Notre Dame to the Big....12???

I'll address that headline in a minute....and forgive me if you just spit up soda or coffee or whatever all over your monitor.

I got to thinking tonight about all the conference realignment going on these days and how my beloved Tigers of Missouri are affected in all this. I have to say that I am both confused, annoyed, exasperated, and curious about just what the heck is going on.

A few months ago, Missouri seemed like a logical choice for Big 10 membership, but after the events to this point, it seems less and less likely that an invite is forthcoming. All we've heard from Mizzou admins is "We are proud members of the Big 12 Conference...." yadda yadda yadda. If there was no approach from Big 10 admins, all Mizzou would have to say is there has been no approach, no application, no invite, or anything else along those lines. If Mizzou had not approached the Big 10, why can't they say so in those exact words? And why was Mizzou given an ultimatum to pledge a commitment to the Big 12 if they weren't going anywhere?

Missouri AD Mike Alden sent out a press release today how open and honest they have been throughout the process and that something big and exciting was on the horizon. So why all the secrecy? If anything I would say Mizzou admins have been less than honest when it comes to sharing information and keeping their fans calm. They preach "Stay Calm" but please, explain to us why we should?

While it's not over until it's over, I am beginning to think that Mizzou is leaning another direction. Maybe it's the lack of sleep, I don't know, but here's my thought: With Texas about to pull out of the conference as well, Mizzou, Kansas, K-State, Iowa State, and Baylor may seek to build a new conference, a new Big 12. Add a few up and comers, throw in Memphis from Conference USA and another big name or two and voila...instant rebirth.

And for the sake of argument....why not add Notre Dame? The worst that could happen is they could say no. But expansion has always been and always will be about money. So if all the teams saying sayanara to the Big 12 are paying buyout fees equal to a certain percentage of their television revenue shares; and the schools with the biggest shares are the ones who are leaving (see ya Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, etc...) then therein lies a huge chunk o' change. I'm not certain of the numbers, but there are 7 schools and counting contributing to a fund that just might be used to help persuade the Fighting Irish to consider the option and tell the Big 10 that No means No.

Hey, I never said it was a solid plan, just a possibility. And it wouldn't be the first time an administrator has had delusions of grandeur. Just don't rule it out until after the dust has settled.

Holding on Tight...

Do you ever have one of those days when you wake up in the morning feeling like P-Diddy....oh wait, wrong feeling....

The feeling I meant to portray before I distracted myself was one where you wonder just why you bother to do the things you do when most of the time it doesn't really seem to matter. This post isn't meant to be a pity-party post or anything like that, but for the sake of argument, just humor me.

I've been writing for many years. Usually just for my own entertainment and after awhile other people read them and start telling me how good the writing is and this and that and the other. It's not like I feel like I'm wasting time or anything, I enjoy writing. I like to be creative and come up with situations and scenarios that make people feel like they are right there in the middle of the action and for the most part, I feel like I have done that.

I don't expect to see my published works go flying off the bookshelves, but seriously, it would be nice if some of those same people who tell me how much they enjoy my work would actually go online and buy a copy.

Major publishing companies do not like to take chances on new authors, I understand that. The advent of the self-publishing companies and Print-on-Demand services have been a Godsend for people like me who want to get their work out there for the world to see. I've followed all of the marketing tips and advice and purchased what advertising I could actually afford; so the only thing that truly remains is word-of-mouth.

I have friends in the world. No, really, I do. Some of them I would trust with my life. But how many of them do you think have taken the time to post a little something on their websites or spaceypages and facetwits and such that someone they know has accomplished this? Not many. I have one friend in particular who will send out every single email forward she gets from anywhere in the world whether it's humorous, religious, a warning, don't buy this, don't buy that, or some sentimental sap that tells us all how much they care about us. But she wouldn't put out a little blurb to let her other friends know about what this one has done.

I need help. I can't do it alone. I never thought I could, but I did think that if I could just get the attention of the right people, then just maybe I might have the start of a new career.

How long does one wait before they realize they are wasting time? How much effort is put forth into something before someone sits up, takes notice and tells someone - hey, you should check this out!

I'm not at the point of giving up, but I am starting to wonder why I let myself listen to those who supposedly believed in me enough to encourage me. I would love to continue writing for years to come, but food still has to be put on the table.

Here's my theme song today...



If you've got a dream...hold on tight. It could be a bumpy road...

New Promo and Upcoming Books

Yesterday, after some frustrating mishaps with various software applications, I produced my first video promotion for the book It's All Fun and Games Until Somebody Gets Murdered.

You can view it here:



Yesterday, a thought came to me of the video I want to create to promote the erotic anthology My Lust for Anna and Other Erotic Tales. Imagine the look on the faces of my girlfriend and my 17 year old son when I announced to them that I needed a webcam to create the video. Don't worry, it won't be too graphic. It has to be clean enough for YouTube, right?

