Dave Shields Author Blog

How to Lose Your Shirt... then put it back on.

2008-12-21T12:04:00.006-07:00

I've always known my career would take many twists, but I never dreamed I'd turn this many unexpected corners. Not long ago I believed my writing career was on the verge of financial success. I'd had the incredible fortune of writing Saul Raisin's biography, and from the very first it began receiving critical acclaim. On the day of the books official release Saul made good on his amazing early declaration to me by competing in the 2007 U.S. Pro Cycling Championship. A year and a half before, on the verge of death, nobody could have dreamed such a ride was possible.

On the strength of the early reviews and also what looked like a powerful stream of upcoming publicity my distributor, Independent Publishers Group (IPG), placed thousands of copies of Tour de Life on bookshelves around the nation. Small publishers dream of this sort of an opportunity. Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Amazon all made large orders. Inside Edition, the news magazine show, sent a three person crew to Greenville, South Carolina to film a segment on Saul's inspirational return to pro cycling. A producer from the Ellen Degeneris Show told my publicist that if the ratings for the Inside Edition piece were strong that we'd get a spot on Ellen. Since Inside Edition is distributed by King World, the same organization that represents Oprah, we believed we also had a legitimate shot at telling Saul's story on the most sought after of all media outlets for books. Everything was going according to our dreams... in fact, things were going better than we'd dreamed.

Then everything changed. On the day the Inside Edition segment was to air O.J. Simpson got arrested in Vegas. Not surprisingly, given the focus of the show, we got bumped. My publicist and I made many calls to Inside Edition but were never again able to speak to a producer of the show. Within weeks the producer we'd been working with left Inside Edition. Some time later Saul made a call to Inside Edition hoping for an opportunity to at least see the footage, but he never got an answer.

Then in November of that year Saul learned that Credit Agricole would no longer allow him to race. A side effect of that decision was that the publicity Saul was getting further subsided, and as a consequence our already slow sales slowed some more. This combination resulted in the worst insult. You see, bookstores generally have 90 or more days to pay for their inventory. Even after it is paid for books remain fully returnable, so publishers face a big risk. As the grace period on all those books IPG had placed began to expire the bookstores made the decision to return the books instead of sending in payment. Every time a book got sent back not only did we lose the money for that particular copy, we also had to pay a re-stocking fee. Our tremendous small press accomplishment of getting so many copies on bookstore shelves turned into a nightmare. My small company ended up deep in the red.

Back in 2004 when a series of events prompted me to create Three Story Press I made my wife a number of promises. Some of them were financial since she has this curious determination to put food on the table for our children. Since I wasn't upholding my end of the bargain financially there was no alternitive but to search for a new career. After a shortlived job with one small company I found myself studying for the insurance exam in order to take a position with Aflac... the duck company. I had never dreamed I'd become an insurance agent, but the good news is that I made a great decision when I chose this company. Slowly but surely I dug my way out of my financial hole. Aflac has been an incredible organization to work for, and the flexibility they've given me ought to eventually enable me to continue with my writing as well. I still believe that my cycling novels can eventually earn a mainstream break (one production company is currently researching a film option), and Saul's determination to benefit brain and spinal chord injury patients through his Raisin Hope Foundation could spark that books sales as well.

Today I'm particularly happy because tomorrow I will officially qualify for a one week trip to Kauai. As excited as I am to explore Paradise, I'm even more excited to give my wife a vacation. I've asked more of her than I have a right to during this challenging attempt at writing fortune and fame. While I've received the non-monetary rewards of awards, recognition, relationships, and travel, she's come through the experience mostly empty handed. Thank you, Aflac, for helping me turn things around.

So, after losing my shirt in the publishing business I was able to put it back on via the insurance business, and I've had such great success in the process that I get to take my shirt back off on a warm beach this coming April. Life continues to be one adventure after another!

2008 Tour of California

2008-02-25T16:05:00.002-07:00

My posting record has been less than stellar lately, but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy. I just returned from another week-long cycling event, this time the Tour of California. Wow, what a well supported event! The organizers have done things right and the crowds have come out in force, despite some really bad weather. If you think it's just an endurance event for cyclists, though, sign up as a volunteer or purchase space in a booth. These events make marathons easy by comparison. Most mornings I was up before 5 am, and most evenings I wasn't home until 8 pm. Some evenings were much later.

It is always so much fun talking to cycling fans, and particularly to readers of my books. I've been blessed that so many people have reacted so positively to my work. It makes me particularly happy when young people tell me their impressions. I particularly remember an eleven year old boy who told me how meaningful The Race has been to him. He asked me lots of great questions, including, where do I get my stories from? I'm lucky, because I've never run short on story ideas and I can't imagine that I ever will. Writer's cramp? What is that?

Today I'm both exhausted and swamped. I've got a ton of work to get done before my family (including my parents), Saul's family, and Marty Jemison's family all go to the Moab Skinny Tire Festival next weekend. What a great event that's going to be!

My Hero, Saul Raisin

2007-11-22T21:53:00.000-07:00

Two days ago my girls and I went bowling with Saul and Aleeza. We had such a fun evening, though I could tell Aleeza was distracted by something. The next morning Saul called me. He broke down in tears as he said that his dream of racing professionally had been crushed. You can learn more about the circumstances in this eloquent post he published to his blog this evening.

Over the course of writing and promoting the book we've written together, Tour de Life, our family has come to love Saul and Aleeza. Saul's parents have a special place in our heart, too. For two days we've been talking and thinking about them. We've only been able to communicate with the four of them a little bit since the news hit. As you can imagine, their lives have been thrown into turmoil.

Watching Saul's determination, and especially getting to know him as things have progressed, has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. I believe to my core that Saul would have eventually won the Tour de France, but unfortunately, there were factors involved in reaching that goal that were out of his control. Saul's ability to race again at the pro level was dependent on more than just his recovery. Every doctor, every sponsor, every race organizer, and every governing authority who signed off on letting him continue were also signing on to a potentially enormous liability should he ever crash or cause a crash. Unfortunately, the time has now come when someone with a large stake in the matter is too fearful of the risks. As saddened as I am by their decision, I can understand why they might have made it.

Saul can't be kept down, though. If you've read his book or followed his blog I'm sure you'll agree that we're going to see more great things from him, even if winning a pro cycling race is not among them. As Saul always says, "Blue skies ahead!"

The State of Cycling

2007-07-25T15:42:00.000-06:00

The sport I love is in chaos. It's currently imploding under an enormous lie. It's not a lie that's unique to cycling, but for a variety of reasons this sport is currently exposed more than any other. That lie is doping. Here's the reality for the elite athletes in many sports:

The fans are led to believe that cheating is against the rules. Seems like pretty simple logic. The athletes experience is entirely different. They dedicate their lives to reaching the top of their chosen profession, and eventually they arrive upon a difficult realization. The unspoken code of athletics is, "If you're not cheating, you're not trying." All around them they see evidence that the athletes they once admired from afar are not quite so superhuman as the television has made them appear. Now on the inside, they are introduced to codes of silence and unwritten rules. They discover that there is a man behind the curtain and that the strings he pulls could make or break their career. They have choices to make: Do they take the next step? Do they turn their back and quietly walk away from their dreams? Do they blow the whistle?

If you think the second or third choices are the easy ones then you probably haven't stopped to imagine the dilemma that these men are facing. With only a small window of time in which to fit their career, make their name, earn their fortune, it's not so easy to "do the right thing." With everything invested including the support of loved ones and the dreams of a lifetime it's not so simple to simply walk away.

Imagine climbing Everest, a conquest that's usually years in the making. Even once you've reached Nepal the ascent is an arduous task requiring many ascents and descents for acclimation. It takes weeks, sometimes months, to get an opportunity to reach the top. Now imagine that your summit day arrives and that, having invested all of your resources and energy into gaining the peak you're surprised to come upon a yellow police line half-way up the final slope. The peak is within sight, but it's closed today for reasons that aren't entirely clear. Up the slope you can see that others have ignored the warning. Do you cross beneath the piece of tape, knowing that it's an illegal act, but confident you're not likely to get caught? Or do you turn around, giving up on your quest within sight of capturing it, thwarted by a rule that others seem to be ignoring? Is the decision easy? This isn't a perfect analogy to doping in sport, but it's closer than you might like to think.

Chemists, doctors, sponsors, advertisers, team ownership, fans, and other facilitators have put athletes (cyclists in this case) into a very difficult position. Man up or be seen as a quitter. The second choice isn't an alternative that sits well with many athletes. The pressure to cheat often feels greater than the pressure to abide by the rules, but even the act of cheating isn't set up fairly. If the athlete cheats with drugs it's almost impossible to do that without the help of others, but if he gets caught he usually faces career ending punishment. The facilitators rarely face anything. They just find another athlete to put under pressure. These facilitators are the true beneficiaries of cheating. In my conversations with elite athletes I've found that nearly all of them want drugs driven from their sports, but speaking so boldly, for them, could be career suicide.

It's a situation that must be cleaned up, not just in cycling but across the athletic world. As a fan of this beautiful and complex sport I hope that it can survive the cleansing. More than many observers I have confidence it will. Partly that springs from a very fortunate circumstance. I know Saul Raisin. This kid is good... not just athletically, but morally. Saul survived his terrible crash because of the tough lessons he learned in the sport of cycling. He's proof of how powerfully this sport can shape lives, and he's about to show the world that it's possible to accomplish incredible things on a bike while riding clean. Saul is an outspoken opponent of drugs and the drug culture. If sport is to survive we need a lot more athletes to follow his example. That's why I repeat what you may have already heard some cycling fans cheering. "Go Saul! Go!"

Cooked.

2007-07-22T07:57:00.000-06:00

Yesterday morning I found time for a ride. Once I got going I couldn't get myself to stop. At the top of the second mountain pass some guys talked me into riding down the backside with them. That meant there would be two big climbs between me and home, though. On the way back up the hill I really started suffering, and I was nowhere near as capable of hiding it as the super-human athletes you see in the Tour de France. I ran out of food and water and I could hardly keep my bike going forward. Eventually I found a shady spot and laid down for a while. Farther up the slope I stuck my head under a waterfall.

I descended the mountain just fine, but then on the second climb my legs seized. It was so bad that I almost fell off my bike into the center of the road. Eventually I found myself sitting in the ditch, incapable of bending my legs. It wasn't merely that they hurt, but my brain was incapable of even sending a signal to my muscles to bend my knee. After five minutes I started walking my bike and a little later on I was able to start riding. I rolled down the last hill but there were a few short hills between the entrance to the canyon and my house. The last one is a steep bugger (17%), and as I approached it I knew I couldn't possibly make it up. I got off my bike and struggled to the top at a slow walk. I came into the house and collapsed. My wife took one look and said, "What in the world is wrong with you."

What happened is that I do way too much writing and way too little riding. My ting/ding ratio is seriously out of whack. You should see the insane striations in my left pinky finger, though.

An Exciting Day!

2007-06-13T20:51:00.000-06:00

Today I received inventory of the new book Saul Raisin and I wrote together. He came by after his ride for a quick celebration. Lots of other great things are going on which I'll write about soon, but the best thing of all was that my nine-year-old daughter, Carly, wrote me a wonderful little story. This is her account of a special adventure that we've had over the last few weeks:

Baby Blue Jay
By Carly Shields

One day I was doing my report. I went upstairs after a while because I was getting bored. But the weird thing was my parents weren’t upstairs so I went outside and there’s my dad walking down the sidewalk with a baby blue jay in his hands!!!!!!

My mom and Sabrina (my sister) were on a walk and they saw the Blue Jay sitting on the ground.

We found a cage to put him in and we gave him some water out of a syringe and shelled sunflower seeds.

We named him Sun Jay because we found him on Sunday, he likes the sun, and Sabrina found him!!

Soon he could fly but right after that we had to go to Lake Powell while we were there he flew away!! I miss him terribly and I always will!! I hope he’s okay out there!!!

The end

IPPY Finalist

2007-05-07T21:11:00.000-06:00

I learned today that The Tour is a finalist for an IPPY Award. I'd love to add one of those beauties to my collection. I'm headed to New York for the presentation ceremony in a few weeks. A few weeks ago I returned from the Tour de Georgia. It was my fourth trip around the state with the bike race, and I've made several other trips to Georgia in the last few years for various other reasons. I used to think I knew Georgia from traveling to Atlanta so much. I was wrong. It is a great state with wonderful people and a lot more geographic variety than I'd previously imagined.

This year I took my wife along. She was surprised by two things. 1) How much work it is to chase a bike race around selling books. We were up before 6 a.m. every day and usually got home for the night after 8 p.m. I've gotten so used to this bizarre form of a vacation that I sort of forgot it wouldn't be too much fun if you weren't a big cycling fan. 2) How fantastic Georgia is. She wants to return with the kids for a trip. We hope to do that next year.

For now all of my energy is focused on getting Saul Raisin's biography out. It's titled Tour de Life: From Coma to Competition, and I believe it has the opportunity for major success. I'm going to give it everything I've got to make sure the mainstream media learns about this incredible story.

Done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-04-13T08:22:00.000-06:00

At 3 AM yesterday morning I sent the completed manuscript of Tour de Life (Saul Raisin's biography) to the typesetter. Words cannot express how good this feels. If I mentioned how many hours I've invested in this project over the last several months people wouldn't believe me. I'm exhausted, but now the hard work of promotion begins.

The book is receiving fantastic reviews so far (this summer we'll get reviews from major sources like the New York Times), and Saul's incredible recent accomplishments only further convince me that this story has blockbuster potential. It won't be available in stores until September, but if you want to receive it sometime in July you can prepurchase it through my Web site. If you'd like to see more check out http://www.TourdeLife.us. Please help us spread the word.

