Expose Yourself #5 – Cool Cat

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Today’s guest has done a considerable amount of work for public TV station WJCT, such as public affairs, producing documentaries, reporting, fundraising, and for eight years he produced the Jacksonville Jazz Festival. The local CBS affiliate also had him working as a cameraman and assistant director!

Writing has always been his passion, and he’s done a lot of it, including three award-winning young adult novels about an extraordinary cat named Windrusher, a multiple-award-winning murder mystery set in northeast Florida, Matanzas Bay, headlined his own humor column in a community paper, and has even been published in Florida Trend Magazine. I met him when I attended one of his speaking engagements, which he does several times a year at libraries, book festivals, and conferences because he’s a regional director of the Florida Writers Association. Please welcome Victor DiGenti!

JC: Vic, good to see you again! You look like you’re having more fun than a barrel full of monkeys.

VD: My wife often accuses me of monkey business, but I do try to weave some fun into the business of writing.

JC: So I've heard. Where are you in your life or career or pursuit of your goals?

VD: There’s a line in my newly released mystery, Matanzas Bay, where protagonist Quint Mitchell waxes philosophically, saying, “… there comes a time when we look back on the things we’ve done and it weighs heavily on us.” The same can be said of the things left undone. In my more callow years, I had fantasies of being a foreign correspondent and a network news anchor. Later, when I became a novelist, I dreamed of making The New York Times Bestseller list. Of being on the Today Show and Oprah. Of having Windrusher made into a movie starring Nicole Kidman. After the movie premiere, she’d invite me to her Malibu Beach house where we … No, wait, that was completely different fantasy.

JC: Sounds like a story for the “After Dark” edition.

VD: Don’t jump to conclusions, Jaycee. I was going to say we would make some popcorn and watch the Windrusher movie again. But to be serious about your question, I’m feeling good about where I am right now. I retired from a career in broadcasting at a relatively early age and jumped into something I’d always wanted to do, which is writing novels. Thanks to organizations like the Florida Writers Association, I was able to learn how much I didn’t know about writing and publishing. But after several years, I’d published the first in my Windrusher trilogy. And now I’ve published my first mystery, which is part of the Quint Mitchell Mystery series. To put things in perspective, though, much of my time was also devoted to volunteer work. I’ve served on the boards of several organizations since my retirement, including chairing the St. Johns County Tourist Development Council’s event funding committee (which came about from my years as an event producer with WJCT), was president of the Friends of the Ponte Vedra Library and still serve on the board, and am active with FWA as Regional Director for NE Florida where I oversee six chapters, and lead the one in Ponte Vedra Beach. I find this part of my life quite fulfilling.

JC: That’s a lot on your plate. How did you get started with all that?

VD: Even though my career was in broadcasting, writing was my first love—and reading, of course. I was one of those geeky kids who would devour anything with words on them: cereal boxes, road signs, you name it.

JC: You too? I thought I was the only one who read every cereal box and billboard.

VD: Most writers, I would guess, started out as voracious readers. From that love of the written word, somehow we were programmed to tell our own stories. That’s how it began for me. I was on my high school newspaper staff, wrote very bad short stories and poetry in college, and wrote a good deal in my job, including scripts and press releases. I also kept writing on the side as a freelancer, including writing a so-called humor column for a community newspaper for almost ten years. As I said before, it wasn’t until after I retired that I turned to writing long-form fiction. One of the turning points in my young life happened back in the 7th grade, when I entered an essay contest sponsored by the American Legion. While I didn’t win the contest, my essay took second place and, if I recall correctly, the prize was a $25 savings bond. That was cool, but I was also required to read it at a school assembly. I was terrified. Standing behind the lectern, no one could see my knees shaking, but they probably heard the tremor in my voice. But the amazing thing was that after I finished, all the kids and teachers applauded. And that response provided me with positive reinforcement and more than a little ego satisfaction, which helped direct me toward a life and career in the communications business.

JC: How did you get where you are?

