Sunday, April 3, 2011
Audio Excerpts from Taken For Granted
Taken For Granted is now available as an ebook for just $3.99. If you have not had a chance to read this book yet now is the perfect time to do so. There are a total of four aduio clips associated with this preview. Click here to listen. Smashwords, ibooks, PDF and HTML Format
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Journal Entry--January 27, 2008
PUT DOWN THE MIC AND GET OFF THE STAGE
Recently I attended a literary event and suffered an embarrassing moment. However, I learned some very valuable lessons. Lesson one. Make sure the planners of the occasion have a clear vision as to what my role is at their event. Lesson two, make sure that the organizer explains who the audience is and what the audience is looking for from its speakers. Lesson three, pay attention to the diversity of the audience.
I recently found myself standing before a crowd whom I assumed was looking forward to me reading a passage from one of my novels. As I began reading I quickly became aware that I wasn’t connecting with the attendees in a way that I was accustomed to. As I attempted to engage the crowd a little more, I soon realized the passage I’d selected t read didn’t exactly fit.
So before I further damaged my moment to shine on stage, I took the big elephant that was standing next to me, and graciously thanked everyone for their time and stepped down. As I sat at my seat and watched other the writer’s who followed me. I soon realized that I’d been invited to a poetry slam filled with very talented spoken word artists. Then it dawned on me. I hadn’t been told that the audience was looking for poets to speak about social and societal issues. As I listened to the performers I thought to myself, I haven’t been to an event like this since I was in college twenty years ago. During that time in my life I was shooting my mouth off about yuppies’, buppies’, Skeezers at the nightclub and selling-out to the man. That’s when I began paying attention to age of the crowd. The majority of them appeared to be in their early twenties. Needless to say I had a Homer Simpson moment.
That event marked the very first time that I’d been hopelessly off the mark with an audience. This especially rang true when one of the performers got on stage and said, "Let's give a round of applause for all of the permformers. Even that nasty M.F." I didn't think much of it until a young lady who was sitting next to me said, "You know he's talking about you, right?"
Sunday, January 13, 2008
2008 To Do List
2008
To Do List
Dear Friends,
Each year instead of making resolutions I’ve found that creating a To Do List works better for me. So for the first time, I’ve decided to share my 2008 To Do List. It is a pretty long list but I’ve broken it up into a few specific categories.
Health
Stick to diet program outlined by nutritionist
Continue strength training program,
Contact Muscle and Fitness Magazine with article idea,
Determine which marathon and triathlon will be completed in 2008,
Locate a new sports training group closer to home,
Sign up for the Coal City Century (100 mile bike ride)
Personal
Continue to build and nurture a strong relationship with family,
Seek out and build meaningful relationships business partners, fans and supporters,
Tighten up public speaking skills,
Volunteer more time to my community and church,
Don’t waste time with people who have negative energy and who are dream killers,
Always learn and grow from mistakes,
Never stop learning and growing as a person
Writing
Finish writing Love, Lies and Scandal,
Begin third installment of Keysha’s Drama,
Write outline for next adult novel tentatively titled, Rubylee,
Finish making editorial changes to unpublished novel titled, Luther and Marshall,
Post a sample chapter of Luther and Marshall on blog,
Write outline for next young adult book series and sell to a publisher,
Write screenplay for Taken For Granted,
Sell screenplay
Book Promotion/Marketing
Contact Farelle of Hell Date (done)
Produce If I Were Your Boyfriend Video Trailer,
Continue to blog,
Join Harlequin’s Affiliate Program (done)
Go over Goggle’s Ad Sense Program,
Update website with new signings (done)
Put together small book tour,
Work with special contact regarding signings at expos and conventions (done)
Pick up the book “Click” and continue to learn how to build successful and meaningful business relationships,
Create promotional contests for fans. Prizes could include Two night hotel stay, $25 I-Tunes Card, Floral Arrangement from Earl Sewell’s Travel Network as well as a gift basket
Public Speaking Engagements
Write speech for book publishing seminar at Park Forest Library in February,
Create an interactive symposium that students at Homewood Flossmoor and Hillcrest High, School will enjoy for Keysha’s Drama speech in February and March
Earl Sewell’s Travel Network
Identify strong individuals who are motivated and self-starters and share the YTB business opportunity,
Continue being mentored by multi millionaire Mr. Lewis and his team,
Work with client on trips to Jamaica, New York and Mexico,
Work with book club (1) on securing trip for 15 to Bahamas,
Work with book club (2) on securing annual trip to Essence Music Festival,
Work with Carnival Cruise Lines and set a date for the (Author Earl Sewell getaway cruise),
Contact travel team members to touch base and share information,
Spend one hour a day listening to travel conference calls,
Book familiarization trips to Tahiti and Rio,
Renew Passport,
Book Trip to YTB (Your Travel Biz) corporate office,
Book trip to YTB National Convention,
Book trip to Fun Shine Travel Convention
Home Improvement Projects (summer 08)
Redesign office space and get new office furniture,
Clean out garage,
Resurface driveway,
Start seedlings in green house,
Repave sidewalk in front of house,
Pull up carpet in spare bedroom,
Restore furniture sitting in garage
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Earl's Notebook
This is the last Sunday of 2007 and as always I am amazed at how quickly the year has come to pass. Plenty of good things happened in my life during the year. I read a lot of good books, which have without a doubt helped me to become a better person. My young adult book, Keysha’s Drama got off to a great start and I hung out with actor Billy Dee Williams. I also met two millionaires J. Lloyd Tomer and Ken Lewis, Sr. who’ve inspired me to chase my dream of becoming financially independent.
(Standing with Mike from St. Louis
Chicago Half-Marathon Sept. 2007)
I was able to complete another half-marathon this past September in spite of all of the traveling I did. All of my training helped me to keep my sanity. I also joined a new sports fitness facility, which opens up at 5:00 a.m., the perfect time for me. My day begins at 4:30 a.m. when I head off to the gym. Depending on the day of the week, I’m running around the track, riding the stationary bike or doing strength training. By 6:30a.m. I hit the shower, put on my work clothes and head to the train station. During my thirty-minute commute, I write on my laptop. By 5:00p.m. I’m rushing out of door to head home. During my return commute I write a little more. When I reach my stop I walk along the train platform with a herd of people heading towards their car. Once I’m in, I call my daughter, who is in eighth grade to tell her I’m on my way. Sometimes I have to pick her up from school because she’s the sports reporter for the boy’s basketball team and has to attend the games. Once we’ve gotten through her homework and discussed what her day was like over dinner, (gotta make sure that I take the time to find out what’s going on in her world so that I’m not an absent dad.) Once that’s taken care of, I head off to my office, check e-mails, respond to fans and continue writing. After I'm done writing, I work on marketing and promoting my personality brand and online travel business.The following morning I’m up at 4:30a.m. to do it all again.