Announcement, Book, Cooking, e-Book, e-Publishing, Product, Progress

Books & E-book Projects Moving Right Along

April 29, 2019 BiscottiDon Leave a comment

Updates On A Few Things I’m Working On!

Lately I have been busily working on a number of book projects. A few of these have bumped into obstacles, and a few of these have had some exciting break-throughs!

Here’s the latest…

Bagpipe Sheet Music & Tune History Book

As many of you know I am producing a bagpipe sheet music book. This will serve as a fundraiser item for a veteran’s organization I am a member of along with being the music collection for our small pipe band. The project features military and patriotic Highland bagpipe sheet music and the history behind the tunes. The work is going well and I am optimistic about publishing this June.

2 New Things About This Book…

To increase the page count I am planning to include some Scottish and Irish recipes. While I’m already familiar with a few of these, others have required some experimenting. Getting to try new things in the kitchen has been a culinary joy for me! As for the book … the inclusion of Celtic recipes is great because it furthers the cultural education element of the organization!

One section of this book draws on the music played Bill Millin during the WWII D-Day Invasion. Private Millin played a unique role in D-Day history; I am writing both further his story and to express the significance of this section in the book. Over the past few days I have connected with his son and grandson online. Both gentlemen are accomplished bagpipers and they are generously willing to check the accuracy of my writing*. As a Highland bagpiper it is an absolute honor to be writing about the famous D-Day piper — getting to connect with his son and grandson makes it just that much more real.
(*the facts — not the grammar, spelling, etc)

My Recipe E-Book on Smashwords & Etc

I’ve been working to get my e-book — already published on Amazon — additionally published on Smashwords. Smashwords is interesting in-that they will publish an author’s e-book not only on their site but on that of other e-book companies — Barns & Nobel, Kobo, etc.

For this to take place, Smashwords is quite particular as to how an e-manuscript is formatted. Frankly, I prefer to learn how to do things and do them myself, however right now I have Way Too Much To Do … so I’m looking for the services offered by one of the folks on Fiverr. My preference at this time is to move this project along and do-so at a price my little baking-biz can afford.

A few nights ago I looked at the Smashword instructions anyway. I quickly sorted out how to re-format the pictures in my e-book. That alone shrunk the size of my manuscript file down to half of the Smashword’s maximum! I’m checking with a number of Fiverr folks and waiting for them to get back to me about taking this on. With all the font characteristics in a recipe book, they tend to take more work than novels … so fingers-crossed that I’ll gain their support.

THE ADDITIONAL GOOD NEWS ABOUT THIS IS …

Once I have my manuscript back from whomever re-formats it for me I should be able to post that on Smashwords — obviously — and also copy that MSWord doc and re-work it into the free little recipe e-book I nearly had completed and published lately. So, while I’ve had to restart this little free e-book project having already completed it …

… Things Are Moving Right Along!

Gotta go ~ Keep an eye here along with my Facebook and Twitter profiles for announcements ~ Don

Announcement, Book, Product, Tip, Uncategorized

Tourism, Books, and Souvenirs

April 23, 2019 BiscottiDon Leave a comment

Summer is coming, and one of the things that comes with summer is vacation in all its forms. Whether you call it vacation, holiday, break, or retreat, it’s a great time to dust off your daily routine and exercise your sense of tourism. Take off to that place you always wanted to go to, attend that annual festival you never miss, visit those friends and relations you’ve been meaning to spend some time with, or escape to that quiet out-of-the-way place you’ve heard about. Take a book, and get a souvenir — or better yet, buy a book as a souvenir!

Moo! — Pulling over and blocking the road just to take pictures of cows …. that we don’t appreciate quite so much. Seriously folks … it’s just a cow.

Here on Whidbey Island we know tourism — at a certain point in spring it turns on like a fire hose! Suddenly we go from being a rural island to having people EVERYWHERE! We appreciate that you want to come to this somewhat out-of-the-way rock of ours — we are off the beaten-path, so it’s flattering that you thought to come here and visit little-ol’-us. With any luck, about now you might be asking yourself, “Well, if I visited Whidbey Island, what would I do — where would I go, what would I see???”

