Happy first Friday of November!
November already? Yes, November.
This is Jason Cannon with Ibis Books, and this morning I am struck by the various facets of the word RUSH.
Like, I'm holding the word up like a jewel, turning it this way and that in a streaming beam of light.
This past Tuesday, my beloved Rebecca and I--as we do every year--dragged a couple chairs out to our driveway, lit a couple tea lights and put them in our jack-o-lanterns, turned on a speaker with a spooky Halloween music mix, filled a big bowl to overflowing with all the best candy, and waited for the trick-or-treaters.
Typically, there's a steady stream from about 6pm to just after 8pm. But this year, we waited. And waited.
And waited.
We saw some groups turn the WRONG DANG WAY at the corner down the street.
We hypothesized all sorts of wild theories about why the foot traffic was avoiding our street this year.
It hit 7pm. The candy bowl hadn't been touched. Well, not by trick-or-treaters anyway, but Rebecca and I were definitely riding a sugar RUSH from having snuck perhaps more than our fair share of samples.
But then, thank the ghouls, from about 7:15 to 8:15 we had a RUSH of all the hilarious and frightening and adorable costumed kids. Except for a last bag of Heath and one lonely Kit-Kat, all the candy was toted away.
We headed inside, enjoyed a spicy veggie chili, and got a RUSH watching the original Halloween.
And the leftover bag of Heath was banished to the freezer, where it lurks, plotting its revenge...
And then yesterday, I got a different kind of RUSH when I heard that the film version of CLOWNS LIKE ME--the one-man show I wrote and directed for LIFELINE PRODUCTIONS earlier this year--has been named a finalist for Best Feature at the Conquering Disabilities with Film International Film Festival out in Santa Monica! And our very own star, Scott Ehrenpreis, has been nominated for Best Actor! Scott and his dad, my Lifeline producing partner Joel, will be flying out to take in the glitz and paparazzi. The festival runs November 10-17, and you can view a lot of the finalist films on-line (we are still working on setting up viewing access for CLOWNS LIKE ME). I'll let you know how this particular RUSH plays out!
And of course, as I've been badgering you about the last several weeks, there are the various RUSHES of all my wonderful new Ibis authors launching their books!
I got a text from Matthew Ames this week, the Georgia Super Lawyer (I seriously cannot say that enough!) turned first-time memoirist, whose book THROUGH THE IMPOSSIBLE launches in TWO DAYS, on Sunday, November 5!
You can even pre-order the ebook over at Amazon so it lands on your Kindle first thing November 5, or just wait and grab the ebook from Ibis or order your paperback from Amazon on Sunday.
Matthew's text was all about the RUSH of holding his own book, because I had sent him a couple advance author copies.
"Is it weird that I cry when I read my own book?"
I of course told him it was perfectly natural. Just a beautiful RUSH.
Check out the free preview below, and get ready for a serious RUSH when you read his entire story starting Sunday.
THROUGH THE IMPOSSIBLE free preview
The next newest Ibis author, Maria Schaedler-Luera, will be feeling Matthew's RUSH very soon herself!
Maria's book, BE THE PROTAGONIST, launches on Saturday, November 18, and there's a launch event here in Sarasota, 1-3pm at Dream Large. Hit the button below to RSVP.
RSVP for the launch of BE THE PROTAGONIST
And hit this other button below to read a free preview from her book!
BE THE PROTAGONIST free preview
I'm about to send her some advance author copies, and shall gleefully await her reaction to holding her own book for the first time. I remember when I experienced that RUSH with my first book, and with every subsequent book (and play!). Never grows old. A bottomless bowl of candy.
One final RUSH for today. (How long can this sugar high last??)
My incomparable aunt Vondria, sister to my awesome momma Mary Lu, read the recently launched WHO WRECKED THE WITCH-A-THON? to her class of 3- and 4-year-olds. They even acted it out!
And Von wrapped her report by saying, "The book was an example of what to do and what not to do to if you want to be happy. It showed that there are some ways of winning that are better than others."
That's a lesson well worth pondering.
You can get the ebook over at the Ibis Bookstore.
If you prefer paperback, you can grab that at Amazon. The hardback is still having a heck of a time finding its way back to Bookshop, but I just checked and you can also get the hardback through Amazon. So all three options are live!
Hoping you all enjoy your favorite sort of RUSH this weekend!
Jason "Heath Bar Hoarder" Cannon
Comments ()