R.C. O'Leary: Author of the Legal Thriller: Hallways in the Night
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Trying to Write a Book Worthy of the Boss, Bruce Springsteen.

2/25/2014

 
The below was previously published as a guestpost I wrote on Ashley Farley's blog Chronicles. Ashley is the author of a gripping book Saving Ben which has 98 5 star reviews.  I hope you enjoy my post and I'm confident you will enjoy Ashley's book.

Anyone who reads Hallways in the Night can probably tell I’m a serious Bruce Springsteen fan based upon some of the references I drop throughout the book. As a matter of fact, I use a Bruce reference early on in the story to portray the extent of a heat wave in Atlanta by saying that my protagonist, Dave Mackno, “had been trying to kill time by listening to some Springsteen tapes, but the batteries in his Walkman were almost dead, which made it sound like even the Boss was beginning to wilt in the summer heat.”

I thought the image would resonate with readers because of Bruce’s well-earned reputation for seemingly limitless energy. It’s one of the things I admire most about “the Boss.” He is a performer who leaves everything he has onstage every single night.

I don’t think anyone who has ever attended a Bruce Springsteen concert ever left without feeling they got their full money’s worth. That’s because of the respect Bruce has for his fans. It’s a compact with them that he seems to treat as sacred.

One of the things that makes Bruce special is he doesn’t just have this attitude when playing in front of thousands of fans in Wembley Stadium or Madison Square Garden. He brings the same level of passion and commitment no matter how many fans are in the audience or where he is playing. It’s an approach he has used since he first began to perform.

Whether playing in front of 10 or 10,000 fans, Bruce always put on the best possible show he could. Of the thousands of shows Bruce has played, I don’t think he ever once “phoned it in.” It would go against everything he believes in and the work ethic for which he is known. A work ethic and commitment to his audience that I wanted to emulate when I wrote Hallways in the Night.

When I began Hallways in the Night, I was determined to make it the best possible book I could write, no matter it if was to be read solely read by friends and family, or if it was eventually read by thousands of readers. The truth is, while writing it, I didn’t spend much time thinking about how many books I might sell. Instead, like Bruce, I tried to focus on delivering the best product possible so that every reader would know I respected their investment and commitment to the book.

And by “investment,” I’m not just referring to the cost of the book.  In the big scheme of things, the monetary cost of a book is a secondary consideration to the real investment readers make. That investment is of the one resource they can never get back once spent: their time. 

When writing Hallways in the Night, I never forgot that I would be asking readers to invest approximately 10 to 20 hours of their life reading my book. It’s a big commitment on the part of a reader and it’s one I was determined to honor.

That’s why I cut my book down from over 400 pages to a little over 300 pages.  I was aggressive in my editing because I wanted the novel to have a steady pace without any slow parts. And that’s why I also proofread and edited the book dozens of times. I wanted the final product to be reflect how serious I took my responsibility to readers.

Now that my book is published, I’m glad I made the choice to treat my book the way Bruce has always treated his music and his concerts.  I’m glad I gave the process everything I had because I know I don’t have enough talent or ability to give less than 100% and expect to write a book worthy of  a readers’ time.

Perhaps that’s the same reason Bruce always gave everything he had to his work, too.  Perhaps, as amazingly talented as he is, he thought he needed to put everything he had into every song and every concert if he wanted to achieve his dreams. 

Or maybe Bruce did it because he didn’t want to have any regrets. That’s an attitude to which I can completely relate: “no regrets.”

Because I put my absolute best into writing Hallways in the Night, I will have no regrets no matter what happens. I will never have to look back and wonder “what if” in regard to having tried or worked harder on the book.

Like the Boss, in some ways because of the Boss, I gave Hallways in the Night my all, and I will always be grateful to Bruce for setting an example that I tried to follow. 

Very Proud to Be Partnering with Cannonball Read 6 (@cannonballread) to Donate book Royalties the week of 2/21 t0 2/28 to the American Cancer Society

2/21/2014

 

The Below Post was Copied and Pasted from the Cannonball Read site.  

