Bob is an old saloon singer who, as Bobby Brookes, recorded for RCA Victor and Capital back in the day. Kaye has trouble carrying a tune in a bucket.

Nevertheless, after they met at a recording studio on 42nd Street (yes, that 42nd Street), they teamed up as Brooker and O’Dougherty and began a decades-long collaboration on a variety of theater, film, TV and video projects, performing, writing, directing, managing, and producing.

Football is for Lovers (which can be found at http://www.footballforlovers.com) marks Bob and Kaye’s debut as book authors.

Q: Welcome to Beyond the Books, Bob and Kaye.  Can we start out by telling us whether you are published for the first time or are you multi-published?

A:  Although we’ve been writing performance-oriented stuff – like scripts and songs and skits – for many years, this is the only book we’ve had published.

Q: What was the name of your very first book regardless of whether it was published or not and, if not published, why?

A: This book – Football is for Lovers – is not only the first we’ve had published.  It’s the first we’ve ever written.  But it’s been so much fun; you can bet it won’t be our last.  In fact, we’re already at work on our second.

Q: For your first published book, how many rejections did you go through before you either found a mainstream publisher, self-published it, or paid a vanity press to publish it?

A:  When we decided to write Football is for Lovers, it was really not about finding a publisher.  One week, we were getting ready to go into a studio to complete work on a new album Bob was recording.  The next week, we were in a local hospital with Bob recovering from a stroke.  His left side – including his left vocal chord – was paralyzed.  Hmmmm.  Time to reinvent ourselves, yes?  So, since we’d been writing as a team for years – although mostly for the stage – we decided to convert ourselves into authors.  Once we’d gotten the book underway, we just went online and found ourselves a publisher.

Q: How did the rejections make you feel and what did you do to overcome the blows?

A:  We were about to say, since we didn’t look for a publisher, we were never rejected.  But heaven knows, we had our share of hard knocks when we were writing for the stage.  Probably the worst was when we had written a musical, Harlem Sweet, based on the works of the Poet Laureate of Harlem, Langston Hughes.  Since Langston wrote by walking through Harlem and listening to the people, much of his poetry was really conversation.  And since he was very much involved with music, his poetry also translated well into songs.

We saw his work as a musical waiting to happen.  It required a lot of research – which was a joy – but it did take years to complete. Still, it was worth it and, when it was finished, the executor of the Langston Hughes Estate loved it.  He told us he couldn’t wait for our off-Broadway debut.  Now, although we had obtained rights to the works before we started on the project, there turned out to be additional legal issues that had to be resolved.  Only problem was, the lawyer for the theatre group who was producing our musical and the lawyer for the Hughes Estate hated each other’s guts.

Still, the executor was completely on our side, and told us not to worry even though he had not yet gotten the final papers to sign.  So we began auditions in a little theatre on Forty-Second Street.  It was the most glorious blue-sky October day you could imagine when we got the call from our lawyer: the estate executor – a man in his fifties – had suddenly dropped dead.  The ensuing legal hassle put an end to the production.  So.  Maybe you can see why we didn’t try to find a publisher for our book.  After that experience, keeping things in our own hands always seems like a good idea.

Q: When your first book was published, who published it and why did you choose them?

A:  We chose Mill City Press because, after researching possibilities online, we decided they offered the most bang for the buck.  And we haven’t been disappointed.  As we said, we’ve begun work on our second book – also non-fiction humor – He’s Not the Guy (God Didn’t Do It!), and we intend to work with Mill City once again.

Q: How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?

A: Actually, the biggest thrill was when we began writing for the stage.  Hearing actors saying the lines we had written, bringing our characters to life, was pretty awesome.  But – holding that first physical copy of Football is for Lovers had us grinning big time, too.  Like they say in that beer commercial: it’s all good!

Q: What was the first thing you did as for as promotion when you were published for the first time?

A: We set up a website, studied the whole site optimization thing, wrote promotional articles . . . and kept thinking how great it would be if we could just write and have someone else do the selling.

Q: If you had to do it over again, would you have chosen another route to be published?

A: No.  We were set on the self-publishing route from the beginning.  We wanted to get going, not wait for someone to ‘choose’ us.

Q: Have you been published since then and how have you grown as an author?

A:  We’re still working on our second book, He’s Not the Guy (God Didn’t Do It!). Of course, Football is for Lovers is certainly about two subjects we have a real feeling for – love and football.   But the opportunity to put our ideas – in fact, our ideology – down on paper is a pretty exciting thing.  And since our ideology extends beyond football, we figure we’ll be writing for a long, long time.  The love part?  Well, that pretty much is our ideology . . .

