Fabulous and Brunette: The Legend of the Mick: Stories and Reflections on Mickey Mantle by Jonathan Weeks - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway

Hey, lovelies!! It gives me great pleasure today to host Jonathan Weeks and his exciting new book, “The Legend of the Mick: Stories and Reflections on Mickey Mantle,” here on FAB!! For other stops on his Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back daily to interact with Jonathan and to increase your chances of winning!!

Thanks for stopping by!! Wishing you all lots of good luck in this fabulous giveaway!!

The Legend of the Mick:

Stories and Reflections on Mickey Mantle

Yankees Icon Trilogy Series

Book Two

by Jonathan Weeks

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GENRE: Sports Biography

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BOOK BLURB:

In the 1950s, America entered the television age. And Mickey Mantle, a country boy from Commerce, Oklahoma, was made for the moment. Signed by the New York Yankees as a teenager, he made his major league debut in 1951 as a right fielder alongside Joe DiMaggio. When DiMaggio retired at the end of the season, Mantle inherited not only Joltin’ Joe’s position in centerfield but also his stature as the face of the franchise. His boyish good looks, breathtaking power from both sides of the plate, and blazing speed on the basepaths made him an instant superstar. He won league MVP three times, came in second three times, was a 16-time All-Star, a Triple Crown winner in 1956, and a seven-time World Series champion.

Mickey Mantle’s career was the stuff of legend and in this book, Jonathan Weeks tells us why. Mantle’s extraordinary (and at times incredible) tales carry readers on an enthralling journey through the life of one of the most celebrated sports figures of the twentieth century.

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EXCERPT TWO:

The Price of Fame

Anyone who has lived in the public spotlight for an extended length of time would agree that there is a dark side to being famous. For Mantle, it was darker than most. In early-September of 1953, the Yankees received an anonymous threat in a letter postmarked from Boston. It stated that if Mantle played at Fenway Park over Labor Day weekend, he would be shot.

Taking no chances, the Yankees contacted the authorities and the FBI became involved. With agents keeping a close watch over him, Mantle appeared in both games of the scheduled holiday doubleheader against the BoSox. In the opener, he blasted a 2-run homer off of Mel Parnell. He later joked that he had never rounded the bases so quickly after a home run.

The 1953 incident was not the only one of its kind. In July of 1960, Mantle was opening mail in the visitor’s locker room at Cleveland Stadium when he stumbled upon an envelope postmarked from Tonawanda, New York, which is located just north of Buffalo. It contained a hand-written letter that read precisely as follows: “I had a son that was drafted with a bad leg and bad eyes he got killed but a rotten draft dodger that could run like you gets turned down. I have a gun with microscopic lenses and I’m going to get you thru both your knees and its going to happen soon.” Again, the FBI became involved and nothing came of the ominous note.

Mantle dealt with other unpleasantries over the course of his career. A female stalker once threatened to kidnap his wife and one of his sons if he didn’t buy her a diamond ring. And in 1958, he was attacked twice. One of his assailants was a 13 year-old girl who slapped him in the face and pulled his hair as he was exiting a cab at the players’ entrance to Yankee Stadium. Earlier that season, he was poked in the eye and punched in the jaw by an unruly group of fans, one of whom stole the cap right off his head.

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GUEST POST:

Five Ways to Deal with Rejection as a Writer

1.) EMBRACE THE PROCESS. Rejections are always going to sting a little. You’ve spent months (and maybe even years) working on your project. You were confident enough in your work to shop it around. But you need to understand that rejection is a natural part of the publication process. It took Agatha Christie four years to get her first book in print. And William Golding’s Lord of the Flies was turned down by 20 potential publishers. You’re in good company. So don’t let it break you.

2.) SEEK CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM. As writers, we sometimes get a little too attached to our work. When people offer suggestions on how to improve a pet project, we sometimes resist. This is natural, but it’s also counterproductive. You should try to get as much input as possible from sources you trust. Don’t surround yourself with “yes-men.” Choose people who will be open and honest with you. And listen to their input—even if it doesn’t include glowing praise.

3.) KNOW WHICH PUBLISHERS ARE RIGHT FOR YOU. Every writer gets excited when a book is finished. But you should avoid rushing into the submission process. You need to know if your work suits a particular publisher’s needs. Do your homework. This will dramatically reduce the number of rejections you receive. Most publishers have submission guidelines listed on their websites. Follow directions. Send your queries out one at a time.

4.) SEPARATE YOURSELF FROM YOUR WORK. This is one of the most difficult aspects of being a writer. When our projects flop, we tend to think of ourselves as failures. But rejection doesn’t have to define who you are. It’s tough breaking into the publishing business. And just because a project has been shot down, it doesn’t mean that you’re a bad writer. Be good to yourself. Celebrate whenever you finish a project. Remember that not everyone can write. And not all who do demonstrate the persistence required to complete a project.

5.) KNOW WHEN TO LET GO. There comes a time when you need move on. If you’ve been polishing the same manuscript for years and have shopped it around to all the big and little guys, it might be time to start something new. You can always self-publish, but if you don’t have connections and strong marketing skills, it’s not ideal (not if you actually want to sell books). I always have a few ideas in the tank and am ready to move on to the next project—especially when no one is biting on my latest work. Remember that the definition of insanity is banging your head repeatedly against the same wall and expecting different results. There’s a time to stand by your work and a time to let go.

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AUTHOR BIO:

Jonathan Weeks spent most of his life in the Capital District region of New York State. He earned a degree in psychology from SUNY Albany and currently works in the mental health field. He has written several sports biographies and two novels, one of which was a posthumous collaboration with his father.

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CONNECT WITH JONATHAN:

Blog:

http://jonathanweeks.blogspot.com

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5862273.Jonathan_Weeks

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60198509-the-legend-of-the-mick

Amazon Author Page:

https://amzn.to/3dXdWF8

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/402x2C2

Amazon US Paperback:

https://amzn.to/3ZKCJVD

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/Legend-Mick-Stories-Reflections-Yankees-ebook/dp/B0BSZYV4Z5

Amazon CA Paperback:

https://www.amazon.ca/Legend-Mick-Mickey-Mantle-Stories/dp/1493070177

Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-legend-of-the-mick-jonathan-weeks/1142918707?ean=9781493070183

Barnes and Noble Paperback:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-legend-of-the-mick-jonathan-weeks/1142918707?ean=9781493070176

Kobo US eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-legend-of-the-mick

Kobo CA eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/the-legend-of-the-mick

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Jonathan will be awarding a $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner’s Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions. Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.