What’s the Latest with “Finding Joe Adams”?
As luck would have it “Finding Joe Adams” was published roughly a month before Covid-19 hit and we all know things went into shut down mode then. Aside from a very successful book launch which occurred about week before Covid, all in-person promotions and speaking engagements were shut down. This certainly had an impact on getting the word out on my debut book. But the book managed to be recognized in other ways:
- In 2020 I entered “Finding Joe Adams” in an international writing contest offered by Reader’s Favorite and received a Bronze Medal award (3rd best) in the category of “Christian Non-fiction”.
- A year later I entered the audiobook version of “Finding Joe Adams” into a Reader’s Favorite contest and was awarded a Silver Medal (2nd best) under the category of “Non-fiction Audiobook”.
- “Finding Joe Adams” was awarded the maximum rating by the following critique services:
- Onlinebookclub.org: 4 out of 4 stars. “The book would appeal to anyone who enjoys stories celebrating an indomitable human spirit persisting against crippling difficulties.”
- U.S. Review of Books: “Recommended” (their highest rating). “Field writes a gripping life account in an extremely likable manner.”
- Reader’s Favorite: 5 out of 5 stars. “As to Field’s delivery of his life story, one thing is certain: he is a natural story-teller.”
- I also submitted “Finding Joe Adams” to the 9th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Award There is only one winner among thousands of entries so this was a long shot proposition and the book did not win. But a Judge from Writer’s Digest did say this about my book: “It was also inspiring to see a transition from poverty to moving into a better life. All this happened without the knowledge of the main character’s biological father. The author uses a natural tone and is a good storyteller.”
- And I submitted “Finding Joe Adams” to a BookLife critique & received the following assessment: “Prose/Style: The book showcases a peppy and self-confident tone, and is reader-friendly in terms of its pacing and structure. Originality: While not the first rags-to-riches memoir, the author’s optimistic and engaging storytelling has an effective appeal.”
- “Finding Joe Adams” made it to the “Top Ten” on Amazon (ranking #4) in the category of “Biographies of Lawyers/Judges” on July 24, 2020.
So much for the book itself.
What about my dad?
I have gone down to Texas to see him and a number of my new siblings at least 5 times now (starting to lose track), the last of which was in late March of this year. I was there four days and we went fishing three days. I caught at 16 inch crappie in the last hour of our fishing! Yes, we’re definitely related! My dad (Joe) is still going strong at age 92, launching his own boat & tending his own super huge garden. This amazes me!
Lastly, my original version of “Finding Joe Adams” was about a third longer than its published version. Those cuts worked nicely to keep the story engaging and succinct. However, from time to time I am likely to release ‘out-takes’, or stories that didn’t make the final cut. One such story is coming soon titled “A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Law School” which describes some of my adventures hitchhiking from Minnesota to Connecticut (or vice versa), not once, not twice, but three times!
To keep up on current events please visit my “Finding Joe Adams” Facebook page: (6) Finding Joe Adams | Facebook
Be encouraged. The Light of the World cannot be defeated and He longs for you—a person made in His image.
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