Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 8/31 - Gliding

AntennaTV, channel 114 on Cablevision in NYC, ran a film that received a lot of hype before its release only to disappoint many movie-goers and critics. Electra Glide in Blue (1973) is the  story of a diminutive Arizona highway motorcycle cop, a Vietnam vet, who dreams of advancing to the homicide squad. I didn't like it back then, and my opinion did not change last night. Despite a great cast, it frequently comes off as labored and silly. If it makes a large statement about America, I've missed it. It does touch on the themes of loneliness and isolation, which the location shooting does bring out. Part of it was filmed in Monument Valley, where John Ford made so many memorable westerns. Robert Blake, at the height of his career, stars, supported by Billy Green Bush, Mitchell Ryan, Elisha Cook Jr., Royal Dano and Jeannine Riley. All have done or did far better work during their careers, especially Ryan and Cook. Robert Boris wrote the screenplay. He is still working, his 14th script currently being shot. Perusing his credits, he has had "only" modest success. What makes Electra Glide notable is the director: James William Guercio, who made his mark in the music business. It is his only completed movie work. He was replaced as the director of Tom Horn (1979). He started in the music business with Dick Clark in 1962. He toured and performed as a guitarist, bassist and arranger with Gene Pitney, Brian Hyland, Del Shannon, Chuck Berry, Bobby Darin, and Chad and Jeremy. He was an original guitarist with Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention, and produced, arranged and composed numerous hits for Chad and Jeremy and the Buckinghams. He has won two Grammy Awards as a producer. His legendary Caribou Ranch studio recorded artists including Chicago, Phil Collins, Earth, Wind and Fire, Amy Grant, Billy Joel, Elton John, Carole King, John Lennon, The Beach Boys, Supertramp and U2. Four members of Chicago appear in Electra Glide in Blue. Guercio, a native son of the Second City, has 36 Grammy nominations, winning Album of the Year in 1969 for Blood, Sweat, and Tears along with a Grammy for his work with Chicago. He produced works by the Beach Boys. In 1986 he purchased and became the primary shareholder of Country Music Television, which was sold to Gaylord/Westinghouse in 1991. The 3000+ who have rated his work at IMDb would disagree that Electra Glide in Blue is a failure, forging to a consensus of 7.2 of ten. I think they're way off. I rate it two on a scale of five, and that may be generous. There is no disagreement about Guercio's mark on the music industry. Kudos, sir.

The floating book shop continues to glide along, dodging rain. My thanks to the gentleman who purchased the bio of Sammy Sosa, which is in both in Spanish and English, and to the couple who bought Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies, who must have got it for a friend.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 8/30 - Dark Secret

My thanks to the kind folks who made purchases today on Bay Parkway, especially the gentleman who bought seven works of non-fiction and five DVDs.

Here’s an excerpt from what may be my best short story, One Billionth of a Lifetime. It’s been published several times in print and online. In it, a group of aspiring actors plays a game wherein each reveals a dark secret, and it is up to the others to determine if it is true or false. It should take no more than a couple of minutes to read. The full story is available here: http://fictionaut.com/stories/vic-fortezza/one-billionth-of-a-lifetime
   Ellen, the beauty of the company, was the only one present whose origins weren't humble. Her father, a CEO, commuted to Manhattan by helicopter. In Bill's mind, she was the most likely of the women to make a major breakthrough. The others were her equal in ability but were plain by the standards of Broadway, Hollywood or television. The most any could expect, he believed, was  minor supporting work.
   "When I was a junior in high school," she began, smiling nervously; "I went on a date with a college sophomore. I thought I was so cool. I thought he was too. He had his own car. His dad'd bought it for him when he graduated from high school. Anyway, he bought a couple of six packs and a bottle of whiskey, and we went to a drive-in and proceeded to get smashed. After the movie, we drove to a lover's lane. I don't know how we made it without crashing that beautiful car."
   She bowed her head and covered her flushing cheeks. Her audience, on the edge of its seats, urged her to continue. Bill wished he were elsewhere. He secretly loved Ellen and did not want to hear any dirt about her. He wanted her to remain pure in his heart, as pure as she looked. He was still miffed that Tim had directed Kevin to grab her crotch in the company's recent production of Moliere's "Tartuffe." He did not understand why TJ, her husband, hadn't made at least the pretense of protest.
   "As we moved close and were about to kiss," she continued, "he barfed all over me and passed out."
   The others howled and thrashed about. TJ laughed loudest.
   "Wait! I'm not finished. Wait!" She paused, whetting their appetites, making sure every eye was upon her. "I was so mad I pulled down my jeans and peed on his head."
   Bedlam erupted. The baby was awakened. Candy ran from the room calling time-out. No one believed the story, despite its popularity. Eventually, Ellen capitulated and said that a member of her sorority had related it at a similar gathering long ago, citing defecation rather than urination as the punchline, which elicited new cries of amused disgust.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 8/29 - Numbers

The Giants finished the pre-season undefeated, 5-0, despite non-existent output from its first string offense. After last year’s disappointments, the team switched to the West Coast Offense. I’ve always believed the system is superfluous. The personnel determines success or failure. Eli Manning seems lost. If the defense doesn’t get any help from the offense, I don’t see how Big Blue can go better than 8-8. In 1966 the Giants were 6-0 in pre-season and 1-12-1 in the regular season. As for the Jets, who split their four pre-season games -- I like their running backs. If they can effectively ground and pound, if the QBs limit their errors, and if the defensive front seven make up for the deficiencies of the secondary, Gang Green can finish 8-8.

San Francisco Giants pitcher Yusmeiro Petit has set a major league record, having retired 46 batters in a row over his last eight appearances, two as a starter, six in relief. In 66 innings this season, he has an ERA of 3.44, a respectable number but hardly indicative of the excellence of his feat. He broke the record of Mark Buehrle, then a Chicago White Sox, who in 2009 retired 45 consecutive hitters over two starts, one a perfect game. Kudos, Senor Petit.

According to an article in today’s NY Post, movie moguls are scratching their heads, addled by a 21% drop in revenue in summer box office from 2013. Prime time TV viewership is off 7%, and sales of video consoles have been down eight of the last nine months. Execs are wondering what young people are doing with their time these days. I have two thoughts: money is tight, and the use of electronic devices seems the most popular cultural option at present.

Also in the Post: Only 1% of NYC teachers were deemed ineffective in 2012-’13, this despite the fact that only 31% of students passed standardized tests. While I suspect the teaching pool in NYC is not as good as it was in the past, I still believe the greatest roadblock to students is the astronomical number of single parent homes, the absence of fathers, who have been replaced in large part by government checks.


