Title: Kansas Reading Association’s 2011 Annual Conference
Location: Emporia State University, Visser Hall, Room 118
Description: Paul will be a featured author for one of their panel discussions. This year’s theme is “Literacy Changes Everything.” A book-signing hosted by Town Crier Bookstore will be held in conjunction with this event.
Date: Friday, Oct. 21, 2011
Start time: 10:00 a.m.
End time: 11:00 a.m.
“Silver Shoes” now available for Kindle!
Hot off the ePresses!
After waiting a little too long for my self-publishing publisher iUniverse to offer a separate add-on for Kindle formatting, I have taken the bull by the horns and created a brand-spanking new Kindle version of “Silver Shoes.” I own the digital rights (all rights, actually), so why not? I did it via their suggestion, too. When I first published my book back in March of 2009, they offered only a generic eBook as part of their publishing package along with hardcover and trade paperback editions. Kindle and all digital-media formats are now offered as part of their standard packages at no extra charge. But for “older” published books like mine from 2009, they haven’t stepped up to the plate with an add-on line item, even at an additional charge. The eBook version of “Silver Shoes” available since Day One is in the Adobe PDF format, and most new readers (not the older ones, sadly) can import PDF files via USB ports and other such “hard transfer” options just fine.
Still, it wasn’t Kindle. You couldn’t increase font size, change viewing orientation, background color, create bookmarks, and a variety of other handy options that avid Kindle readers have come to enjoy and expect from their eBooks. So here it is at last!
“Silver Shoes” Kindle cover!
You may notice that the book cover (or eCover, in this case) differs from the hard-copy editions … or “dead-tree books,” as I’ve heard them lovingly called for some time now. That is because as long “Silver Shoes” stays in print through iUniverse, they own the rights to the original cover art. I had them design the actual illustration of the tornado barreling down a Kansas highway after sending them a crude mockup of how I wanted it to look. But it’s my title treatment and lettering. I designed those after rejecting their first attempt (it was very Art Deco lettering and looked too much like MGM’s 1939 “Oz,” which wasn’t right for my story at all). Still, the beautiful original background artwork is theirs until I terminate my agreement with them, which I can do at any time. At that point, I have an option in my contract to buy the artwork outright at a predetermined price (not a bad rate at all, actually). But I can’t do that until their editions are pulled from publication … which I have no intention of doing right now.
So I used the poster artwork logo that I created with the silver lettering and the eerie rays of light shooting through them. If you’ve read the story, you know exactly where this comes from. It looks pretty dang good, I think. Certainly good enough for a Kindle cover!
Everything else is the same. All the text, that is … with one nice exception: I was able to correct the handful of typos discovered after the initial publication. I’m happy to report that “Silver Shoes” contains very few typos in the hard-copy editions, but it does have a few … and they’ve now been fixed for the Kindle edition.
The book just went “live” on Amazon.com today! So the internal “convenience” links to the hardcover and trade paperback editions aren’t listed yet as optional formats for purchase. And the product reviews aren’t there yet either. By the way, a huge thank-you to any and all of you who took the time to write and publish a review of my book on this site—I couldn’t be more pleased with them! Some of you I know personally, and some I don’t. So thanks to everyone for the encouraging words and comments! The added information I mentioned will be up and running in the next three to five days, or so Amazon tells me.
But the Kindle book itself is ready for purchasing and downloading now! It’s a fast, easy, and convenient way to own a copy of “Silver Shoes.”
Also, for those of you who don’t own a Kindle …
you can download your FREE Kindle reader now!
Available for your Mac, PC, iPhone, iPad, and Android. Just click the hyperlink here for the device you want, and you’ll be reading Kindle books in minutes. Lots of free classics (in the public domain) right off the bat, too!
UPDATE: At last! iUniverse has created a cohesive and comparable Kindle version of my book, so I have removed my original Kindle version and linked to theirs. All covers and text now match, regardless of format. Progress is being made!
The Marvelous Land of Oz-Stravaganza!
