April news brings May shoes
Posted by Jeff on Apr 2nd, 2022 in News | 0 commentsIt’s here!
Hate Story is now officially available for purchase. Look for my debut novel on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Booktopia (Australia) and other online booksellers. If you can’t be bothered to search on your own, please refer to my last blog entry for some links.
If you missed the big Zoom launch party on March 19, you missed a damn good time.
But you can still watch it! I’ve uploaded the recording to YouTube:
I forgot to mention last month that I was recently interviewed on the podcast Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing, hosted by Mark Leslie Lefebvre. We discussed Hate Story, spoken word, and the dangers of bad writing workshops. Listen here (the actual interview begins at about 14:45):
And The South Shore Review just posted a review of my book… by Paul Shoreditch!
Yes, the fictional dead guy from the novel wrote the review. Read it here.
And… I also have publication news.
An excerpt from my poem “Vanilla Ice Cream People” is going to appear in this year’s Brownstone Poets anthology (based in Brooklyn), due for publication in June.
And I also have some work in The Five Words XV, put out by the Ó Bhéal poetry series in Cork, Ireland. This is an annual anthology of entries from the series’ Five Words competition… in which you write a poem on the spot containing five words suggested by the audience. (Sort of like poetry improv.)
The official launch for this anthology is on April 11, in a hybrid event (i.e. both live and on Zoom). I’m not entirely sure I can make the launch, as it’s at 3:30 p.m. EST, when I’m supposed to be in the office at my day job… but we’ll see.
Anything else?
Oh, at least one book fair in June. Maybe two. More on that later.
I’ll leave you with a brief audio flashback to the days when Saturday Night Live was still somewhat funny.
Have a happy.
Something’s coming. Something good.
Posted by Jeff on Mar 5th, 2022 in News | 0 commentsIt’s almost here!
Hate Story is coming!
Actually, in a way, it already is here.
My debut novel is currently available for pre-order, at the following links:
You may be sick of hearing about the big Zoom launch party, but it’s coming soon – two weeks from today.
Not only will this event promote Hate Story; it will also showcase a talented lineup of guest readers (and one musician). Canada, the U.K., Australia, the U.S. – we’ve got the world covered. Or at least, the English-speaking world. And there’ll be a movie quiz! You can win a free copy of the book.
And the Hate Story Blog Tour continues. I’ve made five stops so far:
“Jeff Cottrill on the inspiration for Hate Story” (Life with More Cowbell)
“Who’s That Girl? Meet Jackie Roberts” (LisaWolstenholme.com)
“Frank Capra: A Master of Comedy and Social Awareness” (Meet Me at the Soda Fountain)
“Exclusive! An Author Gets Interviewed… by His Character” (LizzieViolet.com)
“Hate Story: What’s Not to Love?”, blog review by Skylar J. Wynter (SkylarJWynter.com)
WHAT DID PAUL SHOREDITCH DO?
* * * * *
And if you can’t hold out until the 19th to see me read from my book…
The night before, I’m one of the performers in the Ad Lib Talent Show – Hybrid Edition. It’s both live, at the Arts and Letters Club in downtown Toronto, and on Zoom, and it’ll be my first in-person gig in more than two years. (This was supposed to take place in December, but got moved to Zoom-only because of the stupid Omicron variant.) More details to come.
I’ll leave you with this cool footage of the campus where I got my Master’s – but as it looked nearly a century ago:
Farewell.
Gestalt? I hardly even know Walt.
Posted by Jeff on Feb 5th, 2022 in News | 0 commentsGot another big Zoom feature later this month.
More on that below… but first:
WHAT DID PAUL SHOREDITCH DO?
My debut novel, Hate Story, is coming soon from Dragonfly Publishing.
As I mentioned in the last post, the official Zoom launch party is set for the afternoon (EST) of Saturday, March 19.
Remember a few years ago, when people were saying that Avengers: Infinity War was going to be the biggest crossover event in history?
Not anymore. We’ve got a bigger one here. How’s this for a lineup of guest performers?
