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Wednesday, September 14, 2011

I Got a New Blog

Good news!  You no longer have to look at this drab, depressing template.  I have a new blog at a new address. 

www.dcolemanbooks.com/blog

It's tied into my website both in style and function.

This week I've posted some pics of me doing my best to embarass my kids at the bus stop.

http://dcolemanbooks.com/wave-at-the-bus/never-underestimate-the-lengths-to-which-i-will-go-to-embarrass-my-kids

 Stop by and check it out!  (Here's a teaser pic)

Friday, September 2, 2011

What's in Your Ears?

Yesterday, Cyndi at Dog-Eared & Bookmarked posted a stellar review of Hatter.  Today there's a guest post (by me) about the music behind Hatter.  If you've read Hatter, check out the playlists I made and wore out for the two main characters: Hatta and Chism.  I can't hear any of these songs now without thinking of my characters!

Can you think of any other songs that should be on the list?

Thursday, September 1, 2011

This or That

Stop by A Backwards Story blog to see my picks for This or That. 

Here are a few of the picks:
TV or Music
Alice or Cheshire Cat
Fantasy or Reality (this was the toughest one)

Comment on A Backwards Story to let me know if you agree or not.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Blog Tour Update

Christie did an interview with the title character from Hatter.  Check it out here:

The Fiction Enthusiast

I also had an in depth review of Hatter go up on another great blog:

Hippies, Beauty, and Books, Oh My!

Halfway done with the book tour.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

I'm Not Here (But I'll Tell You Where To Find Me!)

I'll be taking a couple weeks off from my own blog to do a blog tour to promote Hatter.  A schedule of the tour is posted below, and I'll most likely link each one as it comes up, but as you can see, we're a couple days into the tour already.

Today, Ashley at Basically Amazing Books posted a short piece I wrote on why I choose to retell a part of Wonderland, as well as my take on Reader Hopes vs. Author Hopes.   She hosted me when I did the Jabberwocky book blog tour, so I was excited to see her sign up for Hatter.

Enjoy!
Monday, August 22: Kristen at Seeing Night Reviews (Review)
Tuesday, August 23: Kristen at Seeing Night Reviews (Author Interview)
Thursday, August 25: Ash at Smash Attacks Reads (Cover Interview)
Friday, August 26: Ashley at Basically Amazing Books (Review)
Saturday, August 27: Ashley at Basically Amazing Books (Guest Post)
Sunday, August 28: Christie at The Fiction Enthusiast (Review)
Monday, August 29: Christie at The Fiction Enthusiast (Character Interview- Hatta)
Tuesday, August 30: Bonnie at A Backwards Story (Review)
Wednesday, August 31: Bonnie at A Backwards Story (Author This or That)
Thursday, September 1: Cynthia at Dog-Eared and Bookmarked (Review)
Friday, September 2: Cynthia at Dog-Eared and Bookmarked (Playlist) Saturday, September 3: Melissa at Me, My Shelf, and I (Review)
Sunday, September 4: Melissa at Me, My Shelf, and I (Tens List)
Monday, September 5: Julia at That’s Swell! (Review)
Tuesday, September 6: Julia at That’s Swell! (Guest Post) Wednesday, September 7: Corrine at Lost for Words (Review)
Thursday, September 8: Corrine at Lost for Words (Author Interview)

Monday, August 15, 2011

I'm going to Reno, Chicago, Fargo, Minnesota, Buffalo, Toronto, Winslow, Sarasota...

OK, so that may be a slight exageration, but I am starting my upcoming book tour in Reno.  And for all you Johnny Cash fans, I'll pass through Winnemucca and Catalina (AZ).

From Wed to Sat I'll be at Worldcon (The World Science Fiction Convention), hanging out with thousands of other geeks like myself.  I won't be decked out in a Luke Skywalker costume, but I will be giving away bookmarks and buttons.  I'll also have plenty of copies of Jabberwocky and Hatter, as well as the recently released Jabberwocky audiobook for only $5.

I'll also have a chance in Reno to collect on some wings that are owed me.  (I'm talking to you, Ben)
Sunday I'll be kicking back in Vegas with a good friend and his family, then driving to Mesa, AZ with another good friend.

Monday I'm visiting a couple school in Mesa, including my old junior high, then driving down to Tucson for a book signing.

Tuesday the 23rd we'll drive across New Mexico to Las Cruces, where I have another school visit.  In the evening I'm doing a book signing in El Paso.

Wed, in between school visits, I plan to visit the Alamo, so I can forever after remember the Alamo.  Hopefully we'll have time to visit the San Antonio River Walk.

Oh yeah, I plan to eat some delicious food along the way.  Check back in 2 weeks for some pics.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Looking for Balance

Do you ever feel like this elephant? 


With all of the demands on our time and attention, life can feel impossible at times.  And there's no doubt that we do it to ourselves through the choices we make.

I've hatched countless schemes over the last couple decades.  On the short-term end of the spectrum, my vending machine "business" lasted about 2 months.  The mortgage company, on the other hand, lasted almost a decade.  When market conditions and a thousand mile move made the business stagnant, I was happy to move on to a new venture.

That's when I started writing.  I had thought about writing and studied writing for more than 2 years before I even picked up the proverbial pen.  Nobody, not even me, knew if it was just another venture that would flare then phase away or if I would stick with it long enough to make it big.

Four and a half novels later, I feel like I'm here to stay.  Writing is what I think about when I don't have to think about anything.  Shoot, it's what I think about even when I'm supposed to be thinking about something else.  That leads to my current problem -- balance.

I spend a lot of time with my kids.  I go to church religiously (pun intended).  I date Wifey nearly every week.  I manage our vacation rental and I put hours and hours into the yard every week.  But I've come to realize my even though my body is participating in a wide variety of activities, my mind isn't always entirely present.

It sucks to admit it, but I gotta find some balance in my life.
'Balance of Life' created for slashTHREE Exhibition #15
Balance of Life by Wojciech Magierski
You're probably waiting for me to tell you what magic pill I've found to bring my life into balance.  Well, it's not coming.  I'm still working on it. 

I started by calendaring my week.  But I didn't define my roles well enough and with the exception of appointments and obligations, almost everything in my planner related to writing.  So next week I'll write out my roles and be sure to schedule items that help me make progress in all of them.

I managed to run just for the health of it this week.  Even though I've run hundreds of miles over the last couple years, it's all been in training for a race.  Running without a goal turned out to be a good physical boost.

Other than that, I'll continue to get more central in my thoughts and actions.  When I'm writing, I'll give it 100%.  And when not writing, I'll put my attention where it belongs.

So give me a hand here.  What are your thoughts?  I know I'm not the only one off balance.  Give me some ideas of what has helped you find balance in your life...