ERIN AND LES ROACH'S KIDS TO SELL THE EIGHT-FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON AT CHICAGO LEMONADE STAND

It feels pretty good to hold a copy of of my book in my hand. I've been carrying it around since it arrived in the mail two days ago. Okay, I admit it, I've been sleeping with the book under my pillow.

It's time to create some book buzz and do some guerrilla marketing. I guess I could rent a gorilla suit and switch things up with some gorilla marketing.

Les Roach of Chicago offered to have his kids set up a book and lemonade stand in his neighborhood. I accepted. So look for the book and lemonade stand if you live in Chi-Town. I think I'll have the crew in the picture above try the same thing here in Arizona.

In case you have trouble finding the book and lemonade stands in Chicago and Arizona you can purchase the print version of THE EIGHT-FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON  by clicking on this link:   https://www.createspace.com/3746672

I'll keep you folks posted on the book sales progress. Thanks to those who read the book and extra thanks to those  who posted reviews on Amazon.com.  If you read the book and liked it, let someone know, will  ya?
And please let me know if any of you have any cheese whiz book marketing ideas.

THE BOUND VERSION OF EIGHT FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON IS NOW AVAILABLE!

I was hoping to have the print version of THE EIGHT-FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON available for Christmas. I didn't quite hit the mark.
The waiting is over.
THE BOUND VERSION OF THE EIGHT-FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON IS FINALLY AVAILABLE AT THE LINK BELOW!

https://www.createspace.com/3746672

Tee Ball is Cool

Pictured above is my grandson. The kid had a blast playing tee ball yesterday. But there's no way he had more fun than I had watching. Watching four year-olds play baseball is hilarious and it's uplifting too. Every kid wore a cap that was two sizes too big. Every time the ball was hit every player on defense bum rushed and dog piled on the ball. Each time my grandson made a play he gave us a confident thumbs up. After a particularly good play a beetle caught his attention, prompting him to a sit down, mid game, on the grass and observe the bug in absolute wonderment.  The most entertaining moment of the game involved a cute little squirt who wanted to take his bat out with him to play second base and the coach had to wrestle the bat away. There was a single girl on the team. She had long brown hair with flowing ribbons. After a pounding out solid double she decided to wander from second base to have a conversation with the center fielder. One might think the entertainment would be over when the time came for the two teams to line up after the game and shake hands. The little guys just couldn't get the whole single file line concept down. They were forming figure eights and circles, bumping into each other and falling to the grass. Man, it was beautiful. Nobody cared who won and everybody had fun.
Tee ball is cool.

Did I mention that I wrote a book? It's called THE EIGHT-FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON and it's a mostly true collection of quirky stories about growing up in 1970s Southern California.
You can download the e-book for a measly 5 bucks by clicking on the this link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Eight-Fingered-Criminals-Son-ebook/dp/B005NWH8L4
The print version is in the works. Given the speed at which my printer is working, I feel somewhat safe when I say the bound version will be available some time in the next 75 years.

THE CHANDLER, ARIZONA CENTENNIAL WHISKERINO CONTEST AND THE EIGHT-FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON

The Sun Lakes Pest Control Whiskerino team poses for a photo on day 28 of the 100 day Chandler, Arizona Centennial competition. Dickey and Bobby are pretty good beard growers. I told Dickey and Bobby with beards like theirs they ought to be coming down from a mountain dragging stone tablets. I guess all I can do is keep not shaving and see how things pan out.

Here we are on day one of the competition.

BOOK NEWS: While I had hoped the print version would be available for Christmas, we are still patiently working through the process. I guess the book will be ready for Christmas - 2012. Hopefully, we're be up and running somewhat earlier.
In the mean time the e-book is available at Amazon for a measly 5 bucks. Just lick on the link below.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Eight-Fingered-Criminals-Son-ebook/dp/B005NWH8L4/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Bookmans Does Book Dominoes

The Chandler Arizona Centennial Whiskerino Contest, Griggits and THE EIGHT-FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON

This is a Griggit. I created him. Creating Griggits has failed to yield me one red cent. Maybe some day...