An Unforgettable Day

2006-12-16T04:46:00.000-07:00

I'm at Saul Raisin's home in Dalton, Georgia right now. We've had many wonderful adventures over the last few days but today (12/15) tops them all. Saul and I rode from Dalton to Ellijay and back. The distance is nearly 100 miles. Fort Mountain, a tough eight mile climb, is in the way. In addition, the "flat" terrain is actually mostly one big roller after another. It took us a little under 6.5 hours.

I rode the bike Saul was on when he crashed in April during the Circuit de la Sarthe, and did his early rehabilitation on as well. What an incredible machine! It's the best bike I've ever thrown a leg over, and it has some amazing history to boot.

We talked much of the time about stories relating to the book we are writing together. The more detail I learn the more amazing this story becomes.

I also want to report that Saul is doing incredibly well. He has a heart of gold and a will of iron. More than anyone else I've ever met, he was born to ride a bike. His bicycle gives him wings, both physically and emotionally. I agree with him that many medical professionals have vastly underestimated the healing power of these magical machines. Saul's bicycle is one of the primary explainations behind his miraculous recovery. A few of the others are his wonderful family, his supportive team, his fans and the prayers they sent his way, the medical professionals who first saved his life and then gave him back his strength, and his innate desire to prove the impossible really is possible. Never give Saul a challenge unless it's something you'd like to see accomplished.

If you're wondering how well I did on the ride, wonder no more. Other than a two hour ride we took together yesterday, this is my first ride of more than an hour since my birthday in October when I rode the spectacular Moab Century. To say that was overmatched is an understatement. He can ramp it up to 400 watts and stay there for as long as he wants. He tells me that since his injury, on the bike he feels no pain. To say that I'm exhausted is ajg4583&)!oriHJ[0'W0

Whoops. Sorry, I just fell asleep on the keyboard.

I've got to go now. I need to ask Saul's dad, Jim, if he would be willing to rig a harness to lower me down to the main floor for breakfast in the morning.I wonder how I'm going to get down the stairs to breakfast in the morning. The thought of walking down those stairs is too frightening to face.

Writing Saul's Book

2006-12-02T11:15:00.000-07:00

I haven't been blogging or writing many other articles at all lately because every spare moment is devoted to writing Saul Raisin's book. It's an amazing story, but I never imagined how hard it would be to put onto paper. There's a lot of work still to be done and a bunch of pressing deadlines looming over me. I'm driven to get it completed on time, though, and you should see it on store shelves by September 1. If you're on my e-mail list you'll have an opportunity to purchase it much earlier than that. You can sign up by sending your contact info here.

Slow Blogging

2006-10-21T21:15:00.000-06:00

I've done a poor job recently of updating my blog, but I've been so busy. I'm going to try to make up for it with links to a couple of my recent articles:
Setting the Cornerstones
Century for the Centuries

Thanks, Anonymous.

2006-09-07T21:20:00.000-06:00

I've been so busy handling the repercussions of my major announcement that I forgot to let my blog readers know what the major announcement was. Fortunately, someone just sent me an anonymous reminder. So, here's the big news:

Saul Raisin and I are writing a book together. His parents are a big part of this, too. Like most cycling fans I had been following the story of Saul's recovery since his terrible accident this spring, then one day to my great surprise, he contacted me. Soon we were talking about the possibilities of a book, and then I arranged to visit his home in Dalton, GA. The details I learned about his story took this project to a whole new level for me. I will work my hardest to do them justice in the re-telling.

It's been inspiring to experience Saul's progress first-hand over the last few months as his recovery has progressed. The improvements are a direct result of his incredible drive. Saul is one of the most passionate people I've ever encountered, partially because of his near death experience. He wants to tell his story for the benefit of brain and spinal chord injury patients and their families. He knows first hand how difficult it can be to keep fighting, but he also knows the rewards. He says that the recovery is the toughest thing he's ever accomplished in his life, and I can't wait to show you why. Saul's story is nothing short of miraculous. I'm thrilled and honored that he and his family have chosen me to help share it with you.

Major Anouncement Upcoming

2006-09-01T20:53:00.000-06:00

I'm at the US Pro Championships in Greenville, SC. I'm running on fumes. Last night I got three hours sleep. I got a half hour nap later in the day. It's been one big event after another. I've had incredible adventures, and lots of experiences with top pro cyclists and other interesting people in the industry.

Tomorrow afternoon at the Athlete Presentation there will be a major announcement involving me. Stay tuned for details.

Two Great Weeks

2006-08-21T11:22:00.000-06:00

I had a very successful Tour of Utah two weeks ago, then followed it up with what was to be a relaxing vacation in Sun Valley. My publicist, however, had different ideas. She asked if I'd be willing to do a signing at Iconoclast Books in Ketchum, Idaho while I was on my trip. I agreed and before I even had my bearings she'd arranged a date along with newspaper, radio, and television interviews.

Book store signings can be rough. Ask any author. That's why I was thrilled to find people already waiting for signatures when I arrived half an hour early. By the time I started speaking the place was packed to capacity and we had a very interactive hour long discussion. When I finished they gave me a standing ovation.

Another fun detail: While riding my bike on Old Dollar Road near the heart of Sun Valley I had a major flashback. More than thirty years ago I had my first really bad bicycle crash on this very same road. We were on a family vacation and I trying to show off to my cousin how I could ride down a hill with no hands. I succeeded for a time, but unfortunately I ultimately used my face as a brake. Oh well. It turned out for the best as I've now used that and many other slides for life as research for my books.

Bad News is Good News. Good News is No News.

2006-07-28T15:35:00.000-06:00

I worked the phones and Internet as hard as I could to get media opportunities throughout the 2006 Tour de France. This sort of publicity is an integral part of my efforts to build my writing career. I give expert insight into cycling, and in return the media gives my books publicity. Win/win.

But the result this year was only a smattering of interviews, mostly from sources who have been happy with the job I've done for them in the past. Without Lance Armstrong in the race, the mainstream interest was significantly reduced.

So it was with a mixture of exhaustion and resignation that I gave up on my media chasing efforts as the Tour concluded. Another year gone by, another chance at my big break disintegrated. I long ago realized that succeeding as a novelist was going to be a far tougher job than I'd ever dreamed.

Yesterday morning I turned on my computer and looked through the days stories with no thought about capitalizing on them for book publicity. But the moment the bad news about Floyd became official, my phone started ringing off the hook. Interview requests flooded in so fast that I couldn't possibly handle them all. The non-story of the Tour de France was suddenly hotter than melting tar on a Pyraneean descent. How come? Because the news was bad. Whether we're comfortable admitting it or not, we humans are hard wired to watching disasters. I'm sure it has an ancient relationship to the survival instinct.

Suddenly I was talking to America about Floyd's troubles, while simultaneously collecting my thoughts on what they meant. Along the way readers pointed out to me that the parallels between my most recent novel, The Tour, and actual events, are only becoming more pronounced. I can only hope that Floyd Landis, like my protagonist Ben Barnes, has been wrongly accused. Either way, the stampede to convict is the same.

I really feel for the Floyd because protocol has been trampled in the rush to judgment. He went from the top of the world to the bottom in the turn of a pedal. I've tried to point out problems with this case, but I've been amazed at how bloodthirsty some people are. One radio personality told me that Floyd's request to be considered innocent until proven guilty was an unreasonable demand.

This is a guy's life we're talking about, folks. Landis is a remarkable man who has devoted everything to pursuit of a single goal. If he cheated in order to attain it he'll get the punishment he deserves. If he didn't, he redefined heroism with his ride and he's doing it again with his handling of this crisis. Let's not become so jaded that we won't allow ourselves to be elevated by an inspiring performance. Floyd deserves the opportunity to present his case.

Peeking Into the Soul

2006-07-21T14:20:00.000-06:00

What a Tour this has been! I've been so busy I've neglected my blog. I'll try to make up for it by linking to an article I wrote yesterday that's resulting in tons of hits to my Web site. You can read it by clicking here.

What a Tour!

2006-07-16T13:06:00.000-06:00

We've got a week to go and an incredible race ahead of us. I've been working hard doing television and radio interviews, writing articles, and following up on other book marketing opportuinities. Here's a recent article about Floyd's strategy in giving up the yellow jersey that you might be interested in.

I want to thank all of the readers who have contacted me, especially those who are spreading the word about my books whether it be to friends, book stores, bike stores, libraries, local media or anybody else. I sincerely appreciate your enthusiasm in helping me to take my career to the next level.

Tour de France Chaos

2006-07-07T11:14:00.000-06:00

In the whirlwind of the Tour de France I've been too busy to update my own blog. I've done recent interviews on ESPN, CNN, and with many radio stations and newspapers. I'm doing guest columns in a variety of venues. I spend most of the time in between trying to line up new interviews. The reason that I'm so driven is that I'm a passionate fan of professional cycling. I don't want to see it disappear from American radar just because the Lance Armstrong era is over.

The Tour has been getting lots of great new reviews recently. Please check them out here. I hope that if you've enjoyed my books you'll help me spread the word. More than anything else, these novels are breaking through because of the support of passionate readers. Thanks for all of the help!

For My Next Trick...

2006-06-29T15:36:00.000-06:00

When I wrote The Race, about a Utah cyclist winning the yellow jersey in the Tour de France, there weren't even any hot prospects from Utah capable of accomplishing that, but last year Dave Zabriskie came out of nowhere and became the third American in history to wear yellow.

So then I wrote The Tour. It's about a drug scandal with major impacts on the cycling world. Have you read the headlines lately? The coincidences with my fictional story are almost too bizarre to believe. Are the stories I dreaming up somehow impacting the future?

Anyway, I've got this new idea for a book. It's about an ambitious novelist living in Salt Lake City whose career hits the big time when he stuns the literary world by winning the Pulitzer Prize. I'd better be very accurate about where this guy lives, because it would be really wierd if my neighbor (who works for the utility company) suddenly found himself the recipient of a Pulitzer.

Key Endorsements

2006-06-22T13:37:00.000-06:00

It's amazing how many people have been contacting me with reaction to my novels in the last few days. There are two I must share. Today I heard from Chris Carmichael, Lance Armstrong's personal coach. He wrote my publisher: "I read The Race and found it interesting. He has a good knowledge of cycling and the book reads easily as excitement builds. I was impressed."

I also heard directly from Aron Ralston. You might recall that he amputated his own arm to save his life when trapped in a Utah slot canyon. He's a very impressive guy. I'd like to share an insightful e-mail he sent me regarding The Tour:

"It's true that athletes are role models, and the effect of cheating on spectators is a disenchantment. Athletes show us what we are capable of doing, providing motivation and inspiration. We want to believe we too would be as capable as those we watch. For this to work, we need to see humans accomplishing superhuman results, and then be able to place ourselves in those other human's minds and bodies and see the potential in ourselves. Exposed cheating breaks the charm and effectiveness of that process. While particular individual cheaters may not get caught, cheating will always be exposed at some time or another, and then the sport loses its ability to captivate the imagination.

The Tour presents a uniquely open discussion of the complex pressures and circumstances of cheating. It gave me an inside-the-race understanding of what athletes cope with, saying in fiction what real sportsmen would love to say, and I admire those who race clean all the more for it. The Tour is the most compelling and open discussion of cheating I've ever read."

Words as Wildfire

2006-06-19T13:33:00.000-06:00

It's an exciting time! I'm hearing from media sources daily about positive reactions to The Tour. As the buildup for the 2006 race continues, momentum keeps building. At first we met with hesitation on the part of some media outlets to review a novel dealing with doping. Maybe this was because people don't tend to see drugs as an entertaining subject. The whole topic feels dirty. People demand entertainment above all else from their novels, and feared that this story would be depressing. But as word that The Tour is unlike anything previously written about the world of performance enhancers has gotten out, the rave reviews have begun to roll in. We know of two major ones that will be released soon. In the mean-time, check out this recently published opinion. I think the reviewer hit the nail on the head. Educating fans about why the problem exists is the first step to creating a solution. I'm proud that my book is now being seen in this light.

Drafting on a Legend

2006-06-13T10:12:00.000-06:00

Last week I got the the opportunity to ride with Greg Lemond. Back in the '80's, he was the man who caused me to fall in love with pro cycling. That doesn't make me unique, because I know thousands of others who became passionate about the sport for the same reason. Lemond's comeback from near death after a hunting accident remains one of the most inspiring sports stories I know of.

I'm pleased to report that Greg is an extremely nice guy, and he still has a huge engine. Granted, I spend way more time writing than riding, but I'm still fairly fit. When the roads bent up he left me in the dust.

If you ever get the chance to meet Greg I highly recommend that you take full advantage. You'll be glad you did.

Chaos in Cycle Land

2006-06-05T08:06:00.000-06:00

The last few weeks have been crazy for the world of pro cycling. First, Ivan Basso stunned everyone with his strength in Italy. I thought he would win, but WOW! He has a very legitimate shot for the double with form like that.

Then the Spanish doping scandal broke. It bears some strong similarities to events in my newest novel, The Tour. Unlike most other recent drug accusations, the evidence here is indisputable. I'm happy to see that some of the facilitators have been nabbed this time around. It's discouraging how often only the athletes have to pay.

Finally, the Lance Armstrong acquittal was much more than just that. It was a scathing indictment of several organizations involved in the fiasco, especially the World Anti-Doping Association. I've long believed that the WADA was out of control under the direction of Dick Pound, and man did this report ever prove it. It appears that Pound felt certain that Armstrong was a drug cheat and believed that the end justified the means to "catch" him. Not only did WADA trample on its own rule book in pursuit of Armstrong, they broke international law. As I said in and interview on CNN International World Sport when the story broke, WADA's stated goal is to eliminate a form of cheating in sport. No way can they justify cheating in order to reach that end. Dick Pound must go!

Best of State!

