Random Book Chatter

HELP ME USE LITERARY ARTS TO HELP KIDS.

2014-09-16T10:01:00.003-05:00

For two days I have been mulling over how to honor my long-time friend Danny Mitchell who will be laid to rest tomorrow. Danny was such a strong supporter of education and a true community leader who gave of his time and money to many causes. To honor Danny, I have decided to take a leading role in raising money to support two programs that use the literary arts to help both at-risk kids and high school students.

Two programs of the Alabama Writers Forum are making the world a better place by using the literary arts to help kids grow into better adults. Writing Our Stories is a national model program developed for adjudicated youth that takes place year round at the Department of Youth Services in three programs at two campuses where our students are incarcerated. We hire and put writing teachers into positions to teach these young people creative writing, then we publish anthologies each year of their work. The program is being spread to public schools and other states as a model of how to help these young people help themselves by gaining communications skills and learning that their voices matter. This program saves and improves lives, helping these students reenter society and become productive.

Another program that is needs our support is the High School Literary Arts Awards. I am personally funding a scholarship in my mother's name to honor her and recognize excellence in student writing, helping encourage a new generation of writers.

Please join the new Century Club that I am starting to get 100 concerned people to help with these educational ventures. To join is simple and requires only two things, just pledge to raise or donate $100 this year and agree to post your involvement in social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or other social media. Thanks all, and will get us 20% of this year's goal.

Of course, we won't raise the $50,000 needed this year or the $100,000 needed next year with small donations alone, so please pledge larger amounts if you find yourself in a position to do so. But if you have other charities and causes that are your primary interest, even a $35 membership will help enormously and I will be very grateful for any amount donated.

We are running the campaign through Razoo to make it easy. Please join the Century Club of the AWF or just donate what you feel you can:

1. Click on this link to see how to donate quickly and easily and whatever amount makes sense to you. http://www.razoo.com/story/Alabama-Writers-Forum
2. Post on your social media.

That's all it takes to make a tremendous difference and impact real lives.

Thanks so very much for helping me support this great cause and improve or even save lives, while honoring a person who truly made a difference in the world.

Philip

Author appearances for book clubs

2014-08-19T18:19:00.001-05:00

Would your book club like an author appearance or Skype talk? Let me know if you might. Here's a recent article where I was interviewed about what books are on my nightstand that tells a bit about what I read in addition to what I write.My nightstand books

Alabama book signing road trip Aug. 16 for The White Lie

2014-08-12T19:36:00.002-05:00

I'll make an Alabama road trip to sign The White Lie this weekend in Cullman at Deb's Book Store on Saturday morning, 9-11. Then hurry on to Birmingham area to sign at Little Professor in Homewood 1-3. Hope to see lots of friends.

Soap star Antonio Sabato Jr picks up The White Lie

2014-08-11T20:45:00.000-05:00

A friend sent me this picture from a recent party where Antonio Sabato Jr, star of such great soaps as General Hospital and Melrose Place, picked up a copy of The White Lie. He was in town shooting an episode of his new show on home improvement called "Fix It and Finish It." See this You Tube clip.

Bay St. Louis, Miss. Book Signing on Aug. 9

2014-08-06T22:04:00.000-05:00

Hope to see you at the great Second Saturday event in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, on Saturday August 9, 2014, at Bay Books starting at 5 p.m.. I'll be signing The White Lie and perhaps on of the few remaining first editions of Oh Don't You Cry for Me.

On My Nightstand article from al.com

2014-07-30T11:52:00.000-05:00

A new series based on interviews with authors about what they are reading has been launched on al.com, created by Jessica Sawyer Rigby. I was fortunate to be selected for the first article:

http://www.al.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2014/07/on_my_nightstand_with_author_p.html

TWL makes top sellers listing

2014-07-21T12:01:00.001-05:00

The White Lie made it to number three on the "Mississippi Reads" listing in The Clarion-Ledger on Sunday, July 20, behind Greg Iles' Natchez Burning and Lisa Howorth's Flying Shoes.

Book launch tour started July 10

2014-07-14T12:43:00.001-05:00

Stops at Lemuria in Jackson for the official launch, then in Mobile and Dauphin Island last week.

