Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 6/25

There was a bit of excitement in the old neighborhood today. As I approached the block I grew up on, Bay 37th, in Bensonhurst, I saw smoke against the blue sky and heard sirens. What was formerly known as the Ultissima Beauty School - affectionately known as Ul-tits-ima to ruffians, yours truly excepted, of course - was burning. It is around the corner and up one street from my old house, and directly across the way from where I set up the floating bookshop most Saturdays, 24th Avenue. Scores of spectators lined the opposite side of 86th Street and gawked past the elevated tracks. The storefronts had been evacuated. Windows had been shattered by the firemen, many of whom had had to travel only 200 yards to fight the blaze. There were trucks from others companies as well. Apparently, authorities decided to err on the side of caution. The damage seemed minimal, although my oldest niece, Isabel, who had been there from the start, said flames had been rising from the roof. Perhaps someone had left a curling iron unattended. It is just as possible the fire had started in the little Mexican restaurant a few doors down. No one knew. I spotted Vinny, whose family for decades has owned the huge property on the next block that houses the Dolphin Gym, a dollar store and an Albanian restaurant. "Lookin' to expand?" I said quietly. He laughed. 
The area was still blocked off by the time I was ready to go to work, so I had to set up elsewhere. I headed to Bay Parkway, six blocks further, my Sunday spot. It proved to be lucky. I immediately sold a spelling book to a mom looking to help her son's reading. And then a tall young man approached, a box cradled to his chest. He said he was the son of a frequent donor, Joanne. He looked just like her. As soon as I'd set out the hard covers she'd surrendered, Jack, an employee of the Chase Bank directly in front of me, stepped out the main door. I thought he was going to say his boss had told him to tell me to take a hike. Not! He has an hour-and-a-half subway commute and goes through three books a week. He took eight. Thanks, folks.
On a sad note, Peter Falk, 83, has died. In the 70's, he created the wildly popular role of Columbo, a detective whose quirkiness and drab attire bamboozled murderers. He won four Emmys. He also did outstanding work in films, twice nominated for an Academy Award, as the deadly Abe Reles in Murder, Inc. (1960) and as a comic thug in A Pocketful of Miracles (1961). I wonder if he'll wear the raincoat in heaven. RIP.
And to cap off a fine day, I found Monica Brinkman's The Turn of the Karmic Wheel in my mailbox. I'd won a copy by answering a question correctly. Monica does yeoman work promoting the work of writers published by All Things That Matter Press, including web radio at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/monicabrinkmanandoana I look forward to reading her book.
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Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 5/27

The floating bookshop suffered its first theft today - in broad daylight - when a little girl absconded with a children's book, unbeknownst (is there such a word?) to her mom, who was perusing her electronic device. I chuckled and kept my mouth shut. I doubt she knew she was stealing. I'd bet she assumed the books were there for the taking.
For a long while it seemed that would be my only action. I was finally shooed from my usual nook, as someone from the building's management, which is not on the premises, happened to show up. I didn't argue. I'm not out there to make enemies. I've been expecting it. I set up about 75 feet away, just past a bus shelter. I received a two-book donation from an 84-year-old veteran who gets books from the VA, and five more from one of my regulars, Dave, whose wife has been pressing him to get rid of the stacks he's accumulated. It seemed that would be it until Feng Wu, an adorable Asian of about 20, not confident with English, stopped by and asked if I had any short stories. I showed her A Hitch in Twilight, doubting she would be interested. When I said the first story takes place in Brighton Beach and another in Coney Island, she was sold. She asked for my website and email address. I was so grateful I gave her three first rate books as a gift: Nicholas Sparks' The Last Song, Susan Elizabeth Phillips' romance potboiler Ain't She Sweet, and James Patterson's I, Alex Cross, which Dave had given me. He also donated three pristine hardcover Greg Iles thrillers and three valuable paperbacks. Thanks, folks.
This morning I learned I'd won a contest. Monica Brinkman, host of a blogradio broadcast focused on writing, and author of The Turn of the Karmic Wheel, runs one as a means of publicity. I forgot to ask if it was her book I'd won. I hope so. I've been dying to read it.
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Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 5/6

Arlynn is on cloud nine right now. Her son, Jaime, a Coast Guard security officer, is home for the weekend, which means I had the day off, as he accompanied her to today's treatment, so I had more time to spend at the floating bookshop. It was so beautiful that I thought about setting up at the foot of Sheepshead Bay, but when I found parking ten yards from my usual nook, which sees more pedestrian traffic at mid day than the promenade, I thought What the heck? It proved to be the right choice. I immediately sold another thriller to the merry mail-woman and a Debbie Macomber novel to an elderly woman just back from Florida. I also got a visit from Bob Rubenstein, author of Ghost Runners, who is disappointed that his recent interview on Monica Brinkman's show on Blog Talk Radio did not generate any sales. Nonetheless, he is hard at work on his second novel. He purchased three children's books for his tutoring gig, as he has several times. Hang in there, buddy. Then the building porter, who has donated so many books to me, showed up and handed me a beautiful cookbook, which a woman bought a half hour later. Thanks, folks. The two slices at Delmar were on you.
But the highlight of the day was the feedback I got from Mark, a special ed teacher at Sheepshead Bay HS. Since he's also working on a Master's in nutrition, he doesn't have much leisure time to read. He has enjoyed the first three stories of A Hitch in Twilight, particularly the opener, The Man in the Box, whose ending he'd been certain would disappoint him. Instead, he was "blown away." I was glad I was wearing sunglasses, because I got misty. A comment like that takes a lot of the sting out of the infrequent sale of my own work. Thank you, sir. And thanks to the woman who bought the two Sylvia Browne books yesterday and left saying: "God bless you." And thanks to Jaime, who gave me an authentic Coast Guard cap, purchased at the PX on his base.
Read Vic's stories, free: http://vicfortezza.homestead.com/