Michael Embry's Blog, page 52

A Colorful Time of the Year

This is a colorful time of the year – fall, football, fairs and festivals.         According to Book TV, there are eight major book fairs being held across the United States in October and November. It’s a time when readers get to meet some of their favorite authors. It’s also an opportunity for authors to connect with readers on a personal level.
Where I live in Frankfort, Ky., we’re preparing for the 31st annual Kentucky Book Fair, which will be held Nov. 9-10 at the Frankfort Convention Center.  And now for the disclaimer: I serve as the marketing chair on the executive board, and in that capacity, try to spread the word about this wonderful event. 
I personally believe authors and writers should participate in events such as book fairs -- national, regional, statewide, or local. Anything to promote reading and writing is a win-win situation for writers, readers, and communities. And I must add that we have authors who go to bat for the KBF.
Over the next few weeks leading up to the fair, KBF board members and volunteers will be sending out news releases, making TV and radio appearances, working on the catalog, and  doing other things (be sure to “like” us on Facebook) to publicize the event. This year we plan to have author interviews posted on YouTube as well so stayed tuned for that.
Nearly 200 authors will participate in this year’s fair, signing books, giving readings, and talking to readers. Proceeds from the fair are used to provide grants to public schools and libraries, and literacy programs across the state.  
Until the next time…

Story Songs: Take A Letter, Maria

In memory of R.B. Greaves, who recently passed away from cancer, this post features his biggest hit, "Take A Letter, Maria." It reached No. 2 on the Billboard charts in 1969.

Greaves penned the song about a man sending a letter to his unfaithful wife after he walks in on her "in the arms of another man." 

The narrator, after packing his bags and leaving the house, dictates a letter to his secretary, which is repeated in the song's chorus:

"So take a letter, Maria, address it to my wifeSay I won't be coming home, gonna start a new lifeSo take a letter, Maria, address it to my wifeSend a copy to my lawyer, gotta start a new life"
In the second verse, the man admits that he may have played a part in the matter:

"Was I wrong to work nights to try to build a good lifeAll work and no play just cost me a wife"

I think the song takes a cute twist at the end when he turns his attention to Maria:

"I never really noticed how sweet you are to meIt just so happens I'm free tonightWould you like to have dinner with me?"
I believe the horns in the song give the song a Latin flavor. It was recorded at the famed Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama.  
If you read the obituary, you'll find that Greaves was a nephew to the late, great singer Sam Cooke, one of my all-time favorite artists.
"Take A Letter, Maria" lyrics

Sorta Sidelined

There’s nothing quite like having car problems. I’ve had my fill the past couple of weeks. That’s one reason I haven’t been posting anything. It all started when I was driving to  work and my car made a rattling noise under the hood and abruptly stopped. I had it towed to a service center and the mechanics found a broken surpentine belt. I thought -- and they thought -- it would be a simple repair. Not my luck. The oil-sending unit was destroyed and other internal mechanisms (hey, folks, I’m not a mechanic!) were messed up. And after keeping it for three days, they couldn’t get it started.
 So I had the car towed to a dealership, hoping they would have the diagnostic equipment to find the problem. They did various and sundry things, but were unable to get it started. They may have been able to, however, if  I was willing to spend more than the car was worth. I don’t think so! Around that time, I had a doctor’s appointment. I took my wife’s car. While leaving the parking lot after a procedure, I bumped into another car. It didn’t cause much damage to the other vehicle, but my wife’s car had to go to the body shop.  While waiting on the final verdict on my car, I decided to get a rental. I kept it for about eight days. After returning the car, I was told I owed $25 to repair a crack in the windshield. Huh?!? I didn’t notice a crack when on the initial inspection so there wasn’t much I could do.
Of course, I’ll never use -- or recommend -- that rental service in Frankfort again so they’ll be losing out more than the money they got from me. Hey folks, my advice is to really go over your rental car because you never know how nitpicky they’ll be. I should have known better. I’ve bought another car and my wife’s vehicle should be back on the road soon. So I’m back on the road again. Be on the lookout -- and wish me luck! Until the next time…

Story Songs: Small Town Saturday Night

I enjoy songs that take me back to my teen years. One of my favorites is "Small Town Saturday Night," recorded by Hal Ketchum.

The song,  written by Pat Alger and Hank DeVito, reached No. 2 on the Billboard Country Chart in 1991.

