Come check out Clear Heart, written by Joe Cottonwood.
Carpenters and craft: Wally is building a mansion for a dot-com multimillionaire in the Silicon Valley of California. As the dot-com’s stock keeps rising, the size of the house - and the owner’s ego - keep growing. Wally and his colorful crew may be into something that’s over their heads. When little guys work for bigshots, who gets nailed?
From bungling to burglary, from demolishing concrete to racing beltsanders, from love of tools to falling in love, everyone will encounter Wally’s Laws of Construction - or are they Laws of Life? Each house, it seems, is a miracle.
Joe Cottonwood is a contractor in the Silicon Valley of California where he has been building houses - and fixing homes - for over 30 years. He is the author of FAMOUS POTATOES and other novels.
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on Wednesday, October 3rd, 2007 at 8:29 am and is filed under New Books.
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October 10th, 2007 at 9:41 am
Hi folks. Yes, I’m the author. This podcast thing is an experiment and something of a risk for me. I’ve published 8 books the conventional way, and by making this one available as a podcast before I even have a publisher, I may be shooting myself in the foot - but it just feels like the right thing to do. I’m curious what you might think.
October 18th, 2007 at 2:37 pm
Great!! refreshingly down to earth…as a former computer consultant and step son of a carpenter i can really relate to this…one of the best ipod casts i’ve heard and i’ve listened to quite a few so far. both the story and the production quality is high in my book.
M
October 21st, 2007 at 2:44 pm
I like your characters and I like your reading! Thanks!
I’m getting worried about Wally’s arm, though. Will he get it taken care of? Who is sleeping in the new house?
I could keep going, but you get the idea - I’m enjoying the book and hoping for more soon!
And Joe? I love the title.
October 21st, 2007 at 11:07 pm
Gail, I’m pleased you like the title. I hesitated to use it because I don’t think it’s a grabber for somebody who knows nothing about the book. Carpenters get it - instantly. But other people think maybe it’s a medical book or something. I considered using the title “Nailed” but, fortunately, somebody else used that title for a novel that came out just a couple of months ago. “Clear Heart” was always the working title and I’m glad I stuck with it.
October 25th, 2007 at 5:12 pm
Mike, “down to earth” is the highest praise I could wish for. And I’m glad to hear that you think the production quality is high. It’s been quite an education, starting from scratch. My recording studio, as it happens, is my woodshop with the microphone placed on top of the power saw. After a lot of experimentation I found I got a warm rich tone there, possibly because I feel so comfortable surrounded by lumber and sawdust.
November 12th, 2007 at 6:26 pm
Great job Joe! I love the reading and the book keeps me coming back. A donation will be made a soon as I finish this note. Hope this experiment works out for you.
November 13th, 2007 at 10:50 am
Hey, thanks, Richard!
November 14th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
Hi, Joe - I’ve listened through Chapter 37 and this story keeps getting better! Keep it coming! The characters constantly surprise me. I love it.
You have to wonder about the state of education today when people can see the words “carpenter” and “heart” and not immediately think “heart wood”! I like Clear Heart better than Nailed, too.
November 15th, 2007 at 11:55 am
This feedback keeps me going. Thanks, Gail…
November 19th, 2007 at 4:51 am
I’ve really been enjoying all of the deatils specific to the Bay Area, the insights about the construction trade, and most of all, the characters of this book. You’ve been posting the chapters quickly, but not quickly enough to keep up with my appetite to “read” them! =) Your characters have me hooked; it’s hard to wait between uploads to hear how it will all work out… looking forward to hearing how the story unfolds.
November 26th, 2007 at 8:54 am
Fantastic podcast novel. How about the rest of your writing coming to the podcast format?
December 1st, 2007 at 12:55 pm
I’m tempted, Mike. All but one of my other books are out of print. I might make them available as print-on-demand and then try to generate interest by podcasting them. Even more tempting, though, would be to create an entirely new work that’s intended first and foremost as a podcast. I just LOVE the podcasting format! It’s a whole new art form and I’d like to explore it fully.
