"YOUR LIFE" APPEARANCE..............In January, I had the pleasure of being on the "YOUR LIFE" show on Hazleton's WLYN Channel 35 in January with hosts Mari Yanuzzi and Richie Molinaro. The show was repeated on local cable a few weeks back. YOUR LIFE is seen every Tuesday on Service Electric TV Channel 21 in Wilkes Barre. Here is the link for their show: http://www.wylntv.com/yourlife/.

JERSEY BOYS WINS TONY AWARD FOR BEST MUSICAL!!!!! What does this have to do with "A RADIO STORY/We Wish You Well In Your Future Endeavors"???? In the book, the main character loves the 4 SEASONS and in one of the chapters actually sings his version of "Rag Doll". Here is an excerpt from the book where Jake needs to make nice to his girl Bernice, and the only thing he could do to mollify her hurt feelings is sing "Rag Doll".

AN EXCERPT FROM "A RADIO STORY/WE WISH YOU WELL IN YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS" by DAVID YONKI.

Jake’s various client meetings that day were non eventful. He bought two box lunches, picked up some flowers and went on his way to see Bernice. As he entered her room, he caught sight of her lifting weights with her legs and doing curls with her arms in a continuous motion that seemed so fluid it belied her actual condition. Shooting him that glorious smile, she sat down for lunch after she finished her required regimen. Jake regaled Bernice with stories of Poppy and his clients while she shared with him information about the latest doings of her family. It was a relaxed, easy meeting the two thoroughly enjoyed. “You look very tired” said Bernice to Jake. “I worry about my Maytag breaking down, don’t know if I can ever find those quality parts to fix him up again”. Jake smiled and answered, “I’m fine, I’m just a little worn out today. Lot of stress at work, ya know?” Bernice leaned forward and said, “You don’t have to stay there, Daddy would love to have you work for us. That would fix everything”. “Oh Bernice, please, your brothers would throw me in the explosives machine when no one was looking,” he said. “I’d fish you out Maytagger, and pull you to safety” she smiled. “Yeah?” asked Jake. “Uh huh, but since you’re not giving up on this silly broadcast business, which is long term stress, let me deal with your short term needs, “ she said sensually. “Oh wow, is this the special treatment option your so famous for?” asked Jake hopefully. “Oh yeah sweet cakes. Let’s get down and dirty” cooed Bernice. Jake leaned back in the chair and waited as Bernice took a pillow and sat on the floor directly in front of him. Looking up at him, she took off his designer shoes and sexily slid his socks down his feet. The couple had done this before. This was pretty much as sensual as the two got but Jake thought it was better than contact sport sex. Jake leaned back and closed his eyes while Bernice took his bare feet in her long tapered fingers and began to massage them. For one brief moment in Jake’s crowded, busy life (one of his own choosing) he achieved nirvana. Smiling, he thought about how truly lucky he was and began to drift off to sleep for a quick catnap. Just as he was in that twilight stage of blissful drowsiness, something both familiar and surreal happened. “So, I was watching the TV news last night and I swear I saw a guy who looked a lot like you standing right beside a very attractive older lady. At first I thought it was you because he was well dressed, very well groomed and ever so gallant standing beside her”, she said softly. Putting more pressure on his heel, she continued “But then I thought my Maytag is way too tired after his hard day of wife loving and girl friend caring and managing all those clients to even pop the top on his little itty bitty ice cold can of Tab to let even try to fight a big bad old hot fire with an attractive, hot older lady by his side” sneered the tall muscular woman at his feet. Jake was in a strange state, he had heard everything she was saying but was unable to think or move. Plus, he couldn’t formulate the words for a plausible denial. Bernice continued massaging softly and then abruptly pulled back the ball of his foot toward him squeezing it as if she were trying to twist it off like a bottle cap. “Ouch!!!”, whined Jake, “what the heck are you doing? Stop that!!” Bernice persisted. “We have to make something very clear here” she told him holding his left foot hostage in a hold any wrestler would envy, “I don’t mind you spending time with Adrienne, she was already in place when I came along but under no circumstances do you start another project. I’m your ultimate alternative, I accept that but I’m not going to play third fiddle in your orchestra, understand?” She released his feet, threw his socks at him, picked up the pillow and crawled back in bed with her back toward him. It was a side he had not seen of Bernice. This one time meek girl was now a woman of steel. Jake thought about her similarities with Adrienne in this situation. Both women seemed to be stronger after spending time with Jake. He thought it uncanny how his two women struck him for the truth when he was most vulnerable. He wondered if somehow they were comparing notes. After