Q: Looking back since the early days when you were trying to get published, what do you think you could have done differently to speed things up?  What kind of mistakes could you have avoided?

A:  Writing a book and selling a book are two different things.  Writing has always been almost as natural as breathing.  Marketing . . . well, we might have been better served if we’d taken a few marketing courses . . .

Q: What has been the biggest accomplishment you have achieved since becoming published?

A:  Our biggest accomplishment since becoming published has nothing to do with our book.  Since Bob’s stroke, besides our writing goals, we’ve been into the walking and talking thing.  Bob’s making it around the track at the local football field, using his left hand on the computer keyboard (well, at least the shift key for capitals), and almost being able to carry a tune again have been our greatest accomplishments.  We do like to drink to that!  Often!

Q: If you could have chosen another profession, what would that profession be?

A:  Well, of course, we did choose another profession.  So this already is the ‘other profession.’   Although, to some degree, they both involve writing of one kind or another.  So if it could be neither of those, that is, writing for the stage or writing a book . . .  I guess we’d just find another form of writing.  Political commentary comes to mind . . . The questions that, to us, scream to be asked by TV interviewers, but aren’t, just about drive us around the bend . . .

Q: Would you give up being an author for that profession or have you combined the best of both worlds?

A:  Funny.  It just occurred to us.  In the end, it keeps coming back to the words.  Writing has always been . . . well, what we do.  Stringing words together.  Giving them to actors to speak.  Putting them down on paper.  And for Bob, for most of his life, singing them.  So for us it would always be a combination of whatever we were up to at the moment – sports or politics or music – and the words that expressed our beliefs about the current subject of choice.

Q: How do you see yourself in ten years?

A:  Still writing humorous non-fiction.  But by then, we’ll have become well-enough established so that we can just do the writing and leave the marketing to someone else.

Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?

A:  It’s so corny we almost hate to say it.  But we will anyway: do what you love.  And that applies to everyone, not just writers.  We’ve been around a long time, and it seems to us that one of the most crucial elements for a joyful life is having a sense of purpose.  Figure out what that purpose is – or maybe it’s more like choosing it . . . In any case, stay with it.  Sorry.  We can’t resist.

Did you by any chance see the Steve Martin movie, The Jerk? Much as we believe in this whole ‘purpose’ thing, it’s hard for us to write down the word without giving a little smirk to Mr. Martin.  In case you haven’t seen the movie, our hero, a country bumpkin, sets out to find his place in the world, armed only with his family’s advice to ‘find his purpose.’   When he hooks up with a tattooed biker chick and discovers the . . . uh . . . joys of the flesh, he believes he has found his purpose.

So don’t worry if it takes you a few tries to get this purpose thing right.  There will probably be distractions along the way.  Enjoy them.

Kelly Epperson has been dubbed “Everywoman” and “Rare woman” in the same breath. Kelly’s style is uniquely her own, yet she can relate to all of us. Her weekly columns of life, real everyday life as well as travels through Europe, bring a warmth and a wit that we all long for.

Leaving her job at the IRS ten years ago (it was “sucking the life out of her”), she then embarked on a new career, and served as resident court jester, at a local nonprofit agency that taught English and reading to adults.

Kelly’s motto and quote that hangs over her desk is “To love what you do and feel that it matters – how could anything be more fun?!” After a year in France, Kelly returned to the states and launched a fulltime career of writer, ghostwriter, and speaker. Every day, she does the happy dance in her kitchen.

To maintain connection and spread a little joy with friends, family, and readers, Kelly recently started a weekly “happy mail” – When Life Stinks, Find Your Joy. To check it out, send Kelly an email to kel_epperson@yahoo.com.

Kelly lives in Loves Park, IL (city with a heart) with The Man of the Place, her two teenage sons, who are brilliant and witty of course, and a sweet dog Starburst who sheds like crazy. FYI-Kelly hates dog hair, hence, the essay, “It’s Not Easy Being Cruella DeVil.”

For more info, please visit www.whenlifestinks.com.

Welcome to Beyond the Books, Kelly. Can you tell us whether you are published for the first time or multi-published? Can you give us the title(s) of your book(s)?

Thank you! When Life Stinks, It’s Time to Wash the Gym Clothes is the first book for me. I’ve been writing a weekly newspaper column since May 2001. I still write it every week, and I still love-love-love it. This book is a collection of those humor columns.

What was the name of your very first book regardless of whether it was published or not and, if not published, why?

That’s a sticky wicket for me. I never could have predicted that the very first book I would ever write would be for someone else.

