Rudy Toot-Toot is Available!

At long last, Rudy Toot-Toot is available for sale on Amazon.com!

Have you read it?  Please enter a review!  Haven't read it?  Please check it out!

Ready for a blast of laughing gas? Rudy Toot-Toot has a special power, almost like a super-hero: he can fart. It comes natural when you’re born on a bean farm. The problem is that Rudy can’t control the timing or the force behind his special gift. 

His farts get him into a lot of trouble at home and school, and after one monstrous blast scares all the Beanheads away from the Toot-Toot Family Bean Market, it’s up to Rudy to find a way to use his talent to lure the customers back before the bank takes away their home. 

This hilarious tale about self-control (and the lack thereof) will have readers young and old laughing out loud. They might even learn a thing or two along the way…

Sure the book is about a boy who farts, but before you balk at the subject matter, it's important to understand two things:

1. Farts are funny.

2. The story is really about self-control, and finding the right time and right place.   And it is a really good story.  Trust me. 

Rudy Toot-Toot is a great summer reading choice for kids in kindergarten through 5th grade.  The first page gets their attention and the story holds it, expect giggles and the sound of ruffling paper.  Seriously...as hard as it is to get kids to read, this is a book they will want to finish!  You may need to read aloud to younger children, but this is a book adults can appreciate, too.

Paperback copies are only $9.99, and for the month of July Rudy Toot-Toot is available on Kindle for only $0.99 (and The Man in the Cinder Clouds is still just $0.99 on Kindle for my Christmas in July sale)!

Click here for the paperback copy.

Click here for the Kindle copy.

A Very Special Interview

Thanks to Sheri Larsen for the great interview with Jason Hodgin, whose father found "The Man in the Cinder Clouds" in the ice at the North Pole.

Check out Sheri's blog to find out what questions she had for Jason, and what his reaction was when he found out they had a book showing the true history of Kris Kringle and how he came to be known as Santa Claus.

Now Appearing Across the Interwebz...Part Two

This is a big month for me.  I'm doing all I can to promote my new Christmas book, The Man in the Cinder Clouds (which is a great Christmas gift idea, hint hint).  Yesterday I met with a school librarian to prep for an author visit this Thursday, and later in the afternoon I visited a 4th grade class to read to the students and take them through a writing workshop on the elements of story telling.

Bane of Anubis (aka Real Name Withheld) posted a fun interview with yours truly yesterday on his blog, Bane's Blogging Blues.

Today, Michelle Davidson Argyle is hosting a guest post on the origins of Christmas stockings (as revealed through The Man in the Cinder Clouds) on her blog, The Innocent Flower.

Also hosting a posting today is Bryan Russel of The Alchemy of Writing, with my guest post on the challenges of writing a story no one in particular was asking for, and why I'm glad I followed my heart and told the story anyway. 

Thursday I'm scheduled to appear on another blog, details will be provided Thursday morning...and Thursday afternoon I will be visting two more 4th grade classes and then the aforementioned library author visit in the evening.  Still more clasroom visits on Friday and next week, and another library visit on Thursday the 15th. 


And I'm loving every minute of it!!!

And for the other bloggers who have agreed to host a post but haven't received said post, I'm working on them, I promise!

If anyone else is interested in hosting a guest post or interview, let me know and we can coordinate a date / time.

For those that have been supporting my promotional efforts, thank you!  Every voice counts...

Win a Signed Copy of "The Man in the Cinder Clouds"

If you're looking for a gift idea for your favorite reader for Christmas, young or old, click the link below and enter to win a signed copy of "The Man in the Cinder Clouds":

http://sherahart.blogspot.com/2011/11/win-evidence-of-santa-clause-no-snow.html

There's also an interview about my writing history and methods, with a nice teaser about the sequel to "The Man in the Cinder Clouds".

Thanks, Sheryl, for including me on your blog!

My Birthday Wish...

On October 10 I turn 40.  Next Monday.  Over the Hill.  The Big 4-0.  How the &*^% did this happen? As far as I can remember I'm way too irresponsible to be this damn old.

