Tag: author

Two Birds – One Stone

Yesterday we had a two-for-one experience. Since our good friend Rod lives about an hour from the friends we are staying with in Phoenix and Joel’s Uncle Bill and his wife live about an hour in the opposite direction, they all met us partway at an Applebee’s to visit. So we were able to visit with Rod who we hadn’t seen in 10 years and Sue was able to meet Joel’s Uncle Bill who he hadn’t seen in over 40 years!

Bill and Joel

It was great to visit with everyone at once and even find out that Rod and Bill had mutual friends. We really hope we can come back sooner than later and visit with them all again.

Rod and Joel

Today is our last day in Phoenix and we’ll be seeing Sue’s Uncle Phil and family and then staying the last night with author Alex Zabala and his wife again before heading Monday morning for San Diego.

Eunice, Bill and Fiona

Celebrating with Co-Authors Shanna Mann (Why We Lead) and Rick Wilson (Hits or Niches)

Months of working frantically to write six books simulataneously with two different co-authors culminated in celebration on 11/11/11.

Rick Wilson and his wife and younger daughter, Shanna Mann and her friends (including Debs from New York), and our family gathered at London Grill in Philadelphia to celebrate getting six books published in six months. Rick and Joel co-authored Hits or Niches: Why Marketing is Boring, Obnoxious & Annoying, & What You Can Do About It. Shanna and Joel co-authored Why We Lead: Conversations on the Scarcity of Confidence and the Nature of Leadership. Joel’s other four books just released are:

Through the Fog – An Irish Mystery Novel (fiction)
Permission Granted: Create Something Remarkable. Start Now.
The Time is Now 11:59 – Heretical Thinking for Tomorrow’s Business
Getting Your Book Out of the Someday Box – Because You Know You Want to Write a Book

Joining us were fans from the area and New York. Thank you to all who joined us in celebration, including:

  • Joel and Cheryl
  • Craig and Katherine
  • Rosemary
  • Ashley
  • Debs
  • Chris
  • Connie Herman
  • Jodi Kaplan (fellow Triiibes member)
  • and all the rest!

Thank you to Ryan and the crew at London Grill for your great service and hospitality! We enjoyed a nice dinner, fun drinks and interesting desserts.

For all you bacon lovers, Joel enjoyed the Candied Bacon Ice Cream on your behalf!

Books were autographed for anyone in attendance and those who pre-ordered. We’ll be shipping books out to those who couldn’t make it in person.

On display as well were copies of client’s books that Someday Box had a hand in helping finish. Fred’s Abduction by author Pegleg Terry is a favorite of Fiona’s.

To all of you who wanted to come and just couldn’t make it, we missed you! If you’d still like to get an autographed copy of one or all of the books, send us an email using our contact form and we’ll see what we can arrange.

Gearing Up for the Big Party

It’s been heads down so we can gear up for the big book release party November 11, 2011 in Philadelphia. The venue has been confirmed. Everyone in the area is invited to join us!

When:
Friday, November 11, 2011
6:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Where:
London Grill
2301 Fairmount Avenue
Philadelphia, PA

Check out the event on Facebook!

An Irish Mystery Novel Party

Joel is an author. He writes business books, songs and now his first fiction book – an Irish mystery. It’s called Through the Fog and is about an amnesiac who ends up in Ireland. You can read an excerpt from it at Joel’s website.

Joel playing his tin whistle in Ireland
Joel playing his tin whistle in Ireland

To celebrate the release of the book this month, and the release of another business book called The Time is Now 11:59 – Heretical Thoughts for Tomorrow’s Business, I’m hosting a virtual party this weekend, Friday through Sunday, on Facebook. Stop by and leave a comment for Joel.

I want this to be fun. Friday we’re going to do a Mexican theme – put on your sombreros and eat chips and salsa. Saturday will be our Irish day – open up the Guinness and have some fish and chips. Sunday – let’s do a BBQ!

 

 

 

Meeting with Kari Hagensmith, Author of The Girlfriend Will, at Panera Bread Today

Today we will be meeting with Kari Hagensmith in Roseville. Kari is author of The Girlfriend Will, a workbook is designed to help guide your girlfriend to prepare your memory for public consumption. Check it out at her website!

