tag:thomring.com,2005:/blogs/the-blog?p=5THE BLOG!2022-12-06T11:15:32-05:00Thom Ringfalsetag:thomring.com,2005:Post/71185912022-12-06T11:15:32-05:002023-10-16T10:49:12-04:00Book Lovers' Author Expo<p>I'll be at the Cumberland, RI, Library's Book Lovers' Author Expo in February, a show for local authors.</p>
<p>I like doing this show just to spend some time in the old monastery that serves as Cumberland's library today. The building is beautiful, as are the grounds. </p>
<p>Will my new young-adult novel "No Teammates in Motocross" be out by then? Come and find out. It's Saturday, February 18, from 1 to 4pm.. </p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/70673052022-09-23T15:44:37-04:002022-11-08T20:01:18-05:00i'm at the Exeter FALL Festival tomorrow, Sept 24.<p>Y'up, I'm selling and signing books at this event, which benefits Exeter, Rhode Island's library. Glad to support that.</p>
<p>Unlike the book fair in Brookfield, MA, September 17, there's a lot of everything in Exeter; art works, crafts, local products and services, including artisan-crafted food-products, plus plants, produce and the like.</p>
<p>It's from 10AM until 3PM at the Yawgoo Valley Ski Area, 160 Yawgoo Valley Rd,, Exeter, RI.</p>
<p>It promises to be a great day for a ride, and I promise this is a nice one no matter where you start.</p>
<p> </p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/70594122022-09-13T14:21:07-04:002022-09-16T12:27:47-04:00Authors at an Orchard?<p>Saturday, September 17, Brookfield Orchards hosts its annual Local Authors Fair. Authors from around New England will be signing and selling their works. It's a great time to talk to the folks who created the stories, and there's always plenty of stuff in every genre and some books that don't fit any of them. </p>
<p>I'll be there with my "Red Racecar" books for kids as well as my award-winning novel "Henry Hits the Ball." </p>
<p>Brookfield is in south central Massachusetts, so check out the Brookfield Orchard website for more info and directions. The orchard also has good food and gifts, and you can pick some apples! </p>
<p>It's on from 10am to 4pm. Come say hi.</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/70534722022-09-05T11:12:56-04:002022-09-05T11:12:56-04:00Reading doesn't have to be fundamental. It can just be FUN!<p>Summer's over. Time to get back to work -- as a publisher. I'm still writing; "No Teammates in Motocross," a sequel of sorts to "Motocross Summer." But getting books into readers' hands is "a whole 'nutha trip."</p>
<p>I started after reading a middle-grade" novel about a kid who fell off a roof and sustained a head injury. My granddaughter loaned it to me as she knew I'd worked with TBI survivors for years. What I read resorted to a cliched view of TBI. The protagonist had total amnesia. Otherwise, other than a shoulder-injury, he was fine. </p>
<p>That hardly is a realistic picture. In over 30 years I never met anyone who'd lost all memories of anything. I also had met few people who didn't need therapy to walk. talk. or otherwise regain lost capabilities. This was a serious issue, too. This wasn't going to be a fun read, it should have been an insightful one.</p>
<p> I started my "research" at a local Barnes & Noble as I wanted to get a picture of what was popular in the mainstream. I browsed. First in the Young Adult section. My initial question was were there any books for a kid into motor racing, motorcycles or any other kind of motorized adventure. Yeah -- right! I started looking for any books set in any world of sports. I found one. There was a boy and a girl and a football on the cover. The title was "You Throw Like a Girl" and it more explored an issue than playing any kind of ball.</p>
<p>I browsed and browsed some more. What I saw were mean-looking kids looking over their shoulders at other kids. Some showed boys and girls, many just girls. They mostly were reacting, to something. They weren't having fun.</p>
<p>There also was an entire section devoted to LGBDQ-focused stories. Okay. it's not that these aren't important issues that should be explored (an I won't even go into the whole issue over not making poor little white boys feel guilty). But how do you get a kid to want to read when you keep making them deal with "issues" to do it. How do you even write a LGBDQ novel. What do these kids do that's different from other kids. What, a transgender kid doesn't have interests? Wouldn't THEY enjoy reading about baseball, or a rock band, or going to the moon?</p>
<p>I'm trying to write books that are fun to read, at least to the kids who might like racing, including the girls and minorty-kids who do it in the books. </p>
<p>Any bookstore's out there that get it?</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/69976452022-06-20T10:00:44-04:002022-08-30T02:18:55-04:00Summer Reading should be fun.<p>Every year the <em>Boston Globe</em> publishes its Summer Reading List, wtih recommendations for the best new books. <br>There’s a list of Young Adult books I always want to check out. No, I’m not checking to see if they chose one of my own Yong Adult books; <em>the Red Racecar, Dinosaur Racing </em>or<em> Motocross Summer</em>. The <em>Globe</em> doesn’t go looking anywhere but with the major publishing houses. <br>Still, I want to see what they do recommend, in genres, subjects and settings. I don’t expect any books set around cars, bikes or any motorsports, but maybe one set among skateboarders, or say, lacrosse players. Even a story of gamers might prove appealing to some kids. <br>But, no. Among the ten books featured, there were three fantasy novels, two romances, two mysteries, two dealing with gender and sexuality, and one of historical-political fiction. And not one book I would have picked up as a kid. <br>Not that I lacked books to read. I got books about racing and other sports – and right at school, through the Scholastic and the Weekly Reader Book Club and even right out of the school-library. These days kids associate reading with work, or learning, or responsibility. I read for fun. <br>More kids need that chance.</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/69517102022-04-19T12:55:50-04:002022-04-19T12:55:50-04:00A Quote...<p>Bertrand Russell said:</p>
<p>"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts."</p>
<p>You'd think he was alive today. </p>
<p> </p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/69332212022-03-27T12:59:17-04:002022-03-27T12:59:17-04:00Lafayette, we are here?<p>I just found out that Hendricks Motorsports plans to run the new Cup car in the 24 Hours (or "Heures" or something) of LeMans. That is SO cool. For one thing, the new cars can compete, particularly with all the new adjustability in them, as well as the fact that the general technology of a Cup car now is concurrent with the 21st century.</p>
<p>I got a kick out of fans' complaints about the new design. Evidently, some see it as a radical-creation. Yet it was approaching the point where the "Whomever-Paid-to Name It" Cup had more in common with vintage racing than modern motorsports.</p>
<p>But - hey - if you want to root for race technology of more typical NASCAR vintage, you can always follow for the Truck series, where I still say every truck should be carrying cargo.</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/69318102022-03-25T09:54:05-04:002022-03-25T09:54:05-04:00What's going down?<p>For one thing, the words for my latest, <em>No Teammates in Motocross, </em>the sequel to my Red Racecar young adult novel <em>Motocross Summer</em>. The title pretty much describes the plot and reveals the conflict between two - well - not teammates, I guess.</p>
<p>I met with an artist last week to discuss the cover, which should help attract the kids who enjoy my books. </p>
