Thursday, September 29, 2011
Jan 21st in Birmingham, Alabama
Honored to be speaking in Birmingham, Alabama, Jan 21st at a popular writer’s seminar. I’m humbled and grateful as these invitations are being extended only because my book, “Brooklyn NY: A Grim Retrospective”, is #1 “Top Rated” in several categories on Amazon, and is #4 “Top Rated” out of all 650,000+ non-fiction Kindle books. I truly appreciate and sincerely thank you all for your continued support as I share my story with the world.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
To the critic who said that I'm brain damaged...
My heart sincerely goes out to the people who trudge through each day with such anger and malice in their hearts that they seem to have a need to want to destroy someone else’s creative work. I really wish that there was a way that I could help them enjoy a happier and more positive life.
I’ve made it a point to always respect a reader’s opinion should they have a lukewarm response to my book. That is their right and they are entitled to feel whatever way they want to about it and I accept this with a smile. But to say that I write like a 10 year old, probably because of the drug and alcohol addiction that I suffered as a young adult is just plain mean. My book was edited by a Princeton graduate who is a published author of 8 books and several theatrical plays that are licensed worldwide and who is a columnist for the NY Post for the past 20 years. Critically acclaimed Village Voice columnist and TVs E! Entertainment news reporter Michael Musto also endorsed my book after reading it. Neither of these two professionals would be involved with my book were it unreadable.
Also, for this person to make the absurd claim that the editor and I both had our friends and relatives leave all of the positive reviews that are online is astounding, but ultimately quite flattering, considering I greatly appreciate anyone thinking that I have that many friends!
Yes, this “critic” did correctly point out that there are a percentage of Amazon reviews that are not tagged, “Amazon Verified Purchase” on the Amazon site. Here is the reason why.
As I tour with my musical show, logging an average of 300 shows per year, many books are sold before and after my shows and at book signing/QA shows that I’m also asked to participate in. Of course I do encourage buyers of the book to review it on Amazon if they have an account. Why wouldn’t I? So as a result, some of the posted reviews on Amazon are without the coveted “Amazon Verified Purchase” tag.
I’ve been advised by many of my supporters to ignore this negative attack, but I felt that I wanted to defend myself by stating the facts.
Thanks everyone and hoping you all have a great summer!
I’ve made it a point to always respect a reader’s opinion should they have a lukewarm response to my book. That is their right and they are entitled to feel whatever way they want to about it and I accept this with a smile. But to say that I write like a 10 year old, probably because of the drug and alcohol addiction that I suffered as a young adult is just plain mean. My book was edited by a Princeton graduate who is a published author of 8 books and several theatrical plays that are licensed worldwide and who is a columnist for the NY Post for the past 20 years. Critically acclaimed Village Voice columnist and TVs E! Entertainment news reporter Michael Musto also endorsed my book after reading it. Neither of these two professionals would be involved with my book were it unreadable.
Also, for this person to make the absurd claim that the editor and I both had our friends and relatives leave all of the positive reviews that are online is astounding, but ultimately quite flattering, considering I greatly appreciate anyone thinking that I have that many friends!
Yes, this “critic” did correctly point out that there are a percentage of Amazon reviews that are not tagged, “Amazon Verified Purchase” on the Amazon site. Here is the reason why.
As I tour with my musical show, logging an average of 300 shows per year, many books are sold before and after my shows and at book signing/QA shows that I’m also asked to participate in. Of course I do encourage buyers of the book to review it on Amazon if they have an account. Why wouldn’t I? So as a result, some of the posted reviews on Amazon are without the coveted “Amazon Verified Purchase” tag.
I’ve been advised by many of my supporters to ignore this negative attack, but I felt that I wanted to defend myself by stating the facts.
Thanks everyone and hoping you all have a great summer!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
My book, "Brooklyn NY: A Grim Retrospective" to be a one-man show!
Very excited that B'way/film/tv actress Cheryl Stern is onboard to help develop my book, "Brooklyn NY: A Grim Retrospective" into a one-man show for me to star in and to present in a Manhattan theatre for the spring/summer of 2012.
