All That Counts

THE HARDEST HIT Now Available in Paperback!

2011-08-18T08:26:00.000-07:00

My middle grade novel, The Hardest Hit, is now available in paperback.

Eleven year old Sam Parker loves to play hockey. But this is the year that he will start body-checking. His natural fear of getting hit is temporarily overshadowed by finding out his parents are getting divorced.

Determined to keep them together by being a hockey superstar, Sam instead suffers a bone-crunching check from the school bully in his first game of the season. The resulting pain and fear brings out the worst in Sam as one difficulty after another piles on. Even his best friend, Jill, doesn't always seem to understand what he's going through.

When will his head stop hurting? Will he ever be able to play hockey again? How can he keep his parents together? Or can he? It will take everything Sam has to bounce back. Every one of his problems feel like ...the hardest hit.

The Hardest Hit is part of the Sam the Hockey Player series (first book).

You can get it HERE (preferred) or on Amazon (within a few days) or order it from your favorite bookstore. The Hardest Hit by Frank Scalise, ISBN 978-1463550059.

Updated Cover for THE HARDEST HIT!

2011-07-12T06:49:00.000-07:00

Artist Gordon Ennis updated the cover of The Hardest Hit for me. The result is a cover with much more vibrant, striking colors. Compare (and actually click on the covers to enlarge them to really see how big a difference there is):

OLD VERSION:

NEW VERSION:

Your thoughts?

In The Hardest Hit, we meet eleven year old Sam Parker. Sam loves to play hockey. But this is the year that he will start body-checking. His natural fear of getting hit is temporarily overshadowed by finding out his parents are getting divorced.

Determined to keep them together by being a hockey superstar, Sam instead suffers a bone-crunching check from the school bully in his first game of the season. The resulting pain and fear brings out the worst in Sam as one difficulty after another piles on. Even his best friend, Jill, doesn't always seem to understand what he's going through.

When will his head stop hurting? Will he ever be able to play hockey again? How can he keep his parents together? Or can he? It will take everything Sam has to bounce back. Every one of his problems feel like ...the hardest hit.

The Hardest Hit is available now as an ebook for $2.99 and will be available as a paperback for $8.99 before the end of the month.

THE HARDEST HIT Is Now Available!

2011-07-09T09:13:00.000-07:00

My middle grade novel, The Hardest Hit, is now available!

In The Hardest Hit, we meet eleven year old Sam Parker. Sam loves to play hockey. But this is the year that he will start body-checking. His natural fear of getting hit is temporarily overshadowed by finding out his parents are getting divorced.

Determined to keep them together by being a hockey superstar, Sam instead suffers a bone-crunching check from the school bully in his first game of the season. The resulting pain and fear brings out the worst in Sam as one difficulty after another piles on. Even his best friend, Jill, doesn't always seem to understand what he's going through.

When will his head stop hurting? Will he ever be able to play hockey again? How can he keep his parents together? Or can he? It will take everything Sam has to bounce back. Every one of his problems feel like ...the hardest hit.

The Hardest Hit is part of the Sam the Hockey Player series, and the first one to be published. There will be others, some following Sam at this stage of his life (11-12). Others will feature Sam at other stages in his life, such as first grade or as a toddler. In each of these books, the target reader/listener will be the roughly the same age as Sam.

The Hardest Hit is available as an eBook from Amazon or Barnes and Noble now. It will shortly be available for all other formats wherever you like to buy your ebooks, but Smashwords has them now. The paperback version will be available within a couple of weeks, and I'll post that information when it happens.

Couple of New Books Coming!

2011-03-25T19:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, so both of these aren't exactly coming out tomorrow, but I thought I'd mention them anyway.

My first middle reader novel in the SAM THE HOCKEY PLAYER series, called The Hardest Hit, is only waiting on cover art. When that is ready, the book will be available on Amazon, B&N, etc. as an eBook and a paperback. It could be out by May.

A Street Officer's Guide to Report Writing is my police report writing textbook, which I co-authored with Doug Strosahl. This textbook will be out in January 2012. You can get a look at it here.

ALL THAT COUNTS #75 in Kindle Sports!

2010-11-25T11:04:00.000-08:00

All That Counts is currently #75 in the Fiction/Sports category on Kindle!

