What has been one of your most rewarding experiences as an author?
I’ve been blessed as a writer.
While I’m sitting at my desk, struggling through a story, never having enough time to finish, never getting far enough that day, under a deadline, or feeling a thousand and one pressures from a thousand and one places, I never look at the journey. I’ve always been very good at keeping my head down, buried it in the work. But when I see questions like this, it allows me to reflect. I’ve had a few writing related experiences that have been pretty incredible.
The thing I’m most proud of in my life is that I’ve been able to support my family with the money I make writing. Starting in the theater and then moving onto movies, I managed to keep working as a writer. Writing for film and TV, you can make some good cash. I was blessed to not only stay writing in those arenas, but get a lot produced which gave me security. All from writing.
When I decided to write my first novel, that book being HONEYMOON WITH HARRY, I never expected that to be the project that changed the course of my life. I needed to write it because I was coming off a feature project where I was treated badly by producers – those asses still owe me money, (though Karma is sometimes your best friend. One of them went to prison for bilking money from investors. I’ll never get the money I’m owed, but I like the idea of that creep being behind bars in a federal prison).
Anyway, while HONEYMOON WITH HARRY was in galleys, the movie rights sold to New Line Cinema for three-quarters of a million bucks. It was a sweet payday. (Granted, that money didn’t all come to papa, there were manager and lawyers and Uncle Sam to be paid – all in all though, it was sweet!!!!) But more than the money, it gave me the confidence to keep writing novels. I found that as much as I loved writing movies and television, I really love writing novels, with their breath and scope, getting into internals of characters, more. And while not every book has been a raving success, and none has made anywhere near the money HONEYMOON WITH HARRY did (or spawned two sequels, A SECOND HONEYMOON WITH HARRY and THE LAST HONEYMOON WITH HARRY), I make enough to keep writing. Point is, you don’t know where blessing are going to come from or how they will manifest. I’m not a person who believes in the Universe providing or any airy-fairy prosperity manifesto. I believe in hard work and persistence. But I have come to the conclusion that writing is my reward because I can afford to do it every day. Not having to do something else to pay the bills is about as great as it gets for a guy like me.
So, for new writers, things happen in this business you can’t plan for. You do everything right and the book just lays there. You barely do anything at all and a book takes off and you’re making best seller lists. All you can do is write the best stuff you can. Then revise it, rework it, rewrite it, and make it better until you can’t anymore. Then work your ass off on the business-side to bring your game up to a professional level, whether you’re chasing an agent, a publishing deal, or releasing the book yourself. Bottom line, if you don’t put the work in, you’re assured nothing will happen. You put the work in and then the success has a place to root. It may not happen quickly and it may take a lot of work, but one thing I know about successful writers is that they’ve worked their asses off. They’ve been kicked in the teeth and gotten up and gone back to work. Success in our business comes from hard work. It may come as a slow drip. It may (seemingly) come quickly. But it’s always hard earned. And one thing all successful writers have in common is that they put out material.
If you’re looking for reward, find it in what you control, which is the writing. Putting words on the page. Without that, nothing good can happen for you in this business. It’s that simple. I PROMISE YOU PAIN is my eighth book. I’m writing a second in this CORDON FINN VENGEANCE SERIES now and then I’m going to work on a book that’s more general fiction, WHEN THE RAIN FALLS, but still shares some of the themes I love to write about: found family, loss, and redemption. And I’m going to keep writing until I have this business where I want it to be. I’m blessed to be able to write. To be a storyteller. All rewards flow from that gift.
Book Title: I Promise You Pain (The Cordon Finn Vengeance Series, Book One)
Author: Bart Baker
Publisher: Big Muddy Books
Release Date: May 11, 2023
Genre: Dark Action
Tropes: Damaged hero, surprising sidekick, duplicitous villain
Themes: Finding One’s True Self, Fighting for Who You Are, Coming Out, Found Family
Heat Rating: 3 flames
Length: 67 345 words/203 pages
It is the first book in a series and does not end on a cliffhanger.
Buy Links
Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | Kobo
Blurb
Hired by a Chicago billionaire to pluck his runaway son from the Palm Springs compound of a wealthy pedophile, former military extraction and information specialist, Cordon Finn, believes it will be a simple snatch and go job with a big payday. But after grabbing the kid at a Pride Week party, Cordon discovers that nothing is as it seems. His quarry isn’t underage, and isn’t the billionaire’s son, but rather his trans-daughter who goes by the name of Lucious. And her father wants Lucious dead, putting Cordon, who is dealing with his own sexual identity, in the crosshairs as well. After fighting off a cadre of assassins, Cordon vows to keep Lucious alive. But when the billionaire kidnaps Cordon’s girlfriend and comes after his family and friends, Cordon takes the fight back to the billionaire’s door. With the surprising help of Lucious, as well as his sister, Annie, Cordon battles the billionaire’s small army, until he’s face-to-face with the billionaire. And in this battle, there will be only one man left standing, the one who is capable of maximum destruction.
