"Racing & Retracing" available on iTunes and CDBaby

My new album, Racing & Retracing, is now available at the following locations:

ChrisHartwell.com

(click on any of the above for the direct link to the album)

Happy 40th, Sesame Street!

My favorite character as a kid was definitely Count Von Count. In fact, he taught me how to count. 1 ah, ah, ah . . . 2 ah, ah, ah . . . 3 ah, ah, ah . . .

And then my parents had to teach me that I didn't have to say "ah, ah, ah" after every number.

(P.S. Snuffleupagus will always be Big Bird's imaginary friend to me)

And the winner is . . . (drumroll, please)

Brooke S.! Congratulations, you have won the Racing & Retracing CD giveaway! I will be in contact with you to get the information needed to send you the CD.

Thanks to everyone who entered.

Physical CDs are now available directly from me for $10 (cash/check/PayPal). CDs will also be available at CDBaby.com ($12.95) within the next week, and Apple iTunes ($9.99 full album or $0.99 per track) within the next couple of months. I will give you all an update when those services are available.

Feel free to contact me or leave a comment on this post with any questions.

(contest winner selected using random.org)

October books

Ender in Exile

Orson Scott Card

Being a fan of Ender's Game, I have read through all of the sequels and concurrent novels. This one just adds another layer to an already confusing landscape of stories that intertwine. I feel the same way about this novel as I felt about the latest Alvin Maker novel from the same author; I don't get to know the characters any more than I already do, which makes the entire book predictable. It's almost as if the author is trying to squeeze every penny out of a series that has been lucrative in the past, rather than coming up with something new.

Mafia to Mormon: My Conversion Story

Mario Facione

It was an fascinating read to learn about this conversion story and the complete change of heart and lifestyle that accompanied the conversion.

The Wednesday Letters

Jason F. Wright

An interesting premise (unfolding information written in weekly letters from a husband to his wife over the course of their decades-long relationship) is overshadowed by a dramatic soap opera story lines that makes it border on unbelievable.

Outliers

Malcolm Gladwell

This book delves into some of the anomalies that produced outliers like the Beatles and Bill Gates. From birth dates, to cultures, to practice time, etc., it is interesting to see how there's always more to a rags to riches story than initially meets the eye.

The Wizard of Oz

L. Frank Baum

This was a quick read, as it was meant to be a book for children. However, there are great descriptions and underpinnings of the book that adults can draw from as well. While none of the adventures of Dorothy and her friends is very inventive (for example, a giant spider-like beast that has long been terrorizing the forest is killed in its sleep by the lion in about two sentences), the imagery and fast pace make the book enjoyable.

For One More Day

Mitch Albom

Fitting that I finished this "ghost story" on Halloween night. Having read a couple of Albom's other books, this one seemed to fall right in line with The Five People You Meet in Heaven. That was both good and bad. It was still enjoyable to read and Ablom creates a good narrative, but the book didn't seem to break much new ground or be particularly thought-provoking.

Nov. 9 (Monday) - Closing date for drawing

I received the "Racing & Retracing" CDs in the mail today, and it made me realize that I had not stated a closing date for the drawing I had previously posted. So I have set next Monday, Nov. 9th, as the closing date. Add your comment to this post before midnight on Nov. 9th to be included in the drawing. Good luck!

Racing & Retracing - Enter to Win!

With the CD artwork completed (thanks, Brian!), Racing & Retracing has officially been sent off to be manufactured.

A couple of the songs are available HERE for your listening pleasure.

Within the next couple of weeks, it should be available for purchase on CDBaby.com and it will hopefully be available on iTunes by around Thanksgiving.

But lucky for you, you don't have to wait that long! I will be drawing for one lucky winner who will get an autographed copy of the CD sent to their doorstep (or at least to your mailbox). Just leave a comment on this post to enter the drawing.

Five Guys vs. In-N-Out

Five Guys:

• Peanuts while you wait in line
• Thick fries perfectly seasoned
• Enough fries to more than satisfy two people with one order
• A huge selection of ways to personalize your burger, including jalapenos and A1 sauce
• juicy, delicious burgers
• A board that tells you exactly where the potatoes come from for the fries (which is usually somewhere in Idaho)

In-N-Out

• A lot of gooey, delicious cheese on the burger
• Only limited selection of available burgers (even including animal style)
• thin, wimpy fries
• The ability to order milkshakes
• decent burgers, but nothing to write home about

Verdict: Five Guys wins HANDS DOWN. It's barely even a contest. The only thing In-N-Out has going for it is their milkshakes. But you get enough food at Five Guys that a milkshake would probably be overkill.

September Book

That's right, I said "book" - as in, a singular book read last month. But at least it was a good one:

Beyond Belief: Finding the Strength to Come Back
Josh Hamilton

I've been a fan of Josh Hamilton's since I read his story in Sports Illustrated and then watched his unbelievable home run derby performance at Yankee Stadium. This book brought back memories of growing up playing baseball and how much a part of my life the game was. And to fully understand his story - from being a #1 draft pick, to becoming a drug addict, to getting clean and returning to baseball - is pretty amazing.

Thanks for the Happy Birthday calls

As I am sure you are all aware, yesterday (Oct. 8th) was my birthday. And I am also sure that all of you probably called and/or texted me to wish me a happy birthday. The problem is that my phone went the way of all the earth about a week ago, right before our trip to St. George. I am currently in the process of getting it replaced. However, that entails signing up for a new plan, getting Deidra and I on the same plan, and most likely changing my phone number. That means that I'll probably never see our hear any of the voicemail or text messages. So I just choose believe that everyone reading this blog post has already contacted me. And for that, I say thank you!

PS I'll keep you posted when I get a new phone/number.