Dust of the Earth by Mark Lages

Author:Mark Lages [Lages, Mark]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781665539326
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Published: 2021-09-27T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 20

BILLY THE SQUIRREL

I’m not going to lie. There were many positive reviews of Clay, and I probably should’ve paid more attention to them. But it’s always the insults and negativity that stand out. Those are the reactions that hit home. Those are the reactions that shape a self-image and mold one’s self-worth. Sadly, a punch in the mouth is always more memorable than a pat on the back. Whether we like it or not.

For months I wrote nothing. Maybe I was now gun-shy. Per the second dictionary definition, gun-shy meant “markedly distrustful, afraid, or cautious.” And why not? The last thing I needed was another punch in the mouth.

Then along came my second birthday. There were more people at this celebration than there were at my first birthday. It was the usual list of suspects, plus a few new characters. Clyde’s wife was there, and so was Gabe’s girlfriend, Sandra. Bert Lewis from Sunrise Publishing showed up, and there were a few others who I was surprised to see. It was nice. I wished Elaine could’ve come, but she didn’t. But this time, it was like a real party. Jim poured everyone a glass of champagne, and then he raised his own glass to make a toast. “To Martin,” he said. “The gift that keeps on giving.”

“Speaking of which,” Bert said to me.

“Yes?” I asked.

“When do we get to see your fourth book?”

My next book? Was he kidding? “There’s nothing on the drawing board,” I said.

“Nothing?”

“After Clay, I thought I would take a break.”

“Why?” Bert asked.

“You know,” I said. “All the negative reaction.”

Bert laughed. “We sold more copies of Clay than both of your other books combined.”

“You did?” I asked. This was surprising. I guess I should’ve been following sales, but I never did. Exactly how many copies were sold and how much money the book made never were very important to me.

“I liked the book,” Sandra said.

“So did I,” Gabe said.

“A lot of people liked it,” Bert said.

“Martin isn’t used to being criticized,” Jim said.

“You need to thicken your skin,” Bert said to me.

“I don’t have any skin,” I said.

Everyone laughed. “Then you ought to grow some,” Bert said, and everyone laughed again. I was confused for a moment, but then I figured it out.

“You’re probably right,” I said.

“As long as you’re in the public eye, people are going to take shots at you,” Bert said.

“It doesn’t mean anything,” Jim assured me.

“Who cares what they think?” Amy said.

“You’re a good writer,” Sandra said.

“Tell them all to go shit in their hats,” Bert said, and everyone laughed.

You know, I never liked Bert much, but I liked him now. I liked what he was saying. It was something I needed to hear, and, yes, I would grow some skin. Thick skin. And I would write another book. Damn the critics, and damn the naysayers. The only question that remained to be answered was—what would this book be about?

Then it hit me three days after the party. I knew exactly what I wanted to write about.

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