Well, gang … we’re back. I will proceed as if I did not hear the groans like “oh darn,” “so soon?” and “I had forgotten you were gone” in the background…
This month’s edition has some interesting writing news and, for those who might be interested, an England, Scotland, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands, Arctic Circle, and Norway trip report.
Writing news: Unless things come unraveled, it looks like we have a publisher for the fiction novel. The most optimistic timing for publication will be six to ten months after contract signature with a benchmark for publishing of 325working days after signature. The YouTube Candidate is a “political thriller” that parallels many of the events that occur during the course of an election cycle, so it would be great if we could get it out sometime during the course of next year’s presidential campaign. Regardless, it is a great relief to have an apparent commitment. The post-COVID publishing industry is a difficult place to operate. So many smaller and medium sized firms closed up shop and nearly every company, including the giants in the industry, cut back on staff. The result, as noted in earlier newsletters, is often lengthy delays in the entire process from initial decisions about the book through the entire editing, printing, and marketing cycle. There’s still lots to be done: editing, formatting, cover page decisions, copyright certifications, pre-release reviews, etc.
Anyway … more news to follow in coming newsletters as we get further into the process. You will of course remember our protocol to celebrate book contract occasions: you are obligated to take your significant other out to dinner (and, if that doesn’t work out, take someone else’s significant other).
A second, sort of humorous book-related situation occurred while I was traveling. Reuben Rieke, who a few years ago co-authored a small book titled Fire in the North with me, received calls from an organization purportedly wanting to make a movie or a documentary of the story. The book is about a significant but little known event that occurred during the course of the Civil War – a massive Native uprising in Minnesota that involved Reuben’s ancestors in a major way. Though epic in scale, the episode has been almost obscured in history because major battles of the Civil War were ongoing at the same time. Reuben tried to reach me at about the time we were crossing the Arctic Circle. I managed to get word to him that we would talk when I got back. The deal sounded shaky to start with, since the company asked for front money to help defray the production costs (to be recovered when the film was marketed) and later added a second more substantial required contribution. When I got back, I researched the outfit and found them prominently displayed on a list of scam companies identifying themselves as being involved in purchasing, producing, and marketing films. Reuben quickly turned the company down and closed communications with them. He admitted, though, that he had sort of envisioned both of us accepting an Oscar at a future awards ceremony.
Full disclosure: what follows next are touristy comments – condensed version - with some military touches thrown in. Those not interested can skip immediately to the TRULY AWFUL PUNS.
The saga begins June 21 with Karen flying from Boston and Nita, Laura, and I from Omaha via Denver. We met at Heathrow airfield in London on the 22nd (London is a plus seven hours from Nebraska time). After we checked into a hotel, the girls did some immediate shopping at Harrod’s. I graciously deferred. The next day we walked to the Churchill War Rooms, the underground facility where the British government convened during WWII, and took a hop on/hop off bus tour of the city. That evening we walked to Buckingham Palace and had the neatest time wandering around on a wonderful night. The next morning we moved to Greenwich, where our boat was moored, but had that day and much of the next one free, so we took a ferry back to London for a boat tour of the city the first day and went to the Imperial War Museum on the second. The museum focuses mostly on WWI and WWII items. Wow, the WWI tanks were the size of small motor homes. It was also neat to see a Spitfire and a German V2 missile up close and personal. After a day at sea, the girls toured Edinburgh, Scotland, saw the castle and did some additional, but apparently necessary, shopping.
On the 28th, we stopped at Kirkwall, Orkney Islands. Nita and Karen saw the prehistoric monoliths at the Ring of Brodgar, while Laura and I opted for Orkney’s Wartime Legacy Tour. The Orkney Islands are the site of Scapa Flow, the huge natural harbor where the British anchored their battle fleets during both world wars. When Germany surrendered after WWI, the entire German fleet was brought to Scapa Flow and interred there. Rather than turn it over to the allies, the Germans secretly scuttled all 73 vessels. Only seven now remain; over the years the others have been raised, cut up, and sold for scrap. At the beginning of WWII, a German U-Boat (U-47) made its way through the submarine barriers and torpedoed the battleship HMS Royal Oak, taking the lives of more than 800 British sailors. A memorial service is still held every year at the site. The U-47’s skipper was personally decorated by Hitler. In March 1941, the U-47 was sunk with the loss of all hands, possibly after striking a mine.
The next day took us to Lerwick in the Shetland Islands. Nita, Karen, and I took a panoramic tour of the island, while Laura opted for the ‘Shetland Pony Experience’ tour. If she could have stuffed one into her large suitcase, she would have brought it home with us. The next day was a travel day at sea made memorable by witnessing the helicopter evacuation of a sick passenger.
