.........  

Blog (Spoiler free)............................Click here to go to the first entry

For more up to date news on Torque

Please "Like"  the  Facebook Page

or  visit my other blog, Uncorked Ink

Monday, November 25, 2013

Until I went to update this blog I didn't realize that the last entry was two months ago - and that we're exactly one month away from Christmas - although one is somewhat related to the other since this is prime time for book buying, and I've been doing all I can to get Torque on everyone's shopping list.

Aside from continuing my other blog, Uncorked Ink, I've done a few more guest blogs and continue to arrange the all-important book signings. The last one was at Pickwick Books, in Waterdown, and what a fun afternoon that was. The bookshop used to be a bank and the vault is still there only now it is filled with books. Well worth a visit if you are in the area.

.

On December 11th, at 7pm,  I will be reading excerpts and signing copies of Torque, in Grimsby, at the Coffee Culture cafe and eatery on Main Street. Again, if you are in the area feel free to drop in and say hi. A good book goes great with your favourite coffee since you're not going to sleep any time soon, and it also makes for a great stocking stuffer (hint, hint).

Ciao for now.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Today Summer gives way to Fall, and what a busy season that was. Along with all of the other activities that warm Canadian days and nights bring like barbeques, traveling, and house and yard work, I have been exploring different ways to promote TORQUE.

Social media is the mainstay of publicity campaigns and I've done several guest blogs, made many friend connections on Facebook, and started a new Wordpress blog called Uncorked Ink which, incidentally, now shoulders a lot of my blogging since space, here, is limited by my ISP. 

The book has been selling and gathering favourable comments and reviews, and I'm happy to announce that the paperback is now available at three fine local bookstores:

  Bryan Prince Booksellers - Different Drummer Books - Pickwick Books

All are wonderful bookshops and, if you are in their area (see the side bar for the locations), they are worth dropping in to for a browse. In fact, show your support for these independent purveyors of books and buy one - doesn't have to be mine though you'll make us all happy if it is. Ciao for now.

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Despite the wind blowing down my poster boards, and trying to clear the table, the first public book signing  for TORQUE was an enjoyable evening. The classic car show was full of pimped and polished muscle cars and there were many visitors on what would be a cool but clear June evening.

While I had to take a page from the busker's banter handbook to draw people's attention from the cars over to my table, I did manage to sell a few books and hand out several cards which may translate to future sales. I was also happy that a couple of old friends (who are acknowledged in the book) came to visit.

Although I was surprised that a book titled TORQUE didn't garner more attention from this crowd, I am seeing a pattern that more women than men are purchasing it. Either women read more than men, or they know a good book when they see it.  Probably both. 

....

Saturday, May 4, 2013

I had hoped to get back to this blog before now but April was quite a busy month. I was invited to contribute to two writer's blogs; one contribution as a guest blogger which you can read, here: Dean's Den 

The other contribution was as an interviewee which you can check out on this site: Susan Finlay Writes. Both hosts are authors themselves with entertaining books.

For publicity, though, the coverage I received in the local paper, which is known as The Grimsby-Lincoln News / Niagara This Week, has had the greatest impact. Grimsby is a town with a village feel, and my wife and I have lived here long enough to become friendly with many residents and business people. 

Within days of the article appearing, we had lost count of the number of people who said they had read the piece and offered their congratulations. A number of them bought copies of the soft-cover version (which I just happened to have handy, of course), or took one of the Torque business cards I've had printed for links to the e-books. I'm calling the whole thing "My fifteen kilobytes of fame", and you can read it for yourself, here: Grimsby Man Publishes Novel

The next phase is the all-important book launch and preparations are under way. Last week I received permission from the manager of the property on which it will be held. Next week I hope to get a local club on board that I think will provide the perfect backdrop for the event. Other details have been ordering my third batch of books - one can't do a signing without them - and checking out print shops for posters.

Like April, May is also shaping up to be somewhat hectic but it's all good. I promise that I'll publicize details of the launch when I have them - hopefully in the next few weeks - stay tuned  :)

Thursday, April 4, 2013

It's surprising how quickly things can move once you've got the major issues resolved. In the past few weeks I have signed off on the paperback version of Torque, received two boxes of books, sold them all and ordered two more boxes. Granted, I have supportive friends, but even those who read a beta version reserved and paid for a new copy. Their support and encouragement is much appreciated.

