Evergreen Dreaming: Trail Tales of an Aging Hiker, a book that describes my mountain backpacking experiences of the last five years, has just been delivered via natural childbirth! (Twins, since there are both paperback and ebook versions.)
If you click here, or the link in “My Writing” above, you’ll be transported (beamed up?) to the book’s internet home. Once there, you can also visit my internet Author Page, which has some stuff about me, my other book, Bluejackets in the Blubber Room, and my next project.
I’ve listed various aunts and uncles in this book’s acknowledgement section. I wanted to recognize you who have supported my brain droppings for so long. (I couldn’t list everyone, and limited it to commenters, but I’m grateful to all who have visited longitudes in the past.) And for you new folks…glad you dropped in for coffee, and I hope you stick around!
Suffice to say, this book is very “longitudinal.” I wanted Evergreen Dreaming to be enjoyable and easy to read, and I think you’ll recognize my voice and spirit. I’m not sure that’s good or bad. If it’s bad, please remember it wasn’t me, it was the muse that passed through me. (!)
Now, if you’d like to order and are conflicted on light-fantastic digital versus down-home paperback, here’s my view of the two formats, pros and cons:
Ebook: less expensive for you, convenient for transport and storage, and saves trees. God knows, we need trees. But cold and impersonal.
Paperback: puts more $$ in my pocket, and has the fonts and graphics I intended, plus a soft and velvety matte cover. You can also add an additional digital copy for only $1.99. Uses paper (trees) but it’s minimal due to print-on-demand. Adds to your “stuff” quotient, but more warm and personal.
Folks, I’m just appreciative of anyone who buys this book, new-style or old-style. I really hate this marketing stuff, since it’s not me, but my goal is to break even on this thing. (Unlike what happened with my more eggheady blubber book.)
Lastly, if anyone knows any qualified magazine or newspaper book critics, please let them know about Evergreen Dreaming. I think there may be a few magazines and newspapers that haven’t yet folded.
Now, I’ll try to get back to my regular rambles, reviews, and rants, with only sporadic info-mercials. Thanks again, everyone!
Pete (greenpete58)
Longitudes Press
longitudes 
Hi Peter! I ordered and wait to see your two books. They look like winners starting with the covers, and I expect the insides will be as entertaining. As always, Many Happy Returns! http://www.blurb.com/b/8539275-many-happy-returns
Hey, cool, Phil! Hope you enjoy, and I will definitely reciprocate. I almost got a job at the P.O. years ago. Took the bi-yearly exam, and actually scored very high. I love mail, especially postal. Those days of bated breath when opening letters and packages are sadly disappearing.
I had a job at the P.O. in my youth. A formative experience which I cover in Many Happy Returns. But to the present: I am looking forward to reading your books.
Hi Peter:
Your book Evergreen Dreaming arrived today. Looks very smart! I will begin it as soon as I finish J.D. Vance’s “Hillbillie Elegy”. That is one very interesting and compelling read, an autobiography of an ex-marine turned writer who grew up in Kentucky and migrated to Middletown Ohio. For a glimpse of what’s on the other side of the fence, you should give it a go. A real eye-opener for me. Thanks!
I’ll look into Vance’s book, Phil. Middletown is just up the road from us. I drive past it every day to and from work. Glad my book arrived. I hope you like it. If so, feel free to offer an Amazon review (heck, even if you don’t like it!). Supposedly, those reviews really help with sales. I’m not profit-driven, but it would be nice to break even!
Also, I just received “Roarg.” I love the cover photo…I can picture a dragon coming over the hill! My granddaughter(s) will be spellbound, I’m sure. Take care.
That is one groovy kind of love. I will return the favor and read this tome. However, my reading plate is pretty full so maybe I’ll pick it up to read over XMAS. I’m currently reading ‘Hamilton’ as we have tix to see it in Boston next month. Even if you have no interest in seeing the play, I highly recommend that book. Hamilton was smack-dab in the middle of all those things (e..g., strong federal government vs. “state’s rights”) that we as a nation have not solved unto this very day.