On July 1, we crossed the Arctic Circle. Amidst high winds and a rough sea, Nita watched a “blue nose” ceremony commemorating the event. After setting our watches ahead another hour, we landed at Honningsvag, Norway. Karen drove as she and Laura took an ATV tour of the rugged surrounding area. Later, Karen, Nita, and I took a bus to North Cape, advertised as the northern-most point on the European Continent. It was a wild, windy, cold, rainy day, but wonderfully enjoyable. The cape overlooks a 1000’ drop to the sea below. The day ended with a 45-minute bus ride back to the boat – lots of reindeer, tundra, sheep, and incredible fjords along the way. About 100 or so miles east of the North Cape, Norway shares a border with Russia. It would have been interesting to see what that looked like. Fortunately, Vladimir decided not to attack while we were nearby.
July 3: Tromso, Norway. A tour of the city and shopping before closing the day with a spectacular voyage through the fjords to Lofoton, where the ship moored for the following day –tours, shopping, and a Fourth of July celebration on board. The next couple of days were really special. En route to Geiranger, Norway, we saw whales. The entrance to Geiranger took us through a fjord with the “Seven Sisters” waterfalls – each one falling more than a 1000 feet into the fjord. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Later in the day we took a bus tour on a narrow road through to the Eagles Point Overlook and Panoramic Drive, a site 2000 feet above the valley below. On the 7th, the tour ended at Bergen, Norway with city tours and an all-afternoon shopping excursion. Up the next day at 2:40 in the morning to catch a flight from Bergen to Frankfurt, Germany where Karen took a flight to Boston, and Nita, Laura, and I flew first to Chicago O’Hare – the world’s most congested, obnoxious, and chaotic airport – then to Omaha. We finally pulled up at home at about one in the morning. Delays at almost every stop, accompanied by several gate changes, made for about 37 hours of pretty much continuous travel. Marvelous experience, though, with record numbers of pictures taken. It is a good thing that we no longer take photos on 35mm slides, or we would have filled up the downstairs closet. If Nita wins the lottery, we may buy a place in one of those little fishing villages that sit along the fjords – though it would be dark four months of the year. We’d have to adjust.
And now, TRULY AWFUL PUNS.
A pirate was worried about some growths on this back and went to see a dermatologist.
“You’re fine,” the doctor said. “They’re benign.”
“Arghh,” said the pirate. “Check again, “When I counted there be ten.”
The Lord said to John, “Come forth and you shall receive eternal life.”
But John come fifth, so he only got thirty years.
/////
I know, these are worse than usual, but I’ve been gone for a while.
Have great summer.
Tom
This month’s edition has some interesting writing news and, for those who might be interested, an England, Scotland, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands, Arctic Circle, and Norway trip report.
Writing news: Unless things come unraveled, it looks like we have a publisher for the fiction novel. The most optimistic timing for publication will be six to ten months after contract signature with a benchmark for publishing of 325working days after signature. The YouTube Candidate is a “political thriller” that parallels many of the events that occur during the course of an election cycle, so it would be great if we could get it out sometime during the course of next year’s presidential campaign. Regardless, it is a great relief to have an apparent commitment. The post-COVID publishing industry is a difficult place to operate. So many smaller and medium sized firms closed up shop and nearly every company, including the giants in the industry, cut back on staff. The result, as noted in earlier newsletters, is often lengthy delays in the entire process from initial decisions about the book through the entire editing, printing, and marketing cycle. There’s still lots to be done: editing, formatting, cover page decisions, copyright certifications, pre-release reviews, etc.
Anyway … more news to follow in coming newsletters as we get further into the process. You will of course remember our protocol to celebrate book contract occasions: you are obligated to take your significant other out to dinner (and, if that doesn’t work out, take someone else’s significant other).
A second, sort of humorous book-related situation occurred while I was traveling. Reuben Rieke, who a few years ago co-authored a small book titled Fire in the North with me, received calls from an organization purportedly wanting to make a movie or a documentary of the story. The book is about a significant but little known event that occurred during the course of the Civil War – a massive Native uprising in Minnesota that involved Reuben’s ancestors in a major way. Though epic in scale, the episode has been almost obscured in history because major battles of the Civil War were ongoing at the same time. Reuben tried to reach me at about the time we were crossing the Arctic Circle. I managed to get word to him that we would talk when I got back. The deal sounded shaky to start with, since the company asked for front money to help defray the production costs (to be recovered when the film was marketed) and later added a second more substantial required contribution. When I got back, I researched the outfit and found them prominently displayed on a list of scam companies identifying themselves as being involved in purchasing, producing, and marketing films. Reuben quickly turned the company down and closed communications with them. He admitted, though, that he had sort of envisioned both of us accepting an Oscar at a future awards ceremony.
Full disclosure: what follows next are touristy comments – condensed version - with some military touches thrown in. Those not interested can skip immediately to the TRULY AWFUL PUNS.
