I’m a piano technician who’s had the incredible fortune of getting to know and work for just about all my childhood heroes. I’m also a recording artist who’s produced several recordings that have made it into the Billboard Top 20, had two PBS specials, and whose music has been streamed over 75 million times around the globe. At the beginning of the pandemic, I began putting pen to paper to share some of the extraordinary experiences I’ve had with music icons and how being in that jet stream helped me tune in to my mission as an artist.
I wrote
Tuned In: Memoirs of a Piano Man: Behind the Scenes with Music Legends and Finding the Artist Within
Right off the bat, I was gripped by Bruce’s vulnerability. In the opening pages, he intimately shares his early struggle with “impostor syndrome.” His willingness to reveal his humanity encouraged me as an author to dig deeper and “leave blood on the page.”
Bruce relates in great detail his countless early struggles in trying to get his music heard. I was deeply inspired by his candor and his “never take no for an answer” attitude. In the panoply of books about overcoming adversity to achieve a dream, this book is a stand-out.
"Writing about yourself is a funny business...But in a project like this, the writer has made one promise, to show the reader his mind. In these pages, I've tried to do this." -Bruce Springsteen, from the pages of Born to Run
In 2009, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed at the Super Bowl's halftime show. The experience was so exhilarating that Bruce decided to write about it. That's how this extraordinary autobiography began.
Over the past seven years, Bruce Springsteen has privately devoted himself to writing the story of his life, bringing to these pages the same honesty,…
As a Stones fan, I naturally loved the origin story of when Keith met Mick and bonded over their love of blues music. And I was captivated by all the behind-the-scenes tales of writing all those immortal classics (“Satisfaction,” “Ruby Tuesday,” “Angie”? I mean, come on!)
But more importantly, I was profoundly moved by Keith’s unflinching candor. Who knew he was such an incredible storyteller? His disarming honesty about everything from his substance abuse to his infidelities left a lasting impression on me and inspired me to be more fearless and take my writing to the next level.
As lead guitarist of the Rolling Stones, Keith Richards created the riffs, the lyrics, and the songs that roused the world. A true and towering original, he has always walked his own path, spoken his mind, and done things his own way.Now at last Richards pauses to tell his story in the most anticipated autobiography in decades. And what a story! Listening obsessively to Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters records in a coldwater flat with Mick Jagger and Brian Jones, building a sound and a band out of music they loved. Finding fame and success as a bad-boy band, only…
This book is part instruction manual, part memoir. Yes, he offers lots of tips about the craft of writing (how to set up a scene, go easy on the adverbs, navigate the balance between “world-building” and pacing, etc.) But it was Stephen’s letting us into his process that moved me.
I related to his wrestling with self-judgment (his wife pulled his first draft of “Carrie” from the trash!) and was inspired by his sheer determinism, pushing himself to write a minimum number of words a day. Come for the writing tips, and stay for the compelling memoir!
Twentieth Anniversary Edition with Contributions from Joe Hill and Owen King
ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE’S TOP 100 NONFICTION BOOKS OF ALL TIME
Immensely helpful and illuminating to any aspiring writer, this special edition of Stephen King’s critically lauded, million-copy bestseller shares the experiences, habits, and convictions that have shaped him and his work.
“Long live the King” hailed Entertainment Weekly upon publication of Stephen King’s On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the basic tools of the…
I was deeply moved by Tara’s experience of emerging from the oppressive environment of being raised in a fundamentalist, anti-government, anti-education compound in the mountains of Idaho. Against all odds, Tara overcomes countless obstacles, ultimately achieving her PhD from Cambridge University.
Her indomitable spirit inspired me, but it was her writing style that had the biggest impact on me. I saw how much more powerful storytelling can be when it’s understated, allowing the reader to arrive at their own conclusion. I can’t recommend this book highly enough!
Selected as a book of the year by AMAZON, THE TIMES, SUNDAY TIMES, GUARDIAN, NEW YORK TIMES, ECONOMIST, NEW STATESMAN, VOGUE, IRISH TIMES, IRISH EXAMINER and RED MAGAZINE
'One of the best books I have ever read . . . unbelievably moving' Elizabeth Day 'An extraordinary story, beautifully told' Louise O'Neill 'A memoir to stand alongside the classics . . . compelling and joyous' Sunday Times
Tara Westover grew up preparing for the end of the world. She was never put in school, never taken to the doctor. She did not even have a birth certificate…
As with Tara Westover’s book, I was inspired by David Crow’s story of self-determinism in the face of incredible adversity. David was raised in abject poverty on a Navajo reservation. His father was a “violent ex-con who forced his son to commit crimes.”
I related to David’s unwavering resolve, forging his way into college and ultimately creating a successful lobbying firm in D.C. I was drawn in by his simple, unadorned writing and was profoundly moved by his willingness to tell his life story unvarnished and unapologetically.
The unique convergence of Jim Wilson's two careers–piano technician/confidant to the stars and a globally successful recording artist–has led to extraordinary experiences with some of the world's most exalted music legends: singing Beatle songs with Paul McCartney, limo rides with Elton John, road trips with Carole King, and horseback riding with Dan Fogelberg. But beyond this everyman's telling of intimate celebrity tales, this book is an inspiring story of one man's relentless pursuit of a dream and a revealing testimony to the power of music in all our lives.
It offers us a candid, humorous insider's account of the raucous LA scene and shares engaging tales of Jim's time spent with music legends.
Every picture tells a story, but it’s not always the one we expect or remember. Christmas Actually is a festive drama about family and forgiveness and a snapshot of modern family life, addressing Instagram to motherhood and everything in between.
Why Christmas? My publisher wanted my new novel to have a festive theme, specifically set in Australia–sun, surf, sunburn, and prawns. Christmas in Australia is very different from Christmas in the UK, USA, and Canada. We typically wear shorts and t-shirts, eat salad and seafood for Christmas lunch, and play beach cricket in the afternoon. Despite the season, conflicts, secrets,…
Time spent with family can be challenging, especially at Christmas actually…
Kate Cavendish is stuck in a rut. That is until a former colleague contacts her and offers her a chance to fulfil her lifelong dream of becoming a successful photographer.
With her focus pulled in all directions by her children, her pregnant sister, her newly-dating mother, and the niggling worry that her husband might be having an affair, Kate is filled with self-doubt.
Then as the countdown to Christmas begins, and memories of her own childhood resurface, Kate’s anxiety deepens – both personally and professionally. Can she move on…
