Writing Rock My World

First and foremost enjoy Memorial Day, there's no other country like the USA and the people who have fought and died for our freedom deserve to be honored. GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!!

After I finished my short story I was ready to take on writing my memoir. I told myself this is my new job and I'd write 1000 words a day and nothing less. Three months later I finished the first part of the book which was the rock and roll story. The next three months I wrote my personal climb of attainment to be the most proficient concert merchandiser and about reaching my goal of going around the world with some rock & roll outfit while getting paid to do it. Then it took another three months to blend the two stories into one book. Not being a writer I must say, this was a real challenge and having no editor to take my words and amp them up as I said, left me with a mountain to climb. But, I wanted to tell my story with the belief that my book would inspire readers to say, if he can do it so can I.

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I'd never told anyone my story in full, when it came up that I'd traveled with some of the greatest rock bands of the eighties I'd play it down and intentionally change the subject. I'm not a bragger and I thought people would take my words as if I was in fact bragging. Maybe it was a good thing I kept my journey to myself, because when I went about writing it, the story streamed out of my memory in such detail that it became a lot of fun reliving my early twenties and my rock & roll journey. I hadn't thought about that part of my life due to the fact that I like living in the present and always look forward to the future.

So, I finished writing my book and sent it to over one hundred book agents. I thought that with all the bands I'd traveled with, book agents would think that the book had a built in audience of loyal rock fans who would buy the book. Not the case, every agent shot me down for one reason or another. Some of them said negative things about the drug parts of the book and others said nobody wants to know the story of some unknown who traveled with rock and roll bands of the eighties. Others felt I shouldn't have mixed two books into one because my book on inspiring people was also promoting sex drugs and rock & roll. Agents felt it was a tough sell and passed me my by over and over. My confidence was shaken to its core and all the rejection took some getting used to. Finally after three months of nothing but pure rejection and not having any other book agents to reach out to I put the book in a closet and said it wasn't meant to be. But, for those who don't know me, I LOVE to persevere, it's who I am. A year later I was having lunch with a very close friend who had read my book and asked what ever became of it. I gave him the cliff note version. He said he had really enjoyed the book and felt it should be read by others. I'd mentioned that I couldn't let the book just die and kept thinking of a way to get it out to the masses and let the general public decide if the book had legs or not. Three weeks later my friend called and asked if I had xyz amount of cash to spend. I said yes considering it wasn't a large sum of money he was talking about. He told me to send him my book file and in a week he would tell me what he was up to. A week went by and he called and told me to go to Amazon.com/ Kindle books and punch in the name of my book, Rock My World. I followed his instructions and there was my book, I must tell you I cried pure tears of joy. I called him and asked why he had taken it upon himself to perform such a beautiful gesture. He said you persevered writing it and dealing with agents. I knew this book wasn't about making money to you, it was about inspiring people to go after their dreams and not give up and now your book is a reality. Again I thanked him from the bottom of my heart and said he'd made my dream come true. He said you’re my good friend and I'm glad I could help you attain your goal of getting your book out there.

About a year has gone by since the book has been on Kindle and now it's also on Barnes & Noble's Nook. People all over America, the UK and Germany are buying it. I knew my gut feeling was right and those book agents were WRONG! I hadn't looked at the book in over two years, so I re-read it. Again, not having an editor to clean the book up was a drag. I found some typos and added a few things that I feel have improved upon it. People are paying to read my story, and the least I can do is give readers a book that flows smoothly and has no distractions. Next week it will be resubmitted to Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I appreciate all the readers who looked beyond some of my typos and other minor issues, but I feel I have really improved upon it.

Happy Memorial Day! Talk to you in two weeks.

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 I'm thrilled & proud to announce that the The Golden Notebook Bookstore| 29 Tinker Street | Woodstock, NY 12498 | 845-679-8000 is now selling the paperback version of my book ROCK MY WORLD

Before Rock My World

I hope the last two weeks have been good to you all!

