HAPPY 2019!
New Years can be a bit funny — because what is it really? Another 365 days and 6 hours* past and another to go … a December 31st and January 1st is just the difference of a day … and yet it is also something many of us use as an opportunity. We look to the past to make changes or try something new with the future — and sometimes it’s not so much about the past as it is about trying something new to enjoy. So what does 2019 hold for you? I know a few of the things I’m looking toward…
(* Yes, 6 hours — this is how we get leap year AKA the bissextus or a or bissextile year)
This past October I published my first book — “Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies” — then in mid-December I followed with publishing the e-book version. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to present my book a few times during late 2018, and with the New Year I aim to get more speaking dates. I thoroughly ENJOY getting to talk with other people about baking — getting new-bakers turned on to the idea and talking with old-hats at baking to find out about their ideas!
On the heals of releasing Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies I was compelled to get to work on 2 new books — yes, “compelled“! These were not the next projects I thought I would do, but they were the two that chewed on my mind the most — I was just drawn to them…
But what are they?
I both can and can’t tell you you that…
YES, 2 books, not just 1 …. because that’s how I do things.
One of these books is an ‘official’ Highland bagpipe sheet music book for the local-chapter of a Scottish military origination I’m a part of. The aim of this is not just to create something for my group but ultimately to offer this to the national organization to become all of our ‘official’ bagpipe sheet music book ….. SO, potentially producing and publishing a book for a national (actually international) organization … it’s kind of a big deal!
As for the other book…
(I’m really excited about this project!)
As a performing musician and recording artist I have learned to play certain things close to the vest. I have something in excess of 30 album ideas which I would LOVE to record — and have every intention to produce ….. HOWEVER … I generally don’t reveal those ideas to many if any people beforehand. Why? Simply because I want to make my albums — as opposed to someone hearing my idea, swiping it, and beating me to the punch. This other book is along these lines, but I will tell you this…
- So far as I know there is only one other recipe book at all similar to it currently on the market &/or ever before made; it involves cookies which I am developing new recipes specifically for this project.
- I may be partnering with another writer for the content of this book.
- To fully and correctly publish this book I will have to learn and do things that I previously have only been familiar with however have not otherwise done.
- This will probably be a coffee table book. I would like this book to have its own t-shirt. I may not make an e-book version however I definitely would like to make an audiobook version. AND it is my preference to release all of these at the same time.
AND two other things I’m working on…
As an extension of being a professional musician I like to record things — and I do mean ‘things’ being not-music however are sounds I find interesting. I do this under the project name of Archive Of Resonance. I have been a busy boy over the last number of years — both getting things done and sometimes having to put a few things on the shelf. One such thing …. or moreover four such things … are AOR recordings. While there are recordings I have wanted to make*, I have captured four sets of audio which I have wanted to turn into albums …. just that finishing this work has not been a priority. By my guesstimate, each of these need about 20 hours of work. My aim is to work on these over the course of 2019, publish them, and make them available on Amazon.
(*mostly couldn’t because I lacked transportation — but that’s changed now!)
AND LASTLY …
With pivoting WIBC from production baking to writing and publishing books and other products, I knew that I would need to get an Author’s/Musician’s Day Job. I got an initial start on my job search in the fall of 2018 and will be getting back at in during January 2019. This previous start was a decent beginning — I have some leads that look interesting and a decent idea of what my skills apply to. So the future looks …… interesting!
Going Forward!
~ Don
Life of a bagpiping budding recipe book author — it has a certain quirky romance to it, but in reality it can be a juggle … well, on top of fixing a truck, contributing to finish building a house, and helping to support one’s parents. Since late last year I’ve had to prioritize these things — and shift my priorities depending on the week! 
The last 3 days I’ve been on a St. Patrick’s Day tour playing Celtic-rock both with 