The majority of my free time has recently been spent grading 150 five-page research papers and babbling incoherently to myself about the iniquities of banks and oil companies.

The most interesting thing that has recently happened to me involves the crop of hair that I have been cultivating on the lower half of my face. Me beard growing team is just about a fifth of the way though the 100 day Chandler, Arizona Centennial Whiskerino Contest. My beard is feeling a bit scratchy and looking a lot scruffy. As a matter of fact, earlier this week I was standing in front of the local supermarket with an empty coffee cup in  my hand when a passer by dropped ten bucks in my cup and said, "Here you go, pal. Go get yourself a shower and something to eat."

In case your new to this blog, I am promoting my new book THE EIGHT -FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON, a quirky collection of mostly true stories about growing up in 1970s Southern California. You can download the e-book for a measly 5 bucks at http://www.amazon.com/The-Eight-Fingered-Criminals-Son-ebook/dp/B005NWH8L4/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top/185-4488470-4163824
The bound version will be available sometime before 2040.

Why are oil companies charging so much for gas?
Because they can.

CHANDLER ARIZONA'S CENTENIAL WHISKERINO CONTEST, THE SUN LAKES PEST CONTROL BEARD GROWING TEAM and THE EIGHT-FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON

Ladies and germs, I give you the Sun Lakes Pest Control Beard Growing Team. From left to right is Dickie "Tom Jones" Imburgia, yours truly, and Bobby. I don't know Bobby's last name but he has a big motorcycle in his garage. Bobby's hog adds greatly to the macho appeal of Team Sun Lakes Pest Control. As I stated in an earlier post, my two team mates are of the Italian persuasion, making me the obvious weak link. Rest assured, I'll make up for any facial follicle short fall with good old fashioned grit and - chutzpa.

The Whiskerino Beard Growing Contest is part of the Chandler, Arizona Centennial Celebration. The duration of the contest is 100 days. I believe today is day 6.

I hope to use the Whiskerino contest to market my book THE EIGHT-FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON. By the way, I just okayed the final mock-up and the bound version should be ready any day. The book will be available at THE BOOK FROG in Palos Verdes, California, CHANDLER AUTO AND TIRE REPAIR in Chandler,  Arizona and on Amazon.com.
The e-book is available for 5 measly bucks at http://www.amazon.com/The-Eight-Fingered-Criminals-Son-ebook/dp/B005NWH8L4

MONEYBALL, BEARD GROWING, and THE EIGHT-FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON

Micro Movie Review
Had the chance to watch Moneyball this week. Cool movie. Brad Pitt did was good. Brad Pitt's always good. If you're not baseball ethusiest, this movie may not be for you. Pitt annd Moneyball are up for some Academy Awards. I guess this has been a weak year for the picture business.


Beard Growing News
I'm gearing up to compete as part of the Sun Lakes Pest Control beard growing team. Quite frankly, I've never been very good at growing a beard but I'm planning to make up for my lack of talent with hard work, grit and determination.


The Latest on THE EIGHT-FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON
The book should be in print and available for purchase at THE BOOK FROG, CHANDLER AUTO AND TIRE AND AMAZON.COM by March 1st. While Brad Pitt and George Clooney have probably not read THE EIGHT-FINGERED  CRIMINAL'S SON, there is a slight possibility that Rick "Ghostbusters" Moranis has.
 A second collection of stories will be available as an e-book in October.
You can download the e-book for a measly 5 bucks by clicking on this link:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Eight-Fingered-Criminals-Son-ebook/dp/B005NWH8L4

GEORGE CLOONEY and THE EIGHT-FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON

The mock-up of the entire text has been approved. Now I'm waiting for a mock-up of the physical book. We're on track to have bound copies of THE EIGHT FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON available at a few California and Arizona bookstores, AMAZON.COM and CHANDLER AUTO AND TIRE REPAIR in March.

As far as I know, George Clooney has not read The Eight-Fingered Criminal's Son and has absolutely nothing to do with the book. However, Rick Moranis is following me on Twitter and there is a possibility that he has read the book. Okay, it's a minute posibility, but I'll take all the hope I can get...

