Greg McCarthy's Blog
April 7, 2011
JUST STARTING OUTAs a first-time author with a small publ...
JUST STARTING OUT
As a first-time author with a small publisher, I've experienced the highs and lows of the literary world since my debut novel,The Price of Life, hit the shelves last September. The anticipation leading up to the release date was nothing like I've ever felt before, but it couldn't have prepared me for the first few signings.
The day before the launch party, I discovered that the 220 books ordered by the store would be delivered the day AFTER the party. I'm new to this line of work, but it wasn't hard to figure out that books are an essential ingredient to any book signing. Fortunately, my publisher had delivered a couple hundred books to me a few days earlier, so I had the chance to try my hand at another part of the business--book delivery. All books made it to the store on time and, better yet, all sold the first night.
That was what I'd been waiting for--the elation of seeing dozens of people lined up in a bookstore, all anxiously awaiting their chance to get my signature on a book, maybe even get a picture taken to record the event. What a rush! Fortunately, I have daughters, and my eldest brought me back to Earth.
"Dad," she said sweetly, "that was an awesome signing, but it's really a shame."
"Why do you say that?" I asked.
"After tonight," she replied, "every other signing you ever do will be a huge disappointment."
As it turned out, her prophecy came to life just two days later at my second signing. As I manned my table coveting the "As Seen on Oprah" sign atop the display of Jonathan Franzen's Freedom, the long lines of adoring readers failed to materialize. Most customers, in fact, worked hard to avoid eye contact. One older gentleman let me know that he "don't need no X-Box contraption just to read a book." Utterly confused, it took me a couple of minutes to realize I was standing in front of the Nook display. I somehow sold 20 books that day, and can proudly state that I did not steal the Oprah sign.
My signing at Murder by the Book should be a real treat for me. Several of my favorite writers have appeared at this gem of an indie bookstore--Michael Connelly, Christopher Reich, and most recently my friend Keith Thomson. In my dreams, this is not just an exciting cap to my first six months as a published author, but a springboard to a satisfying career as a writer.
My second book is in the works, and with any luck it will be published late this year or in early 2012. Who knows what this business will look like by then? Perhaps it will be leveled out a bit, but it seems clear that the market share for electronic versions of books will continue to grow and the nationwide chains will have smaller bricks-and-sticks operations. Independent bookstore will take up some of the slack, which is certainly fine by me. As a fledgling in the business, I feel a kinship with independent bookstores and the folks who work there. First-time authors struggling to find their audience know how it feels to be a small voice in a large theater. Thanks to those indies, the voices of all those talented writers can be heard.
December 11, 2010
Upcoming book signings
Two signings coming up:
Saturday 12/11 1:30 to 3:30 at A Real Bookstore in Fairview, TX
Tuesday 12/14 5 to 7 at The Twig in San Antonio TX
Come by if you're in the area and pick up your signed copy of The Price of Life. They make great Christmas gifts, too.
Happy Holidays!The Price of Life
Saturday 12/11 1:30 to 3:30 at A Real Bookstore in Fairview, TX
Tuesday 12/14 5 to 7 at The Twig in San Antonio TX
Come by if you're in the area and pick up your signed copy of The Price of Life. They make great Christmas gifts, too.
Happy Holidays!The Price of Life
September 18, 2010
Launch Party
Like most authors, I had grand expectations for my first book signing. A long line of people snaking out the door and down the sidewalk, anxiously awaiting their chance to reach me, parked at a table stacked high with my novel, for a brief chat and a personalized signature. Hours of signing and chatting and making new friends. The starting point for blockbuster sales. My luck is holding.
My best guess is that 250 people turned out to support me on my big night. We had 232 copies on hand, and s...
September 16, 2010
First Signing Day
The day I've been waiting for is finally here. After writing, re-writing, searching in vain for an agent, finding a publisher, and going through the process of editing, cover art, printing and distribution headaches, and setting up the signings at the stores, three years of hard work is about to pay off.
When I arrived today to make sure everything was in order, I saw what every writer longs to see—a table covered with my book. What a feeling!