With hockey in full swing, treat yourself to a novel about the blue collar players who pay to play recreational hockey. If you love the sport, this book is chock full of all that is glorious about hockey. If you're new to the sport, the story is told in a way that helps you discover the finer points of the game...you'll even understand icing by the time you're finished!

All That Counts is also available as a paperback from Gray Dog Press.

ALL THAT COUNTS eBook on Amazon!

2010-08-09T23:05:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for a Kindle version of All That Counts, it is now available on Amazon. Here are the three reviews about the book that are posted there:

"I thoroughly enjoyed All THAT COUNTS. Colorful story telling around the adult recreational hockey scene, which many know has as much to do with life & friendship as it does about the actual game. Anybody who has ever played hockey, or would like to, will love this book."

"I read Frank Scalise's book 'All That Counts' because I'd met him and enjoyed our conversation, not because I'm a hockey fan. I was pleasantly surprised by how good it is, even for someone like me who had no interest in the game. The characters are so real that it feels as though I'm following friends through the season from game to game. The book flows beautifully, is well written, is funny at times, and held my interest from beginning to end. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of one of his "River City" novels!"

"I don't know much about hockey, at least I didn't when I first read "All That Counts" but I know a lot about life, love and changes while we search for what it is in this world that really matters. This is a great novel about just that, a man searching for all that counts through a new adventure. He moves from skating out as a hockey player to the overwhelming challenge of becoming a goalie. This a an entertaining read about friendship, adversity and overcoming obstacles, as Graham discovers 'All That Counts' in his life."

If you haven't read "ALL THAT COUNTS" yet, you can now get the eBook version for just $2.99 at Amazon or at Smashwords.com in any format. The paperback is still available through Gray Dog Press or any book outlet.

Ebook version of ALL THAT COUNTS available!

2010-07-10T09:12:00.000-07:00

If you're in to eBooks, All That Counts is now availabe in all formats. You can get it from Smashwords or virtually any other outlet (Sony, B&N, etc.). The Kindle version is available only at Smashwords, but it'll be up on Amazon soon, too.

ALL THAT COUNTS on Amazon!

2010-05-26T06:57:00.000-07:00

Well, All That Counts is finally up on Amazon. This should make it easier for people anywhere to purchase the book.

For some reason, the cover art isn't posted yet, but I've got an email into the publisher about that. Meanwhile, if you've read the book and would be willing to do a review on Amazon, that would help a lot.

Thanks in advance.

Weekend Appearance

2010-04-12T18:30:00.000-07:00

I'll be at the Heads Up Tournament at Eagles Ice-a-Rena this Saturday from 8 AM to 12 PM, signing copies of All That Counts!

If you haven't got a chance to pick up your copy yet, this would be a great time.

Hope to see you there!

Frank

P.S. Let's go, Flyers!

Get Ye to the Library!

2010-03-28T19:44:00.000-07:00

All That Counts is now available at the Spokane County Library! So if you're a borrower, please give it a whirl!

More Author Appearances

2010-03-28T14:28:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for a signed copy, I'll be making a couple of appearances next month in support of All That Counts:

Saturday, April 3rd at Eagles Ice-a-Rena (6321 N. Addison) from 9 AM - 2 PM (Northwest Classic Tournament)

Saturday, April 17th at Eagles Ice-a-Rena (6321 N. Addison) from 8 AM - 12 PM (Heads Up Tournament)

In addition to that, please check my River City blog for appearances I'll be making in support of my River City crime series. The link is to the left of the page.

Come on out and say hey!

Busy Author Week

2010-03-06T15:00:00.001-08:00

I'll be pretty active this week in the book arena, making the following appearances in support of All That Counts:

March 6 (Saturday) at Hastings on 29th from 4-7 PM

March 7 (Sunday) at Hastings in Coeur d'Alene from 12-3 PM

March 10 (Wednesday) at Auntie's Bookstore at 7 PM

I will be signing copies and chatting at all three events. Auntie's will feature a reading and a Q & A segment as well. It's a lot of fun.

I'll be appearing elsewhere later in the month and at several hockey tournaments at Eagles Ice-a-Rena at the end of March and in April, so keep an eye out for me!

Thank You!

2010-02-21T12:58:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who came out to the ALL THAT COUNTS release party yesterday at Halletts Riverwalk. It was a great chance to see people, drink coffee, eat chocolate and sign some books!

Next up, I'll be appearing on February 27th at the Hastings out on Sullivan Rd. I'll be signing copies there from 4 - 7 PM. So if you missed the release party, you can catch up to me there.

A complete, up to date appearance schedule is available on my website under 'Appearances':

http://frankscalise.com

Again, thanks to those who made the scene -- it was a blast, and I appreciate it.

Also, anyone who reads ALL THAT COUNTS, feel free to email me with your thoughts on the book. You can hit me on Facebook or at fscalise@comcast.net. Either one works for me. I'm especially interested in knowing if you're a hockey aficionado or a newcomer to the sport, and if the book worked for you given that knowledge level. If you're a hockey person, was it sophisticated enough? If you're a newcomer, was it accessible and easy to understand.

I walked that fine line when writing the book...now I'm curious if I was at all successful!

Thanks!

Release Party Tomorrow! (Saturday, Feb 20th)

2010-02-19T15:16:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is the release party for All That Counts. The party will be at Halletts Riverwalk (1003 E. Trent) from 12-4 PM. I'll be there, signing copies and chatting. Hope you can make it!

If not, here are the other book signings I'll be appearing at -- see my January 27 post just below!

ALL THAT COUNTS Now Available for Pre-Order!

2010-02-10T10:29:00.000-08:00

All That Counts is now available for pre-order from Gray Dog Press!

http://graydogpress.com/bookstore

The release date is February 23rd, but you can order your copy today!

Author Appearances

2010-01-27T21:34:00.000-08:00

Here are some appearances dates I'll be making in support of All That Counts:

February 20th: Book Release Party @ Hallett's Riverwalk (1003 E. Trent) from 12-4 PM

February 27th: Hastings on Sullivan, 4-7 PM

March 6th: Hastings on 29th, 4-7 PM

March 7th: Coeur d'Alene Hastings, 12-3 PM

March 10th: Auntie's Bookstore, 7 PM

March 25th: Coeur d'Alene library, 6-8 PM

And more to come!

(I'll be be making some appearances at Eagles Ice-Arena during the Old Timers tourney March 26-28, the Northwest Classic from April 2-4 and the Heads Up tourney from April 16-18...the last of which I'm probably playing in, too! The exact times to be determined but Travis Knoles at the pro shop will be carrying ALL THAT COUNTS).

If any of these dates or times are near you, I hope you'll come by, say hello and pick up your copy of All That Counts!

ALL THAT COUNTS cover

2010-01-18T17:20:00.000-08:00

Here's the cover for my forthcoming novel, All That Counts.

The design is by the Editor-in-Chief of Gray Dog Press, Russ Davis. The action image below is an edited version of a photo by Gary Peterson.

All That Counts will be released February 23, 2010 from Gray Dog Press. The release party is Saturday, February 20 at Hallett's Riverwalk (1003 E. Trent) from 12-4.

If you come to the release party, you can get a copy of the book ahead of the street date...and a signed copy, at that! There will be refreshments and good companionship, so come on down!

Author Appearance

2010-01-16T10:55:00.001-08:00

I will be at Borders (9980 N. Newport Hwy) on Jan 23, 2010 from 12-2 PM for a local author event. Come say hello!

Book Release Party!

2010-01-10T08:38:00.000-08:00

It's official. My novel, All That Counts, will be released on Tuesday, February 23rd. There will be a release party the previous Saturday, February 20th.

The release party (from 12-4 PM) will be at Hallette's Riverwalk (the chocolate company), located at 1003 E. Trent. The location is an awesome coffee shop. There will be refreshments available, including some Hallette's chocolate.

Copies of All That Counts will be available. So come on down, stay for a bit, have a drink, eat some chocolate and get your copy days before they hit the bookshelves! And, if you want, I'll gladly sign your copy!

Hope to see you there!

All That Counts release party
February 20, 2009
12-4 PM
1003 E. Trent

SpokeWrite Winter issue!

2010-01-07T08:05:00.000-08:00

My hockey-related story, "Vancouver Dreams," has been published in the Winter issue of SpokeWrite, a local journal of writing and arts.

"Vancouver Dreams" is about an ex-college goaltender who gets a shot at the pros thanks to the NHL lockout. It is a little bit of revisionist history, since the lockout ended differently in the real world than in this story, but let's just call that poetic license, okay? :-)

In addition to my fiction, there is an interview about me in this issue. There is also some other great fiction, poetry, essays and photographs, all from regional artists and writers.