<p>In the meantime, is that spring I hear. Time to get the bikes tuned up.</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/69256382022-03-18T09:06:33-04:002022-03-18T09:06:33-04:00Still Alive?<p>You'd think that two-years of isolation would be welcome by writers, those legendary recluses who slave away at their keyboards even while the world falls apart around them. I've never been able to be THAT reclusive. All the nonsense of the last two years messed with me as much as anyone. Now, though, as we move back toward something we dare to call normal, I'm back on a regular schedule. </p>
<p>Helping, too, are the book shows and signings that are happening again, as well as my writers' critique group, which provides motivation as well. Still, the key to progress for me is when I'm thinking about my story even when I'm not writing it. That's when the best scenes come to mind, or even noteworthy lines from characters. </p>
<p>So right now, I'm working on a sequel to <em>Motocross Summer; No Teammates in Motocross</em>. And I'm getting out to promote and discuss my <em>Red Racecar</em> books as well as <em>Henry Hits the Bal</em>l.</p>
<p>Maybe I'll see you around.</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/68037992021-11-09T19:58:32-05:002022-01-10T10:32:49-05:00It's ALIVE!<p>I am, actually.</p>
<p>I must apologize. I've neglected to continue with this blog. I've actually neglected to continue with a lot - much of this required by the insanity we're all living these days, but admittedly also a lack of initiative and a lack of incentive to continue. But now? Well, now we'll see. </p>
<p>So let's start with two events coming up where I'll be selling and signing books. They're two favorites that didn't see the light of reality last year. </p>
<p>First there's the Association of Rhode Island's Authors Expo. It happens Saturday, December 11, this year at the Crown Plaza Hotel, 801 Greenwich Avenue in Warwick, RI. </p>
<p>This is a great place to meet local authors in every genre, talk to them about their work and get a signed copy of the ones that best suit your interests. </p>
<p>And as 2022 begins I'll be returning to the Autoparts Swap & Sell in the Better Living Center at the Eastern States Exposition January 22 and 23. Enter 1305 Memorial Drive in West Springfield, Mass., if seeking digital guidance, It's all sorts of auto and racing-related stuff, including my "Red Racecar" adventures for young readers.</p>
<p>I can't wait.</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/63398692020-06-02T19:04:30-04:002022-04-19T12:57:13-04:00HENRY Wins a Title<p>Check it out!</p>
<p>RHODE ISLAND AUTHOR WINS 2020 INDIEREADER DISCOVERY AWARD FOR ACTION/ADVENTURE NOVELS </p>
<p>(JUNE 1, 2020) On Thursday May 28th, IndieReader, one of the original review-services for self, hybrid and independently published authors, announced the winners of their IR Discovery Awards (IRDAs) for 2020. HENRY HITS THE BALL by Thom Ring won in the Action/Adventure category. </p>
<p>HENRY HITS THE BALL tells the story of Henry Brademeier, who can hit a baseball better than anyone who's ever played the game. He just can't play baseball. For that matter, he can't tie his own shoes. When a big-league scout discovers Henry taking cuts with the local high school team, he initiates a great adventure for the intellectually-challenged young man, who's never even been away from home. </p>
<p>The book received the following verdict by IndieReader's reviewers. "Henry Brademeier has a talent - and a disability...but he bedazzles all with his slugger-prowess and charms most with his unassuming presence. What he decides at the end of HENRY HITS THE BALL will continue to enchant readers as they learn more about autism, baseball, and what really matters." </p>
<p>"It's great to get the recognition, and I'm honored," said Ring. "I do hope Henry can open the eyes of some people to potential that's not always obvious." </p>
<p>Sponsors for the IRDAs have included publishers, including the Penguin Group and Simon & Schuster, agents ICM and Dystel, and a number of publicists. </p>
<p>HENRY HITS THE BALL is available through most local bookstores, Amazon, or at thomring.com.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/60032932019-12-10T18:19:46-05:002022-01-10T10:34:10-05:00A Great Review for Henry<p>HEY! Look what the reviewer for <em>Writers Digest's</em> self-published book awards had to say about <em>Henry Hits the Ball:</em></p>
<p>An excellent story...of a disabled young man having supreme talent, and the story of how he <br>shakes up the baseball world, one hit at a time...was drawn in from page one, and the narrative <br>third-person voice of the grouchy sports scout was surprisingly entertaining and realistic..the <br>book is written with first-person knowledge of sports and it reads like a pro-level manuscript that <br>has been edited very well. <br>Highly recommended to anyone who loves sports stories, underdog stories, or movies like <br><em>Remember the Titans</em> or <em>We Are Marshall</em>. With its own unique spin, this sports story <br>grabs the reader and takes them for a wonderful ride that even non-sports experts will enjoy.</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/58419012019-07-30T14:16:25-04:002019-07-30T15:40:08-04:00"BEN MONDOR IS ROLLING OVER IN HIS GRAVE"<p>That's the message on the T-shirt I created to protest the carpet-bagging current owners of the soon-to-be-formerly-known-as Pawtucket Red Sox.</p>
<p>Mondor owned the Pawsox until his death a few years ago. The former mill-owner retired to a life leading the Pawsox and keeping his promise to keep the team in the city. His estate sold the team to a group that included former Boston Red Sox part-owner Larry Lucchino. Lucchino is big on building stadiums, or, more accurately, getting desperate municipalities to pay to build them and then wringing the last buck out of his municipal gift. Worcester, Mass., is his latest mark.</p>
<p>It seems Rhode Island wasn't desperate enough for his tastes. The state actually expected the new team owners to invest in their team. But that's no way to steal money that could be used to - I dunno - improve some of the worst, least-funded schools in the country or maybe create jobs that pay better than minimum wage.</p>
<p>There's every reason to believe Worcester will regret handing the farm over to the likes of Lucchino and his millionaire pals. In the meantime, the memory of Ben Mondor and what he did for Rhode Island means nothing to them.</p>
<p>So get a T-shirt to wear to one of the last games the Pawsox play at McCoy Stadium. Let 'em know that the blame for Rhode Island losing its Pawsox rests solely with them.</p>
<p><strong>Go to the "Place an Order" page on this site (www.thomring.com) to order one, or visit Stillwater Books, right on Main St. in Pawtucket, to pick one up.</strong></p>
<p>Oh, and one more thing. I found yet another book about minor-league baseball that listed McCoy as "one of the finest stadiums in minor-league baseball." It was published in 2007. That's what I've found in - gee - just about every book or website I've gotten my hands on over the years that rates minor league stadiums.</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/58401362019-07-29T08:58:18-04:002019-07-29T09:18:17-04:00GO FAST. BE SMART! Finally released!<p>Yes! Finally!</p>
<p>After weeks of wrangling by the publisher, we finally were able to publish GO FAST. BE SMART!, my latest Red Racecar <strong><em>SPEED READER</em></strong>.</p>
<p>It follows our karting hero, Tyler Means, as he gets the chance to race an actual racecar, a midget, the fastest things on dirt. It's a dream come true, but it's also a chance to face the best racers he's ever raced, in a car with more power than a whole starting lineup of karts.</p>
<p>Talk about getting an education!</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/58321832019-07-22T10:10:59-04:002019-07-22T10:10:59-04:00How I Spent my Summer Vacation<p>So now, after two-plus weeks "incommunicado" I return to Earth.</p>