Yeah, the paperback version makes a great stocking stuffer. Heck, buy a bunch for the family!! 🙂 I’ll follow your tip on Hamilton, Jim. I’ve already read “John Adams” and “1776” by McCullough, and “Benjamin Franklin” by Brand. Tom Jefferson and Al Hamilton are on the horizon. I also want to read Gore Vidal’s “Burr.”
I’ve read “Adams” but no “1776.” (Did anything important happen that year?) I remember reading “Burr” in high school. It’s interesting to note that Burr and Hamilton were not only friends but they sometimes argued legal cases together.
Hamilton is a great book, especially for its research. He was into everything. While I saw the musical, I preferred the book. Easier to understand!
I don’t know the tradition involved in launching a new book but great job Pete. You’re to be applauded. Not easy. I will pick it up in the near future (my next read) in one format or another. CB has a big mouth so I will spread the word. Looking forward to taking a hike with you.
Would love to hook up for a hike some time, CB…Banff?…Alaska? You name it. Like anything else, there are headaches with publishing a book. Lots of t’s to dot and i’s to cross. Endless waits. Money here, money there. But when finally done, and you hold that book/baby in your hands, well worth it. I’m sure you feel the same with the films you make.
And I’m appreciative of your Town Crier mouth!
West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island. Never done it. It’s calling.
“Endless Waits” Yeah! I’ll drop a review after I read it. Sometime in the next few weeks.
Congrats, Pete. I’ll be buying a copy very soon.
Hey, thanks for your support, Neil!
I read and see a lot of work from friends and acquaintances and I’m always polite and never bury a persons work with my opinion (appreciate the effort that goes in) and will always find something positive to say.
“Evergreen Dreaming’ I’m happy to say is a real good piece of work. Professional from top to bottom. I was engaged from the start to the finish. So many good things to say about your book. The research is well served. Your history bits are never dry and only help to make your point and give some insight and thought. Really liked this part of the book. I can’t say enough how much I liked this book Pete. Well done. I knew I was in for a good hike when you quoted Stegner at the beginning of the 1st chapter. I have read a lot of his stuff and you have a similar style.
I’m going to get my daughter to drop a review on Amazon (might be a while or maybe not. She’s getting married in a couple weeks) for me and you. Anyways you started a couple cravings. I’m making French Pea Soup for supper after reading about it in the book and I’ll be puffing on a cigar on the weekend.
Good stuff Pete. You should feel good about what you’ve done. CB
The trek to the west side of Vancouver Island is an absolute must. Done it several times. You will arrive first in Vancouver BC and you need to get to the harbor to smell the ocean and the creosote covered docks. Visit the Salmon House for a salmon steak grilled on elder wood coals. With that , you are now ready for whatever could happen next. Exquisite.
More great writing from you, Phil. I can already smell the sea, docks, and coal-smoked salmon. Looks like I’ve got another bucket-list item to check off.
Hi Phil. I enjoy your and Peter’s back and forth on the politic side. I stay as far away as I can but enjoy what you two lay down. I’m like the bull rider when asked “Why he rides bulls?” “Because there’s no politics involved. The bull doesn’t understand politics”.
I dwell on Van Island and love every minute of it. Sounds like you’re very familiar with the area. I will be cooking a salmon this weekend on and open fire (the fire ban has been lifted). Enjoy Pete’s book. Later. CB
Thanks so much for your nice words, CB. Your opinion means a lot, not only since you’re smart, but also an artist. I’m amazed that you’ve read Stegner. Not many folks know about him. I’ll have to read him now!
Yeah, I appreciate the Amazon review. I hate soliciting those things. But a couple editors have told me that even the pros get their family and friends to do it, since it spurs others. Who knows?
How about yourself? Any news on the film front? You were working on a 2nd film, I think. I’ve been meaning to give “Down Here” my own review, especially the realistic acting from that stogie guy (and I’m totally sincere with that).
Thanks again, enjoy the pea soup, and CONGRATULATIONS, soon-to-be father-in-law!!