Book launch this week

2014-07-08T09:06:00.001-05:00

The first scene of The White Lie was written in 1998. Once outlined and in draft form the book sailed along fairly quickly. It was a learning experience. A regional press wanted the book a couple of years later and I worked with their editor for a long time, but eventually internal company problems caused them to decide not to publish the book. I put the manuscript in a drawer, moved on and finished three other manuscripts and published two books--a collection of short fiction (Jefferson Prize finalist) and a cultural history of baseball with David Magee (Triumph Books published it). Then Mindbridge Press wanted this book and we edited it once again. Now we're two days from release on July 10 at Lemuria Book Store in Jackson, Mississippi. 5 signing, 5:30 reading. A long journey for a book. I'm ready to see what folks think. A couple of good reviews have surfaced so far.www.philipshirley.com

New book giveaway on Goodreads

2014-06-30T22:52:00.002-05:00

The last giveaway had hundreds of entries so I thought I should give away a couple more books, so go register if you want to try to win one.

Goodreads Giveaway of THE WHITE LIE

Book Trailer for The White Lie

2014-05-29T09:18:00.002-05:00

Here is the first book trailer for my novel The White Lie that will be released at Lemuria Books in Jackson, Mississippi on July 10. Will also be signing the next day at LoDa ArtWalk in Mobile on Dauphin STreet 6-9. And on Dauphin Island 25- on that Saturday, July 12, at Mac'n'DD's Emporium. Please stop by....http://bit.ly/1tTyDps

Book giveaway on Goodreads

2014-05-21T12:45:00.001-05:00

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The White Lie by Philip Shirley. Giveaway ends June 20, 2014. See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Enter to win

The twin tugs of marketing a new book and writing one

2014-05-10T16:26:00.002-05:00

The White Lie is now in the hands of the publisher Mindbridge Press. The Advance Reading Copies have been sent to numerous reviewers at places like Library Journal and Kirkus with the hope and wish they will find the book worthy. If you are publishing with a small publisher, make sure they schedule time to get gallies off 12-15 weeks ahead of release date. A few writers have agreed to read the book and provide blurbs if they like the work. Early news is that they seem to like it. It's a waiting game for reviews and blurbs, but mostly for the July 10 release when I can start making the circuit of bookstore signings, conference talks, and readings. As I sit here on a Saturday afternoon overlooking the reservoir, I'd love to be one of those boaters I see. I'd also love to be editing the other novel I recently finished and looking for an agent or publisher. And the other voice in my head insists that I do something to help make sure The White Lie finds readers.

So let's recount the day and see what I did:
Start with a couple of beers and hamburger at the Cherokee Drive-in with my wife & another friend. Check.
Ride around with the top down to put off working. Check.
Stop by Lemuria Bookstore to talk to Johnny about the book launch July 10. (confirmed.) Check.
Ask Johnny to see if Ingram has the book listed for sale yet to bookstores. (It does!) Check.
Walk the dog for the second time, to put off working. Check.
Spray the poison ivy in the garden to put off working. Check.
Update my Philip Shirley personal web site to list the two signings that were confirmed this week. Check.
Edit copy on the website. Check.
Open the file on a short story draft and write a paragraph or two. Check.
Reread a piece of flash fiction to see if it got better sitting idle in the file. (Nope.) Check.
Look up a couple of bookstore addresses to ask Mindbridge to contact for signings. Check.
Look up bloggers who might be interested in reviewing the book. Check.
Read the tutorial on Contribute 2 so figure out how to change leading in the website. (No luck). Check.
Send my publisher an email about the timing of the digital version release. Check.
Open another file to see if any of the half-started, dead-end short stories speaks to me today. (Nope) Check.
Get another beer and imagine selling thousands of copies of The White Lie. Check
Consider editing The Graceland Conspiracy manuscript. (considered, dismissed) Check.
Look up my blogs to see how long it has been since I blogged. Oops, too long. Check.
Write this blog about what book publishing feels like. Check.

THE WHITE LIE scheduled for release July 2014

2014-02-23T23:00:00.002-06:00

My novel The White Lie is scheduled for release from Mindbridge Press July 2014. Galleys are now being set for Advance Reader Copies. If you are a reviewer who is interested please contact Mindbridge at the email on their website www.mindbridgepress.com.

Here's a brief description: Dejected advertising executive Peter Brantley is carjacked when a drug bust goes bad. Facing death as a witness who knows of the fleeing dealer, Peter crashes his car and leaves the unconscious criminal on the side of a rural road. Peter keeps the gym bag of cocaine left in his car to get even with the drug dealers by ransoming the drugs back—with no intention to deliver. With a marriage on the rocks and depressed over his brother’s death from a drug overdose, Peter and his wife Mary Beth go against the odds to face a ruthless drug kingpin and a drug task force leader who are both closing in. Mary Beth, who is fighting temptations of infidelity, uses this zany plan and her support of Peter to salvage her marriage. When Peter and his cousin are seriously injured during an ill-fated attempt to con the drug dealers, Mary Beth emerges as the unlikely hero to make sure the drug dealers can never harm the couple again.

wonderful found poetry

2010-04-16T00:19:00.001-05:00

This sign was hanging above an artisan who sits long hours each day tying knots (2500 per square inch) in silk rugs in china: Mind Your Head.

I think this requires no further comment.

Three years later

2010-03-28T15:51:00.002-05:00

On November 30, 2007, I sent the final manuscript (I thought) to Jefferson Press for OH DON'T YOU CRY FOR ME. With that, the blog Fiction Highway came to an end, which was intended to follow what it was like to publish a first book (even though I had some publications before that). I was beyond wanting to write another word about the experience. Not that it was bad. It was in fact wonderful, and I had a great editor who made it so. But losing three stories from the collection, then re-writing thousands of words on deadline took its toll.

So anyway, the book came out in the spring of 2008. I made the regional circuit speaking at conferences, doing readings at libraries and bookstores, signing books, and generally doing what I could to promote the book while running an ad agency 50 or 60 hours a week. Once in awhile I look on Amazon to see if some relative or friend or distant new reader has bought a copy....

Soon I jumped into the next book, non-fiction about the 125 year history of Louisville Slugger baseball bats. David Magee and I wrote and published the book for release in April 2009, so we squeezed a couple of years work into about six months. Triumph (of Random House) wanted the book and produced a gorgeous book with about 170 photos.

So after two successful (a relative term, meaning I'll keep my day job) books, I find that not much has changed in my life. I still prefer fishing to work, but work takes most of my time. And I write when I can (Sunday afternoon like this, 6 in the morning, etc.). Right now, I'm writing a novel about Elvis and trying to help the fans of his understand what really happened during the last couple of years of his life. I've researched this one for 10 years and been writing almost that long, in between other writing projects!

So anyway...I have three blogs with hungry mouths, so I'll move on. For you writers and wanabe writers, remember that writing is a process, not a destination. The books come and go, and they are wonderful to see birthed, but the next day there is still another blank page (excuse me, that dates me, I meant screen) waiting to be filled.....

What Now?

2007-11-30T17:59:00.000-06:00

The stack of revised manuscripts stands more than a foot tall. And that does not include revisions of the individual stories. At work, I often return writing to various members of the staff who think of me as a hard-ass when it comes to editing (I'll not go there in discussing what else they call me).I always tell them I'm just as hard on myself when it comes to a red pen. The day before Thanksgiving I met with my editor (though he's left for another job) and publisher and agreed to spend the next four days making one last revision. I did, logging some 40 hours thinking, editing, typing, proofing. Sent the ms early on Monday. An hour later I contacted the publisher and said there was one story I still needed to revise again. I bought another day, and worked that night until 11 and again the next night to make a final set of revisions, then sent the finished ms.

Next step: galleys for reviewers and proofing.

Also: a Web site. This blog may soon disappear, or perhaps it will be appended to the new web site. I've been waiting on the Web site until I had the book listed for sale. Now it it, so I am working this weekend on Web site copy and navigation architecture. Hoping to go live the first week of January with that, so the blog may migrate over, or simply be linked. Not sure.

Also working now on finalizing a few appearances and working on others for signings, readings and panels at conferences for 2008.

Link added for purchase

2007-11-28T18:12:00.000-06:00

I've added the link directly to Amazon to purchase the book at the pre-distribution pricing. They'll ship in late March maybe, but most likely on April 1, 2008 or so. Be sure to leave me a message on the blog if you want me to send a signed book plate for free. I'll be happy to inscribe books to anyone you like, if you want to make a book gift. Thanks. Philip

Amazon listing for book

2007-11-22T20:28:00.000-06:00

The book has been listed in amazon.com. Just go there, type in Philip Shirley and scroll down. You can get the regular Amazon discount plus an additional 5% if you purchase now. And if you buy two you can get free shipping. If you buy, email me and let me know and I will send you a signed bookplate to make it a signed first edition. If you want it warmly inscribed to you or others as gifts just let me know what names to use when you email me. Be sure to include your mailing address.