Tonight from 6 to 8 at Borders in The Highlands...
September 11, 2010
Interview/review in The Graham Leader
Nice review in today's Graham Leader on The Price of Life:
"The Price of Life," a legal suspense thriller in the tradition of Grisham and Turow, explores how tort reform has negatively impacted Texas citizens seeking restitution for medical damages. Lawyer and author Greg McCarthy combines colorful characters and an exciting plot as he examines a complex issue.
Full story here:
http://www.grahamleader.com/index.asp...
"The Price of Life," a legal suspense thriller in the tradition of Grisham and Turow, explores how tort reform has negatively impacted Texas citizens seeking restitution for medical damages. Lawyer and author Greg McCarthy combines colorful characters and an exciting plot as he examines a complex issue.
Full story here:
http://www.grahamleader.com/index.asp...
August 15, 2010
Neo-Noir Thriller Transubstantiate
Richard Thomas knocks it out of the park with his debut neo-noir thriller. Seven characters roam a post-apocalyptic island in this one-of-a-kind ride, searching for absolution, redemption, or just plain survival.
Part Bradbury, part Cormac McCarthy, part Lost, TRANSUBSTANTIATE takes the reader on a careening, zig-zagging trek to a dizzying conclusion, and Thomas takes us inside the head of each character with unique first-person narratives from the viewpoint of all seven. Vivid imagery, violence, fear, and lust—TRANSUBSTANTIATE has it all.
When I finished, I could picture Thomas with a wicked grin and a glint in his eye, waiting to unleash another story on his readers. Big things are in store for Richard Thomas.
Part Bradbury, part Cormac McCarthy, part Lost, TRANSUBSTANTIATE takes the reader on a careening, zig-zagging trek to a dizzying conclusion, and Thomas takes us inside the head of each character with unique first-person narratives from the viewpoint of all seven. Vivid imagery, violence, fear, and lust—TRANSUBSTANTIATE has it all.
When I finished, I could picture Thomas with a wicked grin and a glint in his eye, waiting to unleash another story on his readers. Big things are in store for Richard Thomas.
Neo-Noir Thriller TRANSUBSTANTIATERichard Thomas knocks i...
Neo-Noir Thriller TRANSUBSTANTIATE
Richard Thomas knocks it out of the park with his debut neo-noir thriller. Seven characters roam a post-apocalyptic island in this one-of-a-kind ride, searching for absolution, redemption, or just plain survival.
Part Bradbury, part Cormac McCarthy, part Lost, TRANSUBSTANTIATE takes the reader on a careening, zig-zagging trek to a dizzying conclusion, and Thomas takes us inside the head of each character with unique first-person narratives from the viewpoint o...
Richard Thomas knocks it out of the park with his debut neo-noir thriller. Seven characters roam a post-apocalyptic island in this one-of-a-kind ride, searching for absolution, redemption, or just plain survival.
Part Bradbury, part Cormac McCarthy, part Lost, TRANSUBSTANTIATE takes the reader on a careening, zig-zagging trek to a dizzying conclusion, and Thomas takes us inside the head of each character with unique first-person narratives from the viewpoint o...
July 13, 2010
Boston Med--Legal Consequences?
I tuned into my first installment of Boston Med the other night and was instantly hooked. In less than an hour, we watched as a man had a malignant brain tumor removed, another man have his fractured pelvis stabilized with a twisted sheet, and a mentally unstable patient go postal on an ER doctor because she was offended by him asking when she had her last drink.
The show, which is REAL reality TV, follows cases as they come into a few of Boston’s more prestigious medical centers. The doctors and nurses certainly know the cameras are there, but there’s none of the obvious scripting revealed in much of today’s reality television. Watching the show this week made me think of a couple of issues in particular.