2006-05-26T16:38:00.000-06:00

What a week it's been! I've been contacted by top flight editors who are interested in aquiring my work, asked to play major roles in cycling events, attended great races, and much more. To top it all off, I just learned that I've won a Best of State medal! I've seen these awards go to the most prestigious corporations in Utah on the televised ceremony, and I've watched as they publicized the accomplishment and pushed their business to even higher levels.

I'm honored (and slightly stunned) to have joined their ranks, but that doesn't mean that I don't feel I've earned it. A few years back, if anybody had told me I was going to have to work so hard to make my career as a novelist a reality I wouldn't have believed them. I had no idea of the lengths I'd go to to market my novels, guerilla or otherwise. The process has changed me for the better. I'm primed for success, and can't wait to accept my new award at the black tie affair on June 24.

Until then I'll keep flying too and fro promoting my books. I'll be at a race in Lehi tomorrow, and a huge recreational ride in Chicago the next day, and one of the nations largest female only cycling events shortly after that. Ride on!

Book Expo America!

2006-05-21T21:46:00.003-06:00

If you're an author and are in need of some good luck there's no better place to put yourself than at Book Expo America. A million great things happened to me in the last four days. Here's an example:

I was one of about 250 participants in a panel discussion. The speakers included a prominent book reviewer, two top authors, a well known publisher, a publicist, and a top-notch independent bookseller. The audience included numerous industry movers and shakers. I raised my hand and asked a question relating my novels to the discussion. To my surprise and joy, the bookseller responded, "Are you the author of The Race? I love your book. I sell it alongside Armstrong's and recommend it often." Wow! What a gift to receive an endorsement like that in front of such a prominent crowd.

Needless to say, it led to a very nice discussion with the reviewer afterwards, as well as numerous conversations with other influential people. Something good is certain to come of it. And that's just one of many great situations I found myself in. Check out this page for a peek at a great endorsement that came directly as a result of attending this conference for three straight years. I have more irons in the fire than ever before. Something great is going to happen soon. Stay tuned.

Knock knock. Is Oprah available?

2006-05-11T12:21:00.000-06:00

Thanks to an enthusiastic reader I've just been invited to attend Bike the Drive in Chicago to sign books. I can never resist the thought of 18,000 cyclists all amassed in the same place, so I booked a flight and I'll be there on 5/28. My stay in the windy city will last less than 24 hours, but if I get a free moment I'd like to swing by Oprah's pad and see if she'll take a look at my novels. Are there any readers out there who could make an introduction for me? Hey, anything goal worth dreaming about is worthy of dreaming big!

Where's My Helmet?

2006-05-07T22:48:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I had a wonderful evening speaking to Ben Driggs neighbors at his home. Ben and I took some very long (300 + miles) bike rides together when we were teenagers, and he reminded me of something I'd forgotten. We didn't wear helmets. Times have sure changed.

I realize how lucky I am to have a friend like Ben, and I'm glad that we're in touch again after a long hiatus. It's interesting that last night I realized I'd named my protagonist in my cycling novels in his honor. When selecting a name for a character an author obviously looks for one that, to them, carries the qualities that they see in their fictional cast member. Without question, Ben Driggs is the reason that I used Ben for the hero in my books. He proved to me last night that his character has only improved with age as he invited so many neighbors into his house to learn my story. His words to them proved that his expectations for my future are as big as my dreams. Thanks Ben!

Here's to the Readers!

2006-05-06T17:39:00.000-06:00

Tonight I'm attending an event for my book hosted by Ben Driggs, a high school friend. He ran fliers around his neighborhood and passed them out to his clients as well, telling them how much he enjoyed my books and how certain he is that they will, too. What an incredible thing to do!

Yesterday four separate readers followed up with me on cycling events they hoped I could attend. Each one introduced me to the organizers and put in a good word to help me land the gig. There's no way I can adequately express my grattitude.

Earlier today my Web site got a deluge of hits from a cycling chat board I'd never heard of before. I followed the links backward and discovered some great discussion about my novel. I'm so thankful to people who take the time to spread the word.

Also today the first Amazon customer review showed up for The Tour. When I finally hit the big time it will be thanks to people like the reader who wrote that review who the credit should go to. People who take the time to let others know about books they love are the reason that new authors are able to crash the party from time to time.

If anybody ever asks me how I got my big break I'll let them know that what I really got were a million little breaks, thanks to people who love books, bikes, or both. Thank you all!

The Future is Landis

2006-04-25T22:24:00.000-06:00

Okay, I'm a believer. Floyd Landis is for real. He's also a really cool character. Floyd has already won three stage races this year, putting the competition away with his unconventional but effective time-trialing style, then climbing like a mountain goat. He put on a display at Brasstown Bald the likes of which I've never seen. Discovery attacked him from every conceivable angle, and he responded every time. A friend sent me a cool video snippet which you can view here. Make sure you catch the OLN coverage this weekend as well. You're not going to believe what you're going to see.

Deja Vu in Georgia

2006-04-19T08:12:00.000-06:00

I'm at the Tour de Georgia for my third consecutive year, and the mad dash across the state is bringing back so many memories. I keep finding myself on streetcorners that I have vague memories of from year's past. This is really an amazing event, and from my perspective a headlong hurtle across the state. We typically get to sleep after 1 am and wake before 7 am. In between we set up a T-shirt booth in the start city, I plaster the area with fliers about my book, then I sell-sell-sell, then we break everything down and I collect as many of my fliers as I can before jumping into the van to head for the finish. Our van has four passengers but only two seats, so I sit in a lawn chair in the back. A wall of merchandise in cardboard boxes sways around behind me and I have to push the boxes back from time to time. If it sounds to you like an accident waiting to happen, you probably have a good sense of things. Once we arrive in the finish city our booth is already set up by an advance crew, and then I sell-sell-sell again, and finally we tear things down, re-load the vans from our supply trucks, and then drive to the next start city. Exhausting, but fun!

The Ford Tour de Georgia!

2006-04-14T22:07:00.000-06:00

My preconceptions of Georgia were shattered two years ago when I attended the Dodge Tour de Georgia. I had never dreamed it was such a beautiful state, and I was amazed to discover what a perfect place it is to hold a bicycle race. It included some of the most selective mountain climbs I've ever seen. They aren't as long as those in the western US or Europe, but they are incredibly steep. Along the way massive crowds inspired the cyclists. The weather was perfect, and I signed lots of copies of The Race.

When I returned last year it was as if the copies I'd already sold in Georgia had germinated demand, and though the weather was anything but perfect this time (I signed books in rain and even snow), I sold out of books a day and a half before the event ended.

This year the event has a new sponsor- amazingly, a major competitor of the previous sponsor. I'm thrilled that the organizers secured the future of this great race, and I'm excited for my third annual trip to the back roads of Georgia. I can't wait to share my new novel with the fans.

Tragedy on the Road

2006-03-29T20:19:00.000-07:00

This weekend a Park City cyclist named Bill Corliss was killed on a road I ride from time to time. Shortly afterwards I received an e-mail account from another cyclist who was present at the time. Events like this rock the cycling community, partly because they happen so frequently. I often find myself wondering if there are ways that I can improve the situation. One of the reasons I wrote my books is that I wanted non-cyclists to understand why we were on the road. So, in tribute to Bill, I'm making this more than a blog post. I'm making it a permanent part of my Web site here, and I'm working with friends to develop a program that will have real impact. Together, we will make a difference.

We're #1! And #3! Go-o-o-o-o team!

2006-03-20T09:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, that title no doubt sounds silly from your perspective, but it's a big deal to me. You see, The Tour has hit #1 on Amazon's Sports Fiction list and The Race is simultaniously in the #3 position. Grisham's Bleachers is sandwiched in between. That's like a dream screen shot to me. Positions on these lists are updated hourly. You can see the current ranking by clicking here.

Another cool thing is that The Rider by Tim Kraabe which Amazon has linked to The Race through their "Better Together" promotion is currently # 6, so that's three novels from the same niche sport all at the top of the list. I'm proud of my role in that accomplishment and grateful to readers for the support they have shown by spreading the word about my books. Thanks!

Ra ra ree, kick 'em in the knee!
Ra ra rass, kick 'em in the...

other knee.

The Book Peddler- That's Me

2006-03-15T17:59:00.000-07:00

I'm finally figuring out ways to get a little in-the-saddle-time mixed in with my promotional efforts. There are few things better than riding a bike through some of the most scenic terrain on earth. I recently returned from a wonderful cycling adventure at the Moab Skinny Tire Festival. Here's photographic proof. Notice how I'm putting most of my weight on my right leg. Sure, that overhang has been there for several million years. It won't stay forever, though. No need to tempt fate.

By the way, I'm wearing my one of a kind Banque Federale cycling jersey in this shot. I need to figure out how to mass produce it, but more importantly I need to figure out if they would sell. Yet another thing to add to my to-do list.

I've been PEZed!

2006-03-11T14:00:00.000-07:00

One of the most unusual honors in the cycling world is getting PEZed. Yesterday it happened to me. Check here. Thanks Richard, for bopping me on the head with your magic wand!

Landis Lands one

2006-02-27T14:17:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Floyd Landis for winning the inagural Tour of California. Once he grabbed the leader's jersey with an incredible come from behind time-trial performance, he and the Phonak team defended it perfectly. He appeared to be cool under fire as threats emerged and then were neutralized.

The first year of this event was an unmitigated success, with enormous crowds, fabulous weather, and a world class field. My only disapointment was that the latter part of the race wasn't more selective. After the time trial it pretty much played out like a procession to the finish with no change whatsoever at the top of the General Classification. Next year I hope they squeeze in a really tough Stage 7 climb, and maybe even move the time-trial to Stage 8.

Snowing on My Parade

2006-02-18T23:15:00.000-07:00

I'd been very excited to attend the innagural Tour of California and sign books, but we couldn't work out a deal. That's disapointing. The race starts tomorrow but I'll be here in Yew Tah watching the snow fall down. It's been an interesting winter with a little bit of everything including, record breaking cold, record breaking heat, a great ice skating rink in my dad's back yard that survived both, and a couple of wonderful ski days.

My money is on Dave Zabriskie to win the big race. Set your TIVO's because ESPN2 is running a one hour summary show each evening, but it's on at about 1 a.m., depending upon your time zone. It's going to be fun to watch!

I'm big in Ghana. Well... at least among the criminals.

2006-02-04T22:36:00.000-07:00

You know that Jerry Lewis is big in France (my question is, why?), and you may have heard that Donny's little brother, Jimmy Osmond, is huge in Japan. Well, for a brief moment my turf was Ghana. I got several orders for books from that West African country this morning. Unfortunately, when I ran the credit cards they came up with errors such as "Reported Lost or Stolen," and "Not a Valid Credit Card."

The good news is, not long ago I also learned of a legitimate deal in the Czech Republic. This one makes more sense because cycling is big in Eastern Europe. My wife and I visited Prague years ago and we have wonderful memories of the place. Not only is it absolutely gorgeous, we found ourselves in the middle of an amazing parade from the Prague Castle. One group of partiers even carried my wife down the hill above their heads. It was unforgettable! I'm very happy that my first foreign translation will be in that wonderful country. So, instead of trying to figure out what Third World identity thefts want with my books, I'm going to head out to the mailbox and check if my checks from the Czechs have arrived.

BikeJournal.com

2006-01-29T20:36:00.000-07:00

I've had a very cool experience this week. A year and a half ago a guy named Rob Barfus wrote me a note about The Race and introduced me to a Web site called BikeJournal.com. I ended up participating in some of their message board discussions about my book, and got a taste of what a unique community it is. The guy who runs it, a cyclist who goes by Slatz, has built everything around setting cycling goals and building relationships. He's constantly making improvements of one sort or another.

I returned to the site a week ago to let them know about the progress of my new book and they welcomed me with open arms. I mentioned that my cycling training had suffered considerably because of my efforts to write and market cycling books. What a paradox. The next thing I know, one of the members has anonymously purchased a membership for me. Among other things, that means I get a little bar graph next to my name showing what my riding mileage goal is for the year. So suddenly I have monster motivation to get into the sort of shape I ought to be in. I want to thank that anonymous person for the kick in the butt, and I look forward to participating on BikeJournal.com.
Cheers,
Dave Shields

Never Put Three Year Olds In Charge

2006-01-01T20:11:00.000-07:00

This isn't publishing related, but it might be entertaining. My three year old daughter loves skiing so much that ever since the weather has turned cold she asks about it constantly. As a result we headed to Alta's Ski Free After Three program on Friday. I've always avoided taking my daughters skiing on snowy days. On the way up the canyon the weather turned bad. I told my wife and two daughters that we ought to cancel skiing for the day. My wife and my eight year old agreed with the reasoning, but the three year old was crushed. She wanted to hit the slopes so badly, and I didn't have the heart to cancel on her, so we pressed on.

The three year old was all smiles, until we got onto the lift. Then she started crying. She didn't like all the snow blowing in her face, her boots hurt, her hat itched, and she just wanted to go home. I got more and more frustrated as I tried to explain that we wouldn't be in this blizzard if not for her insistance, but of course, that made no sense to her.

When we finally reached the top of the hill I was frazzled. I tried to get her to ski but she'd just keep collapsing onto the ground and saying, "Carry me." Finally I picked her up and lugged her to the bottom of the hill. We went straight to the car, very frustrated. I loaded all the equipment back up, drove 20 yards, and found myself at the tail end of a traffic jamb. I got out of the car and went to speak with one of the parking lot employees. He said that conditions in the canyon below were treacherous, that lots of cars had slid off the road, and that it would take me at least half an hour to get out of the parking lot, a distance of five car lengths. I've been up this canyon enough to know that he was probably right, so we decided to go eat dinner and wait. My mom was tending our one year old and told me not to hurry home. We parked the car, got everyone back in snow gear, then we went in search of food. Unfortunately, when thousands of people get stuck in a town the size of Alta they quickly overwhelm the evening food service capacity of the place. We scrounged a couple pieces of fruit, a bottle of Gatorade, and a few cookies.