Mswas's Review No: 2

This Isn’t a Book Review, but It’s Still Awesome
Hallways in the Night by R. C. O'Leary(Buy Hallways in the Night on Amazon.com)
We’ve had thrilling interactions with authors on social media and this blog already this year, but I must tell you, R. C. O’Leary is no ordinary author. R.C. O’Leary has put his money where his mouth is! Author of Hallways in the Night, O’Leary has not only offered free books but has generously pledged that he will donate  all royalties of his books sold February 21-28, 2014 to our cause – with a guaranteed a minimum donation of $25.00, no less!

Hallways in the Night, a legal thriller, is his 2013 debut novel. From Bookstory:

When Dave Mackno, a veteran cop, leaves his stake-out in pursuit of a speeding car, it leads to a confrontation with Remo Centrella, baseball’s home run king. When the confrontation turns deadly, the worlds of professional sports, politics and the criminal justice system collide.




To get more of a feel for the novel, you can find reviews of it on these sites:

  • The Tampa Tribune
  •  The Book Story Blog
  • Sports Book Guy
You can also read sample chapters at his website, or follow O’Leary on Twitter at @rcoleary or onhis Facebook page.

This year, we’ve doubled down on our mission to raise money for the American Cancer Society in AlabamaPink’s name.  O’Leary’s efforts will be a welcome addition to our donations, which include all revenue from our amazon.com links, Google Ads, and CBR Merchandise.

Cannonball Read 6 participants may respond to my email to try for the free book offer, which should be in inboxes around the world by now. If you miss out on a free copy, I hope you’ll purchase his book and spread the word, far and wide. Tell the world how we, and R. C. O’Leary, are sticking it to cancer, one book at a time!


New Book Review Site Lets Authors and Writers Post Reviews

2/20/2014

 
I recently came across a new website where readers and authors can post book reviews. It was set up by Carolyn Howard Johnson and the link to it is here.

Here is a description of the review site in her words: 

This review spot is NEW because it embodies the new idea that a book should not be judged by its cover or its press. If a reviewer thinks a book is great, The New Book Review lets readers know about it. Please submit your own favorite review. It makes no difference whether you're an author, reviewer or reader, I want to post your favorite reviews. See guidelines for submission on the left of this blog. And please note: It was named to Online Unversties' 101 Best Blogs for Readers.

The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

I personally like the fact that the site hosts one book review at a time and each review gets is own post. I also like that it's a good location for writers to share reviews that they have received. My guess is the newreview site will get increasingly popular. 

"A totally unputdownable book. Looking forward to the sequel." --the Bookstory Blog

2/16/2014

 

Another very Positive Review For Hallways in the Night

The Bookstory blogspot read Hallways in the Night this weekend and was kind enough to tweet me a link to the review which I saw just before calling it a night tonight.  If you check out her review, you'll see she is reading 52 books this year, so she is a power reader. My favorite quote from the review, in addition to describing the book as "totally unputdownable" is where it says the book is "an edge of the seat legal battle that makes you keep turning the pages till the very end."


You can check out the full review and her blog, where she reviews books below:

http://thebookstoryblog.wordpress.com/about/

5 Bad Valentine's Day Gifts I regret Giving to My Wife

2/13/2014

 
 
This October will mark my 14th year of marriage, which seems hard to believe. I don't know where the time has gone, but it has made me a strong believer in the adage that "the days are long, but the years are short." 


I truly enjoy being married and I could not imagine my life without my beautiful wife and our  three children. (At least I can't imagine it 99% of the time. 1% of the time I do actively imagine a more high-octane “care-free” life where I'm hanging out and partying like a rock star with famous rappers, celebrities, and pro athletes like Young MC, Brian Austin Green, and John Kruk.)