The numbers were modest at the floating book shop today. My thanks to those who bought, swapped and donated.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 8/28 - Thrills

Three of the movies I’ve seen lately, courtesy of Netflix, have had the same theme: the lengths to which the desperate will go to improve their lives. 7 Boxes (2012), Paraguayan, Graceland (2012), Filipino, and now Cheap Thrills (2013), American, dared to delve into the darkness. I watched the third last night. In it, two down and out old acquaintances, who had not seen each other in five years, are challenged to do the outrageous, for cash, by an amoral married couple who approach them in a bar. The party eventually moves the couples’ fancy house and the stakes go higher, viler and more dangerous. It is thoroughly unpleasant but engrossing, and done in a tidy 88 minutes, sensible length for such fare. Although the four leads have substantial credits, I knew only one by name: Ethan Embry, who was Ed O’Neill’s co-star in the failed 2003 revival of Dragnet. I recognized David Koechner, who has an impressive 131 credits, but was unable to recall a specific appearance. Pat Healy, who played the main character, seems a chameleon, an actor who blends in seamlessly. He has 75 credits listed at IMDb, and not one rang a bell. The lovely Sara Paxton, the femme fatale, has 57, none of which I’d seen prior to this. All were excellent. The film was directed by E. L. Katz, a native of NYC, his first time at the helm of a full length feature. David Chirchirillo and Trent Haaga collaborated on the screenplay. 6300+ users at IMDb have rated the work, forging to a consensus of 6.9 of ten. I rate it three on a scale of five. I think it would appeal especially to fans of the Saw series. Anyone sensitive to depictions of violence and deviancy should pass. A few scenes, one particularly, gave me the creeps.

Barry Spunt, author of Heroin and Music in NYC, experienced a thrill yesterday. He has learned that his book has been accepted into the Harvard Music Library. Congrats, sir. Hahvid, he said proudly, walking away. A Kennedy could not have pronounced it better.

I had a few thrills myself at the floating book shop. My thanks to the kind folks who bought, swapped and donated items. Hans, 78, aka Mr. Su Do Ku, visited and gave his slightly blue view of organized religion: "If you prick your finger, God doesn't care; if you finger your prick, you'd better believe God cares." It gave me the sillies.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 8/28 - Mentor

When I last needed a book to read, I was stumped on which to choose. One hardcover amongst the floating book shop's inventory, A High New House by Thomas Williams, had no jacket. I opened it and saw an inscription: The Dial Fellowship Award For Fiction, and I decided to give it a shot. I'm glad I did. I assumed it was a novel. It is a collection of eight stories, the title piece by far the longest at 68 pages. I'm not sure if it qualifies as a novella, which is a work up to 60,000 words, but it doesn't matter. It's good, as are the other stories. The setting is New England and the characters are a broad range of ages and personalities, all navigating the mystery of life. The emphasis is on portrayal, on what it is to be a human being, not plot. It was first published in 1963. Dial Press was eventually acquired by Dell, then Doubleday, then Random House. Today it operates as an independent subsidiary of the latter. Williams' stories were published in Esquire and The New Yorker. In 1973 his novel, The Hair of Harold Roux, won the National Book Award for fiction. It was re-issued in 2011 and is still selling at a steady rate. Williams was a mentor of John Irving, author of the wildly popular The World According to Garp. Irving wrote the introduction for Introduction to Leah, New Hampshire, a compilation of Williams' stories published posthumously in 1990. It seems several of his eight works are out of print. One, The Night of Trees, published in 1978, is being offered for $2420 by an enterprising soul at Amazon, which had me wondering if my copy of A High New House has monetary value, despite the missing jacket. Alas, it's listed at less than eight bucks, although it is out of print. It certainly has literary value, and that is what really matters. I had a little trouble through the first third of the book, puzzled occasionally by the prose and what the author meant. The rest of it is smooth as can be. Anyone intrigued by the average human condition would find this work interesting. My favorite is the next to last story, The Skier's Progress, told alternately from the point of view of several characters. It is damn fine writing. On a scale of five, I rate A High New House, four.

Action at the floating book shop was back to normal after yesterday's record setting day. My thanks to the two kind folks who made purchases.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 8/26 - That Kind of Day

I hadn’t had a vivid dream in a while. This morning I was treated to two. In the first I was in the gym at Lafayette High School, my alma mater, amongst rival groups of angry young men. One held a gun and said the dispute could be settled only one way -- someone had to shoot himself in the neck, not directly but at the side. Sneering, I volunteered. I looked about, making sure no one was in the line of fire, as the bullet would pierce the tissue easily. I don’t recall if I actually went through with it. I’m pretty sure about what triggered the dream. When I heard a general predict there would be a terrorist act on U.S. soil within the next six months, I wondered how I would act if I were in the midst of such a situation. I’ve always feared I’d be a coward. Freud believed dreams are wish fulfillment. I’m sure the events in Missouri were also influential.
In the second dream I was back at my old work place, the commodities trading floor. I realized I’d made an error recording a previous day’s trade, one a bit more complicated than the average transaction. I hurried to my superior, embarrassed and nervous. My last day on the trading floor was in late October of 2007, and I still dream about it occasionally. I know what was at the root of this one. I tried to be objective in my fourth novel, Exchanges, and I've wondered if some of the portrayals angered the people the characters represent. The supervisor in question, a great guy and sensitive soul, has never replied to any of the comments I’ve made on his Facebook posts. 

It was that kind of day at the floating book shop. On this morning's walk I came across a box of books. I took five novels in Russian and two Danielle Steel romances. I didn't want to be a hog and take everything. All but one of the Steel's sold. Political Man visited. I almost always let him rant without reply, as our beliefs are diametrically opposed. To my surprise, he is in favor of bombing ISIS in Syria. Are there other extreme leftists who are going this way? I noticed something on the pocket of his T-shirt. I thought it was a bug. It was a pin of a marijuana leaf, purchased in the 60's at a Be-In at Central Park.
It was that kind of day. Shelley, whose actual name I've now discovered is Sheila, talks to me several times a day at my usual nook on Avenue Z as she runs errands. So does her mom, Estelle, who is closing in on 90. Both have made purchases. Somehow I never communicated to Shelley that I was a writer. Today I did and she bought A Hitch in Twilight.
It was that kind of day. Just after two, the home stretch, a gentleman sat beside me on the ledge that surrounds the garden of the apartment building at the corner of E. 13th. He asked if I had anything on mathematics. I recalled a textbook among the massive donation I received about a month ago, and fished it out of the well of the front passenger seat of my car. He passed on it, but a few minutes later Crazy Joe, scourge of talk radio hosts, approached and picked it up. I hadn't seen him since last fall. He bought the math book and seven other works of non-fiction. I would have taken ten bucks. He gave me 25, capping off the FBS' best session ever. It was that kind of day. Thanks, folks.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 8/25 - Knight

RIP Sir Richard Attenborough, 90, actor, director. I enjoyed his work in front of the camera far more than that behind the camera. He has 78 credits as an actor listed at IMDb, the best known probably the creator of Jurassic Park (1993). He had an impressive run in supporting roles in the 60's: The Great Escape (1963), Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964), Flight of the Phoenix (1965), The Sand Pebbles (1966) and Dr. Doolittle (1967). I've seen three of his twelve directorial efforts: Magic (1973), which starred Anthony Hopkins as a ventriloquist gone mad; A Bridge Too Far (1977), an all-star telling of the costly Operation Market-Garden in the latter stages of WWII; and Gandhi (1983). I wasn't crazy about any of them, especially the latter two, which I found tedious, but hey - what do I now? Gandhi was universally praised and garnered Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director. Attenborough won 29 other awards as well, both for his efforts at the helm and as an actor. He was never nominated for an acting Academy Award. He was knighted in 1976. He was married in 1945 until his death. Here is a quote attributed to him, which many Hollywood types would deny: "I hate and despise the pornography of violence. I don't believe that we can totally excuse ourselves from that situation. I believe that both cinema and film to a certain extent have encouraged it." Well done, sir.

