I have to say, it’s been taking much, much longer than expected to finish the process of publishing my first book Reaching for the Moon and the Stars.

I’ve had to revise the release date yet again, to mid-September 2009 early 2010.

In the meantime though, I’d like to give you a preview of the book cover (created by Rick Wolff) and also Chapter 1 which discusses the legacy and influence of John F. Kennedy and his vision to reach the moon.

View Chapter 1 PDF here

Let me know what you think of Chapter 1 by leaving a comment below or via the Contact Form.

For my first attempt at self-publishing a book, I’m learning the hard way what it takes to get it to print. I tend to learn best this way, though, by doing it all myself the first time, then deciding what parts to delegate for the next time around.

The research part came relatively easily and I thank all the folks who I interviewed, who were willing to freely share their stories. They were truly inspirational and touching. Also a big thank you for those who helped with the behind-the-scenes research and compiling sources. I now have so much information that the hard part is deciding what to keep and what to leave out for inclusion in future volumes. Plus, I’m continuing to uncover brand new information every day as I complete the process of cross-checking sources for attribution, rights and clearances.

The writing and editing part is what’s been really getting me bogged down. I thought the writing would come much more easily and faster than it actually has, but I find myself writing, then re-writing, then revising yet again, trying to get it perfect. Also, I get burned out after a certain amount of time of working on it, and need to completely disengage myself from the project for a while, in order to come back again with a clear head and renewed attitude. That’s why you’ll see me pop up on Twitter or Facebook every once in a while, chatting about something completely off-topic from the book.

Finding blocks of time has been difficult as I’m home with the kids for the summer, trying to keep them occupied and prevent arguments from bubbling up. And also sitting for hours on end has been a challenge for me because I’m more used to being up and about and active. I hope this doesn’t come across as complaining or whining because that’s the last thing that I want to come across as, a complainer. I just wanted to give you a little glimpse of what’s happening behind the scenes. Any suggestions or advice on how this process could be made easier would be most welcome!

What keeps me going though, is knowing that you, who are reading this and who have been so supportive through the last several weeks, have told me that you are looking forward to the book coming out. I am truly grateful for your kind words, your tremendous encouragement and generous offers to help. I can’t let you down, so I’m pushing forward to complete this.

Thank you again for sticking with me through it all as I continue to get this baby out into the world.  I am grateful for you being there.   Best regards, Eva

In the words of Walter Cronkite, “Go Baby, Go!”

F-1 Engine of Saturn V rocket, Apollo 11
Photo by Eva Abreu, taken at Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, Washington, D.C., Aug. 2009

Lately, I haven’t been too social on the Social Media networks… I do hope to catch up with everyone very soon though!

My original intention was to have my book finished by July 20th, on the same day that man landed on the moon, 40 years ago.

I ended up finding so many great sources of information that I decided to postpone, then postpone, and then postpone again, several times, my release date, so that I could make sure to rewrite and include the new information, as well as do the proper research for copyright information, submit requests for permission to use certain articles and then re-edit my bibliography to give proper attribution to the new sources added. Whew.

Well, I’ve decided to delay the release one final time. The new release date will be August 21st, early 2010.

I’m still sorting through and collating all the great stories, interviews and archived reports that I’ve collected over the past few weeks, but I’ve had this persistent, nudging feeling that just kept bugging me and bugging me that something was still missing. (No, it wasn’t indigestion, though I thought it could be at one point).

The book started off as a way for me to record my dad’s story of his involvement with the Apollo 11 mission. In my discussions with him, he clearly remembers a lot of things, but there are some things that he can’t recall, especially after 40 years. The one thing that he can’t seem to remember was the name of the exact part that he worked on, and where it was used on the space mission. He knows that it was a remote sensor (telemetry) part, but that’s about it.

I’ve done numerous searches on the Internet, over the past several weeks, but have been coming up with a blank. Along the way, I’ve stumbled across some other related information which has been somewhat helpful, but not quite the answer that I’m looking for. I feel like the information is out there somewhere, but not exactly clear just yet where to find it…

I guess I’m looking for closure on identifying what exactly the part was and where it was used.

So, I’ve decided to make the trip to Washington D.C. this month to visit the NASA Headquarters Library and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum to see if I can track down the information that I’m looking for, and to also see first-hand some of the exhibits and artifacts from the Apollo 11 mission, and show my kids too, so that I can bring it full circle.

It’s one thing to read about it, it’s another to write about it.

I’d like to take it one step further and see the items from Apollo 11 up close, live and in-person. And, hopefully, find that one missing piece that my dad worked on. Then, I think I’ll be ready for closure, to circle around again one more time, and finally complete my mission (i.e. writing).

Then it will be time. The book will take flight.

