RICK MORANIS AND THE EIGHT-FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON BOOK SIGNING AND DISCUSSION AT THE BOOK FROG - Bryan Frank's Photographs - Part 1

 Was it Tom Petty who said the waiting is the hardest part?

It was 2:00 sharp and just two guests were on hand. But they were pretty cool guests, my old Saint Joe's Catholic School pal Mark Zembruski and the L.A. Groundling and TV commercial actress formerly known as Kerri Anderson.

Here is superstar L.A. photographer Bryan C. Frank with his beautiful daughter Camia. Bryan took all of the photos on this post.

Pretty cool to see a whole mess of my books on display at the finest indy bookstore in SoCal.

Adam Rodriguez was kind enough to help me clear the jitters with a solid smack to the side of of the face. It helped.

The book store  owner, stand-up comic and writer formerly known as Pete the Pelvis Ledesma provided a smooth introduction.

I got out there and started talking. And then I started reading.

My old educational tv colleagues Val and Kerri were kind enough to laugh at the parts that were supposed to be funny.

Dellis and Camia were nice enough to act interested.

This is Pete's right hand Book Frog man Jackie.

"Who's the wise guy that just asked me to read from 50Shades of Gray?"

Now that's what I call an audience!

Here are Lynell Resnick, Kieth Boyd and my wife Gail.  I hadn't seen Lynell for 25 years. We were ushers at the Fabulous Forum during the Show Time Laker days.

 Kieth is a stand-up comic turned rocket scientist. No kidding. My old comedy pal is a proud member of the Space X team that recently docked the Dragon rocket ship with the space station. I had lunch Kieth at Space X headquarters across the street from my boyhood home in Hawthorne. I had the opportunity to meet Space X owner Elon Musk and sign a copy of my book for him. To my knowledge Elon is the only billionaire who owns a copy of THE EIGHT-FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON. Maybe I can get the space X guys to send a copy of the book into space or something.

That's my gorgeous wife Gail to Kieth's right. I prompted Kieth to ask what my wife thought of the book during the question and answer session. It was a heckuva a lot of fun to watch her him and haw for an answer when I directed Kieth to ask her himself. You see my wife hasn't read my book...

Scout

Below is Clif the Lawyer of Cactus Surf Books. Clif inspired me to move forward with The Eight-Fingered Criminal's Son 18 months ago. He was involved with every aspect of the making of this book.

Notice the guy to the right peeking from behind the book shelf. That's Jay Resnick. We were Forum ushers together about 100 years ago. I was reading from the book when he walked in wearing his old Forum usher uniform, causing me to stop reading and laugh my tail off. When I asked Jay how he got to keep his uniform he said when they finally fired him, he just walked out to the parking lot leaving his street clothes in his locker. Jay was part of the Santa Monica/Venice Skateboarding scene and can be seen in the film "The Lords of Dogtown."

THE EIGHT-FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON SIGNING AND DISCUSSION AT THE BOOK FROG



It was exciting to return to my old stomping grounds and see this ad in The South Bay Daily Breeze.  I threw papers for the Breeze about a hundred years ago and there is a story in the book called The South Bay Daily Breeze.



NEXT STOP: THE BOOK FROG



The Eight-Fingered Criminal's Son Book

Signing and Discussion Event at The Book

Frog

Saturday, June 30th, 2012

2pm

550 Deep Valley Drive
Rolling Hills Estates CA 90274

http://thebookfrog.com/

Rick  Moranis could be there...



BOOK MARKETING COOL

Book marketing is cool. Who'd of thunk it?

I picked up a new quirky cool vendor yesterday, American Auto and Import Repair in Gilbert, Arizona. The boss is Gerard. He's from Brooklyn. His wife and dog work at the shop too. Fellow teacher Mike Carlin hooked me up with Gerard and company. I can't express how cool it was to hear Gerard say in his perfect Brooklyn accent, "Mike and  the guys said you're book is funny." It's meeting folks like Gerard that makes this whole book marketing gig so much fun.

