Be Sincere, Mate

Be Sincere Even When You Don't Mean It.

That's advice given to Jimmy Sizemore, the main character of my first book. His father told him that, and meant it. Be Sincere... became the title of the book, first published in 2020.

The book is quirky, and has always had a cult following. There are pockets of readers who pop up from time to time, even though I haven't advertised or promoted the book in years. The latest pocket is in Australia. I live in Connecticut, never been to Australia, no recent podcasts there. I cannot explain it. 

One of the Australian Kindle readers was kind enough to review:
Reviewed in Australia August 13, 2024--Five Stars. Enjoy!
Thoroughly enjoyed the adventure, no sugarcoating of BS. I wish people nowadays would stop being politically correct and revert to the good old “be yourself” days. Highly recommend!

When I saw the recent Australian readership I decided to give the book a re-introduction. Maybe I can generate more pockets of interest. 

One of the great things about this book in particular is in how many countries the Be Sincere ​has sold. I even got a fan email from South Africa while I was standing in line for my first Covid shot. And I made lots of new friends, most of whom I will never meet, but we correspond regularly.

Karen Corrine Herceg, a serious literary person, wrote a glowing review. Here's part:
Beyond the personal life tips, there are the acerbic, satirical, and often hilariously funny Sizemore situations and anecdotes that give deep insights into human nature and, in many cases, uniquely American institutions.... Flynn accomplishes this with adroit observations and cutting-edge wit about behaviors and consequences that are ingrained in the American psyche and landscape. Flynn’s humor is excavated from a deep, intellectual acumen that serves to substantiate the validity of his points even while we’re laughing our asses off. There are no cheap shots here but authentic perceptions and keen, unrelenting examinations of some of our most cherished and supposedly sacred establishments and convictions.

I didn't know Karen when she wrote the review, we have subsequently become friends. She's an award winning poet, writer, reviewer and editor. Among other things, Karen gets paid by the U.S. State Department to read her poems as cultural exchanges with other countries. I asked Karen if she would give my name to the the State Department; maybe I could do cultural exchanges, I could use the cash. She was noncommittal, it's been quite a while, and I haven't heard from the State Department yet.

Then again. maybe it's not such a good idea.
Would other countries understand the cultural significance of the following?:

an excerpt from Be Sincere Even When You Don't Mean It-
...I passed an eighteen wheeler with mudflaps on the rear tires. The flaps were black and each featured a silver silhouette of a very statuesque naked woman...I wondered: has this ploy ever worked, like some kind of perverted fishing lure? In the millions of times women passed one of these trucks, has just one woman ever been overtaken by lust and thought: I must have this devilishly handsome, beef jerky stained, overweight sophisticated truck driver in the $1.99 three colored one-size-fits-all polyester baseball cap! I'll just pull over at the next truck stop and let him ravish my body!

​All I ask: take a look. Some of you will like it.

Go check out Be Sincere Even When You Don't Mean It on Amazon. If you are an audiobook person, sample the audio version, narrated by the great Gary Williams.  Click below all to see all the options on the Amazon listing:
 
www.amazon.com/dp/B083LG9R4Z

Next Week: AND--I just did a podcast all about Be Sincere. For those of you who haven't been a podcast guest, I'll talk about the experiences, and give you a link to the newest YouTube podcast.