The e-book can be dowloaded for a measly 5 bucks at
http://www.amazon.com/The-Eight-Fingered-Criminals-Son-ebook/dp/B005NWH8L4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1326594616&sr=1-1

THE DESCENDANTS

Word on the street was The Descendants was a little on the blah side, not exactly a stinker, but nothing to write home about. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I am not in the primary demographic group for which the studios make their films, but I honestly can't remember being more disinterested in a list of movies at a multiplex theater. Armed with movie passes and a couple of hours on our hands, my wife and I chose to see The Descendents because it was the least uninteresting film at the theater. 

I guess it's always helpful to walk into a movie theater with absolutely no expectations.
Getting to the point, I was pleasantly surprised. The Descendants is a pretty good movie.  Set against the  breathtaking music and landscape of Hawaii, the story follows a wealthy patriarch as he struggles to lead his family in the midst of tragedy and betrayal.  To sum things up, the film is terribly sad, uniquely funny and undeniably real.

New to this blog?  I'm promoting my new book THE EIGHT-FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON. 

You can read an excerpt or download the entire e-book for a measly 5 bucks by clicking here: 
http://www.amazon.com/The-Eight-Fingered-Criminals-Son-ebook/dp/B005NWH8L4
The print version will be available soon at The Book Frog, Chandler Auto and Tire and Amazon.com.

Courderoys, Printers, Hungover Snails and THE EIGHT-FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON

Did I mention I wrote a book?

I just recieved the mock-up of the first 15 pages from the printer. It looks fantastic.  We're now awaiting the mock-up of the complete text. I guess you could say my printer has gone from moving at the pace of a hungover snail to moving along at the pace of a hungover snail that's had a glass of Alka Seltzer.

Did I mention that I am a high school teacher?

Today some wisenhiemer kid told me he liked my courderoys. They were making a zipping noise as I was running to the library.

I stopped and waved my finger at the modern day juvenile delinquent and cautioned,"Listen here, bub, I realize that was a sarcastic remark. I know you were making fun of me."

To which he replied, "Did you just call me bub?"

"Hah!" I snapped back, my finger waving back and forth like some kind of out of control windshield wiper. "You're doing it again. You're making fun of me. You're being sarcastic again."

The kid was left speechless. On the other hand, he may have been a little freaked out.

Satisfied, I made my way to the library and went about the business of teaching. The point is the day is coming when I won't be able tell that they're making fun of me.And  I'm afraid that day is right around the corner. I'm not getting any younger, man. I'm telling you I can't see myself still teaching ten years from now.

This is why I'm asking you to read The Eight Fingered Criminal's Son. In case you haven't heard, the e-book is available at http://www.amazon.com/The-Eight-Fingered-Criminals-Son-ebook/dp/B005NWH8L4 for  a measly 5 bucks. And the print version will be available as soon as the hungover snail of a printing company prints the thing.

RICK MORANIS AND THE EIGHT-FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON

We have hired Create Space to print The Eight-Fingered Criminal's Son. Create Space is in possession of the text and they are rocketing along at the speed of a hungover snail to facilitate the release of the physical, non e-book version.


In the mean time, I set up a Twitter account in order to promote the book. I haven't exactly figured out how to use Twitter, but I do have 15 followers. Interestingly enough, and I am not kidding, I'm pretty sure Rick Moranis is one of my 15 followers. If Rick Moranis is following me, I'm thinking I just might have myself a fist full of marketing dynamite. If I can get Rick "Ghostbusters" Moranis to read The Eight-Fingered Criminal's Son and he likes the book, good golly Miss Molly, this thing is on. I could sell, I don't know, 130 - maybe 140 books.