While eating dinner I caught a depressing conversation on Sean Hannity's radio show. A general believes there will be an attack on the U.S. within the next six months, probably on or around 9/11. He thinks it will be on shopping malls and such. I hope it's not true, but, if it is, I hope there will be a lot of armed citizens out and about the day it occurs.

I accompanied a friend to a dental appointment this morning. By the time we returned home, the weekly excursion to Park Slope was out of the question. After driving around for a bit I found a parking spot on 18th Avenue near the corner of 82nd Street, in front of Garibaldi Park. I hadn't set up shop there in a long time, and the result reinforced why it's not worth it do so. I few people browsed, but no one bought. I gave my name to a young man who suffers ADD, whose girlfriend is a voracious reader. I hope he remembers to give it to her. At least I got to watch the kids having fun on the playground. Two boys repeatedly filled a plastic bag with water from the fountain and poured it on the slide, which made it passable. I don't remember anyone of my generation doing that. Maybe today's kids really are smarter. The Asians certainly seem to be.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 8/24 - Appetites

Here's an item from today's NY Post, edited by yours truly:
"A Chinese chef cooking a dish with cobra flesh was killed by the snake he had planned to eat when the creature’s severed head chomped down on him first. The spitting cobra’s head was set aside while its body was being chopped for a soup. When the cook tried to toss the reptile’s head in the trash 20 minutes later, it bit him, injecting him with its fast-acting venom. Diners in the restaurant heard screams coming from the kitchen. One said: 'Suddenly there was a lot of commotion. We did not know what was happening. After we heard that, we did not continue with our meal.' Reptiles can function up to an hour without the rest of their bodies, an expert said."
Karma, poetic justice, whatever.

Mr. Conspiracy actually had some useful information today -- a new music website focusing on live performances: www.musicvault.com/ I just watched a minute of Robin Trower doing Too Rolling Stoned from a 1975 concert. I also saw Robin Williams' face, so there must be comedy there too. There was an add at the start of the clip, but one of those that can be clicked off after five seconds. I don't know if the site is a better alternative than youtube, but it's worth a look.

When a thin young man stopped by the floating book shop, I knew just what to suggest to him: Michael Crichton's The Andromeda Strain. The guy, who I was surprised to learn is 35, has purchased much sci-fi from me. He grew up in Poland and lived for a while in Germany, so English is his third language. Despite a heavy accent, he speaks well. He has an hour-and-a-half commute by train each day, so he finishes most books in two days. He is surprised at how he has evolved, as he was a terrible student who read nothing he was assigned. I told him I read nothing but comic books until high school. He wants to give writing a crack some day. He wouldn't be the first foreign born author to write in English. Jerzy Kozinski, also a Pole, immediately comes to mind. Go for it, sir.

Bob visited, as usual panting. He has to drop some weight. He's at least 50 pounds north of healthy -- on a short frame. Using the old Groucho line of having been vaccinated with a phonograph needle, he went on for about 20 minutes, touching on a range of topics, including the screenplay he's working on, Christmas 1945, which is set in Grand Central Station. He hopes to incorporate Lee Marvin, who saw a great deal of combat, into the script. Since he has a Jewish investor interested, he wants to also touch on the Holocaust. Good luck, sir.

My thanks to the kind folks who made purchases today.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 8/23 - Bronx Bomber

My thanks to the kind folks who bought books today, especially the leggy blonde who had passed a thousand times, both on Bay Parkway and my usual nook in Sheepshead Bay, without making a purchase. She either married or moved in with her boyfriend, who I refer to inwardly as Johnny Handsome. I asked for a dollar and she gave me five.

Here’s an excerpt from Defining Moment, part of the A Hitch in Twilight collection, link below. It’s about a retired wrestler filling in when another goes missing. The clip is less than 900 words, a few minutes read.
  As he was driving, he tried to calculate what his record actually was. He was certain of the wins. The three came long ago in preliminary matches when the federation still held cards at bingo halls and gymnasiums. His losses may have exceeded 1000. In 20 years he'd taken time off only to recuperate from injury. He missed the excitement, the limelight, even though he'd been only a bit player. Were the game on the up and up, he believed he could have beaten many of the stars to whom he'd been made to take a fall.
   As he reached the security gate, he spotted a man of medium height and light hair, pacing, apparently waiting for him.
   "How ya doin', Al?" said Len, rolling down the driver's window.
   "Please hurry, Leonard," the man returned in a British accent. "You're on soon. We're all fouled up tonight."
   He was at Al's heels, following him to the dressing room. There stood a handsome, burly young man in a fine suit, who extended a hand to Len, thanked him, and urged him to dress.
   "Anything I should know?" said Len, pausing at the door.
   "Just follow his lead. You don't even get in a punch."
   "So what else's new?"
   He smiled. Junior remained expressionless.
   Smoke was thick in the air, as it'd been upon his first glimpse into a wrestlers' locker room. As a boy he'd gazed through the peephole at the Rollerama, fascinated that "good guys" and "bad guys" shared quarters, sat naked at a card table, chomped on big cigars, laughed uproariously. Unable to afford a ticket, he would wait outside for his heroes, some of whom even signed autographs.
   "Ay!" said a huge, bearded man - "look what the cat dragged in."
   Veterans approached and patted him on the back.
   "There's no time for that now," said Al urgently.
   "Keep your shirt on, your lordship," said a young stud in pink tights. "Boys, here's a real pro. My first match here I broke his nose with a Drop Kick - and he never said a word."
   Len flushed like a teenager. "Ah, you know the business - spit happens."
   Although he didn't know the newcomers personally, he recognized them from television appearances. They ignored him.
   Suddenly the door burst open and two giants entered, perspiring profusely, laughing.
   "The 'marks' are restless tonight," said the bleached blonde. "I got hit with everything but the kitchen sink."
   "Who's that there?" said the other, dressed in camouflage, advancing. "Lenny Giordano?"
   They flew into an embrace and pounded each other's back.
   "Please, Leonard," said Al, "this is most unseemly."
   "Blow it out your nose, Al," said the soldier, known professionally as the Mercenary.
   The room broke into howls.
   "Who'm I workin' with, Al - the indian?" said Len, nodding in the direction of a massive young man sporting a red mohawk.
   "No, Doctor Voodoo."
   He gazed about. "Which one's he?"
   "He's in the office."
   "Which reminds me -- I forgot about my money."
   "Worry about it later."
   His eyes spread. "First rule of business - get your money up front. I shouldn't hafta tell you that. You been at this racket a helluva lot longer than me."
   Dressed in a one-piece black spandex suit that cover two-thirds of his torso, Len knocked at the door across the hall. It opened abruptly and out stepped a tall, bronze man in painted face, beads about his thick neck, a string of shrunken heads in his grasp.
   "Hey, kid," said Len, offering a hand. "I'm...."
   The young hulk growled, shook the shrunken heads before Len's nose, and hurried away. Len chuckled, shaking his head. He loved the business. It was so colorful.
   "Let's have it, Jun'," he said, entering the office.
   "Half now, half later," said the promoter, seated at a desk.
   "Since when? You know you can count on me. All of it right now or I walk. My wife's ready to divorce me as it is."
   Scowling, Junior opened a drawer and counted out the purse. "You better make it look good. You're the Bronx Bomber tonight."
   "But I'm from Brooklyn."
   "Who cares?"
   "I do. Why can't I just go by name like always."
   "We don't do that any more. Now get out there. And I want some 'juice' tonight."
   "No way, not with this AIDS thing goin' 'round, with these kids all usin' needles to shoot up with steroids. God knows if I caught it in the days before we ever even heard of it. An' my forehead's like a road map as it is. No deal."
   "Pansy," said Junior contemptuously.
   "You been doin' 'em too, I hear," said Len. "For what? College guy like you should know better."
   Junior glared. "Get out."
   Pausing in the corridor, he kneeled and put the money at the bottom of his right boot, which he laced tightly. Before rising, he blessed himself. Al led him toward the arena. The buzz of the packed house grew louder at each step. Adrenaline was flowing through, raising a smile to his face.
   "I feel like a kid again."
   My thanks to the kind folks who bought and donated books today.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 8/22 - Quintessential

