The Book Is Available NOW!

It happened a lot quicker than I thought! I Still Believe in Tomorrow is already online and available for purchace NOW!

Click here and you can be reading it in a matter of seconds. I just ordered the first copy and it looks wonderful! You can also click on the image of the book to make it larger.

It is available on my publisher's website. They will be putting it on Amazon, but that may take a couple days. If you plan on ordering it, please order it from my publisher because I get a greater percentage.

I am pumped! I now have my first whole book published! It is not a column in a monthly newspaper, or a chapter in a book, but I have a REAL book!

I look forward to your comments.

Later,

Mike

My Book Status

Just a quick note to update you on the status of I Still Believe in Tomorrow. 

Here is the cover: I like it a lot!  I think the designer did a wonderful job! The color photo was shot by Tom Wallace and the black and white background was taken by Jim Brandenburg.

This is the note I received today from the publisher:

Hi Mike,
We have marked the proof as "approved by client" per your emails. The next step is conversion, then submission to retailers. That should happen the early part of this coming week — I would expect the book to be listed on Amazon before the end of the week.

So start looking for it on Amazon Thursday or Friday. Remember, books make great gifts, and for only $9.95, you cannot go wrong! Why, if you missed Black Friday, you can do all of your gift shopping on one site online! I am sure there is no limit on number of copies you can purchase.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

As always, feel free to comment.

Later,

Mike

I Love My Parkinsons Disease

Yes, I was shocked too. My personal care attendant and I were on the freeway yesterday and drove up behind a car with I LOVE MY PARKINSONS DISEASE on the back window in four-inch letters like you would see on the front door of a house. We followed him for a while and eventually drove up beside him. I wanted to roll down my window and ask him what he meant by it.

I did not do that, but it has bothered me ever since. I Googled the sentence and found nothing. I cannot think of a reason why anyone would love Parkinson's Disease. Can you?

On another note: I have had some requests about the status of my book. Sadly, I have nothing to report. The publisher told me it would be ready by Thanksgiving. They told me it would be ready in one to two weeks when I submitted it November eighth.

I just received a call from the the publisher and evidently they sent me the proof, but I never received it. I am very disappointed. I wanted it to be ready for people who are not into football and had their Tryptophan nap to be able to read it Thursday afternoon or evening. I trust it will be ready and online soon.

I want to wish all my readers a Happy Thanksgiving, and keep checking back to see the status of I Still Believe In Tomorrow.

As always, I look forwards to your comments.

Later,

Mike

11-11-11

Veterans Day falling on such a unique day. I just got home from watching the Gopher basketball team win another game to get their season off to a good start. It was not a good game, but a win is a win no matter how you get it.

At halftime, they honored seven former Gopher players who also served in the military. They also brought on the court seven men and one woman from a Minnesota National Guard Unit who will be deployed to Afghanistan in the spring. They all received several standing ovations. It was a nice tribute. But that is not why I am writing this post.

I want to tell you about my mom's seven brothers. Between Bill, Charlie, Clem, Bob, Ed, Terry and Tim, they served eighty-two years of military service which includes all four major branches. Bill and Ed served one and Bob served two tours in Vietnam, Terry was in Thailand during the Vietnam Era and Charlie served one in Korea. That is commitment!

Bob bought the home farm years ago and every fall at least three or four of them make an annual pilgrimage back to South Dakota to hunt pheasants. They literally come from all corners of the country. This year Terry and Tim came from Alaska, Ed came from Pennsylvania and Bob from Mississippi. The three sisters were also there. Dee and her husband came from Wisconsin and Mom and Judy from Minnesota.

Here is one of my favorite pictures of my uncles: L to R: Terry, Bob, Bill and Tim taken several years ago:

Click on the image to make it larger:

I love them all and missed my second trip in a row because of these pressure sores. I will make it next year for the Grand Opening of the Smith Family Hunting Lodge. Bob is restoring the 1901 Barn and they are making a true man cave restoring this old barn.

There are always lots of stories being told and laughter reigns supreme in the barn after the boys come in after a day's hunt. It is always great fun!

As always, I look forward to your comments.

Later,

Mike

It Is Done!

I am not sure quite what to think, or how to feel. My editor helped me finish my Author's Biography and Book Description this afternoon; and finally clicked the button to submit my book to the publisher today! It has been at least five years in the making, countless edits and re-edits, and is finally finished.

I sent my baby off to cyberspace. I do not know what it is like to send a child off to college, but I feel a little like I know what it is like to have an empty nest.

They told me it should be on Amazon for your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, Nook and a couple other devices so you can read it on them or your computer. It should be ready by Thanksgiving! I am excited to see where it goes from here. I am anxious to see how my baby grows! It will make a great Christmas or Hanukkah gift! (He said with shameless self-promotion.)

The final title is I Still Believe in Tomorrow. I will send out another post when I know it is online. Who knows, you may be in it? Tom Wallace's photo will be on the cover.

I look forward to your comments.

Later,

Mike