In the loby of the Rustler, a beautiful resort hotel, we found the board game, "Life," and we met a nine year old Miamian named Andrew who was an expert at the rules (they were missing from the box and we didn't remember them too well). We had a lot of fun playing the game. From time to time I walked out front and checked traffic. Even at 8 pm, it hadn't moved at all. That was more than four hours after we got into the traffic jamb. Finally, at 8:30, things started to move. We drove down the canyon laughing about our disasterous ski day and the irony that it had turned into an adventure we'd never forget. I've never been so exhausted by a day that included so little activity.

Do You Enjoy Reading While Standing On Your Head?

2005-12-19T15:25:00.000-07:00

If so, have I got a deal for you! We keep some of our inventory of books at home so that when somebody orders a personally inscribed novel from my Web site I can take care of it and ship their copy immediately. Today I unsealed a new box of The Race, opened the first book, and automatically flipped to the title page so that I could sign... only it wasn't the title page. It was an upside down version of page 36. The first 48 pages of the book had somehow been inverted in manufacturing and inserted backwards. I went through the box and discovered 26 more inside-out copies among the 21 correctly printed copies. I have no idea how many more messed up books are hiding within my inventory or the inventory of my distributors. What a hassle.

I used to take it for granted when I grabbed a book off the shelf and started reading, but I've learned that there are millions of ways for an error to sneak into the process, and that it can be a full time job trying to drive them back out.

The Final Stretch

2005-11-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

There are thousands of details required in order to publish a book, and getting them right is so critical that I've been burried for months. Now, though, the manuscript for The Tour is in typesetting. It will go to print within days. That means it's time for a major shift in my efforts. For the next nine months or so I'll be almost entirely focused on promotion.

Now I'm pushing all my chips to the center of the table on this one, big bet. I hope that you choose to read a copy of my new book. If you like it, please encourage others to read it too. When I finally break through as a novelist it will be the result of momentum created by readers like you. Thanks for your support!

Something's Gotta Give...

2005-10-14T16:11:00.000-06:00

... and unfortunately, it's been my attention to my Blog. It's been hectic for months, and there have been so many exciting developments that I can hardly keep track of them, but the result is often that I neglect writing here.

The cool thing is that the pieces of my new book are rapidly coming together. It's very satisfying to watch such a big project take shape. For a while I thought I'd never catch back up with my deadlines, but now things are looking good. I can hardly wait to show people the finished product.

Last week I attended the Moab Century. What a gorgeous ride!

Dorthy, we're not in Kansas anymore.

2005-09-25T18:59:00.000-06:00

Wait a second. Yes we are! The Wichita Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society called recently and asked if I'd be interested in speaking at their MS 150 ride. Since I'd mentioned Kansas in The Race, and since I'd never been there before, and since I'm interested in the fight against MS because of my sister-in-law and also a friend who have the disease, and since I never want to pass up an excuse to turn the pedals, and since I just finished the manuscript for The Tour and need a breather, and since... well, you get the idea. I went.

Contrary to my preconceptions, we did't ride between endless walls of corn stalks. In fact, I only saw one small field of corn the whole ride. I see more corn on a typical ride in Utah. The weather was great and the scenery was gorgeous. Two of the individual fund raisers topped $10,000 as well as at least one team. What an accomplishment!

Michelle Masood, the organizer, should be very proud of herself for an incredibly well run event. I want to give special thanks also to Dr. Glen Patton and his family who found a bicycle for me to ride and transported me to and from the event. It was a great weekend and I'm grateful that they allowed me to be a part of it. If you live anywhere near Wichita I strongly encourage you to get involved in this event next year.

The Pieces are Coming Together

2005-09-13T22:47:00.000-06:00

It's a complex job putting a book together. We're nearing completion on the cover design. I'm getting closer on the manuscript with the help of my friends at NovelPro.com. As a matter of fact, the first half is already in line editing. I'm working with another artist on creating course maps which will go in the text. I've just received a new author photo for the back cover. I've just assigned an ISBN and had the bar code printed. Yesterday I submitted all of the sales info to my distributor for their spring catalogue. I've got a typesetter and a printer standing by. And there are dozens of other details that are nearly finalized. A month ago I was very nervous about getting this project done in time. Today, although there's still a lot to do, I'm feeling confident that I'm going to be able to get this done in time. That's a good feeling.

De Ja Vu All Over Again

2005-08-27T09:50:00.000-06:00

Sporting News Radio called and scheduled another Saturday morning interview with me during the same time my wife goes to her aerobics. If you've already read my July 2 post, you probably have an idea of where this is going.

Five minutes before the interview all was well. Three minutes before both the three-year-old and the eight-month-old start whining. The eight-year-old says, "Oh no. They're getting ready." Soon everything is in control again, though. Minutes later the call comes in. I step out onto the deck and begin the interview. The questions are complex and have to do with the Lance Armstrong doping allegations. I turn my back on the house to avoid distractions so that I can give good answers.

Right in the middle of answering a tough question I hear a knock on the sliding glass door behind me. I turn around and my eight-year-old is wearing a frantic expression and saying something she clearly believes is urgent. I look around the house for smoke but can't see any. I decide to finish my interview but the only hope is to turn my back on her. I do, and a she starts crying so hard that I assume it was audible over the radio.

I complete the rest of the interview and then hurry into the house to figure out what went wrong. Apparently the eight-year-old, a little overenthusiastic about her temporary position of authority, decided to put the three-year-old in time-out. She shut her into the bathroom and somehow the door got locked. Mayhem ensued. Amazingly, though, the eight-month-old spent the whole time smiling and laughing. I'm sure she figured it was all being done for her entertainment.

Doping Allegations

2005-08-26T00:03:00.000-06:00

A story has come out in an unknown newspaper that samples of my urine collected over a decade ago have been shown to contain traces of cranberry juice. I'll admit it right now. I just can't seem to get enough of the stuff. Because I'm uncomfortable with the idea of talking about my urine though, let alone thinking about people studing it years after it may have been produced, I'm going on a campaign of talking about Lance Armstrong's urine instead. It's really a facinating subject. Take a look here.

It's little wonder that this is all happening. I mean, how bitter would you be if you went to school for years and years only to land a job where your life revolved around the study of urine?

A Refreshing Swim

2005-08-14T23:02:00.000-06:00

I'm hard at work on the new book and thrilled about today's Salt Lake Tribune article, but I want to jot down one of my France experiences before I forget to.

On the only night that I camped far from my car I was awakened at 2:30 a.m. by loud thunder. I hadn't installed the rain fly on my tent. I was so tired that I decided I'd just try to go back to sleep and hope the storm passed quickly. It didn't. Bright flashes were followed, often within one or two seconds, by earsplitting crashes of thunder. My face was being sprayed by a constant mist from the water coming through the nylon taffeta walls. At 3:30 a.m. I decided that I might as well pack everything into my car and drive to my first scheduled destination for the next day because sleeping was out of the question. The storm was only gaining strenght. I still had 75 K to go and now was as good a time as any to do it.

I reached for my shirt which was with my other things near my feet, just off to the side of my air mattress. I was surprised to discover that it was soaked. I accidentally left my flashlight at home and had decided not to buy one in France because the prices were outrageous, so I felt around a bit more in the dark. The water at that end of the tent was six inches deep. A subsequent lightning strike gave me a brief visual of how bad things were. My shoes were floating around like two little boats. That's when I remembered that the floor and bottom six inches of my tent are made of impervious Polyethylene. I was on a slope with my head high. The tent was essentially filled to the brim. Sheesh. This storm was worse than I'd thought.

It brought a smile to my face when I put my feet into dry shoes. It was just the sort of minor victory that I needed at that particular moment. (Note to self: Bouyant shoes = nifty camping idea.)

I gathered up as much of my stuff as I could and headed out into the night. Still disoriented, I took two steps and landed in a puddle that came halfway up my calf. So much for the dry shoe victory. After some recognisance I figured out that the only way back to my car was through what had become a lake. I waded to the other shore, climbed a staircase, and reached my car.

I was camped at a rest stop on the Autoroute. I put all of the soaking wet stuff on the roof and hood of the car and drove slowly to the gas pumps which had an illuminated canopy over them. There were already a number of people there waiting out the weather, but I was the only one who had come up with the idea of covering my car with clothing and supplies so I got lots of stares. I got even more when I climbed out of the driver's seat wearing nothing but a pair of soaking wet boxers.

A sight like that might get you a ticket in America. In France it earns you a brief glance followed by a disinterested shrug. These people have already seen it all on the beaches. If you don't have some sort of implant they aren't impressed.

I opened the hatchback, toweled off with a t-shirt, and got dressed. Then I wrung my soaked belongings out as best I could. There was nowhere to dry things except on the backs of the seats. I hope my rental car company isn't reading this. They are probably currently rethinking their unlimited mileage policy while vaccuming baguette crumbs out of every little crevase in that Citrone. At least the rainstorm had cleaned the chunks of sod that got thrown all over the vehicle by the spinning wheels when I got stuck in wet grass. (Except for the few that somehow landed inside the car. I swear that some of that magic mud broke the laws of physics. I should have thought to bring a sample home for study.)

Once I had everything in reasonable condition I got back in the car and returned to retrieve my tent. I knew about the wading I was going to have to do, so I went barefoot this time. I reached my camp spot and started taking things down, but the tent was too heavy to budge. It's a really cool model with the springbars built in. I can always set up in less than thirty seconds and take down in a minute and a half or so. That is, when it's not doubling as a wading pool.

Eventually I rolled it onto its side and got the water drained out. Then I collapsed it, but not in record time. Back at the car, I shook my little bedroom out and stowed it in its usual spot. Then I got behind the wheel of my trusty steed and headed down the road. Windshield wipers beating an accompanyment to a very groovy French rock station, I arrived at my destination to start the next day's research. It was still very early so reclined my seat. I didn't have another coherent thought for at least an hour and a half. It's a night I'll never forget, though I'm not sure I can completely remember it, either. Just another day in a very unusual and eventful trip to France.

Hopefully I'll find time to share a couple of other stories over the next few weeks.

Home at Last!

2005-08-04T09:38:00.000-06:00

I've been on the road for three weeks. While it was an incredible adventure, it's great to be back. The first two weeks were taking advantage of Tour de France related media opportunities in New York City. The last eight days were spent in France completing research for my new novel, The Tour. To say that things went fantastic is an understatement. I've already written several drafts of the novel and needed to find locations that would be suitable for certain scenes. In nearly every case, the places I found turned out to be better than my wildest expectations, and I'm certain that the book took a giant leap in the right direction.

It was a very unique experience, though, as my brother-in-law, who speaks fluent French, was unable to travel with me at the last moment. I brushed up on some basics of the language, but basics don't go too far when you need to have a real conversation. I could often ask for what I wanted (or at least, I thought I knew what I was asking), but could seldom decode the answer. My inability to communicate plus the tight schedule I was under to visit all of the necessary locations resulted in near total isolation.

On a typical day I'd be on the road by 7 a.m. I'd visit a bakery in a small town and buy a pastry for breakfast and a baguette for lunch. Then I'd try to find other groceries like fruit and water or juice. I covered over 300 miles a day (much of them on winding switchbacks and multiple trips through confusing round-abouts), and one day I exceeded 700 miles. The road system is complex and I took more than a few wrong turns, even though I worked hard to map things out in advance. I took lots of photos and pulled over frequently to jot notes about what I was seeing. The sites were incredible. France is a breathtaking country in every respect. When the sun went down I'd buy dinner, then eat it in the car while I drove to look for a camping spot near the place I needed to start the next day's journey. My tent was never set up before 9 p.m. and typically not before midnight. So, while it was a wonderful experience, it was far from relaxing and not at all the sort of trip to France that the average person in their right mind would take. On the entire journey I ate at a sit down restaurant a total of one time (and what a great meal it was).

I've got a huge pile of backloged work, and I particurlarly need to get the final drafts of the new book completed, but I'm energized by the experience and can't wait to get everything down on paper. I'll do my best to keep this blog updated now that I have reliable computer access.
Cheers,
Dave

Europeqn Adventure

2005-07-31T10:58:00.000-06:00

Wow, whqt q trip this hqs been: Frqnce is both gorgeous qnd complex, just like their keyboqrds: <i dont hqve time to hunt qnd peck; though; unless it is qn unreqdqble error:

This country gets better qround every corner: Absolutely incredible1 The luck >ive hqd is qlmost beyond imqginqtion: Im more excited thqn ever qbout the potentiql of my new book: I hope thqt I cqn write it qs good qs Im imqgining it right now:

Thqnks for reqding1
Dqve

What Adventures Today!

2005-07-27T15:25:00.000-06:00

Gotta type quick. Can't believe I've got Internet access for a moment. On a trip around France filling in details on my new manuscript and trying to find my way. I don't think it would be possible to accomplish more than I am, but I'm still running way behind schedule. Language is a big challenge, but the people are very kind and try to help.

Today in Gap a policeman ran into the road and waved me over. They'd clocked me going 82K in a 50 kph zone. I wasn't being dangerous, just trying to get things done. The fine was 90 Euros. That's about $125. YIKES!!!

I didn't have that much and they didn't want dollars. Go figure. The world has changed. Three of them surrounded me and they definitely wanted their money, now. They kept motioning kissing their fingers. Finally, using a little computer translator I have I realized they wanted me to go to town and buy a "tobacco stamp" while they held my license and registration. I didn't want to because these cities were built to confuse enemies, and these days they do an even better job of disorienting tourists. I had a 0% chance of figuring out who sold tobacco stamps and then finding my way back. Eventually two of them offered to lead me by bicycle. The first guy took off and I followed him. He kept looking back past me, presumably for the other guy. We made lots of turns and finally reached a bank. He motioned for me to pull over and we waited. After a long time he came to my window looking frustrated. He handed me my licence and registration.