I feel sure that the producers of the show and the network have obtained signatures from all of the patients, family members, and health care providers who appear on the show, so that they are protected from lawsuits by these folks. What I’m not so sure of is how the video might be treated in a lawsuit that might be filed against a hospital, a doctor, or a nurse. The surgery on the patient with the brain tumor, for instance, appears to have been completely successful, with no indication that any medical treatment errors were made. If such a thing were alleged, are the producers and production staff likely to be witnesses in the lawsuit? Surely the final version that makes the airwaves could be located without too much trouble by the attorneys in the case, but what about the “raw” footage shot but not used in the final product? If the producers resisted efforts by lawyers to obtain that footage, could they keep it from them? Could they charge for it and, if so, how much? And what if the producers destroyed the raw footage before they had any indication that it would be requested?
In most medical malpractice cases, of course, lawyers have nothing but the records to help re-create the events giving rise to the case. The doctors and nurses usually have good recollections of the treatment, but the patient is typically either asleep, insufficiently qualified to understand what’s going on, or both. Records, such as nurse’s notes and summaries of surgical procedures, are prepared by the health care providers, usually after the fact and with no input from the patient or patient’s family. These records are seldom reviewed for accuracy and completeness by others involved in the patient’s care. The vast majority of these records, of course, reflect what actually happened, but the possibility of subconscious changes in memory of events cannot be ignored. Some doctors would likely welcome this intrusion about as much as umpires like having video review of balls and strikes, but the effects of having an independent and objective rendition of exactly what transpired could have profound ramifications on a legal claim, providing clear evidence of what did or did not happen and removing the ever-present question about the accuracy of the medical records.
I’m interested in this show. I have a feeling that each new episode will raise other interesting questions. If you have something to say about this, please post a comment and start the discussion.
The show, which is REAL reality TV, follows cases as they come into a few of Boston’s more prestigious medical centers. The doctors and nurses certainly know the cameras are there, but there’s none of the obvious scripting revealed in much of today’s reality television. Watching the show this week made me think of a couple of issues in particular.
I feel sure that the producers of the show and the network have obtained signatures from all of the patients, family members, and health care providers who appear on the show, so that they are protected from lawsuits by these folks. What I’m not so sure of is how the video might be treated in a lawsuit that might be filed against a hospital, a doctor, or a nurse. The surgery on the patient with the brain tumor, for instance, appears to have been completely successful, with no indication that any medical treatment errors were made. If such a thing were alleged, are the producers and production staff likely to be witnesses in the lawsuit? Surely the final version that makes the airwaves could be located without too much trouble by the attorneys in the case, but what about the “raw” footage shot but not used in the final product? If the producers resisted efforts by lawyers to obtain that footage, could they keep it from them? Could they charge for it and, if so, how much? And what if the producers destroyed the raw footage before they had any indication that it would be requested?
In most medical malpractice cases, of course, lawyers have nothing but the records to help re-create the events giving rise to the case. The doctors and nurses usually have good recollections of the treatment, but the patient is typically either asleep, insufficiently qualified to understand what’s going on, or both. Records, such as nurse’s notes and summaries of surgical procedures, are prepared by the health care providers, usually after the fact and with no input from the patient or patient’s family. These records are seldom reviewed for accuracy and completeness by others involved in the patient’s care. The vast majority of these records, of course, reflect what actually happened, but the possibility of subconscious changes in memory of events cannot be ignored. Some doctors would likely welcome this intrusion about as much as umpires like having video review of balls and strikes, but the effects of having an independent and objective rendition of exactly what transpired could have profound ramifications on a legal claim, providing clear evidence of what did or did not happen and removing the ever-present question about the accuracy of the medical records.
I’m interested in this show. I have a feeling that each new episode will raise other interesting questions. If you have something to say about this, please post a comment and start the discussion.
Boston Med—Legal Consequences?
I tuned into my first installment of Boston Med the other night and was instantly hooked. In less than an hour, we watched as a man had a malignant brain tumor removed, another man have his fractured pelvis stabilized with a twisted sheet, and a mentally unstable patient go postal on an ER doctor because she was offended by him asking when she had her last drink.
The show, which is REAL reality TV, follows cases as they come into a few of Boston's more prestigious medical centers. The doctors ...
