. I've always had in mind Joaquim Phoenix. The girl would have to be intelligent but full of romantic ideals. I've pictured Reese Witherspoon and Kate Beckinsale.
For the mysterious guest in the corner, for some reason I've always pictured Christopher Walken, but Edward Norton would do a "hell" of a job, and I mean that literally.

Yes, love stories can be predictable, but it seems like most of them still strike the heart. They do mine, anyway. With this love story, however, you're right, I did want something different. The added element of misunderstood religion gives more depth to this love story, and perhaps will shed light on why individuals who want to love sometimes can't.

I will be here indefinitely to field questions about my new novel, "Postmarked Baltimore," as well as those concerning my first book.