Stone In The Surf Press

June 20, 2008

OK so I've been very negligent in keeping this blog up to date. But, as is usual for my life so much is happening. And talk about serendipity life is really interesting! I was cursing Craig's List for jobs as well as opportunities for writing, events, etc. I found a very simple ad in LA for speakers passionate about their subject. I thought, "what the heck" and fired off a reply. Turns out the ad was from Ester Martinez a producer at CBS2 morning news, and producer/host with Time
Warner. She also does fill-in reporting at AM690 radio here in Los Angeles. She was looking for inspiring subjects for a mini-documentary. Ester loved what we were doing at the Over The Wall Foundation. On June 6th I did a mad dash down to West Hollywood to shoot the interview with Craig Farris and Ester. And now, it looks like this project might be heading to become an "indie-documentary" for Sundance. All this from answering a simple little ad on Craig's List.

As soon as Steve can convert the documentary into a format that is easy to download, I'll add the link to it on www.otwf.org. Speaking of which, I've been working like crazy on their website and brochure. It's been keeping my creative side challenged.

My challenge of turning what I know into a speaking career has taken a deeper path if you will. I initially thought, wow, I can talk about tons of stuff. After reading tons of books on the subject, I've decided to focus on the lost art of storytelling. Turns out there is an awakening to the use of story in corporate America. So now I'm on the path of writing a book on the use of storytelling as a means of effective communication. More on this as it develops. You can watch the progress on www.richneumann.com. I am however very excited about talking to groups and sharing my experiences in writing and publishing.

Great news - old dog has learned a new trick! I taught myself how to add MP3 Audio files to my website. Now you can hear two of my radio interviews here and on my Marketing page. I was surprised when I listened to them how powerful they were as a reminder that I am on the right path.

Click on the "On Air" button to hear these two radio shows.

WOCA-AM

NEHI

(Native Education and Health Initiative)

May 22, 2008

A lot has happened in three weeks! I'm once again venturing into a slightly different aspect of story telling - public speaking. I know, I know those of you who know me will laugh, but then nod and agree it combines all of the elements of what I love doing, story telling, mentoring and entertaining. Frankly the thought of going back into finance leaves me wanting to sit down next to Oedipus and plucking my eyes out. That being said it required a revamp of my own webpage www.richneumann.com and a new approach to promoting myself. I have also been working with Over The Wall which has spun off a non-profit foundation. This is something that I had recommended they do a while ago. Like most things, this is a very time consuming process. Designing a flyer, new website, etc. I believe in what Craig is trying to do and I hope that my efforts will help him and OWTF to succeed.

Mary has suggested I take this site and turn it into a book about publishing - hmmm very good idea. So, with luck two books will be out shortly - There's No Place Like Home and (an as yet to be titled book). I've also started on an interesting story on the bio-tech industry.

All good. Just remember - feed an accountant - buy books!

And if your group or someone you know is looking for a guest speaker - have them give me a call or an email.

April 30, 2008

Once again I find that my life has made an abrupt and totally unexpected change. I am reminded of those immortal words penned by Douglas Adams as he described the thoughts of a bowl of petunias as they plummeted towards the surface of the planet, "Oh no, not again." And, I must take to heart his most famous of slogans....

While I sipped my morning cup of coffee and watched the world roll by on Highway 101 far below me, I realized, my life is not unlike cross-country flying in my hang glider. One launches from the top of a mountain with a great deal of faith that you can find something that you can neither, see nor touch in hopes that it will keep you aloft. It's only when you have run into a thermal that you might find one, or if you are very very close, you might smell the sent of grass thousands of feet below you carried by the wind, or you might sense a very small change in temperature. But these happen only when you are within a few feet of an actual thermal. I digress only for a moment to explain that thermals are those upwardly spiraling columns of warm air that you see large birds circling in to gain altitude. To fly cross-country, you climb to the top of one, then set out across empty sky in hopes of finding the next thermal. Meanwhile you are slowly loosing altitude. If you are fortunate enough to find another thermal, you ride that one to the top and set off again. In retrospect, each of my career choices seems very much like cross-country flying. Each one has allowed me just enough altitude to get to the next one. Each one being only a step along a greater journey. This last one allowed me to get out of a very large hole that I had dug for myself while trying to save my home for my son, long enough for him to finish high school and head off to college.