Writing my memoir and not being a writer was one hell of a mountain to climb. I'd just sold my business and had time on my hands, so I decided to take on a project. Rather than jumping right into my memoir, I thought I would try to write a short story that was true and had taken place in my childhood. The first thing that came to mind was something that happened when I was a little boy growing up in Newark, New Jersey. It occurred about a year before my family moved to Livingston, New Jersey where they still live today. A quick note, a close friend of mine who writes for a living gave me one piece of advice on a great writing technique, which was, write the way you speak. I started writing and after a few minutes I found a groove and kept typing till the next thing I knew I was finished telling my little story. This gave me the incentive to say to myself now repeat this formula, only on a grand scale and that was how I began writing Rock My World. Now, I'd like to share the first piece I ever wrote, called the Power of Ice Cream, I hope you enjoy it!

                                       

                                     THE POWER OF ICE CREAM

  Nineteen sixty four, Ivy Hill Park, good old Newark, New Jersey!

 As I'm walking towards the park, I'm thinking what a perfect summer day to go play. The sun is out. Sky's bright blue and filled with giant white puffy clouds. A warm summer breeze is rustling through the green leaves of the tall oak trees that line the sidewalk. It's a perfect day to be outside and have fun!

 I enter the park through its tall wrought iron, arched gates and ponder; maybe I'll go by the sprinkler pool and see who's there. Then, I'll go play over by the big wooden fort. Mom gave me twenty five cents for ice cream, man I can't wait to hear the sound of the ice cream truck ringing its bells!

Out of the corner of my eye, I see a crowd of kids gathering around the fort, which, I immediately decide to head towards. I approach, inching closer and closer through the tight knit crowd to the center of all the interest. In the center circle stood one young enterprising lad offering hand craved tattoos for a fee. His tool of choice for administering the tattoo was a brand new Shell gasoline giveaway, an eight inch long white plastic pearl handled steak knife. Its stainless steel serrated blade gleamed in the rays of the sun.

This knife wielding sinister faced kid with his summer crew cut was a sight to behold!

For a quarter, he was offering a custom tattoo with your initials, or a really big star, cut anywhere you wanted. He was working the crowd like a barker at a carnival.

 Man this kid was calling all of us younger kids little baby's for not stepping forward to get sliced. The twelve year old had two buddies with him, both bragging and showing off their new body art. They were badgering the crowd repeating, "It's not going to hurt and the tattoo will look really cool!"

Then to my amazement, one really gullible 8 year old hands over two dimes and a nickel to the twelve year old for a tattoo. Instantly, his two friends grab the kid and hold his arm. The twelve year olds face grew flush with excitement as he went to work on the recipients arm.

From my point of view, the inner circle looked like demons at work.

 First cut, no real blood, just a trickle and the 8 year old kept his cool. Next slice, not so lucky, it got gory. But, that didn't stop the twelve year old from finishing the first initial.

Now this kid whose arm was being held by the two really nasty looking cross eyed Chinese brothers starts to panic and begins to flail about. The goofier of the two brothers snidely says, "Stand still, you're not going anywhere!" These two slant eyed brothers were howling in some sick demon like trance during the entire ordeal. Meanwhile, the knife wielding twelve year old finished cutting initials in this terrified 8 year old kid as the entire crowd looked on in wide eyed silence.

The sudden sound of jingling bells in the distance broke the spell of evil that hummed around the fort. The crying 8 year old with his arm still being held by one of the brothers, finally dared to look down at his shiny crimson tattoo that bore the letters RT. Believe it or not, despite the one deep slice, steak knife boy did a fine carving job! The whole time the twelve year old was performing his skills, he hadn't spoken a word. He now asked the other crossed eyed brother to get him an ice cream from the arriving Good Humor truck. The rest of the crowd started disappearing from the fort area and were darting towards the sound of the bells. What kid doesn't love ice cream, coming from the Good Humor truck?

In a devilish voice, with a wicked grin on his face, the twelve year old says to the still sobbing 8 year old who had wrapped his white tee shirt around his forearm, "Thanks for the twenty five cents; I really wanted ice cream in the worst way!"

Next entry in my blog will strictly be on Rock My World, talk with you in two weeks time!

Follow us on Facebook @ Rock My World

 I'm thrilled & proud to announce that the The Golden Notebook Bookstore| 29 Tinker Street | Woodstock, NY 12498 | 845-679-8000 is now selling the paperback version of my book ROCK MY WORLD