I’m a ghostwriter as well as a columnist, a freelance writer, and a speaker. I do all kinds of writing jobs, big and small, but ghostwriting books has become a large chunk of my time and income.

Although I cannot say the title or author due to contract confidentiality, that first book was a wonderful accomplishment, on many levels. I learned that I could indeed write a book. I learned that my writing skills pleased editors and clients. I learned the thrill of making living as a writer.

I have ghostwritten several books in the last two years. Memoirs, business books, even fiction. However, the only book that is mine, mine, all mine, is When Life Stinks, It’s Time to Wash the Gym Clothes. It’s my first book that I ever wrote as me, and technically, it’s a cheater. It’s a collection of columns that I wrote over the years, not the great American novel that I spent years writing.

(I’ve got a novel in me too. Give me time!)

For your first published book, how many rejections did you go through before you either found a mainstream publisher, self-published it, or paid a vanity press to publish it?

I self-published. I didn’t try the mainstream route. I assumed automatic rejection and wanted to head it off at the pass. I worked with my writers’ guild and published locally.

How did the rejections make you feel and what did you do to overcome the blows?

Why did this chicken cross the road? To avoid rejection.

I didn’t pitch to agents or publishers. I can’t wallpaper my office with rejection letters. If one does not query, one cannot be rejected. The editor of my local group accepted me with a great big YES.

However, to overcome those moments when I get down on myself, I read emails and notes that I’ve received that pump me up: From the first ghost job I did when the editor said, “You nailed it” to comments from readers: “You are so special, beautiful, inspiring, and funny. Those are just a few of the things I think of when I read anything you write.” I printed that email and it’s taped to my computer.

Most writers have occasional self doubt. Remind yourself in whatever way that works for you that YES! You can do this! Send me an email and I will remind you. (kel_epperson@yahoo.com)

When your first book was published, who published it and why did you choose them?

When Life Stinks was published year end 2007. RWG Press is Rockford Writers Guild, my local writers group. I originally thought the book would be just for my regional readership, so that was all I needed. Now, I figure what the heck. Let’s see if people who don’t read my column every week like the little book.

How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?

It’s an internal satisfaction for me. Besides doing the happy dance in my kitchen, endless margaritas with friends is a fine celebration.

What was the first thing you did as for as promotion when you were published for the first time?

I’m finally getting around to promotion. J

If you had to do it over again, would you have chosen another route to be published?

There will be more books from me. I haven’t decided if I’ll self-publish, but I’m thinking that works.

Have you been published since then and how have you grown as an author?

I grow everyday. The more I write, the more I learn. When I read some of my old stuff, I still smile. Some of it stands the test of time and some of it reflects who I was at that moment in my life. A reader once told me, “You write best when you write from the heart.” As long as my heart’s still in it, I’ll do this forever.

Looking back since the early days when you were trying to get published, what do you think you could have done differently to speed things up? What kind of mistakes could you have avoided?

I think marketing and promotion have to be the number one priority. I am slow to the game there.

What has been the biggest accomplishment you have achieved since becoming published?

Jumping through the hoops to be accepted by Barnes & Noble was the first big thrill. When my contact, Tes, at Partners Book Distributors called me to say that they would carry my book, I cried. (I’m sappy in my old age.)

Another huge accomplishment for me is overcoming my fear of public speaking. Being a program speaker is now my joy! I have bookings into 2010. I am living proof that it is never too late to be what you might have been. And even chickens can become not-so-chicken.

If you could have chosen another profession, what would that profession be?

I did “other professions” – IRS agent, ESL instructor, office work, wife, mom, driver of mini van…….

I LOVE being Kelly Epperson, writer/speaker/listener (and bringer of joy). This is it for me! If you make me choose another profession, I would say I want to sing and dance on Broadway. But that’s fantasy – I can’t sing. And I am not kidding.

Would you give up being an author for that profession or have you combined the best of both worlds?

Being a writer/creator is my best world. Working from home, surrounded by things that bring me joy…. Pinch me! This is my midlife crisis career and a dream come true. I’ll give up Broadway to pursue this career. J

How do you see yourself in ten years?

Less writing for others, more writing my own stuff. I have launched a joy network (When Life Stinks, Find Joy!) and I plan to do more to be a source of encouragement to others. We all need a pat on the back, a kick in the butt, and stuff that makes us smile.

To sign up for my weekly happy mail, visit www.whenlifestinks.com.

I also have oodles of ideas bouncing in my head. I have started making cards and picture frames (with words of course). I have in the works some clothing ideas. I see lots of great things happening in the next ten years.

Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?

From Winston Churchill:

Never give up.

Never give up.

Never give up.