VD: I’d like to say that I followed a grand plan developed after years of meditation and research. I’d like to say that, but I can’t. What I can say is whenever I have a difficult decision to make, I turn to a higher power. And my wife usually has the answer since she’s the one with the common sense in our partnership. But I guess I have to take responsibility for where I am at this point, since much of it has come post-retirement. When people ask me if I miss the “glamour” of producing the Jacksonville Jazz Festival (coming up later this month), or of being part of an important community institution like WJCT, as I was for so many years, I have to tell them that life is a series of doors we pass through. We don’t know what lies ahead, but we do know that what we left behind is in the past, behind a closed door, so we should make the most of every new opportunity.

JC: And not dwell on the past.

VD: I jumped into writing with both feet, which was kind of messy, and more than a little destructive for my keyboard. My first attempt at writing a novel turned out to be more successful than I had any right to expect. Windrusher has gone through four or five printings, it’s won several major awards, as have all the Windrusher books, and attracted a wide audience of readers of all ages.

JC: Congratulations!

VD: Actually, I don’t believe I do very well in the two to six year-old demographic.

JC: They’ve got such a short attention span, what with their texting and Gameboys and cruising the malls. Don’t feel bad.

VD: I continued to work at my writing, trying to get better with every page, chapter, and book I wrote. I attended workshops and writers conferences to hone my craft, network with other writers and publishing representatives. Everything I learned contributed toward getting me to this point in my writing career. That and my drive to make my mark so that the obit writers have something to write about other than, “DiGenti placed second in an essay contest in the 7th grade.”

JC: At least it’s short enough to fit on your tombstone. Where are you going next? What’s the next goal, the next step, the next whatever?

VD: I’ve just launched myself into ePublishing, releasing Matanzas Bay on both the Kindle and Nook platforms. My Windrusher books are traditionally published through Ocean Publishing, but I’m now an independent publisher under the imprint Windrusher Hall Press. As such, my role has expanded to include both creator of product and businessman. My most ambitious goal is to break into the Kindle Top 100 sellers with Matanzas Bay. I also hope to complete the second Quint Mitchell Mystery, Bring Down the Furies, by the end of the year, and to publish a collection of short stories as an eBook. All of this is being done under my new persona as author Parker Francis.

JC: You’ve already got a name to bank on. Why another one?

VD: After some thought, I decided to use a pen name to separate my darker, edgier mysteries from the Windrusher books, which have a wide audience of young readers. I’m working on the next book, and finding new ways to promote Matanzas Bay to an audience of mystery readers who are probably asking themselves, “Who the hell is Parker Francis?”

JC: How are you going to make it all happen?

VD: Everyday I try to split myself into three people: Vic the Writer, Vic the marketer, and Vic the house-husband in charge of cooking, vacuuming, and cleaning litter boxes. It doesn’t always work out, but using what I’ve learned from my past life, the marketing end comes easy for me. The problem is that it can overwhelm the writing end if you let it. But I’m determined to keep writing. To keep introducing Parker Francis and Quint Mitchell to new readers, and to keep helping other writers. I figure if I can do it, anyone can. But there’s so much to do and so little time left. As Satchel Paige once said, “Don’t look back, someone might be gaining on you.”

JC: I’ve got one more quick question for you: how do you feel about the growing chaos in the publishing industry?

VD: In many ways, the publishing business is crazy-making, as a co-worker of mine was fond of saying. It’s a strange business model that is now being challenged by the booming ePublishing end of the business. Will traditional publishers go the same way as the record companies and retailers went after Apple introduced the iPod and iTunes? I think we’re about to find out.

JC: Thank you very much for stopping by, Vic, I feel like I learned a lot today. I’m sure glad I got to spend a little time with you and find out all this great stuff about how you stuck with your dream and how well it’s working out for you. Folks, take a peek at Vic DiGenti’s fascinating website, where you’ll learn all about Windrusher and Quint Mitchell. Windrusher has a huge fanbase of his own that any cat lover will want to be a part of. He’s got links there to preview and buy his books, but here are a couple links just in case you gotta have it NOW for your KINDLE or NOOK! (or see below)

VD: Thank you, Jaycee, for this opportunity to visit with you and your readers. You’re providing a real service by helping to motivate and inspire people to follow their dreams.





















