Last Sunday my latest book — The Patriotic Piper, Vol. I — LAUNCHED!!! This newly published book is definitely different than many others you’ve seen — of that I am certain…
Here’s the short list of what’s in the first The Patriotic Piper …
20 traditional Scottish American military and patriotic bagpipe compositions, arranged into 8 performance numbers
15 delicious Scottish and Irish recipes
Numerous history and trivia writings accompanying the tunes and recipes
The Patriotic Piper is a fundraiser for the Scottish American Military Society Post #1889. Not only am I a member, I also serve as an officer leading our small but stout Pipe & Drum corps. This is the official music collection of the Post. The monies raised by this book will assist Post 1889 with their projects. S.A.M.S. is a national organization and is a Congressionally Chartered Veterans Service Organization, which is dedicated to the preservation of the contributions of the Scots to the American Military and Society.
Back Cover
Since its publishing Amazon has rated both the book and e-book as being a “#1 New Release in Military Marches“. These two versions of the book have held this position for several days during this past week.
Among the early people to comment, several said that they liked my concept of accompanying the music notation with the history of the tunes. Some even said that this was a deciding factor in their book purchase. Numerous people have said that they are excited about my inclusion of traditional Scottish and Irish recipes as the second half of the book. Certainly, there’s something for everyone in The Patriotic Piper, Vol. 01.
The Patriotic Piper is Available Now on Amazon Print Edition — Published 22Nov2020 E-Book — Published 05Nov2020
AS Most Of You KnowI have been working on my next book — and it is close to DONE! The work has been going well and I am excited to debut it — but what is it?!? Get ready, it’s a mouthful… UPDATE
SAMS Post 1889 — that’s me on the left, #94
While it looks to include some modern-traditional Scottish & Irish recipes, the book will in-part serve as a FUNdraiser for my Scottish American Military Society veterans Post. The main feature of this text is military & patriotic Scottish & American bagpipe tunes & their histories. The News about this — the UPDATE — I finished writing the tune histories Sunday night! This is a major chunk of work on this project and the accomplishment feels GREAT 🙂
I sent these histories to one of my Post-mates yesterday who is formerly a copy editor. He’ll go over my work while I keep my nose to the grindstone retouching the notation, finishing the writing in the beginning of the book, and starting to write the sales paragraphs for the back of the book. Suffice it to say — there is still some work to go, however with this latest development I Am OPTIMISTIC that this book will be completed and that I will have copies-in-hand by or before my target end-of-June release date. 😀 UPDATE
& Updates On A Few Other Things…
While I’m EXCITED to get the Post Piper book released, completing that project paves the way for me to return to re-doing my mini freE-book. My plan is for this project is to first go up on Smashwords with the possibility of following as a book &/or short recipe book on Amazon. A few weeks ago I did a second publication of my e-book on Smashwords — previously only available on Amazon. The cool thing with Smashwords is that they push your e-book to all the other e-book platforms — B&N, Kobo, Overdrive — EVERYONE! Go check it out — my e-book is currently lower-priced on Smashwords right now than it is on Amazon … or at least it was the last I checked 😉 UPDATE
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
Lance English …. Pirate! (he’s actually a nice guy)
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.
Coupeville Public Library
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
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
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
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…
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.
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)
It’s harder to show a picture of the e-book version…
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…
Yours truly in my other superhero persona… (you can also find me on FB as BagpiperDon BTW)
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…
Well …. not quite like this.
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!
Transparency – more & more this seems to becoming a popular word. For me it came to mind in the wake of my recent meeting Tom Trimbath – a local writer & good character I have been getting to know more and more. I mentioned a few things going with my baking, business, and ideas and Tom – being an ideas-guy like me – kept on saying “There’s a good topic for a blog!” So let’s give “transparency” a go here…
What follows really isn’t anything new – these are things I talk about having to do with my business plans and products, just in one spot. I’ll add that these are things I’m pleased to talk about – and this, for me, is an especially good time to get into it with expanding my product line and as I’m just starting to see signs of my company taking a foothold.
