Whether you're talking books, movies or TV series, the third installment of damn near anything is likely to be a disappointment. There are a few, notable exceptions, of course (the 1939 movie SON OF FRANKENSTEIN, for example, stands out as a cracking good addition to and extension of the series...see image below) but, in general, there comes a time when the writer, director or producer involved should just fold up his or her franchise and move on to something else.

So why am I flogging a dead (or dying?) horse and sending out a PART III of an Epic Journey e-blast that has already gone on far too long and become an epic journey in its own right?

Because I hit "SEND" too soon and lopped off the promised Book Project Update and unseemly bragging. So here it is. Short version, I promise!

BOOK PROJECT UPDATE:

So this here is a classic case of me biting off way more than I could chew. Not that this should come as any suprise (especially to long-suffering wife Carol) but I'm essentially a stick-and-rudder man/seat-of-the-pants operator and how I have managed to keep this leaky boat afloat and churned out the words and pages and printed and produced the books so far is kind of an amazement to me. And everybody else, too. Except for maybe Carol, who has backed me and believed in me even when it was obvious I had no idea what the hell I was doing. Examples:

1) "Why don't we open up a sports car shop as soon as we get back from our honeymoon? I'm sure we can figure out how to do it. I even know how to change sparkplugs without stripping the threads...We'll call it Mellow Motors..."

2) "Sure, all those nose-in-the-air New York publishers turned my novel down. Told us it was pretty good, but that there was 'no market for sports car fiction' on account of 'THOSE people don't read.' So why don't we take out a second mortgage and do it ourselves, eh?"

The fact that we survived it all and have managed to build a struggling (but enduring!) little publishing company together is worth a few thick volumes on its own. But now is not the time. Instead, I give you an up-to-this-moment status report on all the book projects I have in process (insert mental image of one of those guys who used to spin plates on top of sticks on those old TV variety shows):

OK, so first we had a problem with assembling the “History of The Last Open Road” color section for the numbered special editions (not technical but simply too many things on my plate) plus an issue with the binder who thought he could do the suede that we wanted for the outer "skin" of the book, but then he ran into some biz problems of his own and then the new Lotus Book project grew in size and scope (including two entirely new chapters and a whole bunch of incredible new graphics) and then there was trying to keep up with all the signing dates and travel and the PowerPoint presentation at REVs and, well, I’m just one guy (one reasonably fit and feisty but still kinda OLD guy) trying to keep all these balls in the air at once. So here’s the current schedule plan:

1)   As stated in the newsletters (I know you get them), the “real,” hardbound/full color/larger format/glossy paper & thoroughly magnificent Lotus Love Affair book, which is about a lot more than just Lotus these days, and includes:

a.   One entirely new chapter about the [mostly] innocent and wonderful early days of vintage racing here in North America, which deserves to be chronicled and remembered.

b.  Another fat section about how I managed to become the consummate all-time ride mooch of wonderful racecars (including some memorable & historic Ferraris, two of the five Corvette Grand Sports, the original Jim Hall/Troutman and Barnes Chaparral, a real and significant GT40, a real and also a highly authentic clone Big-Block Ford Mk. II, several wonderful Chevrons, three—count ’em, THREE!—somewhat scary Bill Thomas Cheetahs, lots and lots of Loti and more MGs, Morgans, Triumphs, Bathtub Porsches and Alfas than you could shake a plug wrench at). Need I mention that I could never even dream of affording to own or campaign any of these magnificent baubles on my own?,

2)   The real, expanded, large-format/glossy-paper/full-color "Lotus Love Affair" book will hopefully debut at Road America at the vintage and IMSA events at the end of July (yes, I mean THIS year) and, if you stepped up with checkbook or credit card in hand and made the brilliant and much-appreciated decision to become a sponsor, your name will be listed on the sponsor page inside and you’ll get one of the special editions with the fance sleeve PLUS our exclusive, "Lotus Love Affair Sponsor/Sucker" driving cap that you will be proud and/or embarrassed to wear. If you’re not at RA, your copy will be mailed out to you when we get back from Wisconsin.

3)   The long-promised TLOR “25th Anniversary Special Edition” (more like 30 years now, but still limited to 100 numbered copies with suede binding and neat little enameled medallions showing the original cover design and YOUR special and unique book number) will be my very next project to complete after the Lotus book goes off to the printer. Give me 45-60 days or so as it looks like a three-step process to get the binding I want.

4)   I have the second “Potside Companion” short-story book almost finished (honest I do!). In fact, the Lotus book started out as a single chapter in that collection but then grew in size, bulk menace like THE BLOB in the wonderful old 1958 Steve McQueen sci-fi movie (best seen at a drive-in with a cooperative date, BTW) of the same name.

5)   THEN I’ll pause for a quick bike ride to Schenectady, NY (just kidding) and dive back into the final Last Open Road/Steamroller novel.

Whew.

But I'm committed (or should be?) and dedicated and am sick of making lame excuses. Which is why I need to shut this down now and get back to work on the Lotus book. Wish me luck. And send $$$, too, if you can.