You can follow my rather confused Twitter campaign that seems to include Rick "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" Moranis by clicking  https://twitter.com/#!/GriggitSnyder

If you know someone who recieved a new Kindle for Christmas, please tell them about The Eight-Fingered Criminal's Son. The book can be downloaded for a measly 5 bucks by clicking on http://www.amazon.com/The-Eight-Fingered-Criminals-Son-ebook/dp/B005NWH8L4

The Eight-Fingered Criminal's Son - Clif the Lawyer and Various Other Book Mojo Makers

About a year ago, I met for breakfast with my old amigo Clifton Batchelor, also known as Clif the Lawyer. I call him Clif the Lawyer because he's a dentist. Actually, he's not a dentist; he's a lawyer, but it would be so much more ironic if I called him Clif the Lawyer while he was actually a dentist. The point is it was Clif the Lawyer who convinced me to team up whim him to compile and publish a collection of my stories. Clif spent countless hours working with me, editing, revising, researching publishing options, formatting text, and working on the cover design. If not for Clif, The Eight-Fingered Criminal's Son would not exist. I want to take the opportunity to publicly thank Clifton Batchelor.

While I'm at it, I'd like to thank my old pal Robert Sanchez for personally financing the bound version. When the book was released on Amazon, my daughter Lindsey Hernandez and my sister's childhood friend Mandy Treckman Martes took it upon themselves to spread the word and between the two of them, they were probably responsible for 50 e-book sales. Pete Ledesma, co owner of The Book Frog, has offered to carry the book. And Brett White, owner of Chandler Auto and Tire, has also agreed to carry the book. How cool is that, selling a book at a garage. Bryan Frank, John Marciolonis and Tony Frink were kind enough to help out with the editing.  Finally, John Baker is plugging the book on Cougar Town, the Hawthorne High School Website http://cougartown.com/feedback.html.

Countless old friends and family members have supported this venture. I realize that 126 e-book sales is a far cry from the Times Best Seller List, but it's a nice start. And it's pretty cool to have the support and encouragement from so many people. It feels a little bit serendipitous. Wait, I'm not the kind of guy who uses words like serendipitous. I'm the kind of guy who says something like it feels like there's some serious good mojo connected to The Eight-Fingered Criminal's Son and I'm feeling like a pretty lucky schlep.

Awe heck, I forgot to thank Brady "Cat" White, Dickey "Tom Jones" Imburgia, Ian "Moon Doggie" Welch, Joel and Amy Fricke, Jayden White, and Wayne "Geege' Mossbarger for the 3 whacked out promotional videos.

The Latest scoop on THE EIGHT FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON and THE MIAMI HEAT

Here's a shot, taken in 1985, of yours tryly with the eight-fingered criminal himself, William "Cash" Snyder.
Over 100 e-books have been downloaded from Amazon.com. My goal was 100 so I'm calling this book making venture a success.

The cover design is finished and the text has been formatted for the printer. I've been told the print version will be ready to rock in 2 to 3 months.

For starters, the print version will be available on Amazon.com, The Book Frog in L.A., and Chandler Auto and Tire Repair. Selling the book at an auto and tire repair shop is supposed to be funny.

Thank you to all who have downloaded the e-book and I'll keep you posted on the release date for the dead tree version.

You can download the e-book for a measly 5 bucks by clicking on the link below.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Eight-Fingered-Criminals-Son-ebook/dp/B005NWH8L4
Happy New Year
And the Miami Heat have absolutely nothing to do with The Eight-Fingered Criminal's Son.

THE ROUNDERS - Bill and Wayne's Excellent Adventures in the World of Film

Wayne Mosbarger, the Mr. Miyagi of quirky cool old movies, recently turned me on to The Rounders, a 1965 comedy western staring Henry Fonda and Glenn Ford. Fonda and Ford cut it up with bigger than life character actors Denver Pile, Chill Wills and Edgar Buchanan. They honestly don't make actors like these guys any more. Set against the gorgeous backdrop 1960s Sedona, Arizona, the film follows the escapades of a couple of middle-aged, hard luck cowboys.

The quirky coolest aspect of this old western is Henry Fonda's love interest is played by the old gal who portrayed “The Penguin” in The Blues Brothers. And here's where it get's even quirky cooler in a Kevin Bacon kinda way: I was an extra in The Blues Brothers.

Bottom line, The Rounders with Hank Fonda and Bill Holden gets a thumbs up.
 

                               Hank Fonda cuts the rug with "The Penguin."