Last night ThisTV, 111 on Cablevision in NYC, ran The Taking of Pelham 123 (1974), an absurd thriller that remains great fun. The late Robert Shaw leads a group of four that hijacks a subway train. When facing capture, he commits suicide by placing his foot against the third rail, while Walter Matthau looks on in horror. I got to wondering how many movies Shaw had died in. Of course, most memorably was he dispatched in Jaws (1975),  also in The Deep (1977), as the lead in Custer of the West (1967), as King Claudius in a 1964 production of Hamlet, and as the cold-blooded assassin in From Russia with Love (1963) at the hands of Sean Connery's James Bond. There were a few other films I'm pretty sure his character did not survive. He succumbed to a heart attack in 1978 at the age of 51, having amassed 56 acting credits. In researching his work at IMDb, I was astonished to find he was an accomplished writer. His successful novel, The Hiding Place, sold about 25,000 copies and was adapted twice, for TV on Playhouse 90, on film as Situation Hopeless...But Not Serious (1965). His work on The Man in the Glass Booth (1975), originally a play, was uncredited at the time. The European Eye was produced for TV in 1968, and Figures in a Landscape for the big screen in 1969. He also covered the Rome Olympics as a reporter in 1960. There is not a lot of information at Amazon on the his other novels: The Sun Doctor (1974), A Card from Morocco (1969) and Cato Street (1972), which I assume are out of print. Belated kudos, sir. Here is a telling quote attributed to him:  "Writing is where the real center of my integrity lies. I never write for money. I only act for money, but not invariably of course. I would never write certain sentences that I say in films, or even that I write in films, because I often fix up my lines." Here he is as Quint:

These days my mindset rotates between the following thoughts: "Success is the child of drudgery and perseverance. It cannot be coaxed or bribed; pay the price and it is yours." - Orison Swett Marden. "Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result." - Einstein.

My thanks to the kind folks who bought and donated books today.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 8/21 - Ugly Realism in Film

Now and then a serious film comes along in which the proceedings are so abhorrent that objectivity is challenged. I’m not talking about the over the top violence of certain foreign flicks created as strict entertainment, but those that explore the dark side of human nature in depth and in a realistic tone. I thought 8MM (1999) was a good film, although it focused on the sexually depraved. Most reviews were negative. It is the only work of Joel Schumacher I think is above average. Last night I watched Graceland (2012), a Filipino production, courtesy of Netflix. It is the story of the lengths desperate men will go to in order to achieve an end, a theme explored in 7 Boxes (2012), a Paraguayan production I recently viewed. The grimness of that film was allayed considerably by the likeability of the teenage leads and a quirky plot. Graceland is completely uncompromising, downbeat from start to finish, almost entirely ugly, yet I was absorbed, viewing its 90+ minutes without pause. Karma is another of its themes. I know almost nothing about life in the Philippines. I don’t think the director, Ron Morales, who also wrote the screenplay, is making a blanket statement about the country. An ex-co-worker has spent more than a month there and continuously posts pictures on his Facebook page which project beauty and happiness. Anyway, I think Graceland is good work despite its ugliness. I’m not sure I understood all the plot elements, as the subtitles were tiny and frequently lost in the background. I don’t understand how this occurs in this age of technical marvels. I don't understand what the title signifies. My guess is it refers to spirituality. 886 users have rated the film at IMDb, forging to a consensus of 6.7 of ten. I rate it 3.5 of five. This was Morales’ second film. It will be interesting to see where he goes from here. Anyone turned off by gritty, hardcore material should pass. There are many films more violent and more sexually explicit than this one, but few approach its grittiness.

I got a kick out of this week's episode of ABC's Motive, a crime show that reveals the killer in the first few minutes. The victim was a successful author of mysteries who stole the manuscript of the perpetrator and had published under her own name. Poetic justice, I suppose.

When Lev approached the floating book shop today I was sure he'd pass on my wares. As he was thumbing through the sex manual in Russian, a dude pulled up to the bus stop, opened his hatch, and gave me a large bag of books, half in Russian. Lev bought the manual and ten others. My thanks, gentlemen, and to the other kind folks who made purchases.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 8/20 - Output

Texas Governor Rick Perry has been indicted and booked on the charge of abuse of power. His crime? Refusing to fund an agency headed by a woman convicted of drunk driving (three times the legal alcohol limit), who was abusive to the arresting officers. He demanded she be fired. The woman is a liberal, Perry a conservative. Will a President be subject to the same treatment next time he uses veto power? Perry smiled broadly for his mug shot. Hell hath no fury...

Last night I caught a flick I’d never heard of on This-TV, 111 on Cablevision in NYC. Attack on the Iron Coast (1968), a British production, stars Lloyd Bridges as the Canadian officer in charge, haunted by the catastrophic failure of the previous mission he led. Except for the Major’s psychological struggle, the film is standard. It was directed by the late Paul Wendkos, a name that rang a bell. His career was impressive, if not great. He has 114 credits listed at IMDb, not counting multiple turns at the helm of several 60’s TV series such as The Untouchables, The FBI and Dr. Kildare. He worked largely on the small screen, but did two notable, at least in terms of nostalgia, films: Gidget (1959) and Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961). I saw both at the Loew’s Oriental on 18th Avenue, which is now a Marshall’s. I remember them fondly, though vaguely -- and it’s probably best that way. Both starred James Darren as Moondoogie. Sandra Dee was the first Gidget, Deborah Walley the second. Innocence was cool back then.

My thanks to the three people who made purchases today and to the woman who donated about 30 children's books from the popular series The Baby-Sitter's Club by Ann M. Martin and Sweet Valley High by Francine Pascal. The first is comprised of about 300 books, the second less than 200. Granted, they are the equivalent of short stories, but that is still an amazing output. Kudos, ladies.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 8/19 - Spam

RIP Don Pardo, 96, voice of Saturday Night Live since its inception. He also worked on The Price Is Right and, of course, Jeopardy. During WWII he was a correspondent for NBC Radio. He is a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame. Imagine a conversation in heaven between Pardo and legendary Yankees public address announce Bob Shepperd, who died in 2010. Either would fit the voice of God in any biblical epic.