Now I just have to get myself switched back into writing gear so I can get my next book a little further off the ground. It's already been started, so at least the framework is in order for it. And I've got the next one after that in development, so as long as I can stay focused I will have what I think will be two very good reads out and on the market within the next year.

Book number 1 has a working title: Anatomy of a Divorce. It's about a couple with a seemingly perfect marriage until several little things snowball into several big things and before the couple knows it, the proverbial rug has been pulled out from beneath their feet.

Book number 2 has no working title as of yet, but it deals with a woman who endured years of sexual abuse in her childhood and the effects such abuse has had on her life.

If you have not yet done so, I encourage you to visit lulu.com by clicking on one of the book images at the bottom of this blog page and ordering a copy of any of my books. You will not be disappointed.

Thanks!

So Now What?

Well, today the proof copies of my 3 books arrived for my approval. They look great, and I wasted no time getting online into my lulu account to approve them.

So...where do I go from here? I've fulfilled my dream of publishing a book. 3 books, really, with 2 more in progress. But what does it mean if I can't share that dream with the world? How do I go about marketing my books in a way that does not seem intrusive? Well, advertising is an intrusive business. We are bombarded with advertisements every day - on television, the radio, in the newspaper, and on the internet. How many pop-up ads have you seen today?

As for me, I have a few vehicles for getting the word out. I have this site here at blogger. I have my facebook profile as well as a fan page also set up at facebook for the book It's All Fun and Games Until Somebody Gets Murdered. I have a myspace profile, and I have set up a promotional site at webs.com for all of my published books.

My dilemma is not so much driving traffic to my websites, but the quality of traffic to those sites. There are plenty of traffic exchange services around the internet that will get people to my pages, but I've found in the past that the traffic it generates is not the kind that translates into sales. I've tried pay per click services in the past with zero results. So perhaps the problem lies in the way my material is presented?

I am open to suggestions regarding changes to the material and finding affordable ways to make my books appeal to those who come to check it out. Perhaps creating a video advertisement for YouTube would help? But how do you create a commercial for a book? Read a passage? Find some actors and actresses to act out a scene?

Seriously, if anyone has any suggestions, I'm listening...and may I suggest reading the book might help spur the thought process? Just sayin.... :-)

It's Out!

I've done it...

I have finally released my project of nearly 30 years in the making. After a brief debate over the title of the book, I give you....



...now available on Lulu.com and coming soon to Amazon!

Of course, once I figured out how to navigate Lulu's system, I figured why stop there. I have also re-released... Click here for the book page




and....announcing for the first time anywhere....my erotic anthology!

All three of the above books are available in paperback and download. Just visit Lulu.com!

Ummm...Hi. Remember Me?

Yeah, it's been awhile. But November?? Has it really been that long since my last post?

Wow. Sorry about that. My bad.

So what's new?


On my end, I have finally completed the coursework for my AAB degree with University of Phoenix. Applied for the diploma today and graduation will be in late June.



And my writing career is being resumed....

What, no pic? I thought we had a pic...oh well...

My latest book is soon to be released. It's a smart-ass comedy/romance/murder mystery of sorts called It's All Fun and Games Until Somebody Gets Murdered. It's currently awaiting processing with the publisher, but if you'd like a sneak peak, just visit my author's page. You'll find info there on both books I've written -- Erotic Adventures of Steve and Brooke and the murder mystery.

Meanwhile though I continue to search for work. I was laid off from my last job in December and have been unemployed ever since. The time was spent wisely, as I was able to concentrate on my schoolwork and various book projects.

So that's what's going on in my world. What's going on in yours?

Baylor 40, Mizzou 32

Wow...didn't see that one coming.

But then again, since the B12 conference season started, Mizzou football has been a season of surprises.

From the 27 points surrendered to Nebraska in the 4th quarter to ZERO touchdowns scored by the Mizzou offense in the second half of any conference game this year. In the non-conference games, Mizzou was a 2nd half team. Remember the comeback against Bowling Green? Seems like a distant memory now.

I'm thinking Mizzou is gaining a reputation as a choke artist the way they keep coughing up leads in the 2nd half of games. Baylor was not only considered a must-win, but by many it was also considered a "can't lose." At this point, MU goes into its game with conference leader kansas St next week with a 1-4 conference record. It's still possible, assuming Mizzou beats k-St, for MU to tie for the B12 north. Probably not very likely, but its possible.

This season is starting to remind me of the 2004 squad - a year that the division as a whole was having a down year and the B12 championship was there for the taking. Mizzou went into a 5 game slide, I think it was and lost to teams they had no business losing too. Personally, I'd say that at 5-4, Mizzou needs to quit worrying about the B12 north and start focusing on becoming bowl eligible.

At least basketball season is right around the corner....

Save the season, save the world...