The historic Deception Pass Bridge located at the north end of Whidbey Island

Whidbey Island has plenty to offer in the way of tourism — various farmers markets, Deception Pass and its historic bridge, car shows, historic Fort Casey State Park and its light house, the Island County Fair, the Oak Harbor Music Festival — and that’s just to name a few! We also have historic towns that will carry you back to the Victorian Era — be sure to visit them — Langley and especially Coupeville.

Of course, I’m biased — I’m going to tell you that if you are visiting Whidbey Island to go drop by one of the shops carrying my book. Frankly though, that’s not just a plug for my book — I’m suggesting these shops because they’re in great locations that I believe you will enjoy, and these shops are are operated by delightful people.

If you take the ferry from Mukilteo to get on the island at the south end in Clinton, just go a little ways up Highway 525 and you’ll see Goose Grocery on the right in Bayview.

A curvy-road-ways after Highway 525 turns into Highway 20, you’ll come to an intersection with a foot-bridge crosswalk, a gas station, and our hospital. Turn north to visit historic Coupeville and find The Kingfisher Bookstore located overlooking Penn Cove on Front Street. They have a local-authors table that includes my book. Ask for Meg or Brad and tell them I sent you.
(Read my recent blog post about Kingfisher Bookstore.)

I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE …

Three Sisters Market, Whidbey Island — Yes, it’s formerly a firehouse

Last and certainly not least … As of Today I am once-again doing business with The 3 Sisters Farm Market, located at 779 N Holbrook Rd, Coupeville, WA 98239 — that’s on the north side of Penn Cove on the south side of Highway 20 — red building, you can’t miss it. Visit the 3 Sisters Market — their farm is the biggest producer of food here on the island and everything in their market is local-Local-LOCAL! Pick up a copy of my book, show it to the clerk at the register, and tell them that “Don The Author sent me!” You’ll probably also want to tell them that they have a great shop … why … Because They Do, hands down.

Announcement, Audiobook, Experiment, Publication

New Endeavour – Audiobook Narration?

April 1, 2019 BiscottiDon Leave a comment

Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies — My 1st recipe book — available on Amazon!

As I began the ‘sprint to the finish-line’ completing my book in 2017, an odd thought came to mind …. “I have a voice, and digital recording gear — I could produce my recipe book as an audiobook!” Frankly, at the time, I thought it was kind of funny — who would listen to a recipe book?!? And then that idea grew into a new-possible endeavour — that I could become an Audiobook Narrator! And then I found a few recipe books that had been produced as an audioboook … apparently I’m not so weird.

Excited at the prospect, I dove into to information gathering — while Batman runs off to The Batcave, I of course go to the ever more humble internet. I found LOADS of links and reading*! What more was that I largely found consistent information on how to do the work, how to get gigs, how to price jobs, the standard industry pay range. In fact, it was weird, because all the information was so consistent — as though all the articles I found were written from the same source! I dug a bit more and found an article that ‘pulled away the curtain’ and told what everyone else wasn’t telling me — and that truth didn’t look bad either.
(* see links below and/or embedded in this post)

The single-most helpful information source I found was from blogger and veteran audiobook narrator Karen Commins. Her blog offers numerous experience-based straightforward posts — more than I had time to go through, so I targeted those that would give me the bootstrap information I needed to assess if this was viable for me.

Audiobook recording, reading (narration), and professional jobs have a fairly short list of requirements and ins-and-outs. I’m not getting into that detail today, however you can put those elements together for yourself reading the various articles I linked below. I’m not claiming to be an expert on this topic by any means, however I have a pretty good initial understanding. In short, you need a decent voice but don’t actually have to have a great voice — but you do need to be able to read out loud well … and when you think about reading aloud professionally you suddenly become much more self-conscious! Obviously you need a microphone — while there are very expensive voice microphones available, for most people something lower-end is more than adequate. You also have to be literate …. and considering I’m typing this post and I’ve written a book, I think I have that covered.

