The Captain, by Ian O'Connor

This advanced reader copy (ARC) was provided to me by the publisher through the Amazon Vine program, of which I am a member.

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I'm a Yankee fan, and Derek Jeter is my favorite player. So maybe I was predisposed to like this book. On the other hand, if author Ian O'Connor didn't get his facts straight, I'd know, and call him on it. But O'Connor did an excellent job of research, and adding in quotes and stats and examples without ever getting wordy or boring or redundant. He gives us a peek behind the curtain of Jeter's life in chronological order and keeps it interesting throughout. This despite the fact that Jeter has not exactly led a controversial life.

We're used to the scandalous biography, the tell-all, the skeletons dragged out of the closet. This book doesn't have that. Because there are no skeletons in Jeter's closet. This is a book about one person's lifelong work to achieve a dream: to play shortstop for the New York Yankees. Okay, so maybe a lot of people have that dream. The difference is Jeter actually accomplished it--and in a big way. This is his story.

There are thirteen chapters, an introduction, and an epilogue. O'Connor covers all the bases (pardon the pun), and is such a good writer that the story flows along nicely, without getting bogged down with boring details, or unnecessary tangents. He even makes the second chapter, "The Draft," exciting (even though we already know the outcome), as he chronicles how Jeter lasted until the sixth pick of the 1992 draft, when the Yanks were finally able to nab him. Only once did O'Connor get a little off-track; that's when he spent too long on the Jeffrey Maier incident. Well, not such much the incident, as the fame and media tour Maier and his family went on afterward, and what led him to getting a ticket to the game to begin with (Maier was the 12 year-old fan who leaned over the wall and caught Jeter's homerun ball during the '96 ALCS).

The subtitle of this book is "The Journey of Derek Jeter," and that's exactly what it is. From his boyhood dream of playing for the Yankees, to the reality of leading the team to five championships, the most recent of which (2009) as the team's captain.

But this book isn't just about Jeter's journey--it's also about the journey of Jeter's Yankees, from his first season as a full-time player (1996), through the dynasty years, to his relationship with other Yankees (Joe Torre, Alex Rodriguez), to the new ballpark and World Series win in 2009, and on up to and including the 2010 season, and his contract negotiation afterward.

THE CAPTAIN is an inspirational book about hard work, family, and believing in yourself.

The Garner Files

Here's a book I'm really looking forward to reading. One of my all-time favorite actors, James Garner, best known as the star of the classic TV P.I. show The Rockford Files, has written a memoir. Simon & Schuster will publish THE GARNER FILES on November 8, 2011.

Here's a cool scene from The Rockford Files. Garner did a lot of his own stunt driving:

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award (ABNA) key dates

These are the key dates for the upcoming rounds of ABNA. There are two categories, General Fiction and YA. So when they say the next round is 100 Semifinalists, they mean 50 in General and 50 in YA. The finalists will be 3 General, 3 YA, Currently, Publisher's Weekly is reviewing the full manuscripts of the semifinalists (of which my novel is one). My excerpt can be read here.

April 26, 2011
Top 100 (Semifinalists) announced at www.amazon.com/abna.
Penguin Editors reading Semi-Finalists' manuscripts to pick the 6 Finalists

Amazon customers continue to download, rate, and review Excerpts, and read Publishers Weekly reviews of Semi-Finalists' full Manuscripts

May 24, 2011
6 Finalists announced
Amazon customers vote to pick the Winners

June 13, 2011
Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Winners announced

ABNA-I made the Quarterfinals!

Amazon announced the quarter-finalists in their fourth annual Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award (ABNA) contest, and I am on the list! From the original batch of 5,000 entries, it was first narrowed down to 1,000 (this was the pitch/query stage), and now, after the excerpt stage, there are just 250 novels left standing. The results of the next round will be announced on April 26th, which will then narrow the field down to 50. The eventual winner gets their book published by Penguin and a $15K advance.

Congrats to all the authors who are moving forward!

My excerpt can be read here.

I Love You More Than You Know

I'm a Jonathan Ames fan. I love his novels and his essays. The guy just flat-out cracks me up. I haven't read him in a while, so I really enjoyed this collection (Black Cat, Grove/Atlantic 2006). It was somehow comforting to know he is still obsessed with certain things about himself--his itchy ass, his baldness, his bathroom problems, his "cataloging of his ruination" as he moves into middle age. His self-deprecating humor is blunt, bawdy, outrageous, and hilarious. It appeals to my 12 year-old boy sense of humor. But mixed in with these funny essays are a few downright touching ones, like "Snowfall" which is about the death of a friend who Ames had lost touch with, and the two essays that discuss his close relationship with his great-aunt Doris. All in all a good, quick, engaging, satisfying read.

Into the Sunset entered in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. Again.

Amazon is holding their fourth annual Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award (ABNA) contest. The winners of the contest get published by Penguin USA and a $15,000 contract. There are two categories, general fiction and young adult.

I entered Into the Sunset (general fiction) last year, and it made it through the first round, but was eliminated in the second round (despite very favorable reviews from the two reviewers assigned my excerpts. They wrote how much they liked the book, and how they laughed out loud. Which is good, because the novel is a comedy).

Anyway, Sunset has made it through the first round again this year, so I'm back to where I was last time. I'll find out the results of Round Two on March 22.

Miracles, Inc. by T.J. Forrester

Vernon Oliver was the hottest, rocking-est, money-making televangelist going, the "biker preacher," riding onto the stage on his Harley, then grabbing his audience by their souls and giving them what they wanted—hope. Of course it was all a sham, the healings staged, but the people were getting what they wanted, they got a show—a rock show, really. They willingly handed over their money. Of course this whole carnival known as Miracles, Inc. eventually came crashing back down to earth.

The novel begins with the narrator, Vernon Oliver, telling his story from his cell on death row, the story of how and why he got there. The writing and voice of Vernon grabs you right from the get-go and doesn't let go. The structure of the novel cuts back and forth between his life as a rich and famous faith healer and his solitary jail cell, where he is working on his autobiography, as he marks down the time to his execution. The contrast between the two keeps the story and the tension moving forward. How did Vernon become the face of Miracles, Inc? How did he end up on death row? Is he really guilty? Will he really be put to death at the end?

A great cast of characters is along for the ride: His girlfriend Rickie; Miriam, the woman who runs Miracle, Inc.; Alton, the ex-preacher who is teaching Vernon everything he knows; and the cast of actors who are "healed" by Vernon on stage.

Miracles, Inc. (Simon & Schuster, 2011) is definitely a "page turner," the back and forth of the plot, along with Forrester's deft, clean, tight, well-edited, and engaging writing keeps your nose in the book until you find how it all turns out. This is one hot book, one that would translate into a film very well. Check it out!

A Painted House, reviewed

I enjoyed A Painted House (2001), Grisham's first departure from his normal legal thrillers. He does a good job of bringing the reader into the world of a Southern (Arkansas) cotton farm during picking season, circa 1952, as seen through the eyes of the seven year-old narrator, Luke. The "hill people" and a team of migrant Mexican workers arrive and live at the farm for two months to pick the cotton. The many characters and different plot lines come together believably and naturally, and little Luke is exposed to human drama like he's never experienced before. At times the novel seemed a little slow (the book could have benefited from some editing), but as a reader you eventually settle in and experience another world, one that doesn't exist anymore. I also loved the baseball references, as Luke was a big fan of Stan Musial and the St. Louis Cardinals. My only real complaint is that the voice of the narrator sounded too adult.

Ice on the Hudson River

We've had records amounts of snow this January in New York. Not only that, but it's been consistently below freezing, and the snow isn't melting. So when another storm comes along, it just dumps more snow on top of the old snow. When it stays this cold for this long, the Hudson River freezes. So I strapped on my new snowshoes today, and went down to the river to take some photos. (Click on the photo to enlarge.)