Publicizing the book is proving to be an interesting project because I'm reconnecting with many old friends, some of whom may have influenced parts of the story, and others who I feel would enjoy certain elements within. Self-promotion is, apparently, an area where writers are less confident than artists and musicians but I'm blogging, and facebooking, joining forums, sending emails, and contacting the local newspapers.

This month, I also hope to finalize plans for a book launch. I'm going to keep the details under my hat for now, just in case what I currently have in mind doesn't pan out, but I will say say that I hope to attract plenty of horsepower.

Below is a picture of what every author loves to see - a shipment of their new book.

Ciao for now.

Monday, March 11, 2013

Today is an auspicious day for me as I have approved the final proof for the paperback version of TORQUE, and have received confirmation that the book can now be ordered from the CreateSpace store. Although the ebook has been available for the past few weeks, it is great to know that there is a physical book out there - with my name on it -  that will occupy space on a bookshelf.

I expect that by the weekend it will be available on Amazon.com and its affiliates across the pond so now the publicizing will begin in earnest. As I mentioned before, this will be very much a word-of mouth campaign so, if you enjoy the book, you will be helping the cause by letting other people know. I am open to doing reviews in return or blog spots if that is your thing.

At the moment, the proof copy is sitting on my desk. Basically a replica of the actual book, with PROOF stamped on the back page, it was exciting to find it in my mailbox, last week. It was the realization of years of work, and since I had spent so much time polishing it this copy was only a couple of minor tweaks shy of print ready. 

Obviously, this isn't the end of the story by any means. The book still needs to find its audience but there have been favourable reviews from people I have exposed it to. There have also been queries about a sequel, though I am not the type just to throw something out there to fill a gap. While I do have a few ideas about my next project I would like to get this one off the ground, first.

I'm hoping, in the next few weeks, to bring you along on the journey and perhaps introduce you to other upcoming authors and their books that might merit your attention. I've no idea where this is going but it's going to be fun finding out.

Ciao for now.

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Thankfully, there was no blood or tears, but after a lot of sweat and loss of sleep, TORQUE is finally available as an ebook. The paperback version is currently being proofed and will be available in the next few weeks.

This has been a very long journey, and quite the learning curve, especially after I made the decision that the pro's of self-publishing outweighed those of pursuing a traditional publisher's contract. Once I realized that I had, or could get, the tools needed to produce a marketable book it seemed that the only advantage a publishing house had was distribution to the brick and mortar stores like Chapters or Coles or W.H. Smith etc.

Whether your preference is a digital book or paperbound, the trend is toward purchasing online. And since only the big name authors get any kind of marketing support from their publishers, I couldn't see the point of giving them a percentage for something it would take a couple of years for them to release.

This isn't to say I haven't had help. There is a lot of information online; other authors are generous with their advice, and more than a few read early drafts of TORQUE and made valuable suggestions. The online distributors like Smashwords, Amazon, and Kobo are also geared to helping an author bring a polished product to market.

Of the three, I'd have to say that Smashwords was the best. Their interface and ease of access to files give the author a lot of freedom when it comes to producing an ebook in several formats. However, they don't have a deal with Amazon, so it made sense to distribute through multiple sources - also a failsafe in case one site goes offline.

The next step in this journey is publicity, so if you've come this far with me I'd appreciate your help in getting the word out. This is definitely going to be a word-of-mouth venture so any positive reviews will be much appreciated.

As always, I'm interested in your comments so keep in touch:

talkabouttorque @ hotmail.com

Friday, February 8, 2013

I've just spent the last two weeks formatting the manuscript for the Kindle e-book reader, and Smashwords' "Meatgrinder" which converts Word documents into epub and mobi versions for the various distributors. I have now uploaded both formats and the digital version of the novel should be ready for purchase within a couple of days at Amazon, and sometime after that at Smashwords who will also distribute it to Sony, Apple, Barnes & Noble, and the Diesel book store.

The book will be uploaded to KOBO's Writing Life for distribution as soon as I can get their bank to talk to my bank. The problem is that KOBO has a different registration form than Amazon or PayPal, but they apparently have their Tier 2 Kobo Team looking into it.

The next step will be to finish formatting the work for the paperback version. Since I have to wait for the regular mail system to deliver the galleys for proof-reading, I expect it may take a few weeks before the paperback is actually ready for sale through Amazon.

I'm pushing for an early Spring release, and if anyone has ideas for a launch party, I'd love to hear them. Stay tuned for updates - the time is nigh!