All that said … now that I have my book published in paper and e-book forms — available on Amazon — and I’ve completed a few other priority tasks on my dreaded To Do List …. I’m going to give it a go and make my recipe book into an audiobook!

Studio Gear I Have

Recording — My impression is that most people working in the industry are recording directly into a computer using a microphone interface. Coming from a music and field-recording background, my approach is a little different. I have a Zoom H4n with the extras pack, which I purchased from zZounds.com. This is essentially a 4-channel digital studio that fits in the palm of your hand. Zoom is known for making products that are good quality, affordable, and intuitive — and in my experience that description is spot on! To me the H4n is also good for audiobook narration because, unlike my computer … no fan noise. I also own a Zoom H2n, which is what I use for most of my field-recording projects. This unit alone could replace many of the gear-pieces I could otherwise use.
Voice Microphone — I have both an AKG Perception 200 and an Electro-Voice RE10. These were purchased used and I paid under $100 each — and they work like CHAMPS! I’ll do some experimenting with each, but I predict I will use the AKG mic.
In-Ear Monitors — Monitors are a must! In my various music experiences as a Highland bagpiper I have seen all sorts of approaches to audio gear — and all price ranges. The Shure SE-215 in-ear monitors are lower cost, however they are by no means lower quality. I have seen many respected stage performers using this product, and so far I have been nothing but happy with it.
Studio Software — There are many options on the market, and many that do and cost far more than the needs of most audiobook narrators’ needs (ProTools, CueBase, etc). For years I have been using Adobe Audion (which is looked-down upon by many musicians, works fine for me). Audacity is free, relatively easy to learn if you are accustom to noodling around and figuring out software for yourself, and plenty robust for most audiobook narrators’ (and podcasters’) needs.

Studio Gear I Need

A pop filter …. yeah, I know, it kinda looks like a fly swatter.

Pop Filter — A pop filter serves a couple of purposes, right now let’s focus on the noise-issue it helps with. Pop filters help to “reduce or eliminate popping sounds caused by the mechanical impact of fast-moving air on the microphone during recorded speech and singing.” In other words, it helps to keep the recording from spiking — especially with words starting with B and P. They don’t cost much, but I need to con$erve right now, so I’ve done some online research and rigged one up using a piece of spandex. If that doesn’t work I have a few other things to experiment with. In time, I would prefer to get a proper pop filter.
Studio — Many people in the industry work from home. If your abode is in a relatively quite place, most rooms with carpet, furniture, and curtains (etc) will suffice. You want to cut-down the noise and any echos. One way to do this is to cobble together a recording booth. This can be done with a number of things including surplus cubicle walls. If you have the money, the products made by WhisperRoom.com seem to be the leader.

Just Another Magic Monday

March 25, 2019 BiscottiDon Leave a comment

Let’s face it — most days are just …. well …. days. Some good stuff happens, some bad stuff happens … rinse, wash, repeat … not a big deal. Occasionally there are days when it seems like nothing can go right — UGG! — chin up, do your best to keep moving forward. And then, every once in a while, there are days where Everything Just Seems To Go RIGHT! For me, last Monday was one of those days …

Here’s how it went… with a little back-story

Pirate Lance English — Lance English …. Pirate! (he’s actually a nice guy)

Saturday I braved going into downtown Seattle. In the morning I was going to participate in the St. Patrick’s parade with my S.A.M.S. Post. The plan for the afternoon was to visit my two friends at the Emerald City Comic Convention who are moving to Toronto at the end of the month — not to mention seeing our mutual friend who’s the current Captain of the SeaFair Pirates.

Yes, it’s true … I know a pirate.

