The Signing

Yesterday was a beautiful day to drive to Fergus, Ontario for my author signing at Roxanne's Reflections. I finally met Roxanne who'd I'd been emailing and speaking with over the phone. I'd met Mimi the week before when I'd driven out to drop off some promotional pictures. I met Kim for the first time. They were all very welcoming to me at the store. I met some very interesting people. And sold a few books. I met Dave who bought a book and then later called the store to say how pleased he was that a quote from Rush titled the Epilogue. Cool! I also had a delicious Vegan Burger at The Fountainhead restaurant a few doors down from Roxanne's. Woke up this morning thinking I spelt Gail Brown's name wrong in signing her book, writing 'Gale' instead of 'Gail'. Sorry for the mistake.
I woke up to find my interview with Brad Pritchard from The Alliston Herald on-line. It was a very good story--thanks Brad.
I did get out for run in the morning before the signing.
I was disappointed to see that books I'd dropped off to a bookstore west of where I live were in the same spot on the back counter in the store as where I'd left them with the owner 10-days ago.
I wrote a page before leaving for the signing and finished the day at 298.
Wrote our daughter a follow-up to her email on life, God and humanity. Our son's headed to Texas on 'The Tweeter Rater' tour. My wife spent the day in Toronto completing her recertification requirements as a Personal Trainer. She's off to TC today.
We hope to see Jobs later in the afternoon.

Early Morning

Spent the evening at another new event--Dana's Book Club. Lindsay and Jenn joined an open discussion on The Actor. I was surprising comfortable discussing my work with two new people I'd never met before. There was a variety of questions asked with much focus on the background story of creating and writing The Actor. The two timelines in the story receive a lot of attention not to mention confusion and for some its distracting even if it does become clear at the end of the book. Dana, Lindsay and Jenn will add their ratings and comments to either Amazon, Chapters or Goodreads. Jenn is a teacher and asked whether I would be interested in coming in to talk to her class about writing. Sure would. Each day brings together something else that's new.
290 was achieved with more 'chunking' along than yesterday. Posted both news of the Book Club event on Twitter and Roxanne's Reflections announcement that I will be in the store from 11am to 2pm. Hoping to get the promotional pictures to Chapters Woodbridge tomorrow (well actually later today).

An Eventful Day

Today a dream came true that I've thought and dreamed about for more than 25 years--as my wife said if persistence were an award, I'd win it. My new book The Actor appeared on the bookshelves of Chapters in Newmarket, Ontario. It was an emotional moment that caught me off guard seeing it up with the likes of Khaled Hosseini's And the Mountains Echoed and JK Rowling's A Casual Vacancy. What a thrill!
I finished by four pages just before leaving to visit the Newmarket store to deliver the promotional posters for my author book signing on September 7th from noon to 3 pm. My daughter posted the photo I took at the store on FB.

286 was the fix today. I'm onto my first Book Club appearance tomorrow night to answer questions on The Actor. Expect it to be a real learning experience and so looking forward to it. One never knows what will happen in each of these new experiences. I'm then off to Fergus, Ontario on Saturday, August 17th for a author booking signing at Roxanne's Reflections Card and Book Shop. Another event I'm quite excited about.

Now onto follow-up with my publicist and marketing plan for the big US or A.

The Morning Write

I'll keep this short. Started writing at 6:15am but didn't get through one page before taking Chip for a walk in the forest. Back at again. Much to do at 282.

In the beginning ...

This blog is about giving some insight into what its like to have just published my first novel The Actor (very exciting!) and learning how to market and promote The Actor from the ground up. It's about writing the next book that happens to be a follow-up to The Actor.  And it's about all the things that happen in between from publishing short stories @Kindle Singles and what books I'm reading to where I'm playing golf and what puzzle I'm trying to solve to what movies I've watched and what music I'm listening to and so on and so for.
Over the past two months, my daily writing output has risen from two pages to four pages (still not at the rate of the King, Mr. Stephen (one of the first to inspire me to write). I like to write in the morning when I first get up. I try for a page or two before taking Chip for a walk. I won't go to bed until those four pages are complete.
I've been spending a lot of time catching up and learning the social media world which I simply have not been part of since its inception. I started with @LinkedIn just because I got onto it first and it served me well in connecting with many from my previous business associations. @Facebook was next which I only recently took over from my son in posting updates to the newsfeed and my page. Updates have included two radio interviews, a book launch and a newspaper article. Also, books I've read, movies I've seen and music I like. Today I opened a @Twitter account @gardhamdouglas and started The Actor blog (but you've got to keeping writing mr. gardham).
I've also come full circle on doing author signings which in the beginning I wasn't going to do but was convinced by an Indigo manager who simply said "where else can you spend a couple of hours and sell a couple of books"? I didn't have answer, never mind a good one. I'm booked for seven signings at this point with several more in the works.
I wasn't going to buy The Actor to sell myself but so many people wanted "author signed" copies that it didn't leave me much choice. My trunk is now full and I'm on my second order.
Enough for my first blog posting on The Actor. It's time to get back to what's it all about. The story that must be told ...