I lived in Campbellsville, Ky., a small town back in the 1950s and '60s,  and could identify with the scenes depicted in the song, such as seeing an Elvis movie several times or putting a dollar's worth of gas in a car and driving around most of the evening doing nothing. (Gas was about 29 cents a gallon back then.)

Sometimes we'd get a six-pack of beer (if we could find someone to buy it for us), and sometimes we'd run into someone who had drank one beer too many:

"Got a six-pack of beer and a bottle of wine.
Gotta be bad just to have a good time."
One of the funniest lines is about folks leaving town and never coming back:

"Bobby told Lucy,  'The world ain't round,
'Drops off sharp at the edge of town.
'Lucy, you know the world must be flat.
'cause when people leave town, they never come back."
That reminds me of many small communities where kids go off to college or leave to find better paying jobs in cities, and never return to settle in their hometowns. That's probably still the case for many small towns.

The video released with the song was cute as well as it had clips from a western -- probably "The Terror of Tiny Town" --  that featured "small" people. I've included the video as well as a live performance by Ketchum. 

"Small Town Saturday Night" lyrics

Spreading the Word

In my last post I noted that I thought it was important for authors to use a mix of media in marketing and promotion.  Another avenue is by guest blogging. Several of my author friends share their blogs with other authors. It’s a great way to broaden reach and expose authors and books to a wider audience. Check out blogs by Taryn Raye, Devon Matthews, Teresa Reasor, and Amy Durham.
Some authors are part of a blog site, such as Cowboy Kisses, contributing posts on a regular basis to a particular genre. It’s another great way of attracting readers.
This week I’m featured on a weekly blog by Tugboat Design. Each week an author is featured in a Q&A format. Tugboat Design worked with me on my latest book, "Laments," and the blog showcases its clients -- a win-win situation.
                                                                  
What effective ways do you recommend for marketing and promotion? I plan to have author interviews in the coming weeks. Let me know if you'd like to be featured.
Until the next time…

Story Songs: Time Marches On

Country music star Tracy Lawrence sang about the changes -- from sweet to bittersweet -- a family goes through in "Time Marches On."
The song, penned by Nashville Songwriter's Hall of Famer Bobby Braddock, was No. 1 on the Billboard Country Chart for three weeks in 1996.
It begins with a young couple at home with two small children in the 1950s:
"Sister cries out from her baby bed Brother runs in, feathers on his head Mama's in her room learnin' how to sew Daddy's drinkin' beer, listenin' to the radio"
In the second verse, the song moves on to the '60s with  sister is beginning to use makeup, brother is into drugs, mom is in depression, and dad's got a girlfriend.

And the final verse ends with the sister calling herself a "sexy grandma," brother is on meds for high cholesterol, mom is senile, and dad is six feet under.

I like the straightforward lyrics, but it's the references to put a time frame on the events that makes the song so effective to me.

After the first stanza we learn that the father is listening to Hank Williams' "Kaw-Liga" and "Dear John" on the radio and after the second verse we know that "Bob Dylan sings 'Like A Rolling Stone.'"

Braddock's thought-provoking song reflects many aspects of the American family during those decades, and Lawrence's delivery is powerful.

Another thing the song notes is:

"The only thing that stays the same
Is everything changes, everything changes"

So true.

"Time Marches On" lyrics

Making Contact

While promotion and marketing a book on the Internet is essential, I believe a mix with traditional media is important for success in sales.

You might not hit a home run but you could get extra bases when you connect in the right places.

I’ve used social media to get the word out about my books. I’ve sent emails (no spamming), blogged, and become involved in an assortment of networks such as Linkedin , Goodreads , Shelfari and Manic Readers . You can find my works in places like Amazon.com , B&N.com , Smashwords.com , CreateSpace.com , and Wings-Press.com .

I recently participated in a giveaway for my latest book, “Laments,“ at Goodreads. It attracted 412 entries for the three copies. You might go there and sign up for drawings conducted by other authors. Be sure and “friend” me while you’re there.

With all of my novels I have mailed postcards to notify libraries, bookstores, friends, and family. One reason is that folks don’t always see what you’ve posted on the Internet. There may have been times when an email went to a junk-mail filter (ouch, that hurts!) and was inadvertently deleted (of course!). Believe it or not, some folks don’t use a computer. And, if they do, there's a chance they may not go to the same websites where you shout to the world about your book. Timing is important.

For "Shooting Star", which was published in 2011, I advertised in the Kentucky Book Fair catalog because it went to great audiences -- readers and libraries.