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Today I completed an important step toward publication - acquiring ISBN codes for TORQUE. Yes, that's codes - plural - because each format of a book needs it's own distinctive identification. Since the novel will be released in both e-book and paperback form, a minimum of two ISBN's is required.

To quote Wikipedia: "The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a unique commercial book identifier". The purpose of this unique identifier is to make it simple to select a particular publication among similar titles, or different versions of the same product.

For printed matter those different versions could be paperback, hardcover, or leatherbound. E-book versions include E-pub, PDF, and Mobi. The ISBN ensures that the outlet (bookstore) or end user (the reader) gets the exact title they want in the version they prefer.

For Canadian authors ISBNs are provided free of charge through Library and Archives Canada. The trade-off being that a copy of the work must be submitted to the Archive to "preserve the documentary heritage of Canada for the benefit of present and future generations."

Whether present and future generations will view TORQUE as an important work of Canadiana remains to be seen. What I do know is that acquiring ISBNs have changed its status from a polished manuscript to a viable product. And, for an author, that's always a step in the right direction. 

Sunday, December 2, 2012

With the exception of one fellow who owned a 1967 GTO Pontiac, affectionately known as "The Goat", my friends and I owned Dodge and Chrysler muscle cars (commonly called Mopars). We often attended Mopar rallies, popular gatherings that sometimes have prizes for vehicles judged to be exceptional, either in original, restored, or modified condition.

 Naturally, the common denominator is horsepower and the best rallies are at, or have access to, a dragstrip. One year, Dragway Park in Cayuga (now known as Toronto Motorsports Park) hosted Rapid Transit Chrysler Day, a "run what ya brung" elimination event where cars were paired up randomly and the winner of each race went on to the next round.

My car, a 1969 Dodge Charger with a 383 cubic inch engine, was running the quarter mile consistently at 14.2 seconds, give or take a tenth, and having won each race, I earned a berth in  the final showdown. The other finalist was driving a 1971 Plymouth Roadrunner with a 440 cubic inch engine under the hood.

I could tell by the 13.8, written in white shoe polish on the windshield, that the Roadrunner was faster than my Charger. However, as explained in the previous post, speed is only one part of the equation. The other elements are A) how finely the driver can "dial in" their car, and  B) accelerating and shifting in a way that maximizes their car's performance.

It is common practice for racer's to "pop the hood" between races to allow the engine to cool faster, which we did, but since the sun was setting on a long day I soon suggested we get the race over with and "let the folks go home". 

Surprisingly, my opponent replied, "What's the hurry? We're the stars of this show, now - let em wait."

"I think they've waited long enough," I replied closing my hood, but his words gave me an idea. I took my time locking the hood and doing an unnecessary circle check of my car, until he was ready to go then indicated he should lead the way. Before the staging area, there is a burnout pad where drivers spin their wheels to heat up the tires for better grip when they take off. Eager to impress his "fans", the Roadrunner's driver lit 'em up until a great smoke cloud drifted from the rear of his car then he moved up to stage at the Christmas Tree.

And then I let him sit there. If you want to wait, buddy, I thought, we may as well wait until your tires cool down. Thirty seconds were all that were needed and I burned out, staged in the next lane and gave him a big smile. He didn't look happy.

I had dialed in at 14.5 seconds, which would be my slowest time of the day, mainly to give myself a margin at the start so I wouldn't run the risk of hitting the gas before the green and being disqualified. I also knew that having almost a full second lead would put pressure on the other guy.

I got a clean start and checked the mirror in time to see the Roadrunner take up the chase. The Charger ran well and I listened to the motor and shifted as the torque peaked. We approached the finish with the Roadrunner gaining by the second. With only fifty yards left, and my opponent still a car length back, I eased up on the gas so as not to run under my time - and almost gave away the race. 

The Roadrunner moved into my blind spot and I realized it was gaining quickly enough to cross the finish line,first. With mere yards to go I stomped the gas pedal to the floor and held off the challenge to win by a fender.

Seeing my friends cheer as I drove back, past the stands, is one of my fondest recollections from that time. Life would eventually necessitate that I sell the car but I still have the trophy, and the picture below helps to retain the memory.

Saturday,  November 10, 2012

Notwithstanding that street racing is dangerous and illegal, it's also a poor way to determine how fast your car is or if you are a skilled racer. The best place to find that out is your local dragstrip. For the price of admission, anyone with a valid driver's licence can drive any car they own as fast as they can get it go in a quarter mile.