Life is filled with signs, or in my case stones. At my most recent gig, I brought in Pam Rock a long time friend who has helped me through some very rough times and was the person who told me to go home and write Charlie's Treasures. She is also an accomplished financial consultant. While taking a break on April 3rd from the grueling task of building budgets from scratch she had an epiphany. Although things looked like everything was perfect at the job. She felt the end was near. She noted this in her journal. A week or so later she noted that I too would be gone from there. She had a strange feeling that it would be for the best. And somehow I truly feel and believe that.

Some of the things I am working on will once more have to wait. Dang, 'cause No Place Like Home is done and it is a good read. I might through it out there and if I can get pledges that I can sell 50 copies I just might take it to press. Order now!

At this point I may take a few days and perhaps disappear with Mary to her Fortress of Solitude in the mountains. I am, if nothing else incredibly fortunate to have her in my life. And there amongst the towering trees and majestic Sierras I will hope to bump into that life next life thermal. My hope is to find that new direction for my life and focus on those famous and very inspirational words of John Cleese....

"And now for something completely different!"

April 7, 2008

I have been hard at work - honestly. Here are two mock ups for the front cover for CAS-There's No Place Like Home. I'm leaning towards the one on the right. Let me know what you think. Please remember that these are rough mock ups. The idea is to get the initial look and feel of the cover. Oh, and yes that's a 1959 Cadillac El Dorado Biarritz driving over the edge of a cliff on California Highway One.

March 27, 2008

I just received one of the best reviews I could imagine of Charlie's Treasures. Ray's words speak far better than I could ever conceive myself.

Ray

March 26, 2008

Upon reading "Charlie's Treasures" - as a story for all ages -- convincingly confirms my earlier hunch that the author is one who is creatively inspired, in the sense that he takes what is known and uses it in expanded ways.

More precisely, the author inspirationally draws upon the ancient game of marbles from archeological - historical sources and weds them into a permanently contemporary ethos purposefully magnifying the ineluctable reality that happiness withers without meaning.

For this and other reasons, "Charlie's Treasures" stunningly stylized narrative, complementarily joined with elegantly - illustrated artwork, has, to my mind, deservedly earned the metaphysical encomium: Alley!

Bravo,

Ray

March 19, 2008

Finally the Charlie's Treasures website has been revamped - long overdue. Please check it out at www.charliestreasures.com. Good stuff - just simplified it and kept as much of Dave's clean style as I could. Let me know if the links are broken or anything else is off. So much stuff to keep on top of. I have been working very hard on wrapping the websites up to a point where I can leave them alone for awhile. I need to get back to what really brings me joy and that is writing. I've spent a great deal of time on The King Of Rags - third installment of the Chronicles of Adrian Smith. Yes the third. No Place Like Home (formerly the Princess and the Parent) is done and if I can make the covers look decent - I'm shooting for a late spring publication. I know I've said this before, but this time ... I mean it. I'm enjoying The King Of Rags and I was surprised during my latest trip to Mary's cabin of solitude how easily I got back into the rhythm of the tale.

Please pass this site on to any aspiring authors for both encouragement and enlightenment. Also, I'm looking for a tag line so if you think of one, please let me know.

And as always - feed an accountant - buy books.

March 2, 2008

Favicons - ahh old dawg can learn new tricks. Not sure why, but I figured I'd give adding a favicon to my front page. What's a favicon you might ask? Good question. It's that very very small icon that shows up in the tool bar. It's a mere 16x16 pixels. It wasn't as difficult as I would have thought although there are some unique problems when using it in MS Frontpage. I wouldn't recommend it as a necessity or a top priority for any site. It makes for a good Sunday morning project when you're not quiet awake and the coffee hasn't kicked in yet.

Next Challenge? Revamp Charlie's Treasures website.

February 21, 2008

It's almost done. There are still some pages that need to be fixed/upgraded/finished/etc. BUT, wow - how many months has it taken?, the revised site is nearly done. My hopes is that this site now really accomplishes what I wanted to do - help other indie publishers to make their dream a reality and hopefully to avoid a lot of the mistakes and scams that I did. More to come in the next few days

December 12, 2007

I feel like William Shatner. "Star date 12-12-20-07 I have no idea where time has gone." "Spock please explain."

"It is obvious Captain. You've been in another dimension rebuilding the universe."

