So, I finished up work early and came home to work on book stuff. I emailed the folks at WordPress.com to make sure I could hype my own book on my own blog without violating the TOS and they said, “Go ahead!” so I spent all afternoon (after work) putting up my press release and my Q&A and videos to musicians and songwriters mentioned in the book. I even included my author photo, since y’all made me feel like it wasn’t completely ridiculous.

And I found a video so delightful I am going to share it with you now, even though I’m not posting my page until I have a book jacket.

You all remember at the beginning of “All the Same Old Haunts,” there was mention of the guitar battle between Johnny Jones and Jimi Hendrix at the Club Baron, which was, apparently really called the Baron Club. Like as in “Bare-on”. In my head, I had been saying it “The Club Bare-oan” which I think has a nice ring to it. Oh well, it’s fiction. Some things are not like they were in real life.

Ha, no matter how much you think you’ve got something down, you just never do, you know?

Anyway, here’s Johnny Jones talking about that very battle.

Jul 27

A Country Lunch

Good lord, can we all just agree that Marty Robbins is the most talented, depressing singer in the history of the universe? People, if you are anywhere and a Marty Robbins song breaks out, run, because your ass is about to get shot or hanged or trampled by phantom cows. He has a body count rivaled only by Jessica Fletcher. Shoot, I was going to post a song of his here, but it was making me depressed just trying to pick on.

As a pick-me-up, I had to switch to the Statler Brothers.

The best part of this song, really, is how much it illuminates the spot-on genius of Ray Stevens’ “Do-right Family.”

This is my favorite Statler Brothers’ song:

But check out Elvis doing “Susan When She Tried.”

I’m sorry, I just love how you can tell Elvis loves the songs he sings.

And I’m sure some of y’all have heard this. But, if not, just wait. It will tickle you. I promise.

Jul 27

Has Anyone in Nashville Seen This?

I would like to drink some Dr Pepper made with sugar. Has anyone seen it in a local grocery store yet?

Jul 27

More Book Minutia

Just to follow up from yesterday, I had my trusted book publicity person look at the back cover copy, the press release, and the author Q&A. She was bowled over by how great the cover copy was. I told her it was because I had help refining it from y’all.

Anyway, so that’s all cleaned up and in a simple but nice Word format.

So, things that are under my control are under control. My next step will be making up my media list. I’ll be trying to conserve as many review copies as possible, since I have to pay for them, but I have a few big fish I want to send actual books to.

I’m being realistic with myself. Self-publishing pretty much guarantees that mainstream media folks won’t review it. But I’m hoping that, I can give them something else to talk about–like ghost stories in October or “local blogger continues her DIY efforts”–that will give them a way to talk about the project, even if they don’t review it.

But I’m hoping I can get a little local media coverage.

The other thing I’m thinking about is some type of event in October–a book launch or a reading or something, but I’m having trouble coming up with some place sufficiently spooky. And I don’t want to have to sell books, because I don’t want to deal with the taxes and such.

So, I don’t know. That’s what I’m mulling over now.

Any thoughts?

Jul 27

The New Kitty is Going to Take Some Getting Used To

Oh, Mrs. Wigglebottom. She’s got a bug up her butt this week that she wants to sleep with me. And you can try to ignore her, but she just paces back and forth around the bed, her nails clicking on the wooded floor in a manner that makes it impossible to sleep and then, when the clicking stops, it’s because she’s just standing at the edge of the bed, staring at you.

So, fine, I lift her into the bed.

This morning, I am sleeping with my head on Mrs. Wigglebottom’s belly, all nestled in the curve of her side, as is one of the great pleasures of owning a big dog when I wake up just enough to notice that I hear snoring. I check. It’s not me. And it’s coming from the foot of the bed!

I sit bolt upright in bed. I don’t know what I thought, that there was going to be, somehow, another dog at the bottom of the bed or something. But I was freaked out.

And Mrs. Wigglebottom looks at me from her spot at the foot of the bed all “Why are you waking me up so early?”

And I look over and the new kitty is sprawled out right where my head was, giving me this look like “What? You don’t like cuddling with me?”

I mean, I knew they’d settled some of their differences, but I didn’t know they were sleeping together.

Whew, scared the crap out of me.

Also, the tiny cat situation has really gotten me down. I feel like I keep hearing her meowing and then I realize it’s just one of the other cats. It breaks my heart.