When I was in Nebraska

I made this video a while ago when I was last in Nebraska.  I go there about twice a year to research new projects and promote finished ones.  When I did this video, there had just been an intense flood.

The night that it stormed, I had promotion things scheduled.  However, the heavy pouring rain and the lightning flashes were great inspiration for writing.  So I put everything else away and I just lay down under a blanket on a couch in view of a stained glass window and thought.  As the lightning flashes illuminated the colored glass, the story slowly played itself out for me.  This turned out to be the Relic Worlds short story: Lancaster James and the Ghost Ship from Beyond.

Two Gun Hart Documentary

It occurred to me that I probably have not posted my own documentary about Two Gun Hart.  I've been using this as a 10 minute promo.  (The original documentary had stuff about Al as well.)

Here's the 1 minute version:

I’m in Nebraska

I am currently in Nebraska, and appearing at several venues.  This last weekend I appeared at The Bookworm in Omaha, at the R Bar in Homer, where Two Gun worked, and in Sioux City, where Al had a branch of his operations and where Two Gun also operated.  This weekend I’ll be at A Novel Idea on Saturday, and the Walt Branch Library on Sunday.  I’ll also stick around one more week because the following Sunday is Mother’s Day, and I should hang out with her, and probably spend time with friends.

I was going to stay a whole month because I was going to fly into San Francisco to do a tour there.  However, though several bookstores told me they were interested in talking to me about appearing at their stores, not one ever got back to me about actually doing it.  Also, no news sources showed any interest, so it was quickly turning into a wasted trip.  At the same time, things have been heating up back in Burbank where I need to get a lot done, including Command Combat Battle Reports, which is a whole different story.

Coming to Nebraska

I'll be coming to Nebraska for several events at the end of this month and the beginning of next month. I'll be signing copies of Two Gun Hart and talking about the story. Harry Hart, son of "Two Gun" Hart, will be with me at the events in Homer and Sioux City, as well as the Walt Branch Library. Here are the dates:

Saturday, April 25, 1-4 pm: The Bookworm in Omaha
Sunday, April 26, 11 am - 1 pm: The R Bar in Homer
Sunday, April 26, 2-4 pm: Sioux City Museum in Sioux City
Saturday, May 2, 10-11 am: Chapters Books in Seward
Saturday, May 2, 1:30-3 pm: A Novel Idea in Lincoln
Sunday, May 3, 2-4 pm pm: Walt Branch Library in Lincoln

Two Gun Hart: Lawman, Cowboy, and Long-Lost Brother of Al Capone Releases Today

Today is a big day for me.  Two Gun Hart: Lawman, Cowboy, and Long-Lost Brother of Al Capone at last releases to the public.  I have been working on this story since 2008, a seven year journey.  I was lucky enough to be trusted enough by the Hart Capone family to tell the story of this incredible and brave man.  I have been honored by their willingness to let me in on the details of their family's history.  As a result of their aid, this book tells more about the Capones than any book before it.

Two Gun Hart is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, as well as all e-readers.  It can also be ordered at any bookstore.

http://www.amazon.com/Two-Gun-Hart-Long-Lost-Brother/dp/1506124631/ref=sr_1_2_twi_1_pap?ie=UTF8&qid=1426534387&sr=8-2&keywords=Two+Gun+Hart

Three Weeks Until Release

I missed blogging last week because I've been so swamped trying to get work done.  I even took time off my day job to try to do everything.

Part of what made me so busy was that I was promoting Relic Worlds as well, which is supposed to be more during the second half of the year, but there was an event last week where I wanted to present it.  Los Angeles's biggest game convention, Orccon, took place February 13-16.  I put on a miniatures game of Relic Worlds where I had a large table in the main room.  We had a banner at the table, books, and bookmarks to show it off.  Jamie (my girlfriend) and Rachel (a friend and soon-to-be neighbor) played the Dark Agents versus the pirates.  Artifacts were scattered around the table, as well as mundane items, traps, and monsters.  This was a way to show off the concept of the series to everyone who passed by, and gamers are a big part of our audience, so it seemed like a good fit.  I also put on a role playing game where the players got to be the pirates from the series, and their actions would affect the spinoff storyline about the pirates that I'm doing.

The effect of both of these were underwhelming.  The miniatures game would have worked better if I'd had the book trailer running, which I forgot to do.  Also, we need bigger settings to attract people's attention.  As for the role playing game, the area was run by a bunch of kids who screwed up where the game was to take place, so no one played.  It was just as well, though; only one person signed up, so that didn't really work out.

All that preparation took time away from setting up Two Gun Hart, which is going into the final stretch.  Now I'm putting everything into that.  I made some fixes to the hardcover and ordered some to take to the local bookstores.  They came in just last night.  I found a small problem in the formatting of the chapters.  It's not a big deal, so I will be taking these to the local bookstores, and I'm trying to make the fixes on Ingram Spark before anyone orders them.  (This has to be done quickly, as I made sell sheets and mailed them out, and paid $60 to have the book added to the Ingram Spark catalog.)

I will also be emailing bookstores this week to let them know about the book's availability.  However, I'm putting that off for a couple days while I get the book fixed on Ingram.  Right now the upload seems to be stuck, so hopefully that will get fixed soon here.  I still have several copies I need to send to bloggers, news outlets, and reviewers.  The time is getting very short for this, however.

I'm also setting up talks at bookstores and libraries.  Most places have been turning me down, saying that signings and appearances don't usually get many people.  I think they're being short-sighted in two ways.  First, just having a signing and appearance is an excuse for radio and newspaper promotions.  Even if no one comes to the signing, there's an excuse for marketing and free promotions.  Second, in this particular case you have a story related to something everyone's heard about, but with lots of new information.  True crime buffs and anyone familiar with Capone is going to want to see and especially interact with his nephew, and learn about this long-lost brother.  They should be seeing this as an exception, but most are not, at least in LA and, of all places, Chicago.

Corey Hart has set up a talk with the Sons of Italy in Salt Lake City.  I also have an appearance at the Burbank Library, and several in Nebraska.  It's amazing how Nebraskans seem to be a little smarter when it comes to these things, or at least less short-sighted.

Going to be in Nebraska for a Couple Weeks

I'm going to Nebraska for a couple weeks to do some signings, talking, teaching, and even take place in an 1800s period base ball game!  Here are the dates:

Friday, October 10 - 9:00 am - On the radio on Friday Live on NET radio, being interviewed by the great Genevieve Randall.

Saturday, October 11 - 1:30 - 3:00 - Appearance at A Novel Idea.  I will be signing copies of The American Game and Relic Worlds, and will be beginning to take pre-orders for the upcoming Two Gun Hart, which is due out next March.

Sunday, October 12 - 1:00 - ??? - Signing copies of The American Game at Arbor Lodge in Nebraska City.  I'll also probably take part in the vintage base ball game taking place on the yard.

Friday, October 17 - 1:00 - 2:30 - Speaking at the OLLI at UNL.  Taking place at NET.

Sunday, October 19 - 1:00 - ??? - I'll be at Bennett Martin Library for the 12th Victim talk.  (I actually won't be speaking at this one, but it should be an interesting event that I recommend everyone go to.)