I have simple tastes.  I don't want a fancy sports car (however, if a Lamborghini ended up in my garage I would certainly drive it).  I don't need a 10,000 square-foot mansion on a hill (I would rather it be on a lake).

I do want to write for a living, and for people around the world to read and enjoy my stories.  So for my birthday, I don't need anything directly, but I would like you all to get yourselves a copy of The Man in the Cinder Clouds. 

If you already have a copy but haven't read it yet, now's a great time to crack the cover...and then you can leave a review on Amazon.com or Goodreads as a birthday gift.  And then buy copies of the book for everyone you know, 'cause it feels good to give.

If you have a copy and have read it and reviewed it, not only are you an incredible person who has earned my everlasting thanks, you have the opportunity to recommend the book to other people.

And if you read the book and think it sucks, you can always trick someone you don't like into buying it.  I'm not above that.

#

My Radio Interview is Available

Since Blogger doesn't host audio files, I've been playing tech-sleuth in trying to figure out how to share this MP3 with you wonderful people.

There is a 50/50 chance that this will work.  Of course, that leaves open a 50/50 chance that this will not work.  Such is life.

The interview experience on The Biggs Show was great.  I am totally ready for Oprah now.  I think she need to start her show up again, or at least do a one-off Christmas special for me.  If any one knows her, please pass along my contact info so we can get the ball rolling.  I hate to keep her waiting.  Thanks!

Cinder Clouds Hits Times Square!

My press release this week included an image of the book's cover.  Reuters news service displayed the image on their Times Square marquee, and also one in front of the mall on the Vegas strip.  I don't have a picture of the Vegas display, but here's a high-res photo of my book hovering over mid-town Manhattan.  Click for the big version:

Breaking New Ground

The vast majority of the people who follow this blog are cyber-friends who know me only through this blog and my comments on other writing blogs.  To many I am a sun-glassed smart-ass who has a penchant for photos with water in the background.  But what do I look like without the glasses?  And what do I sound like?  Do have have a deep and sexy voice, or an accent?  Are my eyes lasers that will incinerate you if I remove the glasses? (NOTE: The lawyers from the X-Men will see you now.) 

Some bloggers have turned to web-cams and posted videos to get more personal with their readers. (NOTE: Not that kind of web-cam.  The innocent tasteful kind.)  I have yet to take that leap.  Stand before walk, and sound before sight, that's my motto.  At least for the time being it is.  I'll probably change it later today.  Notably around dinner time my motto will be Feed me! followed by More wine, please!


For those who want to get a little more personal, tune in to 1290 AM Thursday at 1:35 pm eastern to listen to my interview on The Biggs Show.  For those who don't have the advantage of residence in London, Ontario, you can Listen Live via the Internet.

This is exciting because I have no idea what to expect, but I anticipate solving many of the worlds problems in the half-hour allotted.  I might even entice a few people into buying my book, which would be all sorts of awesome.

The offer for the interview came after I issued this press release about my origins of Santa story, The Man in the Cinder Clouds.  (NOTE: I realize you all probably know the title of the book, but I must restate it for search engine optimization purposes.)

I didn't know what to expect when I issued the release, and was very happy when the offer for the interview hit my inbox 19 minutes after the release hit the wire!

So tune in tomorrow afternoon if you have the time.  I'd love to get some feedback after the interview...

# 

I've Been Interviewed!

Kai Strand is helping to promote my origins-of-Santa Claus story "The Man in the Cinder Clouds" and she posted an interview on her blog(s):

http://kaistrand.blogspot.com/2011/09/three-times-charm-with-rick-daley.html

http://cleanwriter.livejournal.com/87925.html

The same interview is on both blogs, so pick either one to find out what I have to say about writing and relaxing!

Peek Behind the Cinder Clouds

As a follow-up to My Path to Publication, I'd like to direct your attention to Sue Quinn's blog once more for an interview that goes behind the scenes of THE MAN IN THE CINDER CLOUDS and explores the origins of my origins-of-Santa Claus story.

