My guest today is an author and a personal friend, Ed(ward) Semon. He lives on a lake not too far from my lake. 
He is a retired teacher and a very interesting person. Recently my daughter helped him take his Out of Print book into the digital age! Here’s Ed’s interview:
He is a retired teacher and a very interesting person. Recently my daughter helped him take his Out of Print book into the digital age! Here’s Ed’s interview:1-Tell us about your book, Over the Net and Between the Lines.
ED: After I retired from a/my teaching career, I started playing tennis, a lot of tennis. I loved the game and I started playing five days a week, indoors at an indoor tennis facility in Glendale (suburb of Milwaukee.) I had many enthusiastic tennis partners, mostly men, but not all, and with all the practice, I improved my game to the point where people were asking me to join their game. At the same time, I thought I had the time to write a reading and vocabulary textbook, time I never seemed to have when I was teaching. “Gates to Understanding” was published and sold all of 136 copies. Lesson, if a teacher is going to write a text, do it while you have students in front of you. I also started writing stories about my experiences on the tennis court, I never told anyone how to play the game. The stories were published monthly in a tennis periodical-”Crosscourt News”-out of a Chicago suburb. My wife suggested I put the stories into a book. That’s how Over the Net and Between the Lines was born.
2-What story in the book is closest to your heart and why?
ED: My first and most favorite story is “Men Do Talk.” After playing, the guys all sat together, talking about the game and about their aches and pains. Sometimes the talk was serious, but mostly it was hilarious, especially when it came to out of the world cures for whatever hurt-emu oil, the cherished ointment for a close friend. Years later, I’m still laughing about the efficacy of emu oil. Second favorite, a piece of poetry I wrote about Dr. Dan Rudman, a great gentleman tennis player, intellect and medical researcher who died prematurely and was sorely missed. Its called “Waiting for Dan.”
3-Who do you think would enjoy receiving this book as a gift?
ED:You don’t have to play tennis to enjoy the book. These are human people stories which happen to take place on tennis courts. Personalities, disputes over rules, rejection and acceptance, wearing apparel, and the the day I participated in medical research. A book for younger and older men in a recreational activity.
4-What are you working on now?
ED: I’m currently editing a novel-Biblical Fiction. The Bible has many many stories, I picked this one-Capture a Comely Woman-Deuteronomy 21, Verses 10 to 14 because it tells of the first in history humane treatment of women captured in battle. I asked, “What happens to those women after capture, their lives, adaptations to a new culture and acceptance in a new and different society. Rami, a Hittite beauty is captured, brought home and her adventure is played out.
Thanks, Ed. I love that you are letting the creative juices flow in retirment. Ed has offered a free EBOOK (not print) copy of his book to someone who leaves a comment here. Here’s a question for you–What do you plan to do in retirement? Follow a dream? Travel? Spend time with grandchildren? Please share!–Lyn
We currently have the Australian open on here and have been watching some of it. I have read a few books of stories from the sport of cricket with some humourous anidotes etc which have been fun reads.
retire I would love to travel. I am single so dont have family to see but would love to travel and see parts of the world. (like going back to Hawaii alot).
Hi, I played tennis well into my seventies and thought I would play forever. It didn’t happen that way, but I love the game and my grandson in CA is an excellent tennis player, but that’s CA. Here in Wisconsin, it’s all indoor in the winter. My stories and poetry are about people-tennis is a social game-get and out onto the court and you’ll make friends.
Good luck, Ed
Congratulations on getting your e-book published! I probably won’t be able to retire and will work until I am 85 and go straight to a retirement home. Actually, my husband and I would love to travel and see our wonderful USA up close and personal.
Hi Debbie, Travel is great. I’ve always wanted to go Wimbledon and seat in the outer courts watching young players get their start. However, one of the best spectator venues is your local high school. Those boys really compete and the price is right. Free!
Good luck, I’m 83 and still active. There is hope.
Yours, Ed
Thanks Lyn for featuring your friend’s novel. i would love to win it…read and blog about it. i don’t play tennis, but the stories sound great and i like the fact that they are rather short…sometimes one needs those type. Thanks for the opportunity to win.
Hi Marianne, Thanks for the kind words. As a writer, in the book, I don’t tell people how to play the game, I tell stories about the people that play the game. Be a story teller, people want to hear about your unique life. My grandchildren just and say, Grandpa, Was it really like that? My advice is to pick out one memorable event and write about it. Bless you and good luck.
Ed Semon
Hi Mr. Semon, Congrats on getting your ebook published! I would love to travel to different countries and spread the news of Jesus!
Bless you and get out the word.
ED Semon
You sound like a great guy to have as a friend, Edward! How wonderful that you have now self published and can share your stories with others.
I’m always looking for good books on writing, and now there are some good ones on Amazon as e-books. Maybe you can bring out that earlier book as an e-book and give it a catchy title, and it will fly! One of my favorite titles for books involving writing or grammar is “The Transitive Vampire.” It has been selling for years!