Expanding Product Line
In the past months I’ve talked & written online about expanding my product line. Largely this has come from learning more about biscotti. Prior to going into business making a couple of batches at home was no big deal, but when you’re making a dozen or more in a day commercially you become distinctly aware of how labor-intensive big-scale biscotti is by comparison to many (or ‘most’) other cookies. Biscotti remains a joy for me to make and I predict it will continue as my ‘hood ornament’ product, however I need my company to be effective and prosperous so I’ve needed to find & expand into products that are more efficient to produce. Just before getting my business license nearly a year ago I had to decide on a name. I knew I wanted to have a local reference and be clear in the title what it is that I do. For a short amount of time that was Whidbey Island Biscotti Company, until a friend and I identified that I shouldn’t limit myself and that ‘Baking’ would be wiser. This fit too because I always figured I would eventually expand into other products – just not quite this soon.
Character Of WIBC Products
I consider my baked goods to be ‘real food’. What I mean by that is I am making what you would make at home, just in a commercial setting and in larger supply. If you want to understand this further, please look at the ingredients found on my labels – I’m additionally pleased to list these on this site. While you will find listings of some preservatives &/or flavor enhancers, these are in the original ingredients – I do not, however, add artificial preservatives or flavor enhancers. The preservatives I do use – in a manner of speaking – are butter and sugar. As for flavor enhancers, only pure extracts. Given my recipes, I will not tell you that I am making health food, but I believe I am making healthier food. As my company and product line grows it is my intention to keep this standard of quality & characteristics. Also, my products are hand-made and will be until I have to go mechanized.
Future Product Exploration
For a number of weeks now I have been brainstorming and talking about ideas of new products. In some cases I’m already exploring these.
Monster Cookies – I have thoughts around three similar but different large cookies. So far these are based around peanut butter and oats. I’m working on my oat options. Supply isn’t a problem. If possible and as needed I get two supplies including one that is prepared without flour giving a Gluten Free option.
Brownies – Who doesn’t like a good brownie? Originally I thought of these because I have a recipe that is flour, nut, and diary free, which I might also be able to produce as soy free. This one is going to take more work and time. I am thinking though of making regular brownies with the addition of flavor combinations.
I have other cookies I’m thinking of doing … I can’t really talk further about these now because that will totally give things away. As some of you know much of my acumen comes from my professional music experience. One of the things I’ve learned is to not tell all of your plans as to not get scooped by one of my peers.
Muffins – You just can’t go wrong with muffins. I have two in mind with more to come. One I won’t talk about, but I will say it’s based on something many people enjoy but I think I can make it healthier. The other, a pumpkin puree muffin.
Biscotti – As said, I am not abandoning biscotti. I have ideas for about 30 flavors, including taking biscotti (in Star Trek terms) where no biscotto has gone before. Earlier this month I experimented with an Irish Cream biscotti recipe. It was a big flop but it was good to do. I want to keep doing R&D on my many biscotti ideas.
Growth, Employment, & Giving Back
If someone were to ask “Why did you start this company?” I think the most accurate answer ‘in a nutshell’ I could give would be this: I saw an opportunity to bring quality, pleasing products to people while making work for myself when I was struggling to gain employment and get out of poverty. That last bit is just crazy, I know … selfish me – but then I lost count how many years I was looking for work (8?). Don’t get me wrong, I don’t state that as some sort of badge, it’s just the fact of the matter. Now in its fourth month I’m seeing hints that WIBC is taking a foothold, and I’ve been told that once tourist season hits my company is likely to see an explosion of business. I could use an explosion of business, and while it may be a scramble I have faith that my resourcefulness, among other things, will guide me. At minimum I have no shortage of learning to experience – and I have that old swing in my step from having work.
With the growth of my business will come opportunities I’ve envisioned for my WIBC. As I needed employment, my company will need employees – over these past years the workforce has needed positions and I’ll be happy to see people get back to work.
The first act of my company was to contribute to a soup kitchen. This was a serendipitous blessing – as I formed my company I knew that one of the things I wanted to do was to get involved in fighting hunger. I recently watched “A Place At The Table”, a documentary by the same people as “Food, Inc.” One of the things the film pointed out well was the ‘give a man verses teach a man to fish’ adage. In America, leastwise, it’s not a problem of having enough food – the problem are the pieces of the equation that keep people from being able to get food for themselves and food that is healthy. I don’t know what my & WIBC’s involvement is going to look like, all I know is that more will be revealed.
Last and very not least, I believe in supporting the people who support us. From the inception of my company I’ve wanted to offer a military discount and find ways to support our soldiers. I’m not sure how to do this yet, but as said – more will be revealed.
Last Sunday my latest book — The Patriotic Piper, Vol. I — LAUNCHED!!! This newly published book is definitely different than many others you’ve seen — of that I am certain…
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 …
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!