ONE YEAR Anniversary with Rave Reviews Book Club

It seems like just yesterday I had published my first work of fiction, “Another Sunset” (released in November of 2014) and a month or so afterwards I had joined the Rave Reviews Book Club.

Getting into the world of writing and becoming a published author was no small task for me with everything else going on in my life over the past few years:

• I am a father of four children, all under the age of 11.
• I work in information technology in New York City.
• I live in Wallingford, Connecticut; 90 miles away.
• I commute 2.5 hours each day – one way.
• I served one term on the Wallingford Town Council.
• I ran for Mayor of Wallingford (I lost).
• I ran to get back on Town Council (I won).
• I administer a number of Wallingford based Facebook groups dealing with news, information, what is going on with the Town of Wallingford, and the Wallingford school system (combined memberships equal over 10,000 members).
• I am President of the Wallingford Fireworks Fund; we have successfully fundraised to restore our Independence Day celebration for six consecutive years, raising more than $25,000 a year on average to do so. (We’ve raised over $150,000 in total over six years).

With all that, I added “author” to my resume and then came the really hard part; how do I get my title “out there”? That question was what led me, in part, to join Rave Reviews Book Club.

One year later, on my anniversary in the club, I look back from that start and where I have gone, propelled by my own will, but with a lot of peer support from the club, the members, and beyond.

• I have sold over 500 copies of “Another Sunset”
• I released my second book, “I, Hero: The Beginning” in May of 2015
• In half the time of release of “Another Sunset”, I sold over 500 copies of that title.
• I released four more books through the end of 2015, for a total of six published works.
• I have eight more planned for 2016; two novels and six novellas.
• I created an author page on Facebook and I now have 1,393 followers
• I had a Twitter account with less than 2,000 followers (at the time mostly Wallingford based folks that followed my civic activity); I now have 6,566 followers
• I received a #PUSHTUESDAY award
• I was the #RRBC MEMBER OF THE MONTH! in March 2015
• “I, Hero: The Beginning” was chosen as a #RRBC Book of the Month
• “I, Hero: The Beginning” was chosen as “The President’s Pick”.
• I won the LETTER TO MY FUTURE SELF Writing Contest for my “LOOKING FORWARD BY REFLECTION” entry.
• My submitted entries to the RAVE SOUP FOR THE WRITER’S SOUL Anthology, 2nd Edition publication, have been selected and will be included in that upcoming release.

 

“Gee – you’re awfully lucky.”

Nah – I get out of life what I put into it. That and I get by with a little help from my friends.

So to all those new friends and the RRBC, thank you for making 2015 and my first year in the club so very special to me.