Sue also asked me some great questions about self-publishing, and I sure hope I gave good answers.  Click here to visit Sue's blog and read the interview.

SPECIAL BONUS: Read through the comments on the interview post and you'll find out the winner of the epic battle: Superman vs. Bugs Bunny.  Of course you realize, this means war!

#

My Path to Publication- Part Two

Click here to read Part One.  Otherwise the leap right into Step 7 might be jarring.

Step 7: Right after my agent started presenting RUDY TOOT-TOOT to editors I lost my job.  I'm pretty sure the two events are not related, but who knows, I love a good conspiracy theory.

I took advantage of the two months between gainful employment opportunities to write the first draft of another book.  Thinking I might be best served continuing in the children’s book market, I chose an origins-of-Santa story I’d been contemplating for several years.

I wrote the first draft of THE MAN IN THE CINDER CLOUDS in about 6 weeks.  Then I reached out to a diverse group critique partners, including children’s book authors, YA authors, and authors of literary adult fiction.  I had a fifth-grader read my book, and I read the book aloud to a class of third-graders; the kids all liked it.  I incorporated the feedback from my critique partners (NOTE: a.k.a. "critters" in some writing circles) and revised the manuscript and emailed a copy to my agent.  I thought it was pretty good.  My submission was met with:

Silence.

I called to follow up on the submissions for RUDY TOOT-TOOT.  My follow-up was met with:

Silence.

For nearly six months I heard nothing from my agent, and I tried to reach out to her monthly.  I noticed on one call that she now had an intern.  I saw in Publisher’s Marketplace that she was selling books.  Just not mine.

Eventually she responded to an email and let me know that RUDY didn’t get any offers, but said she would read my new book.  She asked me to give her a month.  I did, and when I got back in touch with her, she had not read it.  She asked for another week.  I gave it to her.  She still did not read it.  It was one more week when we both realized that our author/agent relationship was not going to work and parted ways.  It was bittersweet, because as frustrating as the end was, her editorial guidance and feedback helped me to grow as a writer and storyteller.

But I do believe that things happen for a reason, and I'm not about to hold a grudge, because eventually... 

Step 8: I revised THE MAN IN THE CINDER CLOUDS again and again.  I applied everything I had learned and poured my heart and soul into the book.  The result is a very special story; I feel honored that The Muse picked my fingers to hammer it out, because I think it's a great read.  I guess that's a conceited thing to say on some levels, but what do you expect?  I'm asking people to spend their hard-earned money on the book and take hours from their busy lives to read it...you should hope I think it's good.  

I considered querying and going the traditional publishing route, but I realized that to do that, my book would not be published until 2012 at the very earliest…more likely fall of 2013.  I decided that I did not want to wait that long.  The story is ready to be told.

But speed-to-market is not the only reason I decided to self-publish.  I’ve been watching the changes to the publishing market over the past several years.  I wouldn’t suggest everyone self-publish.  I don’t know if I’ll self publish my next book.  But for this book, I feel the time is right, and I’m comfortable with my decision.

THE MAN IN THE CINDER CLOUDS is available at Amazon.com in print and Kindle editions, and it also available for the Nook at BarnesandNobel.com.

#

A New Review and a Book Give-Away

As an interlude between parts One and Two of "My Path to Publication" I'd like to draw your attention to Sue Quinn's blog and a wonderful review of THE MAN IN THE CINDER CLOUDS.

If you haven't ordered a copy, drop by Sue's blog and leave a comment today or tomorrow and you will have a chance to win a signed copy of the book.  Click here for more details, and thanks so much, Sue, for your kind words and support! 

Click here to read part one of My Path to Publication. Stay tuned tomorrow for part two, and visit Sue's blog again on Wednesday for an interview that will shed some additional light on the story behind THE MAN IN THE CINDER CLOUDS (and my plans for my next book...).

Reviews for "The Man in the Cinder Clouds"

My book The Man in the Cinder Clouds is now available for the Nook at BarnesandNobel.com!  Nook and Kindle editions are only $4.99 and delivery is immediate.  Help spread the word!