a few moments of self serving thought, his focus shifted back to his B girl lying on the bed. “Hey” he called out. “Go away” she said. “Oh come on, nothing is going on with her, she’s a friend, she’s an ally at work. We were just eating and then that fire broke out. I thought Danny had moved his hobby south of here and wanted to congratulate him on his work” continued Jake. “Danny’s not a fire bug, he blows things up stupid”, she replied. A few silent moments ensued. Then she turned over and looked at him, “I’m mad at you and only two things can fix it, you know what they are. So if you want to make this right, be on your way sir!!!” Jake got up, put on his shoes, left the room and went down to his car. He went to his trunk, pulled out a small package and carried it back to her room. and stood in the doorway. Bernice looked up and smiled. Jake drew the curtains, darkened the room further by turning out the lights and took a scented candle out of the small bag. He placed it on the table in front of her along with a Godiva Dark Chocolate Raspberry filled bar. Lighting the candle, he stepped back and began to sing, “She’s a rag doll, such a rag doll, such a pretty face, should be wrapped in lace…ooooo, oooo, ooooo, Rag Doll, I love you just the way you are”. Bernice looked at him with tears forming in her eyes. “Thank you so much, I knew you’d do it again for me. It’s our little ritual. Remember the first time you did that for me?” she asked. “The first night you were in the hospital, but I didn’t think you heard me or remembered anything about it” replied Jake. “Believe me Maytag, “ countered Bernice. “I remember everything about every moment, good and bad I spend with you”. Their quiet moment was interrupted by an aide who thought someone was smoking because of the candle. “Hey, I have to get back to work” said Jake. “Call me later my little Maytag, okay?” Bernice said. “You got it my little rag doll” called Jake. The aide looked at both of them, shook her head and said, “Love makes normal people crazy, that’s all I gotta say”. Bernice shot her a look and said, “We aren’t in love, if we were, it would be all over for that fella” pointing toward a retreating Jake.

GREG STROM (left) MEETS MIKE GREENBERG, (right) FROM ESPN'S "MIKE & MIKE" SHOW...... Now why should you care about my friend Greg Strom meeting a nationally synidicated radio talk show host??? Here's why in countdown order: 5. Strom takes a good picture. 4. Strom was a great boss when I worked with him at Citadel Broadcasting. 3. Strom became a lifelong good friend. 2. Strom likes the Green Bay Packers. and last but not least........................... 1. Greg Strom was the very first on line customer who had the good sense to buy "A RADIO STORY/We Wish You Well In Your Future Endeavors".

DR. HOOK..1973 What's bettter than "The cover of the Rolling Stone?" WHAT ABOUT THE COVER OF "DIAMOND CITY", THE WEEKLY NEWSPAPER PUT OUT BY TIMES SHAMROCK NEWSPAPER GROUP. Editor Gene Padden, who I knew in another career life gave me a fantastic opportunity and interview. This was better than the cover of the Rolling Stone and yes, I picked up 5 copies for my mother. David Yonki. Radio Romeo By: Gene Padden 07/21/2005 Wilkes-Barre's Dave Yonki returns to local media, and oh, does he have a story to tell The proverbial jack of all trades, Dave Yonki had done it all in local media. A career that started as a print columnist took him through the '80s and '90s, where he ventured into the cutthroat world of radio sales.The man known to most simply as "Yonk" was as comfortable as a sponge in the middle of the shark tank we call our local radio market. But on September 24, 1999, things literally came to a screeching halt.Yonki was rear-ended in a car accident that left him with Inoperable Discogenic Disease of the Lumbar Spine with multiple herniated discs. The pain, which he compares to "having a charley horse, except from your neck to your toes," sidelined him from the competitive radio sales market, and he walks with the assistance of a cane. Heavily medicated, the happy-go-lucky yuckster that to this day is the most popular substitute teacher ever to set foot in Hanover Area High School, was not himself. "The Yonk" was more like a space cadet, as drug after ineffective drug had him in a 24-hour trance.It was bad enough The Yonk had to abandon his chosen career in radio for life as a call center trainer, but he was now as zombified as the very workers he trained.Once told the prognosis for full recovery was limited, Yonki tossed the meds. Chronic pain woke him in the middle of his nights, so to keep his mind healthy, he began writing.Then, as he says, he realized 32 Word documents had piled up on his desktop. They were fictional stories, and if he could find a common thread, then he could possibly write a book, and he did.Words had overcome his adversity, as he says, and he had published his first book "A Radio Story: We wish you well in your future endeavors." The book follows a lead character named Jake, who Yonki says is not him, but rather a conglomeration of many people he has known. Jake is a radio salesman with a weakness for women. An inherently flawed