I'm so appreciative and excited to have some good news to share with you: A couple of days ago, I was notified that my book, Once Upon a Mulberry Field, had received an Honorable Mention as a finalist in the Writer's Digest 22nd International Self-Published Book Awards. In this day and age, one … [Read more...]
Over the next thirty days, I'll be giving a talk about my book Once Upon a Mulberry Field at some branch libraries around San Diego. The talk is approximately 45 minutes long followed by an always lively questions-and-answers session at the end. If you'll be in town, mark your calendar and come join … [Read more...]
August marked the six-month anniversary of the release of my novel Once Upon a Mulberry Field. It seems much longer than that, yet it also feels like just yesterday. On this last day before Fall, I'd like to take a moment to look back on that first leg of the journey and share some milestones with … [Read more...]
Long ago, in my younger years, I used to go camping (almost) every summer. My favorite camping grounds were scattered throughout the Eastern Sierra Mountains, from Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks to Mammoth Lakes and Yosemite, to Lake Tahoe. It was impossible to pick a favorite among … [Read more...]
Just a short post to share the latest good news with my friends and supporters. Yesterday I got word that Once Upon a Mulberry Field had been named the Gold Medal Winner (for Historical Literature Fiction -- Contemporary) in the 2014 Global Ebook Awards. This is one of the biggest eBook … [Read more...]
As Once Upon a Mulberry Field approaches the six-month mark since its publication date, I think it's time for me to take a bird's eye view of my eBook sales to try to understand this relatively new market. Being an unknown debut author, I'm aware that whatever data I can gather on my book to this … [Read more...]
Just like that, July has come and gone. It started out with a bang as I got word that Once Upon a Mulberry Field was named the Grand Prize Winner of the 2014 annual book contest sponsored by LuckyCinda Publishing in Palm Desert, California. A social media push soon followed in order to spread the … [Read more...]
What comes to mind when you think of summer? Surf, sun and fun at the beaches? Hiking and camping in the mountains? Lazy days and balmy nights---and spontaneous road trips to unknown destinations? For me, though, summer evokes a particular image imprinted on my mind since my early childhood in … [Read more...]
It's pretty obvious: Writing is a lonely pursuit. One holes up in one's "office" (any place conducive to a self-hypnotized state) for hours on end, hoping to sweat out precious words onto blank pages. Day in and day out. Rain or shine. Inspired or not. But always consumed by a desire to project … [Read more...]
Earlier this week I did something fun. I drove three-and-a-half hours from San Diego to a remote spot northwest of LA but inland from Ventura---a small valley nestled against the mountains and named Ojai, from an old Indian word meaning "Moon." Residents of the quaint small town that bears the … [Read more...]