Back in the day, my mates and I would head up to Dragway Park in Cayuga, Ontario, about once a month on a Sunday. Having spent the previous week trash-talking each other's rides, we were ready to go head to head on a sanctioned track where you had no choice but to "put up or shut up".

One advantage a dragstrip has over a downtown intersection is the ability to stagger the start time for each vehicle. One car will always be faster than the other, but if you are going to determine the better driver there has to be a handicap system to even things up. At the dragstrip there are two sets of lights on a pole (called the Christmas Tree), one set for each vehicle, and after each driver "dials in" the time they think their car will run, the lights will send them off, with a delay for one, that should see them both arrive at the finish line at the same time.

With this system, consistency is the key; the cars must run the same time for each pass and the drivers must take off within milliseconds of the green, and hit the shift points to maximize the engine torque, every time they head up the track. After a few runs, a good driver with a dependable car can dial in their vehicle to the tenth of a second. Not only is this an exciting way to race, it is also legal.

Any fool can burn rubber at a crosswalk - real racers take it  to the track. In the next entry, I'll tell you of a race that was especially memorable for me.

Saturday September 8, 2012

The book cover you see here is the fourth design TORQUE has had since its inception. Proverbs to the contrary, book covers are the first impression a reader gets as to what is inside and, in our digital age of miniaturization, that sample can be awfully small.

Thumbnail images usually range in height from 90 to 150 pixels, and 60 to 100 pixels wide. Even though images can still be sharp, the design of a book cover can either stand out or be nothing more than a blur to the eye.

Among the problems the previous covers had was that of too many colours and not enough definition between the objects and the text. To solve the first issue, I decided to stick with just three colours: red, black, and white.  Then, for clarity, I went with the simplest of standard images.

A good cover should relate to the content within, and even if the potential reader may not initially understand the relationship, the symbolism should become clear as the story unfolds.

Without revealing anything you don't already know, the main character of TORQUE is a driving instructor. Though not required everywhere, the blocky red "L" is the international symbol of the learner driver. The white figure is the walk symbol used by many traffic light systems, and the reticle "O" with the crosshairs, combined with the red dot on the white figure, hint of danger and add tension.

This cover is so clean it loses nothing in the translation when formatted to the size required by the popular online promotion sites. Hopefully, that will also translates to increased sales.

UPDATE March 2014: This cover has been updated a final time with the "flames" artwork that appears at the head of these pages. Those who have purchased the "red L" version now have a limited edition collector's copy.

Friday August 31, 2012

A loose dictionary definition of "torque" is the application of force to turn something. A simple example would be when you tighten the wheel nuts on your car. If you don't apply enough force then the nuts will come loose and the wheel will fall off. If you tighten them with too much force you will either strip the threads on the bolts or even snap the bolts right off. Neither result is desirable and could be dangerous.

Fenn, the main character in the book, is a man of the road. When he isn't teaching people to drive he likes to rebuild muscle cars. In this case, torque is the application of horsepower to turn the wheels. Now, before you ladies get the idea that the book is all about cars (it isn't), the title TORQUE mainly refers to the increasing pressure that the characters experience as the story progresses.

Cars can be very symbolic devices in literature, and in creating the story I saw them as pawns in the conflict between the protagonist, Chas Fenn, and the antagonist, Brittany Reis. To write those scenes, I was able to draw on my own experience as a driving instructor and as a weekend racer at a local drag strip. I did my best to put the reader not only in the car but right behind the wheel. TORQUE is meant to be an exciting ride and the reviews would suggest that it is.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Today the TORQUE website goes live which makes this first blog entry somewhat auspicious. Whether anyone notices, with the closing of the London Olympics going on, is doubtful but I felt compelled to get it on the web because of another event.

I have been invited to give a talk at the Black Forest Star Party (BFSP) which takes place every Fall in the hills of Pennsylvania. Since the promotional blurb for my presentation has a link to my homepage I figured I'd better take advantage of the opportunity to let people know about the novel.

Apart from some minor tweaks, which every author does until the manuscript is in print, TORQUE has been complete since March of this year. Although I spent every spare moment of the previous eighteen months bringing it to life, the novel actually took several years - and that's not counting the extended periods of procrastination that I referred to as "inspiration breaks" (Yeah, right).

In the next entry, I will tell you more about the creation of TORQUE but for now I'll close so you can watch for your particular country's flag bearer in the closing ceremonies of the Thirtieth Olympiad.

Thank you so much for dropping by  : )