"You go," he said. "Leave."

I took my papers and scrammed, then spent nearly an hour trying to figure out where I was and how to get back on my route. Many people tried to help but none spoke much English and their French was fast and complex. I had little hope, but eventually I stumbled my way out of town.

Just before 9:00 p.m. I reached a village called Riez and stopped to read my map. I was running out of sunlight and noticed people camping in a dirt lot. I pulled in thinking that it would be so enjoyable to explore the town. Then I noticed a flier with today's date and something about an event at the cathedral costing 12 Euros.

I packed my maps and papers in a backpack, grabbed an apple, and headed off. Can you believe that I walked in the very moment a 16 piece orchestra started playing a concerto? I gladly paid my money and sat in the back row of about 100 people to do my paperwork. What an atmosphere! You can't imagine the accoustics in that place.

On My Way to Paris

2005-07-25T16:43:00.000-06:00

What a day it's been. One interview after another all day long. I'm at JFK and just have a moment for a last minute update. I want to tell my wife and daughters that I miss them very much and I can't wait to get home next week. It's been a long trip and I can't wait to hug you all.

I'll add entries to my blog if I get a chance on this trip, but I don't know whether I'll be able to or not. Au Revoir!

A Case of Neglect?

2005-07-20T05:12:00.000-06:00

In a way, I haven't been neglecting my blog as much as it might seem. If you click on this link and read the articles in the yellow box on the left you'll get a pretty good sense of what I've been up to. The challenge with the blog and other projects is that when I'm not doing an interview there is an avalanche of other jobs to do instead. The major ones are chasing down new interviews, learning rudimentary French for my upcoming trip on the 25th (I hope to speak enough to keep me out of trouble during my research jaunt around the perimeter of the country), working on the manuscript for The Tour, and just surviving here in the Big Apple. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy New York, but my heart is in small town Utah. My wife tells me that the girls are growing up without me. I can't wait to get back.

What a Day!

2005-07-16T09:14:00.000-06:00

Are any of you watching the Tour de France? I'm watching moving from New York Starbucks to New York Starbucks watching streaming Danish video of the stages and listening to Eurosport audio in between doing media interviews and calling other media trying to drum up new interviews. Today, though, I was glued to the screen, my hands pressed so tightly over my headphones that I missed a call from Sporting News Radio. What an incredible stage! If you don't know what all the fuss is about regarding the Tour de France, go wherever you have to (bar, sports club, bike shop) to see the OLN broadcast today. I know that they will air it at least two more times. After you watch, if you can't figure out what all the excitement is about I suggest you see your cardiologist because there is a good chance you have no pulse. The Lance Armstrong era is about to end. Grab on and at least give yourself a taste.

Pavlov's Author

2005-07-13T16:23:00.000-06:00

I heard that they'd be broadcasting the Tour de France on the big screen in Times Square so I went over there and the next thing I knew, they pointed a television camera at the crowd. Having been promoting my book non stop for over a year now, I did the first thing that came to mind. I showed a copy of my book to the camera. Next thing I know, my cell phone is ringing off the hook. I couldn't believe how many people saw me and either called or e-mailed. The most amazing thing is that both my three year old and seven year old daughters were watching separate televisions at the time and both saw me. Why would little girls be watching cycling, you ask? Hey. My girls have great taste.

Jet Lagged?

2005-07-12T10:04:00.000-06:00

I arrived in NYC this morning after taking the red eye from Salt Lake City. Although I got almost no sleep, I had a ton of energy. I took the train into town, set up my computer, and started watching streaming Danish Television video of today's stage with Eurosport audio. I was thrilled that everything worked so well.

Then, just as things got exciting my computer started experiencing the effects of too much travel and too little sleep. Crash after crash after crash. I'd get problem solved, hear a bit of what was going on, and then it would go haywire again. I'd spend another half an hour repairing things and repeat the process. Aaarrggghhh!

I could see enough to know that Armstrong was spectacular. As in six of the last seven Tours, he put the competition away on the first big mountain stage. Sure, there are a couple of guys within reach, but he's a far superior time trialist to any of them. This guy is on another planet, both physically and mentally. He's inconceivably strong in both areas.

If you want to be able to tell your children that you watched the best Tour de France rider ever, you'd better tune in now. I can't think of another athlete or team who has so dominated an event. Other than in 2003, Lance hasn't merely won each year. He's crushed and demoralized all contenders. In 2003 all he did was prove that no matter how deeply he is forced to dig for victory, he can do it. Hail to "The Boss."

The question is, what's a guy with such an insatiable appetite for victory going to do in retirement? I'll make you a bet. He won't ride off quietly into the sunset.

Crash!!!

2005-07-05T22:57:00.000-06:00

Two days ago I met Dave Zabriskie's family. They've been glued to the television set like so many of us, but they obviously have a lot more at stake. They also have daily (at least) conversations with the Z Man himself. It was fun to hear the inside scoop. Not surprisingly, Dave remains 100% committed to supporting Ivan Basso. But at the time, he was also dreaming of staying in the yellow jersey for a day or two more.

Then, this morning, tragedy struck. Only 1200 meters from the finish of another epic performance, his chain derailed. Dave was putting so much force into the pedals that the sudden lack of resistance practically flipped the bike over. He went down hard. X-rays have confirmed no broken ribs, but the road rash is severe and the bruises are deep.

Dave will race tomorrow's stage, but who knows what sort of effect such a tremendous collision with the pavement is going to have on him. His accomplishments so far virtually insure that the camera will remain on him. I look forward to seeing what it has to show.

The race has heated up for me, too. I'm doing lots of radio and television interviews, including another appearance on CNN tomorrow morning. I love teaching people about this incredible sport, and I'm grateful for the continuing opportunities.

Z Man!

2005-07-02T16:44:00.000-06:00

Did you see Dave Zabriskie today? What a performance! He'll wear the yellow jersey in tomorrow's Tour de France stage! I'm proud to say that I called my shot. Check the first installment of my Daily Peloton column.

The radio interviews have been interesting. This morning I did one on Sporting News Radio that will remain particularly memorable, for two reasons. One was that the host, who knows almost nothing about cycling, thinks he could win a stage of the Tour de France. When he first suggested it I thought it was a funny joke, but after talking with him I think he just might be serious. I'm going to write more about that in my next Daily Peloton column.

The other reason I'll always remember this interview is logistics. My wife went to her Saturday morning aerobics, so she handed all three kids off to me to tend for the morning. (shudder) Because I'm so obsessed with the work of marketing my book, I think the kids and my wife were likely shuddering more than me, though. Turns out that we were all under-reacting.

Just before 8:30 a.m., Sporting News Radio calls me for the interview and I say to my seven-year-old, "I'm going out on the deck for a phone conversation. Will you watch your sisters for me?" She agrees.

No sooner do we go on-air than my three year old starts a tantrum. The six month old was capable of only one reaction... joining in. The seven-year-old is alternately frantically trying to care for them, and looking miserably at me. I'm watching the chaos while talking to host Scott Wetzel, and at one point the conversation turns to our families. The thoughts racing through my mind were too numerous to catalogue.

When the interview ended I opened the door and the full force of the tantrum hit me. It took a long while to get things into control. Once we did my seven-year-old, whose baby sitting performance went above and beyond the call of duty, said something to me I'll never forget.

"Daddy, I need a Tylenol."

My Own Yellow Jersey?

2005-06-30T12:56:00.000-06:00

I've just learned that The Race is currently Amazon's #1 Bestselling Sports Novel! Though rankings are always subject to change, you can check out the current list here. I wonder if taking the yellow jersey so early is a good strategy, though. This means I'll have to defend it all the way to Paris. There's a dude named John Grisham right behind me. I hear that he's pretty good.

Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!

2005-06-29T23:22:00.000-06:00

The 2005 Tour de France is shaping up to be an epic battle. There is no shortage of men who would like to go down as the cyclist who knocked Lance Armstrong of the podium's top step, and this is their last opportunity to do it. T-Mobile has assembled a particularly strong team with Jan Ulrich (when he exploded onto the Tour de France scene eight years ago I doubted we'd see anybody other than him win the Tour de France for the next five years at least), Andrei Vinikurov (one of the most explosively and tactically savvy cyclists ever), and Andreas Kloden (second place in last year's Tour). Their strategy is going to be fascinating to watch.

Other contenders will include Ivan Basso (the only man who could stick with Lance in the mountains last year), Roberto Herras (a former teammate of Armstrong's), Floyd Landis (a Lance protogee who he no longer gets along with), and Levi Leipheimer (another strong American who once rode for US Postal).

There are a lot more guys who are going to be to be fun to watch including Santiago Boterro, Chris Horner, Iban Mayo, and Vladimir Karpets. I can't wait for the racing to begin and for things to start sorting themselves out.

Even with all these contenders, it's tough to bet against Armstrong. Some say his motivation is suspect, but he sounds awfully intense to me. I'd be more concerned about his early season results. He's raced very little this year, and hasn't yet won anything (a first for him since his TdF run began six years ago). Still, anybody who has watched Armstrong for long knows that he wouldn't take the start if his preparation hadn't been meticulious and his fitness where he wants it to be. Armstrong is, in my opinion, the mentally strongest athlete in history. I can't even think of anybody who comes close. I expect to see him prove that yet again in his final tour. He'll have to endure a boat load of abuse if he's going to win this race, but those are the conditions that Lance Armstrong thrives in. If you bet against the guy, you'd better make certain it's money you can afford to lose.

Tour de France time also means that I'll get numerous opportunities to provide analysis on radio and TV. If you're interested, please take a look at the July dates on my Author Tour page.

Rewards of Awards

2005-06-26T22:47:00.000-06:00

Today I signed books today at the Park City Cycling Festival. With the Ben Franklin Award on my table, I can't tell you how much easier it is to convince readers to give my book a shot. It lends legitimacy to my work. That's good for me and good for readers, because I know they are going to like it. As usual, people came by all day long saying how much they have enjoyed the book, and how many people have read their copy. That makes me happy, because I need to get this tale into a lot of people's hands in order to find somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody who has the power to make it into a big budget movie, or who has connections with an influential media. Readers contact me daily saying that this story needs to hit the big screen, and I couldn't agree more.

The Ben Franklin Award also played a role in landing an interview on Park City Television. It's the coolest little resort town network. Watching it makes me feel homesick for the days I used to live in a tiny little Park City miner's shack while working in the Park City Ski Area Marketing Department.

I've got to give Host/Producer Ori Hoffer big props. He found out about my novel, booked me on the show, read the story and became informed, and then conducted a great interview-- all in the span of less than two days. The station is sending me a CD so once I figure out how to convert it to a wav file I'll post it on my Web site so that you can take a look.

Thanks for all of the support, and I'll keep you updated on developments. The next thirty days are going to be big. I guarantee it.

Getting Connected

2005-06-20T10:56:00.000-06:00

I'd heard of Blogs before, but Todd Storch is the guy who convinced me to take the plunge. He's a guru of sorts in this world. I just stumbled upon his site one day when he mentioned my book in a post. I now know that blogging is a great way to stay in touch with people, and even to re-connect with people you've lost touch with. Todd recently featured me in his Blog (I still don't know if that word is supposed to be capitalized or not.) You can read the interview here.

I'm signing books this afternoon at the Park City Cycling Festival. I've got to run!

dave shields

Fan Mail from Tibet!

2005-06-15T18:11:00.000-06:00

Does this mean I've arrived? I just got an e-mail from Tibet praising my book. It makes me feel great that they know about my novel on the other side of the world... even though the message was from my mom.

I hope your travels are wonderful, mom. Take lots of pictures, and stay safe!

The Paradoxymoron

2005-06-13T21:12:00.000-06:00

Intriguing opportunities streamed in after winning the Ben Franklin Award. I guess I can't be surprised that some of them have turned out to be little more than illusions. I'm just one breakthrough away from turning my writing passion into a legitimate, bill-paying career. I've gotten here with a lot of optimism and hard work, but as in any business there are tough realities to face. In publishing, the numbers are intimidating. There were 195,000 books published last year. Obviously, even the most avid reader will only experience a tiny fraction of them. People who find a book they enjoy often buy one copy and share it among friends, or they get it from the library. The math is simple. Most of these thousands of books, no matter their quality, have little chance of selling enough copies to make their authors a living.

But still, like so many other aspiring authors, I run down every lead I can. Each time, I'm giving up time doing the most important things in life, whether it be to earn a secure living for my family, to go on a bike ride, or to hang out with my little girls. I'm not doing any of these things as much as I should. Those closest to me say that I've given up too much in pursuit of this dream. So, it's for them that I reitterate my time limit. If I'm not hitting our goals by the end of August, I'll choose a new career.

Between now and then I have two major book oriented goals. First, I'll work as hard as I can to get publicity for and spread the word about The Race. Second, I'll finish my sequel and insure that it is on shelves by next spring. After that, if I get a big break, it will have to be because my existing work is good enough that someone decides it merits attention. I'd cross my fingers, but it makes typing too difficult.

An Incredible and Unexpected Honor

2005-06-08T15:08:00.000-06:00

Moments ago I received a package in the mail. It contained a carefully folded American flag along with a certificate from Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Camp Taji, Iraq. It explains that this flag was flown over Baghdad on May 24, 2005 from an AH-64D Apache Longbow Attack Helicopter in my honor. A few months ago I had donated some books to the troops. I was proud to receive e-mails from them saying how much they enjoyed the story, and a little bit curious when they asked for my address. Now I know why, and their gesture totally floors me. Thanks guys!

Salt Lake City Here I Come!