<p>I've been working at the "Write on Sports" summer camp at Rhode Island's Bryant University. We use sports to help middle-school kids refine their abilities to organize and write non-fiction.</p>
<p>It's a blast, as I continue to be amazed by how bright the kids with whom we work actually are. They come from cities whose schools are routinely condemned, they live in tough neighborhoods, and many of their families hardly speak English. Yet they put together mature, reasoned pieces that reveal insight you wouldn't expect in middle-school kids.</p>
<p>And it's sports. That's okay, too.</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/58019292019-06-24T10:56:17-04:002022-11-08T20:00:18-05:00Taxachusetts<p>I need to let folks know that I'm avoiding doing any shows in Massachusetts after the state's division of taxation decided I needed to pay them more money than I think I've even earned selling books there, I swear.</p>
<p>They reported that they'd "audited" me and determined I needed to pay them this hefty fee. Better yet, even though it was the first time they were reporting this, "interest" was added to the total.</p>
<p>The fact is, I closed the account. I already was skipping shows in the state unless I shared a booth.</p>
<p>Yeah, Mass., will chase me for a few bucks, but let Jeff Bezos bring Amazon into town and give him, the richest person in the world, all sorts of tax-breaks.</p>
<p>FYI, in contrast, Rhode Island waives sales tax on what I write and sell. It's part of the state's efforts to support artists. Imagine that.</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/57399512019-05-02T09:06:46-04:002019-05-02T09:06:46-04:00HENRY'S FAMOUS!<p><em>HENRY HITS THE BALL was </em>featured on the front page of the Pawtucket Times on April 23. </p>
<p>Check it out: </p>
<p>https://www.pawtuckettimes.com/news/taking-a-swing-local-author-spins-touching-yarn-with-novel/article_376981e2-6573-11e9-ac7d-33ea6875fd0b.html</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/57281272019-04-22T11:30:03-04:002019-04-22T11:30:03-04:00A Blast at the Book Launch<p>Yes, my book-launch for <em>Henry Hits the Ball </em>went great April 20. A good crowd was on hand, and most picked up a copy.</p>
<p>They were lousy at baseball-trivia, though! That's okay. Henry's more about Henry than it is about hitting a ball.</p>
<p>You can order <em>Henry</em> anywhere you can order books. But save the shipping and postage. Stillwater Books has it in stock, and if you order a copy through this website, you can get it with FREE shipping and postage.</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/57176012019-04-12T15:43:33-04:002022-04-19T12:58:55-04:00We're almost ready for my book-launch<p>The T-shirts are here (they look great!), the trivia-questions have been chosen, the peanuts and popcorn and crackerjacks are on hand along with the Coke and Gansetts, and HENRY HITS THE BALL already is in stock at Stillwater Books. .</p>
<p>Remember, if you can't win a T-shirt in the trivia contest, they'll be for sale at Stillwater afterwards. Wouldn't it be great if everyone who heads to McCoy for a game this year wore one - with its proclamation "BEN MONDOR IS ROLLING OVER IN HIS GRAVE" to rub in the faces of Pawsox management?</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/57066712019-04-04T10:01:13-04:002022-11-08T20:00:52-05:00Book Launch Update: HENRY HITS THE BALL<p>So now Stillwater Books in Pawtucket has HENRY HITS THE BALL, my latest work, in stock and for sale in anticipation of its launch at Stillwater April 20. </p>
<p>HENRY HITS THE BALL tells the story of Henry Brademeier, who can hit a baseball better than anyone who’s ever played the game. He just can’t play the game. It’s my first mainstream novel, so I’m giving it a baptism with a party. We already have our list of odd points of baseball history - related to Henry’s story as well as my own - to use in our trivia contest. I await the delivery of the prizes; navy-blue T-shirts with the message “BEN MONDOR IS ROLLING OVER IN HIS GRAVE” defiantly displayed in BOSOX font. </p>
<p>Stillwater will be selling the shirts, as well as HENRY. They also stock all of my RED RACECAR books for kids. There will be refreshments straight out of the bleachers, and I’ll be signing books, of course. </p>
<p>Should be fun. Stillwater Books is at 175 Main St. in Pawtucket, RI, the future former home of Ben Mondor's Pawsox.</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/56588012019-02-25T14:13:36-05:002019-02-25T14:13:36-05:00W.E.B. Griffin<p>A long (LONG!) time ago, when I was in middle school, I ordered a book from the Weekly Reader Book Club. It was a novel about racing, THE GREEN GHOST, written by Patrick J. Williams.</p>
<p>The book turned out to be a revelation, not because it was a great story, but because it seemed to be written for me - as opposed to my English teachers. It broke rules I'd been taught about language. The style was casual, with attitude that seemed right for the story - at least from my seventh-grade perspective. "I could do this," I told myself. More importantly, I wanted to. I have ever since. And I still have that book.</p>
<p>A few years ago I decided to do some online-exploring to see what happened to Patrick J. Williams. Long story short, I soon discovered the name was a pen-name for the writer William E. Butterworth. And while, yes, that was his birth-name, it was just another pen-name for one W.E. B. Griffin, one of the most popular and prolific authors of military-and-politically-based adventures of the last 50 years.</p>
<p>Griffin passed away February 12 after publishing more of these adventures than most libraries carry. None of them were my cup of coffee</p>
<p>Still, I thought he might appreciate his efforts for younger readers, particularly one who started writing due to his inspiration. I wrote the author, explaining how that book had struck a chord in me, one I've continued to play to the tune of a half-dozen racing adventures inspired by THE GREEN GHOST. I thanked him.</p>
<p>I never heard back from him.</p>
<p>What, you expected we became best buddies?</p>
<p> </p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/56216532019-01-31T13:54:37-05:002019-01-31T13:57:37-05:00HENRY HITS THE SHELVES<p>My adult -- er -- literary -- er -- mainstream -- er -- I don't know what to call it -- novel, HENRY HITS THE BALL, is in the final stages of production.</p>
<p>I've tried to hook up with an agent, but that's a longshot, I know. I wanted to play the author game that "old-fashioned" way, but I'd rather have people reading the book. So, I plan to introduce Henry at a book-release party at Stillwater Books in Pawtucket -- around opening day for Major-League Baseball.</p>
<p>Baseball fans in Pawtucket are in mourning after ownership of the Pawtucket Red Sox made a deal to move to Worcester, Mass. I guess the money was better. Isn't that all that matters in America today? It wasn't to the late Ben Mondor, who saved the team for Pawtucket -- and not because he got a great deal from the city, certainly nothing close to what the city offered the current owners. Not that they had any attachment to Pawtucket, certainly none not represented by dollar-signs.</p>
<p>Stay posted here or on the Stillwater Book site for details about the party. Expect a baseball theme. D'uh!.</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/56200052019-01-30T14:31:48-05:002021-11-09T20:07:06-05:00GO FAST. BE SMART! <p>I've been working away on <em>GO FAST. BE SMART! </em>the latest of my <em>RED RACECAR SPEED READERS. </em></p>
<p>It follows Tyler Means, the hero of my first two <em>SPEED READERS: RACING JUNK </em>and <em>TURN RIGHT TO GO LEFT.</em> In<em> RACING JUNK</em>, Tyler starts out patching a racing kart together out of a frame he finds in a pile of scrap metal. He then proves his skills and talent not only racing on road courses but, in<em> TURN RIGHT TO GO LEFT</em>, on a dirt oval he'd never even thought about. </p>