I also noticed that two people had listed my 1981 book, Endings, for sale at a good price if you like poetry. There are only a few of these first editions left in print.

An interesting thing: Amazon turns in their sales, so they are "counted" by the industry. But they only count up to five books per sale, so if you order six it would only count as five. And, the sales that are pre-sold all count on the first week of books shipping, so anything that is sold now will help the book get off to a great start because all sales are reported that first week. Good stuff to know if you have a book upcoming.

Don't forget...they don't charge your card until the book is available, which will be after they ship to the sellers on March 1, 2008.

I have lots more to report on my meeting with the publisher this week in Chattanooga, but for now I have a big deadline. Final edits by Monday!.....Thanks, Philip

The Final Lap

2007-11-10T19:02:00.001-06:00

On Friday I began a last read of the ms. My editor Henry O has left Jefferson Press to work for an ecumenical press, where I'm certain he'll be successful. (Good luck Henry, and thanks for your caring edits.) I have his final red lines and comments, and will review them one last time before a final run-through of edits and then calling the ms complete. I finished rewriting the last story and will review it tomorrow before sending to a friend for one last outside opinion.

I had to laugh when Henry called to let me know he'd left the press. Three years ago a regional press agreed to publish a novel ms of mine, which they contacted me to ask to see. After the owner of the press called me at home one Sunday night at 9:30 to say he loved it and would start a contract the next day, I assumed everything was rosy. I worked with the editor they assigned for a year, during which time the acquisitions editor left and the publisher had a major illness. When all was said and done the book was not released. For a fleeting moment I have to admit my heart rose into my throat last week during my conversation with Henry. Not again, I thought. Don't worry he said, this is a done deal and everyone who has seen the book is excited about it.

This time things will work out, and the catalog copy and cover are out the door. I'm meeting with the publisher the day before Thanksgiving to discuss final plans and marketing ideas....will keep you posted on that.

Clearing my head

2007-11-07T07:25:00.001-06:00

After the fifth re-reading of the next-to-last round of major edits of Oh Don't You Cry for Me, I thought a head-clearing change of pace would do my writing some good. On a whim I started another blog, with the idea that I needed something broad enough to allow me to write on any number of topics, yet focused enough to provide the glue to make the blog hold together. The result: www.500greatthings.blogspot.com

I'm writing about 500 things I love about life, in no particular order. Come visit and let me know what you love about life.

Finishing first round of edits

2007-10-22T06:35:00.000-05:00

It's dark outside. 6:30 or so in the morning. I just finished the first round of line edits on CRY. Have to work on a few rewrites of the final story, then back to the beginning one more time with Henry. I was hoping this would feel like a milestone, but it's rather anticlimactic. Oh well. Have been reading the Fall 2007 Kenyon Review this week. Steven Schwartz has a really nice short story worth reading, titled "Absolute Zero." What are you reading?

sundays..and curious about your book buying habits

2007-10-14T11:16:00.000-05:00

The lake and the sky have chosen to be the exact same shade of blue today. The sun is straight up, casting shadows only in circles at the base of the trees between me and the lake. I'm finishing the last line edits today on "The Consequence of Desire," if possible. I hope to also make it to the bait shop and spend an hour fishing with live shiners right at sundown this evening. Right now, I thought I'd spend five minutes on the blog for something on my mind, and then tackle the edits.

I'm curious. How do you make most of you book buying decisions? PLEASE COMMENT AND LET ME HEAR FROM YOU. I'm meeting with my publisher by phone around November 1 to put together the final marketing plans for the April launch, and I'm interested in hearing from you on how you make buying decisions.

For myself, it works this way usually. First, I get a great book each month from the Lemuria First Editions club (http://www.lemuriabooks.com/). They select and mail me a signed first edition, and ding my credit card. A wonderful program you should join if you are not in something similar. When a really good book is coming out, you can call and tell them to send extra copies and make your Christmas or graduation or birthday shopping easier. Those books I keep together in the library and when I am headed to the airport, spending a weekend on the island or simply have an hour to read I can grab any book and know it has a good chance of being something I will enjoy.

