August Roundup
Lots of happenings (and new ventures).
Hi everyone. I hope all is well.
It’s been a busy summer here, but things are finally starting to settle down (at least enough to check in with you all).
Just this month alone, my daughter (our youngest kid) went off to college (she didn’t go far, but we already miss her). My wife, after many years working in corporate finance, started a new career as a college educator (which she’s been very excited about). The sale of my parents’ house (which had taken up a ton of my time) finally went through. And… we unfortunately had a cancer scare with our dog, Squiggy… just a month after one with our dog, Stella (neither enjoyed having to wear the “cone of shame” following their surgery, but both should be fine).
It’s been a very eventful summer on the writing and podcasting end.
Just this week, I wrote my first opinion piece for Mediaite, the popular Dan Abrams-owned news and media website. My column on Fox News host Greg Gutfeld made the top of the site, and interestingly (and perhaps amusingly) received multiple attaboys from old colleagues of Gutfeld’s.
Based on the feedback it received, I’m guessing this won’t be my last piece for Mediaite. 😉
Last month, I interviewed one of my favorite writers, David French (of the New York Times), for the Daly Express. David and I have been acquainted for some time, and he’s a great guy who always offers great insight. We talked for nearly an hour about all kinds of political and cultural topics, before wrapping things up with a deep-dive into the pop-culture world (including superhero movies):
Yeah, I probably should have sounded a Nerd Alert before presenting that clip. Anyway, you can watch the full episode here.
On the Reagan Caucus podcast, my co-host Thomas D. Howes and I have been talking to all kinds of interesting guests (in new episodes every Monday). We had an especially fun conversation earlier this month with film and television screenwriter and producer, Howard Klausner. Howie wrote “Space Cowboys” and last year’s “Reagan” film. He’s an all around great guy, with a very positive attitude on life and storytelling.
Among other things, we talked about Ronald Reagan’s legacy, and what it was like working with Hollywood legend, Clint Eastwood:
By the way, if you’re not subscribed to the Reagan Caucus podcast, I’d love if you did so, whether it’s on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts. Thanks!
I’m also now working with my book publisher on an offshoot venture called Book Marketing for Authors.
As I’m sure I’ve written about in this newsletter before, I’ve long worked with my publisher’s other authors to help them better market themselves. Those efforts have included private, instructional newsletters with social-media marketing tips and tutorials for helping them build their brands and draw more attention to their books.
Truth be told, most authors (especially new authors) aren’t at all comfortable with self-promotion or social-media, which is perfectly understandable. The problem, however, is that both of those elements are extremely important these days to the success of a book. You can write the best book ever, but if no one knows about it (or knows about you), it’s not going to sell.
My publisher’s authors have found the newsletters so helpful that my publisher came up with the idea of opening them up to the world, so that any author (or aspiring author) can use them to help their books gain steam. So, we’ve expanded…
Subscribers to Book Marketing for Authors will not only receive regular social-media-marketing pieces from me, but other non-social-media book-marketing content from other experienced book marketers.
For those interested, you can subscribe for free here:
There will be some occasional free posts, but most of the content will require upgrading and a modest subscription fee (month-to-month or annual).
It hasn’t been all work this summer, though…
My wife and I made it out to Studio City, California last month, and enjoyed a very fun long-weekend (with a little bit of business mixed in).
We may have even checked out a few film locations while we were there.
I also got to see one of my favorite bands, Social Distortion, at one of my favorite concert venues, the Mishawaka Amphitheatre.
And just a couple weeks ago, we had a super-fun time in the Colorado mountains with some great friends.
All and all, it’s been a good summer.
And since it’s been a while since I’ve revisited some of the Daly Grind’s old regular features, let’s do that today…
Random Thought
Obligatory Dog Shot
Stella wasn’t sure about this dude at Greeley Monster Day.
Catch Up on the Sean Coleman Thrillers
All of my Sean Coleman Thriller novels can be purchased through Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Books-A-Million, and wherever else books are sold.
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading today’s Daly Grind.
Want to drop me a line? You can email me at johndalybooks@hotmail.com, and also follow me on Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, and now Bluesky! If you haven’t subscribed to this newsletter yet, please click on the “Subscribe now” button below. Doing so will get these posts emailed directly to you.
Also, if you’re not caught up on my Sean Coleman Thrillers, you can pick the entire series up at a great price on Amazon. And if you’re interested in signed, personalized copies of my books, you can order them directly from my website.
Take care. And I’ll talk to you soon!