Nicholas Denmon's Blog, page 2

Friends Do The Darndest Things

Every now and then a moment comes along that deserves immortality.  My friend, who shall rename nameless, decided to brighten my day.  The way he did that, was by giving his best One Direction effort while driving, recording it, and sending it my way.

Without further ado, I give you thirteen seconds of pure audio gold.



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TTFN Denmonites!

-ND

New Audio Books; Buffalo Soldiers and CGI of For Nothing

Things are really moving along at an epic pace in regards to the audio books of For Nothing and Buffalo Soldiers.  A while back, For Nothing came out via the good folks at Cherry Hill Publishing. Bill Murray did the narration of both audio books, and he did a fantastic job. Here is the second book in the series:

Click to hear preview
Also, they have put together a pretty cool CGI video on YouTube of For Nothing's audio trailer.  I love the fedora on the character narrating the story, voiced again by Bill Murray.
Check the CGI Trailer below



These high quality renditions of the novels can be purchased on Amazon as well as at the Cherry Hill Bookstore.

3 Niblings, 2 Pools, and 1 Holy Month

What is a nibling you may ask?  According to the wiktionary.com it is:

Noun
nibling (plural niblings)
A nephew or niece, especially in the plural or as a gender-neutral term

I hope everyone has had a nice weekend.  The 4th of July is right around the corner and that means spending time with family and loved ones, pools, beaches, BBQs and fireworks.  It also means that for the Muslim community it is Ramadan and a time to connect with faith, family, and friends as well.  I hope everyone has a safe 4th, and I hope that those celebrating Ramadan have a peaceful holy month. The month also contains my mother's birthday, quite possibly and finally, the completion of my third novel, and the launch of yet another business.

Things are looking busy, but it is a good idea to not forget the really important things in life.  I was able to take some time out this weekend to hang out with my nieces and nephew, whom I don't get to see nearly as much as I like.  To quote Bilbo Baggins, life can often feel thus:

"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

So when I get to see the people that I want to see and whom I don't get to see as often as I like, I try and take in those opportunities.

My weekend was mostly spent in reflection, sitting in multiple swimming pools, visiting family and friends, and couldn't have been more perfect.

Some of my favorite cast of characters from the weekend:

The nephew and me - we have the same haircut
Niece 1-A: Warming up her bowling fingers like a champ
Niece 1-B and Granddad: Pink bag is a nice touch
Niece 1-C: Even though she is in Spain at the moment, gone but not forgotten
That's it for now!  Hope everyone has a great week.
TTFN Denmonites!
-ND

Interviewed by Mens Mag Daily

Men's Mag Daily recently interviewed me while I was in London.  The magazine bills itself as "Everything A Guy Needs," and is pretty much on the mark.  It covers everything from Sports, News, Business, Fashion, Dating, Women, and of course, Entertainment.

For a snapshot of what they like to write about, just under the tagline are the words "women. money. cars. sex. business. sports. music."  They pretty much stay true to those topics and really do focus on things men like to read about.

It is pretty neat to get approached for an interview by a magazine that features popular musicians such as Twista (the undisputed King of Chicago), Bubba Sparxxx, and DJ Scream.

Twista: Undisputed King of Chicago

It is even more interesting to be interviewed by a magazine that grabs up interviews from those in the adult entertainment industry as well, with interviews featuring ladies like Brianna Brooks, Kiara Mia, and Alexis Amore.

Alexis Amore
It is humbling to be labeled "The Savior of Mob Fiction," but it's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, so I'll take it!

To be honest, I didn't know what to expect, but Jon DaBove knew his stuff, had done his research, and even written a thesis around the mafia in Cuba.  I really enjoyed the interview so here is a snippet:

My interview picture...
Mens Mag Daily: And what was it about the organized crime, mafia genre that drew you in?Nicholas Denmon: I grew up in an Italian and Irish family in Buffalo and I’m not sure about now but in the 1960’s-1980’s there was a really big organized crime presence in Buffalo. My grandfather is a Sicilian and my great grandparents were straight from Palermo. They were kind of brought up around that life and they had their dabblings in that life. My great grandfather actually at one point worked for the police and the Mafia in order to make ends meet. It was during the Great Depression era. He did his best to play both sides of the fence. He would tell the mob when the busts were going down but he would also tell his partners where they would be able to find certain illegal activities. He did that until they came looking for him one day and he had to hide out. He decided that was too close of a call with a family and everything. It was one of those things that I just grew up with. I grew up with the stories that surrounded the life and they say when you’re writing a book you should write what you know.Mens Mag Daily: I always enjoy Mafia stories that take place outside of New York City. I’ve ready so many books on Magaddino in Buffalo, the New Orleans mob, the Denver mob, and it always really draws me in. Do you think that your story taking place outside of New York City kind of gave you a leg up because you had that aspect of originality right off the bat?
Nicholas Denmon: New York City is kind of the standard setting for mob stories. But yeah I do think it did, one of the things I kind of wanted to do with the book was pay tribute to my roots and the upbringing I had and my family had. You’re right, Buffalo is a unique place and the thing about the Buffalo crime family is that it’s not just Buffalo. It’s also Ontario and even extends up to Youngstown, Ohio so they cover a lot of ground. Buffalo, as a setting is unique and in the winter the elements can kind of serve as a character as well.For the entire interview check it out on Men's Mag Daily by clicking here.

2013 In Review

The year 2013 is less than twelve hours away from being over (depending on where you live).  As we approach 2014, looking back at the-year-that-was seems appropriate. 
I like to divide the year into two categories.  
There is My 2013 and then there is The World's 2013.
Today I’ll focus on My 2013 and tomorrow I will look at The World's 2013...maybe the day after tomorrow if tonight gets a bit dicey.  
My 2013 was filled with moments of struggle, strife, and chaos. All of that crap can threaten your perspective of a year-under-review if you look at it from the muck of your boot-heel.  But by comparing year over year, the gains are more obvious.
Here are the highlights:
Physical Fitness 
Began 2013 at a high of 182 lbs.  Ended the year at a low of 164 lbs while lifting weights on average 4 days a week and sprinkling in cardio here and there.  
Business
Formed pubshelf from a series of pre-existing marketing and publishing entities with my business partner Tom Humphreys.  We started with one client and through word-of-mouth and being lucky enough to work with extremely talented writers we were able to help dozens of writers achieve more than half a million books sold since March.  
Speaking of books sold, I finally broke more than 100,000 books sold or downloaded  (of my own novels) halfway through 2013. This was possible thanks to a small but amazing fan base that helps me through my days by believing in my work. 
All 25,000 of you that show an interest on Facebook, Twitter, etc - you really do keep me motivated.  
Thank you for that.
Family and Friends
I started the year with one niece and ended it with three nieces and a nephew. 
The year began with my Dad being a single man and ended with him being married to a lovely lady and another sister being added to the family.  She is engaged, so soon I will have another brother as well.
I also caught up with many friends throughout the year, whether that was traveling to the UK a half dozen times on business or going to six different weddings. I thought that would have me in the clear moving into 2014 but three weddings have already popped up for the next year. I guess I will get to use my airline miles.
Which brings me to my next topic...
Travel
Started the year in Florida. Ended the year in Florida.  But in between I went to six states and three countries.
Books Out
Started with two books published and ended with two books published.  This is a real let down, but I thank you for your patience.  I have two books that are nearing completion and my vow is to have both books out by March.  Ashes to Ashes, should wrap up An Upstate New York Mafia Tale, the trilogy, and The Hundred Heartbreaks of Harlan Halifax will show a different side to my abilities as a writer.  Both are moving along quickly and I believe that in March we will have doubled the total from the beginning of 2013.
That's it for my personal updates. The next blog will take a look at The World's 2013.  I won't give too much away but I promise you this... I won't mention Twerking.

Movember Update 2/3 Done!

Just posting a quick Movember update for those of you that are interested in our lip sweaters so that we can "change the face of men's health".  This has been a fun exercise in hair growth and slightly reminds me of having to take care of an egg in home economics classes way back when:



Getting a group of men to keep their mustaches for thirty days is not as easy as it sounds but, now at nearly three weeks into the flavor-saver fun, finally everyone seems to have fallen nicely in line.

It may have taken threats.

Cajoling may have been needed.

Promises to certain ladies may have been made.

Gifts given.

But the results speak for themselves.

Just take a look at these monuments to masculinity in mustachio form!

Titans of tangled testosterone!

Unfettered follicles of fame! (Don't hate on the Pope in the top left.  He has blond hair but it is actually a nice full stache.)


Hope our mugshots keep you entertained -  happy Tuesday!
TTFN Denmonites!
-ND

Movember Update Day 12

The men have really started to separate themselves from the boys and what a difference a week makes in turning a Movember Hero into a Movember Zero. As this tale of the thistle ticklers gets deeper into lip doily development, I have promised to keep you updated.