One of the area drinking crew visited the floating book shop today and said he had something for me. I assumed it was a book another member had recently stolen from Stop n Shop, which he wanted to exchange for one of my inventory because it was so dull. It wasn't a book but a can of Spam. He'd already scoffed down two and didn't want to see any more. I'm not sure I've ever had it and, if I have, it was only once. I was hoping Ol' Smoky would pass by so that I could pass it on to him, but he was a no-show. Of course, whenever I hear that product's name I'm reminded of the crazy Monty Python sketch: "Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam,/ Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam,/ Spammmmmmm!" Here's a clip of it. It's a shade over three minutes. Warning to the uninitiated -- it is shrill and extremely silly, but it makes me laugh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anwy2MPT5RE

My thanks to the people who made purchases today, especially the middle age woman who bought How to Raise a Jewish Dog, which is currently #83 in humor at Amazon, and Cougar, which she claimed to be buying for a friend who is dating a much younger man. Thanks also to Steve, who purchased a reprint of Frank Edwards' Flying Saucers, Serious Business, which has been around since the mid '60's.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 8/18 - Honorable

A retired upstate carpenter who died last week got the last laugh, leaving an obit filled with hilarious parting shots at friends and family. Jeffrey Albert Rieck, 61, of Middletown, had drafted the paid notice a few days before succumbing to cancer. In it, he zings his “good for nothing but beloved” sister, his “no sense of humor” son, and his ex-wife, “whose house he whole-heartedly built and is thankful he will never have to perform another renovation on again.” There’ll be no memorial, it says, because “he would prefer that no one gawks at him while he is deceased.” The obit was rejected by his local paper. Two New Jersey papers ran it. (Culled from the NY Post, edited by yours truly.) RIP, sir.

I made my Monday excursion to Park Slope and it looked like it would be a big winner. I found a parking spot less than a hundred feet from the corner of 5th Street and 7th Avenue, which allowed me to bring out the floating book shop's full arsenal. A school safety van parked at the curb at my back, which hid me from any officer in a bad mood passing in a patrol car. Although police have hassled me only once since I've been selling books full time, I'm always wary of them. I will go quietly if shooed away. Anyway, I was further encouraged when a nanny bought a romance novel minutes after I'd opened for business. Then there was nothing for a couple of hours, until a young, very pregnant woman asked about Mary Monroe's God Don't Make No Mistakes, which was a handsome large print edition. When I told her it was two bucks, she jumped on it. Finally, I sold a beautiful pictorial I've had on display for a month: Dan Madigan's Mondo Lucha A Go-Go: The Bizarre and Honorable World of Wild Mexican Wrestling. I have to laugh at "honorable" and "wrestling" being used in the same sentence, at least regarding the pro version. Also, shouldn't it be mundo? According to spanishdict.com, mondo means "plain." Anyway, it was bought by a tall, long-haired, tattooed guy, non-Hispanic, I believe. I'm surprised it took so long to move. It is filled with lush color photographs.

Thanks, folks.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 8/17 - Humblerag

The Oxford Dictionary has added the following words, among many others, in 2014:
Neckbeard - pretty much what you’d think -- an unkempt neck.
Yolo - you only live once.
Binge-watch - watching a number of episodes of a TV show back to back.
Side-boob - needs no explanation.
Humblerag - self-deprecating false modesty. I’m probably guilty of this.
Listicle - an article that uses a list as its core, which I've done here many times.
I used to scoff at the changes in language. I am now fascinated by them. It, like everything else in life, evolves.

In an op-ed piece in today’s NY Post, Kyle Smith calls for the closing of all Atlantic City casinos. Many have already gone belly up and two more are just about there. It has been 38 years since the industry set up shop in that beautiful location. Unemployment has not changed. It remains 18%. Median household income is half of what it is in the average Jersey city. The poverty rate, 22.5% in 1970, was 29.3% in 2011. In that span Jersey has gone from the fifth-most taxed state to second behind New York. Governor Cuomo is an advocate of the gambling fix and an opponent of fracking. As someone with strong libertarian tendencies, I do not oppose gambling. I just think it’s a solution for lazy, spineless politicians, and it’s proving a failure, and the prime reason is probably that leaders spend revenues far faster than they come in. Leftists often deride the deficits of the Reagan era, omitting that tax revenues were at a then all-time high. The problem is spending, although there are probably too many casinos in the northeast at present. Customers are probably eschewing the long trip to AC for the short hop near home.

An interesting development is taking place in NYC. The leaders of the United Federation of Teachers have endorsed Al Sharpton’s proposed protest march against the police. Many of the rank and file have fired off angry emails of complaint. I expect union leadership to be dominated by the most ardent leftists, but I’d bet a vote of the entire constituency would show that a significant majority opposes the endorsement. Most members may be center-left, but I doubt many tilt all the way.

Renzo and his wife, who is on maternity leave from a teaching position, stop by the floating book shop every Saturday and Sunday and wish me well. Today Renzo bought Killing. Thank you, sir, and Happy Birthday to Renzo Jr., who turned one Friday. I also had a visit from Conspiracy Man. He recently read four books banned in the USA. One links the Bush family to the Kennedy assassination. "They have a lot of blood on their hands," he said. Maybe W, then 17, was the second gunman. CM also believes that something is happening on the moon, that its face keeps changing. He sees little black dots. "Nobody's lookin' up," he lamented.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 8/16 - Dark Rooms

Although I enjoy television and film mysteries, I’m not a big fan of the written genre. I prefer fiction that focuses on the human condition, especially that in which the average person tries to live a decent life in a world rife with temptation. When recently I needed a book to read, I chose Louise Penny’s A Fatal Grace because a woman whose literary taste is so different from mine said it was boring. It’s length also fit the bill -- 311 pages. It was so interesting it read like considerably less than that. It is far superior to all the mysteries I’ve sampled except for Tami Hoag’s A Thin Dark Line. The depth of characterizations rival those of any genre. It is set in a small, scenic town an hour-and-a-half outside Montreal. The main character, Inspector Gamache, is cut in the mold of the great detectives of literature. He has the unique gift of solving murders, of getting into the mind of killers, which he describes thusly: “…I spend my days looking into the last room of the house, the one we keep barred and hidden even from ourselves. The one with all our monsters, fetid and rotted and waiting. My job is to find people who take lives. And to do that I have to find out why. And to do that I have to get into the heads and open the last door. But when I come out again… the world is suddenly more beautiful, more alive, more lovely than ever. When you see the worst, you appreciate the best.” I’ve explored those rooms in my own work. I wish my reaction was as positive as Gamache’s. It has often been frightening. I’ve felt like a monster in waiting. A Fatal Grace is the second of eleven Gamache novels. Thus far, only one has been adapted to film, Still Life (2013), which I've added to my list at Netflix. I was surprised at the popularity of Penny’s work, although it is deserved, at least in this instance. I hadn’t heard of her. Although A Fatal Grace was published seven years ago, it is still selling. At last check at Amazon, where more than eleven million books are listed, it was ranked 6376 in paperback, 1721 in Kindle. More than 500 readers have rated it, forging to a consensus of more than four of five. I agree. My only quibble is the politically correct cast of characters. Then again, this is an error on the side of tolerance and inclusiveness. Penny also seems to use fewer commas than most writers. Outstanding, madam. Thank you. 