I also purchase book marks that I hand out at signings, book fairs, and other functions. They include my website and other places where they can purchase the book. When people purchase books directly from me, I always include a book mark.

I believe it’s best to cover as many bases as possible, especially if you want to be a consistent hitter as an author.

Until the next time…

Story Songs: Don't It Make You Want to Go Home?

Joe South's was one of the more socially conscious singer-songwriters of the 1960s. He wrote classics such as "Games People Play," "Walk a Mile in My Shoes," and one of my favorites, "Don't It Make You Want to Go Home?"

South, whose real name was Joe Souter, was born and raised in Georgia. In addition to be a singer, he also was a session guitarist and wrote hit songs for folks such as Billy Joe Royal ("Down in the Boondocks"), Deep Purple ("Hush"), The Raiders ("Birds of  a Feather") and his biggest hit of all, for Lynn Anderson, "Rose Garden" in 1971.

"Don't It Make You Want to Go Home?" was an environmental song before environmental tunes became popular. He writes about returning to his hometown:


"Oh, the whippoorwill roosts on the telephone polesAnd the Georgia sun goes downWell, it's been a long timeBut I'm glad to say that I'mGoing back to my hometown"
But things have changed dramatically since he was last there; it's not the same place:


"But there's a six-lane highway down by the creekWhere I went skinny dippin' as a childAnd the drive-in show where the meadow used to growAnd the strawberries used to grow wildThere's a drag strip down by the riverside where my grandma's cow used to grazeNow the grass don't grow and the river don't flow like it did in my childhood days."

I know when I've traveled to places I lived years ago that things have changed. Yes, there's been some progress. But not all progress is good, especially when it takes a toll on the environment. Any thoughts?
South won a Grammy Award in 1969 for "Games People Play."
South passed away Sept. 5, 2012, from an apparent heart attack. He was 72. RIP.

"Don't It Make You Want to Go Home" lyrics

Story Songs: El Paso

Westerns were popular in movies and television in the 1950s and '60s. Probably no song captured the spirit of the wild west than Marty Robbins's "El Paso."

The song was released in late '59, and reached No. 1 on the country and pop charts in '60. It's a bittersweet love story about a cowboy who falls for a Mexican dancer:

"Out in the West Texas town of El PasoI fell in love with a Mexican girlNight time would find me in Rosa's cantinaMusic would play and Feleena would whirl"
The narrator admits that he is probably asking for trouble, noting that Feleena's dark eyes were: 

"Evil and wicked while casting a spell."
But he was smitten:
"My love was deep for this Mexican maidenI was in love, but in vain I could tell."
In a moment of jealous rage, he ends up killing another cowboy for flirting with the woman he loved. He had to flee El Paso to the New Mexico badlands, but love forced him to make a fatal return to see Feleena.

He is greeted by a posse on his return, but continues his fateful ride to Rosa's cantina:

"But my love for Feleena is strongAnd I rise where I've fallen Though I am weary I can't stop to restI see the white puff of smoke from the rifleI feel the bullet go deep in my chest"
He finally reaches Feleena, who kisses him on the cheek as he lies mortally wounded in her arms:

"Cradled by two loving arms that I'll die forOne little kiss and Feleena, goodbye."
When I was in the sixth grade at Campbellsville (Ky.) Elementary School, I participated in a skit during a talent show. I believe my classmate was Kenneth Graham. 

I still love to hear this song -- Robbins's great voice, the background harmony, and guitar work. Some versions include a horn, and along with the guitar, giving it a Tex-Mex feel.

The song earned Robbins a Grammy for Best Country & Western recording in 1961.  He died in 1982, at the age of 57, following heart surgery. 

Besides being an singer-songwriter, Robbins was active on the NASCAR circuit in the 1960s and '70s.

I've included a video of the Grateful Dead performing the song.


"El Paso" lyrics

A Free Read

My short-story collection, "Laments," has been out for nearly three weeks. For those interested in a free copy -- did I say free? -- then visit Goodreads and enter the drawing.
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Goodreads Book Giveaway Laments by Michael Embry Giveaway ends September 12, 2012. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win  While there, also sign up for other books being offered by authors and publishers. You can't beat free, can you?Goodreads is one of my favorite sites. You can make friends with other readers, authors, and follow authors so you'll know when they blog, have a book published, and places such as discussion groups. Another great site is Shelfari, which offers similar activities as Goodreads. I'll probably be offering free books there in the coming weeks. You can also visit my website, www.michaelembry.com, to register for the book.
Until the next time