September Update and Mea Culpa ...

Yes, I've been remiss on updating this blog even after I told myself I wasn't going to be a slacker. Excuse: There's been a lot of working, editing textbook chapters (boring yes, but it pays the mortgage) novel editing, and way less audio editing than I would like. I know you're dying to know what's been going on ... (both of you)...

The novel: I did one more editing pass and it's still going through the writer's group. The problem with that, though, is it will take 5 years to read it for them at the breakneck speed of 4 pages a week. They'll hear it on iTunes and I'll have a sequel before that happens. Anticipating the audio production, I've been playing with some ideas for music and sound effects. I bought a lot of great music and sound FX from Digital Juice. I even found a theme song there that's perfect.

Social Media: Tweetdeck has a new version that brings up the Facebook update as well as Twitter. From Tweetdeck I can do "likes", open links, and comment directly to Facebook. I can also send the same update to both. It saves a lot of time. I've met a number of awesome people on Twitter including authors and podcasters who have led me to other people. Today I got a "hi" from my friend, Arlene Radasky, who then happened to respond to myself and another person in a tweet. Curious about the other person (and always curious about who my friends hang out with) I went to her profile to find Lou Riddell is a writer and pen and ink artist. I've been looking for a cover artist for the novel and considered a pen and ink drawing. She's going to play with the idea. Wahoo! I also found out that her husband is a writer and used to be a firefighter. I'm now following him and and bought his book on Lulu.

The podcast of "Bruno Fenster Saves the World and Still Gets Home in Time for Breakfast": Well, the author, Wolfgang, decided to buy some of his own recording equipment and learn podcasting. The problem is, he can't seem to get Part "A" to work with Part "B". I told him I would record the second chapter of Bruno just to get it out there. I don't want to look like a "podfader". I recorded it weeks ago but haven't had time to edit the dang thing. I'm really going to try to do that tomorrow. I did have a bit of fun with the character voices so we'll see how it turns out. Who does the third chapter will depend on whether Wolfgang untangles himself from all the cables and figures out his equipment.

I also took on a new project; something really different: I was listening to a reading of Nobilis' "Magical Clothes" and was in the chat room with him and a few other podcasters. He was talking about how he wanted to do NaNoRiMO this year, (National Novel Writing Month which challenges authors to write a whole novel in a month) and he hatched an idea. He asked all of us if we would take one of his podcasts in November as "guest podcasters". This would mean writing a story, recording it, producing it, and putting it up. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time so I was included. This is a great opportunity for me to stretch my boundaries. Although I feel confident to produce a podcast, I'm not used to writing short stories, especially in the science fiction/erotica genre. I grabbed an idea and ran with it though, and I think it's turning out pretty well. We'll see if he likes it.

"To the Rescue, Stories of Healthcare Workers at the Scene of Disaster": The website is up http://www.totherescuestories.com. The book can be found at all the usual online places. Amazon seems to have the best price. I went into a Barnes and Noble today on a lark just to see if they were stocking it. I found two copies! What a rush to see something you wrote, in hardback, on a bookstore shelf! The problem is, and maybe it's because Kaplan Publishing does a lot of medical textbooks, is that it was in the medical textbook area. Unfortunately, no one will likely see it there, so I asked my editor if Kaplan can fix that. I also happened to be talking to the community services person at B and N and asked about book signings. It seems they're having a whole lot of book fairs between now and Christmas and will give me the dates. The editor already told me if the authors set up signings and events in their respective areas, Kaplan will provide all the schwag. What fun that would be if a bunch of my local EMS friends, firefighters and authors showed up! BTW, if you do get it, please post a review on Amazon or on a site called Goodreads. If you like to read, it's a great site. I also have an author page there.

Well, that's the update. I hope more than my two followers read this. Please comment and follow this blog so I know you're out there!

New Website for "To the Rescue ..."

Kaplan Publishing just put up the new website to support the book "To the Rescue - Stories of Healthcare Workers at the Scene of Disasters". It's still a work in progress, but it tells you more about the stories and includes the author bios. Check it out here!

Please leave a review here, on Amazon, or whatever site you choose!

Sam

New Book!

Sam Bradley's books on Goodreads

To the Rescue: Stories from Healthcare Workers at the Scenes of Disasters

reviews: 1
ratings: 1 (avg rating 0.0)

What I've read on Goodreads - Great Site!

Authors Read on Blogtalkradio

"Jack Wakes Up" by Seth Harwood Review

Jack Wakes Up by Seth Harwood


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I love Jack! He was an actor who fell into the kind of negative behaviors that come with fame and money. Successful in cleaning up his life after a public fiasco that put his career on hold, the money began to run out and boredom was setting in. A meeting with an old friend and a decision to make a few quick bucks sends him off on a wild adventure. This fast paced thriller doesn't even give you time to breathe between one gut-wrenching, jaw-dropping moment to the next. We follow Jack through the streets of San Francisco as his quest pulls him deeper into the world of San Francsico drug dealing, and post cold war European drama.

Despite the fact his own life is threatened, Jack finds finds a resolve and determination he didn't know he had. He's on a wild ride that gives his life a spark it hasn't seen for quite a while. From the bouncers to the drug lords to the cocaine loving Czechoslovakians, there isn't a dull character in the book.

Warning: don't read the last chapter before going to bed ... if you want to sleep anyway.

When you're finished and starting through JWU withdrawals, you'll be begging Seth to publish the next two "Jack" stories in print! Well, Seth? (In the meantime, you can hear them at sethharwood.com)


View all my reviews >>

To The Rescue: Stories from Healthcare Workers at the Scene of Disaster

Editors Kerry-Ann Morris and Nancy Harless put together this anthology of first person disaster stories for Kaplan Publishing, and it will be out September 1st! I contributed my Ground Zero story and I can't wait to see what else is in there.

Now, the marketing begins. They will be putting up a companion website, doing interviews with the authors, and we may even be doing some bookstore readings. What fun! These are some of the blurbs they suggested:

Every year, around the globe, hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, and a host of other disasters devastate the lives of millions. But upon notice of a catastrophe like Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans or the tsunamis in Indonesia, physicians, nurses, and EMTs go into action to save lives. These are the stories of To the Rescue.


In To the Rescue, those closest to the scene of disaster share intimate tales from the frontlines about the people they meet and the remarkable obstacles they must confront in order to care for patients under extraordinary circumstances.

To the Rescue provides a fascinating journey into the hearts and minds of the people around the world who save and care for the millions who are affected every year by extreme situations. Heartwarming and inspiring, these are stories readers won’t soon forget.

This book was written in recognition of all those that do this important disaster work. Please help spread the word!

Lots more to follow on this!! See the cover at the bottom of the page ...