Shopping Denmon Man-Style

After posting earlier in the day about how I did most of my shopping online this year, and how nice it was to avoid the mall so far this holiday season, I was immediately turned into a hypocrite by the convening of The Council of Denmon Men.

Each year the men in the family pick a night to go forth and buy presents, unencumbered by the various females that are in the lives of the Denmon Men.  This year we broke that rule, somewhat, to meet my uncle's lady friend, and seeing as how they came from New York for the occasion, it was the least we could do.

As is the tradition, and purely because it is tradition, we met for the customary beverage of The Council of Denmon Men -- namely anything with alcohol in it.

 Helps to numb the pain of empty wallets

Afterwards, we contemplated lining up at the Frozen grotto so my uncle could take a picture.  But then he admitted he hasn't even seen the movie and the only bit he knows is "Do you want to build a snowman?" We ultimately nixed the idea and moved onward with our journey.

It doesn't have to be a snowman

We wandered around the mall for a bit, not sure where to stop off, but ultimately we ended up where we end up every year when you convene The Council Of Denmon Men, the hallowed ground of Victoria's Secret..and Bath and Body Works...and Macy's.

After our exhausting journey, it was time to replenish our strength, so we ended the night at Blue Martini.  The live music and alcohol rejuvenated us enough so that we were able to make our way homeward.

Uncle, Brother, Me

Me, Pops, Uncle, his Missus

Another successful meeting adjourned.

UPDATE:

Many of you have been emailing me receipts for donations to St. Jude and All Childrens.  I can't thank you enough for your generosity.  I have 37 books to give out so far this year, and I would love if we could make it over 50.

37 books that I have to give out means a minimum of $925.00 to these worthy institutions.

If we can crack 50 novels, we will eclipse $1,250.  

Alone, we can do much that is good. Together, the sum of our good works will be great.

"Great things are done by a series of small things brought together." - Vincent Van Gogh

TTFN Denmonites!

Do You Hate Kids?

If not, read on:

As many of you know, each December when I am done talking about my beard, posting quotes, and throwing up drinking and travel pics, I like to donate and inspire my friends, family, and fans to contribute to either the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or All Children's Hospital.

For anyone that makes a donation above $10.00 I will give you free reading material (blurb at end of post).

Here is how I work it out...

$10.00 = free ebook

$25.00 = free paperback

$50.00 = free signed paperback

Make your donation, then email your receipt to nicholasadenmon@gmail.com

These are great causes and you can't go wrong picking either or both organizations to donate to this holiday season.If you have ever spent time with a terminally ill child you know the help that they truly need.  So not only will you be getting a novel of questionable value and my eternal gratitude -  you will be making a difference in the lives of the smallest of those that need the biggest kinds of help.

I hope I have the opportunity to give away many books, and happy holidays!

Valid until Christmas Day.

Click here:

Or here:

Blurb from The Hundred Heartbreaks of Harlan Halifax:

The Hundred Heartbreaks of Harlan Halifax is a story set in the cornfields of Indiana.  In Trinity, Indiana, a small community that is practically owned by the ancient and reclusive Harlan Halifax, young Addison Yates lives in the shadow of the Halifax mansion.

With his mother recently deceased, and a father who is on the ropes financially, Addison's world consists of his friends and an aging farmhand who resides at the Yates home. After an unfortunate lapse in judgement, Addison's path crosses with Harlan Halifax. He learns how the other half lives as well as the secrets behind Harlan's desire to remain a shut-in.  Through Harlan, Addison meets an Afghanistan girl who is a refugee from her war-torn country.  Captivated by a pair of brown eyes behind a Burqa, Addison is thrust on an odyssey that causes the small events in Trinity to take on a much larger significance.

In this coming-of-age tale, the desperation of poverty meets the legacy of wealth. Youth clashes with age. Knowledge battles ignorance. Friendships attempt to withstand abuse, prejudice, and loss. 

In a world ripping at the seams, Addison learns of love's many forms, while also awakening to the hatred that ignorance can breed.

This is... The Hundred Heartbreaks of Harlan Halifax

-TTFN Denmonites!

Friends Do The Darndest Things

Every now and then a moment comes along that deserves immortality.  My friend, who shall rename nameless, decided to brighten my day.  The way he did that, was by giving his best One Direction effort while driving, recording it, and sending it my way.

Without further ado, I give you thirteen seconds of pure audio gold.

\

TTFN Denmonites!

-ND

New Audio Books; Buffalo Soldiers and CGI of For Nothing

Things are really moving along at an epic pace in regards to the audio books of For Nothing and Buffalo Soldiers.  A while back, For Nothing came out via the good folks at Cherry Hill Publishing. Bill Murray did the narration of both audio books, and he did a fantastic job. Here is the second book in the series:

Click to hear preview

Also, they have put together a pretty cool CGI video on YouTube of For Nothing's audio trailer.  I love the fedora on the character narrating the story, voiced again by Bill Murray.

