Plans for the future

Not that I'm not wishing and hoping you'll buy a copy of "Chronicles," but ...

I have two plans for books in the coming year.

One is the aforementioned book on cat naming. I have not had good response from posts on cat message boards, etc., but I have saved what I got, and hope to get more.

The second - and this is my first public notice of it - is a book about the history of NFL stadiums. With so many new stadiums built, it's a good time to start looking back at the old ones. I plan to start a  Kickstarter.com account to get donations to purchase some photographic rights, cover postage to contact sources of material, and cover preliminary publishing costs (including sending some copies out to NFL figures for comments for the book cover).

Ideas are also welcome.

Finally, for the first time anywhere, my proposed title, borrowed from the Glen Campbell song "Galveston:"

"The Fields Where We Used To Run."

12 days of coupons

The good folks at Lulu.com are offering 12 days of coupons on orders. Check it and see if there's one that matches your book-buying needs! (And yes, you NEED my book...I'll be happy to hypnotize you if it will help!)

A request for readers

I'll be doing my own search, but if you know of any shots of pre-1970 NFL stadiums on Flickr or any other such site, please let me know. It's for a possible project that I plan to start after the playoffs. Thank you.

Yes, I'm at yet another place

I keep learning about possible exposure, and have a new place at authorsden.com.

It's  at this page - authorsden.com/raybarrington

A Black Friday item from the book

Promised you a sample from the book, and here it is, appropriate for Black Friday.

Suffering from Shopper Syndrome

January 17, 2003

Welcome to the last column of November, and you all know what that means: Christmas shopping.

I have been in a near-fatal car accident; I have had five root canals; I even got married. In my wife's home state. With only my sister and her family on my side of the aisle against all her family and friends if trouble broke out (it didn't).

But there is one event each year that traumatizes me more than all of the above, and that is shopping between Thanksgiving and Dec. 25. I do admit to the occasional road rage, to the venting of frustration now and then.

But put me in a store in December, and I become a maniac.

It starts slowly, my anger building as I circle the parking lot like a runner in a 10-kilometer race, seeing the same scenery dozens of times, before finally finding a spot at the farthest possible point from any door.

That gets me in a wonderful mood.

So after hiking across the asphalt - it's December, remember, so the odds of snow and cold are at least 90 percent - I enter the next circle of hell.

It is not claustrophobic in a mall in December. That's reserved for submarines and small airplanes, and the occasional mine shaft. It is vicious.

Children, on a sugar buzz and excited to see Santa, dart about at knee level between people carring more packages than a herd of bellboys.

Adults, most in no better of a mood than I, grumble as they watch their charges and charge watches.

And that's in the main traffic area. Enter a store, with narrow aisles, and it gets worse.

Want to avoid that by going to a big-box retailer? It's no different.

I have found myself wanting to slam my shopping cart into someone idly standing in an aisle, blocking all traffic, but then I stop myself and remember the poor person is probably in shock, with that thousand-yard stare one sees on a battle fatigue victim.

I try to keep my energy going by humming a little ditty to myself, sung to the tune of the fast part of the Olympics theme:

"I hate this, I hate this, I really, really hate this..."

Eventually, and often to my surprise, it ends. Presents are bought, and now all I have to do is wrap, tape, tear, cut, curse, stack and deliver.

And, I hope, see the smiles when the presents are opened.

Darn it, they'd BETTER smile.

A Thanksgiving (non-sales) note

First off, I want to thank those of you on my social media who have put up with me flogging my book the past few months. I'm very excited to have done it and appreciate you putting up with that. This is the first time I have tried something like this and I am very pleased with the way it turned out, and I'd like to share it with as many people as possible.

Tomorrow, I plan to have a special Black Friday post with an excerpt from the book. I hope you enjoy it. Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.

Holiday Special - 25 percent off through Dec. 14.

Thanks to Lulu.com, my book will be on sale through December 14 for 25 percent off. Note: This is only good at lulu.com and not at Amazon or any of the other places. If you've been on the fence, now is a great time to check it out (or if you liked it, give some to friends).

To get the discount, use the coupon code BUYMYBOOK305 when you order. Note there is a maximum $50 discount on your order!

Have a great weekend!

Just want to wish the Loyal Readership a Happy Thanksgiving. Won't even plug the book this time!

2-for-1.5 sale at Lulu.com thru Friday

Latest sale at Lulu.com - perfect if you want to buy more than one copy of my book!

Buy 1 book get the second 50% off when you use coupon code SECRET305 at checkout. Maximum savings with this promotion is $50. Print and tax amounts are excluded. You can only use the code once per account, and you can't use this coupon in combination with other coupon codes. This great offer ends on November 18, 2011 at 11:59 PM so try not to procrastinate! You must have at least two books in your cart for this promotion to work

Want a sample?

If you'd like to see a few sample pages from Chronicles, check at barnesandnoble.com (go to the book which is a Nook book, you have to be signed in to see the sample), or amazon.com (sample there if you click on the book cover where it says "look inside!"

20 percent off thru Friday

Another lulu.com special, this time for 20 percent off my book (and many others):

Enter coupon code VETERANS305 at checkout and receive 20% off your order. The maximum savings for this offer is $100. Sorry, but this offer is only valid in US Dollars and cannot be applied to previous orders. You can only use this code once per account, and unfortunately you can't use this coupon in combination with other coupon codes. This great offers expires on November 11, 2011 at 11:59 PM, so don't miss out!

And now for something completely different

Not that I still wouldn't love to have you buy a copy of Chronicles...

But I am starting a new project, either as an article or book.

How did your cat get its name? Something odd? Named after someone? Born in an odd place (my sister's cat, born in a shoebox, was named Reebok)? Please send me the name and story - I think this will be very enjoyable for all cat lovers!

(The cats above are ours - Bikini is the little black one, Tikit the larger striped one.)

PS - Thanks to Ian for the mention at ilind.net!

Official: Buy at Reader's Loft, Nook

The Reader's Loft in Bellevue (it's in the complex across from Copps/Target) has the book on display in its regional section (sorry I didn't get a picture). Feel free to go over there and buy it!

And the E-edition is now available at the Nook bookstore at barnesandnoble.com

Another bargain on the book

Need a financial incentive to buy a copy? Here’s your Halloween treat 30 percent off site-wide coupon up to $50 off. Coupon code = HAPPYHALLOWEEN325. Offer ends November 1st, end of day. Happy Halloween!!

Now on Amazon, soon to be on Nook

The distribution of "Chronicles" keeps growing, I'm happy to say.

The book is now available at Amazon.com, so if you have a gift card for there, now's a great time to use it! Just go to this link. or search for "ray barrington".

And I've been notified that the book is going to be listed at the Nook bookstore at Barnes and Noble, so you should find it there soon.

Oh, have I mentioned that I'd love feedback, either directly to me or on review pages when you buy a copy? 

A reminder on signed books

If you want a signed book, you have to order it through PayPal at the right. Clicking on the Lulu.com bug will take you right to Lulu, but those books are NOT signed. Of course you can order one there, and mail it to me - e mail me for the address. And thank you for considering my book!

Books should be for sale in Green Bay soon

Have dropped off copies for sale at Bosse's and The Reader's Loft in Green Bay. (Sadly, another bookstore would not take them.) Hope they will be on the shelves this week! If you aren't in Green Bay, you can always order from this blog, including exclusive signed copies!

More books have arrived

Received some books late today. Will have them at Bosse's in Green Bay and one other place next week. Dropping them off tomorrow. But why wait? Order one now!

Note to Green Bay buyers

I'm getting some books in next week, so Bosse's and one other store - either The Reader's Loft or The Book Stop - will get copies.

Just a reminder - sale ends Friday

Or order a signed copy through this blog!

Enter coupon code TANGO305 at checkout and receive 15% off your order. The maximum savings for this offer is $200. Enter coupon code DANCE305 at checkout and receive 20% off your order of $200 or more. The maximum savings for this offer is $400. Sorry, but these offers are only valid in US Dollars and cannot be applied to previous orders. You can only use these codes once per account, and unfortunately you can't use these coupons in combination with other coupon codes. These great offers expire on Friday October 7, 2011 at 11:59 PM, so don't miss out! While very unlikely, we do reserve the right to change or revoke this offer at anytime, and of course we cannot offer this coupon where it is against the law to do so.

Another offer from Lulu.com

Like to save a little more on my book? Go to Lulu.com (click the buy at Lulu bug on the right side of this blog) and...

Enter coupon code TANGO305 at checkout and receive 15% off your order. The maximum savings for this offer is $200. Enter coupon code DANCE305 at checkout and receive 20% off your order of $200 or more. The maximum savings for this offer is $400. Sorry, but these offers are only valid in US Dollars and cannot be applied to previous orders. You can only use these codes once per account, and unfortunately you can't use these coupons in combination with other coupon codes. These great offers expire on Friday October 7, 2011 at 11:59 PM, so don't miss out! While very unlikely, we do reserve the right to change or revoke this offer at anytime, and of course we cannot offer this coupon where it is against the law to do so.

Where to contact me...

You can find me on:

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

or just e-mail me

Now selling - autographed copies!

If you want an autographed copy, I've got an easy way for you to get one.

Just click on the "Buy Now" button on the right side of this blog. You can use credit cards, bank cards or PayPal. When I get the order, I will order a book, sign it and send it along. If I get a few orders, I can get some extra books, and the wait will be shorter.

I will also use whatever I make from this to get a bit more money to order extra books that can be sold locally. Just being honest here, folks.

If you have something special you'd like me to write with the autograph, e-mail me at ray.columns@yahoo.com.

Future sales in downtown Green Bay

One of my favorite stores - even before now! is Bosse's News and Tobacco in Green Bay. It's an old-fashioned downtown newsstand and tobacco store. They've let me know they are ordering my book - they are very supportive of local authors. So, hopefully soon, my book will be available at a very popular spot in Green Bay!

Signed copies - a question

A question, gentle readers:

Would you be interested in a signed copy of Chronicles? The idea is - you send me the cost of the book ($25), I order it, receive it, sign it and send it to you.

If there's interest, I can do this. Just leave a comment or let me know.

No real news today

Well, the Packers beat the Bears. That's worth something.

And more orders are coming in. Thank you!

Sale extended through Monday

The sale at lulu.com adding a 15 percent discount to purchases has been extended through Sept. 26 (Monday). When you check out, add the coupon code OKTOBERFEST305  Just click on the Lulu bug at the right!

Notice the Lulu bug?

It will do a nice thing - take you to lulu.com and automatically put my book in your online cart!

For you early risers...

Lulu.com is offering 15 percent off sales at its site through Friday - a good time to order my book from there for a lower price! Just go there, and search for my name...and add OKTOBERFEST as the coupon code when you check out.

Getting closer to general distribution

It will take a few weeks, but the book is headed for more general distribution on Amazon. Of course, you can order it now through Lulu; click the link on the right side of the page.

If you've been waiting for general distribution on my book, that should come after tomorrow when I can approve the final proof.

Good news for the iPad crowd...

Chronicles is now listed on the iBookstore - you can pick up an e-book there!

I guess this could be a review

Just found a copy of the 2002 Wisconsin Newspaper Association awards list - it had this comment about my columns: "From humor to tear jerker. All well written."

The e-book is ready...

And you can buy it here for now - it will be available elsewhere soon.

You can buy it, sort of...

A book update - as seems inevitable, I've received the proof copy, and the errors are screaming at me. Mostly, stuff that should have been centered isn't. I fixed the errors and resent the book, so it won't be official until I get another proof copy. That'll take a few days, as I'm broke until next Tuesday. But I believe you can order it at http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/RayBarrington and you'll get the good edition - it may not ship until after I've approved the new proof next Tuesday. (I can approve it riight after ordering)

Hello!

Welcome to a blog that is a companion to "Chronicles: Collected Columns 2001-2005,: The book is a collection of some of my weekly columns from the Green Bay News-Chronicle. If you'd like a copy, please click the link to the right. I'd love to hear from you! I'll also post here occasionally with a variety of comments.