Arriving at his car, Cordon puts down the top and tosses his bag in before opening the door to climb in, when he hears, “We’re even,” from behind him.
Turning, he finds the young guy, smiling cheekily, standing behind him.
“Even?” Cordon asks, unsure.
“You enjoyed the show I put on for you inside, I enjoyed the show you put on for me as you sashayed across the parking lot,” the kid says.
“I don’t sashay. And I didn’t take off my shirt for you.”
The kid giggles, rolling his eyes dramatically as he says, “Liar. That’s the only reason you took off your shirt. Hoping I’d notice and come running up to you.”
“And here you are.”
The kid’s face squishes up like he’s eaten rotten lemons.
“I’m a sucker for a muscle daddy. And you certainly got size. Hopefully, in the places I can’t see.”
“How old are you?” Cordon asks, ignoring the kid’s comment.
“Twenty-two.”
“Now who’s the liar?”
The kid smirks mischievously, hand on hip. “Nineteen. Five-ten. Twenty-eight-inch waist. My name is Gio. Want to know my cock size?”
Cordon doesn’t answer, which causes Gio to grin mischievously.
“Come on, I saw you looking at it. Though I imagine being a giant, yours is bigger. But for my frame, mine is super-sized,” he laughs.
“This bullshit work?”
“Work how?”
“On other guys. Talking about your dick like it’s a 78-inch flat screen.”
“Just the ones who I think are interested,” Gio laughs, then suddenly gets more direct as he adds, “or have the money to pay.”
Cordon nods, understanding more clearly Gio’s game. “Which one do you think I am?” Cordon asks.
“You’re driving a really nice car, so you got the money. But I don’t think you have to pay men to have sex with you, unless you do it for the control, or you’re married, which I wouldn’t doubt, and you hope money will keep your trick’s mouth shut. Either way, I know you’re interested. I always know.”
“You party up at Lansing’s?” Cordon asks, tiring of the conversation.
Again, Gio’s smile fades, his head turning slightly as if looking at the Cordon from a different angle might jog his memory. “Did we meet up there?” Gio asks more of himself than Cordon. “No. I’d remember. Lansing would never invite a guy like you. All his little boys would flit around you like butterflies to bougainvillea, and he doesn’t allow anyone to steal his thunder. You a cop?”
“No.”
“You know if I ask, you have to tell me,” Gio inserts.
“That’s bullshit. But I’m not.”
Gio takes Cordon in silently for a moment. And even though he knows he shouldn’t say too much to the statuesque man he doesn’t know, Gio is not adept at shutting up, even when it’s in his best interest.
“Sure, I party up at Lansing’s. Never lived there, though. Those guys think Lansing’s the answer to their prayers. Please. He has a revolving bedroom door with guys going in all young, dewy-eyed, and hopeful, and coming out all used up and sad. The man’s an emotional vampire. Sucks the life out of everybody. They all think that he’s going to help make them a star, or they’ll meet some other old queen through Lansing that will. And they all end up going back home, broke, hungry, and completely jaded, or they end up selling it to pay the rent. Hell, even when you’re up there, all that’s there are other fairies just like them or some dried-up, old, coke addict trying to get his Viagra dick up your ass. Don’t know anybody Lansing’s actually helped. Ever.”
“You don’t hold back, do you?”
“Just so I know who just insulted me, what’s your name?”
“Cordon.”
“Cordon from where?”
“Chicago.”
“You’re a long way from home, aren’t you, Dorothy? Are you here for Pride Week? I mean, I don’t get that vibe from you, that you’re down here to party with the boys. But you could be one of those sad, married men who told your wife back in Chicago that you’re going on a golfing trip or a hunting trip or something equally lame. And you’re here because you really like dick but you’re Catholic or worse, Evangelical, like my parents, and your guilt is off the charts because you married some pretty blonde, church-going girl, you have two kids, but all you think about when you’re fucking her is guys like me.”
“You hungry?” Cordon asks, ignoring Gio’s smart-ass comment.
“If you’re paying and I get to pick the restaurant,” Gio quickly tacks on.
Cordon lets a half-smile slip on his lip at Gio’s young, alpha nonsense.
“Get in,” Cordon says.
Mr. Baker has written seven novels, including WHAT REMAINS, THE VIRGIN DAIQUIRI, and THE WEDDING GIFT. The film rights to his beloved novel, HONEYMOON WITH HARRY, were purchased by New Line Cinema. The book also spawned two sequels, A SECOND HONEYMOON WITH HARRY and THE LAST HONEYMOON WITH HARRY. Bart has also written for the theater, having eight plays produced around the world. The film rights to his play, RELAY, were purchased by Warner Bros., which led him into screenwriting. Bart has had 18 produced film and TV credits, including the feature film, LIVE WIRE, starring Pierce Brosnan, the BRIDE trilogy of films for CBS, as well as projects for CBS, ABC, FX, The Family Channel, Lifetime, The USA Network, and Hallmark among others.
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