Category: My Rise to Fame

I’m so rediculously busy this week that everytime I stop to breathe, I remember something else I’m supposed to be doing. It’s like falling asleep and getting woken up by a car alarm every five minutes.

It’s all good stuff, professional opportunities that I didn’t have a year ago. But I’m at the stage of my career that when these opportunities arrive, I can’t really say no. A) Who knows when they might come again? and B) Most of them are ongoing. Say yes once and you place yourself on the priority list to be asked again. Then you can say no all you want.

But now I’m in a situation where I have a book review due today (of a book I haven’t finished), a performance tomorrow, and a reading Saturday.

This is madness.

If you’re a regular reader of Where There’s Smoke (now there’s just about enough of you to fill a regulation-sized school bus), please consider signing up for The Smoke Signal, my occassional newsletter of good book recommendations, when I’ll be performing or on the radio and other mild self-promotion. I’ve been consolidating Central Booking’s mailing list over there as well as its getting too big for the freebie software we’ve been using.

If you’re not interested, that’s cool too.

So with all this free time, I’ve managed to make some badly needed improvements to the grounds here at Where There’s Smoke. I now have a bio up in case the mystery of where I went to college was simply too much for you to bear. Also, a partial FAQ to answer any previously unanswered questions. The FAQ obviously isn’t done and I could use your help on that. So I ask…

What have you always wanted to know reading this here blog that I haven’t explained? Ask and I will put it over there. Thanks.

I might be in The Asshole Monologues. Nothing definitive yet but I’ll keep you posted.

I’ve started a mailing list for this blog that I’m calling The Smoke Signal. Well, more for me actually. I’m starting to get published in a wider variety of places and speaking engagements are beginning to take me to other parts of the country. Instead of posting about it every single time, I’ll send out an email every now and then to those readers who want to hear about such things. And as it becomes more regular, I’ll start doing special book recommendations, books you might enjoy, on the mailing list too.

To sign up, jest drop yer email in that there box in the upper left hand corner.

Go on now.

Apparently, someone has voted me one of their three Desert Island Bloggers, which is way nice of them. I was positive I knew everyone who visited here (hell, I could fit them all in my garage), but sometime a few months ago, my number of daily visitors jumped from about 27 to about 64. Yes, I pick over these things. That only makes me pathetic, not a bad person.

I have no explanation for this sudden spike in interest. I think the quality of my blogging has remained nice and faintly amusing and irrelevant and unlinked by anyone of pull. But here we are, at a lecturn, with 64 of you in the audience. And there we begin.

*clearing throat*

Hi, I’m Kevin and this is my blog.

Hey sorry folks I haven’t been around to post the last few days. I’m on the organizing committee of Litquake and it’s kicking my ass. But it’s all over Saturday night so then I can be a postin’ fool. Incidentally, if you’re in San Francisco this weekend and dig books, come by Litquake. 65 authors in one room, reading in 10 minute segments. And it’s free.

I did another interview on the Slack Street Radio program where I talked about some new fall books, the “book club” trend and the dreaded “How do I get an agent?” question. Please listen.

So yesterday I gave a speech at the Peninsula chapter of the California Writers Club on “Non Traditional Ways to Promote your Book.” Sadly, writers without big fat publishing contracts in the bay area still think the best way to get attention for your book is to mail it unsolicited to the San Francisco Chronicle’s book section and pray they’ll review it. They won’t.

The talk went well, with the 25-odd members busily taking notes, asking questions, and passing me business cards at the end. I felt a bit like “the expert” they wheel out on Oprah to explain some social ill. Not that books going unnoticed is the rot of the nation or anything but jeez, the number of times I’ve heard a beginning writer say “well, this conference/agent/editor said they would read my manuscript for only $200. And they have great contacts!” and fall for this sort of malarky. Someone even asked it at this talk. Sad truth is there are lots of unsavory characters out there praying on people’s dreams of getting their work recognized in some sort of official way. If I can spread a little education around about a real, organic, non-slutty way to promote yourself, then I will.

And lord, was it fun! Suzan was there and laughed her head off at what a Leo I am and how much I like talking to a crowd. Can’t lie. I was totally jacked for rest of the day.

Members from a few other branches were on hand too and said they’d like to have me speak there. Soon, please. Soon.

My first review for Film Critic.com is up. The movie is Baraka, a film you absolutely cannot afford to miss.