Sounds about right

Posted on November 21, 2015 by russtowne

I’d be grateful if my mind only split into two parts. My thoughts often burst like fireworks scattering pieces of my mind in all directions. I don’t even know in which direction to go in order to attempt to chase them down. Thankfully, the pieces usually eventually return, only to be scattered to the winds again as the next burst begins.

With Love,
Russ

elfkat's avatarAdventures and Musings of an Arch Druidess

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To Young People Everywhere

Posted on November 21, 2015 by russtowne

May you make your life a great adventure, and when you look back upon it after many decades of good health, may you smile with pride and a lifetime of wonderful memories.

With Love,

Russ

Posted in Abundance, Adventure, Authentic Living, Health, Life, Memories | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments

Uh, Oh! It’s Happening Again!

Posted on November 20, 2015 by russtowne

It’s 5:40 AM. I’m normally a night owl and not a morning person, but this morning I’m up and at my desk. I awakened at 3:15 to go to the bathroom. Somehow in those moments a trickle of feelings and abstract creative ideas began flowing about things that at first appear completely unrelated to my other creative endeavors.

I went back to bed to get more sleep. The trickle  grew stronger. Images. Images of feelings as soft as whispers. The image-whispers grew more insistent. The images were of people having fun, playing games where they learned more about themselves and each other, and especially of the goodness and greatness within themselves and each other. Of human needs and desires. Of ways for more lasting joy a greater sense of fulfillment to themselves and others.

I’ve heard those whispers and felt those feelings before. Each time they have been different yet there is so much similarity to them that I’ve learned to recognize what is happening. I knew there was no way I was going to be able to go back to sleep and got up.

A new creative adventure has begun. I have no idea where it might take me, or even whether the flow that has swept me up might will turn into a mighty river or slow to a trickle and completely dry up just around the next bend, perhaps even before I’m done writing this post. That is all part of the adventure.

I wanted to capture the whispers and feelings as they happened and share them with you. I’m not sure why. Perhaps it is so someone who may be hearing and feeling something similar may be better able to recognize similar signs within themselves and act upon them, or to better recognize the symptoms in others and encourage them to do the same to do the same.

I wish you great adventures.

 

With Love,

Russ

Posted in Adventure, Following Your Passion, Listening to the Whispers of the Heart | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

Introducing Purple Fox

Posted on November 20, 2015 by russtowne

PurpleFox-P4-Rev1 PurpleFox-P8-Rev1 PurpleFox-P7-Rev2

For the first time I have a co-writer for my latest children’s book titled Purple Fox and the Heebie Jeebies. To say the project has involved growing pains would be a gross understatement. After about two months of intense effort we’re finally beginning to gain some traction. It has certainly been a learning experience for all involved.

Christina Cartwright is the illustrator we just began using on this project and I’m very pleased with her work. This is the third book she is illustrating for me.

Josh Friedman is my co-writer. He’s a very enthusiastic and creative person who has written many songs, including some that featured a Purple Fox and some creatures called the Heebie Jeebies and wanted to see if the idea could be turned into a book. Josh asked our mutual friend Denis Loiseau for referrals and Denis sent him my way. You may recall that Denis was my first songwriting collaborator and inspired my initial writing efforts.

Below is a brief excerpt from the book.

 

Purple Fox and the Heebie Jeebies

My Halloween party was so much fun!

There were plenty of goodies for everyone.

Animals and colors were the theme.

It was a very special Halloween!

 

I walked around the noisy room

playing “Guess Who?” for each costume.

Billy was a blue lion and Penny was a pink frog,

Yolanda a yellow lizard and Greg a green dog.

Rusty was a rhino made from a big white box,

and I was dressed up as a purple fox.

 

All my friends brought lots of treats.

But Mommy warned, “Watch what you eat!

I know it all looks mighty yummy,

but if you eat too much, it will hurt your tummy.”

 

At first I was careful not to take

more than two slices of chocolate cake.

But sugary sweets were everywhere.

I ate two kooky cupcakes and three eerie éclairs.

 

I knew right away I’d gone way too far

when I gobbled some ice cream, and a Waka-chaca bar.

There was only so much my tummy could take,

and soon I had a terrible stomach ache.

 

I held where it hurt as I told my mommy,

“I feel the heebie-jeebies in my tummy.

They’re jumping all around and they’re making horrible sounds.

May I please just go lie down?”