<p><em>GO FAST. BE SMART! </em>will give him a chance to race a "real racecar," a dirt midget like the ones he loves to watch on TV. He'll actually meet some of the midget hotshoes that my original young-adult novel, <em>THE RED RACECAR</em>. introduced to more experienced readers. So, a reader can finish all three <em>SPEED READERS </em>and then move up to the<em> RED RACECAR </em>books. </p>
<p>By then they can go racing!</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/55998572019-01-17T09:10:50-05:002019-01-17T09:10:50-05:00Not making the Swap N' Sell this year<p>Due to the forecasts of nasty weather, I've decided I can't make it to the Automotive Swap N' Sell at the Big E in West Springfield, MA., this weekend. </p>
<p>I always enjoy this show and get some books in the hands of a few kids, but I also travel from home each day. Sunday looks like a mess, especially exactly where I'd need to travel. </p>
<p>My apologies. If you did intend to look me up to get a book, be aware that SHIPPING IS NOW FREE ON ALL ORDERS PLACED THROUGH THIS WEBSITE. </p>
<p>No need for you to chance the trip this weekend, either.</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/55709332018-12-27T13:57:06-05:002018-12-27T14:03:16-05:00I Am Waiting...<p>Y'up, waiting for my latest novel, <em>TURN RIGHT TO GO LEFT</em>, to be released.</p>
<p><em>TURN RIGHT TO GO LEFT </em>is the latest entry in my <em>SPEED READER </em>series for younger readers. It continues the story of young karter Tyler Means, as he learns how to win and expands his racetrack-horizons.</p>
<p>Readers like Tyler, and they want to see him advance in the sport of racing. His latest adventures center around a local dirttrack and what going fast on dirt teaches him about winning on any track.</p>
<p>For those who wonder, I've found dealing with Kindle more difficult than Createspace ever was. I would guess the move to push writers from one to the other mostly has to do with the ongoing effort on Amazon's part to remove the need for humans from the process - from any process, actually.</p>
<p>I'm glad I can get these books to press (see my comments on the main page; <em>Getting Boys to LIKE Reading</em>), but I suspect that if Amazon could eliminate writers from the process, they'd (they'll?) do it in a heartbeat.</p>
<p> </p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/55490262018-12-11T10:04:23-05:002022-11-08T20:01:18-05:00IN STOCK!<p>That's what my books are at <em>Stillwater Books </em>in downtown Pawtucket, RI.</p>
<p>Stillwater is a new independent bookstore that recently opened in hailing distance of two of Rhode Island's most important historical landmarks, Slater Mill and the Blackstone River.</p>
<p>Stillwater Books was established by Steve and Dawn Porter, the force behind the Association of Rhode Island Authors. It's an outgrowth of their publishing business but even moreso of ARIA, which continues to discover and foster local writers of every genre.</p>
<p>It's also a bold move to establish a business in what used to be a thriving downtown-area but now struggles to regain relevance, even as the carpet-bagging Pawtucket WOO Sox make their escape.</p>
<p>Which says, go check 'em out. At least you won't be accosted by a display of the latest famous person who puts James Patterson's name on a book and makes it a bestselling work of mediocrity.</p>
<p>Unless that's what you want.</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/55277152018-11-26T09:38:04-05:002022-04-27T10:33:42-04:00Good News - and Bad<p>As they say.</p>
<p>The good news is that the Rhode Island Authors' Expo finally is here. It happens at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet in Cranston, this Saturday, December 1, from 10am until 5pm.</p>
<p>Of course, I'm there to sign and sell books. I also like getting together with other writers to see how everyone's doing. And the selection of books is impressive, with quality in almost every popular genre.</p>
<p>The list would have been more impressive if my latest RED RACECAR SPEED READER,<em> TURN RIGHT TO GO LEFT,</em> was available for sale. Unfortunately, it remains in production, so I'll have to debut it at January's Automotive Swap & Sell at the Big E in West Springfield, Mass.</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/54840552018-10-24T10:36:44-04:002018-10-24T10:36:44-04:00AND YOU BELIEVE US?<p>I can't - believe them, that is. I checked out a website for a product or service that promised to cure an incurable disease that modern medicine didn't want cured! Really? This disease demands ongoing vigilance to preserve health. This "doctor" on the site claimed none of that was necessary. I imagined folks dropping their careful care in favor of this - whatever it is, and getting in big trouble if it didn't work. But this doctor wouldn't lie, would he?</p>
<p>Well, he wasn't - or at least shouldn't be blamed if following his advice kills you. Why not? Well, read the following, found in very small letters way down at the bottom of one page:</p>
<p><em>This website, and any page on the website, is based loosely off a true story, but has been modified in multiple ways including, but not limited to: the story, the photos, and the comments. Thus, this page, and any page on this website, are not to be taken literally or as a non-fiction story. This page, and the results mentioned on this page, although achievable for some, are not to be construed as the results that you may achieve on the same routine. I UNDERSTAND THIS WEBSITE IS ONLY ILLUSTRATIVE OF WHAT MIGHT BE ACHIEVABLE FROM USING THIS/THESE PRODUCTS, AND THAT THE STORY DEPICTED ABOVE IS NOT TO BE TAKEN LITERALLY.</em></p>
<p>They didn't fudge everything, just "the story, the photos, and the comments." See, that's not lying.</p>
<p>The guy should be arrested.</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/53736352018-08-03T13:34:02-04:002021-11-09T20:07:44-05:00My latest SPEEDREADER<p>A heads up that I've started work on my next RED RACECAR <em>SPEED READER </em>novel "<em>TURN RIGHT TO GO LEFT</em>." It continues the adventures of Tyler Means, our hero in <em>RACING JUNK</em>. He already has proven he can drive at the two road courses in his area, but now he'll get a chance to try his hand at dirttrack racing. </p>
<p>Of course, he will. After all, if you're not sliding, you're not driving. </p>
<p>Keep you eyes peeled for its release, hopefully some time before the end of the year.</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/53640512018-07-27T09:04:06-04:002018-07-27T09:04:06-04:00THESE ARE NOT THE "YA'S" I KNOW.<p>It happened again. Goodreads, the website community for avid readers, just released its "Top 100 YA Books on Goodreads."</p>
<p>No, I didn't expect to see one of my books on the list. My "platform" for the RED RACECAR books is<em> way </em>too below their radar, even if I have a writer's page on the site. What I was looking for was any book that might interest the kids my books target. And as usual, this turned into a futile quest. The fact is, there was not one book on the list I would have had <em>any </em>interest in reading back when I was a YA.</p>
<p>What's on the list? Fantasy? Of course. Social issues? Outsiders facing existential questions? Star-crossed romances? Y'up, those, too. Regular kids getting a chance to do something special, something exciting, something a kid might want to know how to do? Like - say - sports? Music? Starting a business? A book that reveals a world of which they're not a part but about which they might be dreaming? A world that is not dystopian?</p>
<p>Nope. Not one. Not one book that presents a world a reader might want to enter. Not one that opens a door to one of those new worlds, worlds we as adults look to as an escape from the sorts of worlds in these "YA" books.</p>