character that makes a mess out of his moral dilemmas, Jake somehow manages to keep his mediocre sales job amidst a love life that has all but killed him.The book is a hodgepodge of radio insight and outrageously funny romance. It's been well received, and you can find it for sale at Barnes & Noble, Gallery of Sound, Tudor Books, Price Chopper, and soon at Boscov's and Wegman's. Now working for Travelocity in Hanover Township, the 51-year-old Yonki stopped by diamond city for a sit-down chat. The Yonk isn't just a "short, dumpy guy" pimpin' books out of his convertible trunk (though he does admit that if it works for bands, it could work for him), he's one of the more recognizable faces around town, and he has many a story to tell .... That accident just sounds terrible. It was, and all the while I was at the call center, the doctors were prescribing medication. All kinds. To be honest with you, the type of medication ... I could have opened up a pharmacy if I sold every drug they gave me. It all made me feel very weird. It would ease the pain somewhat, but I wasn't Dave Yonki, I was someone who would stare out the window, looking at my car thinking, "Gee, should I move my car now or should I wait four hours and move it?" I was really not me. So you started writing? Yeah. Just short stories you know? And one day I woke up and I had 32 of them. It gave me an outlet. I just decided I would do something constructive with it. I just began writing stories. I did this one, I did one on the call center - that's a mystery novel, and people will definitely throw rocks at my house for that one. And the other book is called "rules of life." So who is Jake? I created a character who was a radio sales rep named Jake. He's not a big gun in terms of sales, but he's not on the bottom. He's a middle of the road guy who has all these moral dilemmas. He loves radio, but the radio he loved as a kid is no longer the radio that's around now. And, he loves women. He constantly gets himself into these messes. What happens is he tries to do the right thing for too many people. A lot of times he can do the right thing for one person, but this guy decides he wants to do the right thing for too many. It becomes a mess. And it's not you? No, it's not me. It's a conglomeration of people. There are musical references in there that can be part of me. Short, fat, dumpy guy, you know? That could be me. But that's about it. He's not this lady-killer, handsome guy, because how he wins women isn't through that. He wins women because he's relentlessly charming. And that's his fault. What happens to him? Well, I can't tell you what happens with this guy. I can say that he gets his in the end. There's a hint. How has the book been doing? Well it just came out. It's sold out of the Tudor in Clarks Summit three times, so that's good. The reaction has been very good. I've gotten a lot of voice mail messages at my house, which were unsolicited so that's nice. People in and out of the industry have read it and the people outside said it's a compelling story and they just couldn't put it down because it's so interesting, and the other thing is that the print is big and they like that. So, maybe people over 40 are reading (laughs). But I'm happy about that. How did you get it published? I believe in the story, and I wanted to get it done through a publisher that could do it on demand for me. Long story short, I got together some people who backed me, and we put it out ourselves. The first stage is to promote it locally, and the second stage is to send it out and ask these people if they'd like to take a flier on it. That's the method to my madness. I'm an old guy. I don't know how much time there is left. I'm 51.No kidding.Yeah, and another thing was as the book was being edited, there would be certain things that I would see on TV and go, "that's in my book!" Some show with John Stamos ... I just saw stuff on that show. So, I had to get it out. Why do you think you've had so much support for this?I just asked. Years ago, I'd be walking down the street with a very good-looking woman, and somebody would ask, "Why is she with you? You're this short little dumpy guy and she's real good-looking?" I just said, "I asked." The key to getting something from somebody is that you ask. Why dedicate the book to Tim Durkin? Tim Durkin was for many years, a sales manager. In 1997, he moved up to Shamrock Communications when the new era began.. Durkin became director of sales. Durkin was probably the most centered person in terms of radio, or any type of sales. He has a great trainer. You learned a lot from him. But also, he was a very kind person. If you had a really bad sales day, and he knew you were out there busting your rear end, he'd put his arm around you, walk you back to your office and say, "tomorrow's going to be a better day." All your bosses weren't as cool? There are others I've worked for in this market that if you came in with an order they'd ask why you didn't come back with all of their budget. You just wanted to go across the desk and scream at them because there's so much other media in this market. We don't operate in a vacuum. They need a whole