Catcher, Caught reviewed

Sixteen year-old narrator Daniel Landon has leukemia, and may only have a year to live—even if he does have the chemotherapy treatment his doctors suggest. But his hippie parents decide to give him alternative herbal treatment instead, and pull him out of school (too many germs being around other kids). Shouldn't he have a say in his own life, and what treatment he receives? Isn't it important, too, to be around his school friends and have a social life as his life winds down? Will his parents ever acknowledge his opinions? Even with the weight and worry of his own mortality on his mind, author Sarah Collins Honenberger does a good job of reminding the reader that young Daniel can still have plain old teenage worries. Like, does that new girl (Meredith) in the neighborhood actually like him? And what Halloween party should he attend, his best friend's or the rich kid's, who may have eyes for the same girl Daniel does.

Feeling more and more isolated—both because of his illness and his removal from school—Daniel turns to the voice of The Catcher in the Rye's Holden Caulfield for guidance. Holden, of course, is the unhappy, cynical sixteen year-old kicked out of his prep school, and trying to find himself in New York City before returning home to face the music. But Holden has his whole life to figure things out—Daniel has only a year. Honenberger's teenage protagonist never allows himself to become cynical like Caufield, even though he has every reason to. Daniel instead seeks to gain control over his life (or death), and wants the responsibility—whatever the result. He loves his parents, but what if they are making the wrong decision?

Written in the first person (as is Salinger's book), author Honenberger does a good job getting into the head of her lead character. Sometimes his music and film references may seem too old fashioned for him, and I wish an important, emotional phone call between Daniel and Meredith toward the end of the book (right before he sets out for New York City) had been shown, and not just mentioned in passing. But those are just nit picks, really. In the acknowledgments, Honenberger is thankful for the chance to honor J. D. Salinger and Holden Caulfield. And what better way to honor them than by inspiring a new generation to read The Catcher in the Rye, and an older generation to rediscover the classic?

The Motel Life, by Willy Vlautin

If you're looking for a cool, different book to read, check out Willy Vlautin's The Motel Life. I stumbled upon this book in Border's fire sale budget bin a few days after Christmas. I read and liked the first two pages, so I took a chance. Only $2.99! Well, I have to say I loved this book.

I hate reviews that give the plot away, so I'll keep it simple. Two brothers in Reno, Nevada deal with the bad luck that life keeps throwing their way. The writing is sharp and clean, and I cared about the characters. The story pulled me right in and I just wanted to keep reading. So I did.

Minty

I cant stop watching this:

So you got a Kindle (or iPad) for Christmas?

Now that you have a new toy to play with, you'll want to start downloading some good books to read. Well, here are some great deals on books you won't want to miss!

Tom Saunders's wonderful novel, Inappropriate Happiness. Only 99¢! Read my review here.

Pamela Erens's The Understory. $7.99! Winner of the Ironweed Press Fiction Prize; A Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist; Finalist, William Saroyan International Prize for Writing.

If skullduggery and murder in the world of NASCAR sounds appealing to you, check out GC Smith's White Lightning. $5.00!

If you like short stories, Tom Saunders has two collections that I highly recommend, Roof Whirl Away and Brother, What Strange Place Is This? Only 99¢ each!

Cliff Garstang's award-winning collection of linked stories, In an Uncharted Country, Only $3.99. Winner of the IPPY Gold Medal for Mid-Atlantic--Best Regional Fiction 2010.

Mary Akers's award-winning collection of short stories, Women Up On Blocks, Only $3.99. Winner of the IPPY Gold Medal for Short Story Fiction 2010.

If you like lively, sexy, and funny fiction, then the irrepressible Susan DiPlacido is right up your alley. She has three recent, highly received novels: Lady Luck, only $2.50; House Money, only $3.99; and Shuffle Up and Deal, only $2.50! She also has a wonderful collection of award-winning short stories titled American Cool, for only $2.50.

Finally (and of course), I'm not opposed to plugging my own stuff. If you want some comedy on your Kindle, check out my novel, Into the Sunset, Only 99¢!

If you like time travel, check out my novella, The Chambliss Tapes. 99¢!

Then there is my collection of short stories, Stories From Sunset Hill. Only $1.00!

