The museum receives $4 for every book sold. My girls and I loved going often to the Grover Museum when we lived in Shelbyville, and we still visit now and then. It’s a great museum, and we’d love to see you support it as much as you can.

I lived in Shelbyville from 1994 to 2009 and was sports editor and news editor for The Shelbyville News during part of my years there.

We’ll be discussing the book, “Murder in Wauwatosa: The Mysterious Death of Buddy Schumacher,” which I wrote and was published by The History Press in June of this year.

If you can’t watch live, feel free to TIVO/DVR/VHS the broadcast. You won’t get in trouble with the FFC!

Paul Hoffman, author of “Murder in Wauwatosa: The Mysterious Death of Buddy Schumacher,” will speak about his book at the Wauwatosa Public Library’s Firefly Room on Tuesday, September 25th at 7:00 pm.

A native of Wisconsin and graduate of Wauwatosa East High School and the University of Wisconsin, Mr. Hoffman researched this unsolved case from the 1920’s. The book was published in June 2012 by The History Press.

I’ll be speaking from 2:15-2:45 p.m., just ahead of the conference’s keynote speaker, James Alexander Thom. He’s written way more books than I have.

My talk is titled “Journalism: Just the Facts, Ma’am.” I’ll be discussing the role of a journalist and will include just a tad about how I also became an author.

After my talk, I’ll proceed to the speakers table and chit chat and sell and sign books. (my book – “Murder in Wauwatosa: The Mysterious Death of Buddy Schumacher”, not other author’s books).

I’ll also be on the panel discussion with the audience from 5:15-6 p.m.

Stop by if you’re in the mood!

“Listen to Paul Hoffman explain his own personal connection to the Schumacher family.”

If you order there, you get it signed, plus get a bonus business card with my lovely photo on it. How exciting.

The guys were eating breakfast at the hotel and will be playing in town tonight.

Foreigner is referenced at the bottom of the first page of the book. Hope they enjoy the reference. Here’s Chapter One… you can read it for yourself here. 

Here I am at Starbucks on U.S. 31 (National Road) in Columbus, Indiana, during the book signing on Aug. 11, 2012. My father-in-law, Jesse Bush, is at the back. New friends, Isaac and Jean, talk with me.

Poster on the front of Starbucks on U.S. 31 (National Road) in Columbus, Indiana, announcing my book signing.

My wife, Kimberly, and I at Starbucks on U.S. 31 (National Road) in Columbus, Indiana, at the book signing on Aug. 11, 2012.

With my wife and her cousins, Joyce and Judy, inside the Starbucks on U.S. 31 (National Road) in Columbus, Indiana, at my book signing on Aug. 11.

Me in Studio B at WUWM 89.7 FM on July 30. We taped a segment for the Lake Effect Show, that aired the next morning.

Stephanie Lecci of WUWM and I in Studio B at WUWM 89.7 FM on July 30. We taped a segment for the Lake Effect Show, that aired the next morning.

Stephanie Lecci of WUWM and I in Studio B at WUWM 89.7 FM on July 30. We taped a segment for the Lake Effect Show, that aired the next morning.

Thanks to MARN, especially Mark Mantel for his interest and for setting things up, and Dan Kirchen, a former high school cross country and track teammate of mine who helped set up the projector. Thanks to my wife, Kimberly for all her help, and thanks to everyone who came.

It was quite groovy.

A great time was had by all at the MARN gig on August 1, when I worked on my speech making and image presenting skills. Thanks again to Mark Mantel for heading this up.

Advice to authors: Schedule a family reunion for a small town shortly after your release date. More advice to authors: At the end of the family reunion, frequent local establishments where your relatives like to hang out.  This worked well for me on August 4 in Clintonville, Wis. Sold a book to the lady who was running the hotel in which I was staying. I was told my autographed business card with my photo would be placed on the wall of fame, along with the likes of comedian Bob Zany and the band Grand Funk Railroad, who also apparently stayed at the Landmark Motel.

The only book that was left on the premises at Boswell Book Co. on the east side of Milwaukee was signed by myself late last week. Hurry! It might be gone soon! Or they might purchase others, too. But they won’t be signed ..until at least the third week of September or so, when I plan to return.

Next up: Saturday, Aug. 11: coffee and books at Starbucks in Columbus and Aug. 16 at the Bartholomew County Library in Columbus. See details of these and ALL events here.

This segment aired this morning (July 31) on the Lake Effect show on WUWM 89.7 FM in Milwaukee, a National Public Radio station. Stephanie Lecci did a great job of asking great questions and also making me sound good by editing out all my ums and goofs.

Apparently, the segment will be aired again from time to time throguh the next couple months or so as I’ve got several programs/book signings coming up in the Milwaukee area.

Thanks, Stephanie!

Or use your computer to listen online. Frankly, I hope they took out all my “ums” and goof-ups. We did the interview Monday and it’s been edited. I’ve been told it will either be Segment 2 or Segment 3.

Also, I’ve been told the segment will rerun from time to time as I’ve got several author events in the Milwaukee area scheduled through October. (so far).

I brought my wife and daughters into Studio B at WUWM in beautiful downtown Milwaukee on Monday and they got to see Stephanie Lecci interview me. I actually used to work in the building in which WUWM is situated … the Chase building that used to be the Marine Bank builoding way back in the day … at the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and Water Street.

A groovy time was had by all.

Thanks to Bobby Tanzilo for a great article.

Bartholomew County Public Library newsletter (August 2012)

A story in The Republic (Columbus, Indiana) on July 28, 2012.

I’ll be doing a talk and signing books at Next Chapter Bookshop, 10976 N. Port Washington Road, Mequon, WI 53092 at 7 p.m. on Oct. 11. (262) 241-6220. Mequon is a lovely town just north of Milwaukee.

I will give a presentation or talk for about 20 minutes, take questions, then sign books after the program ends. I plan to have a PowerPoint presentation, or something similar, to add to the merriment.

The evening promises to be extremely groovy.

From a person named Holly on GoodReads.com.

No matter where you are, you’ll be able to hear my radio interview on July 31 as you’ll be catch WUWM’s stream on your computer. It will air during the Lake Effect program, 10-11 a.m. Central time.

Here’s some info about the Lake Effect program:
Airs Weekdays from 10 to 11 am & Weekends from 3 to 4 pm
WUWM’s locally-produced magazine program covers a lot of ground, focusing on your neighbors and your issues. Lake Effect goes beyond the headlines by discussing local politics and the economy to spotlighting Wisconsin authors and musicians. The weekend version of Lake Effect features the best interviews and most interesting stories of the week.

4.0 out of 5 stars 
A summer day, a swimming hole – but no Norman Rockwell painting… July 22, 2012
By Timothy P. Williams

Growing up in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin (a Milwaukee suburb,) author Paul Hoffman heard about the 1925 death of Buddy Schumacher from an elderly neighbor who had known the boy. In fact, Hoffman’s parents had bought the family home from Schumacher’s parents.

It’s no wonder, then, that as an adult he would bring his professional journalist’s eye to the decades-old unsolved case of the boy who was abducted and murdered on a trip to the local swimming hole. Speaking with family members and digging through records both dusty and digital, Hoffman weaves together the sensationalist headlines of the day, all the gritty details, and a broader historical perspective to assemble a more complete accounting of the facts than was known by most of the contemporaries.

You won’t learn “whodunnit” in these pages, but you’ll wish Hoffman had been there to interview the players at the time – or at least to review the evidence before many of the records were destroyed.

It is both an absorbing tale of a human tragedy, and a microcosmic history of a region and period. It’s a quick read, and hard to put down – I highly recommend it.