—

Copyright (c) Russ Towne and Josh Friedman

All Rights Reserved

 

With Love,

Russ

 

Posted in Children's Stories/Poems I Wrote, Project Updates for Children's Stories/Poems I Wrote, Purple Fox and the Heebie Jeebies, Uncategorized, Working with a Co-Writer, Writing, Writing Project Updates | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

My Children’s Books Are Now Available In Hardcover Format

Posted on November 13, 2015 by russtowne

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The photo features the first two of my children’s book that became available on Amazon.com about a week ago: Clyde and Friends Three Books in One and The Duck   Upside Down.

Amazon.com and others are now offering eleven of my children’s books in hardcover format and with 70-lb paper pages for additional durability.

It was quite a project finding a printer who would do them at price points that worked for me and hopefully for readers. Most printers I contacted were set up in a way that I’d have needed to buy a whole bunch of copies at a time to get a low enough cost per copy. I finally decided on IngramSpark.  They needed to have all the files reformatted. Once again Gail Nelson came through and reformatted them all for me.

I’m proud of how they came out.

With Love,

Russ

Posted in Photos I Took, Project Updates for Children's Stories/Poems I Wrote, Spreading the Word About My Books | Tagged , , , | 15 Comments

Prignant

Posted on November 12, 2015 by russtowne

I found this hilarious and believe many former children will be able to relate to much of what this writer wrote. I know I certainly had many misconceptions of such things as a child.

With Love,
Russ

lbeth1950's avatarNutsrok

That was weird.  I heard tiptoeing and a door quietly locking.  I tiptoed to my parent’s room and found their door locked!  Their door was never even shut except around Christmas.  Mother must have gotten scared and locked it.   Assuming the worst, I pounded and screeched, “Mama!  Mama!  Your door’s locked. Help!  I can’t get in!!!”

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A Request You Might Enjoy

Posted on November 12, 2015 by russtowne

The second edition of my children’s app Clyde and Friends featuring characters from several of my books has just been released on Apple’s App Store. It is an enhanced version of the first edition. I just learned that apps remain largely invisible to prospective buyers who don’t type in the exact title until it gets a certain number of reviews. I think the number is five. When that threshold is crossed the app is made more visible to prospective buyers. If you haven’t already bought and left a review of the first edition, I would love it if you would consider buying the app and leaving an honest review.

Thank you!

With Love,

Russ

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Interview and Photo Session Update

Posted on November 12, 2015 by russtowne

The interview with the newspaper reporter lasted 35 minutes and appeared to go quite well. I was relaxed and Jasmine was easy to talk to. She taped our conversation and wrote notes. Jasmine works for the Campbell Reporter. The San Jose Mercury News is a sister company. She said the article will appear on 11/20 or 11/27 in the Campbell Reporter. It will also appear on the Merc’s website, but I don’t know whether it all be the same day as the print version or different. An hour before our interview, a photographer came to my home office and snapped about 100 shots with me at my desk surrounded by my books. It too was a fun experience.

With Love,

Russ

Posted in Autor Interviews, Spreading the Word About My Books | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

A Dying Man’s Last Request

Posted on November 11, 2015 by russtowne

This is one of my favorite posts. I’ve posted it before but wanted newer followers and readers to have the opportunity to read it.

With Love,
Russ

russtowne's avatarRuss Towne's A Grateful Man

A Dying Man’s Last Request

My biological father was an avid golfer. He always dreamed of playing the Pebble Beach Golf Course. He and another man wanted to play the course together, so they began to pool their savings in a big 5-gallon bottle kept at the other man’s house. When the bottle was full and they could afford to go, his “friend” took all the money and spent it.

My biological father, who lived on the East Coast, never got to fulfill his dream.

When he died, his wife told me after he had passed that his last request was that I would scatter his ashes on the Pebble Beach Golf Course.

GULP! Something that you may not know about me is that I tend to be a Rule Follower, and if I don’t like someone else’s rules I tend to change games—which is one reason I’m self- employed…

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The Most Embarrassing Marriage Proposal

Posted on November 10, 2015 by russtowne

Embarrassing Wedding Proposal

While I found the clip quite funny, even hilarious, in the back of my mind I wondered if perhaps the man shouldn’t have just stuck the ring box back in his pocket and left before she saw it. He hadn’t committed yet. Then again, he set her up with the slap on the rear and having everyone there without her knowledge. Would his life have been better off or would they just look back on this moment many years later and laugh together?

There were times that Heidi and I each have acted in a way that could easily have  “justified” the other walking away. Thankfully we were both too stubborn to do so and too selfish. We knew deep down that what we were creating was worth what we were going through to get there.

With Love,

Russ

 

Posted in Marriage, Relationship Lessons Learned, Vids & Stories That Touched Me | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments