A long time ago, Robert Benchley wrote the following about his most famous piece, "The Treasurer's Report:" I have inflicted it on the public in every conceivable way except over the radio and dropping it from airplanes. (And as proof, here is a short, hilarious movie version.)
I am thinking about that because this autumn is seeing my own work coming at the public from a variety of directions. Not to worry; the phase will pass and by December I will sink back into obscurity. But let's go over the details of my temporary onslaught.
As I wrote last time, September marked my first appearance in an e-book anthology. I am sure by now you have all run out (or run your cursor over) to buy a copy of Malfeasance Occasional: Girl Trouble. Right?
I am happy to inform you you won't have to spend any money for this next feature (although I do like dark chocolate if you're thinking of a gift). This one is a freebie.
She sent me the recorder they use and after much diligent practice I was able to record the story with only three mistakes. And that was the best I could do. Three different mistakes every time. (It wasn't like I consistently tripped over the same tongue-twisting phrase, alas.) Linda assures me they can clean that up.
But here is the cool part. My story is about an elderly Kentucky fiddler and the title refers to a traditional fiddle piece that is his personal signature tune. It seemed logical to include a recording of that tune in the podcast.
The problem with that is that I made up the name. There is no such tune. No biggie. My daughter, Susan Weiner, is a fine composer so she created a tune that matched the description in the story. And then, extra special treat, my wife Terri Weiner recorded it on the fiddle.
So it is a real family operation and I recommend it highly. But if that isn't enough to entice you to give it a listen, here is a bonus. Remember, I said this is a media blitz.
The January/February issue of Hitchcock's comes out November 4 and I am thrilled to report that the cover story is "Devil Chased The Wolf Away," a sequel to "Snake." And while you can read "Devil" without experiencing "Snake" you will definitely enjoy them more if you read (or listen to) "Snake" first.
And next Wednesday I will explain how "Devil" came to be written, much to my surprise.
