IT'S BEEN A WHILE, BUT HELLO

Hello folks,

It’s been a while since I posted here, and perhaps I haven’t been all that missed, but I’ve been very busy with a final edit of my newest book, and now I’m very proud to announce that my long anticipated memoir, The Last Of The South Town Rinky Dinks, published by RJB Publishing, is now available on Amazon as well as at many other online bookstores. Many people on this message board have read some of the stories in the book and it was with their encouragement that I pushed ahead with the book, and with getting it published. I thank Mary Preece, Phil Whitley (Brew) and the rest who offered me very positive feedback, and I believe this book will come to be my signature piece. I will be in Tennessee on September 20, 2008, for the official release and for a book signing, and am looking forward to the trip as well as to catching up with a lot of old friends.

The book can be purchased online, or a personally signed, and personalized, copy can be bought at http://www.southtownrinkydinks.com You won’t know the people whose pictures appear at the website, but once you read the book, you’ll recognize people just like them that you grew up with, and you’re sure to relive some great childhood memories.

I’ve just added a message board to the website, and while nobody knows it’s there just yet, I hope it will be a place to leave a note, or to just catch up with some of the authors and the Rinky Dinks I think will visit from time to time.

Check it out when you have a few minutes, I think you’ll like it. Especially if you’re a bit older, like me, and if you grew up when the world was a simpler place, and friends were truly friends.

Hope you enjoy it. (Shelagh, you may want to downsize the cover photo)

Harpe

Fantastic, Don. Best wishes for great success!

I missed you Don! Glad to see you back on board. The book cover looks great. Good luck with it!

Congratulations, my friend! I just received a "Now Available" email from Amazon. Way to go!

The excerpts I have read so far are stupendous, nostalgic,
memory-provoking jolts of those 'good ol' days' when the neighbor would
give you a swat as quickly as your own parents!

Those who visit the Amazon Shorts message board are very familiar with the works of John Cassell, as he is a very prolific author, and a very good one. His works include Crossroads 1969, Odyssey 1970, and Hell's Quest 1971, along with several more of equal strength and talent, and I am very glad that he and I have become friends.

John is much respected on the Amazon board, and he was gracious enough to write the blurb for the back cover of The Last Of The South Town Rinky Dinks.

Brew, our good friend here, was a sounding board for a couple of the stories, and I appreciate it very much. I sent them to Brew for two reasons. One, I thought they were the kind of old fashioned tales that he would like, and Two, I like the way he writes, and wanted to see what he thought, author to author.

I have a radio interview, a Lion's Club luncheon, and the signing is in the largest book store in town. They've put up posters, the news is in the paper, and I'm beginning to get excited about the trip.

Visit the website when you have time, and I truly hope you enjoy the Rinky Dinks.

Harpe

That's great, Don. Sounds like a winner.

Quote :

I sent them to Brew for two reasons. One, I
thought they were the kind of old fashioned tales that he would like,
and Two, I like the way he writes, and wanted to see what he thought,
author to author.

Thanks, Don. You are so right about me liking the old fashioned tales.
Even though you were a "city boy" and I was a country boy, there is
more in common than one might imagine. The time was magical - looking back on it, wasn't it?

I think you may have set a new record ... having two posts deleted and
probably banned (Death by infocenter as opposed to suicide by cop) in
ONE DAY! I KNOW you did that on purpose! LOL. I wish I had copied that
post before it disappeared. It was brilliant!

Wishing you great success on the book. It is a masterpiece.

I made basically the same post on the PA board as the one that started this thread, and had gotten a couple of very nice replies. Mary Preece, whom I think is a good writer and consider a friend, posted that she loves the Rinky Dink book, and then D.K. Christi did the same. Then the moderator, infocenter4 I believe, deleted the entire thread, and I did indeed make another post that I knew would get me banned. I was banned from PA for the better part of this year for making fun of whoever infocenter is, but was reinstated a couple of months ago after I sent the Author Support folks a couple of letters.

In the post today that got me banned, I once again called the infocenter childish. He/she/they cannot stand that, which to me is a rather plain indication of immaturity.

Did anyone make any comments, Brew, or did I just blink out of existance with no one noticing?

I will send Author Support another email tomorrow asking for all of the rights to both of my PA books back, and we will see what happens then.

I've been one of PA's biggest supporters on many message boards, and a couple even went so far as to suggest that PA paid me to take up for them, and usually suggested they send me free books. Of course nothing could be farther from the truth, but after the silly way they handled this post today, I may indeed begin to post a lof of negative things abouy them. It might be fun to see how they respond. Actually, I don't think they would respond at all. While I don't think they are evil incarnate as some ex PA authors do, I believe them to be very insentative to the needs of their authors, and by allowing the infocenter the free rein, they have alienated a lot of people. Up to now I didn't care, but perhaps I'll see if I can shake them up a bit.

After I am finished with the book signing in Tennessee, that is.

Have a wonderful night everyone, and a great weekend.

When I saw your last post, there were no replies. When I went
back it was gone. I have tried to be loyal to them, but they are making
it very difficult. When my book, Keechie (which has been out for nearly
three years now) went from $19.95 to $24.95 retail I knew that I had
bought my last copy. Something's up - besides their pricing...

Wow! I missed out on the fracas! (Kinda like ruckus, Brew?)

I got ticked off a while back due to an old hag's snide remarks and quit posting there so much. I try to go back every couple of weeks or so to see what's up, but I just get disgusted.

It has been quite obvious that certain people get away with rudeness, and others just can't win. Info center (whoever that is) is biased and unfair. At least, in my opinion.

Don,
you were missed. I thought of you just yesterday and was going to make a post inquiring about you. Good to hear you're back, but more importantly, that you are back with a big splash!
Your new book sounds like a winner.

Concerning PA. They have affected many of us who were faithful supporters. I think they are on a road to self-destruct and don't need any help.

Abe

I agree with Abe, Don. Don't join the bashers, there are enough of them already and PA doesn't care. I decided the best thing is to just ignore them, cash their checks and other than that spend my time more profitably. Like Zada, I check the PA board occasionally but rarely if ever post anything. PA served the purpose I wanted so I think it is best to go on to other things once you have accomplished what you had in mind. The PA bashers are a pathetic lot. Don't join them, Don, you are too good for that.

I'm not really going to join the bashers, Dick, but I won't be defending PA as vigorously as I have in the past. I've championed them on AW and other sites and have been steadfast in my defense of their practices which so many have had problems with. I didn't have to do that, and I won't be doing it anymore. Whoever their infocenter moderator is has not one iota of brain power, no common sense at all, and whether or not they are very young, they are certainly very inexperienced.

Sure I posted about a book that was not published by PA, but don't they realize that when people look at that book, they will also see the two PA books I have published, and that might drive a few sales?

They're idiots, plain and simple.

I have to agree about infocenter - no common sense at all. I wonder how long the post will last from the woman who is going to get a lawyer because her book was "number one in it's category all over the internet." She hasn't learned that one sale can mean being number one in a lot of categories.

Don, hello! Nice to see you. I'm so happy about your new book. Congratulations!

Congratulations on getting it all finished and launched Don! Here's to much success for you

Don,

Congratulations! It sounds like a great book.

I also posted on the PA board for a few years, but seldom go there. I like D. K. Christ, Mary Preece, and many of the others who post there, however.

Carol