Seattle Center Monorail Space Needle — The Seattle Monorail with the Space Needle in the background

The drive down the island and into Seattle was nice. Once at the Seattle Center, instead of taking the Monorail as I had originally planned, I opted to walk to the parade staging grounds at the other end of the city located near Pioneer Square. The slightly-cool and slightly-warm sunny pre-Spring day begged for a walk, and it was lovely! To be frank, as far as I’m concerned the parade was a poorly planned bust — however it was great to spend time with my fellow S.A.M.S. members and the two ladies who lead us in carrying our banner. After the parade I was surprise-treated to lunch …

Wow, Cool, Thank You!

Catching up with my Canadian friends at ECCC involved crossing a number of fingers. The convention annually attracts around 95,000 fans* of geek-culture — some of my people — many of whom are wearing impressive costumes that they have personally crafted. This includes my two friends, so they blended in amid all the heroes, villains, elves, Jedi, and … well, everyone. Also, the three of us were working with limited electronic communications that day. Fortunately, everything worked out! I connected with my friends in the terraced park next to the Washington State Convention Center. By further luck and happenstance I ran into Chad — an absolute gent, a heckuva photographer, and the man who has taken among my favourite pictures of my Celtic-rock band, Nae Regrets. As evening neared Christina, Martin, and myself hiked a few blocks away from the convention where we enjoyed dinner together before saying our fond goodbyes. As opportunity presents, I look forward to visiting them in Toronto.
(* 2018 ECCC attendance according to Wikipedia)

But onto Monday …

The previous week I got my book, Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies, placed in its very first bookstore — The Kingfisher Bookstore in Coupeville, Washington. That felt great — the beginning of the next state of being a published author! Also, the owner of Kingfisher — Meg — is an absolute JOY of a person.

After a relaxing start to my Monday — delicious in part because we tell ourselves that’s not what a weekday morning is supposed to be like, especially a Monday. Just before noon I popped over to the Coupeville Public Library. I wanted to check the status of scheduling the presentation I’ve done with Tom Trimbath on how to self-publish books and e-books. Monday

This is when all the neat stuff began!

I was directed to speak with Debbie, whom I had already understood handled most of the presentation scheduling. After introducing myself and explaining Tom’s and my workshop she said that she remembered reading my previous submission and wanted to get us in soon. Somehow it came up that I m currently working on another book, and she asked what that was about. I explained that it is a collection of Highland bagpipe sheet music featuring military and patriotic tunes and their history. Debbie immediately asked if I would be willing to present this book. What she didn’t know was that I had already been thinking about it but hadn’t quite broken the ice on How. She suggested that this presentation would fit in well at the Oak Harbor library, being close to the Navy base, and that she’d like to host me at the Coupeville library around the 4th of July this year. I am absolutely flattered to be asked — so now, all the more, I’m pushing to complete this book! Monday

As I went to leave the library — the first time — I saw one of the fellows who works at the library. I hadn’t really seen him before, but I have heard about him — moreover, I’ve heard about what his wife and he are doing… Monday

Gabriel and Sarah Chrisman — This is one of the many great pictures on the Seattle Times article, I felt this one was the best…

Behind the library help desk sat one Mr. Gabriel Chrisman. I had heard about his wife, Sarah, who writes books about the Victorian era. The amazing thing is that they live their lives — not completely — much in keeping with 1880/1890s period. I stopped to pass on to Gabriel that I was aware of his wife’s writing and that I admire what they’re doing (sadly some people don’t understand while other’s have been regrettably worse). Our conversation turned to asking Gabriel if he might help further research a bagpipe tune I need information on for my military & patriotic music & history book. Gabriel was intrigued by my query and asked me to send him my notes. He was also interested in the book I’m working on and apparently can get behind hosting my presentation. While I left at this time, we spoke into the afternoon — but that happened later … Monday

Kingfisher Bookstore Coupeville — Meg at Kingfisher Bookstore in Coupeville

When I left the library — this time around 1230 — I saw a notice about an event I had forgotten about. Meg, the owner of The Kingfisher Bookstore was presenting a book-related topic starting an hour later. I raced home — I needed lunch and more-presentable clothes — and I raced back! Making it through the door just before her presentation started, I was able to let Meg know I was there to support her topic — and she met me with her immutable smile just as I had found it the week before. Monday