<p>No wonder the kids I target don't read. Who wants to dredge their way through the worlds in any of these books?</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/53021572018-06-18T11:22:37-04:002022-04-27T10:34:08-04:00RACING JUNK IS OUT!<p>Just a note to announce the release of my latest<em> RED RACECAR </em>book and my first <em>RED RACECAR SPEED READER: <span style="color: rgb(241, 196, 15);">RACING JUNK</span></em>. The new <em>SPEED READERS </em>are targeted at younger, less-experienced readers, but they're also great stories that more experienced readers can knock off in a couple of sittings while enjoying the adventure as much as the other <em>RED RACECAR</em> books. <span style="color: rgb(241, 196, 15);"><em>RACING JUNK </em></span>follows a young race-fan as he digs an old racing kart out of a pile of scrap metal and tries to turn it into a competitive racer. Readers will learn about setting up any racecar as well as skills needed to rebuild, repaint and otherwise make their dreams come true.</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/50622982018-02-05T13:08:35-05:002018-02-05T13:08:35-05:00IT's OUT!<p>Yes, we got it done! We beat the longshot! RING AROUND RACING now is available. Order it through this website, <a href="http://www.theredracecar.com">www.theredracecar.com</a>, or through Amazon.</p>
<p>I've planned this one for years - decades, even. I'm excited.</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/49716932017-12-11T09:37:29-05:002022-09-16T12:27:47-04:00RING AROUND RACING<p>A shout out: I should let you know that a collection of my best newspaper-columns, magazine-columns and features currently is in production and should be released shortly. They'll be plenty to read about my favorite races and racers plus some of the stuff that's always bugged me. It'll give you some insight into the characters and racetracks that populate <em>THE RED RACECAR </em>series of racing adventures.</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/49634012017-12-05T14:10:27-05:002017-12-05T14:10:27-05:00RI Authors Expo<p>Had a great show as part of the Rhode Island Authors Expo. Sold some books in every "RED RACECAR" title and made some promising contacts.</p>
<p>I'd hoped Id have my collection of columns and feature-articles from my years covering motor racing, but we're still working our the covers. Hope to have it for Springfield's Automotive Swap & Sell in January.</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/48408022017-09-07T14:14:21-04:002021-11-09T20:08:53-05:00Lately<p>Lately I've been spending a lot of time NOT writing. Still, what I've been doing would be considered writers' tasks.</p>
<p>As any writer today can tell you, a writer not only writes. I writer must publicize. A writer must attend public events..</p>
<p>A writer is salesperson, a business mamager, a publicist, an inventory-controller, an order processer, a set-designer. A writer must be an editor, a reviewer, and then a marketer.</p>
<p>Worse, if I can believe my own eyes and ears, a writer does not necessarily have to write. If you're famous enough, if your name gets recognized for anything (even for being an ass), getting the book done simply is a formality. There's a real writer around to do the boring work, and you barely have to give them any credit.</p>
<p>Anyway, I've been spending a lot of time with all this "avoidance writing," all the stuff that keeps you from writing, and (to put it cynically) helps you avoid that painful process but still makes you look like a writer. I've done my summer-races and shows selling my "RED RACECAR" middle-grade novels. I've queried new agents on behalf of my novel "HENRY HITS THE BALL." What I haven't done is continue writing AIDEN'S JOURNAL, my latest, a record of the rehabilitation of a young brain-injury victim.</p>
<p>I also started editing some of my favorites from the decades of columns and articles I wrote about motor racing, to offer to all those folks who visit my booth at races and shows and compliment the work I did covering the sport. I might as well market them as a book.</p>
<p>After all, I already did the writing.</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/47747952017-07-11T11:10:32-04:002021-11-09T20:09:06-05:00On Line<p>So I started submitting columns to RaceChaserOnline this year. It's turned out to be a dubious experience. I thought I understood when my columns were scheduled to be posted and wrote with those dates in mind. You'd think that would be important on a website, even more than it ever was on any analog form of media. Yet I swear my column never was published when I expected it to be. That was made even more problematic as the editor wouldn't even acknowledge when he received a piece.</p>
<p>Still, what did get published seemed well-received, with positive comments coming from all over.</p>
<p>And then I submitted a column the first week of June - that still hasn't been posted. But by this point I 'm just tired of chasing people to confirm when I'll be published. Besides, after a story is written, knowing when it will be posted isn't of much use to a writer.</p>
<p>I used to think that one of the advantages of getting news on the web would be the timeliness of what you'd read. Yet, I find I can trust the old analog forms of media to be more accurate, current and up to date than the internet. Shouldn't that be a goal, or does no one care? That seems to be the attitude about many things digital. And I won't even mention the concept of "truth."</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/47625672017-06-30T10:41:52-04:002021-11-09T20:09:18-05:00Well, it's about time!<p>Yeah, I know, I'm not quite a religious blogger. I'm still more comfortable in the world.</p>
<p>But I did want to share news of the great night I had signing and selling my RED RACECAR books at a special mid-week race at Seekonk, Mass., Speedway June 28. It was by far my most successful event. Which is great. It only took me two years to get there, despite it not only being perhaps my favorite racetrack (and tracks are some of my favorite places) but also the track where I've done more work as a racing correspondent and TV commentator than any other.</p>
<p>I love the fact that at a racetrack I'm dealing with kids who are<em> literate</em>, and parents and other adults who wants their kids to be. Racing suffers from an ignorant image of knuckle-dragging lugs just mashing the gas and each other while grinning and picking their noses. In fact, some of the most intelligent folks I've ever met are in racing. That's saying something when I spend my days in the midst of too many "experts" waving their masters and doctorate-degrees in my face while they prove their degrees signify nothing more than the massive debts they've accumulated.</p>
<p>For instance, ask educators why they don't seek out books for their students that share the worlds kids want to enter instead of the worlds the teachers inhabit. This is particularly true for kids like the ones I met June 28. Likely they won't go to college. But likely as well they will grow up to fix your car, build your house, install your heating system or do your hair. These days each of these jobs require a technical understanding they never did before. Knuckle-dragging lugs need not apply.</p>