Great possibility that Emmy Award-winning film/TV composer Tom Kochan will do any incidental music too.
As of May 2011, "Brooklyn NY: A Grim Retrospective" is holding the #1 spot on Amazon.com's "Top Rated" in Bios of Entertainers. It is also #1 on Amazon in the category of "Substance Abuse". Very encouraging!
Great possibility that Emmy Award-winning film/TV composer Tom Kochan will do any incidental music too.
As of May 2011, "Brooklyn NY: A Grim Retrospective" is holding the #1 spot on Amazon.com's "Top Rated" in Bios of Entertainers. It is also #1 on Amazon in the category of "Substance Abuse". Very encouraging!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Former NFL Player R-Kal Truluck's radio/tv show!
On May 16th 2011, I will be on former NFL player turned radio/TV show host R-Kal Turluck's radio show "Inside the Trenches" to promote my new book, "Brooklyn NY: A Grim Retrospective." I'll fly out to Arizona to do his TV show this summer too. Guess he's interested as he's from Brooklyn too! Will keep you posted.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Thanks to the Howard Stern show!
Wanted to thank Howard Stern superfan "Mariann from Brooklyn" for Tweeting about my new book, "Brooklyn NY: A Grim Retrospective", today. Glad to hear that her son likes it too!
Also, congrats to comedian Gilbert Gottfried on his new book, "Rubber Balls and Liquor". Everyone at Sirius/XM Radio is rooting for your Gilbert!
Direct link to my book:
http://www.amazon.com/Brooklyn-NY-Grim-Retrospective-Memoir/dp/1450564593/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
Also, congrats to comedian Gilbert Gottfried on his new book, "Rubber Balls and Liquor". Everyone at Sirius/XM Radio is rooting for your Gilbert!
Direct link to my book:
http://www.amazon.com/Brooklyn-NY-Grim-Retrospective-Memoir/dp/1450564593/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
Saturday, April 9, 2011
# 2 in Top Rated Bio's of Entertainers
Ok, so the girl who was on "Little House on The Prairie" has her memoir out now and it just unseated my book, "Brooklyn NY: A Grim Retrospective" from the #1 spot I've held for the last month. What are ya gonna do? Was happy to be there for a while anyway. Happy Spring to everyone in the northeast. Warm weather this weekend. Does that mean less people will be reading? :)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/top-rated/digital-text/154772011/ref=pd_tr_pg_1?ie=UTF8&pg=1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/top-rated/digital-text/154772011/ref=pd_tr_pg_1?ie=UTF8&pg=1
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Indie Film?
Finally, a well-respected, established indie film producer is reading my book, "Brooklyn NY: A Grim Retrospective", for consideration. Writing this memoir of mine nearly killed me just dredging up all of those old, violent and crazy memories, but maybe it'll pay off!
It was number on on Amazon's list of "Bios of Entertainers" for two months, but I have now dropped to the #2 postition behind that girl from "Little House on The Prairie".
http://www.amazon.com/gp/top-rated/digital-text/154772011/ref=pd_tr_pg_1?ie=UTF8&pg=1
It was number on on Amazon's list of "Bios of Entertainers" for two months, but I have now dropped to the #2 postition behind that girl from "Little House on The Prairie".
http://www.amazon.com/gp/top-rated/digital-text/154772011/ref=pd_tr_pg_1?ie=UTF8&pg=1
Sunday, March 20, 2011
For authors regarding negative reviews...by Jay Asher
After Thirteen Reasons Why came out, it took me a looooong time to get comfortable with the idea that not everyone was going to appreciate my book the way I thought it should be appreciated. One person may call it “quite possibly the best book I have ever read” and someone else may call it “a waste of my time.” One person may claim the book made her “treat people better and have more respect for myself” while someone else thinks it contains “no moral value whatsoever.” One person may say her “heart goes out” to Hannah while another person owns a heart which “could not feel any empathy towards her.”