But those are just passing dreams. Hopefully, I will remain married to my wife for another 40 years so I can atone for some of the bad Valentine's Day gift choices I haved made in the past. Gifts that were given out of love, but that were not as well received as hoped. Gifts like:

1) Last year's $50 gift card to Publix. This was a Valentines’ Day gift I truly thought was going to be a homerun. How nice would it be, I thought, for my wife to not have to pay cash for one-third of our week's grocery shopping? I figured maybe she could treat herself to something she enjoys like a bag of Hershey’s dark chocolate or maybe even some flowers if that was what she so desired. The way I saw the gift card, I was giving her whatever her heart might desire. Unfortunately, the grocery store gift card did not get the warm reception I expected.

2) New floor mats for the mini-van: This was one, given three years back, that I truly thought was a winner. With three kids who are unable to exit the car while carrying anything, our mini-van can get a little smudgy. And the truth is, my wife had said on at least six occasions that she would love some new car mats. She said it enough times that I actually thought she was hinting that she wanted them as a Valentine's Day gift. Suffice it to say she wasn’t.

3) Oil change gift certificate:  This is one where I have to put part of the blame on the guy working at Pennzoil. As anyone who gets their oil changed at one of the major chains knows, it no longer seems to be just about a change of oil and a filter. Whereas the quick oil shops used to be staffed by mechanics, nowadays they seem to be run by salesmen who got their training selling timeshare units in Orlando and Las Vegas.

I literally dread getting my oil changed nowadays because I know I’m going to have to listen to a high pressure sales pitch for products that would never even cross my mind. That’s why what is often marketed as a $29.99 process usually ends up in the $180 range by the time I leave and they lay out the little piece of red AstroTurf that they insist on calling the "red carpet" treatment.

It was in January a couple of years ago when the Pennzoil sales manager (the one with the new Rolex) convinced me to buy the oil change coupons for my wife. It was the standard M.O.: the one they make you listen to their entire sales pitch before they will allow you to take repossession of your car keys.

As part of their interrogation, the manager asked me if I was married. I naively said "yes," which led him to display a poster-sized chart showing that 95% of women reported they would feel loved, protected, and cared for if their husband brought home pre-paid oil change certificates. Well either the study was flawed or I'm married to the 5% of women for whom the oil change gift card did not make her feel loved, protected, and cared for. That gift, while eventually used by me during an 18 month period, was a definite dud.

4) Artificial Hydrangea wreath: For me, this one is still a major head scratcher. My wife has told me dozens of times that she loves hydrangea bushes. So when I saw the florist had a couple of wreaths on clearance, I decided to ditch the roses and get a wreath. To me it was a no-brainer, especially since it was artificial and wouldn't wither away over time. A gift that would last.

I truly thought it might  be something my wife would want to hang in our family room. Let's just say, the wreath spent a day in a trash can before I rescued it and put it up on my office wall. I refuse to discard it and am hopeful it will eventually achieve heirloom status. I’m already talking in up to my kids in the hopes that it will be something they fight over after I die.

5) Spanx--the biggest mistake of all and another example for husbands that you cannot base your buying decisions based upon what you happen to overhear your wife say to a couple of her friends. Just because your wife said she would "love" something doesn't mean it should be a Valentine's Day gift. Suffice it to say, as happy as my wife might have been when she saw the box from Nordstrom, it ended up being the most costly Valentine's day of my life.


Fortunately, with Valentine's Day tomorrow I think I have found the perfect gift--the six foot Teddy Bear from Vermont Teddy Bear. Based upon the reaction of the wives' in the commercial, I think my wife is going to be ecstatic when she finds out that is what I bought her for this special occassion. Hopefully it will be such a great gift that it makes up for mistakes in the past and ushers in a new era where I find the perfect gift for Valentine's Day. 

Another Positive Book Review for Hallways in the Night from the Tampa Tribune's Bob D'Angelo on his TBO book Review Blog 

2/11/2014

 

Bob D'Angelo of the Tampa Tribune Suggests Alternative title for Book: Bob Seger's "Turn the Page" because he Considers the book to be a Page Turner. 

Here's a link to one of the best reviews of Hallway in the Night yet, largely because of the way Mr. D'Angelo personalizes the review and incorporates several aspects of my current life into the review.  The full review is on Mr. D'Angelo's blog called The Sports Bookie that can be found by clicking here. Mr. D'Angelo has a wonderful blog upon which he reviews books, as well as baseball cards. 

It' always exciting and gratifying when readers enjoy the book and Mr. D'Angelo's review captured a lot of the backstory that went into writing Hallways in the Night. 

Here is a small excerpt from the review, but I do encourage anyone interested to read the whole article which I think is extremely well-written and does a great job telling its own story:

"Perhaps “Turn the Page” by Bob Seger is more appropriate, because this legal thriller by the 44-year-old Lithia author is certainly hard to put down. Major-league baseball is peripheral to the main story, but O’Leary has stitched together a very readable, fast-paced book with good character development and some surprising plot twists." - See the full review here.




Bruce Springsteen Announces 15 US Tour Dates for This Summer Time

2/10/2014

 

Great News--Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band have added US dates starting April 8 in Cincinnati

I just penned a guest post about Bruce that is scheduled to run on AshleyFarley.net this Wednesday, so I was thrilled to see the news that Bruce has added 15 new US tour dates. I have been following his recent performances on Backstreets.com and been feeling a combination of pride and envy. I've also been enjoying Bruce's new album.  I love the new versions of The Ghost of Tom Joad and 41 Shots.  What has really stood out to me is Bruce's new song called the Wall.

The Wall is about the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington DC and it captures the Wall's haunting nature perfectly.

For anyone who has been to a Bruce show this is a time to celebrate. It's been over a years since he did a U.S. tour so I'm sure the demand will be pent up and everyone in the Springsteen nation will be ecstatic. 

For anyone who has never been to a Bruce Springsteen show, I sincerely encourage you to try and see one on this tour.  Not only is the music great, not only is Bruce and the band's energy something that needs to be seen in person to be believed, but there is something downright inspiring about seeing a soon to be 64 year old man rock like he was in his twenties.

I personally use Bruce as an example and motivation to try and stay in shape. Bruce Springsteen is a prime example that lifting weights, working out and attacking life with passion definitely can slow down, almost suspend, the aging process.

I also use Bruce Springsteen as a teaching example for my kids.  Although they would rather listen to whatever Hot 101.5 might be playing, I often turn Bruce on in my car through my Ipad or SiriusXM. When I do, and especially when  I play a DVD or youtube video of Bruce for them, I always try to reinforce that Bruce Springsteen is in such good shape because he respects his body, exercises, and has never done drugs. "That should be the way you want to look when you're in your 60s I tell them. Healthy choices now lead to healthy lives later."

I guarantee anyone who attends one of Bruce's concerts will come away completely inspired, happy and worn out. His U.S. dates promise 3 plus hours of feeling completely alive with so many great songs and such positive energy from the crowd.  Click the Read More for the full list of dates.

Read More

Book Review: A Pitch for Justice by Harold Kasselman

2/10/2014

 

Original Thought-Provoking Premise Forms the basis of a Legal thriller 

Having written a legal thriller that involves elements of baseball as part of the plot, I was curious to read Harold Kasselman's book "A Pitch for Justice," a book that begins with the idea that a major league baseball player could face criminal charges for actions taken during a game. In this case, for what a prosecutor deemed reckless behavior that led to the death of a player on the Mets. (One small note--the timing of the review coincides with the book being discounted on Amazon to .99 for a couple of more days. Disclosure, I was not aware of the sale and purchased book beforehand.)
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 I found it to be a very interesting concept and one that became more realistic as the story progressed. Upon first reading the book's blurb I thought the idea was a bit unrealistic--would a major league pitcher really get charged with murder for beaning a batter?--but Kasselman (who, more full disclosure, I have had some interactions with re: his book and mine on goodreads) creates an extremely plausible sequence of events and decision making that makes the idea seem completely credible.  As a matter of fact, God forbid a major league player is killed by a bean ball, but if it happened, I think this book might be used as justification to potentially charge him.