In addition to American Auto and Import Repair, you can find THE EIGHT-FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON at  Chandler Auto and Tire, Papa Joe's Barbershop, Changing Hands Book Store, and The Book Frog.

Colleagues at the high school so askmetimes why I'm selling my book at garages and barbershops.

"Because it's funny," I tell them.

"Selling books in barbershops and garages is funny?" they ask.

"Of course it's funny," Itell them.
Next up is  The Book Frog Eight-Fingered Criminal's Son signing and discussion on June 30th at 2 pm.

Rick Moranis has been invited. You might wonder why I've invited Rick Moranis. It's becuse he's following me on twitter. I don't know why Rick Moranis is following me, but he is. So invited him.

THE BOOK FROG
http://thebookfrog.com/

American Auto and Import Repair
http://www.autorepairandlube.com/

Chandler Auto and Tire Repair
http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Chandler.Auto.And.Tire.480-442-8861--

Papa Joe's Barbershop
http://papajoesbarbershop.com/

RICK MORANIS AND BILL THE ENTERTAINER AT PAPA JOE'S JUNE 16 EIGHT-FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON AND A HAIRCUT EVENT

The Saturday book signing event at Papa Joe's was heckuva a lot of fun for everyone involved.

Did you hear that, Rick Moranis?

Rick Moranis is my most famous twitter follower.

Remembering the importance of never showing up empty handed to a Saturday barbershop book signing, I brought a box of fresh donuts. It was a busy Saturday. Scott Martin, the marketing teacher who got Papa Joe and me together,  partook in the book and a haircut offer. Brett White of Chandler Auto and Tire, my other quirky cool Eight-Fingered Criminal's Son venue, came by for a haircut and a shave. Mike the cop, Papa Joe's version of Andy Taylor, took part in the shindig too. Bill the Entertainer ran the karaoke action. I took my shot at Under the Boardwalk and was quite terrible. I swear I sound fantastic in the shower. I don't understand why everything invariably goes to pot when I get a live mike in front of me.

Thanks to Papa Joe, Joe Junior, the Papa Joe's crew, marketing man Scott Martin, my family and  rest of the colorful cast of characters who came down to make the Papa Joe's Eight-Fingered Criminal's Son Event a smashing triumph!

Next up is the June 3oth book signing and discussion at THE BOOK FROG in Rolling Hills  at 2pm.

You're invited too, Rick Moranis.

Ty Lusk Plays the Papa Papa Joe's Barbershop Eight-Fingered Criminal's Son Event

The first Papa Joe's Eight-Fingered  Criminal's Son Event took place Friday, June 15. Realtor/guitar man Ty Lusk took a seat in a barbershop chair where he strummed, sang, told stories and generally provided a healthy helping of entertainment for Papa Joe and his crew, the customers and yours truly. My favorite song was Ty's cover of Pink Floyd's Wish You Here. Papa Joe was partial to Ty's Johnny Cash covers. Papa Joe's son Joe, aka Little Joe, a barber as well, snapped pictures with his I pad and kept the wise cracks coming.

Papa Joe even picked up Ty's guitar and strummed a few bars. Papa Joe said he played the guitar as younger man in Italy, pointing out that he was disappointed when they wouldn't let him play guitar in town marching band.

One of the highlights of the afternoon came when the brother of my former student Drew Vigil stopped by to pick a copy of the book. Drew is a corpsman attached to a Marine division in Afghanistan. One of the guys waiting for a haircut was a Marine between tours of Afghanistan. He explained how much he appreciated the work the corpsmen do for the Marines. I made it a point to thank the Marine for his service.

I thoroughly enjoyed signing books and shooting the bull with the colorful collection of characters who made their way through Papa Joe's on that lazy Friday afternoon. I kind of felt like one of the guys on The Andy Griffith Show. And no, I did not feel like Goober.

http://tylusk.com/

http://www.papajoesbarbershop.com/index.html

http://www.williamsnyder.biz/

THE EIGHT-FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON Book and a Haircut Event at PAPA JOE'S BARBERSHOP

The two day Papa Joe's Book and a Haircut Event was unquestionably a success. The extavaganza began to materialize as I sat chomping down on my Grand Slam breakfast across the table from my friend and colleague Scott Martin. Scott's a marketing teacher. When I asked him for advice on marketing The Eight-Fingered Criminal's Son he told me I needed to meet Papa Joe the Barber. No stranger to strange and quirky ideas, I followed Martin to the barbershop.

Originally from Italy, Papa Joe has a thick accent, a twinkle in his eye and a whole lot of charisma. The walls of his barbershop are plastered with pictures of national and local celebrities who've frequented he shop an promotional events like the Christmas tree haircut deal  in the photo. The place is a legitimate, old school barbershop, absolutely overflowing with atmosphere.

Papa Joe welcomed me into his shop and immediately proposed a Friday and Saturday book and a haircut event. The first 20 customers each day would receive a free book with their haircuts. I would be on had to sign books. Papa Joe called his buddy Bill the Entertainer for Saturday.

I told Papa Joe I would find entertainment for Friday. Dickey "Tom Jones" Imburgia from the first tire shop book signing couldn't make it but The Semester Review from the second tire shop book signing agreed to play. Papa Joe alerted the media and baby, we were good to go.

On Thursday afternoon The Semester Review cancelled. No sweat, things happen. The boys took care of me at the tire shop and I appreciated them,  but I had less than 24 hours to find entertainment for the Friday book signing.

I put out a face book request, inviting anyone who could sing, dance, do impressions, card tricks, or otherwise entertain people at a book and a haircut event. My son-in-law offered to play air guitar.

Flipping through the business cards in my wallet, I noticed the realtor Ty Lusk's card had two sides. The back side promoted Lusk's talent for singing and playing guitar. Although we'd only met once, I gave him a call.

I left a message that went something like this: This is probably going to be one of the strangest voice mails you've had in a while. My name's Bill Snyder. We met a couple of weeks ago.  I'm a writer and I'm promoting new book with a book and a haircut event at Papa Joe's Barber shop in Chandler. I was wondering if you'd be interested in performing - for free. We may have tv news coverage. All I can promise is that this will be a seriously unique experience.


Son of a gun if Ty didn't call me back and agree to perform.  He said he had a cancelation and the whole thing sound like fun.

What are the odds?

I told my son-in-law he could play air guitar at the next event.

http://www.papajoesbarbershop.com/prices.html

http://www.reverbnation.com/thesemesterreview

http://www.tylusk.com/

http://www.williamsnyder.biz/

ON NOT SELLING THE-EIGHT FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON AT THE MESA 2nd FRIDAY BOOKS ON THE BEACH PARTY

Last night I set up a booth at the Mesa 2nd Friday Books on the Beach Party, my first book festival. While it was an interesting experience, I didn't sell a single book. There were plenty of people, mostly teenagers dressed in black, but they weren't interested in buying books.  There were a couple of guys playing guitar, singing Dave Mathews and Jack Johnson songs. They  collected exactly three dollars in tips over the four hours I was there. One of the dollars was mine.
A friend suggested I bring tennis balls to the next festival. Tennis balls, yeah...

Friday, June 15, from 1 to 3 and Saturday, June 16, from 11 to 2, I'll be part of a Book and a Haircut Event at PAPA JOE'S BARBERSHOP in Chandler, Arizona. Each day the first 20 customers will receive a free copy of THE EIGHT-FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON with their haircuts. A quirky cool lounge singer will sing his lungs out and I'll be on hand to sign books. And I'm bringing tennis balls.

http://www.papajoesbarbershop.com/index.html

http://www.williamsnyder.biz/

THE BOOK FROG!