December 10th, 2007 at 12:33 am
Well, I eagerly await the rest of Clear Heart, and have fingers crossed that you continue podcasting your fiction. I haven’t found anyone else that combines your level of writing with good narration of the work.
December 13th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
Mr Cottonwood,
I LOVE your podiobook, Clear Heart. I’m up to chapter 45 and I’m afraid the story is about to end… but I don’t want it to! EVER! I find myself thinking about these characters throughout the day. Sounds obsessive, huh? Can’t help it. The quality of recording and the story itself it just THAT good. Thank you for stepping out on this limb and providing such an awesome product. I hope you continue with other stories in the future… and I hope you end up pioneering a new venue for the other talented authors out there to follow suit. Donation being submitted right after this comment!
December 15th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
Wow, Tammy, thanks for the encouragement. It’s such a relief to hear that the characters are resonating with people. And I’m pleased that I’m getting good feedback from female listeners. I was a little worried that a book about carpenters might only appeal to guys. A lot of credit should go to Susan Walker, who gives such a sensitive reading of the female roles. My own reading improves the more I work with her.
January 9th, 2008 at 6:13 am
Absolutely loved the book. The characters were great. Really fell into their lives and wanted to know what happened to them. The voices were great and I agree they felt very warm.
I really hope that you podcast another novel because this is your first attempt and you’ve set the bar so high.
January 9th, 2008 at 11:32 am
Thanks, Chris. This feedback means everything to me. I’m so happy that the voices worked. Reading Juke’s voice nearly wore out my throat. You may notice that Juke’s voice changes slightly from one episode to another, getting more and more raspy as I go on. If you compare the first episode to the last, there’s quite a difference. That’s because I was getting more and more raspy myself.
This podcast was the most fun I’ve had in years. There will definitely be more. If I’m really lucky, maybe I can get Susan Walker to join me again. She has the magical ability to make my writing sound better than it actually is.
January 9th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
I’m going to fish for comments here. I received a private email today from a wonderful woman who said she almost didn’t listen to the podcast because of the blood on the bookcover. I’d like to know how other people reacted. I told her that the blood on the cover is a mixed message. I realize that some people, possibly most people, will expect a slasher novel. When I show the cover to other carpenters, they get it immediately: “The wood bleeds. Of course.” When you drive a nail into a nice piece of wood, you feel like you’re killing it. And if it’s green wood, it squirts when you nail it or else it drips water from the nail. This is especially true of uncured redwood. So to California carpenters, at least, the drop of blood makes perfect sense and also reflects the danger that is inherent in the construction trades. Maybe I should have explained that in the novel. Or maybe I should have used a different cover.
What do you think?
January 9th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
I loved this more with each episode. Very good work.
The presence of blood on the cover graphic clashes with the essentially joyful nature of the book.
January 10th, 2008 at 9:41 am
Dear Joe,
Your podcast “Clearheart” was excellent and very engaging. I enjoyed listening to it very much, and am looking forward to more of your work in this format. I was wondering what eventually happened to the gold coins lying around the coyote layer?
Kindest regards,
Alex.
January 10th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Good question, Alex. I guess I assumed that Abe or Nathan would tell Wally about the gold coins, but I never followed through. Maybe by accident I’ve left an opening for the beginning of a sequel… Come to think of it, I’ve left a lot of openings for a sequel. The ending of the book is really just a beginning of a new phase in each character’s life.
And Barry, I’m struck by your use of the word “joyful.” I hadn’t ever thought of Clear Heart as joyful. I think I saw it as affirmative - and deeply spiritual in a goofy sort of way, though nobody else seems to have picked up on that - but it’s really cool to hear you call it joyful.
January 19th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
OK, you got me on the ‘wood bleeds.’ (I knew that. Sort of.) My take was, the blood didn’t fit with the rest of the information I got from the title and cover, so it made me curious.
I like the use of “joyful” as a description, too. Good call, Barry!
Thanks for the extra episode. I’m glad to know you enjoyed the podcasting as much as we did, especially if it means you will do more! I encourage you to make your old titles available, my library didn’t have them.