For the first two-and-a-half hours today on Bay Parkway, author Bill Brown was the floating book shop's only customer, buying two books geared toward the Russian women he has been tutoring in English. When Bad News Billy pulled up on his bike, I knew his car had gone under. He's buying a 1992 Dodge Spirit that has only 37,000 miles on it. He had one in the past and claims they are indestructible. Good luck, my friend. Ralph pulled up in his huge SUV a moment later. While the two were in the bank, a young woman and a middle age one bought two thrillers apiece. Billy bought up all the DVD, VHS, and CDs I had left, and Ralph purchased six works of non-fiction. Thanks, folks, and also to All Things That Matter Press, which sent along a royalty check for one copy sold of A Hitch in Twilight, a boost to morale.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 8/15 - Guarded

Running the floating book shop, I meet a great variety of people. Jonathan, who's in his 20's, has the mind of a child and a sweet disposition. At first he would only point to the wares, smile, say: "Nice books," and continue walking. He moves about on his own and works at the local supermarket, bagging groceries. He proudly wears his I.D and work shirt. I called him "Mr. Stop n Shop." Our conversation was always brief. The other day he passed with his mom and I said Hi, even though he was was looking away. They had passed together a few times through the years and I sensed he didn't want to talk, so I said nothing. This time I spoke without thinking and he tensed. As they walked away it was obvious his mom wasn't pleased and she seemed to be lecturing him. Since then, he has kept his distance and I haven't said a word. Although I am stung by the slight, I know where the woman is coming from and know no one will ever love Jonathan as she does. She has done a great job with him. I imagine she warns him to beware of predators who would take advantage of him. She has no idea who I am. She may see me as someone incapable of holding a real job, someone so desperate enough to prey on the vulnerable. I don't like it, but I won't go against her wishes.

Tomorrow morning Sue-Ellen, who has taught History at Kingsborough Community College, is embarking on an adventure. She worked a couple of nights a week this summer tending bar at hot spot on the Boardwalk in Coney Island and was asked if she would be interested in working on a yacht. She has sub-let her apartment to a friend and will be driving to southern Florida, where her mom lives. There she will take a five-day course and then wait for a one-year assignment. When she first moved in to the building at the corner of Avenue Z & E. 13th, she donated a lot of books, all of which sold, so she has a soft spot in my heart. She then mentioned a husband, whom I've never seen. She doesn't wear a wedding band. Perhaps she was protecting herself from unwanted advances. I doubt she's reached 30 yet. I'll miss seeing her. Good luck, Sue.

It was one of those days when the floating book shop was almost like a regular business. My thanks to all the buyers, especially Stephanie, who purchased Close to the Edge. 
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 8/14 - SMH

Some days the world looks much darker than others. When inhumanity rears its ugly in other parts of the world, I think: "God bless America." Here, our battles are usually fought with words and they are concentrated largely on the distribution of money. Today there are two instances that dismay: the callous badgering of Robin Williams' daughter by morons on Twitter, and the rioting in Missouri over the death of a young black man in police custody. The first makes one wonder if our society, or at least many in it,  has become, as critics cite, desensitized by a bankrupt culture. The second arouses the fear that inner cities will burn, as several did in the 60's. Although the circumstances are sketchy, many are rushing to judgment. Sadly, the situation will be divisive, the outcome unsatisfying to at least one side and possibly to everyone. The officer must be given the benefit of the doubt until all the facts have been adjudicated. I wasn't there. I don't know what happened. But I do know this: it is stupid to resist even an unjust arrest. Several months ago a Facebook friend constantly used the abbreviation that baffled me -- "smh," short for "shaking my head." That's how I feel on this day when the human race looks hopeless.

One thing New Yorkers can't complain about today is the spectacular weather. My thanks to the kind folks who made purchases today, especially the Russian woman who bought five mini-dictionaries, three of them not much longer than an inch. I assume they were designed specifically for travelers. Two were Polish-Russian, one German-Russian, and one Italian-Russian. The lady asked if I were Polish. When I said I was Italian, she replied she knew only one very important word in Italian: Mangiare, her pronunciation excellent. I laughed. One need only see all the posts of food on Facebook to know how much the word means to goombahs. I have one book in Russian left, a large pictorial on sex. I've been a little uncomfortable having it on display, although it is by no means pornographic, despite the nudity and salacious positions shot in shadowy black and white. Anything like it is bound to be offensive to someone, so I keep it near, ready to warn anyone interested in it of the content. I've established good will at my regular nook and don't want to blow it, pun intended. When a woman reached for it this afternoon, I asked if she knew what to expect, even though I was sure she did, as I've sold her many items. She pooh-poohed my leeriness. Unfortunately, she didn't buy it, so I will remain on guard.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 8/13 - Woman of Years

RIP Hollywood legend Lauren Bacall, 89. Known as Betty to friends, she shot to stardom at 19 opposite Humphrey Bogart in To Have and Have Not (1944), her first film. Circa 1972, in a lit class, our professor, Dr. Galligan, described the ruckus in the movie house when the actress spoke the immortal lines: "You know how to whistle, don't you? Just put your lips together and blow." Although she was nominated for only one Oscar, as Best Supporting Actress in The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996), she won two Tonys: Applause (1970), a musical adaptation of All About Eve (1950) and Woman of the Year (1981), an adaption of the 1942 film of the same title. She married Bogie and was his co-star in many films. She later wed Jason Robards, but the marriage ended in divorce after eight years. She wrote By Myself, a memoir that won a National Book Award in 1980.  Here's a quote attributed to her: "I put my career in second place throughout both my marriages and it suffered. I don't regret it. You make choices. If you want a good marriage, you must pay attention to that. If you want to be independent, go ahead. You can't have it all."  Well done, madam. Thank you. Facts culled from IMDb.

Several months ago I read E. Annie Proulx's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Shipping News. Last night I watched the 2001 film adaptation directed by Lasse Halstrom, whose work has always been difficult for me. This one was not difficult, but there was something missing, although it is true to the spirit of the book. The leads, Kevin Spacey and Julianne Moore, great actors, do not match my physical image of the main characters. Then again, finding a perfect match for a literary figure is rare. I can think of only one, Jack Nicholson in One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), although there must be others. Except for the Newfoundland landscape, the book does not lend itself easily to cinema. Since there has been a lengthy gap between my reading and viewing, I don't know how closely the film adheres to the book, but it does so much more than most adaptations. There is only one daughter rather than two in the film, that much I recall. The supporting cast is impressive: Judi Dench, Scott Glenn, Cate Blanchett and Pete Postlethwaite bring their considerable talents to the proceedings. It's running time is only 111 minutes. I don't know how anyone who hasn't read the novel would grasp its essence. The contributor comments at IMDb were mixed, most of the negatives coming from Canadians, particularly a Newfie who felt slighted. I don't see it as a negative portrait of our friends to the north. I see it as an examination of damaged humans living in a harsh climate. Broad analysis is a common error. 25,000+ users have rated The Shipping News at IMDb, forging to a consensus of 6.8 of ten. I rate it three on a scale of five. Robert Nelson Jacobs had the unenviable task of adaption. Christopher Young's melancholy Celtic-based score fit the narrative precisely. 

