Okay, time for some shameless self-promotion ... next year’s entree into the Stella fray of crime novels is Rough Riders, a 10 year sequel to Eddie’s World. Alex Pavlik is back ... so is the bad guy (James Singleton/now Washington Stewart) ... and the almost always inept Effa-Bee-Eye, except this time the action takes place in the great state of North Dakota ... in the Magic city of Minot (where I originally went to college, played some football and met the teacher who changed my life, Dave Gresham). It’s a multi-plotted book featuring a former Miss North Dakota, a first Gulf War veteran on the Minot Police Department, some really cold weather and lots and lots more.
The book cover for Rough Riders was designed by David Terrenoire, a hell of a writer (Beneath a Panamanian Moon--great read). David designed the cover and offers this service to writers in print and ebook formats. He is VERY reasonable (especially considering our first check to him bounced like the needle on my scale--our bad). More on his services to come. In the meantime, check out the covers (front and back) ...
That first blurb ain’t too shabby ... from none other than Ward Churchill (by the gracious way of the always gracious Ben Whitmer) ... Mr. Churchill fact checked my Native American research (and did a hell of a job). The original manuscript was edited by Peter Skutches many moons ago. Because I had to update it for 2010 (madonna mia, what a job), author/editor Merle Drown did the follow-up editorial work.
Besides work, the update was fun ... some characters take shots at the Tea Party, others take their verbal frustrations out on President Obama ... and everybody gets to see how the always popular witness protection program too often works.
More on David’s book cover services and the book itself in days and months to come.
In just two weeks, I head back to school to join all those wild and crazy writers in the SNHU MFA program ... and we’ll be vacationing/working in the mountains of New Hampshire where I hope to finally meet up with Bullwinkle.
That was ‘Lil Vince (i.e., Lombardi, in a good way--things get done), Diane Les Becquets, the director at SNHU) along with fellow students, Rob Greene and Joelynn Drennan. The MFA program at SNHU has been way more than I ever could have expected. I love it more than any of yous can imagine. When the world keeps opening up for a writer at any stage of his or her career, it’s always a good thing. And it never hurts to learn. I highly recommend the process (any MFA program--but I’m very partial to ours) ... at the least, if you can set aside some ego, you’ll get to read writers you probably haven’t read, associate with fellow writers at all stages of their adventure and share some great times with some great people. The staff is ... forgetaboutit (the really good forgetaboutit) ....
SNHU is like the greatest thing in the world ... minchia, those sausages, forgetaboutit ...
—Knucks
They filmed Donnie Brasco while I was still living in Little Italy (yes, that other life) and the trucks were parked up the street from me ... it was a beautiful thing.
And we all know how much the ugly one loves his pizza ...