Have you ever felt the same way? The need to search for that one missing piece? The nudging? The need to bring closure to a situation?

Sometimes, some things run parallel in our lives for a reason…

Let me know your thoughts on this.

As always, thanks.

~Eva
(hat tip to @7thscreen who is looking for closure and help in finding his missing Beatles car)

NJ Social Media Tour Schedule coming soon…

Here are some story excerpts from a few people that I interviewed for my book, Reaching for the Moon and the Stars, The Legacy and Influence of the Apollo Generation. Let me know what you think!

“I was there and I remember everything. We made history. We changed the world. I screamed, I cried and jumped up and down. I had been a small part of this entire project…I am still celebrating today.” –Sara Howard, one of two women Aerospace Engineers who worked on the Apollo 11 Saturn V rocket.

“The true heroes of Apollo 11 are the folks who worked behind the scenes. The people in mission control, the back-up people, etc. Talk to the docents who built the Lunar Module at the Cradle of Aviation Museum on Long Island, NY. Those are the unsung heroes. Without them, it never would have happened. The MOCR guys – the engineers who sat in the trenches in Houston whose average age was 26 – they did the whole thing on slide rules. Steve Bales, who at 26, had to make the decision if they should land or not when alarms were going off. Gene Kranz, who was the “old man” at 35, was in charge of the whole thing” –Tracy Kornfeld, Apollo and space enthusiast, Owner, www.WowieWebDesign.com

“My father worked on the lunar module at Grumman Aerospace as second job beyond his teaching job (he was a high school metal shop teacher). He was a metalworker, trying to figure out how to make the lunar module as light as possible. He and his buddies in the metal shop had an idea to drill holes in all the metal surfaces. The engineers were like ‘Yeah, but I don’t think that’s going to make much difference’. They went ahead, drilled out some sample pieces and the damn things were 1/3 lighter, yet still tested out strength-wise. So that’s how the astronauts were able to leave the moon.” -Tom D’Alimonte, Apollo and space enthusiast and educator, Owner, www.Missing-Pieces.com

NASA Photo S69-39525, Liftoff of Apollo 11 July 16, 1969
http://history.nasa.gov/ap11ann/kippsphotos/39525.jpg

“It was July 21 (1969) in India and I remember I was listening to the Voice of America commentary from early morning about Eagle’s descent towards the moon. There was no TV in India at that time. Then at 8:26 a.m. (IST) I remember clinging to the transistor (radio) as Neil Armstrong stepped on the surface of the moon and uttered his famous words: ‘One Small Step for Man. One Giant Leap for Mankind’.” –Srinivas Laxman, Special Correspondent, The Times of India

“My parents had this big console TV that was a giant piece of furniture in the living room that had the record player and the AM/FM radio in it. And I literally sat in front of the television with my hand on the knob switching around to the three networks… I know it drove my parents nuts, this 8 year old kid monopolizing the TV set – surrounded by all my space goodies – flipping the channels around. “ –Bob Jacobs, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Public Affairs, NASA

[Influence as a youth] “In middle school and high school, I began to develop a love for space. This drove me to learn more about the exploration of space, and thus the Apollo and unmanned exploration programs. The images and information sent back by Apollo and such probes as the Voyagers and Pioneers really inspired me, and I think at that point I knew I wanted to work for NASA. [In current role] “I have been doing work on Separation Analysis for NASA’s next rocket, the Ares 1. I hope to see men walking on the moon in the 2020’s and hopefully walking on Mars in the late 2030’s or early 2040’s. That would be simply amazing for me, and I will be able help make that happen!” –Logan Kennedy, Age 22, Aerospace Engineer, NASA/MSFC

Working behind the scenes to finalize all the production elements and details of the book release and squeezing in some last minute interviews to include in this first release of Reaching for the Moon and the Stars: The Legacy and Influence of the Apollo Generation. It’s been quite a ride!

In fact, at the last moment, I just discovered several new sources of really neat information that I just HAVE to include in the book, so I’m pushing back the release date of the book to July 24 July 31, August 21st, early 2010.  I’ve had to scrub the release date for several weeks in a row now, as I wrap up some research, rights and clearance issues. If all conditions are go, then sometime in the very near future, I’ll be able to announce the final date for the book to finally lift off! I have to say, It’s been quite the learning experience, and I thank everyone for their kind support and patience.

If you’d like to pre-order a copy of the book, please fill out the Contact Form and we’ll get back in touch with you. The price is $11.95 (+ $4 s/h)

Thank you to everyone who has helped make this book a reality! There are many people to thank for their support, encouragement and contribution. I’ll be acknowledging them in the days to come.

In appreciation,
~Eva Abreu, Author
Email: eva {at} evaabreu {dot} com
Toll-free 1-877-708-0884