Recent Posts

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Local Couple Reveals Shocking Truth

For those of you who don't know body building as well as Cindy and I, this is the "rear lat spread pose."  I know, that sounds dirty.  And for those of you who don't know Cindy and I, this isn't us in the picture.  Although that's exactly what we look like in swim suits.  From behind, of course.


Actually, this post is about what's happening tomorrow in the life of Broken Road.  We're being interviewed by a free-lance journalist for the Log Cabin Democrat, our local paper here in Conway.  In preparation for that, I suggested that Cindy be prepared to have her picture taken.  


We've talked about how Broken Road is like a child.  Of course, we'd love nothing more than to be attending the meeting where we advise the casting director on which actors to select for the movie version of the book.  But Broken Road was just born.  It hasn't walked or crawled or even rolled over.  It can barely lift its head.  But it's alive, and growing.  


Tomorrow we get to talk about it with the press, and maybe even have a picture made.  We're a little frightened, but that's just because we've never, ever been the object of anyone's attention.  But we're excited too, because we want so badly for readers to meet our characters.


That's all for now, we have to practice our posing.  Our favorite one is in the reclining position, in front of the flat screen.


Picture credit: The official guide to body building and contest preparation http://bodybuildingcourse.com/free_posing_guide_bodybuilding_posing_tips.html

Monday, November 28, 2011

Really, This Is No LIE

I just wanted to send a shout out to readers about this new book.  I picked it up in Chicago, at the National Council of English Teachers meeting.  


I had never heard of this new author, or the book, so it was pure curiosity that led me to pick it up.  I'm so glad I did.


Bock tells the story of a tragic event in the lives of a slew of kids, primarily two boys and two girls.  The story is teased out in first-person vignettes, and a lot of characters are given a voice in this gripping tale.


LIE is available on Amazon in both paper back and for the Kindle.  It's young adult literature, but I found it readable and compelling.  You can visit her website for more information about Caroline and her book.  It's a great read.

One Day Only!

Hey Everyone!!  On this day only, you can get Broken Road for 30% off!  That's right.  At this price, the paperback is under $10!!


Unfortunately, this is a one day only sale.  If you find this after Nov. 28, you can use this coupon code for a 25% discount until December 14: buymybook305


Happy Reading!


Mike

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Welcome Friends and Readers

This is what started it all.


We'd probably admit that it started sooner, but this is the tangible evidence that something is going on.


You see...Cindy wrote a book.  


Well, we did it together, but it was her story, and her characters, and her "wake up in the middle of the night and write," that produced it.


We call this blog "A New Shade" because our website is called Shade Tree Writings, but also because being a literary couple, writing and reading together, and managing the supporting technology is a new shade in the tapestry of our relationship. 


We've been together for almost 35 years, raised two, now married, girls, enjoy granddaughters, lived in foreign countries, run marathons (although Cindy's part was greeting me at the finish line), and a bunch of other stuff.


And we've been together in a lot of places, but now we're together here, in the world-wide community of readers and writers.  Cindy's always been a reader, I have always sort of tipped my hat to writing.  Now she's writing, and I'm reading, and together, we're Shadetreewritings.  


You can find us on the web at shadetreewritings.com  We'd love for you to join us there.