We’ve known Kari for several years now and every time we get together with her we end up coming away with great ideas or strategies for our business. Today we’re meeting her for lunch at Panera Bread on Pleasant Grove in Roseville. If you’re nearby, feel free to drop by and say hi.

Kari has arranged for Joel to speak to a group Thursday morning on the topic “How to Get Your Book Out of the Someday Box and Write it Today”. That will be at the Blue Moose Deli in Rocklin. You can learn more about Joel’s Someday Box book writing services at  his website.

Visit with Phil Wrzesenski, Author of Hiring and The Potter’s Wheel

We spent Sunday and Monday nights with Phil Wrzesenski, his lovely wife Shannon and their two boys. Joel originally met Phil online at Seth Godin’s Triiibes. Earlier this year Joel designed the jacket for Phil’s book, Hiring and The Potter’s Wheel. In addition to being an author, Phil owns and runs the Toyhouse in Jackson Michigan. Shannon is from my hometown, San Diego California; so we had something in common from the start. Phil also plays guitar and harmonica. So Joel was able to play music again for the fourth night in a row.

Precocious 105-Year Old Chatterbox Prodigy Reads in the Dark

There’s been a lot of talk lately about just who Fiona really is and what she does. Thanks to all of your comments, we’ve been able to come up with this succinct description: “a precocious 105-year old chatterbox prodigy who reads in the dark.”

Yet that only begins to scratch the surface of this deep persona. Today I thought I’d share more specifics – particularly on her reading and writing interests.

Current books checked out from the local library (20 total; I told her that was the limit for this 3-week period):

  • The Butter Battle Book by Dr. Seuss
  • A Hatful of Seuss: Five Favorites by Dr. Seuss
  • Geogra-fleas!: Riddles All Over The Map (she likes us to pronounce that Georgia-fleas)
  • Goldilocks and the Three Martians
  • David Gets in Trouble (she already owns another of the David books)
  • The Squiggle
  • Cat & Mouse
  • What James Likes Best (any book with James in the title is a must read in honor of her big brother James)
  • Ramona and Her Father (she’s become a Ramona fan in the last 2 months)
  • Ramona the Pest
  • Henry and Beezus
  • Cam Jansen and the Chocolate Fudge Mystery (she likes to pronounce Jansen as Janseen and loves the Cam Jansen books; loves mysteries like her mom)
  • Cam Jansen and the Green School Mystery
  • Cam Jansen and the First Day of School
  • Arthur Chapter Books 1-3 (she’s been reading chapter books for a while now; yes, she’s just going into 1st grade)
  • Baby-Sitters Club #43, Stacey’s Emergency (became a huge fan of Baby-Sitters Club books because her big sister owns quite a few)
  • Baby-Sitters Club #33
  • Baby-Sitters: Little Sister #61
  • Baby-Sitters: Little Sister #37
  • Charlotte’s Web

At bedtime we read at least one book and then she requires at least a dozen books at her bedside to read. At any given point in the day if it’s too quiet, we go check to see what trouble she’s up to: usually she’s sitting on our bed reading a book. She’s enjoying The Secret Garden, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books, Little Women and many, many more.

She’ll probably be a writer. Actually she already writes at her blog: Foona’s 900 Funny Thoughts. She usually dictates to me as I type in the words. Often she asks me to correct the punctuation! Oh, and she loves it when people leave comments.

Her library may already have as many books as her dad’s. That must be where she gets it from! I’m sure she’ll be an author like so many in her family: Dad writes business books and has written a mystery; Mom’s co-authored books with Dad (you can find their books here); her sister writes poetry; her brother has published two books; her uncle is writing a book. Mom also writes poems. Here’s one of Mom’s favorites written for Fiona’s Dad:

Our Hearts Entwine

When you look at me my heart melts
Your eyes smile and twinkle with love
With just a look you say I love you
With just a smile you say you’ll always be there
My eyes mist with tears, my heart aches with love
I reach for you, you reach for me
With a look alone our hearts entwine
Forever in love, yours and mine

Yes, Fiona does read in the dark (with a flashlight or small night light). And she can talk your ear off like no one’s business!