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Expose Yourself #4 – Mrs. Hart, in the Library, with the Lead Pipe

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In this series of articles, I talk to people who have been successful at taking control of their lives, making a name for themselves, and helping others to do the same. I’m very fortunate to have met them, and very thankful they have agreed to spend a few minutes talking with me to share part of their stories. We’re going to delve into what it took to propel these people from ordinary lives into extraordinary lives. We’ll find out where they’ve been, where they are, and where they’re going as each guest is asked to “Expose Yourself”.

Today’s guest came all the way from Iran to see me, where she worked for an international bank and as Director of Volunteers for the American Women’s Club. She has also lived in New York, where she ran a horse farm and an art gallery, among other amazing endeavors, and is where she met her husband of 30 years.

Her first interactive murder mystery, Murder in Morocco, was produced in 1995 at the Richfield Springs Regional Theater in New York. Over the next ten years she wrote interactive plays and educational/interactive children’s plays, which were performed by the theater company she founded, Murder Mysteries on Call, Inc. When she came to Florida, she renamed her company to Make Mine Murder. One of her plays, “Murder in Morocco,” was made into a musical, which garnered seven Outstanding Achievement awards by the New York State Theatre Association, for Original Script, Original Score, and Original Lyrics, plus set design, costumes, props, and hair/makeup.

Nowadays, far from resting on her laurels, you’re likely to find her at the Daytona Playhouse, where she often directs, acts in, and designs and builds sets. She’s also written several books. Somehow, with all that going on, she still finds time to run a chapter of the Florida Writer’s Association, where she helps aspiring writers perfect their craft. Please give a warm welcome to Veronica Hart!

JC: Hey there, Ronnie, you’re looking fabulous as ever!

VH: Thank you. It’s all the vitamins and magic potions I use.

JC: You don’t believe in the standard definition of “retired,” do you? You’re going to be 70 this year. Any plans to slow down and act your age?

VH: I am acting my age – it’s the others who think “retirement” means they have to stop living and watch television for the rest of their lives.

JC: That does sound like a better plan. So let me ask you; where are you in your life, or your career, or the pursuit of your goals?

VH: I am finally achieving some measure of success with my writing career and also feel very accomplished with directing plays and designing sets for theater. My first published novel, The Prince of Keegan Bay is coming out today as an e-book from Champagne Books. It will later be produced as a paperback. It’s about an infant Middle Eastern prince being hunted by assassins, and the group of quirky adult community residents who protect him.

VH: I’ve also just submitted my first completed young adult novel, Escape from Iran, to the ABNA (Amazon Breakout Novel Awards) competition, where it has so far made it past the first round of judging. Though I’ve had stories and articles published throughout the years, these two books represent what I really want to do: entertain people with my writing.

JC: That’s exciting news! When is the second round? What happens when you win?

VH: Second round winners are announced on March 22nd. Let’s not jinx it with any other response, you know; counting chickens and all that.

JC: Having seen you in action, I can’t help having high expectations. How did you get started writing?

VH: When I met my husband Bob on New Year’s Eve 1978, he asked me what I really wanted to do with my life. At the time I owned a small farm in Warwick, NY, with a rental cottage, boarded horses, and owned and operated an art store and gallery in the village. I told him I really wanted to write and he asked me, “Then why aren’t you?” I thought the answer was simple, “I have three daughters I have to support, besides working about fifteen hours a day.” But, he was right. With his encouragement, I enrolled in the Institute of Children’s Literature.

VH: After a few months of this mail order course, I sent in a short story to a religious magazine, preparing myself to learn how to accept rejection slips. Within a week, I received a check! I thought, “This is easy.” During this course, I began writing Escape from Iran. When it was finished, I sent it off, with the blessings of my instructor, to a major publisher. It was returned a couple of months later with a nicely written letter from the editor, explaining that my heroine was not likeable enough. I thought, “that’s the end of that,” and stuck it away in a drawer until last summer, when I pulled it out, had someone enter it into the computer for me, and then edited like crazy.

JC: I’m glad you realized he was right. How did you get where you are?

VH: The answer to that is persistence. During these past thirty years both Bob and I have conducted writing workshops, writing groups, and then when we lived in Cooperstown and ran a bed and breakfast, during the off seasons we had writers’ retreats. During all this time, I continued to learn and to write. I must have half a dozen not quite finished novels waiting for me.