Check the CGI Trailer below

These high quality renditions of the novels can be purchased on Amazon as well as at the Cherry Hill Bookstore.

3 Niblings, 2 Pools, and 1 Holy Month

What is a nibling you may ask?  According to the wiktionary.com it is:

Noun
nibling (plural niblings)
A nephew or niece, especially in the plural or as a gender-neutral term

I hope everyone has had a nice weekend.  The 4th of July is right around the corner and that means spending time with family and loved ones, pools, beaches, BBQs and fireworks.  It also means that for the Muslim community it is Ramadan and a time to connect with faith, family, and friends as well.  I hope everyone has a safe 4th, and I hope that those celebrating Ramadan have a peaceful holy month. The month also contains my mother's birthday, quite possibly and finally, the completion of my third novel, and the launch of yet another business.

Things are looking busy, but it is a good idea to not forget the really important things in life.  I was able to take some time out this weekend to hang out with my nieces and nephew, whom I don't get to see nearly as much as I like.  To quote Bilbo Baggins, life can often feel thus:

"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

So when I get to see the people that I want to see and whom I don't get to see as often as I like, I try and take in those opportunities.

My weekend was mostly spent in reflection, sitting in multiple swimming pools, visiting family and friends, and couldn't have been more perfect.

Some of my favorite cast of characters from the weekend:

The nephew and me - we have the same haircut

Niece 1-A: Warming up her bowling fingers like a champ

Niece 1-B and Granddad: Pink bag is a nice touch

Niece 1-C: Even though she is in Spain at the moment, gone but not forgotten

That's it for now!  Hope everyone has a great week.

TTFN Denmonites!

-ND

Interviewed by Mens Mag Daily

Men's Mag Daily recently interviewed me while I was in London.  The magazine bills itself as "Everything A Guy Needs," and is pretty much on the mark.  It covers everything from Sports, News, Business, Fashion, Dating, Women, and of course, Entertainment.

For a snapshot of what they like to write about, just under the tagline are the words "women. money. cars. sex. business. sports. music."  They pretty much stay true to those topics and really do focus on things men like to read about.

It is pretty neat to get approached for an interview by a magazine that features popular musicians such as Twista (the undisputed King of Chicago), Bubba Sparxxx, and DJ Scream.

Twista: Undisputed King of Chicago

It is even more interesting to be interviewed by a magazine that grabs up interviews from those in the adult entertainment industry as well, with interviews featuring ladies like Brianna Brooks, Kiara Mia, and Alexis Amore.

Alexis Amore

It is humbling to be labeled "The Savior of Mob Fiction," but it's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, so I'll take it!

To be honest, I didn't know what to expect, but Jon DaBove knew his stuff, had done his research, and even written a thesis around the mafia in Cuba.  I really enjoyed the interview so here is a snippet:

My interview picture...

Mens Mag Daily: And what was it about the organized crime, mafia genre that drew you in?

Nicholas Denmon: I grew up in an Italian and Irish family in Buffalo and I’m not sure about now but in the 1960’s-1980’s there was a really big organized crime presence in Buffalo. My grandfather is a Sicilian and my great grandparents were straight from Palermo. They were kind of brought up around that life and they had their dabblings in that life. My great grandfather actually at one point worked for the police and the Mafia in order to make ends meet. It was during the Great Depression era. He did his best to play both sides of the fence. He would tell the mob when the busts were going down but he would also tell his partners where they would be able to find certain illegal activities. He did that until they came looking for him one day and he had to hide out. He decided that was too close of a call with a family and everything. It was one of those things that I just grew up with. I grew up with the stories that surrounded the life and they say when you’re writing a book you should write what you know.

Mens Mag Daily: I always enjoy Mafia stories that take place outside of New York City. I’ve ready so many books on Magaddino in Buffalo, the New Orleans mob, the Denver mob, and it always really draws me in. Do you think that your story taking place outside of New York City kind of gave you a leg up because you had that aspect of originality right off the bat?

Nicholas Denmon: New York City is kind of the standard setting for mob stories. But yeah I do think it did, one of the things I kind of wanted to do with the book was pay tribute to my roots and the upbringing I had and my family had. You’re right, Buffalo is a unique place and the thing about the Buffalo crime family is that it’s not just Buffalo. It’s also Ontario and even extends up to Youngstown, Ohio so they cover a lot of ground. Buffalo, as a setting is unique and in the winter the elements can kind of serve as a character as well.

For the entire interview check it out on Men's Mag Daily by clicking here.