The show, which is REAL reality TV, follows cases as they come into a few of Boston's more prestigious medical centers. The doctors ...
July 12, 2010
Triathlons
A recent conversation at the gym brought to mind a journal entry from last fall after a particularly tough triathlon:
In my younger years, I tried my hand at a wide variety of sports. College intramurals in basketball and flag football, recreational leagues early in my legal career, and everything from golf to skiing to the occasional fun run. A series of nagging, minor injuries slowed me down, and surgery for a ruptured disk shortly after my 40th birthday slammed down the emergency brake. Recovery was tough, but after a few years of relative inactivity I decided to get back in shape.
Last year, at age 46, I competed in a triathlon for the first time since law school. I ran in four sprints and an Olympic distance event, plus a 100-mile bike ride. Mostly I did well, finishing in the top quarter of my age group in the triathlons and keeping a respectable pace in the bike rides. It was a great experience, and a good way to keep in shape, although it did result in a minor knee injury that will soon require arthroscopic surgery.
This year, I did two endurance rides and three sprint-distance triathlons. The season came to its culmination with an Olympic-distance triathlon of a 1500-meter swim, a 40k bike, and a 10k run. Here’s the report:
Saturday 3:00 PM: Meet with race buddy Bill Mateja for mandatory race briefing in Dallas. Take bikes to lake as instructed. Water reported to be 68 degrees, so we rent wetsuits. Go cheap and get the standard scuba-type shortie instead of high-tech triathlon design. Big mistake. More on that later.
Sunday 5:45 AM: Arrive at American Airlines Center in Dallas; set up bike-to-run transition gear as instructed.
6:00 AM: Get in line for shuttle bus to lake.
7:00 AM: Board bus after standing for one hour in 50-degree drizzle.
7:20 AM: Driver misses correct turn onto Interstate 20.
7:30 AM: Driver misses alternate correct turn. Coincidentally the official start time of the race.
7:40 AM: Bus enters Waxahachie; driver finally concedes he’s lost.
8:00 AM: Bus arrives at swim start/transition area. Swimmers in the water, some already on bike.
8:10 AM: Bill and I hit the water after quick drop of transition gear and visit to port-o-let (see 2-hour bus experience above). Back, knees, and feet aching from standing and riding bus. Water temp no problem, didn’t really need wetsuit. In fact, sleeves on cheap scuba shortie acted much like a water sail, filling with each stroke. On several occasions, I see floating grass and bubbles pass me.
8:12 AM: Two-foot wave smacks me in the face, and I drink about a quart of nasty but cool lake water about 100 yards from shore. Fight off urge to say “screw it” and wave in the boats.
8:50 AM: Emerge from lake. Swim timed with calendar. Official time .04 days, +/- six seconds.
Transition long enough to order in breakfast, due to the fact that we had to pack up all belongings into our bucket for transportation to AAC by race volunteers. Also due to the fact that by now I know my overall time will be awful and it won’t matter.
8:57 AM: Finally on the bike, my best and favorite event of the three. Plan on averaging 22 mph for the 40k ride. Immediately hit by weather ranging from light drizzle to steady driving rain, all enhanced by 15 mph winds. Thanks to our extended bus ride, no time to pump up my back tire, which has a slow leak and is about 30 psi low.
Bike course is great, if you’re really into a hilly training ride. I regularly pass people on hills while doing a bit less than 8 mph. Wet roads lead to several crashes; fortunately none involve me or brother Bill.
9:24 AM: Arrive AAC after averaging 17.3 mph. Pretty proud of that considering the conditions, the course, and the fact that my shoes have so much water in them that I’m carrying a handicap of an additional 8 pounds. Don’t need the extra weight, since I’ve already qualified as a Clydesdale without the waterlogged shoes.