SPOKEN WORD BY:
HEATHER BABCOCK (Toronto, Canada)
SKYLAR J. WYNTER (Perth, Australia)
SPECIAL K (Richmond, U.S.A.)
CATHY CARSON (Northern Ireland)
TIMOTHY CARTER (Toronto, Canada)
CLIVE OSEMAN (Swindon, England)
KELLY VAN NELSON (Sydney, Australia)
MUSIC BY:
JAMIE MCCORMICK (Scotland)
KRAKEN NOT STIRRED (Toronto, Canada)
That’s right. An international smorgasbord of art. (And Heather is going to be the official launcher too.)
If you can’t wait for the official launch: I’m currently on a “Blog Tour” to promote the book.
Here are the three stops I’ve already made:
“Jeff Cottrill on the inspiration for Hate Story” (Life with More Cowbell)
“Who’s That Girl? Meet Jackie Roberts” (LisaWolstenholme.com)
“Frank Capra: A Master of Comedy and Social Awareness” (Meet Me at the Soda Fountain)
*****
And now: I’m featuring at Gestalt Poetry (based in Nashville) in a few weeks.
Hosted by Amy Hoskins. It’s an open mic, so bring your own stuff too. More specific info on the right sidebar.
And since John Williams is celebrating his ninetieth birthday on Tuesday, here’s one of his many masterpieces.
Be nice and stuff, Mac. Bye.
Mark March 19 on your calendar. Now.
Posted by Jeff on Jan 17th, 2022 in News | 0 commentsHere’s why:
The official Zoom launch party.
Hosted by Lisa Wolstenholme of Dragonfly Publishing, with special guest readings/performances by Heather Babcock, Skylar J. Wynter, Timothy Carter, Kraken Not Stirred… and more TBA!
In the meantime, here’s another reminder that I’m going to be one of six readers in the next Paper Teller Diorama anthology reading on January 22.
My experimental poem “How to Make Money in Poetry” appeared in this book, put out last August by Great Weather for Media in New York City. The press has been holding monthly Zoom events, including this one, featuring readings from contributors. I’ll be joined by fellow poets SaraEve Fermin, Erica Hoffmeister, Myles Taylor, Andres Vaamonde and Carl Watson.
You can join the Zoom for this event… or you can watch it on Facebook Live. Either works.
And you can buy Paper Teller Diorama at this link.
And now, just because I feel like it:
Happy snow month.
I’m gonna be a real novelist! (finally)
Posted by Jeff on Jan 9th, 2022 in News | 0 commentsHappy new year and stuff.
The big news:
My novel Hate Story has been accepted by Dragonfly Publishing (a small press in Perth, Australia).
If things go as planned, my book should be available in paperback and e-book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Waterstones and other international online booksellers by the end of February.
Finally, the realization of a childhood dream. I’ve wanted to be a published novelist since I was about eight years old – it’s been a journey of forty years.
In a fair and just world, of course, I’d have accomplished this much sooner – say, fifteen or twenty years ago. I’m not supposed to be starting my novelist career now; I’m supposed to be a veteran with an impressive backlog of credibility behind me. But never mind about that now.
Mark March 19 on your calendar. Fun times will be had. More info to come.
In the meantime – I’m going to be one of six readers in the next Paper Teller Diorama anthology reading on January 22.
My experimental poem “How to Make Money in Poetry” appeared in this book, put out last August by Great Weather for Media in New York City. The press has been holding monthly Zoom events, including this one, featuring readings from contributors. I’ll be joined by fellow poets SaraEve Fermin, Erica Hoffmeister, Myles Taylor, Andres Vaamonde and Carl Watson.
You can join the Zoom for this event… or you can watch it on Facebook Live. Either works.
And you can buy Paper Teller Diorama at this link.
Since everybody’s sad about the (premature by three weeks) death of Betty White, here’s a great video of her in three live TV commercials from 1959 – preserved beautifully on colour videotape. I swear this looks as if it could have been taped in the ’90s, or even now:
Farewell, hello, farewell, hello.