Shameless Promotion of a Book – Tim Cotton Writes

I spend a lot of time rewriting in my head. That’s one of the reasons why I like long drives.

Book number two—out in October— is finished and has since been tucked away with Michael, the editor. I don’t follow the process, but it seems that I rewrite this stuff a bunch of times, then I let someone else look at it. They find problems that I didn’t. Lots of problems.

I rewrite it again, but I still miss things. I then send it back to Michael, and from there, it disappears into the slowest moving process that I’ve ever experienced. Of course, my book is not the only book in production at the publisher’s headquarters. I am but a minion on an endless wheel of written words and pounds of paper. Sooner or later, the book will come out. I’ll find other mistakes. Hopefully, most of you won’t notice.

The interaction at signings is most likely my favorite part of the process. Just for your information, those are not for you as much as they are for me. To meet those who have taken time to read your hodgepodge of thoughts in written form is an experience like no other. I am hopeful we will have more than we had last year when “The Detective in the Dooryard” came out.

“Got Warrants” is coming. Pre-order it if you can, it helps keep the publishers off my back as they get all antsy-in-the-pantsy about making the misinformed decision to put me under contract for the next marginally pleasant reading experience.

Hey, I’ll be at The Maine Cabin Master’s Open House/Fan Day in Manchester, Maine on July 25th. I’m going to be a guest on the live Podcast, and I’ll be hawking some books. I have a box or two of “The Detective in the Dooryard” to sell as I need to get them out of the house before they get that old book smell. I’ll be signing and smiling. Stop by if you can. Check out their website, Facebook page, or stop by The Woodshed to sample some delicious examples of food and drink.

Thanks for the notes at BuyMeACoffee, The messages, and kind words from around the country (a few countries, really) are pretty great. Thanks for the ongoing support for my website.

I received a note from a lady last week who had a hard time navigating the BMAC application; she wanted to send me a check. Please, don’t send me any checks. Don’t worry a bit if you can’t figure out the application. That is not a mandatory part of being a member of the gang here at TimCottonWrites. It’s for those times when you feel that I wrote something worthy of throwing me a cup of Joe.

Maybe you canceled your subscription to Better Gardens and Dilapidated Micro-Homes, and you’d like to pitch in a bit for the weekly posts. Possibly, you cleaned out the couch cushions, and the change is too sticky to put in your pocket for fear of excessive lint build-up. Whatever the reason, why or why not, you donate (or don’t), it’s just fine.

This week’s Newslog post is from a Facebook post that I wrote last week. Maybe you already read it. If so, move along as there is nothing to see here. Actually, I think I put it into a separate post, so just scroll around a bit and find a photo of Ellie eating ice cream.

Coffee & Chocolate

Barnes & Noble

This is one of the best books I have read in years. It has tenderness and warm, gentle humor - and several laugh out loud spots. Give yourself a gift and read this. You will better about life.

Amazon Customer October 9, 2020

Amazon

I loved every bit of this book. I’ve been following the Bangor Police page and then Tim Cotton’s page on Facebook for years now. I think of it as a tiny little piece of my day that I can count on to make me feel something – usually something good, comforting in some way, occasionally a wee bit of sadness, but sad in that wistful way that a person appreciates. This man writes the way I often find myself thinking in my own head. He points out all the commonalities that we have as people, rather than the differences. The differences he writes about are the superficial ones, and the ones that make us interesting. I stretched this book out for quite a long time, reading a chapter or two in between other books. It’s a great place to turn when a person wants to occupy their minds with something peaceful that helps us to understand the world and our place in it just a little more.

Unhappy July 1, 2020

I’ve enjoyed Tim Cotton’s stories and ramblings on Facebook (or The Book of Faces, as he calls it) for a while now. And having a whole book of his musings is the reading equivalent of binge watching Netflix (something I’ve only recently learned about during the lockdown). Cotton talks about the little things and he tells it like it is. But it would be a mistake to say he has ‘no filter’ – he most definitely has a filter and it’s a filter of kindness and compassion. I liked Chapter 5 ‘The Cop’ best. It’s more fictional than the rest, and I hope it’s a hint of a novel to come?

Wrenn December 30, 2020

I have read this book 4 times now; the first 2 times I read it slowly, trying not to let it end too soon. I decided to read a few other things after that – Hamlet, Great Expectations, A Time to Kill, A Time for Mercy, Little Women. The entire time I was reading those books I longed to go back and read The Detective in the Dooryard again. When I picked it up for the third time, I felt like I was sitting down with an old friend I hadn’t seen in years, the kind you know so well you can pick right back up where you left off. The Detective in the Dooryard is a collection of stories, some about Tim Cotton’s experiences as a Bangor, Maine police officer and Detective; some are about memories of things that shape us all into who we are today. Tim often references music, mostly from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Just the mention of a song’s title makes me remember growing up and coming of age during those years, and I am immediately taken back to people, places and events in my past – some good, some bad, but always just as clear as if I were there. Tim’s writing is so descriptive you feel as if you are there inside each story as well; some of his writing actually takes my breath away. There is a lot of humor, wry sarcasm, wit, and deft handling of sometimes difficult subjects. This book is the touch of your Mother’s hand on your forehead when you’re sick, your favorite treat as a child; it’s coming home. Can’t wait for the next one

Hannah January 6, 2021

This book is like a warm hug. I honestly don’t want to put it down, but I also don’t want it to end. The struggle is real. It is not a mystery that you think you can figure out and refuse to put it down to prove to yourself you’re smarter than the author, but it feels so good and real you want to read more. Maybe I’m biased because I grew up in Maine and Tim Cotton’s lyric writings immediately put me back in the Maine woods and setting sun as I try to get every bit of light to take in the last bit of beauty from the day. It really is poetic, and funny, and relatable. You don’t have to be a big old sentimental Mainer like me to thoroughly enjoy this book, you just have to be a human living in a chaotic world looking for a happy release. Would I recommend this book; YES, SIR! Will I be giving up my copy any time soon, probably not. I know I’ll pick this book up whenever I need a warm hug, a feeling that I’m home in Maine snuggled up on my gram’s homemade quilt, and a moment of happy calm. Pick this up and enjoy! You’re welcome!

TIM COTTON WRITES

Coffee & Chocolate

Amazon Customer October 9, 2020

Unhappy July 1, 2020

Wrenn December 30, 2020

Hannah January 6, 2021