JC: Only half a dozen? You can whip that out in no time. Where are you going next? What’s the next goal, the next step, the next whatever?

VH: We’d love to return to the south of Spain, possibly to live. We spent a month there several years ago and loved the climate, the people, the culture. And the prices. If that can’t happen, I guess I’ll just keep writing, directing, and hoping for a huge success with one of my books so we can then continue to travel – something we both love to do. If we can work it out, next spring it’s on to Russia! One of my books is set in Leningrad (modern day St. Petersburg) and there’s a great cruise going there right from Port Canaveral. I’d love to be on that ship.

JC: What are you doing to get there?

VH: You know, Jaycee, after spending the first thirty years of my life in a reactive mode, I finally took some control and began trying to plot things out for myself. That didn’t work any better. It’s so true that life is what happens while you’re busy making plans. I keep on writing, trying to improve myself, and hope to continue learning through teaching. We plot; we scheme; we strive; we eventually achieve.

JC: You’re definitely achieving a lot, Ronnie. Writing books and plays, running your own production company, seeing the world... Sounds like an exciting time to be alive! I can hardly wait to find out what you do next. Good luck with Prince of Keegan Bay, it sounds like a fun read.

VH: Thank you for this opportunity. Keegan Bay is a fun read, very tongue-in-cheek, but the focus of the story is just what I said earlier about “acting my age.” The group of seniors in the retirement community must use their wits and skills to protect the infant. The community comes alive, many abandoning their Bingo and card games, even including help from 91 year old, Howard, who loves his brandy but recalls some tricks from working with the French resistance during WWII. Next, there are two books at about sixty thousand words and I must kill one person in each book. Who shall it be? Tough choices.

Hey everyone, be sure to check out Veronica Hart's website and wish her luck on her competition.


CLICK HERE to get your very own copy of The Prince of Keegan Bay fresh off the digital presses.












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Leyland French - 1995

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Expose Yourself #3 - Evil Can't Hide from Jim

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In this series of articles, I talk to people who have been successful at taking control of their lives, making a name for themselves, and helping others to do the same. I’m very fortunate to have met them, and very thankful they have agreed to spend a few minutes talking with me to share part of their stories. We’re going to delve into what it took to propel these people from ordinary lives into extraordinary lives. We’ll find out where they’ve been, where they are, and where they’re going as each guest is asked to “Expose Yourself”.

You may recall that I was stationed aboard the USS Bataan, affectionately known as a Gator Freighter because we hauled Marines and their gear around the globe. Today’s guest was never one of the guys who crowded me out of the chow line, but he probably did it to someone else a few years back when he was a Marine.

Nowadays, though, he writes books. He’s already written two: Hidden Evil and Mysterious Lady, and is finishing up the 2009 RPLA award winning Rusty Steele, and he spends his time helping other writers perfect their craft as he heads the Port Orange Scribes. As if that wasn’t keeping him busy enough, he’s also webmaster for two chapters of the FWA, regularly volunteers for Hospice in Daytona Beach, is president and CEO of JollyOne Enterprises, and still finds time to be an avid scuba diver. Let’s give a great big OORAH to J. W. Thompson!

JC: Hey Jim, thanks for stopping by. Glad you’re not wearing your tree disguise; it would’ve brought back too many bad memories of walking through the forest on the ship.*

JW: It’s at the dry cleaners. We’re going out to Ruth Chris Steakhouse later tonight and I need to look my best.

JC: Awesome! Let’s get right into this: Where are you in your life, or your career, or the pursuit of your goals?

JW: Right now I have two books out, "Hidden Evil" and "Mysterious Lady," selling in quite respectable numbers. I have two more in different stages of editing, one of which is a romance novel. And I’ve just started rewriting a new series about a tough as nails CIA agent named Rusty Steele, which won an RPLA award last year. So I’d say I’m well on my way to being a novelist.

JC: Wow! Sounds to me like you’re gonna give Stephen King some competition for prolificness. How did you get started?

JW: I’ve enjoyed writing since I was a child. Until recently, I wrote only for my own eyes and never dared to dream of becoming a published author.