Pete and Becky, owners of THE BOOK FROG, the happeningest book store west of the Mississippi, have been kind enough to stock THE EIGHT FINGERED CRIMINAL'S  SON  and invite me out for a signing event.

The book can be found in the memoir and humor section.

You can believe me when I tell you I'm looking forward to my first legit book store signing at THE BOOK FROG June 30th. Not that tire store book signings are a bad thing.

                                                                                                                                    

THE BOOK FROG is something special. They've always got something going on. There are

book discussions, readings, story time, and some exceptionally interesting characters.

I'm looking forward to meeting Becky and hearing about her adventures in the book business.

The last time I saw Pete was 30 years ago. He was in the process of insulting, I might add with great style and panache, a security guard who had the audacity to kick us off of a college sound stage. We were working on our buddy Andy Peterson's college film and we didn't exactly have permission to use the facilities. We were ahead of our time. We were guerrilla film makers.

I'm betting you'd have to look long and hard to find a book store owner with a more interesting collection of exploits than Pete Ledesma. Football player, band member, Elvis impersonator, teacher, actor, stand-up comic, book store owner; this guy has been around the block a few times.

Yeah, I'm thinking the prospect of a conversation with modern day renaissance man Pete Ledesma is worth the trip out to THE BOOK FROG.

I'll be at THE BOOK FROG June 30th. Hope to see you there too.



CHANGING HANDS HAS THE EIGHT FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON IN STOCK

THE EIGHT FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON is on the shelves in the memoir section of Changing Hands Book Store in Tempe, Arizona. It's placed right next to Dee Snider's memoir.

THE SEMESTER REVIEW PLAYS THE MAY 19 TIRE SHOP BOOK SIGNING

The second Eight-Fingered Criminal's Son tire shop book signing event took place at Chandler Auto and Tire on Saturday May 19. Why two tire shop book signing events? Why not? Besides I gave the newspaper the wrong date.

Dickey "Tom Jones" Imburgia couldn't make it. My faithful English Student Josh the Rocket  came to the rescue with his outstanding punk pop band THE SEMESTER REVIEW. I'm. tellin' you the boys were good. No cover songs for THE SEMESTER REVIEW. They write all of their own stuff.

This is my friend and colleague Ian Johnson.
                                                                               

                                                                            

Here I am with future educator Johnathon Powell.

                                                                                            

We sold books, signed books, ate dogs, hula hooped the hula hoops, rocked to the punk pop and just about every body seemed to have a good time.

The Semester Review are Eight Fingered Criminal's Son Fans. Of Course The Eight Fingered Criminal's Son is a solid Semester Review fan.

Three daughters, a niece and a granddaughter handled the cash.

Arizona boys play that funky punk pop...

It's getting harder and harder to get all five of beautiful daughters together for a picture but here they are. How can I help being proud of this crew? 

Brett White is the only tire shop owner in America who sells a book in his tire shop.

A whole mess of people helped me pull these two tire shop signing events off.

Thanks again to photographer Clif the Lawyer for the fantastic pictures. I owe a heart felt than you Bryan and Dellis Frank, Keith "Rocket Man" Boyd, Joel and Amy Frickey, The Powell family, Geege and and E'nor, Lindsey and Mario, Russell, Cassie, Josh and THE SEMESTER REVIEW, Brett and Julie White, Jayden and Layton, Brian and Lisa Daniels, Macaulay, Scout, Barit, Sophia, Cruz, Rylyn , Harper, Valerie, Anna and Lily, Dan and Mrs. K, Ian "Young Blood" Johnson,  Derek, Dickey, Shelly and Taylor Imburgia and my incredible wife Gail.

I really dig tire shop book signing events!

MAY 12 TIRE SHOP BOOK SIGNING - CLIF THE LAWYER'S PICS

These photographs were taken by Coolidge, Arizona's own renaissance man and all around good dude Clif the Lawyer.