It’s a strange feeling to be home in Kansas one minute and then suddenly whisked away over the clouds to a curious land where the sidewalks are paved with yellow bricks, fascinating little people greet you with flowerpots on their heads and other such colorful attire, and, soon after, you’re escorted down the main boulevard waving and smiling at hoards of townspeople in a parade. Suffice it to say that after this last weekend, I can relate even more to young Dorothy Gale and her extraordinary adventures in a faraway land.
Chittenango, NY—the birthplace of L. Frank Baum—may not be Oz, but, for one weekend each year, it’s the closest we’ll get to it in this world.
Downtown Chittenango, New York.
Looking back now, I think it’s easy to sum up what makes this annual festival so satisfying and unique. It’s the people—everyone who has a hand in putting it together: the committees, hosts, sponsors, guests, exhibitors, vendors, ride operators, shop owners, and all-around magic-makers who collectively create the unique events, as well as those who attend from near and far with open hearts and smiling faces.
My adventures began immediately after the plane ride with a quick stop Friday afternoon at the Sullivan Free Library, in Chittenango, for a gathering and presentation with fellow Oz authors. Then it was straight to the high school for the official kickoff of the weekend festival. I had my first book-signing seated right next to the MGM Munchkins: Karl Slover, Margaret Pellegrini, and Myrna Swenson. Caren Marsh-Doll was also there from the 1939 movie. She had been Judy Garland’s stand-in as Dorothy and would also serve as grand marshal for Saturday’s parade. There were other wonderful authors, illustrators, and Oz luminaries stretching down the hallway just outside the auditorium.
Oz-Stravaganza begins at Chittenango High School! Paul Miles Schneider signs copies of his novel “Silver Shoes” sitting by the MGM Munchkins from “The Wizard of Oz.” 92-year-old Karl Slover can be seen at the next table greeting fans.
The signing was followed by a “Let’s-Make-a-Deal”-style game show, hosted by Marc R. Baum, a spaghetti dinner with the Munchkins, and the opening ceremonies, hosted by John Fricke, who interviewed the Munchkins and Caren about their experiences working on the film, as well as an informative chat with Clare and Robert Baum (great-grandson of L. Frank Baum) and best-selling author and illustrator Eric Shanower.
Celebrated author and Oz expert John Fricke interviews the MGM Munchkins on stage at Chittenango High School. Left to right: Myrna Swenson, Margaret Pellegrini, and Karl Slover.
Saturday’s schedule began bright and early with a pancake breakfast and book event at the First Presbyterian Church, located right next to the festival grounds. I met some wonderful people there, including the mayor and his wife, and former mayor and his wife. Everyone was turning out to enjoy the day. Then I found my spot in the main tent for our first scheduled signing.
Paul’s perch! A table for “Silver Shoes” in Authors Alley, located inside Glinda’s Royal Tent—the enormous tarp-covered pavilion that housed fellow authors, illustrators, MGM Munchkins, Baum relatives, and other assorted Oz luminaries, plus a silent auction! All of us together under one roof for a weekend of signings and greetings.
Time seemed to fly by, selling books and chatting with the patrons and other authors and illustrators in the “Alley,” including James C. Wallace II, Ron Baxley, Jr., Gwendolyn Tennille Adams, Dennis Anfuso, and Paul Bienvenue. I did find a few moments between signings to check out the festival and have a look around.
One of many costumed “Dorothys” checking out the various vendors at Oz-Stravaganza! This booth was sponsored by the International Wizard of Oz Club, and they were selling copies of their exclusive publications.
Before I knew it, it was time to get ready for the afternoon parade down the main street of town.
Clare and Robert Baum. They are dressed as his great-grandfather L. Frank Baum and his wife Maud Gage Baum for the parade. I’m happy and proud to call these wonderful people my friends. They posed for a photo op while we all waited to take our positions. You can see a bagpiper crossing in back. We had marching bands, street musicians, pipers, and luminaries, all navigating down the parade route in wagons, floats, tractors, and golf carts.
Thousands of people showed up to watch us smile and wave. I had never been in a parade before, and I must say the experience was both exhilarating and surreal.
