Today is only the fifth day of summer break, and I cannot remember another summer when I’ve been out of the starting gate so ahead of where I thought I would be, less than a week following the last day of school. You see, I took the time in May, believe it or not, to devise a summer writing schedule.

Here was the plan.

Beginning on Saturday, June 20, and every day following, I would place my writing above all else.

Now, that sounds pretty selfish, especially when you have three kids you are raising, and your wife does not get the benefit of having nine consecutive weeks off. Still, I was unwilling to compromise.

So how did I make it work?

I did not change the morning alarm on my Blackberry, and I made writing the first thing I did every day. That means, by 5 a.m., exactly 13 minutes after my alarm (“Early Riser”) brings me out of my sleep, the coffee is already brewing, and I am downstairs, in my writing sanctuary (never mind the washer/dryer, old refrigerator, and cat litter box), selecting the morning’s playlist (based on what I am writing), and putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. This gives me, at the very least, a solid 2-hour block in which to work on my writing.

That’s been my schedule since June 20, and It has paid off enormously.

Today, though, was a bonus payday. Here’s why. Read the rest of this entry »

For many years, those of us living in the Towson area have wondered why we don’t have a decent used book dealer to frequent. Heck, we haven’t even had an indecent one to shun. It’s a void that has existed for a long, long time.

Until now.

Just a few weeks ago, Ukazoo, a one-of-a-kind used and new bookstore, opened just a mile or so down the road (but not over the train tracks) in a warehouse-size building that can’t seem to keep a long-term tenant. Many years ago it was the home of Baltimore Coffee and Tea, and most recently it was a Storehouse Furniture shop. Now it’s a Ukazoo, and I hope it sticks around for at least as long as the coffee and furniture shops were there combined.

This is a full-sized bookstore, folks, that rivals the book quantities and inventories of Borders or Barnes and Noble. Here’s the difference: all children’s books are $2.98, all paperbacks are $2.98, and all hardcovers are $6.98. (Read the original review that ran in The Examiner here.)
These books are in great condition, and many of the hardcovers have dustjackets with minimal wear and tear. I’ve spent hundreds of dollars shopping for older books on eBay, never really sure of what I would receive in the mail. At Ukazoo, you’re going to pay much less for the book and avoid shipping charges. You’re in control of what you decide to buy, and if it’s not on the shelf, the more-than-friendly staff members will be more than happy to search for the book that’s eluding you.

Ukazoo is located in the Dulaney Valley Shopping Center, right next to Record and Tape Traders (a great place to pick up new and used CDs, all in one trip). They’re in the back strip of stores, just behind the Starbucks and Smoothie King (talk about your one-stop artfest celebration….).

For non-locals, I’m afraid Ukazoo’s a unique book store. But if you’re ever in the area, be sure to stop by for an hour or so to get great copies of the books you want to read, at a fraction of the cost anywhere else!