As a matter of fact, I would recommend all high school, college and Major League pitchers read this book so they can be fully informed of the potentially life-altering consequences of ever throwing at someone's head. 

I also think pre-law and law students would enjoy and greatly benefit from this book. Without a doubt, the strength of this book is the legal maneuvering and the pre-trial and courtroom scenes depicted.  Harold Kasselman takes full advantage of his thirty year career to paint a very realistic picture of what happens in a trial.  Unlike my book, Hallways in the Night, in which I take some artistic license with some of the rules of criminal procedure, Kasselman's book is "pitch perfect" on the law and procedure.  


Everything from the grand jury setting, one of the best and most informative descriptions I have read, through hearsay exceptions, such as "excited utterances," you can learn some practical lessons about being an attorney. For example, even though I'm a law school graduate, I had no idea a grand jury can vote to bring a more severe charge than the prosecutor is seeking or how much of the proceeding is actually a conversation with those sitting on the grand jury.

Throughout the book, Kasselman offers some very interesting facts about baseball history, as well as some interesting facts about the speed and reaction times needed to hit a major league fastball.

Like most legal thrillers, Pitch for Justice ends with a trial. I honestly did not know which way the jury would vote at the end and I'm still not 100% sure if I agree with their verdict. 

I enjoyed Pitch for Justice and the fact it made me continually think throughout the story. It forces readers to face a dilemma in which I'm not sure there is a black and white answer. 


Law professors could probably use the premise as a good basis for a legal practice course using the facts as a set-up for a case that students are forced to try. I think it would be a great "case" to use because I bet jury verdicts would be different based upon the performance and effectiveness of those arguing the case, as well as some of the decisions of the Judge. 

End of the day, I think both sides in this case can lay claim to the moral high ground. That is one of the things I enjoyed the most. Far from simplistic, it's a realistic and enjoyable read of an excellent premise that will keep you reading to the end to find out the eventual verdict and it will be up to you to decide if, in the end, justice is ultimately served.

A nice Blog Comment from a reader of Hallways in the Night

2/6/2014

 
I was doing some work and book marketing on either Monday or Tuesday night when I got an email message there was a new comment up on the blog. Comments are infrequent enough that I always appreciate getting them. The comment was from Andy Mason who was kind enough to convey the following after reading the book. I do think Hallways in the Night would make a great read on a plane, train or long car ride as it will keep you engaged.  Here's the comment from Andy that he posted: 

Rob, I thoroughly enjoyed your book. I have to admit I read few books but this book makes me want to read more. I was able to read the book on a flight up and back to Chicago from Tampa. I was racing at the end to know the outcome. The elevator scene was tremendous. I could feel the tension.

A Guest Post with My take on the Meaning of Life 

2/5/2014

 
I was fortunate enough to be offered an opportunity to do a guest post on what i consider to be the meaning of life.  It was on a very artistic blog titled Dancing with Fireflies.  The proprietor of the blog, Crysta, was great to work with and she has some great pieces on her blog.  You can find her blog and my post here.
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    19 5 STAR Reviews on Amazon
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     CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD CHAPTERS 
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    From Reveiwers: 

    "the courtroom scenes crackle....the setting and dialogue sing with pure authenticity." MenReadingBooks.com 

    Tampa Tribune:"this legal thriller is certainly hard to put down."

    BookStory:                "An edge of the seat legal battle. Unputdownable."


    

    From Readers:

    "I had a hard time putting it down."


    "5 Stars Across the Board!"


    "A cross between John Grisham and Tom Wolfe."


    "Hard to Believe this is O'Leary's first novel."

    "Great action!" 


    "Loved every minute of it. Great twist that had my jaw dropped"




    Author

    R.C. O'Leary author of legal thriller Hallways in the Night.

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