I’ll be on Columbus radio station WCSI-AM 1010 Tuesday, June 13, at 8:45 a.m. talking about “Wicked Columbus, Indiana.” Tune in or stream online by clicking here.
Events being added at a furious pace
Want to find out more about “Wicked Columbus, Indiana” in person? Feel free to stop by any of the events below.
Just added:
Book signings at Viewpoint Books in Columbus, Indiana, Aug. 12 and 19. And the Brookfield (Wis) Public Library on Oct. 28. See details for these below.
Stuff keeps getting added all the time. You can keep up with my past, present and future schedule by clicking here.
Current schedule:
Monday, June 26: Program/book signing at Bartholomew County Public Library, Columbus, IN, 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, June 27: Program/book signing at the Harlequin Theatre, Fair Oaks Mall, Columbus, IN, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 12 and Saturday, Aug. 19: Signature Saturday Authors Event at Viewpoint Books, 548 Washington St., Columbus, IN 47201. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. My wife, Kimberly S. Hoffman, will also be signing her book, “Emma’s Dancing Day.”
Saturday, Sept. 30: Presentation at the White River branch of the Johnson County Public Library, Greenwood, IN 46142-1563, 2 p.m.
Friday-Sunday, Oct. 6-8: Imaginaium Convention, Ramada Plaza Hotel and Conference Center, Louisville, Kentucky. Will serve as a panel expert for the second consecutive year. Details TBA.
Saturday, Oct. 28: Friends of the Brookfield Public Library Meet the Author event, 1900 N. Calhoun Road, Brookfield, WI 53005. 10-2 p.m.
Breaking: Date change for program at library in Columbus
Please note that my program on “Wicked Columbus, Indiana” that was scheduled for June 29 at the Bartholomew County Public Library in Columbus, Ind., has been moved up to Monday, June 26.
We’ll start at 6:30 p.m.
The official book launch will be the following evening, Tuesday, June 27, at the Harlequin Theatre, Fair Oaks Mall, Columbus.
I have seen a few of the books, and they have been given to radio stations and newspapers and such. We’re anticipating some nice media coverage around the official release date of June 19.
In the meantime, you can pre-order the book through your local bookstore, favorite online vendor or through me. Details on my home page.
A Return to Imaginarium
I’m eager to get back to Kentucky this fall to be part of Imaginarium Convention. This will be the second straight year I’ve been chosen to serve as a guest to lend what expertise I have to panels. And this year, my wife will also be serving as a guest.
The convention is a three-day annual event held in Louisville, Oct. 6-8 at Ramada Plaza Hotel and Conference Center this year. It is centered entirely around creative writing, including the worlds of books, movies, gaming, music and comics/graphic novels. It features extensive programming content, with panels and workshops presented by more than 150 professional guests covering everything from the craft of writing to various genres, industry-specific topics, publishing and social media/publicity. The convention features a film festival with a full array of awards, a masquerade/costume contest, live music, gaming, an expo open to the general public, an awards banquet, a series of literary awards called the Imadjinns and more activities, creating a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere that is content-rich and ideal for networking, promotion and personal development.
Last year, I served as a panel expert at the following sessions: Historical Writing; New Author Boot Camp; Faith in Fiction; Breaking into Freelance Writing; Homonyms, Semi-Colons, Serial Commas, Oh My! And I attended a few other sessions to learn a few things.
Who knows what topics will be on tap this year.
My wife, Kimberly S. Hoffman, just published her first book, “Emma’s Dancing Day,” and she’ll be serving as a guest panelist at Imaginarium, too.
For more info on Imaginarium 2017, click here.
‘Wicked Columbus’ Book Launch
I am pleased to announce that we will be conducting a book launch for my next book, “Wicked Columbus, Indiana,” at the Harlequin Theatre in Columbus at 7 p.m. on June 27.
We’ll have some fun with historic photos projected onto a large screen for viewing ease, readings from several of the chapters, some refreshments and who really knows what else at this point … more details will be revealed as we get a little closer to the date.
And of course, books will be available for purchase.
I am grateful that Robert Hay-Smith has opened his venue to me for this event. My wife and I have been to the Harlequin many times for plays, comedy shows and more. This is really a gem in town that more people need to check out.
The book is scheduled to be released June 19. Pre-sale has commenced.
I also have a program scheduled at the Bartholomew County Public Library in Columbus at 6:30 p.m. June 29.
Who knows what other events will be planned. Check here to see updates.
Pre-sale time is here!
I noticed that Amazon is already taking pre-orders for “Wicked Columbus, Indiana,” so now that I know how much it’s going to cost, I think I’ll start my pre-order, too.
Pre-ordering helps you get a signed copy directly from me as soon as I get books delivered to me (release date is June 19) and can get everything processed and to the post office. Pre-ordering helps me get a handle on how many books to buy from my publisher.
If I order way too many, I get stuck with a bunch of books in my basement. If I order way too few, then I don’t have enough for everyone who wants a signed copy mailed to them. See, we all win.
Procedure on pre-ordering books from me:
- “Wicked Columbus, Indiana” costs $21.99, which includes Indiana sales tax.
- Add $3 postage and handling for one book. Add another $1 postage and handling for each additional book. These prices are good in the continental United States only. For other areas, contact me and I’ll check on shipping costs.
- Send me your name, address, phone number and/or email address.
- Tell me to whom to address my signature.
- Send payment via PayPal at phof63@sbcglobal.net OR by mail to Paul Hoffman, P.O. Box 2611, Columbus, IN 47202.
- If I see you on a somewhat regular basis, you can ignore the postage and handling if you don’t mind arranging a pickup.
NOTE: I still have copies of my first book, “Murder in Wauwatosa: The Mysterious Death of Buddy Schumacher” in my basement. If you’d like one of those, follow the procedure above, except the book costs just $15 (I ordered too many. Lesson learned).
‘Wicked’ release date announced
My second book, “Wicked Columbus, Indiana” is scheduled to be released on June 19. As we get closer to that date, I’ll be announcing book signings, a possible book launch party, media coverage and a pre-sale where you can order signed b
ooks from me before they’re published and I mail them to you as soon as they arrive in my clutches. Price to be determined by The History Press.
The book will also be available at your local bookstore (if it’s not in stock, just ask them to get it for you and all your friends) as well as all major online book vendors (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.) And if you prefer reading on your Nook, Kindle or other e-reader, “Wicked” will also be available in that format.
My first book, “Murder in Wauwatosa: The Mysterious Death of Buddy Schumacher,” are still available in print and e-book formats. In fact, I just mailed three to former Wauwatosa East classmates of mine this week! Email me at phof63@sbcglobal.net for details.
Look at this groovy cover
After a few minor changes, the front and back covers of my next book have been approved. This is quite a colorful display. I can’t wait for it to come out in print (and in e-book).
My first edits have gone back to The History Press. The folks there will go through the manuscript one more time and page it before I get one final look.
My best guess is that our release will be March 2017. Details to come.
We’re looking at March
The History Press, my publisher, is going through the first edits on “Wicked Columbus Indiana,” my second book. We will go through two edits apiece before the book gets published. Seems like this is about a six-week process, so we should be out early March I’d imagine. We will keep everyone up to date and do a pre-sale.
Before I start writing in earnest again (whatever project I decide to tackle next, I’m not sure), I’ve been catching up on a little bit of reading. The most recent books I’ve read are by people I know:
- “5 Days in May: The Greatest Spectacle in Science Fiction” by John C. Bodin and RonCollins. I used to be in a writers group with Ron and find his sci-fi sports stuff very enjoyable. He does other sci-fi, so if you’re into that, check his stuff out here.
- “Monkey in the Middle” by Dobie Maxwell, a comedian and former radio host from Milwaukee with a heck of a life story. Find out more about “Mr. Lucky” here.
- Oh, and I must mention that my talented wife, Kimberly Hoffman, has just had her first book published. It’s a children’s story about a little spider who goes to dance class called “Emma’s Dancing Day.” It’s available everywhere books are sold. You can find more info at her publisher’s website here.
STINCOL – “Monkey in the Middle” , by Dobie Maxwell.
bkgarageband07 book cover Milwaukee Garage Bands: Generations of Grassroots Rock By Peter Roller
Prior to those two books, I got my poetry fix on with “Last Words” by Antler, who attended the same high school I did (Wauwatosa East in Wisconsin), but graduated way, way before me. I was also in the middle of “Gathering Place of the Waters: 30 Milwaukee Poets” when I started writing my latest book. So I have to get back to that.
I’ve completely switched gears the past week and am reading a 1951 book by L.L. Castetter called “Fundamentals of Human Engineering” that I picked up at a new shop in Franklin, Indiana, called Studio Stuff. The premise of this book is that man has developed so much knowledge about stuff, but knows so little about man and he needs to learn more about himself and his fellow humans in order for us to form a better existence for each other.
And I need to finish Peter Roller’s “Milwaukee Garage Bands: Generations of Grassroots Rock” that has a bookmark stuck in it.
So, until I get my manuscript back to work on, I’ll be reading and writing.