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James Earle McCracken was born in 1960 in Takoma Park, Maryland, and grew up in the suburbs of Washington, DC. In 1973, he received a scholarship to McDonogh School, a boarding school in Owings Mills, Maryland. After graduating from McDonogh in 1978, McCracken attended the University of Pennsylvania, receiving a BA in English in 1982. He worked as technical writer before moving to London in 1984 to pursue his creative writing. McCracken returned to the United States in 1986 and began writing greeting cards for Paramount Cards in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. In May 1989, he joined the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State. Since then, McCracken has served in Jamaica, Germany, Mongolia, Lebanon, Iraq and France. During his posting in Paris, France, McCracken resumed writing and, in May 2008, published his first novel, Rue de la Pompe: A Satiric Urban Fantasy. He is married to the former Mirella Abdel Sater, a prominent attorney and human rights activist from Beirut, Lebanon, and has a daughter, Jamie, a junior at Foxcroft School in Middleburg, Virginia. You can visit his website at www.jamesearlemccracken.com.

Welcome to Beyond the Books, James. Can you tell us whether you are published for the first time or multi-published? Can you give us the title(s) of your book(s)?

The title of my novel is “Rue de la Pompe: A Satiric Urban Fantasy,” and it is the first work that I have had published.

What was the name of your very first book regardless of whether it was published or not and, if not published, why?

As I said, “Rue de la Pompe” is my first book, but years ago, I did write a number of short stories, a radio play, and a screenplay – none of which were published or produced. If I had to guess as to why that was the case – why none of them saw the light of day or even the heat of the night – I’d say it was a myopic insistence on quality on the part of those who decide such things.

For your first published book, how many rejections did you go through before you either found a mainstream publisher, self-published it, or paid a vanity press to publish it?

None. No rejections at all. As soon as my credit card was approved for payment. I was on my way to becoming a published author.

In other words, I self-published.

How did the rejections make you feel and what did you do to overcome the blows?

I had many rejections when I was writing in my 20’s. Every rejection is a form of death, and I would cycle through the five stages each time: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. I was particularly fond of anger and depression.

Ultimately, I gave up. I stopped writing. I didn’t believe that I could make a living from it, and I was out of money.

When your first book was published, who published it and why did you choose them?

“Rue de la Pompe” was published in May 2008 by iUniverse. I selected iUniverse after researching the leading web-based self-publishing companies. I thought the company, because of its size and track record, provided the greatest opportunity of getting my book into print quickly and at a professional standard

How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?

I was a little embarrassed when I saw the book on Amazon the first time. I’m not sure if that’s a normal reaction. The process of writing is so closed and intimate that going public with the end product is a little jarring. As for celebrating, my wife and I are old fashioned so we celebrated in the traditional manner: champagne and hookers. Actually, that’s how my wife celebrated. I was tired so I stayed home and watched TV.

What was the first thing you did as for as promotion when you were published for the first time?

I set up a web site, issued a press release, and enrolled my book in the Search Inside program on Amazon. I would describe those steps as necessary, but not sufficient.

If you had to do it over again, would you have chosen another route to be published?

No, I would still choose self-publishing. The speed of the process and the degree of control outweigh the negatives, the negatives being continued obscurity and a net financial loss.

Have you been published since then and how have you grown as an author?

I have not published since then, and I don’t intend to until I finish the sequel to “Rue de la Pompe.” I have a notional deadline of June 2010, which coincides with my 50^th birthday.

I think the process has helped me grow as a writer. At the same time, I worry that the next novel will be a “better” book, but won’t be as much fun to read. I’m very conscious of avoiding become conventional. I find it more enjoyable to make fun of conventions.

Looking back since the early days when you were trying to get published, what do you think you could have done differently to speed things up? What kind of mistakes could you has avoided?

I was in too much of a hurry, so speeding things up would not have been the solution. I needed to make the mistakes. I needed to learn the lessons. And I probably needed twenty years and everything that happened during that time for those lessons to sink in.

What has been the biggest accomplishment you have achieved since becoming published?

Each time a complete stranger picks up my book and reads it, I consider it an accomplishment. I can’t think of a greater one for a writer.

If you could have chosen another profession, what would that profession be?

Whatever I was doing during my twenty-year hiatus, I always would rather have been a writer.

Would you give up being an author for that profession or have you combined the best of both worlds?

I had the best of all worlds in Paris: a good job, time and space to write, and the support of my family. I hope to duplicate that wherever I go.

How do you see yourself in ten years?

In ten years, I hope to be retired and writing full time. Until then, I would like to publish a book every two years.

Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?

The first step in becoming a published writer is to write something worth publishing. The rest is easy.