The idea came from my good friend and former theatre collaborator, John Langs, when I handed him his copy of the limited first edition hardcover version of The Starting Gate and he grinned and said, “Oh, man. I gotta get a copy of this for my dad!”
Lightbulb!
Of course this is a good book for Father’s Day. Not only is there a chapter (or two) that zeroes in on my relationship with my own step-father, but also the entire book is dedicated to my boyos, Declan and Keelan. In other words, this book was written as a father, in an attempt to capture moments in my life that my own sons might not otherwise be able to conceive of: simple things, like telephones being attached to walls, and having to go out and look for a job by walking up and down the boulevard and sticking your head in ever business you passed.
Here are a couple of the things I am doing to promote The Starting Gate as the perfect Father’s Day gift (though a good bottle of bourbon never hurt either):
- Bought a week’s sponsorship of The Seattle Review of Books. (This excellent new site founded by Martin McClellan and Paul Constant provides substantial, thoughtful reviews of books of all kinds, as well as blogging about the literary scene here in Seattle and beyond. It is a growing force for good in Seattle’s literary scene and wider world of arts.
- Slashed the cost of the Kindle version in half. It’s now $4.49 (that’ s 82% off the hardcover version!) Available here.
- Released the paperback version. It’s available here: https://www.createspace.com/6282351
- Will give away free Audible downloads of the audio book to the first 10 people who message me. (So message me! Auctioning the limited first edition hardcover version of the book over at eBay. It’s currently bidding at $12, which is over 40% off the $25 cover price.
If you can think of another way I can make the book easier to get in time for Father’s day, please let me know!
Hey ~ I live in Timonium, MD, but grew up in Long Green in the 70's/80's. Going "up the road" to Jacksonville was a big deal. My family members were great customers at The Starting Gate. As a matter of fact, I am pretty sure Deaf Doug was my Uncle Doug. Great Guy! I remember Jacksonville before it was Phoenix as the newcomers like to call it now. I remember all of the places you mentioned in your book. I remember the day the pharmacy burned down and the day Johnny got his gun. Reading your book was like revisiting my childhood and young adult years. I still go to J-ville ocassionally. Too much traffic on the pike now ~ Harford County folks using it as their own little cut through on the way to Towson and points beyond. They don't have a clue about the old Jacksonville. Thanks for writing this memoir about a place in time that no longer exists, but I am sure glad I got to experience it. All the Best! Jane
Posted by: Jane M. Dalton | 07/01/2016 at 09:08 AM