And, yes, there are plenty of directions you can go with these characters, and Juke and his family and friends top the list for me - most of them are Characters!
Good voices aren’t something I require from a listening experience, but I do enjoy them. You done good, Joe. Susan also did wonderful work. Give our thanks to her as well, please.
January 29th, 2008 at 10:44 am
I just want people to know that I’ve rerecorded the first two episodes of Clear Heart, and they are now posted on Podiobooks. I learned so much in the process of making the podcast that I found myself wincing when I listened to the early episodes. In particular, I didn’t have Juke’s voice nailed down yet (so to speak). I’ll be rerecording a few more episodes, too, as time permits.
And Gail, I appreciate your comments. I get such a lift from these responses. They keep me going.
March 3rd, 2008 at 12:41 am
I’ve just started listening to Clear Heart and want to thank you for an excellent story. I’m renovating a house over in England and though the tools I use are different the sentiments are the same and I’ve been chuckling along to the story. Clear Heart make me feel good about my day! Listening to an episode or two while walking the dog at 6 in the morning sets my mind in the right frame for laying some deck. I’ll be listening to the end and if you do some more I’ll be listening too. Thanks.
March 4th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Hiya, Stef! Different tools? At least you folk measure in feet and inches. As for getting in the right mood, you might not want to touch a tool after certain forthcoming chapters… Thanks for the encouragement.
March 27th, 2008 at 10:59 am
In a shameless act of self-promotion, I’ve been redesigning my web site to try to interest people in my podcast of Clear Heart. The comments posted in this discussion - right here - are just about the best praise I’ve ever seen, so I’ve quoted them on my web site as one would quote good reviews.
I haven’t identified anybody. If you object to having your words quoted, please tell me. Send a private email (joecot@coastside.net) and I’ll remove your words immediately. (And if on the other hand you want your name attached to your words, please tell me and I’ll put your name out there for the whole wide world to see!)
You all are great. Thank you so much for your kind messages. You make all this work worthwhile.
March 28th, 2008 at 9:19 am
I know nothing about carpentry and building but I took this book on the strength of the reviews and am enjoying it immensely. It reminds me of Nathan Lowells style of writing (although with some strong language) in that it is primarily a story about the everyday life of a group of builders, but so well written and such well rounded out characters that even with no knowledge of the trade you get caught up in their lives. I look forward to more from Joe as this is a wonderful book.
March 30th, 2008 at 10:11 am
Thanks, tlh. Rest assured, more books are coming…
April 7th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
What a “forking” good read!! Joe really knows how to develop a character, and a story!
April 8th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Thanks, Woody. I’m forkin’ grateful.
May 15th, 2008 at 11:03 am
If anybody wants updates on what I’m doing, I’ve started a blog at http://clearheartblog.blogspot.com/
May 28th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Joe does some really great voices in this podcast, and it makes the whole experience more enjoyable.
I have to day, though, that the voice that really makes the story come alive is from Susan Walker, who does the women’s voices. I never remembered that Opal and Frog were performed by the same person. Offhand, I can’t think of anybody who made voices of different ages. Gruffer, higher pitched, softer, louder - but not younger and older.
Susan is so good she makes it look (sound?) easy. That becomes evident in the extra episode, where she tries out several readings to see what is wanted.
Now. How do we persuade Susan to help Joe out, next time he wants to perform a book?
July 21st, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Great book. All the characters had their own personality which was portrayed nicely by the voices. I especially liked the relationship Wally had with Ronnie. It was sweet and completely different than any of his other relationships. I hope to see more podiobooks from this author in the furture. Thanks!
July 22nd, 2008 at 9:54 am
(Taking deep breath) Mmmmmm… (Sigh)
You’ve made this a better day. Thanks, Jessica.
August 12th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
I LOved this BOOk!! I loved the characters and good romance from a man’s point of view. I thought the title was wonderful too I love the idea of “Clear Heart” awesome book Joe are there going to be anymore soon? oh and are you single by any chance?
August 13th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
Thanks, Alillia. Another podcast is scheduled for October, more or less. I appreciate the interest - heck, I’m honored - but I’m happily married. Very happily.