2005-06-06T08:34:00.000-06:00

I can't wait to get home to my wife and daughters. It's been an incredibly productive trip, selling books at three races, winning the Ben Franklin, and having amazing meetings and experiences in two days at Book Expo America. One of the parts I love the most is when readers stop by to tell me what they thought of my novels. Maybe I wouldn't be so crazy about that if they weren't enjoying it so much. It's a cool experience, though, to see how messages from my book have been translated in different people's lives. I'd like to thank all of you who have read my book, and especially those who have recommended it to others. By that process, I'll eventually break through into this crazy business.

What a Day!

2005-06-04T03:31:00.000-06:00

All my days are becoming one. I've slept less than six hours in the last seventy-two. I'm at Book Expo America and opportunities abound. This conference is enormous. I'd love to tell some of the stories but I don't want to jinx myself until I figure out which of the possibilities for my book are real. Am I dreaming?

Tomorrow I head to Philly for the USPRO Championship. What a race that's going to be!

I WON!!!!!!!!!!!!

2005-06-01T23:38:00.000-06:00

I'm now holding the Benjamin Franklin Award for Best New Voice in Fiction! Wow! What an honor!

When I walked on stage I forgot everything I'd planned to say. I threw my arms in the air and said, "I feel like I just won the Tour de France!" For reasons that I can't explain, my eyes filled with tears. What a journey it's been. In my euphoria, any semblance of a prepared speech went out the window. I forgot to thank many of the people I'd meant to, but I'm going to do it here. My publishing operation, Three Story Press, may be a one man show, but it's success is the result of the contributions of more people than I could ever possibly thank.

My wife has been so incredibly supportive, even though I've dragged her into this crazy business against her will. There's not a member of my family who hasn't made an amazing contribution of one kind or another. How will I ever repay them? The members of my critique group at NovelPros also deserve credit, especially Jamie Lankford who both founded the group and typeset my book. Bob Swingle at LightBourne designed a cover that gets noticed. Two-time Tour de France finisher and 1999 US National Cycling Champion Marty Jemison gave me hours of his time, relating amazing experiences as a pro cyclist. Thousands of readers have contacted me and spread the word about the book in various ways. Pro cyclists and others in the bicycle industry have encouraged me. Cynthia Murphy at Independent Publishers Group, my distributor, helped me immeasureably. Jan Nathan of The Independent Book Publishers Association helped guide me through the challenges of creating a book. That only scratches the surface, but you get the idea. It seems that every person I know has become involved in this project in one way or another. Thank you all very much!

Against all odds, we've created a book about the niche sport of bicycle racing, and it's getting rave mainstream reviews. I love introducing people to this incredible world, and I hope that if you haven't already, you'll take the time to find out what all the fuss is about.

Ready, Set ... Wait

2005-06-01T13:14:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I signed books at a great bicycle race in Lancaster, PA. I wish I'd had time to visit one of the nearby Amish farms. It must be an incredible challenge to live such a lifestyle these days. Unfathomable technology is assaulting all of us from every angle. Nowadays I'm particularly intrigued because one of the best bicycle racers in the world today, Floyd Landis, grew up Mennonite. He's totally altered my image of that culture. I met Floyd's family while at the Tour de Georgia. What a wonderful group of people.

I'm full of nervous energy at the moment because tonight is the Ben Franlin Awards Banquet. I'm in NYC awaiting the ceremonies. The Race is a finalist in two categories. I'll let you know how things went at my first opportunity.

The Real Race

2005-05-26T23:49:00.000-06:00

Earlier tonight I signed books at the inaugural Tour of Utah. The crowds for this first stage weren’t too big, but I’m glad I went because I had a very cool conversation. I can’t sleep until I put it on paper.

A guy approached saying he’d bought my book last Saturday when I signed at the Cycle Salt Lake Century ride. He said, "That's not a good novel you wrote."

I tried not to look too disappointed.

"It's a great self help manual.”

I wiped my brow. “I’m glad you liked it.”

It was obvious something weighed heavily on his mind. “I haven't had a very positive outlook lately. My son used to love cycling, and he showed great potential. We used to like to climb mountains together. But the other day he was arrested for possession of meth."

It felt like I'd been slammed in the gut with a hammer. "That’s terrible news." I recently saw a television show illustrating the dangers of methamphetamines. It's an incredibly addictive substance that does massive and permanent damage to the brain.

"Your book lifted my spirits," he said. "It contains good messages. I've asked my boy to read it, and he said he would. It's a story he'll be able to relate to if he's willing to pay attention. I believe it can help him."

How I hope this kid will listen to his dad. How I pray that my book can somehow be the rope that gets him out of this hole. Many, many readers have told me what "The Race" means to them, but never anything like this. From time to time I hear comments that my book contains corny messages or that the outlook is too sunny, but I don’t agree with that criticism. There are things about it I might change, but not that. I think some people get jaded. For whatever reason, they look down upon simple truths and triumphs. That’s fine. No book can be all things to all readers.

But what greater thing could my book be than the first small step in turning a young life around. I feel a huge responsibility, though there's nothing I can do but wait to hear the outcome. C’mon Ben Barnes, this is the biggest task you’ll ever be asked to perform. Help this kid! I know you can do it, and I know he can, too.

Be Careful What You Lick

2005-05-26T12:43:00.000-06:00

Last weekend I rode the short loop at Cycle Salt Lake Century. It's a well established recreational ride with over 1500 participants this year. The vast majority of them rode the full 100 miles because it was a picture perfect day. I had to get back early in order to sign books at the finish line so I went only 35. I'd spend the rest of the day sitting next to a cooler full of popsicles, touting my novel. I've long ago learned, I can't afford to be reserved about telling people why they need my book, and seeing this constant stream of eager faces headed my way was the stuff of dreams.

But they weren't approaching me for the reasons I wished they were. Instead, they assumed I controlled access to the popsicle vault. These people were hammered. The thought of buying a book was too much to process for many of them. Some of the confused looks, as I tried to explain what I was up to, were almost comical. They had just spent five or more hours pedaling, and they wanted a popsycle, not a sales pitch.

The funniest moment of the day was when a woman grabbed my arm. She had a terrified look in her eyes, and a green popsicle clinging to her tongue. She must have selected one that had been leaning against the dry ice. I can't tell for certain what she was saying, put it was pretty obvious what she needed. A squirt of the ole' water bottle and she was as good as new. There's a sad ending to the story, at least from my perspective, though. She walked away both traumatized and without a copy of "The Race." Darn.

The Opportunity Explosion

2005-05-12T20:56:00.000-06:00

It's been an exciting and overwhelming time. As recognition for The Race increases, opportunities are springing up everywhere. I'm in the midst of designing an essay contest for readers of the book with prizes that you are not going to believe! In addition I've got four signings in the next two weeks at bicycling events here in Utah. Following that I have a whirlwind trip to the northeast where, for seven consecutive days, I'll be going back and forth between Wachovia Series bicycle races and Book Expo America events.

Before the week is through, if I'm fortunate, I will win a major book industry award. I also hope to further solidify the books standing in the cycling industry. I'm so thankful for all of the readers who are recommending my book to friends, and I know from experience that attending events like these aids that process. But my ultimate dream is to prove to mainstream readers that this book is a great read which people of all backgrounds will enjoy. I couldn't feel more confident in the books ability to electrify readers. In addition to the many traditional reviews I've received I get lots of e-mail from readers, including messages from non-cyclists and publishing industry experts. All of them praise the book. The reaction has exceeded my wildest expectation, and my expectations were wild.

With a new baby in the house (our third girl), a marketing consulting business to run, a 150,000 word book that I'm in the midst of critiquing for an associate, a sequel to The Race that is still going to require a pair of rewrites including a quick trip to France, ongoing publicity opportunities and efforts, a long list of publishing requirements for the new book (cover design, pdf interior charts, typesetting, etc.), freelance articles, and many more obligations I feel like an elephant juggler. It's hard work keeping all these babies airborne, but it sure is satisfying.

I can't thank my many supporters enough, and I hope you'll continue checking back here to see how things are progressing during this exciting time. I'll update as often as I can.

A Second Shot!

2005-05-03T21:17:00.000-06:00

I've just been notified that "The Race" is one of three finalists for a second Ben Franklin Award. This time it's "Book of the Year for Excellence and Innovation in Marketing (Budgets under $10,000)." It is a huge honor to even become a finalist, and it is energizing to know that others have noticed what we have accomplished on a shoe-string budget.

Though at one level Three Story Press is a one man show, I say "we" because there is such an incredible group of people who are supporting my efforts in one way or another. They number in the hundreds, at least. It will never be possible to properly thank them all. They include people like Jamie Lankford of NovelPros in Houston who has shared advice and experiences as well as typesetting expertise, Ginger Roberts of E-Corporate Solutions in Atlanta who has welcomed me into the Tour de Georgia and given my book a fighting chance, and Vaughn Trevisanut of DailyPeloton.com in Los Angeles who has spread the word about my book tirelessly and driven thousands of people to my Web site. I could go on and on, and I'd barely be scratching the surface. The Morris family in Salt Lake City have been wonderful in so many ways, and my own family has been spectacular. Thank you all so much. If I win, I will dedicate the honor to all of you.

The Ben Franklin Awards will be presented June 1 in New York City. That event and Book Expo America are sandwiched perfectly among the Wachovia Series of cycling races in Pennsylvania and Jersey. I'll be traveling back and forth between the two over the course of seven days. It's going to be an exciting week! I'd cross my fingers, but I've got too much work to do at the moment, so I'll just cross my "t's" instead.
Rubber Side Down!
Dave Shields

Back to Normal?

2005-04-26T22:28:00.000-06:00

I'm home and trying to get reorganized after a fantastic and hectic week in Georgia. It's so wonderful to see my girls after time away. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly they change.

I'm busy sorting through opportunities for "The Race," while trying to balance the work of getting the sequel in print and finding time for family and other obligations. My to-do list threatens to overwhelm me. I'm headed to the northeast for signings at bike races in that area and also to attend the Benjamin Franklin Awards Ceremony in early June. A second trip to NYC is planned for mid-July. I need to find time for a week in France somewhere amongst these things so that I can do some final fact-checking/atmosphere-gathering for the sequel.

There are several things in the works that could potentially lead to exciting announcements. I'll post here if anything significant happens. Thanks for reading.

Mavic Carpet Ride

2005-04-24T22:21:00.000-06:00

With no books to sell, what's a guy at a world class bicycle race to do? How about hitch a ride in the peloton? Mavic wheels were kind enough to let me sit in one of their neutral support vehicles for the final stage of the 2005 Tour de Georgia. It was funny to hear the mechanics complain that the cyclists hadn't gotten nearly enough flat tires. The perfect roads and incredible infrastructure apparently make a mechanics job, at least during the stage, about as enjoyable a the Maytag repairman's. Fortunately for these guys, there's a lot of work to do at the end of each stage. One look at all the mechanics laboring into the late hours in the hotel parking lots is proof of that.

The mechanic's were right, though. The roads were perfect. The crowds were too and so was the race organization. This is my second time at this event and I leave with an impression of Georgia even better than my first time around. I didn't have the slightest idea what this state had to offer before last year's Tour de Georgia. To say that I'm blown away is an understatement. This year they had lousy weather (in addition to the snow, hail, rain, wind, sleet and other obstacles, the cold this morning bit right through me) but still pulled off a spectacular event. Three cheers for the Tour de Georgia!

They Say I've Sold Out...

2005-04-23T22:13:00.000-06:00

And they’re right! Out of the almost 600 books I brought to Georgia with me, I only have five remaining. I’m holding those back just in case Lance Armstrong or someone along those lines chases me down asking for a signed copy. Hey, I can always dream, can’t I? I’ve been told that many of the cyclists have read my book, but I’ve been so busy I haven’t been able to talk to many of them about it. After Tom Danielson won today I met his parents and wife and they said Tom had read the book. I gave them my e-mail address and hopefully I’ll hear from him. Tom may be America’s next big star.

The weather today was atrocious again. It was freezing cold, windy, and snowing. What a massive difference from the weather this race enjoyed last year. That didn’t deter the fans, though. They were on the hillside in the thousands, many of them way underdressed and shivering uncontrollably. Everybody seemed to get heated by another incredible stage, though. What an event!

Holy Guacamoli

2005-04-22T19:48:00.000-06:00

The weather report this morning said a chance of scattered showers. Tell that to the thousands of spectators who cycled to the top of Woody Gap and other locations along today's Tour de Georgia route. Lightning felled a tree only 100 yards from one group. Marble sized hail pelted everything in sight. It was a truly epic day for weather.

Regardless, the pro cyclists rolled on. By the time they finished they looked like death warmed over, but these guys are used to that feeling. It's been a great race and the crowds are massive. The sport of pro cycling is alive and well in Georgia.

I got another piece of great news last night. The Race is one of three finalists for the Ben Franklin Awards in the catagory of "Best New Voice - Fiction." The winner will be announced in early June. I'll cross my fingers, and my "T's".

Signing in the Rain

2005-04-21T05:09:00.000-06:00

I'm signing in the rain
Just signing in the rain
What a glorious feeling
I'm happy to explain
As I sit on the street
Saying "Hi" to all I meet
I'm happy, and signing in the rain.

Doo do do do doop doop
Doo do do do doop doop

Here's a funny story. I've been on the local news a couple of times over the last few days. At my list signing a young girl came up and asked me to sign the shirt she was wearing. As I was writing my name she said, "This is so cool. Your the first famous person I've ever met."

That was good for a chuckle. I wasn't famous yesterday. I wonder if my genetic makeup has changed.

A Reception fit for a King!

2005-04-20T04:44:00.000-06:00

Flying through the back roads of Georgia in the Tour de Georgia merchandiser’s Dodge Sprinter van we came across a train, slowly crossing the road. Then it stopped, dead in its tracks. How could this be? The orange race route markers pointed straight into an empty box car.