Meg’s presentation was fun and enlightening — and part way through took a walk a few blocks over to her bookshop. The weather was warm and bright; we got to see more of her shop and the historic building it’s in. I spoke with Gabriel more and also stuck around after the presentation. Meg and I spoke about a number of upcoming things. There’s an arts and crafts festival in Coupeville during the summer and we discussed how she might bring people into her shop. She said she would like to host book readings and possibly small music performances and would like to feature me (see “Tom” below). I told her that Tom Trimbath and I have talked a bit about starting to do podcasts about all-things having to do with writing, authors, bookshops (etc) on Whidbey Island. Meg said she’d like to start a small book publishing company on Whidbey and I said that I’d like to be a part of that. Monday

Tom & Jerry, pinch — By the time I left Meg’s shop I was pretty much dancing and pinching myself just like Tom here…

Monday was MAGNIFICENT — and there’s more to come! And since then…

Wednesday March 20th I received a call from Robert, a college friend of mine. He’s in his 4th round in higher-ed, part of his foci is marketing, and he wants to do a project on my Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies book.
Over this past weekend I got in touch with my friend, Rick. He loves history and is involved with curation of local early settlers with the Doc Maynard Society. When he found out about the bagpipe sheet music and tune-history book I’m working on he said he would be interested in that and that people from his historic society would be, too. Do I hear another presentation date in the works?

Loads of good things in the works! Some of which has to do with presentations I’ll possibly be doing. So that in mind, if you’d like me to present or my bagpipe sheet music and history book once it’s ready, maybe you’d do well to get on my calendar now — contact me.

Announcement, Book, Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies, Product, Progress

My Books Now In Kingfisher Bookstore!

March 15, 2019 BiscottiDon Leave a comment

I am EXCITED to announce…

Yesterday I got my book, Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies, placed in the very first bookstore! The Kingfisher Bookstore located at 16 NW Front Street in Coupeville, Washington.

The Kingfisher Bookstore I’ve wanted to get my book carried by various stores here on Whidbey Island and I was told that Kingfisher LOVES local authors. When I called the shop on Wednesday I was told to bring my books by any time. My response to being asked if I was local, I gave a little local-flavour and replied that I was so close I could paddle a canoe across Penn Cove to get there. I opted to drive instead.
(PSST! I actually got it in the Oak Harbor Ace Hardware, too — they’re at 150 SE Pioneer Way, Oak Harbor, WA 98277.)

Meg Olsen, owner of Kingfisher Bookstore in Coupeville WA — Hey everybody — meet Meg!

Kingfisher Bookstore is located in one of the historic water-side buildings on the middle of NW Front Street in Coupeville here on Whidbey Island. When I went in I was immediately greeted by Meg Olsen — she couldn’t be more friendly, and she is Full of ENERGY! Soon following I met her husband, Brad — also a nice guy. Speaking of ‘also’ — he’s also a merchant sailor and a captain with Royal Caribbean International … yeah, remember when I suggested canoeing across Penn Cove? I wonder if I scored points with him by talking nautical-stuff …

Meg and Brad started their shop in 2018. Formerly a liquor store, together they have made it over into a cozy and delightful bookstore. In between talking with Meg about my book she welcomed and assisted visiting customers — during that time I had a bit of my own look around. I was pleased to see unfamiliar books I would love to purchase and read along with authors I already enjoy (she had a hardbound Dick Francis book!). While I was there Meg even invited a customer’s labradoodle into the shop — in fact, she laughingly demanded that he bring his dog in so she could meet it and give it scritches.

I hope Meg and Brad do well with their wonderful neighborhood bookstore and I am happy to have my book carried at Kingfisher Bookstore!

Hey, while you’re reading…

Here’s a fantastic article from when Meg and Brad Olsen started their shop in 2018.

Whidbey Island Baking Company