Hi Roxanne,
In high school I fell in love with a sweet heart named Roxanne. I was too bashful to even talk to her, so much for high school. Good books on writing. Read anything by Donna Leon or of course Lyn Cote, then do what Lyn advises, BIC, “butt in chair,” a little writing leads to more and more. You have stories to tell. Good luck and thanks for the comments.
ED Semon
Teachers are amazing people. I won’t be able to retire for at least another 30 years – but I love my life right now.
I would love to meet people all around our country and other countries – to live like they do. I’ve been to Haiti – amazing people. My children are not married yet, but I will love to spend precious time with grandbabies – or grand-dogs!
I love music – maybe I will get to sing with different nationalities & learn some of their music!
Ed: Congratulations on the book! Where might I be able to buy your books? Online? Best Wishes!
Jodi~
Hi Jodi, Thank you for asking. Yes the book is on Amazon and Smashwords. Address: smashwords.com/b/101768
Over the Net and Between the Lines
I tell stories about the people I partnered with and played against. I don’t tell people how to play the game. My favorite is “Waiting for Dan”
I taught reading and communication skills in a Technical College after leaving a first career as a supermarket manager. I made the move, took a pay cut, went back to school and never looked back or regretted the change for one day. Incidentally, my children (3) are all career changers.
Good luck, bless you.
ED Semon
Congratulations on your ebook! It sounds really interesting!
Hi Eva, Thank you for your kind words. I think you’d enjoy reading the book because I tell stories-not dull.
If you’d like try: smashwords,com/b/101768
Write and let me know. Email: semonedward@gmail.com
Hi Mr. Semon, I think you are spending your retirement in a wonderful way. I pary for great success with your book and future writing and editing.
I actually don’t plan on retirement. I can’t imagine it. My mother is going to be 80 in a couple of weeks and she refuses to retire so I don’t think I’ll be allowed to. LOL.
*pray
Hi Susan, When I retired, I wrote a reading and vocabulary textbook, then six books teaching American idioms to immigrant people, a play which was staged in Milwaukee, WI and more. If that’s retirement, go for it. Thank you for your comments. Good luck,
ED Semon
Hi, Ed, I played tennis until my elbows complained. Great exercise and even better, I played with friends who lunched afterward and oh yes, traded gossip. They weren’t into home remedies or maybe they were because talk was mostly about what to do with a son who wouldn’t study or a daughter who had friends mom didn’t approve of. Well, as a school teacher, you would have been welcome at the table with answers.
Best wishes for success with your writing.
- Phoebe
Hi Phoebe, Elbow problems? Try emu oil as spoken about in the first chapter of Over the Net and Between the Lines. Seriously, for elbow pain, talk to a tennis pro or a good tennis coach. They know how to teach the correct form for preventing injury. A chiropractor may also be helpful, either way still active-walking, biking and swimming. Thank you for your response.
Ed Semon
Congratulations Ed! You’re an amazing author, friend, and critique buddy.
Eunice
Hi Eunice, Isn’t this great? I never knew this world existed, but then there is a lot a don’t know. You’re familiar with the feeling. See you on Friday. We didn’t get home until late on Wednesday. I wish I could say our daughter in law is better, we were needed and we helped. Next stop for her is the Mayo Clinic.
Love, Ed
Thanks for sharing about your friend with us, sounds like he has his retirement off to a good start, I like the idea of the bibical story. I dont know that much about tennis.
Good Luck Ed in whatever you put your hand to.
Paula O
Hi Paula, You don’t have to know a lot about tennis, because I don’t tell people how to play, I tell stories about people- who happen to play. Read about the day I did medical research on the court. Thank you for you comments. Good luck and bless you.
ED Semon
Congratulations on you book, Ed! Like you, I’m a tennis nut. I’m also an author. My tennis friends are always telling me to write a book about them. We’ve got so much drama that it could be called As The Tennis Ball Turns. I’m impressed you actually went ahead and wrote the book!
Hi Darlene, Write the book!!!!!! I was writing commentary for a tennis periodical and my wife said, “Put it all together in a book.” So I did. Nearly every member of my family plays tennis and on grandson Michael now beats his father, which is not easy to do. Thank you for your comments.
Good luck and bless you on all your efforts.
Ed Semon
Everyone, Thanks for your comments. Ed was called out of town due to a daughter in law’s hospitalization. He really appreciated everyone’s comments. I’ll post his winner on Sunday as usual.
Congratulations, Ed!
I’m also a former teacher and left teaching when the tests became more important than the students.
I won’t retire from writing as long as my mind remains lucid, or as lucid as it is now!
Hi Ed! What a delightful blog about both tennis and friendship
Hope all is well with your daughter-in-law.
Hi Victoria, Thank you for the kind words and our daughter in law is better although not completely recovered. We stayed to help. Now it’s back to writing. Good luck and bless.
Ed Semon
Ed, I love your verve! I’m starting to think about putting my out of print books out as ebooks. There are at least 6.999 billion people who haven’t read them. The best of luck to you.
Hi Patti, What a great word, verve. I’m going to try and live up to it. Thank you for your response. By all means, join the book publishing revolution and the rule is “Do it now!”
Love, Ed Semon
I enjoyed reading your blog posting, your e-book sounds very interesting!
Congratulations!