9:28 AM: Head out on 10k after drying off. Mercifully, the rain has stopped. Just short of the first water station at mile one, right hamstring seizes. Instinctively straighten it and bend down to stretch; right quads immediately seize. Not knowing whether to bend or straighten the leg, I limp to the station and down four cups of Power Ade. After a little walking loosens the muscles, and I start running (or something that resembles it). Bill catches me and we do the run together. Bill is patient and Sherpa-like as my legs and lower back play an endless game of Guess Which Muscle Will Cramp Next. The only good thing was that the muscle spasms were so agonizing I hardly noticed the pain in my knee, which by now is roughly the size of a cantaloupe. Able to run without total leg seizure for the last mile.
10:31 AM: Mateja and I cross the finish line together; race announcer pronounces Bill’s last name mostly right. Time is atrocious – 3:20 compared to 2:42 at the same distance last year.
10:35 AM: Post-race is worse than the race, which doesn’t seem possible. Still in the low 50’s and windy, and the only entertainment is an intro of the race winners. Of course nobody knows who these people are except their spouses and parents, so there’s very little intrigue for the rest of us.
10:40 AM: Race paraphernalia touted beer at the finish, so we head straight to the beer tent. When we arrive, they have MGD Light 64, which is actually club soda with a couple of drops of yellow food dye. This stuff is so weak and so bad I’ll bet dedicated Ultra drinkers won’t touch it because it’ll make them look like sissies for drinking it. And they only give us one of them for free. Of course, they have real beer for sale, BUT I DIDN’T HAUL MONEY WITH ME FOR 32 MILES!
10:43 AM: I’m suffering from hypothermia by the time I finish my one and only free “beer”. Bill and I pick up our stuff and head out.
We decided that the swim was an ungodly beating due to the swells and chop, and the bike was a kick to the groin with the rain, wind, and hills. Bill did fine on the run, but it was honestly one of the most painful and miserable six miles I’ve ever endured. The point-to-point format for the race, instead of one start/transition/finish area, sounds good on paper but is a logistical nightmare, especially when the bus driver can’t read a map.
We then decided that the whole thing was a blast and we wouldn’t have missed it. Maybe we’ll pass on thepoint-to-point races, but damn it felt good to be done. Most important, as anyone who has ever done one of these races can appreciate, we now can tell THE STORY. I can’t wait to get my knee repaired and start it all over again next year.
In my younger years, I tried my hand at a wide variety of sports. College intramurals in basketball and flag football, recreational leagues early in my legal career, and everything from golf to skiing to the occasional fun run. A series of nagging, minor injuries slowed me down, and surgery for a ruptured disk shortly after my 40th birthday slammed down the emergency brake. Recovery was tough, but after a few years of relative inactivity I decided to get back in shape.
Last year, at age 46, I competed in a triathlon for the first time since law school. I ran in four sprints and an Olympic distance event, plus a 100-mile bike ride. Mostly I did well, finishing in the top quarter of my age group in the triathlons and keeping a respectable pace in the bike rides. It was a great experience, and a good way to keep in shape, although it did result in a minor knee injury that will soon require arthroscopic surgery.
This year, I did two endurance rides and three sprint-distance triathlons. The season came to its culmination with an Olympic-distance triathlon of a 1500-meter swim, a 40k bike, and a 10k run. Here’s the report:
Saturday 3:00 PM: Meet with race buddy Bill Mateja for mandatory race briefing in Dallas. Take bikes to lake as instructed. Water reported to be 68 degrees, so we rent wetsuits. Go cheap and get the standard scuba-type shortie instead of high-tech triathlon design. Big mistake. More on that later.
Sunday 5:45 AM: Arrive at American Airlines Center in Dallas; set up bike-to-run transition gear as instructed.
6:00 AM: Get in line for shuttle bus to lake.
7:00 AM: Board bus after standing for one hour in 50-degree drizzle.
7:20 AM: Driver misses correct turn onto Interstate 20.
7:30 AM: Driver misses alternate correct turn. Coincidentally the official start time of the race.
7:40 AM: Bus enters Waxahachie; driver finally concedes he’s lost.
8:00 AM: Bus arrives at swim start/transition area. Swimmers in the water, some already on bike.
