Good news!  I just got the first round copy edit back from INkShares. That means we’re on schedule. Actually a little bit ahead of schedule. That doesn’t mean I have a date yet but it means we can now start talking cover art, audiobook narrator and all that stuff. Then it will  just be up to Inkshares to decide where to slot it in for their fall/winter schedule. I’ll let y’all know as soon as I have a date that is safe to give out publicly!

JULY BASEBALL UPDATE

TYLER SKAGGS. First off, two weeks ago Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs, just shy of his 28th birthday, died in his sleep at a hotel in Arlington, TX. He wasn’t the Angels’ best pitcher, but he was a solid major leaguer, and everyone seemed to like him. First game back from the All-Star break, all of the team wore uniforms with his name and number on the back. And then Angels pitchers Taylor Cole and Felix Pena combined for a no-hitter. You’ve probably seen the photo from after the game, Angels players standing around the pitcher’s mound, having laid their jerseys to cover the mound. The world of baseball will remember that July 12 game forever.

JIM BOUTON. Goodbye Jim Bouton, author of one of the greatest baseball books ever, BALL FOUR. I met him at a book signing in 2000. I asked him a question about the Yankees and he couldn’t have been ruder! Lots of people have great memories of him, and in interviews he sounded like a considerate guy. BALL FOUR exposed ballplayers for the adult-juveniles that most of them were at the time (baseball culture is bit more buttoned-up now, and that’s, in part, the subtext of GOING, GOING, GONE!). BALL FOUR was also the best recounting of trying to hold on to a career as a Major League pitcher.

FIREWORKS. We’ve been having a lot of fun going to A’s and Giants games. Most kids love fireworks, and all baseball fans love stepping on to the field. On their fireworks nights, after the game, the A’s invite everyone down to the field. When we’re all settled, the lights go out and the A’s put on a GREAT 20-minute fireworks show. If you’re with kids who can deal with a late night, who love fireworks and baseball, it’s a thorough winner.

GOING, GOING, GONE! The extraordinarily-talented Inkshares staff is working on GOING, GOING, GONE! And it looks like the novel will be published during Spring Training 2020. That’s when you will, hopefully, receive your pre-orders. However, don’t be surprised if that timeframe is pushed back. After all, it’s the book business!

Baseball card rewards will be on their way by the end of July to those who ordered between 5 and 10 copies of GOING, GOING, GONE! Any of your baseball-loving and/or well-read friends are welcome to pre-order through Inkshares at any time.

I owe so many thanks! I appreciate all of your support!

Thanks & Swing For The Fences!

 Steve