<p>Of course, educators might simply have read a few pages of MOTOCROSS SUMMER, where my book's protagonist, Jason Merlo, complains about how teachers make him write "How I Spent my Summer Vacation" each fall more out of laziness than anything else. Hey, he's entitled to his opinion. After all, he's a smart kid.</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/46781752017-04-20T10:04:24-04:002017-07-11T10:55:01-04:00I'll be part of Write on SportsI met Steve Krasner at the Rhode Island Author's Expo last December, when he was set up signing his books next to my table. I remembered Steve from his years - decades, really - covering the Boston Red Sox for my hometown newspaper, the <em>Providence journal</em>.<br>These days Steve devotes his time to getting kids to read more and want to write as well. I don't mean handwriting (truly a lost art, anyway) but putting an idea down "on paper" and being able to present that idea logically, accurately and in a way that provokes interest, thought and understanding in others.<br>One such program is the Write on Sports program. It was created in New Jersey, but Steve has established Write on Sports summer camps here in Rhode Island. Middle-school students spend a couple of weeks exploring how to develop ideas that relate in some way to a favorite sport or athletic activity into a well-researched-and-written piece.<br>I'll be joining the camp taking place at Bryant College in mid-July. I'll help direct a team a students through the process of developing their own stories. It's a perfect fit to my own mission of providing reading for kids they actually might want to read if they're into motor racing, even if they think reading is boring.Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/46531842017-03-31T09:07:18-04:002021-11-09T20:09:56-05:00Is it Spring yet?If you read my last post, you know I plan to scale back on signing books at street-rod shows. So today I announce that my first show of the year will be the Ty-Rods annual spring street-rod swap meet at Stafford, CT, Motor Speedway Sunday, April 9.<br>Hey, I did say I'd go to shows where I had other compelling reasons to attend. Well, I get to hang out for the day with Walt Scadden, my frequent partner in crime at such events. That always makes for an interesting day. Plus this always is an interesting show that attracts some pretty interesting people.. Even the carts folks are tugging behind them are more interesting than the cars at some shows, as I've written about here before. And I always enjoy people-watching. So, if you go, look for us down the end of grandstands on the pit side of the fence, and say hi.<br>In the meantime, I'm busier than ever. I've had to revisit my story, "Henry Hits the Ball," as an important episode in the story involves an intentional walk. If you follow the sport, you are aware that the honchos of baseball can't leave well enough alone and have changed the rules on intentional walks. To Henry's detriment.<br>I'm also contributing a bi-weekly column about motor racing to <a href="http://www.RaceChaserOnline.com">www.RaceChaserOnline.com</a> and have returned to Late Model Racer magazine as a senior editor. This all is in support of my Red Racecar series of novels for young readers.Not that I won't still attend events where I can sell and sign these books. You know, like street-rod shows.Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/46054942017-02-24T16:04:29-05:002017-02-24T16:04:29-05:00PlanningI'm thinking about where I'm going this year. What I mean is how I will campaign my RED RACECAR books to get them into the hands of potential readers.<br><br>The first thing I've decided is I'm cutting back on street-rod shows. I've talked about all this before, but they don't seem to attract racing fans or even kids interested in cars that do more than sit on a lawn somewhere for the afternoon. Or any kids at all in some cases. If I do any rod meets, it will be because something else connects me to the crowd, or the investment in participating is negligible. One exception will be next year's Swap & Sell at the Big E in Springfield, MA, in January. Great crowd, lots of interest, and stuff for sale that captures the attention of any gearhead, young or old.<br><br>Libraries and bookstores also have been wastes of resources. Kids into cars don't walk into bookstores.<br><br>On the other hand, more racetracks will be on the agenda now. The kids who read my books -- who enjoy my books -- generally stay as far from books as they can get. Yet they yearn to get closer to racing.<br><br>Get it?Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/44501142016-11-03T09:13:01-04:002022-05-09T05:26:59-04:00Been busy; that's my excuseWell - I have been.<br><br>I've just completed editing the new novel by my friend, Walt Scadden, the former blacksmith, racecar builder -- and Marine-veteran -- I first met when I was invited to drive his pavement midget for a story in the old <em>Trackside</em> Magazine (see <em>Almost Fast </em> in the <em>Stuff to Read" </em>at<em> <a href="http://www.theredracecar.com">www.theredracecar.com</a></em>). <em>Have You Seen My Brother?</em> features the story of two brothers after World War I (you remember, "The War to End All Wars?") and the problems returning veterans of that war faced as they ran head on into the depression and an unappreciating government.<br><br>Even before reading Walt's novel and learning more about the Bonus Army, the vets who marched on Washiington, campaigning to receive promised benefit-checks to help them survive the desperate times, I was less than impressed with how we treat vets in general. But I'm flabbergasted by the heroes we choose to honor, men such as the hero-worshipped General Douglas MacArthur. He was less than heroic on many occasions, but he was never worse than when he attacked fellow war-veterans who were camped out across from the White House. Families were camping there. Children died. I just learned that MacArthur disobeyed direct orders from President Hoover. And got away with it.<br><br>I recall that travesty whenever I hear about "honoring" our veterans. Many need way more than a thank you for their service. But conservative members of Congress, people who usually are the first to fly the flag of patriotism, vote down measures to provide real assistance to those returning from fighting for our country.<br><br>Can you say "hypocrite?"<br><br>I've continued working on <em>Aiden's Journal</em>, my novel about a teenage survivor of a brain injury sustained on a football field. I also plan to enter<em> </em><em>Henry Hits the Ball, </em>about a savant who can hit a baseball better than anyone ever h<em>as, </em>in the Back Moose Competition for unpublished novels. So there's plenty of work to do.Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/43648272016-09-09T14:45:42-04:002022-09-15T03:49:03-04:00an update..It's about time I ran through all of my projects and summarized what's happening with each:<br><br><span style="color: rgb(165, 42, 42);"><strong>THE RED RACECAR, DINOSAUR RACING, MOTOCROSS SUMMER</strong></span>: My three books for boys remain for sale through <strong><a href="http://www.theredracecar.com">www.theredracecar.com</a></strong> or you can order them through Amazon or Barnes & Noble. The boys who are reading them are not big readers, but getting the inside scoop on racing cars or bikes has proven a strong incentive, at least versus the junk the kids are made to read in school. As one kid said to me "NO MORE ROMANCE!"<br><br><span style="color: rgb(165, 42, 42);"><strong>HENRY HITS THE BALL:</strong></span> My "literary" novel about a savant who appears to be almost supernatural hitting a baseball - and the adventure that inspires for him and everyone who encounters him - still "seeks representation." I haven't really chalked up an impressive list of rejections yet, but I'm working on it. What an attitude to have - eh? But I still think someone will like it.<br><br><span style="color: rgb(165, 42, 42);"><strong>AIDEN'S JOURNAL:</strong></span> In the interest of exploring the issue of head injuries in sports on a more mainstream level, Aiden, our hero, now is in rehab from a head injury incurred playing football in high school rather than racing a motorcycle. His journal relates the story of his rehabilitation and reveals the conflicts and challenges typical of coming back from such an injury a different person from the person who got injured.<br><br>I also recently published <strong><span style="color: rgb(165, 42, 42);">GOODBYE AND OTHER STORIES</span></strong>, my first collection of short stories. It's available on this site or through Amazon or Barnes & Noble. The collection includes WHATEVER YOU CAN PAY, the story recently recognized by Writers' Digest in its annual competition.Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/43523212016-09-01T09:26:15-04:002016-09-01T09:26:15-04:00Writer's Digest recognizes one of my short stories.<p>My short story, Whatever You Can Pay, which is included in Goodbye and Other Stories, has been awarded an Honorable Mention in the Mainstream/Literary Short Story category of the 85th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition. Among the ten competition categories, there were over 6,000 entries! Oh, the story is described as being about "a strange shop owner seemingly stuck in the past." </p>
