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More to come later; you can't really tell by the pic, but...   That's my book, face, and name on a Barnes & Noble event poster in their front display window, pluggin' our reading this past Friday.  In the Tower Records documentary, someone's quoted as saying they know they're successful when they walk past the store and see their record in the front window. Of course, Tower's out of business now...but the astonishment of six indie authors seeing their books in B&N's window display is still something I don't believe any of us imagined. It still feels a bit surreal.  The last few days have been fucking nuts. No joke. I'll post in my offsite blog hopefully tomorrow or Tuesday, but there was a lot going on. Consider:  Our CEO almost didn't make it, sending multiple transportation and lodging plans totally askew, along with a mad panic A completely pimped-out four-floor barn Christa Christa and the Cult Jam opening for the Sarcastic Assholes performing our wedding anthem "Pour Some Moonshine On Me" Catching my bus outta Hartford with 3 minutes to spare, only to get stuck in NYC for 7 hours Staying with someone and the first thing I saw after I entered her WiFi password in my tablet was a printout of how she could definitely get away with murder Saw 80% of Connecticut via its highways at least three times A hijacked full-on life-sized cardboard standing cutout of The Cat In The Hat There may have been a bride fleeing her wedding We all connected with some very amazing people who barely knew each other a few days prior but will be friends for life because of this Basically, nothing went right at all yet you'd never had known when we were in front of the people who came. We crushed the function with ease and rapport like we'd been doing this for years. Straight-up rock stars. Can't wait to fill y'all in, but I'm wiped and am still just barely settling in, having gotten in at 5am Sunday morning after being up all night. That's about all I've got room for here... hope you're well! Love all y'all!  |
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Wow, that's awesome! It sounds amazing.  |
4 • 
Thanks, everyone!  |
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Did a few things today!  Added a few items to my current WIP "World By Design"  : "Tiger Tiger Woods Y'all" , "The Things We Lost Along The Way" , and "Gambler's Eyes" .  I entered this amazing contest, and you should too:
 And my people, you need to start submitting more items to this, because they're running out of items to review! I know I have a lot more in my port to give, and you needn't be worried about anything. So stoked that I was able to add the two pieces I wrote today to this cause I'm so grateful for.
 Thought I had more to add, but hey, WDCers in the Connecticut area...swing by the Mental Health Seminar I'll be reading at this coming Friday in Hartford! Have a great weekend!! |
I have had an amazing day so far!!  Just made lunch plans for Tuesday with an old friend I haven't seen in over 25 years who reached out just now and is gonna be in my neighborhood and is a fan of what I'm doing with poetry and Mental Health. That's a terrible sentence but I'm leaving it.  Another old friend, from the neighborhood we grew up in, messaged me right before that and told me she's buying her son a copy of 100 because he's been struggling a lot lately. I'm honored and humbled. I know it's not the cure and won't totally help, but she knows my journey in life and to know that she's using me as an example means more than I can say.  Walked into my library this morning and saw this, which is amazing and validating...my book has a catalog number and is on their front display table  . After pushing them so much for all this, it's finally there and I've seen it and holy hell it's amazing!! With a "Local Author" sticker on it and everything!!   Y'all can have your #StarWarsDay...today will always be #MCADay to me. #RIPMCA Have a great weekend!! |
Ok, I don't know what's going on here... all I know is I'm getting ready to travel.  But I do know this...  Hooray!! Jayne  got the package she won in Choconut ~ is 4! 's fundraiser!! It's a dope #NorbAF swag bundle...you can peep some of the goods in her "Note: I'm officially #NORBAF
...", or at my website's shop , because why wouldn't you? Ya heard?!  I dunno why, but I signed up for an activity I tried once and failed (too ambitious, I think)...maybe you'll wanna sign up too, especially if you're into music as much as "The WDC Soundtrackers" are:
I did a bunch of late-nite scribbling and decided on using Matthew Good Band's Beautiful Midnight as the album I'mma try to write short stories about. But...because I can't just do things the normal way, I'm gonna try (again) to intertwine them all into a somewhat cohesive narrative. We'll see how it goes and how committed I am. The best laid plans at 1am often sound like hot trash the next day, but I think I stoked myself with enough ideas. Good thing I (and you) have a few months to figure it out. My man Charlieeee ♡  has a lot going on ("Note: May is National Mental ..."). The Quill-Winning "Mental Health Writers Alliance" is holding a sweet event in May for Mental Health Awareness Month, so let's spread the word! The crew is reviewing anything you've got regarding Mental Health (again, see his note). They're taking submissions here:
 And finally...I don't remember if I shared this here or not, but I was fortunate enough last week to guest-post on a fellow Eliezer Tristan Publishing author's blog. It covers tips for writers who want it, or don't . Take a peek; it's for everyone! That, my friends, is all I know. Enjoy your week! |
I am in big pain... but I come to you with an offering!  Somehow I managed to have my back give out on my while putting on socks yesterday. Yeah, I know...TMI. But basically if something's on the ground right now, it's staying there. I hate when this happens.  But...I have great news! Check this out... Are you a fiction writer? Do you have a novel ready, or almost ready? Come at me, bro!!  My publisher is looking for fiction to publish. You can see the basic info can be found on {x-link:https://www.facebook.com/sarahfader/posts/10158260783115278omment_id=10158265071045278¬if_id=1554663441868124¬if_t=feedback_reaction_generic&ref=notif}her Facebook post, here{/x-link}. Email me or comment for details!  I know you have questions. I can answer some of them, before you reach out to Sarah at Eliezer Tristan Publishing . I've helped a couple WDC authors already get published in some form. Maybe you can be next! And of course, ETP is always looking for Mental Health stories/articles and blogs that can be turned into books. Imagine your blog becoming a book! How wild would that be? ETP offers book coaching for just that kind of thing! Ok, time to shout out some friends!  Sally  has a new Flash Fiction contest!