The saga begins June 21 with Karen flying from Boston and Nita, Laura, and I from Omaha via Denver. We met at Heathrow airfield in London on the 22nd (London is a plus seven hours from Nebraska time). After we checked into a hotel, the girls did some immediate shopping at Harrod’s. I graciously deferred. The next day we walked to the Churchill War Rooms, the underground facility where the British government convened during WWII, and took a hop on/hop off bus tour of the city. That evening we walked to Buckingham Palace and had the neatest time wandering around on a wonderful night. The next morning we moved to Greenwich, where our boat was moored, but had that day and much of the next one free, so we took a ferry back to London for a boat tour of the city the first day and went to the Imperial War Museum on the second. The museum focuses mostly on WWI and WWII items. Wow, the WWI tanks were the size of small motor homes. It was also neat to see a Spitfire and a German V2 missile up close and personal. After a day at sea, the girls toured Edinburgh, Scotland, saw the castle and did some additional, but apparently necessary, shopping.
On the 28th, we stopped at Kirkwall, Orkney Islands. Nita and Karen saw the prehistoric monoliths at the Ring of Brodgar, while Laura and I opted for Orkney’s Wartime Legacy Tour. The Orkney Islands are the site of Scapa Flow, the huge natural harbor where the British anchored their battle fleets during both world wars. When Germany surrendered after WWI, the entire German fleet was brought to Scapa Flow and interred there. Rather than turn it over to the allies, the Germans secretly scuttled all 73 vessels. Only seven now remain; over the years the others have been raised, cut up, and sold for scrap. At the beginning of WWII, a German U-Boat (U-47) made its way through the submarine barriers and torpedoed the battleship HMS Royal Oak, taking the lives of more than 800 British sailors. A memorial service is still held every year at the site. The U-47’s skipper was personally decorated by Hitler. In March 1941, the U-47 was sunk with the loss of all hands, possibly after striking a mine.
The next day took us to Lerwick in the Shetland Islands. Nita, Karen, and I took a panoramic tour of the island, while Laura opted for the ‘Shetland Pony Experience’ tour. If she could have stuffed one into her large suitcase, she would have brought it home with us. The next day was a travel day at sea made memorable by witnessing the helicopter evacuation of a sick passenger.
On July 1, we crossed the Arctic Circle. Amidst high winds and a rough sea, Nita watched a “blue nose” ceremony commemorating the event. After setting our watches ahead another hour, we landed at Honningsvag, Norway. Karen drove as she and Laura took an ATV tour of the rugged surrounding area. Later, Karen, Nita, and I took a bus to North Cape, advertised as the northern-most point on the European Continent. It was a wild, windy, cold, rainy day, but wonderfully enjoyable. The cape overlooks a 1000’ drop to the sea below. The day ended with a 45-minute bus ride back to the boat – lots of reindeer, tundra, sheep, and incredible fjords along the way. About 100 or so miles east of the North Cape, Norway shares a border with Russia. It would have been interesting to see what that looked like. Fortunately, Vladimir decided not to attack while we were nearby.
July 3: Tromso, Norway. A tour of the city and shopping before closing the day with a spectacular voyage through the fjords to Lofoton, where the ship moored for the following day –tours, shopping, and a Fourth of July celebration on board. The next couple of days were really special. En route to Geiranger, Norway, we saw whales. The entrance to Geiranger took us through a fjord with the “Seven Sisters” waterfalls – each one falling more than a 1000 feet into the fjord. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Later in the day we took a bus tour on a narrow road through to the Eagles Point Overlook and Panoramic Drive, a site 2000 feet above the valley below. On the 7th, the tour ended at Bergen, Norway with city tours and an all-afternoon shopping excursion. Up the next day at 2:40 in the morning to catch a flight from Bergen to Frankfurt, Germany where Karen took a flight to Boston, and Nita, Laura, and I flew first to Chicago O’Hare – the world’s most congested, obnoxious, and chaotic airport – then to Omaha. We finally pulled up at home at about one in the morning. Delays at almost every stop, accompanied by several gate changes, made for about 37 hours of pretty much continuous travel. Marvelous experience, though, with record numbers of pictures taken. It is a good thing that we no longer take photos on 35mm slides, or we would have filled up the downstairs closet. If Nita wins the lottery, we may buy a place in one of those little fishing villages that sit along the fjords – though it would be dark four months of the year. We’d have to adjust.
And now, TRULY AWFUL PUNS.
A pirate was worried about some growths on this back and went to see a dermatologist.
“You’re fine,” the doctor said. “They’re benign.”
“Arghh,” said the pirate. “Check again, “When I counted there be ten.”
The Lord said to John, “Come forth and you shall receive eternal life.”
But John come fifth, so he only got thirty years.
/////
I know, these are worse than usual, but I’ve been gone for a while.
Have great summer.
Tom
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