My thanks to the kind folks who patronized the floating book shop today. I have missed only one session since June, and it had nothing to do with the weather. It has not rained during the early afternoon since May. I hope I haven't jinxed myself.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 8/12 - Struggles

As I came to the home stretch of my morning walk, I stopped to pick up the NY Post and was blindsided by the headline: “ROBIN WILLIAMS DEAD,” and the caption: “Actor, 63, in suicide.” My eyes glazed. He brought so much joy to the world but not enough to himself. He battled addiction on and off for decades. Despite it, he turned out marvelous work, growing from manic comic to serious actor. He was even cast by Kenneth Branagh in the small role of Osric in his 1996 production of Hamlet. He was nominated for an Oscar four times, winning Best Supporting Actor for Good Will Hunting (1998). He won 54 other awards. I always looked forward to his appearance on talk shows, where he churned out hilarious content that seemed spontaneous, his mind in overdrive. Although he was an opponent of the Iraq War, he entertained troops there several times. He completed four projects that have yet to be released. He had a lot left to offer. For whatever reasons, his demons got the better of him. The most troubling aspect is wondering what damage this has done to his three children, who are young adults. Here are two quotes from him, listed at IMDb, that illustrate his struggle:
“Cocaine is God's way of telling you you are making too much money.”
“...And now that you have a child you have to clean up your act, 'cause you can't drink anymore. You can't come home drunk and go, ‘Hey, here's a little switch: Daddy's gonna throw up on you!’”
RIP, sir. May you find peace on the other side. And thank you. 

The world stops for no one, not even major stars. A blurb in the Post mentions a new item that will be included in gift bags at the Oscars -- The Haze Vaporizer, a device for inhaling herbs, especially of a certain sort. It lists for $249.

And in what New Yorker's pray is not a permanent sign of the times, the Post reports that the elite Emergency Service Unit has been ordered to drive around the most troubled  neighborhoods at night with lights flashing in order to stem the rising crime rate. The members receive overtime.

The weather cooperated until nearly two PM, allowing the floating book shop to reap a small gain. My thanks to the young lady who purchased a book on healthy eating, the gentleman who bought a book in Russian, and to Estelle, Caroline and the Fed-Ex Guy, who donated seven books between them.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 8/11 - Praise

All the drama and thrills absent from golf’s first three majors of 2014 were on display during yesterday’s final round of the PGA Championship. The shot making and near misses were spectacular. The race against darkness and an approaching thunderstorm were additional exciting elements. There’s no disputing who is the number one player in the world. It’s Ireland’s Rory McElroy. 25, he’s won his fourth major, the third youngest to accomplish the feat by that age. I was rooting for Ricky Fowler, who has yet to win one. He finished in the top five in all four this season, a great accomplishment. Thankfully, he eschewed the all orange look he usually sports in the final round, which was hard on the eyes. At 44, Phil Mickelson is still unbelievable. He lost by one stroke, but the margin seemed even smaller, as he had so many narrow misses, including an incredible chip for eagle at 18. The quiet self confidence of these men is impressive. Great show, guys. Tiger who?

I made my usual Monday trip to Park Slope, dreading it would be as frustrating as last week's. That fear was alleviated immediately by an attractive, tattooed young woman who purchased Descartes' Discourse on Method and a book on nutrition. I also sold a couple of children's books, one on strengthening vocabulary, and one on politics. The highlight came when a man in his 30's approached and said he'd bought Close to the Edge at least five years ago, enjoyed it, and still had it amidst his book collection. I was embarrassed that I didn't remember him. It's the kind of comment a writer needs to hear every once in a while, one not from a friend or family. Unfortunately, he was in a hurry and had no time to look over my other books, but he promised to return in the future.Thank you, sir, and to all the buyers.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 8/10 - Luck

As I pulled up to the Chase bank on Bay Parkway and 85th, a crew was working on the front entrance and the drive-through. I didn't want to deal with the noise, dust and odor, so I set up shop across the street under a tree. It was a fortuitous move. My thanks to Navita, who bought Close to the Edge, and to the others who purchased goods.

I was listening to the radio while eating dinner. The sports reporter said there was a logjam at the top of the PGA Championship, golf's final major of 2014. I have it running on another page.

Here's a brief excerpt from Dream Father, a story from the A Hitch in Twilight collection. In it, a vain young man mysteriously acquires power over women, invading their dreams. It's a couple of hundred words from a 3800 word story:
On a balmy early Spring morning, he climbed the stairs of the elevated station with a song in his heart. Not a hair out of place, smiling, he attracted the gazes of females of all races. He loved the cultural treasures the city afforded.  How many nationalities had be conquered? If he were a country, he thought, he would be a world power.
As he strolled toward the spot where he usually boarded, he noted a group of women in various stages of pregnancy conversing animatedly.  They fell silent as he approached and passed. Although their faces were puffy, he recognized each. He'd fantasized about them. The song in his heart was stilled.
"I was on the pill," said a blonde with a slight Russian accent. "I don't know how I got caught."
"I was between boyfriends," said a brunette, obviously of Italian descent.
"How'd he do it?" said a red-haired lassie. "The doctor told us we had almost zero chance of conceiving. Thank you," she said to his back.
What was he supposed to say: "You're welcome"? He'd had nothing to do with it. It was ridiculous to believe he had.
"Sucio," said a Latina bitterly. "If my father catches him..."
He walked further down the platform so he wouldn't be sharing the same car with them. During the commute he kept his head buried in the newspaper.  He vowed to cease girl-watching, at least until the madness ceased.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 8/9 - Off the Schneid

Amazon and Hachette, a billion dollar publishing corporation, are in a dispute. I have great appreciation for Amazon, which lists my books and allows me to offer items on Kindle for a dollar, which helps an author at the bottom of the literary totem pole get noticed. I just got an email from them, asking me to write a letter of protest to Hachette regarding their pricing of ebooks, some of which list from $15 to $20, which seems criminal. Hachette has already paid 166 million in penalties for colluding to keep prices high. I did not send an email. It would be unfair without hearing Hachette’s point of view. It’s possible that they’ve lost so much money on traditional print books that they must make it up in e-sales. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt for now, even though they seem to be turning up their noses at writers like me. I believe most  books on Kindle and Nook should sell for three bucks or less, five for the top selling authors. An electronic copy of A Hitch in Twilight sells for $6, which I think is a mistake on the publisher’s part. Then again, I don’t have access to its financials, so the price may very well be justified. An individual who lists a book at Amazon does so for free. I don’t know if publishers enjoy that privilege.

I’m glad to see the President has approved bombing in Iraq. While the prevention of genocide is cause enough, I hope that it is public relations cover for what should be the real aim -- wiping ISIS off the face of the earth, which is what it would like to do to all who don’t meet its twisted criteria.

It seems NYC has an unelected co-mayor, Al Sharpton. In times like these I hope all my instincts about the left are completely wrong. I’m not leaving New York, but I understand why some would.

As I was returning from Mickey D's with my lunch, a crispy chicken and bacon wrap, I noticed two elderly Asian men playing a game in front of a house. The board looked like a floor panel and the pieces like cookies. I'd never seen it before.

