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Thursday, May 24, 2007
Nick Talks!
Yeah, I know. I talk a lot. I probably talk too much for my own damn good some times. Anyway, I recently
completed an interview with Inside Scoop Live, and if you click on the link below you can hear it. I share some thoughts
on the Handyman books, my inspiration for the story, and even a little bit of my own backround.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Listen To the Music
I'm sure it comes as no surprise to readers of The Handyman's Dream that Ed Stephens' stereo is still going
strong in The Handyman's Reality.
Once again, I've posted Imixes at Itunes as a way of featuring some of the music from the book's soundtrack. You
can go directly to those Imixes by clicking on the links found on THE HANDYMAN'S REALITY Information and Links page.
The Handyman's Reality (1981) features 1981 hits that Ed and the other characters are hearing on the radio throughout
the story. The nine songs included on the Imix should provide a nostalgic dose of memories for anyone who remembers
what they were doing when "Bette Davis Eyes," "Rapture," and "Stars on 45" were dominating the radio airwaves.
Unfortunately, some of the hits from that year featured in the book are currently unavailable on Itunes, so readers will have
to look a little harder to get their fixes for "Morning Train," "Back in Black," and "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)."
Two of Ed's big 1981 favorites are quite hard to find these days -- "Sweetheart" from Franke & The Knockouts, and
"Don't Give It Up" by Robbie Patton. If anyone is able to track these down on CD or MP3, be sure and let me know and
I'll see about getting links for them posted here.
The Handyman's Reality (The Oldies) features pre-1981 songs from the book, including two of Ed and Rick's favorites,
"One Man Band" (Three Dog Night) and "Hold Your Head Up" (Argent). Also featured are several great hits from the sixties
including "Dedicated to the One I Love" (The Mamas & The Papas), "Goin' Out Of My Head" (Little Anthony &
The Imperials), "Don't Sleep in the Subway" (Petula Clark), "I Hear A Symphony" (The Supremes), and "Summer In the City" (The
Lovin' Spoonful). The seventies are also well represented with timeless hits from The Stylistics, Exile, Donna Summer,
The Knack, and Bobby Caldwell. Oh, and I thought it was about time I included James Taylor's "Handy Man" as well!
As Mr. Dick Clark says, pop music is the soundtrack of our lives, and it's my pleasure to share the soundtrack of Ed
Stephens' life with all of the readers who have come to know and love him through my two novels. If you ever have
any questions about the music featured in my stories, or just want to share your own musical memories with a serious pop music
junkie (me!), shoot me an email, okay?
Read, listen, and enjoy The Handyman's Reality. I can't tell you what a thrill it is to finally have the
book so many readers have looked forward to out in the world. Again, let me know what you think about the music AND
the story!
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Reader Views Interview
I was recently interviewed by the good folks at Reader Views. Here's a link to the review that dishes a little
dirt on both The Handyman's Reality and me:
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
THE HANDYMAN'S REALITY Now Available
If you feel you've waited long enough to find out what happens next to Ed Stephens and Rick Benton, the wait is officially
over. As of today, The Handyman's Reality is available for purchase through its publisher's bookstore, and
through amazon.com. Additional copies should be gracing the shelves of the finest gay and lesbian
bookstores across the U.S. in June, if not before. To purchase the book right now, for less than the suggested
retail price, click on this link:
To purchase The Handyman's Reality through amazon.com, click on either of these two links:
For a hardcover copy --
For a softcover copy --
Happy reading. The boys are back in town!
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When I'm Not Writing...
UPDATE: If you are on Facebook I hope you'll join the NICK POFF Author of
the HANDYMAN series group for discussions, updates, and more.
The sad but honest truth is that most writers need to supplement their income with something other than writing.
I've worked in the radio industry since the tender age of sixteen, and for the same two radio stations for the past fourteen
years. We call it The Hotel California -- you can check out but you can never leave! It's amazing how people go,
but then seem to come back at some time, including me. Radio has been good to me, and although there are still times
I regret not sticking with the writing thing at an earlier age, it's been an interesting ride.
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Things I'm Enjoying....
In The Handyman's Dream Ed and Rick spend time at a cabin on a small lake in southern Michigan.
In a weird fiction-meets-non-fiction kind of way, John Sellers writes about just such a place in his latest
book, The Old Man and the Swamp. It is a must-read for anyone who, like me, has been intrigued by that strange part
of the world at the borders of Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio; fears and respects snakes, and has enitrely too much
memory space dedicated to the 70's & 80's.
I enjoyed Joyce Maynard's latest, The Good Daughters.
I still can't believe All My Children is leaving ABC this September. I was a SLAVE to this
soap opera for 27 years. Even though I stopped watching every day back in '01, I've checked in occasionally, and talked with
co-workers about what was going on in Pine Valley. I mean......a world without Erica Kane? That, to me, is scarier
than facing the end of the Mayan calendar! I have, of course, read Susan Lucci's recent memoir, All My Life.
It's a nice, breezy read, but for diehard AMC fans only. Still...Ms. Lucci is on my list of people I hope to meet someday,
if only to say "THANKS!"
The wonderful thing about "All My Children" is that it was, for many years, more than "just a soap
opera." It was a second family of sorts to its most loyal fans. We can thank the amazing Agnes Nixon, the show's creator for
that, but I also think thanks must be given to the entire production staff, and those incredible actors who made those characters
so special to us. Did I learn some basic facts about life from watching this daytime drama? Yes. Did I learn how to write
a good story from watching "All My Children?" You betcha. Anyone who reads and enjoys the HANDYMAN books can be grateful
for the hours I spent in front of the TV, absorbing the finest writing in daytime television.
Just below is the link to the YouTube video from the intro of the 20th
Anniversary special from 1990. It contains some brief clips from the first 20 years of the show. Although AMC soared wonderfully
into the 21st Century, I gotta admit the best stories were from the first 20 years.
This show ain't dead yet, but it will be in September. Yeah, I'll probably be watching those
final episodes. In the meantime, I want to celebrate some of the best creative writing classes I ever attended. Thanks,
"All My Children!"
And I'm truly finding a great deal of joy in producing and broadcasting my little internet radio
show on www.live365.com. I hope you'll tune in some Wednesday evening for some wonderful old music and chat.
It's all RETRO here at the House of Nick. I also love the occasional old game show clip on YouTube.
I'm all about the retro fun stuff. I'd like to think it reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously in the here
and now. I celebrate old pop music on my internet radio show, NICK POFF RADIO 45.
As most writers do, I love word games, so I always enjoyed the game shows dealing with words. I loved the
$10,000 Pyramid (and the $20,000 and the $25,000 Pyramid, etc.). For those with a short attention span, here's Billy Crystal's
record-breaking trip to the top.
"I can't even watch The New Treasure Hunt anymore because you give me so much shit about it!"
(The above line of dialogue was deleted from the final draft of The Handyman's Dream. Ed's enjoyment
of game shows and Rick's dislike of them would continue to be a source of irritation.)
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Meet two potential victims of global warming.
If you want to save the bears as much as I do, vote wisely in each and every election, and check out the link
on my Favorite Links page.
Nick Poff
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