<p>Award recipients will be announced in Writer’s Digest ‘s November/December 2016 issue. The magazine’s 85th Annual Writer’s Digest Competition Collection contains the grand prize manuscript as well as the first-place manuscripts in each category, and lists the names and titles of works for the top 10 in each category and the names of Honorable Mention winners. The Competition Collection will be published in November 2016 and will be available for purchase from www.writersdigestshop.com in early 2017.</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/42515892016-06-27T13:49:43-04:002023-12-10T11:59:03-05:00Getting boys to LIKE reading<p>When I wrote my first novel in the young-adult "Red Racecar" book series, I was on a mission. After years of working with "Yoot"," who turned out through circumstance to be mostly boys, I wanted to write something they might actually WANT to read. </p>
<p>All the experts in education and publishing agree that getting boys to read is an important mission. In the age of the internet as almost everyone's primary source of information, it's more important than ever. Yet when I see the books supposedly targeted at boys, I understand why many of them think of reading as an evil foisted upon them by adults who can't be trusted. These kids associate reading with the lame-o stuff these books highlight. I wouldn't want to read these books either, even now that I'm supposed to be mature. </p>
<p>Yes, the teenage years are a minefield of poor choices, confusing conflicts and unforeseen consequences. The experts will tell you our young-adult novels need to deal with this stuff. But this is not the stuff my students want to deal with. These are hands-on kids. They're into taking stuff apart to see how it works; bicycles, skateboards, motorcycles, stuff like that. They don't want lessons. They want opportunities. </p>
<p>I make a simple promise to my readers. These are the adventures of racers. Any lessons here are lessons about racing, or cars, or motorcycles. Read my books and learn what it's like to build a racer and race it. That's it. You want to know what it's like to campaign a midget on dirt tracks? You wonder what it's like to fly off a giant jump on a dirt bike? Read my books and find out. Want to find out how to deal with a personal crisis? No? Good. Let's have some fun. </p>
<p>I've kept trying to find the experts on this subject because I want them to talk me out of this (if they're so smart!), but I've come to realize it isn't going to happen. The attitudes I site are bigger than just a response to the lack of reading by boys. I contend that a prejudice exists - a negative attitude among supposed "professionals" that is hurting more than just some students' reading skills. This attitude permeates education in general. </p>
<p>College is a great path for some, the perfect goal to inspire the highest level of performance in high school. But the kids who don't choose college or clearly aren't academic material aren't provided with their own path. It's as if the professionals in education see only one path, college and a successful career. No college means no future, or only one as an academic reject filling coffee cups or emptying trash. Its an abject rejection of the kids I'm trying to reach. </p>
<p>You think you don't need good reading skills as an electrician, a mechanic, or a landscaper? Do you see those careers as simply jobs for lugs? Do you care that these jobs get done well?</p>
<p>And isn't there stuff that's fun to read? Reading all by itself has value, and school not only is about making good citizens, it's about those citizens making good lives, every one of them, not just the ones who got to wear the funny boards on their heads for two graduations. </p>
<p>My books are proving popular with the kids I meet at racetracks and car shows. They don't care about fantasy-worlds. They don't want to read about vampires. They know drugs are bad and some kids are trouble. And love stories? Get them a break! </p>
<p>They don't want to talk about their minefield of poor choices, confusing conflicts and unforseen consequences. And they don't want to be doctors, or lawyers, or teachers. They want to build things. They want to know how. They want to sound as if they know what they're talking about. They want to get dirty and get paid to be. They want in on the action. My books put them there. </p>
<p>Once they start reading them. Why wouldn't these "experts" want to help make that happen?</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/42290752016-06-14T09:34:34-04:002016-06-14T09:34:34-04:00Cool Cars for Kids<p>Cool. <br> <br>That’s the word I used a ton of times Sunday at the Cars For Kids show put on by the Hot Heads Car Club in Oxford, MA., for the benefit of the Clara Barton Summer Camp for kids with diabetes. <br> <br>As the club’s Bob Keogh told me early in the day as I set up to sign books amidst a traffic-jam of classic cars of every description, “We call it a car show, not a hot rod show, because we want everything.” That was great, because if it’s a car, I want it, too (Yeah, even a Prius). <br> <br>Y’up, there were rods, of every style from rusty rat to elegant swan. There also were impeccably-restored antiques of any vintage that could roll into town on its own, from Model A’s to Mustangs and beyond. <br> <br>A few cars defied description. Sunday brought with it the first Kaiser Darrin I’ve ever laid eyes on. Kaiser built cars into the 1950s, and the Darrin was its answer to those first kinda-crappy Corvettes. This example was pristine in its original yellow-going-green color that carried even to the leather seats. And talk about unique. The Darrin is the only car I’ve ever seen with sliding doors. Yeah, sliding. <br> <br>But where the car had been manufactured with one of Kaiser’s anemic flathead fours, this owner had installed Vette-like smallblock-Chevy power. Of course he had. <br> <br>In the midst of all this celebration of cool cars, a couple of things got me thinking. First of all, these shows always have a DJ. Great idea. But why do they all insist on spinning nothing but doo-wop music? I mean, doo-wop (Am I spelling that right?) pretty much died with the Beatles, Stones, and that British-Invasion thing of the early 1960s. That means if you were into doo-wop, you’re likely into your 70s - at least. Most of the car owners I saw Sunday didn’t look that old. How about some Beatles, or Stones, or maybe the Animals or - hey! - what about the Beachboys, Jan And Dean, and all those 1960s performers who did songs about cars, like “Little Deuce Coupe” and “GTO?” <br> <br>Here’s a bigger puzzle. I was chatting with one car owner and the subject of getting kids into cars came up. If you know me, you know I look for places where kids and cars come together so I can convince kids my books are worth reading if you like cars. That’s why I was there; “Cars for Kids,” you know? <br> <br>Yet, in the middle of that discussion, I looked around and, amidst all these car nuts, there were precious few kids. If you want kids to catch the car-nut bug, you have to expose them to the virus. You need to bring the kids along with you. You need to force them away from their little plastic slabs of light and into the real world. <br> <br>I’m convinced, sit a kid in some muscle car with a flaming red interior and a big-block motor and fire it up. There’s no computer that can capture that music. <br> <br>Closing at 1pm didn’t help, as the more casual fan isn’t up early on a Sunday morning. And I expected a bunch of kids from the camp. Diabetics love cars, too. I’m proof.</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/42153072016-06-06T11:40:54-04:002016-06-06T11:59:00-04:00Muhammad Ali<p>Muhammad Ali. That name’s always stood for something. </p>
