Another Day in Paradise

I spend my winters in Florida and most days are sunny and warm. Today we have a high temp of about 60 and everybody is running around in jackets and sweaters. I guess its a matter of perception, I talked with my son and its 12 degrees in upstate NY. He wishes it was 60, they would be out in shorts and sunbathing.

I try to fish everyday when I'm here. Fishing is my passion and for the last few days it really has not been warm enough to be comfortable standing in water up to my waist. I fish the back bay area for all kinds of saltwater fish and have even joined a web site called Helium that allows you to write about your passions and earn money. Well, lets just say the money part is more of a fantasy, you earn something like .001 cent per hit on your article. It's really not about the money its more about the fun of writing about what you love to do. If I can get one person interested in fishing from something I write about that would be just great.

My publisher (South Farm Press) says I should see a cover design this week. I'm really excited about my soon to be published book, "Monk's War". I've already lined up several book signings here in Florida and hope to get a few more up home this summer. I'm still amazed that as a first time author I found a non-vanity press publisher to accept my work. Take a look at his sight if you like war stories...war-books.com .

I'm still working on the site and I haven't posted a lot of info about me. I will work on it as I go along. I've got to spend time on writing volume 2 of "Monk's War" its tough to work in paradise.


Monk

In The Beginning....My First Post

Wow....My first post....I feel empowered....will the words I write here change world opinion...will what I have to say make a difference in someones life?....I doubt it...but I'm still excited about it.

I still have to decide what my blog will look like...I've just begun to envision the possibilities....I think I will add some pictures....perhaps some links to some of my favorite areas....of course I will tell you a little about myself in my bio...I am going to be a published author...something that I didn't think was even remotely possible....my publisher is not a vanity press and I was very lucky to find him...the kind of stories I write are exactly the kind he publishes...(war stories) we met through a very nice rejection letter that I received way back in 1981....at that time my book was a coming of age story...something like "Wonder Years"..the old tv show...but with a twist... this main character grows up and goes to Vietnam...he liked the war stories he just didn't want any of the coming of age part....I gave up on the book and went on with the rest of my life...last year I decided to write the war stories out in chapter form and because I had saved that very nice rejection letter...I found an e-mail address for southfarm press and contacted the publisher...Walter Hann...he said that he remembered me from 20 plus years ago and that if I had some stories he would take a look at them....the rest is history as they say...he liked what he read and one year later my first book will be published in March...Monk's War (Memoirs of a Marine Grunt) Vol. One......there will be two additional volumes to complete a three volume set of stories about Vietnam with a personal twist....you can visit Walter's site at War-books.com ...buy some books...buy mine when its published...I think you'll like the stories...well that's all I have for now...I'm excited about my new blog and the book...just thinking about the fact that my thoughts and memories will be published and now on the web gives me a sense of immortality....what a rush....