CYBER MONDAY & THE INDIE AUTHOR

All of my work is done for 2014. I do not have any further works getting published this year. I am starting on a couple of project that will be out next year. I’m working on both some pre-production work on both my novella and my book on bourbon (I have the companies I want to approach identified and I will be contacting them soon).

Even though I don’t have any other books coming out this year, it doesn’t mean I’m done promoting my current work. Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving, is the busiest online shopping day of the year. Many of you will spend a good deal of time shopping the many deals being offered for this retail event (even if it means you are a little less productive at work).

Even I, and indie author, want to get in on this action!

First of all, my latest book, Leo the Coffee Drinking Cat Gets on TV, is a great item to pick up if you are shopping for someone in the 2 – 6 year old set! It’s a fun story and my “primitive” drawing style (as my Mom labeled it) actually works well with the young ones. They seem to like the simplicity of my work.

At a price point of less than $8, it’s an affordable gift and it may even help you round out your shopping cart on Amazon.com if you are looking to get to their $35 threshold for free shipping.

I’m even starting off the holiday season by giving a few gifts for you. Two of my mini eBooks containing single chapters and bonus material from my book Small Brand America IV: Special Beer Edition, are free on Amazon on December 1 and 2. You can download both Brooklyn Brewery and Odell Brewing Company for these two days only. Just click on their name above to go directly to the site (if you don’t have a Kindle device, just download their free app). I only ask that you please review these books on Amazon as return of the favor of these free gifts.

As always, I thank you for your interest in my writing and wish you a happy and healthy holiday season!

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BEER, BUDDIES AND A COFFEE DRINKING CAT

I’ve been working with several of the craft breweries featured in my book Small Brand America IV this week. With the holidays coming up, I’ve got a pretty interesting plan to promote my book this Christmas season. If this comes together, it has the potential to be my largest book promotion yet so I really hope some of the companies featured in the book are on board.

Next year I’m planning on writing my first novella. It’s represents a great progression in my writing from my nonfiction work, my children’s book series and my short stories. I’ve done a lot of work on the story, which is about two buddies living in Hawaii, and I’ve even managed to start an outline. The really fun part is the fact I’ve got some friends in Hawaii that I met while writing the third edition of my Small Brand America series which focused on food companies based in Hawaii.

Two of the people in that book have personal backgrounds which fit so nicely in the book so I asked them to be in it as characters. The good news: they are in! It’s kinda becoming a signature move for me to incorporate real people into my fictional work. It makes for this unique blurring of reality and fiction and the inclusion of these two individuals is going to really make for some fun in this one!

My biggest news of the week is the fact I’ve completed writing on the third book in my Leo the Coffee Drinking Cat™ series. The book is written and illustrated. I just need to complete the editing (yes, even kid’s books need to be edited) and get the cover back and then it will be ready to publish. Can’t wait to get this one out there.

Any way you look at it, that’s a pretty good week!

SMALL BRAND AMERICA IV – SPECIAL BEER EDITION: A LOOK AT 26 CRAFT BREWERIES

In writing Small Brand America IV I have to say I literally had everything come together for me. It’s so great to have some of the most highly respected companies represented from the craft beer industry. Who would think I would be able to secure Brooklyn Brewery, Odell Brewing Company, Full Sail Brewing Company, Heavy Seas Beer, Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, Lakefront Brewery, Smuttynose Brewing Company and Yards Brewing Company and so many more all in one book. The chapter page reads like a who’s who of craft brewing.

I also couldn’t be any more pleased with the up-and-comers in the mix, as well. Foothills Brewing, Red Brick and Mad River and several others are poised to really be major players very soon.

There are also many others like Spider Bite, Dale Bros., Lucid Brewing and Rock Bridge which are really just getting started. You can just tell that they have what it takes to keep progressing to where the aforementioned big players in craft beer are.

No matter the size of the company, the stories of all 26 featured companies are fascinating. I’m proud to be able to tell the histories of the organizations and the people behind them. On a personal note, I regard all of the individuals behind the brands as friends. When you consider I started this book as I do all of my writing projects, simply as a fan of the brands, it’s a pretty cool scenario to now know all of these great people.