 Choconut ~ is 4! still needs more entries for my favorite monthly contest!
 Schnujo  needs more donations for her upcoming auction/raffle (see "Note: I'm still looking for a fe..."). I've donated a signed book and some dope little physical treats. What do you have? Proceeds go toward...
which are this Saturday (Apr. 13th at 2:30pm WDC time). Ok friends, time to eat something, put some kind of crap on my back or in my body, and take a Sunday nap. Love you guys...Don't be afraid to hit me up!! |
| I'm glad you are feeling better! Writing isn't a competition??? I've been wasting my time running "The Contest Challenge" ! The whole point is to enter writing competitions!  I really do need to settle down and see about writing something...  Yeah, right. Probably won't happen. |
 Big news coming soon!! Who's in the West Hartford area of Connecticut? Your boy over here just signed on to do a reading at the Barnes & Noble in West Hartford, along with several other Eliezer Tristan Publishing authors. It's in May, so you've got time (as I do) to plan your pilgrimage! May is also Mental Health Awareness month, and there will be a representative from NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness) at the event as well.  It's the middle of May...you're not doing anything anyway! Come on down, hear some wonderful authors talk, buy some books and merch, and chill with us!    Fun Facts: It'll be my first time back in ol' CT since losing my uncle a few years ago to MH-related stuff. Bittersweet, but something I can handle. His sister (my aunt) used to fly my late brother and I down each summer for a week when we were kids, before she succumbed to cancer. Connecticut is a beautiful state, and I wanna make some good memories there. You're invited!! More info to follow... The Summer Of Norb '19 is on its way! |
Update time!!  For everyone wondering where "The 30DBC Mega-Raffle Extravaganza!" is, hold on please! I'm still trying to configure the packages and hope to have the energy to get that sorted this weekend. It's a big deal (for me) and I wanna make sure I get it right...because all y'all stand a chance at some serious loot!!   Also, I managed to post the scant few poems I've written in the last couple months ( ) for my work-in-progress, "World By Design" ...and one is gonna end up in my favorite contest...
Here are the four new entries to my book, "World By Design" : "I Speak Spine" "Vaccine" "Eggshell" "We Don't Age"  Choconut ~ is 4! Has an excellent auction/raffle going on...and your boy here has an excellent physical prize package up for grabs  so get on that!
 And Charity Marie is working hard!  has advised me to tell you about her fundraiser! Part of the proceeds will help several groups, including the "30-Day Bloggers Group" .
 Thought I had more to add, because there's so much going on this month and I can't keep track of it all! You have plenty of stuff to do now, so don't tell me you're bored!  [[Embed over limit (10).]] Happy Friday!! Have a great weekend!! |
Second day in a row!! Don't get used to it. [[Embed over limit (10).]]  Let's remember why we first fell in love with the bands we liked a couple songs from previously!  How I managed to tie this in with Lyn  's "30-Day Blogging Challenge" prompt and Jeff  's "The Soundtrack of Your Life Challenge" is pure luck and good timing. Yes, I'm that much of a music nerd. I've added a new entry to my book, "Soundtracked" : "Ong Ong"  Be your special selves, and have an awesome weekend!! |
Yo! Another blog entry! [[Embed over limit (10).]] Yeah, it's another blog entry, and one I wasn't planning on writing for a long, long time. RIP Peter Tork from The Monkees. Another bridge to my youth is gone.  On the plus side, the entry ends with some spontaneous good news!! HELLLLLOOOO NYC!! (And  has almost never sounded more fitting.)  Please read and comment on how I tried to intertwine two prompts today...maybe it went well; maybe it didn't. [[Embed over limit (10).]] Thanks...take care of each other. More good stuff on the way! |
Awww, thanks Cubby  ! What a great memory! My grandma had the TV Guide too, and I would search for channels that had old-time tv shows on...Andy Griffith, Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, and probably a lot more but that's all I can remember. Grandma wouldn't give us the current TV Guide until she did the crossword though. |
A blog entry!! [[Embed over limit (10).]] I've added a new entry to my book, "Soundtracked" : "Electric Relaxation" ...for the "The WDC Soundtrackers" and "MHWA Retreat" . Watch your ears and eyes if you don't like my mouth and fingers. That is all. I love you tons. |
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Read your blog share... Great advice, Norb! You're quickly becoming the mentor you mentioned. A scary thought... 😂 🤣
Thanks so much Ken! That really means a lot...glad you took the time to check it out. 
Very appreciative!