Your part of the author/reader conversation ended the moment you turned in your edits. From then on, the only thing that will change about your story will be the people reading it. Their prejudices, their life experiences, and their understanding of the world will frame every single page they read. Every word! As they read each line of your story, that line essentially disappears from your book and moves into their head. (Scary, I know.) Your brain may have written the story, but their brain is going to interpret it based on however their brain is wired at the moment.
And there’s nothing you can do about it.
When you create a piece of art (a book, a painting, a song), not even one person will grasp exactly what you were trying to say. Art is way too personal for that. But when someone really doesn’t grasp what you were trying to say, well, that wasn’t really the person you created it for in the first place. And those people are out there...and they are going to judge your creation. You don’t have to like that fact, but you’ll be much happier if you get comfortable with it. Trust me!
Good reviews and good press are like security blankets. We shouldn’t really need those pieces of cloth to feel secure. The art is done. It is what it is. It is what everyone else thinks it is. Yes, it’s fine and wonderful to cuddle up with a security blanket sometimes. But this is a yin and yang world. The blanket-haters need to be out there, too. For some reason, taking your blanket makes them feel like they accomplished something. But they didn’t, you did!
Your part of the author/reader conversation ended the moment you turned in your edits. From then on, the only thing that will change about your story will be the people reading it. Their prejudices, their life experiences, and their understanding of the world will frame every single page they read. Every word! As they read each line of your story, that line essentially disappears from your book and moves into their head. (Scary, I know.) Your brain may have written the story, but their brain is going to interpret it based on however their brain is wired at the moment.
And there’s nothing you can do about it.
When you create a piece of art (a book, a painting, a song), not even one person will grasp exactly what you were trying to say. Art is way too personal for that. But when someone really doesn’t grasp what you were trying to say, well, that wasn’t really the person you created it for in the first place. And those people are out there...and they are going to judge your creation. You don’t have to like that fact, but you’ll be much happier if you get comfortable with it. Trust me!
Good reviews and good press are like security blankets. We shouldn’t really need those pieces of cloth to feel secure. The art is done. It is what it is. It is what everyone else thinks it is. Yes, it’s fine and wonderful to cuddle up with a security blanket sometimes. But this is a yin and yang world. The blanket-haters need to be out there, too. For some reason, taking your blanket makes them feel like they accomplished something. But they didn’t, you did!
Saturday, February 5, 2011
The Kindle version of my new book, "Brooklyn NY: A Grim Retrospective" just hit #16 on the Amazon Bestseller list! Over 100 "Five Star" reviews and gaining!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/digital-text/156553011/ref=pd_zg_hrsr_kinc_1_6_last
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
My new book, "Brooklyn NY: A Grim Retrospective", is doing very well in both paperback and Kindle version sales!
Over 100 "Five Star" reviews on Amazon.com (US and UK) and other online booksellers!
It's my autobiographical volume about my growing up on the mean streets of Brooklyn, NY, my agonizing descent into the darkness of the city's underbelly and my desperate struggle back to normalcy.
Readers have described it as "heartbreaking", "surprising," "emotionally charged," "shocking," "volatile," "riveting" and "just plain scary."
Here's the link to get to the Amazon reviews page!
http://www.amazon.com/Brooklyn-NY-Grim-Retrospective-Memoir/product-reviews/1450564593/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1
It's my autobiographical volume about my growing up on the mean streets of Brooklyn, NY, my agonizing descent into the darkness of the city's underbelly and my desperate struggle back to normalcy.
Readers have described it as "heartbreaking", "surprising," "emotionally charged," "shocking," "volatile," "riveting" and "just plain scary."
Here's the link to get to the Amazon reviews page!
http://www.amazon.com/Brooklyn-NY-Grim-Retrospective-Memoir/product-reviews/1450564593/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1
Ice Storm Coming!
Hi Everyone!
Welcome to my new blog. Yes, this would be the perfect evening to start it as the first substantial "ice storm" of the season is bearing down on us. Nice and cozy here up on top of the mountain that I live on with my black Lab Buster. Woof!
Welcome to my new blog. Yes, this would be the perfect evening to start it as the first substantial "ice storm" of the season is bearing down on us. Nice and cozy here up on top of the mountain that I live on with my black Lab Buster. Woof!
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