8:10 AM: Bill and I hit the water after quick drop of transition gear and visit to port-o-let (see 2-hour bus experience above). Back, knees, and feet aching from standing and riding bus. Water temp no problem, didn’t really need wetsuit. In fact, sleeves on cheap scuba shortie acted much like a water sail, filling with each stroke. On several occasions, I see floating grass and bubbles pass me.
8:12 AM: Two-foot wave smacks me in the face, and I drink about a quart of nasty but cool lake water about 100 yards from shore. Fight off urge to say “screw it” and wave in the boats.
8:50 AM: Emerge from lake. Swim timed with calendar. Official time .04 days, +/- six seconds.
Transition long enough to order in breakfast, due to the fact that we had to pack up all belongings into our bucket for transportation to AAC by race volunteers. Also due to the fact that by now I know my overall time will be awful and it won’t matter.
8:57 AM: Finally on the bike, my best and favorite event of the three. Plan on averaging 22 mph for the 40k ride. Immediately hit by weather ranging from light drizzle to steady driving rain, all enhanced by 15 mph winds. Thanks to our extended bus ride, no time to pump up my back tire, which has a slow leak and is about 30 psi low.
Bike course is great, if you’re really into a hilly training ride. I regularly pass people on hills while doing a bit less than 8 mph. Wet roads lead to several crashes; fortunately none involve me or brother Bill.
9:24 AM: Arrive AAC after averaging 17.3 mph. Pretty proud of that considering the conditions, the course, and the fact that my shoes have so much water in them that I’m carrying a handicap of an additional 8 pounds. Don’t need the extra weight, since I’ve already qualified as a Clydesdale without the waterlogged shoes.
9:28 AM: Head out on 10k after drying off. Mercifully, the rain has stopped. Just short of the first water station at mile one, right hamstring seizes. Instinctively straighten it and bend down to stretch; right quads immediately seize. Not knowing whether to bend or straighten the leg, I limp to the station and down four cups of Power Ade. After a little walking loosens the muscles, and I start running (or something that resembles it). Bill catches me and we do the run together. Bill is patient and Sherpa-like as my legs and lower back play an endless game of Guess Which Muscle Will Cramp Next. The only good thing was that the muscle spasms were so agonizing I hardly noticed the pain in my knee, which by now is roughly the size of a cantaloupe. Able to run without total leg seizure for the last mile.
10:31 AM: Mateja and I cross the finish line together; race announcer pronounces Bill’s last name mostly right. Time is atrocious – 3:20 compared to 2:42 at the same distance last year.
10:35 AM: Post-race is worse than the race, which doesn’t seem possible. Still in the low 50’s and windy, and the only entertainment is an intro of the race winners. Of course nobody knows who these people are except their spouses and parents, so there’s very little intrigue for the rest of us.
10:40 AM: Race paraphernalia touted beer at the finish, so we head straight to the beer tent. When we arrive, they have MGD Light 64, which is actually club soda with a couple of drops of yellow food dye. This stuff is so weak and so bad I’ll bet dedicated Ultra drinkers won’t touch it because it’ll make them look like sissies for drinking it. And they only give us one of them for free. Of course, they have real beer for sale, BUT I DIDN’T HAUL MONEY WITH ME FOR 32 MILES!
10:43 AM: I’m suffering from hypothermia by the time I finish my one and only free “beer”. Bill and I pick up our stuff and head out.
We decided that the swim was an ungodly beating due to the swells and chop, and the bike was a kick to the groin with the rain, wind, and hills. Bill did fine on the run, but it was honestly one of the most painful and miserable six miles I’ve ever endured. The point-to-point format for the race, instead of one start/transition/finish area, sounds good on paper but is a logistical nightmare, especially when the bus driver can’t read a map.
We then decided that the whole thing was a blast and we wouldn’t have missed it. Maybe we’ll pass on thepoint-to-point races, but damn it felt good to be done. Most important, as anyone who has ever done one of these races can appreciate, we now can tell THE STORY. I can’t wait to get my knee repaired and start it all over again next year.