SpokeWrite is published by Gray Dog Press, who is also publishing my novel, All That Counts, due out in February.

First Chapter of "The Hardest Hit" Now Available!

2009-12-29T10:38:00.000-08:00

I've uploaded the first chapter of my Young Adult novel The Hardest Hit onto my website. It's here: http://frankscalise.com under BOOKS. There is a description of the novel and the first chapter available to read.

I'm currently seeking agent representation for The Hardest Hit, but I thought I'd share the beginning of the story anyway. It is my first foray into Young Adult fiction. Sam is a character I intend to write about a lot more over the coming years.

Galleys and Review Copies!

2009-11-10T07:17:00.000-08:00

I received the galleys/review copies of All That Counts.

Seeing the book between two covers, even something as simple as a review copy, is pretty exciting. It means the release date is growing closer...and closer...

Right now, March 2010 is the scheduled release date for this novel. There's a possibility that it might be a little sooner, but we'll see.

Either way, it'll be just in time for the playoffs!

All That Counts will be released by Gray Dog Press.

First Chapter of ALL THAT COUNTS Available

2009-10-08T07:27:00.000-07:00

If you'd like to read the opening chapter of my forthcoming hockey novel All That Counts, it's right here: http://frankscalise.com/8573/10801.html

Many of the chapters in this novel are short, although this opening chapter is one of the shortest.

All That Counts will be released by Gray Dog Press in March 2010.

While you're there, peruse the rest of my website...and let me know what you think.

Hockey Short Story Accepted!

2009-09-30T06:23:00.000-07:00

My short story, "Vancouver Dreams," will appear in the Winter edition of SpokeWrite.

SpokeWrite is a quarterly literary journal that features fiction, essays, articles, poetry and photographs from Spokane area artists with a local emphasis.

My story fits the bill because:

a) it is written by me, a local author

b) the main character (fictional) is a former EWU goaltender whose hometown is Vancouver, WA
c) the story takes place in Vancouver, BC (now we're getting a little further afield)

d) my hockey novel, All That Counts, is set in Spokane...and will be published by Gray Dog Press, who also publishes out SpokeWrite.

"Vancouver Dreams" is the story of an ex-college goaltender who gets the opportunity to try out for the pros when the NHL goes on strike. Look for "Vancouver Dreams" in January, but in the meantime pick up the Fall issue, which will be out October 1st! You should be able to find them at local bookstores -- Auntie's, Hastings, etc. -- or directly from the publisher at http://graydogpress.com/ .

Saying Thanks is Fun

2009-09-23T04:35:00.000-07:00

Last night, I wrote the Acknowledgments for All That Counts. (I also wrote the one of Heroes Often Fail, a Frank Zafiro novel, as well as brushing up the ones for Under a Raging Moon and Beneath a Weeping Sky, but that story belongs on a different blog...).

It felt good to be writing briefly about why and how this book came to be. I realized there were a lot of people to thank. It was nice to put that gratitude down in black and white.

It also felt good because of the finality of the whole thing. I mean, you don't write an acknowledgments page until the book is getting published. The realization that this book is going to see print in just about six months was pretty satisfying.

Damn satisfying, actually.

So when you pick up the book, please take the time to see who else helped make it happen. And if you're on that list, thanks again.

Welcome!

2009-09-21T16:12:00.000-07:00

Welcome to All That Counts, the writing blog of Frank Scalise!

For my first post, let me announce that Gray Dog Press has accepted my novel, All That Counts.

All That Counts is a novel about life and a man's discovery about what is truly important in it.

Graham Wilson is a thirty-something recreational hockey player who decides to follow a long-held desire to become a goaltender. His transition is both comedic and inspiring as he seeks to challenge himself in the midst of a mundane life. Also on display is the curious paradox of the recreational game in American culture (i.e., it means everything, but it is only a game, but it is more than a game, but...). When his team's regular goalie leaves, Graham steps unsteadily into the crease, causing conflict on a team that is used to winning.

Graham's journey is a microcosm of life. Humor, inspiration, camaraderie, love and spite all make their appearances both on and off the ice as Graham struggles to learn what truly is "all that counts."

This book will be published in March 2010 by Gray Dog Press.