My thanks to Victoria and her mom, who bought A Hitch in Twilight, and to the others who purchased wares today on Bay Parkway. It had been a couple of weeks since the last sale of one of my books. It's a relief to get off the schneid, to lose, at least temporarily, the feeling that there will never be another sale.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 8/8 - Boxes

I’ve viewed my first film produced, directed, and written by Paraguayans, courtesy of Netflix, and it's a winner. 7 Boxes (2012) is the story of a teenager who trolls a dense market in the capital city of Asuncion, asking to transport the bags of goods shoppers carry, using a rickety wooden cart. He happens to come upon a meat plant just before police are going to search it. The owner asks him to carry the boxes around until the coast is clear. A desperate older rival tries to steal the haul, certain it contains something of great value. This leads to exciting chases through the crowded mazes of the area. The most interesting theme is what certain people in dire straits will do. I don’t know enough about the country to say whether this is an overall picture of it. I hope it isn’t. Fortunately, humor leavens the narrative. Cell phones are new to the players, and the reactions to the capabilities are amusing. The most surprising and refreshing aspect is the benign portrayal of the cops. They are not the corrupt lot seen so often in movies that take place south of the border. The story is solid, but the real strength is the visuals of this heretofore unexplored territory. The young leads, Celso Franco and Lali Gonzalez, are fantastic, particularly the latter. The film was co-directed by Juan Carlos Maneglia and Tana Schemori, who collaborated on the screenplay with Tito Chamoro. It is not their first work. They each have several credits. 1800+ contributors at IMDb have rated 7 Boxes, forging to a consensus of 7.2 of ten. On a scale of five, I rate it 3.75. It runs about an hour-and-forty-five minutes. One drawback -- the subtitles are frequently lost in the colors on the screen. I don't know if a dubbed version is available.

The floating book shop has more than seven boxes of goods available. My thanks to the kind folks who made purchases on yet another day of magnificent weather. The highlight came when a Russian gentleman who extends best wishes every day stopped to chat. Always upbeat, he displayed rare dismay. He's worried about what America is becoming. He held both hands, fingers extended, and said he waited ten years for the opportunity to come here, and he had to do all sorts of menial labor in the meantime. Once the communists knew he was leaving, he, his wife and son were treated like persona non grata. He is not happy about those amassed at the border being allowed to jump the line. Can't blame him.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 8/7 - Research

Evil geniuses in Russia have hacked the username/password combos of millions. The government has not released the sites that have been hit. Yesterday I made changes at my financials. I’ve ignored stuff like this in the past, but since I’d been using the same codes for a long time I decided it was time to update.


Researchers in the UK have found that a fist bump transmits far fewer germs than a high five, which transmits 50% less than a handshake. I dole out fist bumps and handshakes in about equal proportion at the floating book shop. Maybe it's time to go 100% with the former. 

After years of being vilified socially and battered by taxes, smokers may finally have a reason to cheer. According to an article in today’s NY Post, scientists at a South Korean university say discarded cigarette filters can be transformed into high-performing carbon-based material used to store energy that will power all sorts of devices. Smokers may soon be greeniacs. I can hear Brooklynites right now: "What goes around comes around."

I don’t know if I’ve gotten dumber or if the crossword puzzles in the Post, which were once simplistic, have gotten harder. Taking a break from reading the past two days, I was unable to complete them, leaving several boxes unfilled. Kudos to the creators, who toil in anonymity under Tribune Media Services.

Christine Anderson Publishing sent me an email offering to cut its fee by 50%. It's generous, but it's still $500, and I would want to purchase 100 copies, which would send expenses past $1000. I was tempted but refused.  

My thanks to the gentleman who purchased a paperback thriller, the floating book shop's only sale of the day, and to Caroline, who donated three books, including a beautiful pictorial of the works of Andy Warhol that has Elvis in duplicate on the cover. It was on display for two hours. I'm surprised no one jumped on it. That's the way the week has gone.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 8/6 - Thanks

RIP Major General Harold J. Greene, 52, the highest-ranked U.S. officer to be slain in combat since 1970 in the Vietnam War. An engineer, he was a 34-year veteran of the Army. His current stateside home is in Falls Church, Va., where he lived with his wife, Army Colonel Sue Myers, and their daughter, Amelia Greene. Their son, West Point grad Matthew Joseph Myers Greene, changed his Facebook profile Tuesday afternoon to a photo of himself with his father. Thank you doesn't say enough.

I've come to my senses and decided not to publish Rising Star with Christine Anderson Publishing. I can publish it to Kindle for free and I can go to 48 Hours Press if I want copies for family and friends, and to sell on the street. One of the main reasons I went against it is that the Kindle through CAP would be at least five bucks. I can offer it myself for a dollar. In the meantime I'll try to find a home for the novel through traditional means. At the Poets & Writers website, I'm up to V in the list of small press publishers. I'll reevaluate when I've gone through the alphabet. I thank Miss Anderson for her kind words about the book.

My thanks to the young woman who bought Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, and Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. I love to see young people jump on the classics. Thanks also to Steve, the poet laureate of Sheepshead Bay, who purchased Christopher Hitchens' God Is Not Great, an argument for atheism. The prolific author of non-fiction died in 2011 at 60 from Pneumonia, a complication of esophageal cancer. And finally thanks to the gentleman who purchased a book in Russian that one of my regulars referred to as "dumb," which proves for the zillionth time that "one man's meat is another man's poison." I also had a visit form Ol' Smoky, now homeless and living on the Boardwalk in Coney Island. He was cursing up a storm, having been denied the use of the bathroom in two establishments on Sheepshead Bay Road. Thankfully, he found one.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 8/5 - Quandary

Yesterday I was so bummed by the lack of book sales that I fought back by submitting my rock n roll epic, Rising Star, blindly to Christine Anderson Publishing, based in Virginia, which I spotted on Twitter. A half-hour later I had a reply. She'd read a few chapters and loved it. Turns out she's a Brooklyn girl, her dad Sicilian, a former bookie. I'd made a mistake in not researching her terms before submission. Had I known a fee was involved, I wouldn't have bothered. As far as I understand, it's $1000, refundable upon the sale of 250 copies, be they Kindle or print, within a four-year period. If I were just starting out, it would be a no-brainer. Her process seems similar to that of Water Forest Press, which produced my second novel, Adjustments, which came out great. Since my next three books had the great fortune to find small press publishers, I've become spoiled, only having to pay for copies. I've turned a small profit on A Hitch in Twilight and Killing, and probably will on Exchanges too, although the publisher hasn't paid me for the 14 copies that have sold online. If I went the fee route again, I'd hesitate to buy copies. I might wait, hoping 250 would sell, then ask for copies in lieu of the returned fee. I'd get ten free copies upon publication, but they would be gone in a week. The first 20 or so sales are easy. Only Close to the Edge, which came out in 2000, has sold more than 250 -- 355 at last count, but it had an eight year head start on the others. I wonder if I'm following a pipe dream thinking RS will be picked up and published at no cost to me. So far it has fallen on deaf ears. I wonder if my level is the self-published and self-promoted book, and if it's silly to think otherwise. I've had positive feedback from very few readers. I've had little luck getting people to rate the book at Amazon. Maybe that's telling. Maybe that means my work is not very good, and people are just too polite to say so. So I face a quandary. Christine, to whom I just spoke for 15 minutes on the phone, is sending me a blank contract to help me make up my mind. Right now my heart says yes, but my mind says no.

Why I hate the Yankees, part 999: They recently acquired pitcher Brandon McCarthy. His record for Arizona was 3-10, his ERA 5.01 - in a league without the DH! He is 4-0 with New York, ERA 2.08 - in a league with the DH! If anyone ever doubted God is a Bombers fan...

The floating book shop enjoyed a nice rebound from yesterday's debacle in Park Slope. My thanks to the kind folks who bought books.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx