Today is a pretty darn exciting day. I’ve officially published a book for sale for the first time in my life! My short little memoir Dad Was Right: Ten Life Lessons a Father Taught His Son is now available on Amazon.
I had originally planned on releasing Dad Was Right last Saturday, but there were some formatting errors after I uploaded it to the Kindle platform that needed to be fixed.
I almost held back from announcing its publication today as I intended to have a print version available too, but there’s been some formatting issues with that too.
None of this is surprising as this is the first book I’ve published on Amazon. But I realized I was making the perfect the enemy of the good. If I didn’t just go ahead and announce the book’s publication today, I’d find another excuse not to do so.
And we all know excuses are like members of Congress. We’ve all got one.
So yes, Dad Was Right is now available on Amazon!
It’s only out on Kindle as of today, but you should be able to order a print copy of Dad Was Right by by next weekend.
For a limited time Dad Was Right will be available on as a Kindle book for only $2.99 — or free if you’re a member of Kindle Unlimited. You can get your copy now at this link.
I could also use your help getting the word out about Dad Was Right.
Believe it or not the easy part in this whole process was the writing and publishing of the book.
The challenging part is getting people to read it.
It’s not too complicated to get those who like and follow my writing to do so. It’s much more challenging to with people who may not know me.
That’s where you come in. Can you please help me out?
There’s two ways you could do so.
1. If you’re on Facebook, Twitter, or Snap, copy, pasting, and sending out this message would be a tremendous help.
2. If or when you’ve read Dad Was Right, you could really help me out by writing a review on Amazon. I can’t emphasize enough how much that helps an author like me.
If you could do either or both of those things, I’d be extremely grateful.
Some Special Thanks
Writing can be a lonely and frustrating process. And when you finish a draft you have no idea if it’s any good or not.
Fortunately, I have some great people in my life and I want to give them the shout out and the props they deserve for making Dad Was Right see the light of day.
My Mom & My Dad. While this is obviously a book about my dad, just like my existence, Dad Was Right wouldn’t have happened without both of them. Both of my parents always encouraged me to pursue my dreams of writing.
Stephanie Vanderham is a longtime friend and country dance partner, but she’s been my story editor for a long time, often working only for margaritas. Steph reads everything I write and played a key role in shaping Dad Was Right.
Robert Slawsby is not only a writing partner and great friend, he’s an awesome father to four kids. Robert’s living proof that one good man can make a difference. The fact that I could move him with this book was proof it needed to be published.
Lee Hobbs has read everything I’ve written and is a talented writer and awesome father in his own right. He always gives it to me straight and pushes me to get my stories out there. You should definitely read Lee’s story Feed The Bears.
Lisa Lucas Miller deserve thanks for reading the first draft and giving me her wise and insightful feedback. Specifically Lisa insisted I change the word wept to cried every time it appeared, reminding me that “Jesus wept, adolescent boys cry!”
Joe Luckso my good friend and former business partner always encouraged me to stop waiting for people to buy my scripts and just produce my own projects. I finally listened to his sage advice. Joe also gave me the apocryphal Mark Twain quote that’s on the back of the book.
Jayne Gales has been a great friend for many years. She supports my writing and she too was instrumental in teaching me how to country dance as a teenager at the old Mule Lip Saloon. Jayne gave me her feedback on an advanced copy of Dad Was Right that encouraged me to hit the publish button.
Riley J. Ford is a New York Times best selling author and an incredible dance partner. She never stopped telling me to stop procrastinating and publish the book. You definitely should check out Riley’s true crime book “I’ll Get You.” She’s writing under the name Sam Rule here. The book’s been picked up by Netflix for a movie starring Julia Roberts.
And of course You. I appreciate you for reading my blog, my original stories, and now my books. I love being able to share my stories with you. Your support and readership is a major motivation for me to keep writing and push myself to become a better storyteller.
Thank you all. I hope you enjoy Dad Was Right.
What’s Dad Was Right all about?
“When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years,” Mark Twain is rumored to have quipped.
Dad Was Right explores this common sentiment teenage sons often have towards their fathers, and the change of heart that comes once they too enter adult hood.
In ten short chapters, I do my best to convey key life lessons my father taught me through funny and touching stories from my teenage years. Such lessons include the fact that hard work is a part of life…someday you’ll actually need what they’re teaching in school…why you must be smart when you have to fight….never being afraid to ask the prettiest girl to dance…and of course the importance of calling your grandmother.
Dad Was Right is full of the wisdom fathers pass on to their sons, though it’s often initially rejected. But ironically, it is these very lessons sons will cleave to as they become adults and seek to pass on to their own children.
Thank you all for your support of my writing endeavors.
I hope you enjoy Dad Was Right. You can buy your copy at Amazon today!