Little Dorothys, Cowardly Lions, and Glindas enjoy the parade and wave to us from the curb as we move by.
The 2011 Oz Stravaganza! Parade as seen from my POV while I slowly navigate down the main street in town.
After the parade we had a second book-signing session in the main tent. Then it was back to the hotel. The guests for the festival were staying at the Craftsman Inn, just one town over in Fayetteville, NY. I should have known from the name, but this lovely hotel was chock full of Craftsman-style furniture, which comes from the famous Stickley Furniture Factory, located a few miles away in Manlius, NY.
The Craftsman Inn. Fayetteville, NY.
I spent the evening at dinner with John Fricke, Paul Bienvenue, Jonathan Shirshekan and his sister Jessica, plus International Wizard of Oz Club luminaries Jane Albright, Lynn Beltz, and Carrie Hedges. We had a great time swapping stories and getting to know each other better, and it was the perfect way to end the day.
There was another signing session on Sunday, but I did manage to make it over first to the new Oz museum and gift shop called All Things Oz, which was housing Michael Siewert’s incredible collection of screen-worn Judy Garland costumes during the festival.
Michael Siewert’s gorgeous collection of dresses worn by the legendary Judy Garland, on display at “All Things Oz,” the new museum and gift shop on Genesee Street in downtown Chittenango.
That evening, our wonderful wrap party dinner was hosted by the American Legion in Chittenango. There were lots of hugs, much-deserved congratulations, and promises to see each other again soon!
The gorgeous Caren Marsh-Doll at our wrap party held in the American Legion. She was Judy Garland’s stand-in for Dorothy in 1939’s “The Wizard of Oz,” and she defies time and space with her ever-youthful appearance and personality.
John Fricke bids farewell to MGM Munchkin Margaret Pellegrini at the Oz-Stravaganza! wrap party, held at the American Legion in Chittenango.
Before I left for the airport on Monday, I had a few hours in the morning to look around the area. And boy, was I glad I seized that opportunity! After a great breakfast at Hullar’s Coffee Shop with my highly knowledgeable and personable tour guide Ryan Zlomek, we checked out the Matilda Joslyn Gage home and foundation in Fayetteville. In addition to being celebrated in her own right as an abolitionist and women’s rights advocate, Matilda was also the mother-in-law of Oz creator L. Frank Baum. In fact, Frank and his bride Maud Gage were married in the front parlor of this house.
The Matilda Joslyn Gage home and foundation in Fayetteville, NY.
After a quick tour inside, we decided to cross the street and walked half a block to the boyhood home of U.S. President Grover Cleveland.
U.S. President Grover Cleveland’s boyhood home in Fayetteville, NY.
Then we checked out the Fayetteville Free Library, which houses the Stickley Furniture Museum on its second floor. This building used to be the old furniture factory itself before they moved it to nearby Manlius, NY. Having a genuine love for the Craftsman style, my jaw was on the ground for the whole tour.
The Fayetteville Free Library in Fayetteville, NY.
All too soon, I was on an airplane again, heading home to Kansas. My “Sliver Shoes” had led me on an incredible adventure to a distant land. I hope to return again very soon. It was truly unforgettable.
Oz-Stravaganza! this weekend in Chittenango, NY
Come one, come all! Don’t miss your chance to attend one of the biggest Oz-themed festivals in the country! Over 15,000 people attend annually! For those of you in the New York/east coast area, I will be a guest author, meeting and greeting Oz fans, discussing my book, and selling and signing copies of Silver Shoes, this weekend (June 3-5, 2011) in Chittenango, NY—the birthplace of Oz author L. Frank Baum. The full weekend schedule, plus all necessary information about the celebration, can be found on their website by CLICKING HERE.
Below is a quick rundown of the various events I will be attending:
Friday, June 3, 2011:
- 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. — Sullivan Free Library (Chittenango) — Book-signing.
- 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. — Chittenango High School — Spaghetti Dinner with the MGM Munchkins and other special guests of Oz, hosted by the American Legion — Book-signing.
- 6:30 p.m. — Chittenango High School — Opening ceremony.
Saturday, June 4, 2011:
- 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. — First Presbyterian Church — Pancake breakfast & book-signing.
- 10:00 a.m. to noon* — Authors Alley — Book-signing in “Glinda’s Royal Tent.” *This event will overlap with the pancake breakfast, which extends until noon. I may be in either of these two locations at any given time. But I understand they are in extremely close proximity.
- 2:00 p.m. — the Oz-Stravaganza! 2011 Parade.
- 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. — Authors Alley — Book-signing in “Glinda’s Royal Tent.”
Sunday, June 5, 2011:
- 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. — Authors Alley — Book-signing in “Glinda’s Royal Tent.”
- 4:00 p.m. — Grand finale and closing ceremony.
Please don’t hesitate to come up and say hi, if you attend! I will also likely hang out at the Emerald City Idol and enjoy the various live local bands on the main stage, on Saturday evening, beginning at 6:00 p.m.
I look forward to seeing you there!
Dorothy’s Shoes: A Very Different Pair of Ruby Slippers
The Arabian Shoes. A test pair of ruby slippers designed by Adrian and ultimately rejected for MGM’s 1939 production of “The Wizard of Oz.”
It doesn’t come up often, but every now and then, someone asks me why I chose not to show the famous footwear on the cover of my book “Silver Shoes.” It would be an obvious choice, right? The book is called “Silver Shoes,” so you show the shoes!
The answer is simple: I wanted readers to imagine what they looked like and decide for themselves just how special and unique they are. In the story, the shoes evoke strange reactions and bizarre behavior, and I go into plenty of detail describing their physical attributes. Since their unusual shape and elaborate carvings on their surface play into the plot, I thought it would rob readers of an excellent opportunity to use their minds. I wanted them to ponder a bit and perhaps even obsess, like some of the characters do, as to their appearance.
L. Frank Baum, together with “Wizard of Oz” illustrator W.W. Denslow, depicted the Silver Shoes rather plainly but with an unusual shape—part Dutch clog and part Arabian Nights. They even have what appears to be a strap in a couple of images, almost like patent-leather Mary Janes.
It’s no wonder when MGM set out to design a pair of magic witch’s shoes for Dorothy that they went through a test period. The biggest change was an eye-popping transformation from silver to red. That came from an early draft of the screenplay by Noel Langley before the shoes had reached the design phase. It was decided early on by the creative team that, since “The Wizard of Oz” was going to be filmed at great expense in Technicolor, these pivotal shoes needed to be something other than silver, which would read on screen pretty much exactly the same as in black-and-white. Changing them to a deep red or ruby would remind audiences of the wonder of color film.
So, now the Silver Shoes were Ruby Slippers … but what, exactly, would they look like? Early on, a test pair was mocked up that seemed to take its inspiration from the book, giving them a slightly “Arabian” and exotic feel.
Judy Garland tried them out in still photos along with other shoes, stockings, dresses, and wigs. The attention to detail and dozens of pre-production decisions are mind-blowing … as was the end result.
Judy Garland testing the Arabian Shoes on her front foot for “The Wizard of Oz.”
I felt like writing about this today, because these fascinating test slippers, the “Arabian Shoes,” currently owned by film star Debbie Reynolds, are about to hit the auction block. On June 18, 2011, at noon (PDT), they will find a new owner through a massive sale of Hollywood memorabilia—one of the biggest ever—conducted by Profiles in History.
I’m a little sad to see her collection scattered to the wind. It will surely find various new homes in public and private collections. I was lucky to have seen it all under one roof and displayed magnificently when Miss Reynolds owned her hotel in Las Vegas about fifteen years ago. The Arabian Shoes were there, along with a tested (and unused) pinafore for Dorothy. Many additional fine costumes and prop pieces, too. All going up for sale to the highest bidder in just a few weeks.
UPDATE: I thought I would post a quick follow-up to this. The one-of-a-kind Arabian Shoes sold at the Beverly Hills auction on June 18th for a whopping $510,000! That’s a lot of money for a pair of “test shoes” that were never on screen in the movie!