I got out of the van and checked out the train. Immovable cars extended in both directions as far as the eye could see. The traffic began piling up. Right behind us a course marshal flew to the scene in his pickup. He immediately recognized the problem, and he was a whole lot better at doing something about it than I was. He radioed the news in and within less than a minute half a dozen Georgia troopers screamed down the road in our direction, blue lights swirling everywhere, sirens blaring. They moved citizen’s vehicles to either side of the road, clearing space. I overheard that they had gotten word from the train operator that there was an emergency shutdown.

Meanwhile, in the bike race, Andrea Tafi had a five minute and thirty second lead on the peloton. He was closing the gap to our position quickly. Would all his hard work go for naught when he came upon this behemoth in his path? Local Sheriffs began working through possible alternate routes, looking for a railroad crossing that was clear. Patrol cars rushed to various locations to determine the best alternative.

But then a huge crash sounded. The train lurched forward. Somehow, they had gotten it started. The cars slowly rolled by. Reports on race radio confirmed that Tafi was within moments of turning the corner and heading toward the train.

Then finally the end of the train was visible, and the road cleared. The patrolmen flew across the tracks, well behind schedule in their task of closing intersections and creating the necessary rolling road closures. We drove within their ranks, feeling like some sort of foreign dignitary being escorted between meetings with heads of state. It's not the sort of treatment obscure authors usually get while on a book tour and late for a signing. I love Georgia!

As we came upon oncoming traffic, one officer after another peeled off and held back the cars. Already, local sheriffs had filled in and were directing columns of traffic out of our way. Beside the roads, hundreds of people waited. Seeing our Tour de Georgia logo covered truck they waved enthusiastically. We threw press-on tattoos, postcards, candy, and other freebies from the windows.

After a hair raising ride we streamed into Rome, Georgia. I sprinted to the signing booth where, to my amazement, buyers of fifteen books were waiting for signatures. "What was the holdup?" they asked. I only had time to explain the basics. Before the day was over I signed piles of books, plus tons of baseball caps, t-shirts, and various memorabilia. They were making me feel like a star. Have I ever mentioned that I love Georgia? Well, I do. I schedule a little book signing tour and they design the best world-caliber bicycle race I’ve ever experienced around it. That’s downright neighborly of them!

The Endurance Race

2005-04-19T23:29:00.000-06:00

The cyclists might be the ones getting all the publicity for racing in the Tour de Georgia, but I have to say that the support personnel deserve their own sort of medal. Up each morning before the crack of dawn, and we still haven't gotten into one of our hotels before midnight. Whew, this is exhausting... and fun!

Bumped by the Pope

2005-04-18T21:54:00.000-06:00

No, this isn't a story of a brush with greatness. It's my excuse for not being on CNN this morning. Everything was set, then they decided that they needed to take my time slot with an update of the Papal election. Darn.

The atmosphere here in Georgia is electric, made more so by Armstrong's retirement announcement today. This year's Tour de France will be his last race. I was in the room, and was impressed by his determination to go out a winner, and by his reluctance to leave competitive cycling behind. It was clear that he recognized his time has come, though, and you have to respect a guy for knowing that.

Tomorrow the exciting part of this trip begins. I'll be in a vehicle in advance of the cyclists, signing books and helping to sell souveniers. It should be quite a ride. I can't wait!

The Tour, Baby!

2005-04-17T23:13:00.000-06:00

I'm stealing the great title from my pal Scott Cody, but this is a different Tour. TheTour de Georgia is about to start and I'm in Augusta waiting to roll. It was a spectacular race last year and promises to be even better this time. The organizers are to be commended for turning this race, in only it's third year, into the most prestigious cycling event ever to be held on American soil. The atmosphere here is incredible!

The logistics each day could change at a moment's notice, but right now it appears that I'll be signing books from a van that will preceed the cyclists down the course. I hope it works as planned because that will give us the opportunity to see a lot of country, meet a lot of people, and spread the word about my book. Tomorrow (or maybe I should say today since it's very late) will be a series of pre-race festivities and press conferences, and then on Tuesday, off we go.

Finalist!

2005-04-04T21:24:00.000-06:00

I got word today that The Race is a ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Finalist! The winner will be announced in early June at Book Expo America. Just reaching this level is a huge honor and lift, but winning would be fantastic. I don't know how much work I'll be able to get done with my fingers crossed for the next two months, but I know that I have a lot of work to do so I better find a way.

I'm headed to Atlanta for the Tour de Georgia later this month. CNN invited me on for an interview on 4/18 at 10:45 a.m. Eastern Time. I'm grateful for the opportunities they have given me to tell people about the incredible sport of cycling and to make their viewers aware of my novel.

After the interview I'll be doing two signigs a day for the remainder of the week. In the mornings I'll be in the city where the Tour de Georgia starts, and in the evenings I'll be in the towns where it finishes. I can't wait to return to this great race. It's a huge logistical undertaking. Last year the organizers pulled it off to perfection and turned it into America's premier stage race. I expect even better things from them this year.

Signed, sealed, delivered!

2005-03-23T20:59:00.000-07:00

I've been pushing very, very hard for the last several months to get my sequel to The Race ready for my agent. It has been a challenging process and I stretched myself so thin that I came down with pneumonia. I mailed the manuscript off yesterday, and spent a good part of today in bed.

You may have heard before that writing is really about re-writing. That certainly was the case with this book. My first round of critiquers gave me brutally honest feedback, and it wasn't good. I'd failed to communicate the ideas I meant to, and their comments helped me to figure out where I'd gone wrong. Unfortunately, the deadlines for getting the book to my agent didn't change, so that meant I had to do a lot of work in only a little time.

The great news is that critiquers who have read the new manuscript have given it rave reviews. I can't express how satisfying it has been to see the opinions of this story transform. It's fascinating to see the effect that small adjustments can have on a reader's overall impression of a story. Hopefully my agent will react to the novel as positively as recent readers, then we can make some final adjustments and find a publisher who wants to buy a revolutionary blockbuster.

Attitude Adjustment

2005-02-27T12:25:00.000-07:00

About a month ago I was allowing myself to feel overwhelmed. The phone rang. It was a real estate agent making cold calls. I was about to tell him that we don't accept solicitations, when his voice inflected in a vaguely familiar way. I said, "Is this Ed?" It was. He's a man I last saw ten years ago. At the time, he was going through some tough times, including a recent cancer diagnosis. In truth, it surprised me even tolearn that he was still alive.

After we talked about the wonderful changes that had gone on for both he and his wife, he asked how things were going for me. I'd just experienced a series of disappointments and I told him about them. I suggested that maybe the path I'd chosen wasn't going to work. He said, "Ten years ago you changed my life, Dave." He reminded me of a series of conversations we'd had, and told me why he'd never been the same afterwards. He told me that if I wanted to break through, I'd better change my "self-talk" because there is no way that others were going to believe in me if I'd quit believing in myself. Attitude is vital for a long list of other reasons, as well.

I apologized for turning his sales call into a therapy session, but thanked him for helping me get my head straight. He said that everything happens fora reason, and told me again that I had played one of the most important roles in his life. What a weighty and meaningful thing for a man who had essentially become a stranger to tell me. The cool thing is, he had just returned the favor. In the month since that conversation I have been very productive, and I've solved many of the problems that faced me on the day Ed called.

Not only is a positive attitude the only way to ultimately attain the success you imagine for yourself, it is what makes the journey worth taking. When all is said and done, it is the journey that is the reward.

Getting it in Writing

2005-02-04T22:28:00.000-07:00

People often ask me about my writing methods. Someone recently asked if writing a book was like building a building. Then they wondered if such a structured approach might cramp the creative process. I've written first drafts of four novels now. Each time the process has changed significantly, mostly for the better. In each case I assumed I knew where I was going, but ultimately problems/possibilities have emerged that I hadn't imagined.

This happens often when building are being constructed as well. Major design changes are sometimes made while construction is underway. In some cases, these changes are never even drawn on paper. Sometimes they are a result of workmen having a better real-world understanding than the architect. Sometimes they are the result of circumstances that never could have been anticipated. Either way, few buildings would get built if not for a flexible approach. Novels are the same way. No matter what method is used to create a first draft, there will always be lots of room for the creative process. The important part is that the project manager never loose sight of the ultimate goal-- get the thing done!

By the way, I used to believe that I could create a complete novel in the first draft. There are probably people capable of this, but I now realize that I'll never be one of them. Not even close. The variety of mistakes I'm capable of making are staggering. For me, a better method is to get my first attempt on paper and then have knowledgable people point out the weaknesses. Often the errors are completely obvious once they are pointed out, but when writing the first draft I tend to be too close to see them. So, in myopinion, there is nothing wrong with making mistakes in the initial attempt. Fixing them in the reewrite can be fun. Even better is the process where a critiquer's comment sparks an idea that elevates a manuscript to an entirely new level. I'm hard at work on the sequel to "The Race" right now, and I believe that the input I have received from critiquers are going to turn it into a far better book than I could have possibly written by myself.

Change of Plan

2005-01-30T19:27:00.000-07:00

Obviously, I've had to switch from my initial plan of posting five times a week. There are two reasons. The most important is that there are things I must prioritize higher, especially my family and my next novel (which needs to be in my agent's hands by the end of February). Besides that, there isn't always a lot of news to report. If my travel schedule is anything like last year, though, look for lots of developements through the summer.

I'll Get By With a Little Help from My Friends

2005-01-26T23:13:00.000-07:00

The best coaches have the knack for demanding more from their athletes thantheir athletes are capable of demanding from themselves. They use all sorts of different methods, and sometimes they truly get under the skin of thosethey are supposedly helping. No matter their techniques, if their underlying goal is to push their athlete to deliver their max, the results can be astounding.

The first few times I experienced a critique I had a hard time with the intense comments, but nowadays I live for them. Whether I've represented a character in a way that leads the reader to misunderstand who they are, or I suffered from a brain cramp and left a gaping hole in my logic, I need to know about it.

Of course I love to see positive notations in a crit, but it is the negative stuff that I thrive on. In rewrites I want to seek and destroy the flaws. Do I wish my first draft could be perfect? Of course. But I now understand that I'll never come close that early in the game, so the next best thing is to have people whose opinions I trust that are willing to tell me precisely what they think of my work, as if I wasn't there. That's a whole lot better than having an agent round-file a manuscript, or a reviewer slam my book for errors that should never have sneaked through in the first place.

There is no doubt whatsoever that, no matter what flaws still remain, TheRace is a far better book than I ever could have written on my own. I get e-mails complimenting the story regularly. I thank my lucky stars that none of these readers ever got to see my initial attempt. I can't believe my good fortune to be a part of the critique group I belong to. Formerly called NovelDoc it has recently morphed into NovelPros. J. R. Lankford is the founder and owner.

I learn, day by day, that breaking through as a novelist is a far more difficult task than I ever dreamed it would be eleven long years ago when I made up my mind to do it. Whether I succeed in my goal or not, I know that eventually NovelDoc/NovelPros is going to have a lasting impact on the world of literature and I am proud to have been a part.

The 25 Hour Day

2005-01-25T06:56:00.000-07:00

I keep wondering where that 25th hour goes. I could use it to write my blog updates, and once I find it I will. Right now the other 24 are spent in an exciting combination of critiquing manuscripts from promising authors (I'm working on two at the present time), working on re-writes of my sequel (four critiquers are currently giving me invaluable feedback), working with my agent and others on potential opportunities for the current book (there are some interesting possibilities in the works), and trying to juggle family obligations (my most important role, by far). I'll forever be in awe of families of six, ten, and even twelve kids. I knew kids from families in all of these scenarios growing up. Now that I'm a parent myself I can't conceive of how their parents did it.

Uh oh! I've got to find some time to pay the bills (and I better go earn some money to pay them with). Gotta go!

Gooood stuff!

2005-01-19T20:32:00.000-07:00

I believe people would be stunned if they knew what incredible work is being produced by authors almost no one has heard of yet. In the half dozen critique groups I've been in over the last ten years, I've had the pleasure of reading some fantastic work. I admit that there's plenty of bad work out there too, but it's the great stuff I can't forget. I'm critiquing a manuscript with incredible potential at the moment. There's work to do, but this manuscript is eventually going to be spectacular. I can't wait for the publishing industry, and then the world in general, to discover it.

My Life is Going Downhill

2005-01-18T18:07:00.000-07:00

Finally, this past weekend, I found the time to ski. What a fabulous way to get your head straight! I actually went twice. One was a wonderful powder day with my dad. He's an amazing skier and I love to hit the slopes with him. The other was with my seven year old and my two and a half year old daughters. They are a couple of shred Betties, and even harder to keep up with than my dad. Just keeping track of their gear is a full time job.

I did find some time to think about where the book deal stands. So far we fielded rights inquiries from five countries and a potential movie. At one point I thought a sale to an American publisher was imminent, but that deal seems to have been pushed to the back-burner for reasons that have never been clear to me. I'd love to see all of these things come to fruition, though I'm rapidly learning that even the simplest looking deals are exceedingly complex. I'll continue to do everything I possibly can to make these deals happen.

I'll Have My People Call Your People

2005-01-14T22:42:00.000-07:00

Before I created Three Story Press and published my novel I had sent hundreds of queries out to agents looking for representation, but nothing had ever worked out. One day, shortly after the first books came off the press and long before the official publication date I went skiing with a client of my former company. Our conversation eventually turned to my books. He ended up purchasing a copy and loved it, then he purchased another and sent it to his friend who had won the Faulkner Award for Fiction. His friend loved it as well and contacted me about it. He asked if I'd be willing to forward a copy to his agent (who just happens to be one of the hottest agents in the history of agenting).

