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Sunday, December 30, 2007

SOOP OOP and New Blog

I lied. New blog a week early.

This blog has been prompted by a special occasion. Christmas, you ask? No. How about New Year’s? Sorry.

This blog has been prompted by my decision to take Stuck Outside of Phoenix out of print.

After four and a half years, it’s time for me to put the kibosh on this little number. Why, you ask? Why bring an end to a book that has meant so much to me, led to many positive reviews and is the launching pad of my publishing life?

The short answer is that I want to get Stuck, which I published through a company called iUniverse, on my own imprint, which is Defunct Press, at some later date.

If you’d like more details on this decision, you can get the whole story later this week at my new blog focusing on the business side of self-publishing, DIY, and surviving as an independent artist, a blog which is as yet unnamed. I hope to get the first blog up this Friday, and I will publish a link to it here when I do.

Life as an independent artist is a topic I care deeply about, I have lots of experience in, and I have opinions that differ greatly from current conventional wisdom. So, if you’re an writer, artist or musician who’s looking to move forward on the rocky road to creative independence, please swing by the new blog.

When it has a name. It doesn’t yet.

And for those of you who have come to appreciate your weekly Layin’ Down the Law blog, what does this new blog mean to you? It means you shouldn’t worry. The Layin’ Down the Law blog will continue unabated as the place where I wax on about Ghost Notes, Songs from Memory, all the fun stuff I have planned for 2008, and my zany past in the Refreshments and elsewhere. You’ll get it all--just minus the publishing talk. I like to think of this blog as my artist blog and the other as my business blog. Two distinct audiences, two blogs.

But back to Stuck.

So, what if you want a copy of Stuck? It still should be available at places like Amazon for a month of so. And you’ll be able to order it at my website while supplies last. I hope to re-release Stuck through Defunct Press at a later date, but it will be a new edition. If you want one of these first edition copies, you should probably get one now.

Next week, new year, new blog. Thanks for reading in 2007. I hope to keep you reading for a long time to come.

For those about to Proust, we salute you.

Art

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Chicagoland/Coming up in 2008

Okay. Back to the blog.

Blog, blog, bloggity blog-blog.

The Move

I now live in St. Charles, IL. I’ve lived here for a week, and my wife and I are settling in. The predominant reason for the relocation is Kel’s work, but there are many fringe benefits for me living just outside of Chicago.

1) I have family and friends here.

2) Major markets are close together in the Midwest, which means I can do more events to support my upcoming novel release, Ghost Notes, and solo project, Songs from Memory.

3) Anyone who knows me longer than fifteen minutes knows of my passion for one sports team. This passion extends to no other sport, and to no other team within the sport. Can you guess the team?

The Release

I have fourteen boxes filled with Ghost Notes in my closet, and 1,000 Songs from Memory CDs arriving on Christmas Eve. You should all be considering taking one into your homes in 2008. It’s a big commitment, I know, but these little fellas come from a good home, are toilet trained, and can be enjoyed for years.

Again, the official release date for both projects is March 4, but you can get them at my web site starting February 4. That's only a month and a half away!

I have a handful of events booked or virtually booked for 2008, but the centerpieces have yet to congeal, so I’m holding off on any event announcements until January. What kinds of events, you ask? Any and all of the following:

Readings
Solo Acoustic Shows
Full Band Concerts
Honest-to-Goodness Rock Tours

I’m busily booking and rehearsing for all of the above. Don't be surprised if your city is on my schedule in 2008.

Future Blogs

Barring any riveting announcements, I will refrain from blogging in December as I do the holidays, finish moving in, continue booking events, and update my web presence. You guys will all be shopping, or doing family stuff, or getting pasted on New Year’s Eve, and you won’t have much time for little ol’ me anyway. So, barring something mega-cool that I just can’t wait to tell you, you won’t hear from me again until January, when the big train of Laying Down the Law will get rolling again. You can bet 2008 will bring you what you’re accustomed to: at least a blog a week from yours truly. (I take great pride in the fact that this blog makes 52 for 2007...I’m weird like that.)

For those of you who can’t wait for something new, all I have to offer is the cover design and advance praise for Ghost Notes.

Ghost Notes

Scroll down for the praise. That’s right, Laurie Notaro.

So until January, everyone have a very happy and safe holiday and New Year’s Eve, and get ready for Betty!

For those about to Proust, we salute you.

Art