This week's hero is No-Man Notheis for standing tall in the face of friends fleeing him just as the action heats up.  Nick shares an office with last week's hero, KanYe-Wheezy who shaved a grizzled man growth off of his giant chin.  However as the month has heated up and his cheek hugging affectionate friend has inched its way back onto his face, KanYe has found it hard to depart with the familiar fuzz.

KanYe Today:                            

    Before Being Called Out               Ashamed of Himself




Nick has gloriously grown this guy over the last 12 days:
   It's too bad his compatriot felt compelled to cower beneath the comfort of his forbidden beard.

Meanwhile the rest of the crew has held up to their end of the bargain and as of yet there isn't a welcher among them. K-Swoll even got his license renewal with the stache! If this man doesn't deserve a hero award I don't know who does.

K-Swoll cemented this look for the next 8 years, until his license expires or he conveniently misplaces it.  Though let's be honest, no one is trying to deal with the Department of Motor Vehicles unless they absolutely have to...

 Mine has developed nicely, and though I am no stranger to facial hair, it has been a while since the stache got to stand alone amongst the stubble of my face.  It is enjoying the attention of being conditioned each night, combed, and then rubbed with evaporated milk and silky oils imported from India.    And then there was Tom. Despite a 14 hour trip to London, and a same-day back to Wales (due to vehicular issues) trip, he still managed to make the most of his lip-titan.   He looks remarkably like Edward Scissorhands Some of you may be asking about The Pope and though he didn't get the picture in on time, word is he looks very close to this guy:  
TTFN Denmonites!

-ND

I Hate To Love My Pals -Mustache Amended Post

A "no-show" mustachio in progress, a man from the depths of Georgia, forgot to send in his photo yesterday. No-Man Notheis rectified the situation today, but did so with a bit of a shot at me since the University of Florida Gators were a bit toothless in their efforts against the Georgia Bulldogs last week.

While I hate to do it...

It was a pretty good shot and so I appease the victor.


The correct term is "Jorts" though.  Everyone knows that...at least in Gainesville, GA. Also, we have yet to play Vanderbilt, but as of this post I can say, "At least we haven't lost to Vanderbilt."

Dick.

As you can't really see his pristine face, here is a close up:

Visions of the GA victory dance in his lenses.
And after letting his hair grow about 5 days we end up with:

I don't know....What YOU talkin bout Willis?
If and when we get further updates I shall post accordingly.  The next mustache update for the bulk of the group will be Monday as I think we all agree that some time is needed to cultivate these staches before we present them to the public again.  The last thing we want is our upper-lip follicles to get a case of stage fright...
TTFN Denmonites
-ND

Movember: Some of the Cast of Characters

With the end of the weekend and the welcome to a wonderful and Mo-tastic Monday, we usher in Day Four of the charity event that is all about bringing more awareness to men's health.  I promised last week that we would try and assemble pictures of the roster, and though I have a few pictures of the team with the hairless cheeks, some were not timely about getting photos back to me, so I offer unto you, the reader, what I have available.

The Cast

KanYe-Wheezy                                                          Day 4
K-Swoll           Nic-Sizzle The Pope Tom Not featured due to lack of photographic evidence:
J-KibNo-man Notheis
For more details on on our team please check out our team website, The Fu Manchu Men
Thanks for checking in!
TTFN Denmonites!
-ND

Welcome to Movember -Tribute Post

Well, it's that time of year again;  that time where the autumn air is crisp and the promise of winter lingers just beyond the horizon.  It is a time when, more than ever, men around the world need their facial hair in order to survive the wickedness of the winter elements.

And of course it is that time of year, where in honor of Movember, (that isn't at typo) men are required to shave their coveted and carefully crafted crumb catchers and cheek cowlicks before embarking on exemplary, entertaining, and new gregarious growths of follicle glory.

While everyone puts the focus on individuals who have to grow their man-staches. I think it is important to note the individuals who have been growing facial hair for near to a year and then need to part ways with their blessed beauties in order to start from scratch.

So with that in mind, let us pay tribute to our fallen facial hair giant.


   

In a later post I will do a team lineup.  Getting pictures from everybody is like herding cats, so for now just enjoy the glorious metamorphosis above or check out our team page and leave a small donation for men's health if you feel so inclined.

Team page for the Fu Manchu Men

TTFN Denmonites!

-ND