 

 

As far as I know the first tire shop book signing in the history of the world went down on May 12th at Chandler Auto and Tire.

 

That's me signing a book for Derek. Derek is one of my all time favorite former students. Signing a book for a an all time favorite student is a very cool experience. That's my gorgeous wife Gail sitting next to me. She handled the cabbage. Gail always handles the cabbage.

This is Dickey "Tom Jones" Imburgia. He kept the crowd entertained with lines like, "It's not unusual to buy this book, just get in line."

My good friends Joel and Amy Fricke put together an Eight-Fingered Criminal's Son bouquet of hydrangeas with visual representations of events and characters from the book.

Dickey discusses transmissions and Tom Jones with Brett "Chandler Auto and Tire Repair" White. I might point out that as far as I know Brett is the first man in the history of the world to sell his brother-in-law's book at is tire shop.

My old college pal and fellow former stand-up comic Keith Boyd picked up a few books for his fellow Rocket Scientists. Kieth and his smart guy buddies put a rocket into orbit this week.

This Bryan Frank, KCAL videographer and photographer. Bryan, his wife Dellis, and Kieth the rocket man flew out from L.A. to lend some home town support.

Here's Bryan and his lovely wife Dellis. Dellis is also an old college pal. As a amtter of fact Bryan, Dellis, Keith and I all attended Cal State Long Beach together.

Here's part of the Chandler Auto and Tire family (Layton, Yours Truly, Jayden, Brett and Julie)

This my father-in-law Wayne.  He built the fabulous book display case that can be seen in the showroom of Chandler Auto and Tire. He also cooked hot dogs and hauled everything out to the tire shop in his truck. He fixed out toilet last week. Wayne is a most excellent father-in-law.

Here's my mother-in-law Elenore and Dellis. I love my mother-in-law.

Mario here is my son-in-law. He helped out with kid wrangling hot dog slinging and anything else that needed to be done.

Here's Julie "Mrs. Tire Man" White.  She is responsible for Chandler Auto and Tire Shop's cleanest restrooms in Arizona.

THE FIRST EIGHT-FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON BOOK SIGNING EVENT

The first EIGHT-FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON book signing event went off without a hitch at CHANDLER AUTO AND TIRE. Friends, family, students and former students braved the 100 degree weather to be part of my big day.

Dickey "Tom Jones" Imbugia (above center on one knee) gave the real Tom Jones a run for his money.

 Those who purchased a book received a hot dog and a ten dollar off a tune up coupon from Chandler Auto and Tire.

The book selling at the tire shop idea might not be so crazy after all. It's nice to hold the distinction of being the only author in America, as far as I know, to sell a book at a tire shop, but owner Brett White reports that the books are selling quite nicely. I had to restock the display case after the first week

A BLOG BOOK REVIEW OF "THE EIGHT-FINGERED CRIMINAL'S SON" BY BRYAN FRANK

Bryan Frank, a ridiculously talented writer, photographer and blogger, posted this blog review.
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Saturday, May 12, 2012

The Next Big Thing

My lovely wife Dellis and I flew to Arizona yesterday to attend a book signing of "The Eight-Fingered Criminal" by William R. (Buzz) Snyder.

I actually have a few friends who have gone the extra mile and put down into words the thoughts that have been swirling around in their heads. I'm going to try to mention them all on my blog in the next several weeks, but while it's fresh in my mind, here's a quick look at the cover of my good friend's collection of short stories.

The eight-fingered criminal was his absentee father and the short story collection focuses on Buzz's growing up in the South Bay section of Los Angeles during the late sixties through the early eighties.


His book will make you laugh and has the kind of heart that I think everyone can appreciate.


"The Eight-Fingered Criminal's Son" is available in print and as an e-book through Amazon.
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You can find Bryan's blog at this link: http://coolshots.blogspot.com/2012/05/next-big-thing.html?spref=bl