ROCKETMAN Launches at the Portland H&G Show

3D view of the final front cover.

The new book, ROCKETMAN: From the Trailer Park to Insomnia and Beyond, has gone to press! I'll have thirty copies in my possession by the first week of February.

I'm planning to take them to (and sell them at) the Spring Portland Home & Garden Show, February 19-23. They'll be available at the NIWA Book Booth the entire time (until they sell out), but I'll be on hand to sell and sign 3-5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20 and 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 21.

If you can't make it to the show please order on Amazon (it will be available the first week of February) and catch me sometime if you want it signed. Or you may reserve a copy and I'll sign it for you and mail it ($2 extra). The book is $9.99.

After that you can get copies at your local bookstore. Jacobson's Books & More, in Hillsburo, Oregon) will carry it and other stores can order it in for you (if it's not yet in stock).

3D view of the back cover

Of course I'll have all my other books for sale (all but The Amish vs.the Zombies) at discount prices.
Plus the works of at least twenty-five other indie authors will be on hand and many of them will be signing, too.

Admission to the show is $10 for adults and Free for children. BUT you can get a $2 off coupon by clicking here. And remember, parking (usually $7 per vehicle) is FREE on Thursday and after 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Here's the word from the back cover:

In the tradition of humorists Patrick McMannus, Dave Barry, Tim Allen, Bill Cosby, and (the author’s favorite) Bill Bryson, Zschomler takes a look at some of life’s quirks and quandaries through a comedic lens. It’s a look back at a childhood in the 60s, followed by marriage and family in the 80s up until now.

“Inside, you’ll encounter a humorous and bitter-sweet slice of Americana. Always entertaining and encouraging, often auto-biographical, ROCKETMAN, will take the reader on a joy ride of wit and wisdom. This work transcends the humble anthology and becomes a conduit of lessons-learned by a very smart man who’s lived abundantly. It’s a multi-vitamin for the soul that you must dive into right now (unless you plan to set aside time for a warm drink and a fire).”

                                            ~from the Foreword by author Andy R. Bunch, Diner Tales

Includes stories like: Rocketman; Bullies and Boxing; Haunted House; Turkey Lurkey; I Believe in Santa; The Christmas Tree Tyrant; Oh, the Joys of Bus Travel; Strawberry Fields, Feels Like Forever; All American Dad; Little Sister; The Mysteries of Flight and Females; Insomnia: And Then There Were Kids; Band on a Run; Playing Ball, and a whole lot more.

"ROCKETMAN: From the Trailer Park to Insomnia and Beyond" COMING VERY SOON

I have a new book coming out in a month! (February 19) 

Yeah, sort of a surprise to me, too. 

It's an anthology; one I've been working on since last year, but didn't expect to release until this fall.. Ruth and I have been collecting stories and other pieces that I've written over the last decade or so. And it's come together faster than I expected.

I'd been working on other projects (namely writing the fourth Bayou Boys Adventure: Alien Ambush,;and a new childrens' picture book: Louie, the Lonely Lighthouse (which I am attempting to illustrate myself).

But, with the announcement of the NIWA Book Booth at the rapidly upcoming Portland Spring Home and Garden Show (Feb. 19-23), I felt prompted to finish the anthology in time for the show.

I immediately pushed the other projects aside (Louie will still come out in May, but the April release for Alien Ambush has been moved to "summer"), and pushed to complete the anthology (which was about 3/4 done anyway). It went rather smoothly.

The manuscript is now complete and has gone through the editorial process. It is completely laid out and nearly ready for the press (there's the print proof pass to complete). The cover is well into process, but not quite done. If all goes well that should be ready tomorrow.

BUT YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT ALL THAT STUFF! You want to know what the book is about. So here it is:

There are a variety of pieces; it's very eclectic. There are a half dozen poems, two of them are new--one written specifically for the book.

There are lots of photographs, many are from my childhood, but there are also quite a few landscape and art photos that I have taken over the past twenty years (though the bulk of them are recent)

And there are the stories.

There's Rocketman: I Think It's Been a Long Time about growing up in the trailer park. It's an amusing story about life during the cold war and space race.

Then there's Insomnia: And Then There Were Kids about having babies. (What it was like having eight of them.)

In between there are stories about having a dog, playing baseball, dealing with bullies, celebrating Christmas, raising a turkey, bus travel, picking strawberries, being in a band, understanding women, stuff about my old man and my little sister, hunting and a few surprises.

Most of the book is humorous and most of the stories are true. There is one piece of flash fiction, one commentary, one essay, one mash-up, but, aside from the poems, the rest are amusing (and sometimes touching) stories. Several of the pieces have been published elsewhere (like in The Columbian), but several (a half dozen) are brand new.

So, you've got many of the classics that people are always requesting that I find and re-post, and the never before seen (destined to be classic).

YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE THIS BOOK! And Pre-Orders are now being taken.

Here's a little something from an advance reader:

“Inside, you’ll encounter a humorous and bitter-sweet slice of Americana. Always entertaining and encouraging, often auto-biographical, ROCKETMAN will take the reader on a joy ride of wit and wisdom. This work transcends the humble anthology and becomes a conduit of lessons-learned by a very smart man who’s lived abundantly. It’s a multi-vitamin for the soul that you must dive into right now (unless you plan to set aside time for a warm drink and a fire).”

~from the Foreword by author Andy R. Bunch, Diner Tales

BIG Gathering of Indie Books/Authors Coming Soon

Once again many, many local indie authors and their books will be all together in one place. There will be even more this year at the Spring Portland Home & Garden Show (and the booth is bigger, too). Mark your calendars and plan now to attend Feb. 19-23. Watch here for discount admission coupons and remember parking is FREE all day Thursday and after 4 p.m. Fri.-Sun. Many of us have new books, so come on out and see us.