Second, I listen to other writers and try to read at least one book by the folks they seem to be talking about. There's nothing worse than making it to a writers conference or a reading or someone's book signing and hear a discussion about someone you never heard of or read...and of course feel like everyone else there has read the person extensively. Does that happen to you?

Third, I browse the book stores at airports, where I know I will find only the absolutely most popular fiction. I try to pick up a paperback while traveling at least four hours in a plane and finish it on the trip. That helps me stay in touch with what the masses like. I trust the masses. They may not often know the fabulous writers publishing literary fiction at smaller presses without the same kind of national distribution, but they will weed out the frauds (usually) and indicate at least what work is fun to read from the popular fiction shelf.

So how does a book make it to your bedside?

Thanks,
Philip

PS Please forward this blog link to your friends.

work, work, work

2007-10-03T21:34:00.000-05:00

Since last entry I've viewed quite a number of sunrises over the Ross Barnett Reservoir outside Jackson, Miss. Finished odds and ends for moving into the new house in Madison, travelled to West Virginia once and Alabama three times, and spent many hours unpacking boxes. My weight machine remains in pieces and I've found myself getting out of shape by avoiding exercise--with the weight machine as the excuse, of course. Made it to a couple of Alabama football games too, including the exhilarating, last-minute Arkansas win and the disappointing, last-play Georgia loss.

The garage remains cluttered, but at least my library is in shape. What a treat to rediscover so many prized books as I unpacked and looked for the right shelf for each book. In the middle of one box, I had to stop and reread Richard Hugo's What Thou Lovest Well, Remains American. Wow, such as perfect book. His voice has always echoed in my ear, since I first read his work in 1973 or 74, I think. If America has ever had a finer poet, I can't imagine who it might be.

My second-floor desk faces southeast and the sun rises to my left over an expanse of water. The golden or orange light, depending on the clouds that morning, burns across five miles of open water as I finish my first cup of coffee most mornings. It's rained only once since I moved. I'm getting spoiled by this view.

On Friday last, I began the rewrites of story nine in the collection, the final story. The working title is "The Consequence of Summer Heat", though the story stretches over a year and the heat is not really oppressive in the story, nor does it the "heat" of the one female character add much meaning to the title. So I'm working on a better title, but without a good alternative at this point. I'm considering "The Consequence of Desire".

Henry suggested that the voice was a bit uncertain in parts, as I was a bit sloppy and moved from third person limited to third person omniscient in one section. This story is both my longest and most recent. It was finished specifically to bring up the word count of this ms. I'd been working on the story off and on for a couple of years, but had nothing more than an opening scene that I kept once I started on the story in earnest. Because it ran long, it gave us the ability to treat two stories more harshly than others--they were cut. I was never comfortable that these two stories, both from a 12-year-old boy, had the same tone and tenor as the remainder of the ms, so this made the book much tighter I believe. One of the stories we cut had won an award at a literary festival at the University of Montevallo, though it's never gotten anywhere with lit magazine editors and will likely remain unpublished in a drawer somewhere.

We finished the cover and it's been approved by the publisher. Jefferson Press was kind enough to let me work with graphic designer Bill Porch, whose work includes assignments for such names as Jaguar and Louisville Slugger. AS I mentioned, Bill worked on more than a dozen concepts, finally settling on three we sent to the publisher for review and for them to run the top designs past the gurus at IPG. They all picked the cover I was favoring, which was nice.

I see I've used my time up and it's past 10, so I'll sign off now.....thanks for letting me run on.....let me hear from you. --Philip

Picking up speed

2007-09-13T08:12:00.000-05:00

Working with designer Bill Porch, some 15 book covers have been designed for review. And the line edits have hit my desk from Henry Oehmig at Jefferson Press. We've shown the covers to approximately 25 people in our informal research and narrowed the designs to three, plus a variation of one of those three. These went to the publisher for review and feedback from his distribution company cover design specialists. From there we plan to focus on variations of one cover.

I moved two weeks ago to a new house, after living in the same place for 19 years. Between that packing and unpacking, and thousands of little irritants of moving and having this light switch not work or that window leaking, focusing on edits has actually been somewhat of a relief. I'm nearing the end of rewrites and cleaning up line edits on four of the final ten stories we settled on.

I'll try to insert the final four covers as art in the blog if I can...see ya.