<p>I was a kid when Ali fought. He was just another big sports star to a kid like me, but I soon realized he was nothing like the stars I admired, the Bobby Orrs, Johnny Unitases, the Mick, the Say Hey Kid. Sports stars were gentlemen, they were modest. Even the best were aw-shucks appreciative of their chance to get paid to do what they loved to do. </p>
<p>And then there was Ali, the mouth that roared. He was the greatest, and he always was eager to remind you. I was shocked. Athletes just didn’t do that. The greatest players in the history of their sports never bragged, always smiled. Never, ever would Bobby Orr claim to be the greatest hockey player ever, or Mays the greatest ballplayer ever. I say they were, but they wouldn’t. </p>
<p>Ali shocked me even more. What’s wrong with Cassius, I wondered. Your parents gave you that name. And what’s a muslim? </p>
<p>And then he refused to be drafted. That was easy to understand but hard to appreciate when you had two cousins in ‘Nam and a brother who joined the Navy to avoid being drafted into the army. "Must be nice to just say no," I thought. Then they took his title. Then they threw him in jail. And he stood up and said he didn’t care. His religious beliefs were more important than his career, or the money, or the chance to be "The Greatest." I had to think about what he was doing in a different way. I had to learn something. </p>
<p>I think about that process, that education, that maturation, as I ponder over the death of this man. What athlete today, already sitting on millions of dollars and with reputations as the darlings of the American public, would walk away from that on principle? I can think only of that baseball player who retired because he couldn't take his son to work every day. He took a stand, but it was for selfish reasons.I mean, compare that to a man who stepped away from success to make a point that every American should have been making to the leaders who were squandering the lives of American children (but, of course, never their own) to fight a stupid, prideful war. </p>
<p>And then, when the courts said Muhammad Ali could return to making his living, he won his titles back, not in a courthouse, but in the ring, toe to toe, man to man. Where he proved he still was the greatest. Or confirmed it, because for anyone paying attention he’d already proved it many times over.<br><br>Saturday night I stopped at a bar where evidently it was UFC Night or something. Two morons in a cage went at each other like a couple of drunken barflies. I watched one guy elbow his opponent in the side of the head. The opponent undoubtedly was unconscious before his head hit the mat. Yet the first guy jumped on him and delivered two more elbows to his head before the ref finally made an effort to stop the madness.<br><br>The crowd at the bar loved it. This being the day of Ali's death, I thought back to Ali's matches against the likes of Sonny Liston, George Foreman and Leon Spinks. Any of them had more class tied up inside each boxing glove than the entire crowd at that bar, never mind the fighters, who likely wouldn't have lasted a round with Ali.. </p>
<p>Rest in peace, Mr. Ali. You earned it.</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/41457462016-04-20T14:34:10-04:002016-04-20T14:34:10-04:00Punked out in a Prius?I must admit, I'm amused by the latest ads for Toyota's Prius.<br>Evidently, the cars's image has been so defiled by Birkinstock-wielding librarians that Toyota's resorted to chase-scenes where the Prius can't be caught.<br><br>Cops can't be too happy. The Prius drivers are running from the cops. It's supposed to be funny, I guess, but imagine if the Prius drivers were black. Wait. They wouldn't be caught dead in Birkinstocks.Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/40943212016-03-18T09:47:22-04:002018-11-20T10:19:54-05:00Radio ON<p>So suddenly I get two radio gigs to talk about THE RED RACECAR books. Thursday, March 17, I appeared on Tom Baker’s Stock Car Steel program on the Performance Motorsports Network. We talked about THE RED RACECAR books, racing in general, and the issue of brain injury in racing, as helping survivors of head injury return to work (such as racing) is my day-job. If you want to hear the show, log in to www.performancemotorsportsnetwork.com this Saturday at 10pm or next Monday, March 21, at 10am. <br>Tuesday morning, March 22, I’m on Wayne G. Barber’s Authors Hour on WNRI in Woonsocket, RI. We’ll be talking about the same stuff but with the obvious focus on the books. Wayne also hots a racing show, though, so it’s a natural fit. <br>Catch the Authors Hour Tuesday at 9:00am at 1380 AM, on WNRI.COM Worldwide Livestream, or Tune In Radio Free App.</p>Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/40574902016-02-24T09:50:34-05:002016-02-24T09:50:34-05:00MOTO CROSS SUMMERA heads-up that my latest young-adult novel,<em> MOTOCROSS SUMMER</em>, is in production, which keeps it on time for a spring release.<br><br>I wrote <em>MOTOCROSS SUMMER </em>consistent with my mission of creating stories that will grab boys' interest and get them to like reading. It will be interesting to see if this books attracts the same readers as my auto racing stories or if it creates a new audience (or if it turns out to have no audience at all, of course).<br>For more information, go to <a href="http://www.theredracecar.com">www.theredracecar.com</a>.Thom Ringtag:thomring.com,2005:Post/39657052015-12-18T11:05:19-05:002015-12-18T11:05:19-05:00YEAR ONESo, I'm figuring I've completed about a year marketing my young-adult "THE RED RACECAR" series of books targeted at reluctant readers - male or otherwise. I also figured out the proper way to :"blog."<br><br>I started this project after years of negativity from boys who seemed to think that reading is for girls and dweebs. I wanted to provide something a kid who's turned off by fantasy-worlds filled with undead vampires who hunt each other for food or fun and princesses who sing, dance and otherwise avoid the real battles kids face every day.<br><br>After a year, I've developed a strategy for reaching these kids and breaking through that reluctance. Here's what I learned:<br><br>1. Get their attention. My display features models of the machines featured in each book. That's two racecars and a dirt bike. Even kids allergic to books will risk their health by checking the models out. I also have bright red T-shirts for sale. Even if they don't exactly sell like hotcakes, they command attention (A photo of my display in the photos page).<br>2. Recognize who wants a kid to read. That means the kid who is accompanied by an adult who values reading and recognizes the kid should be doing more of it.<br>3. Be prepared to talk about reading levels, possible "adult" themes and language used with the adults, but be ready to talk about racing with the kids.<br><br>With that combination; a kid who shows interest, an adult who wants the kid to read, and red, red, red (T-shirts, tablecloth, my outfit, even the pen with which I sign the books) I can get these books under the noses of kids - who have been reading them. Obviously, that's not "THE RED RACECAR" website or Amazon. Evidently it also is not libraries or bookstores. I think many young boys would rather go to the dentist than to a place full of books.<br><br>The shows are the place, particularly car shows; swap-meets, races, racers' conventions and the like. Then the kids are there for the cars and my books sneak up on them.Thom Ring