A New Year’s Day Book Deal!

I guess anything can happen, and in that vein I’m happy to announce that I’ve just signed a contract for the release of my first ever novel, a Christmas book tentatively titled:

ChristmaSin’

(A Juliette Christmas Epistle)

The story is set back in 1972, and features some things that really happened back then, mixed together with some BS. I wrote it because I got so tired of syrupy Christmas books, and believe me, this one isn‘t. It has everything in it from cockfights to back seat romps to living (but dead) people, but I do try to end it with an appropriate Christmas message. It’s the most different thing that I’ve ever attempted to do literarily, and I sure hope people will like it.

I’ve signed for its release with Champagne Books out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Tentative release date of the book is November of ‘09, and it will come out in electronic and traditional paperback formats.

Beyond that, I don’t know much else to tell y’all at this point. This is all so wild – my first three books are in the Library of Congress, and now I will have one in Archive Canada. Unbelievable.

Thanks to everyone who has been so supportive of me, and, for those of you who try it, I hope you’ll enjoy the book when it comes out!

E3

P.S. In case some of y’all don’t know, Juliette, Georgia’s one claim to fame is it’s the place where the movie Fried Green Tomatoes was filmed.

Baskin’ In The Afterglow!

Before we even get started, let’s get this right out on the table – this isn’t a blog about sex. Not even gonna talk about sex here, not one single, solitary word. Actually, what we are going to talk about is even BETTER than sex, so let’s get right to the heart of the matter – it be the following:

Georgia Tech 45 – Georgia 42

Ain’t it great? For those of us who are true blue Yellow Jacket fans, it’s been a long time comin’. What makes it even better is that we did it after bein’ down at halftime 28-12. You have to give a lot of the credit to Coach Paul Johnson and a group of players who never, ever quit. They stuck in there, took advantage of some breaks, and produced a win that was seven long years in the making, one that will probably be remembered as one of the greatest Tech wins of all-time.

Now, let me get back to the “this is better than sex” stuff in order to clear a few things up. Before any of y’all think I’m getting too old and my perspective is getting truly warped, just let me say this – sex is the greatest thing in the history of the world save two things:

1. Elvis live in concert.

2. Georgia Tech beating Georgia in football.

Since Elvis is no longer with us, the first item is not in play, but the second one obviously is. And it feels great, Georgia Tech is the #1 college football team in the great state of Georgia! We finally won the big one!

It would be less than chivalrous of me not to note here that I have many friends who are UGA fans, and I know how they’re feeling right now. I’ve been there many, many times. But friends, look at it this way – y’all still have Coach Martinez, y’all still get to break in a new quarterback and a new running back next year, and y’all still get to play us in the big rematch up in Atlanta about a year from now. Lots to look forward to, and who knows, there may even be a great pre-season ranking next fall for y’all in the Dawg Nation to get excited about as well!

Folks, to be the man, you gotta beat the man, and my Yellow Jackets just did! Way to go Coach Johnson and Georgia Tech!

On Being One’s Self…

A year or so ago I’d have said that I’d never be doing this again, and then I realized something – why in the hell not?

For me, my journey all started because I wrote some stories down, those stories got published, and one day I found myself traveling, talkin’, and more. It seemed that I could do no wrong, even though I did do plenty wrong and them some. I wrote some more, got published some more, got booked to speak more, and it all was this hellacious treadmill that looked to only be gaining momentum. And along the way I raised some hell and had more fun than I can ever admit to here.

Least for me it was fun, and for a lot of other people it was, too. But, one day you wake up and realize that you’re tired, you’re worn out, and you’re doing things that you know you really shouldn’t be, yet you still kinda enjoy doing them. So, you keep on. And on.

This is the place where I’m supposed to apologize for being bad, for doing some things that I shouldn’t have. Well, screw that. I’m Ed Sr.s’ grandson, Ed Jr.s’ baby boy, and anyone who ever mistook me for the pure and narrow is basically a damned idiot. The Williams’ loved life, loved its temptations, and loved its possibilities. They understood that we all have our pure times, our less than pure times and worse, but whatever times we were enjoying we all loved each other. And stood by each other. And didn’t practice something that I call “situational morality.”

Y’all know what situational morality is – that’s people who go along with you and do the same bad things you’re doing or worse, yet if things don’t go as they wish they suddenly get self-righteous, or worse yet, malignant. They suddenly get weirdly religious, they besmirch your name even though they hide their own, worse yet, they even besmirch your children’s, two people they don’t know anything about and never will. They’re the people who want to run off with you but get mad when you don’t, they’re the people who pretend to want to advance your writing career when all they really want is to be on the receiving end of a humpin’, they’re the people who breathlessly report what you’re doing online when they themselves are trolling the web every night like self-possessed whores. Bottom line, they’re the people whose lives are so adrift that they latch onto yours, proclaiming their hatred of what they think you are yet never letting their eyes drift from any single thing that you do.

I let myself get tangled up with a few of these types and paid the price. But, I learned something from all that, something that should’ve been obvious yet became clouded through all the shenanigans – I like who I am. Very much so, in fact. I’m a good guy in some ways, I’m a bad boy in some, and I’ve lived a life that I wouldn’t trade for anything. Better still, I have enough piss and vinegar in me to live a little more of it, too. So, for the record, let me state this – I’m going to have fun, I’m going to be who I am, and I revel in being a Southern Outlaw Author. Absolutely love it. And I intend to keep being one. I love writing stories, I love getting out and meeting people, and there’s no reason I can’t again. And I will.

Watch soon for news…..