The Fab Faux

I saw The Fab Faux on Saturday night at Terminal 5 in Manhattan. They're a Beatles tribute band, but they're not cheesy—they're not 50 year old men wearing Mop Top wigs and Beatle boots. They are all accomplished session/studio musicians with impressive resumes. The leader of the band used to be in the Letterman show's band, and they've all played with some of the biggest names in rock.

On Sat. night, they played the White Album (my favorite Beatles album) in its entirety. They nailed it. Every little nuance, sound, and utterance was included. Highlights for me included "Glass Onion," "Yer Blues," and "Helter Skelter." They brought in a horn section when needed, as well as a cello player and a violinist. They even had a harp for the final song, "Goodnight." (And yes, they did the entire "Revolution 9.") Denny Laine (Wings, Moody Blues) came out and joined them for several songs, including "Revolution" and his own "Go Now" during the encore.

Here is the band performing "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" a couple years ago.

John Lennon 2010

Hard to believe it's been thirty years since that crazy bastard shot John Lennon. Lennon was just getting started, too, with the second phase of his solo work--a more mature side, which was evident on the final work he did. Here's one of my favorite songs from that final period, Nobody Told Me. Love the bass line!

Inappropriate Happiness now on Kindle!

Tom Saunders's wonderful novel, Inappropriate Happiness, is now available for the Kindle on Amazon. I reviewed the old-fashioned paper version of this novel last year here.

Eclectica Magazine interview with Susan DiPlacido

Eclectica, the fine literary magazine, was kind enough to let me interview the always funny Susan DiPlacido for their Oct/Nov 2010 issue. Susan published three novels this year, so there was a lot to talk about. Read the interview here.

My review of her latest, House Money, published by Mundania Press, is below. Check out my review of Lady Luck here.

House Money, reviewed

Susan DiPlacido's latest novel (boy, how many times have I said that this year? Oh, right—three) is a Las Vegas gangster caper mystery, but at heart it is a character study. Protagonist Eva Russo has seen enough murder in her life, and—besides the fact that she can't be a made man in the Mafia even if she wanted to be—wants to pursue her own life outside of the mob. She wants to be known as more than the "boss's daughter."

A budding artist, the book opens with Eva's first art show. But due to the power play of someone (Dave “The Sheik” DeSantis) who works for her father (mob boss Joe Russo), Eva is pulled into the gangster life to revenge her father's murder, and reclaim what is rightfully her family's—namely the Oasis, a Vegas casino. That's the basic plot, but DiPlacido makes it come to life with her dialogue, tension and pacing, and well-rounded characters. She also gives the bad guy (The Sheik) meat to his character so he's not just a cliche; though he's not the sharpest tool in the shed, you can see things from his perspective, and understand why he did what he did. But Eva and her cohorts are smarter as they execute their plan to get the Oasis back in their control.

The Bookseller's Sonnets, reviewed

Author Andi Rosenthal deftly weaves together past and present in this wonderful debut novel, The Bookseller's Sonnets. Because of its religious plot, people will want to compare it to the Davinci Code; while it does have cinematic potential, as that novel did, it is more multi-layered, modern, and taps in to character, prejudice and identity much more than the Davinci Code; it is more than just a religious mystery. Lead character Jill Levin, a curator at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in present-day Manhattan, receives an anonymous donation. It is a 500-year-old handwritten manuscript that—if it is truly authentic—is the diary of Margaret, the daughter of St. Thomas More. What is written inside has the potential to rock the worlds of both Judaism and Catholicism, but may affect Jill's life even more. Rosenthal's writing is crisp and fluid, and I couldn't wait to get home from work every night and crawl back into this world she created. It is a true page turner.

The King and I

This is just incredible, but my baseball/time travel story "The Chambliss Tapes" is the #1 free download on Amazon Kindle's free list, Sports category, and Baseball>Essays & Writing category. Sitting up there at the top along with Stephen King's own baseball story, Blockade Billy, which is the #1 paid download.

The Chambliss Tapes—free for Kindle!

I don't know if this is related to the post below, but Amazon has lowered the price of my novella, The Chambliss Tapes, from 99¢ to FREE. That's right, free! In a little more than two days, it has been downloaded over 500 times! Check it out here. It is currently the #1 free download in the Kindle Sports section.