Get it in print.
Get it on your Kindle.
Get it on your Nook.
Get it in your iWhatever (NOTE: this is really the Kindle version, you'll need the Kindle app on your iWhatever).

Here are the reviews it's received so far on Amazon and GoodReads.  Thanks to all for reading and supporting my book.  I think it's a special story and I'm grateful to have the opportunity to share it with people.

5 Stars, TRIFECTA! Adventure, humor, and something old made new again., July 25, 2011
"THE MAN IN THE CINDER CLOUDS is one of those middle grade books that the grown-ups get sucked into along with their kids. You think you bought if for your young reader but after you browse chapter one you just sort of... can't stop.

"For the kids: The story starts with an adventure gone dreadfully boring as a boy accompanies his dad on an expedition to the North Pole. He discovers that the exotic location can't overcome the drudgery of hanging out with scientists for a few weeks, even if Santa Claus is reputed to live somewhere nearby. The scientists make a discovery in the ice, though, that captures not only Jason's imagination but everyone else's. For one thing, not even the scientists can figure out why the book they've found appears to each person in his native language.

"If the book they've uncovered is what it seems, it tells the tale of how Santa Claus came to be the figure we all know today. The traditions and images we associate with Santa are all rooted in his first Christmas venture to find one example of goodness in humanity. He fulfills his own quest while helping a brother and sister who desperately need an ally.

"For the grown-ups: THE MAN IN THE CINDER CLOUDS is intricate, with two stories unfolding together as Jason discovers the history of Santa Claus and the children in the Santa story overcome their own hardship by taking care of each other. It's also funny, with humor and references the kids will get but doesn't rely on lowbrow jokes that an older reader would just find silly. The wit shines through in chapter one and the story carries you right through to the end.

"I'm going to recommend this one to my school librarian as well as my kid's teachers. Charming, satisfying, warm, and plain old fun to read."

5 Stars, loved it, August 2, 2011
"I have read and watched many santa claus stories and movies in my many years on earth, and by far this is the best christmas story I have ever heard. I agree with Debbie it needs to be a movie, Good work Rick I can't for many more books to by written by you."

5 Stars, Very good book, July 22, 2011
"I love this book. When you get to the end you don't want to leave the characters. The story is very well written and my only complaint is that it is over too soon! I would love to see this as a Christmas movie."

5 Stars, A bit biased, but who doesn't love Santa, July 30, 2011
"I know Rick interpersonally (i.e., from the web via his terrific blog)and he's by far one of the funniest people out there when it comes to kids' humor (and adult humor, for that matter). This book melds that humor with his typical charm into a tripled layered tale about doing the right thing (A Rick Daley joint) with a familiar protagonist (i.e., Santa Claus) in an inventive origin yarn. Definitely would recommend for the kid in all of us. "

5 Stars, The read, July 22, 2011
"I found this book well written in every way.
Organization, story line, imagination, all excellent!
Should be made into a movie!"

5 Stars, The Man in the Cinder Clouds, August 4, 2011
"what a great book. I enjoyed all of this story and you get so involved that you just can't lay the book down. I guess it just brought the kid in me out. This would make an excellent movie and would be especially great around the Christmas season. Keep up the good work Rick!!! Can't wait for the next book."

5 Stars, Great Read!!, August 3, 2011
"Christmas in July!! What a perfect time to release this book and to read it! I'm sure all ages will love it- It is an easy read, and a hard to put down book! Would make a great movie during the xmas holidays! Can't wait to read more from this author!"

Kindle Alert!

My book The Man in the Cinder Clouds is now available on Kindle!  It's only $4.99, if you've been waiting for the lower-priced eBook version, it's time to download...

Many thanks to all who have already bought a copy of the print version.  The personal feedback I've received has been great, and there are 6 awesome reviews on Amazon!  Check out what readers have said so far.

For those with iPads and similar devices, there's a Kindle app available for free (unless Apple has removed it...I have one on my iTouch from a year ago). 

For Nook users, hang tight...I'm working on a Barnes & Nobel upload, and hope to have a Nook version available in the near future.