JC: Really? How recently are we talking?

JW: Five years ago, my wife and friends urged me to seek publication.

JC: How did you get where you are?

JW: The encouragement of family and friends who believed in me and the help of other writers are responsible for where I am. Joining the Florida Writers Association was the best thing I could have done. Writers helping Writers is their slogan, and they mean it.

JC: Where are you going next?

JW: My goal now is to make it to the bestseller list and bring as many writers as I can with me.

JC: That sounds excellent! What are you doing to get there?

JW: I try to improve my writing every day. I have a vast network of friends and fans on the internet and I try to help every writer with encouragement and by passing along the knowledge that I have picked up along my journey.

JC: Ah yes, I noticed that you run several different webpages I wanted to ask you about. You've got a page on Facebook, another one on Myspace, even a video on YouTube, all jam packed with fans from all over the world. How important are these sites to your success?

JW: It's all about the fans, not the sites. The fans are the life and inspiration for me to continue writing. They are also the secret to my success in marketing my books.

JC: Is it a lot of work to keep them updated?

JW: It requires from two to four hours a day.

JC: That's a lot of work. It sounds to me like you’ve got a lot going on and we can continue to expect great things from you. Any last words? Anything to put on your tombstone?

JW: Never give up your dreams.

* Note: To let you in on the joke, when aboard an amphibious ship like Bataan, the Marines usually dress in their cammies for comfort. We often pretend they're invisible (because they're camouflaged), or refer to them as trees. A group of them would therefore be a forest. Most squids think the Marines are too dumb to think of a good comeback, but really they just immensely enjoy knowing we're jealous of them.

Note2: After I coerced this poor woman into taking pictures of us, Jim coerced her into buying his books.
















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Expose Yourself #2 - Straight to the T.O.P.

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In this series of articles, I talk to people who have been successful at taking control of their lives, making a name for themselves, and helping others to do the same. I’m very fortunate to have met them, and very thankful they have agreed to spend a few minutes talking with me to share part of their stories. We’re going to delve into what it took to propel these people from ordinary lives into extraordinary lives. We’ll find out where they’ve been, where they are, and where they’re going as each guest is asked to “Expose Yourself”.

My guest today was rather unexpected, but I knew when I saw her that I had to talk to her. Hailing from Portugal, she spent many years of her life building businesses to the break-even point and then selling them off for a profit, so she knows what it takes to build one. She's been to several countries throughout Europe in this pursuit, and even came across the pond several times a year for vacation, until she met a restaurateur in need of her specialized talents, and found in him something missing in her own life. The two married and she took over his restaurant and turned it into something special. For the last six years, she's been in Palm Coast, doing what she does best: making her customers glad they came to her.

Currently she's running the Taste of Portugal restaurant in Palm Coast, Florida, which has great food and a relaxed environment; allow me to introduce Maria Diamanfino!

MD: Hello, everyone!

JC: Thanks for talking with me, Maria! Wow, are all Portuguese women as pretty as you are?

MD: Oh stop! (punch)

JC: Sorry, I can't do the impossible, but maybe I can get down to business. So where are you in your life, or career, or pursuit of your dreams?

MD: Right now, I'm running the Taste of Portugal restaurant, here in Palm Coast.

JC: What's that like?

MD: Very busy. We're open every day but Monday for lunch and dinner, and we also host several local groups, some of whom even come in for breakfast before we open. On Fridays we have live a live band and dancing. So as you can see it's very busy around here. I'm here all day.

JC: Well I'm glad you do it. I've had a great time each time I've been here. It's one of those cozy places with fresh food and great atmosphere that we're all looking for. I especially like the mural of Lisbon. How did you get where you are now?

MD: I came here to set up a financial company and I ended up here because I met my husband here. He asked me to help him out with the numbers, with the computers, and so I figured it all out for him and fell in love and stayed. It was not my original goal to be in the restaurant business. This was an accident. My goal was a different one, but we do what we need to do, we stand up.

JC: So how did that happen?

MD: That's a bit of a story. I worked in restaurants a long time ago in Portugal. I used to set up companies all over Europe and take them to break-even and then they'd give me another one. I've lived in Amsterdam and England and all over.