Ok so enough with the trekkie babble. I have been in an alternate web-universe of sorts working on a complete redesign of my websites. I discovered that sites are very organic and when left to their own devices tend to be like ivy on an old building. One day ground cover, the next thing you know it covers everything and is crawling in through the windows. Very much what happened to this website. The new pages are still very rough. You can take a peek at

redesigned webpage

Any help or ideas are greatly appreciated. The idea is to merge some of my ideas for iPubKit onto the page and move the blogs to another page. I have been trying to teach myself ssn's which is somewhat of a challenge. The top nav bar is done and now I need to build one for the right side bar and the top three little buttons. I'd like to figure out how to use the photo album function as well. So much to do while dealing with all of the other demands life throws our way. With luck and inspiration my hope is to finish the King of Rags and get the next two books in the Adrian Smith series out next year. I know I've been saying this for years now, but I think, I hope, knock on wood, I'm finally in a good spot and can focus on the important things in life.

BTW - There's still time to buy books for that certain special someone for Christmas !

October 23, 2007

Wow. It's been too long since I have updated this blog. I've decided to try the one avenue I haven't gone down with Charlie's Treasures, reviewers. I've been sending a few copies out every month. Who knows. I figure the more exposure the better. So far no postings have shown up - but I know the process can take some time. Good news is Charlie's Treasures is now in Goodnite Moon in Corte Madera. It's a wonderful children's store in Marin. Fingers crossed.

www.goodnitemoon.com

I was leaving San Francisco the other day and noticed a line of Star Wars clad people lined up in front of the Metreon. I quickly drove around the block and parked, grabbed the only two copies of When The Force Isn't With You and ventured off to see what the hoopla was all about. Turns out it was the premier of the new PSP Star Wars game. I shouted out "Has anyone here ever wanted to work for George Lucas?" Turns out darn near everybody did. I gave out the two copies and headed home. As I rounded the corner I saw Darth Vader and a Rebel pilot reading my book. Just in case this should ever happen again - I've loaded my truck with books.

I've also been teaching myself about animated gif's and playing with a redesign of www.wtfiwy.com I'm also thinking of revamping most of my sites. It will be a long gradual process.

September 3, 2007

Miscellaneous Ramblings

I've moved June 18th and older blogs to my Past Bolgs page - lots of good pics so I warn you it may load slowly. Great news is I've August wrapped up with over 2000 visitors to this site! My apologies to those folks searching for pictures of Stanley Kirk Burrell. Seems my rather retrospective father's day bit put his pic on my site at number two spot on Google's image search - go figure.

Mary and I went to Two Birds restaurant in Fairfax to hear my brother-in-law's-brother, Jack Irving play guitar. Met to very nice people. One a very inspire author working on her first novel and the other a wonderful gentleman whom I hope can help me up grade this site and potentially tap into some powerful internet connections. I've run out of my expertise on this site and it will be helpful to get a new perspective. Also both were former Lucasfilm/LucasArts employees and had a few good tales of their own potentially for When The Force Isn't With you Too.

I'm settling in here in San Rafael, but there is a rather strange phenomena which I think should be headline news. If my theory is correct the headlines would read like this....

Marin County

September 3, 2007

Luxury Auto Makers; Lexus, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Infinite, Audi, Volvo, and Acura

Announce Massive Recall of all late model cars

In an unprecedented announcement today all of the major luxury car manufacturers who have shipped cars into Northern California over the last 5 years have in acted a major recall. It seems that the turn signals and directional indicators in all of their vehicles fail to operate. When the driver makes a sudden lane change or decides to turn left instead of right the signals fail to operate. A Lexus spokes person who declined to be identified stated, "We have inspected numerous vehicles and found no manufacturing defect." The problem has become almost epidemic in proportions. Local law enforcement officials claim their are understaffed to combat the situation. "It's really dangerous," cites an officer, "I can't tell you the number of accidents and extremely close calls this has caused. The amount of road rage it sparks is worse than I saw when I worked in LA." Marin socialite, Tina claimed it didn't seem to effect the performance of her '07 Mercedes 500 SL. "I have a GPS why do I need turn signals?" When we contacted a local Porsche service manager he replied, "Es ist Treiberstörung, nicht das Auto!" Governor Schwartzneger has taken a personal interest in this problem as it seems to be effecting Hummers as well .....

August 20, 2007

Headlines: Santa Rosa, California

Accountant Lifts 7 Tons!

OK so not all at once, but in 30 pound increments. I've said it before and I will continue to preach this message - learn from my mistakes. Or as I tell my son, this is a "Hammer" thing. Filled with desperate enthusiasm and a heart felt belief in my story combined with a need to fulfill a dream, I ran the numbers for publishing Charlie's Treasures. Mind you I probably would have done the exact same thing under the same circumstances knowing what I know today. The only way to get the cost per book down to the point where it would make a profit after the distributors and the bookstores took their cut was to print in volume. Especially when you consider that I was going for an extremely high print quality. I might have been a tad bit over confident. I still believe the story is a good one that touches the heart and conveys a very important message. And, Dian's artwork is incredible. Add to that the craftsmanship of Global Ink in the production of the book. Someday it will take off I know it. In the meantime I have a few in storage. 14,000 give or take. The facility they were stored in was bought by a giant corporation that sees fit to jack the rent every 6 months. 50% increase over the last 18 months to be exact. This from the people who think self-storage is a good place to dump grandma.

