Tag Archives: Scottish

Announcement, Author, Baking, Book, Cooking, e-Book, Patriotic Piper Vol 01, Product, Publication, Self-publishing

The Patriotic Piper, Vol. 1 – PUBLISHED!

November 26, 2020 BiscottiDon Leave a comment

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

(Click here for a Longer Description)

Patriotic Piper Vol01 Cover — A first arrival! (Front Cover)

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.

Patriotic Piper Vol01 Cover-Back — 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

Announcement, Progress, Update

Bill Millin and D-day

November 7, 2019 BiscottiDon Leave a comment

As you’ve seen from following my blog, checking in with my upcoming publishing projects page, or from my comments on Facebook or Twitter, I am busily working away on my next one … no Two, no THREE books! While one of these is a recipe book I’m excited about, the one at the forefront is rather unique indeed.

SCUBA — Not actually me but you get the idea

Since July 2018 I have been actively working on a fundraiser project for a veterans organization I am a member of. The goal has been to produce a book of (get ready for this…) Military & Patriotic Highland Bagpipe Tunes & Their Histories. The original intention was to have this book published in time for spring/summer of 2019. Then I got some contract work as a professional SCUBA diver (no, really) and I had to adjust … well … a LOT of my time and endeavours.

William Millin Normandy Invasion 1944 — Bill Millin visiting France 6 June 1944

This Highland bagpipe sheet music book has sets of tunes representing the US Military, US Civil War, WWI, WWII, along with a Scottish and American patriotic set, and two other sets of historic military themed tunes. To give better relevance to the WWII set I realized I needed to open the section with explaining who Bill Millin was and what he did on D-day, 6 June 1944. This launched me into a rabbit-hole of research! This essay is nearly complete — which is GREAT because it is the largest of the remaining steps to accomplish to completing this book. Word has gotten around as to what I’m doing with this Bill Millin essay, and something came back to me.

You might be amused to know…

JAVA JAVA JAVA On Tuesday I met with a retired USMC military historian. We spent 3 amazing hours talking about Bill Millin history at a local coffee bistro. He is interested in assisting me with information gathering and being a sounding board for my understanding of it all. This gentleman has offered to draw from his resources. He also had some interesting points on what it takes to effectively present history to a general let alone specific audience.

Pegasus Bridge June 1944 Horsa gliders — Pegasus Bridge, 9 June 1944; Horsa gliders visible in the background.

Right now I need some enlightenment to finish my essay about Millin for the bagpipe sheet music book. The outfit he was in was involved with the famous Pegasus (bridge) objective which was taken just after midnight by men of the 6th Airborne on 6 June 1944. What I need to know more about is what happened after they left the bridge. With this essay complete, the rest of my book project is downhill on roller skates while eating cake!

IN THE MEAN TIME …

Please check out my recipe book “Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies“. I published it just over a year ago — not only am I quite pleased with it, I’ve been receiving rave reviews from others! It is available on Amazon and Smashwords — I also have some free recipes available here on my site. If you have read it and enjoyed it — please take a few minutes and write a review — on Amazon, Smashwords, and now I’m on Goodreads. This not only helps me get noticed as an author, it helps other readers to know what to expect.

Thank you & ENJOY! ~ Don

Book, Progress, Update

Bagpipe Book UPDATE!

May 14, 2019 BiscottiDon Leave a comment

AS Most Of You Know I 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

ENJOY ~ Don UPDATE

Click here for my debut recipe book & e-book on Amazon or use the Smashwords widget to buy the e-book in your preferred format Right Here! 😀

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, Baking, Book, Cookies, Experiment, MAKE COOKIES PLAY BAGPIPES, Product

Celtic-Themed Cookie Experiment

February 20, 2019 BiscottiDon Leave a comment

Donald Duck playing Highland bagpipes As you know I am working on two new books right now. One of these is a bagpipe sheet music book — which has taken priority since I am aiming to release around June/July 2019. Following that I have a new cookie recipe book, and with some luck it might get published this fall. Between the two, the recipe book includes a number of cookies I have dreamed up … some of these recipes do not yet exist. experiment

TIME FOR AN EXPERIMENT!

Fresh Scottish shortbread

One of these recipes — and I’m not giving out much details until it’s perfected — is at least to say caffeinated shortbread with a cool name. I’m excited about this idea!

During a recent phone call with a close friend I shared the details and this fellow replied “Those sound so good I’d take two batches NOW!” My schedule is a bit of a juggling act right now however I want to bake the first experimental batch this week if I can.

There’s a handy thing about my shortbread recipe (which you can find in my book/e-book now available on Amazon.com) … The recipe calls for a pound of butter, 4 cups of flour, and 1 cup of sugar, which means I am able to make this as small as a quarter batch. That’s great for this experiment because I can try one idea, tweak it, and then try again without blowing through whole batches at a time.

Oh yeah … lookin’ forward to this 😀

I Baking Experiments!
~ Don

Whidbey Island Baking Company

Tag Archives: Scottish

The Patriotic Piper, Vol. 1 – PUBLISHED!

The Patriotic Piper is Available Now on Amazon
Print Edition — Published 22Nov2020
E-Book — Published 05Nov2020