JC: Sounds exciting!

MD: Yes it is. It's a very different life. And so I had a lot of American friends because we used to buy the systems here, some of the partners were Americans with European companies, so I used to come over here at least five times a year. Since I finished college, since I was 18 I've been working with American companies in Portugal and in Europe. So I used to come here for vacation. And while I was visiting I met a man who'd just bought a restaurant and needed my help getting it running. I came in for lunch and we realized we were made for each other. We got married and now I run the restaurant. So that's how I came to live here from Lisbon.

JC: Wow, I think I saw a movie about that the other day, with Julia Roberts in it, Eat Pray Love? Good casting; you look a lot like her. Where are you going next? What’s the next goal, the next step, the next whatever?

MD: That's tough to answer. When I got here, we redecorated, changed the menu, got the best chef, we get the best foods delivered fresh daily. We really made something fantastic here. We love what we've built over the last six years and we love living here. I have a few things in mind, but I don't want to talk about them right now because I don't want to spoil them. But we have the restaurant and we have to do the best we can, you know? And I think we are. We've been here six years, and the customers confirm this. It's a hard life, for sure, but we love it.

JC: So you wouldn't give it up.

MD: We don't do this because we have to, we do it because we want to. I care very much about the customers and I like them very much. They start out as customers and become friends. You know? That's how it is. I like to be there for them. They are why we're here, you know?

JC: And I see that in the way you treat them. It's one of the reasons I wanted to talk to you.

JC: Okay, Maria, thank you very much for taking a few minutes out of your day to tell us about yourself, it was a pleasure talking to you.

MD: You're welcome, Jaycee, it was a lot of fun!

JC: Have you got a website? Have you got anything special going on that my readers should know about?


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MD: Yes! Our site is http://www.tasteofportugal.biz/. We serve a buffet for lunch on Fridays from 11:30 to 2:30. We have a live band and dancing on Friday evenings from 10:00 to 2:00, and we also do it on the first Saturday of the month. We're located at 15 Palm Harbor Village Way, just seconds away from downtown Palm Coast, Florida, we're available to host and cater meetings, and we're fine Portuguese dining in a casual atmosphere. And just for people who read this article and tell their waitress the secret word, which is "Fernando", for every entrée they order, we'll give them a choice of either a free desert OR a free beverage. But they have to know the secret word to prove they read the article.

JC: Wow! I'm glad I know the secret word! I'll jump off my diet for a day for some fresh-baked pie, made by the cutest restaurateur I've met all day!

MD: Thank you, Jaycee, you're so flattering. I feel really blessed to have met so many good people like you!


NOTE: This page is accessible via HTTP://TOP.MOPJOCKEY.COM
















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Expose Yourself #1 – Smilin’ Bill

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About a year ago, when I moved my site to Blogger.com, I promised I’d bring to your attention some of the interesting people I know or have met. It took a little while to make this one happen, but I keep my promises.

In this series of articles, I’ll talk to people who have been successful at taking control of their lives, making a name for themselves, and helping others to do the same. I’m very fortunate to have met them, and very thankful they have agreed to spend a few minutes talking with me to share part of their stories. We’re going to delve into what it took to propel these people from ordinary lives into extraordinary lives. We’ll find out where they’ve been, where they are, and where they’re going as each guest is asked to “Expose Yourself”.

Today I’m talking to a real, living legend. Inspired by the likes of Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and Tom Mix, he became a cowboy musician and horseman who performed across the Midwest, all before he turned 18. At 21, God came into his life and set him on a new path. Starting at age 29, he began a career as a highly successful environmental engineer, designing hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of public works projects. During the next 33 years he married, started a family, and became a church leader.

He recently began to write and is now a highly acclaimed author with an award-winning book, creating his own publishing company in the process. Today, you might mistake this pillar of the community for a spry 60 year old because he’s so active in his community, but what got my attention was his super-positive attitude, an encouraging word for everyone, and a laugh that comes easily.

In the 1940’s, you knew him on stage as, “Smilin’ Bill and his Wonder Horse King.” Please welcome William Cummins!

WC: Hello everyone! Please call me Bill.