A friend of mine has a unit in the same facility that is under a one year lease. She just moved everything out and offered the space to me. It's inside and the rent is fixed for the next 12 months. For $600 I'll move a few books. It was a little more work that I had thought. All in all the process wasn't so bad. Who needs a gym membership? As my favorite poster from www.despair.com says;

"It Could be that the Purpose of Your life is Only to Serve as a Warning to Others"

When you think about publishing your first book - think small volumes. Test the market. It will in the long run be more cost effective. I did that with When The Force Isn't With You. I think I nailed the formula for that one. A very nice book, well produced by Alexanders and fairly close to a breakeven. If I sell a few more copies - I'll recoup my entire investment. Today, there are so many ways to enter the market that are far more cost effective than even a few years ago. Be cautious - there'll be time for the 15,000 print runs soon.

10 x10 space stacked 9 feet high One box at a time....

And here they wait.....

August 10, 2007

Wow - a lot has happened in a short while. I've moved - again! This time I hope will be the last time for a long time. That makes effectively 5 moves in 3 years. The fun runs out of putting stuff in boxes after awhile. Check out the view from the window of my new writing studio.

That's north bound 101 on the left, Auto Desk on the lower right and Sonoma beyond the fog.

(the Marin Civic center which starred in WTFIWY and Gattica is off screen to the right)

Which also makes a relatively short drive to my new gig in San Francisco. I'm learning a new commute route and traffic patterns. Fortunately their hours put me way off peak traffic which is a blessing.

Web traffic for July was down to just under 900, my guess is I haven't had time to push the site enough. Wrapped up my last radio show which went well. I am pleased with the exposure and experience I had with the shows. Also with EMSI who booked them for me. The World Science Fiction convention is coming up in Tokyo Japan this month. I couldn't resist contacting them and seeing what I could do to promote my books. I was too late to get into the program books (and unable to afford to attend), but they were kind enough to let me send "Freebies"! With the help of my Japanese speaking nephew Michael - we put together two very cool 8.5" x 5.5" post cards for When The Force Isn't With You and The Chronicles of Adrian Smith. I did all of the artwork for the covers and had them printed by OverNightPrints - very very good pricing and quality.

As my life and schedule settle down again I promise to devote more time to completing this site and writing more.

Personally I think book titles look cool in Kanji !

July 2, 2007

Another milestone and more progress. Traffic to the site broke 1,075 in June - woo hoo! You can see a huge jump in traffic on May 26th right after I announced the release of When The Force Isn't With You. So that's number one. Number two is I was interviewed last week by Kym McNicholas a free lance feature journalist. She's writing a piece on When The Force Isn't With You and Charlie's Treasures. Should be in the upcoming issue of The Marin IJ. All in all very good news.

June 24, 2007

Who would have believed that When The Force Isn't With You would gain so much attention. Not only have Star Wars fans like T-Bone's the ForceNet been helpful in getting the word out, but the story was good enough to catch the attention of Steve Shlisky, multi-Emmy winning producer at Cox Broadcasting (an affiliate of Fox in Oakland, California). Steve thought the story would make for a good mini-documentary. Filming began last Thursday in their studio in Oakland. I quickly realized that radio shows are much easier since there is a host that fields you questions. Being alone in front of a green screen is something else again. I have faith that any guy who can earn 11 Emmy, 13 Telly and six Joey awards can make me look good. I couldn't have done it without Mary. With all the lights in my eyes it was hard to see Steve's subtle direction and finding something other than the camera lens to look at. Mary stood behind Steve, which gave me something to focus on. She then picked up his directions and conveyed them in much bigger hand gestures. Took a bit to get warmed up and nail down the opening tag line. Then we were off and running. We also had the opportunity to bring the young Jedi film apprentice and the Master together. Mike Cox is a childhood friend of my son Kyle and film student at Chapman University in Orange, California. Steve gave Mike the opportunity of directing and filming the second unit shots. It was a great experience for all of us. I can't wait to see what Steve does with nearly 2 hours of raw stock and tons of photos. Here's a behind the scenes look at When The Force Isn't With You.