Real Travel Adventures Goes to Madrid

Does the rain and snow (depending on where you are) have you wishing for sunnier weather? Pour yourself a snifter of Spanish brandy, prepare a bit of tapas, and come with me to Madrid!


Real Travel Adventures is an online travel magazine that draws the eyes of half a million unique visitors each year. The current issue features my travel story, called “Spanish Holiday: Part 2, Madrid.” It's illustrated by my wife, Nataliya A. Goodman.

I’ll admit that the published story has been cut down to size, and much of the detail and experience has been omitted or altered—rendering some reference confusing or unexplained. But the story will give you a glimpse of Madrid's beauty, along with its darker side.

So warm that chill with me in Madrid at Real Travel Adventures International Magazine!

www.realtraveladventures.com/2Feb2013/spanish_holiday_in_madrid.htm


You can also go back to Part 1, Barcelona, at the following link.

www.writeful.blogspot.com/2013/01/real-travel-adventures-goes-to-barcelona.html

Selling Books Abroad in Writers Weekly

Recently, Writers Weekly, the highest-circulation freelance writing ezine in the world, published my story, “Selling Books Abroad,” as their weekly Featured Story.

In the article, I share my experience of doing a book event for Tracks in Madrid, Spain. Here’s a taste of the books and beer coverage:

“We were planning a vacation to (and travel story on) Spain anyway. Adding a book event to the visit was a great way of mixing business with pleasure - and it proved to be an effective way to sell books and create some buzz with a new readership.”

Read more by visiting the link below.

http://writersweekly.com/success_stories/007513_08152012.html

Laying Tracks at J and J Books in Madrid

I’ve been back from my trip to Spain for more days than I spent in Spain. But memories from the visit are still fresh in my mind.


One of the highlights of the visit was my first international reading event: a reading from Tracks at J & J Books and Coffee in Madrid. Perhaps “Books and Beer” would be a more fitting name. The bookstore, with a highly literary crowd, seemed as much bar as bookstore. That was a good thing.

J & J Books and Coffee is a popular bookstore in Madrid specializing in English-language books. They’re also known for their Friday Quiz night, two-for-one happy hour specials, and reading events.

When we arrived, the crowd was as lively as you might expect at a neighborhood bar—people talking sports and books and travel, seated at the long bar and at tables and chairs beyond it. The manager and staff kept us supplied with house beer, wine, and cocktails. The manager stood behind the bar and introduced me. I was given a place of honor behind the beer tap. From there, I read an “Idle Chatter” from Tracks.

The conversing crowd became attentive, and during dramatic pauses in my reading it had grown quiet enough to hear a drop of beer splash against the bar.

After my reading, which lasted close to half an hour, I was warmly received by my audience. We talked about my book, my writing process, my visit to Spain and other travels. We talked about their favorite books and their writing. About why they lived in Madrid (most of them were originally from England, Ireland, Scotland, or the United States) and their own travels. It was a good time.

A bit of wisdom picked up during the conversation: “What’s for you won’t go by you.”

A bit of insight on Spanish literature: “Don Quixote was [not a good man].”

I sold out of all the books I brought with me, and signed a good number of them. It was a fine way to cap our visit to Spain.

I discovered after my invitation to read that J and J was written up in a few of the guide books we had on Spain. Here is their write-up in the New York Times:

http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/europe/spain/madrid/32237/j-j-books-and-coffee/shopping-detail.html

Visit J & J Books and Coffee at their website.

http://www.jandjbooksandcoffee.com/

Making Tracks for Spain

Next week, Tracks makes its debut in Madrid, Spain!

My novel in stories has been available in Europe for months. This will be my first Tracks reading abroad. The event is free to the public at takes place at 7 p.m. on Sunday, April 15

J & J Books and Coffee is a popular bookstore in Madrid specializing in English-language books. They’re also known for their Friday night Quiz night, two-for-one happy hour specials, and reading events.

Here is their write-up in the New York Times:

http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/europe/spain/madrid/32237/j-j-books-and-coffee/shopping-detail.html

Visit J & J Books and Coffee at their website.

www.jandjbooksandcoffee.com

Learn more about my reading at J & J Coffee and Books in Madrid next week at their website’s events page.

http://www.jandjbooksandcoffee.com/php/events.php