JC: Howdy, Bill, thanks for coming; I’m totally psyched! This is almost like getting Marilyn Monroe in the inaugural issue of Playboy, except you get to keep your clothes on.

WC: That’s quite a comparison… Marilyn has always been one of my favorites.

JC: Okay, Bill, I know you don’t have a lot of time, so let’s get right to it. Where are you in your life, or career, or pursuit of your goals?

WC: Recently I authored the highly acclaimed relationship book, Life Is Sexually Transmitted, and the award winning, The Forgotten - Volume One, honoring Korean War Veterans, which I published with my own publishing company. Currently I’m writing a book about my cowboy days entitled, KING and the COWBOY. I’m also expanding CAI Publishing by offering FREE Publishing Services to aspiring authors.

JC: That’s a lot you’ve got going on. How did you get started?

WC: I was born on a farm in Ohio during the Great Depression. I fell in love with horses the first time my Dad lifted me high onto the back of his favorite draft horse, named Babe. When I saw my first western movie, I set my sights on becoming a singing cowboy and horse trainer. My biggest inspiration then was Gene Autry. Despite a serious hand injury at age nine, I achieved my dream and headlined across the Midwest on stage and radio as, “Smilin’ Bill and His Wonder Horse King.”

JC: You loved being a cowboy; what made you give it up?

WC: When I was 19, I took a factory job to make enough money to keep my cowboy career going. Then Rockwell offered me an apprenticeship in engineering design and the rest was history.

JC: How did you get where you are now? What does it take to be a success?

WC: My secret is to dream BIG. I believe that whatever you think about and dwell upon, you will produce in your experience. Therefore, you should be careful of what you wish for and then prepare for it to come into your life.

JC: That’s huge. I’m stumped trying to think of a question to get you to expand on that, to show us how we can do that ourselves and start making our own big dreams into reality.

WC: Success is the attitude of believing you are following God’s plan for you. I was often asked how I solved difficult engineering problems. My reply was, “I pray a lot, and today I still do.”

JC: Where are you going next? What’s the next goal, the next step, the next whatever?

WC: I’m always expecting bigger and better things, because God never discards those who love Him. I hope to soon break open the secret of successfully marketing quality books for myself and other authors. But wherever God leads me, I will follow and pursue it with all the passion I can muster.

JC: What are you doing to get where you’re going?

WC: I want to assist as many writers as possible in achieving their goals. To do that I’ve developed a system called ‘CAI FREE Publishing.’ It finances the publication costs by selling a percentage of the future revenue from book sales.

JC: Why and how did you start your own publishing company?

WC: While writing my first book, I found there was a need for a simpler way to produce books that would treat the authors fairly. Based upon lots of personal research, I decided to only use professional editing, formatting, cover design, and printing. By following these decisions it was only a small step to creating my own publishing company because all the critical blocks were in place.

JC: Guys, I could go on and on, begging for more and more detail, but I’ve taken quite a bit of time from Bill’s writing schedule as it is. There’s just such a huge variety of things to ask him about, so many different careers and accomplishments. I’m simply going to have to have him back again someday so I can pick his brain a little more, get some juicy details about his cowboy show and the book he’s writing about it.

JC: Take a gander at the books William Cummins has to offer. The Forgotten looks powerful, like it could change the way we see Korean War history and that part of our world; Life Is Sexually Transmitted packs a wallop about dating, mating, and marriage; and after all I've heard about it, I can’t wait to see King and the Cowboy in my book store!

JC: Thank you very much, Bill, for taking time out of your busy schedule to help us out. I really appreciate your helping me inspire people to reach for their dreams! Good luck with the new book and the free publishing offer; I'm sure I’ll be signing up for it as soon as I get my own book finished.

WC: Thank you Jaycee. Expose Yourself is a wonderful idea you have started with your own dream. I’m reminded of the young buck who was asked, “Why did you volunteer to paddle our chief across the river?” He smiled and replied, “Because he who rows his chief across the river gets there too!”

Other articles you'll find interesting or helpful:
"Expose Yourself" Articles List
Hey baby, what's your sign?
To Your Health - Part 1
Stony King - 2009

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