I encourage you to check out my Small Brand America IV in paperback or on Kindle today!

WHAT A WRITING WEEK I HAD!

It’s official, Small Brand America IV is done. My ode to the craft brewing industry is complete and out there. As they say in the infomercial world, “But wait, there’s more…”

In an almost unbelievable whirlwind, I’m pleased to announce I published twenty-seven books in the last week. That’s not a misprint.

27!

“How can this be true?” you are probably asking.

Well, what I did was deconstruct Small Brand America IV into 26 mini books. I’ve always said the individual chapters in the Small Brand America series read like individual books. Think about it – you’ve got an entire company history, the story about the person or people behind the brand and tons of photos showcasing everything about the brand.

I figure fans of the breweries can buy just those individual chapters. People just wanting to get a feel for the book might like them as well.

Of course, I felt just releasing an individual chapter doesn’t give enough value so in addition to the reprint of what appears in the regular book, I also added bonus material with a “behind the scenes” approach. Rather than a narrative of the company with no author’s voice, in the bonus material I speak directly to the reader and tell them what the interview was like, share information which didn’t make it into the book and show off some additional photos.

I have to tell you that this book has everything. The stories of the individuals behind the brands are so interesting it’s unbelievable. I go into these projects totally blind. I have no idea who the individuals are owning these companies before I reach out to them. Then you find out they covered the Middle East for Associated Press during the assassination of then Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, they got pulled into the business after already retiring two times, they worked as a carny and much more (these are all real stories detailed in the book, mind you). It’s so fascinating and truly and honor to be able to bring them to the world with this book.

The printed book is available for $14.99, electronically for $9.99 and the individual chapter mini books are only 99¢ each. Here are the links to all of them:

Print Version – $14.99 List Price
Small Brand America IV/Special Beer Edition: A Look at 26 Craft Breweries

Electronic Version – $9.99 List Price
Small Brand America IV/Special Beer Edition: A Look at 26 Craft Breweries

The Individual Chapter Mini Books – 99¢ Each
Belching Beaver Brewery 
Blue Pants Brewery 
Brooklyn Brewery 
Cape Cod Beer 
Dale Bros. Brewery 
Dead Armadillo Craft Brewing
Epic Ales 
Foothills Brewing 
Fordham & Dominion Brewing Company 
Full Sail Brewing 
Great Northern Brewing Company 
Heavy Seas Beer
Jester King Brewery
Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales 
Lakefront Brewery
Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company 
Lucid Brewing
Mad River Brewing Company 
Mother’s Brewing Company 
Odell Brewing Company
Red Brick Brewing Company
River Horse Brewing Company 
Rock Bridge Brewing Company
Smuttynose Brewing Company
Spider Bite Beer Co. 
Yards Brewing Company 

OVER 2/3 DONE

I had another great week of writing this past week. I finished chapters on Dales Bros., Red Brick and Yards. All are awesome companies with great stories and I can’t wait to share them with you.

I have the rest of the interviews lined out for the book the next two weeks. If everything stays on track, I’m still thinking the book gets published by the end of July. I’ve got an exciting new approach with this book in terms of marketing it. Not ready to share what’s up with that just yet.

Back to our regularly scheduled show (more writing).

 

GREAT WEEK

I really got things rolling with Small Brand America IV this week. I completed six chapters, about 25% of the book. I’ve got a pretty aggressive schedule lined out over the next two weeks to complete interviews. Should everything stay on course we are looking at a late summer release for this offering.

The book itself focused on craft brewers. The stories of these individuals and their companies have been great so far. I look forward to speaking to more owners of these companies the next few weeks and really delivering a great book.

I’m off to the liquor store. After all, it’s part of the job for this project!

 

BEER

I’m officially off-and-running with Small Brand America IV. Hence the hint in the subject line:

BEER

Yes, it’s a great way to get most people’s attention. It’s there because Small Brand America IV is once again going to be a special edition. This time focusing on craft brewers.

My first interview is in the books. I spoke to Ron Jefferies of Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales. Fascinating guy. He will be a great addition to the edition!

Back to writing…