What a great day it was when she called and offered to represent me. Her client list reads like a Who's Who of publishing, and then there's me. She tells me that my book has "a special something," and she feels that the right publisher could transform it into a blockbuster. Oh, did I also mention that she has great taste? ;-)
Cheers,
Dave

Why I Let the Cat Out of the Bag

2005-01-12T22:36:00.000-07:00

Today a reader who says he loved The Race asked me why my sequel won’t be out until 2006. I responded, then realized that I ought to post the letter to my blog. I think it answers some of the recurring questions I get. Hopefully it also gives some insight into the reasons for changing my marketing strategy. I used to hide the fact that I was self-published because, for some people, that has a negative connotation. They believe it means that the book isn’t very good. That’s not what it means at all. I’ve read some great self published stuff, and hope you’ll agree that my book fits in that category. If I waited for one of the big houses to pick it up I’d still be waiting.

Hey Fred,
Thanks for the compliment. That's very kind of you. My posts here won't delay the new book though. As a matter of fact, the sequel is already in third draft form. There are all sorts of quirks to the publishing industry (getting into the distribution system requires lots of lead-time), my writing process (I still have to get to Europe to ride the roads I've written about in the new book for instance), and my efforts to promote the current book (I can't afford to write for purely my own entertainment), that dictate this timetable.

As to my time on Daily Peloton, I do a lot of lurking around this place. The ideas tossed about in this group are often the perfect remedy to writer's cramp. I owe you all a thank you in advance for inspiring a variety of twists and turns in the new novel. I think you're going to like them. In the mean time, a million thank you's for continuing to spread the word about "The Race." With the help of you and people like you I've sold nearly 10,000 copies. That's no-where near best-seller status, but it's light years beyond what the average self-published novel does. Several industry insiders have told me that I've already accomplished the impossible. If I can keep up the momentum I'll eventually force the New York publishing industry to take notice and buy these books from me. Turning some of the publicity tasks over to someone who has the influence to get the book noticed will mean that I can devote a lot more of my time to writing and you won't have to wait so long next time around. Same goes for Hollywood.

So until I discover the keys to truly breaking through, sorry about the delay,
Dave Shields

Yikes! A Realization

2005-01-11T21:17:00.000-07:00

My wife has given me three daughters and no sons. Does this mean that if I want to defend my masculinity I need to have her beheaded? I'm not comfortable with that. Hopefully we can find another solution. I'd better see if I can negotiate with the kids so that I can have a little one on one time with my wife. We need to talk things through.

Side Benefits

2005-01-10T18:19:00.000-07:00

One of the side benifits of all this promotion has been the numerous opportunities to meet cycling's superstars. Some of them have even been kind enough to endorse my book and many others have promised to read it. Along the way I've had conversations with Marty Jemison, Lance Armstrong, Bob Roll, Phil Liggett, George Hincapie, Frankie Andreu, Tyler Hamilton, Levi Leipheimer, Dan Osipow, Chris Carmichael, Gary Fisher, Floyd Landis, Dave Zabriski, Bobby Julich, Eddie Merckx, Axel Merckx, Chris Horner, Freddie Rodriguez, Jamie Paolinetti, Eric Saunders, and more. What an honor it has been to have men like these share their time with me. What an inspiring group!

There have been other prominent people like Mark Victor Hansen, Richard Paul Evans, and Rupert Gee of David Letterman fame. There are a bunch of other celebrities who have written me, but I won't mention them here because the world doesn't know that they are celebrities yet, but they will soon. I was especially moved by a series of e-mails from the daughter of Viktor Frankl. He's an inspirational man who died a few years back. If you haven't read his book, "Man's Search for Meaning" about his experiences in Auschwicz, make sure you do it soon. It's a masterpiece!

Then there are the thousands of readers who have written telling me their impressions of my book. Many of them have shared their personal reasons for being moved by my book along with their encouragement for a sequel. I'm so honored whenever anyone takes the time to write, and I always write back. If you haven't yet, please send me a note. I'd love to hear from you.

You're on in 3...2... ...

2005-01-08T21:35:00.000-07:00

As stories related to the Tour de France began to get hotter starting in late June and climaxing in late July I began to have more and more success in getting radio and television interviews. All the research I had done translated to interviews that people found informative. It became the norm for interviews to go two to three times as long as they had been scheduled. Initially most of the bookings came as the result of an add I placed in Radio and TV Interview Report. Later I hired a publicist and she got me some bigger national radio interviews. Eventually my radio interviews numbered in the hundreds with dozens of national ones.

The really big stuff, though, came as a result of hundreds of calls, faxes, e-mails, and meetings that I had with producers of national television shows. Time after time I was told "no." I was rejected by The Today Show, Letterman, Leno, Oprah, Good Morning America, MSNBC, ESPN, and on and on. The recurring theme was that I didn't have the credentials they wanted. My recently released book wasn't enough. They wanted someone who had ridden the Tour de France.

But finally a CNN talent booker showed interest. I nearly jumped out of my skin. We scheduled a segment while I was in NYC at the begining of my book tour. I went to the studios and was sitting in the green room wearing my first ever faceload of makeup, when the first tapes of Sadaam Hussein's pre-trial came in. Moments later I was informed that I'd been bumped. Talk about crimes against humanity!

I called the booker in Atlanta and explained to her again what a good job I would do for her program. Hours later I was rescheduled for the next morning. I had to make some quick adjustments to my book tour, but that was no problem. This time not only did I have makeup on, but I was positioned in one of their special guest rooms in front of a remote control camera when word of Marlon Brando's death came in. They began playing their prepared eulogies, and I knew immediately that they weren't going to break into them to interview me. Damn.

We hurried from NYC to Philly and made it there just in time for the signing that evening. All the way down the eastern seaboard and then into the mid-west I kept calling the booking agent, hoping for an opportunity. Finally, they booked a studio at a PBS station in Indianapolis and told me to go there and try again. This time I had to put on my own make-up. Good thing I'd learned how to do it right. (Important note: don't use blush or eye-shadow, that's not what they want.)

This time, in a much more informal and low-tech environment, the interview came off. I couldn't see the woman talking to me or any of the b-roll they played, but it still went smooth as silk, especially when she requested that I come on the show again as the race progressed. Thank you Daryn Kagan!

That was the begining of numerous TV interviews on three national networks plus several more on local stations. It wasn't the last time I'd be bumped, though. Ironically, I extended my stay in NYC because of a booking on Geraldo, but it was canceled hours prior to air time because Geraldo had flown to my home town of Salt Lake City for the Mark Hacking story. I wish that feel good stories like the Tour de France could get the sort of drop of the hat coverage that bizarre murders can, but that will never be the case.

Now, here's to hoping that the base I built last year will help in getting similar bookings in 2005!

The Source

2005-01-06T15:05:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned before that I could never have written "The Race" without the help of Marty Jemison, and the same holds true for the sequel. He gave me four hours of his time yesterday, having read an early draft of my new book, and his input was as flawless as always. I only wish I could convey the intensity of life as a pro cyclist as thouroughly as he does in everyday conversation.

Within the next week I'll be entering the new manuscript in its first Noveldoc clinic. I can hardly wait for the intense fleshing out that group will do for me. By the end of this month the book should be well on its way to becoming publishable (though there will still be significant work to do, including a research trip to Europe).

In my previous post I described how and why I received reviews from the Daily Peloton. Strong reviews are like gold to authors, but getting that sort of review from credible sources isn't easy. They are innundated with books in an almost unimaginable stream. With the biggest review sources, you can practically hear the forests topple as their daily mail is delivered.

Like all publishers, I sent out hundreds of books, both galleys and finals. We turned our basement into a makeshift mailroom, and for more than a month it was a busteling enterprise trying to keep track of all the books going in various directions and to follow up on each one appropriately. It's a delicate balance between being too pushy and not aggressive enough, and every publication seems to have their own version of what sort of author follow up is expected.

For most authors, only a fraction of their review copies ever result in anything positive. Some of them show up on Amazon and elswhere, actually deducting from an author's income. In my case I got a very good return from publications with a cycling related audience, but didn't experience nearly the success in mainstream publications. That was to be expected, but I'll never give up the belief that this title can eventually go mainstream. I'm constantly receiving e-mail from readers who see it the same way. The trick is to figure out what I must do to capture their attention. In my next post I'll detail some of the things I've tried, and I'll share the results.

Another Break, Another Debt Owed

2005-01-04T21:07:00.000-07:00

Some time ago I came across a Web site called DailyPeloton.com. It is a great source of information about both the domestic and international road cycling scenes. On one occasion I read an article about a fundraiser they were doing for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. It included a contest that would send a donor to the Ride for the Roses in Austin, Texas. I made a small donation.

On another occasion I learned that they were holding a writing contest. I decided to submit the prologue of my as yet unpublished novel. The chapter got good response on their site, then something even more fortunate happened. My name was drawn as the winner of the trip to Austin.

It just so happened that I was headed to Interbike in Vegas to hand out manuscripts to media and cycling celebrities. I learned that the owners of DailyPeloton.com, Vaughn and Janna Trevisanut, would be there as well. We were able to meet for a short time. I gave them a copy of my manuscript, and they suggested that I apply for a press credential at Ride for the Roses and write about my experience for their site. What a cool deal. Maybe I’d get to interview Lance!

I quickly raised additional money for LAF and reached a contribution level that gave me access to some private events. I spoke only briefly with Lance, but got an even better reward in the many cancer survivors and other great people that I met. I wrote about my experiences in this article.

Simultaneously, Vaughn and Janna were reading my manuscript. Not only did they love the book, and tell me so in no uncertain terms, but then they followed up their words by suggesting and implementing all sorts of ways to help get the word out. I can’t adequately express how important the support of a reputable publication like DailyPeloton was as I worked to find a way to get my book printed. Like all authors, I was confronting a seemingly endless array of obstacles, but now I’d made a friend who could help me earn legitimacy. I owe the Trevisanuts a huge thank you for the influential people they introduced me to, for the thousands they told about my book through reviews and other efforts, and for the encouragement they provided for me to see the project through. I hope the day comes that I can assist someone else’s dreams in a similar way that Vaughn and Janna have assisted mine.

My Sort of Big Break

2005-01-03T20:59:00.000-07:00

There was probably a time when I believed that one big break was all I really needed in order to succeed in this venture. It turns out that, at least with the route I've taken, a whole slew of big breaks are required in order to get into position for the sort of really big break I'd dreamed about. Someone once said that luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. I sure hope they were right.

Distribution is everything with books. Anybody can self-publish a novel, but if you can’t get it into the supply chain then it hardly matters how much publicity you are able to generate. Few readers are motivated enough to jump through hoops in order to find a book, no matter how many good things they've heard about it. That’s why when I heard that PMA had a Small Press Distribution Program through Independent Publishers Group I jumped at the chance to become involved.

Only after I received notification of acceptance to the program did I learn what odds I’d overcome. It turns out that they only choose to represent a fraction of the books submitted to them, and rarely do they select novels. The more I learned, the more I understood how big the obstacles to success were, but I was committed at this point.

A week after hearing of my acceptance to the IPG program I received a letter from them. It contained one piece of information that was news to me. Acceptance of my book was contingent upon a cover redesign. They thought my current cover positioned the title as too juvenile. I called the printer, and the covers had just been attached to the books. I now had 3300 copies of a cover IPG wouldn’t accept. I practically tore all my hair out before realizing I’d better bite the bullet and redesign the cover. It was nearly as expensive to strip the covers as it would be to do a new print run, so I had the books shipped to me while I went in search of a new cover designer.

Eventually I found Lightbourne. I cannot say enough about the skills and work ethic of Bob at Lightbourne or Cynthia at IPG. With their help, as well as the assistance of Jilla at Noveldoc and many others, we redesigned the book in time to make the IPG catalogue. Now I needed to beg another favor of IPG. I’d been accepted for their Fall 2004 distribution program, but I wanted my book out by June 2004 in order to take advantage of the Tour de France in July. How can I ever thank them enough for pulling the necessary strings to get my novel into their system and available for their reps to promote in record time.

With so many people bending over backwards for me (including a whole slew who I have no space to mention in this blog) I felt a deep obligation to generate the publicity required to move some books. The real adventure was about to begin!

Hmm. I'm anti-establishment.

2005-01-01T14:16:00.000-07:00

My wife gave me an interesting piece of news last night. She said, "I just figured out something about you. You an anti-establishment guy. I never dreamed I would have married someone like that because I'm so pro-establishment."

I don't think she was asking for a way out of our relationship (though I have misread things before), but I do know she was right about at least some of what she said. There is no one more pro-establishment than the love of my life. If someone posts a rule, she will bend over backwards making certain to obey it. It's almost comical. So, at least in comparison to her, I'm anti-establishment. Maybe that's why we are such a good team. Over the years I've delivered a lot of great adventures by forcing her to occasionally walk on the grass. Over that same period of time she's warned me back onto the sidewalk a few opportune times. Then there was the night when we (along with six others) found ourselves on foot, a mile from our vehicles, on the Serengetti Plains. That was great fun until we realized that we were surrounded by a pack of salivating hyenas. Where was the sidewalk on that day?

And now that I think of it, in a macro sense she is also correct. (She always is.) I would never have taken the risks I have if I didn't have a tendency to overlook the obstacles that rules and customs can impose. Just look at how those risks have paid off. If I hadn't gone off-roading with my career there is a fair chance I'd have established a secure and stable living with a six figure income over the past ten years instead of the tenuous, edge-of-the-seat living that I have provided my family. What fun would that have been? I'm glad I thought this through this way. My wife won't know how to properly thank me once I explain everything to her in these terms.

So, speaking of off-road careers, I'll continue with my story about how I managed to manufacture the fix we're currently in. Once circumstances dictated that the only way my book would be available before the 2004 Tour de France was if I self-published I became a whirling dervish, gathering funds, working with my typesetter, hiring an artist for cover design, reading books by Dan Poynter and others regarding setting up such a company, joining Publishers Marketing Association and taking advantage of the opportunities they presented, contracting a printer, and much more. By early January, remarkably, it was obvious that I would get the book out on time. There was just one problem. How would I make the world aware that my new tome existed? Oh boy, did I still have a lot to learn.

Until next time,
Dave