You didn’t solicit a review. I legitimately am glad to spread the word. It is a good read on so many levels. I already have what I think is a great quote from your book that I think sums up the essence of what I came away with. A very personal piece of writing Pete. One day maybe we can take in some of that “Mother Earth” together and enjoy some tobacco on the side.
Wallace Stegner and you will be good friends. I like both his fiction and non fiction. I was just telling Jim (ME) about ‘Beyond The Hundredth Meridian’. Right up your alley. Big Rock Candy Mountain, Joe Hill, Angle Of Repose’ on the fiction side. And everything in-between.
The new project is still moving (glacial speed) and hope to have a definite go date soon. Still very excited about it and inspired.
The pea soup was great and thanks for the “Congrats”. She’s a great gal and the guy she’s getting hitched to is a keeper. Later. CB
One more “travel book” for your list, ostensibly while you are laid up with a convenient cold to take to the couch: “Roads to Quoz”, by William Least Heat-Moon. 562 Pages, softcover, Little Brown. Mind-bending, amusing, and different from the formula. I never would have picked this one up, but a college-buddy passed it along, and it is a keeper.
I read his classic “Blue Highways” years ago and loved it. I will definitely check out “Roads to Quoz.”
I will put it on my “very curious about list”. Thanks Phil.
Roarg is a treat for all the senses. You will both enjoy. My grandson Finn supplied the illustrations. Thanks for getting a copy. When they’re gone, they’re gone!
(One day they’ll be collectors’ items!)
Blue Bottles in the Blubber Room arrived yesterday. I am complete.
Peter: I am about 80 pages from the end of Bluejackets. This is an incredible effort. The story is told so well, and your research, while exhaustive, does not slow the narrative down. It is to the level of a Ron Chernow. I was stunned when I reviewed your bibliography. Who was your ancestor that drew you to the William Badger? How long did it take you to research this work before you started to write the book? Did you take time off work? I am very much in awe of the product. You done good.
Hey, thanks so much, Phil. Your compliments mean a lot, considering you’re a professional writer (and much more creative with language than me).
Re my ancestor: he is Henry P. Carr, the first actg. master during the War (my grandmother’s grandfather on my father’s side). I was stunned when I found a book in the NC Maritime Museum (Beaufort) that claimed he was court-martialed for “drunkenness and neglect of duty.” My wife thinks it’s hilarious (so do I, somewhat less so).
Re my writing…I received a very good tip from Diana Preston, who is a prolific author of popular histories. She said do not start writing until ALL the research is completed. The research required the greatest time (4 years, maybe?) but was also the most fun. After that, the writing came easy. If you click “My Writing,” and scroll to the bottom, there’s a link to an essay in “Seacoast NH” about the whole process. No, I didn’t take time off from work. Just many evenings and weekends (plus some extended lunch breaks surfing the net for tidbits on the ship!).
I’m grateful that you’re plowing through the whole book. I don’t think many people have done so. Nice to know someone like yourself who also appreciates history.
Thanks again.
Sorry, I can imagine Blue Bottles too, but it’s really Blue Jackets!
Don’t apologize! I’m sure those Union bluejackets snuck some bottles into the (former) blubber room!
Peter, I have just come to “The Old Man on the Trail” in your new book Evergreen Dreaming. So far, I can only say that this is a tantalizing page turner. Hard to put down, but I have daily obligations that need to be met. This is a great book for people to read, if only to reinforce the need to get out there and enjoy the challenge and rewards of leaving their comfort zone. The unusual meetings along the trail, and your occasional moments of self awareness and old memories make for an enjoyable hike. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome, Phil. I was worried it wouldn’t be much of a “page turner,” but so far people seem to think it is, which is a relief. Thanks so much for purchasing, reading, and feedbacking.
I enjoyed reading this book. It opened my eyes to the sheer entertainment one can have in following a story of simple adventure. Looking forward to every chapter, I wasn’t disappointed as Peter took his challenging hikes along the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest and the Shenandoah Valley. I had to follow his journey on a map I kept beside me. His story about the treacherous climb up Mount Washington, and the summits of five other presidents was thrilling. He said he was an old man, but I think he led with a young spirit. I was sorry when I finished the last page… could have read more!