marketing plan. And there would be sales managers that expected 100 percent of people's budgets. That's insane. Durkin always said this market is different than any other radio market in the country, mainly because we have 45 radio stations, if you count everything from here to Tunkhannock down to Bloomsburg to The Poconos. How does your wife feel about the book? It's pretty outrageous, romantically speaking. She thinks it's a good story. This is from somebody that's worked in libraries all of her life. If she told me it was horrible, I'd take her word for it. I trust her that much. I trust her intellect. She told me let it sit for a month then come back to it. So I did, and I noticed things. It was very good advice. When you complete a major product, you think it's perfect. But there's always something else you could do with it. The call center book is completed. I think it's great. But I know people are reading it and there are inconsistencies in it. What was more difficult: the call center or teaching? The call center was more difficult. You couldn't yell back at people. (laughs) What else would you like people to know? I want people to know that this is a funny, good story. It's worth their money. When you have something like an accident that makes you take a step back and ask why this happens to me, sometimes you have to look outside of what happened to you. In a way, it was a weird type of blessing. The only thing I can't do now is carry a pizza. Other than that, I'm OK. ©Electric City 2006

WORDS OVERCOME ADVERSITY PRESS RELEASE FOR "A RADIO STORY" BY DAVID YONKI. Words Overcome Adversity It was a beautiful sunny late summer day in September of 1999 when David Yonki’s life would change forever. His vehicle, hit from behind by a motorist, caused Yonki to suffer a back injury that required him to take years of therapy. As a result of the incident, Yonki walks with the assistance of a cane. The prognosis for a full recovery is very limited. At the time of the accident, Yonki was employed as a successful radio sales representative, had started a part time job at the Call Center on South Main Street in Wilkes Barre and went to the Thomas Saxton Pavilion every morning for a two hour workout before his day began. From the beginning, David was concerned that he wasn’t bouncing back from the injury. As time went on, David noticed that the effects of his accident were taking a toll on him physically. He left his broadcast sales career because of the constant pain and worked full time at the Call Center after having been promoted as a Trainer at the facility. The new position gave David the opportunity to not only learn the nuances of computer skills he was missing but also a way to teach new employees about the fast paced information age. In early 2002, he and 12 other managers were laid off by the Call Center’s new ownership, Customer Satisfaction First. That company would later bankrupt the facility and skip town without paying any of its remaining employees. Within a week of his leaving the Wilkes Barre Call Center, David began work at Travelocity.Com where he has been employed ever since his downsizing. As time went on, the pain from the accident began to increase. Seeking opinions from numerous doctors, the diagnosis finally arrived at was Inoperable Discogenic Disease of the Lumbar spine with Multiple Herniated Discs. A regimen of physical therapy as well as a series of prescriptions to pain killers and spinal injections were ordered for treatment. Choosing to go easy on the prescription meds, Yonki chose to deal with the pain head on. That decision had consequences. With no prescription meds, there would be more pain. Usually that pain came in the night time hours after a full day of work or activity. “The only way to describe it is as if you had a charley horse that went from your neck all the way down to your feet, almost a constant spasm” related Yonki. Unable to sleep, Yonki woke up in the middle of the night and began writing short stories on his home computer. Within a few months, he noticed he had 32 word documents saved on his computer. All the stories were related to his days in broadcasting. Inspired, he turned those word documents into a novel. That book, “A Radio Story”, sub titled “We Wish You Well In Your Future Endeavors” follows the trials and tribulations of a radio sales rep that faces moral choices every day of his life and fails at them miserably. “The characters in the book are composites of people I have met along the way in my broadcasting career, the story is just something that developed in my head over time. I took the short stories I wrote and then built an outline around them” said Yonki. Any author will tell you the easy part is writing the book. The hard part is refining it. “Well” as he refers to this project has been through 7 re-writes, has been copied more times than a Fendi purse knockoff, survived the crash of his hard drive which eliminated all of the documents, the regeneration of those lost articles as well as thousands of opinions on how to write the book from his old Radio and TV buddies. After two years, the novel has just been published and is now available in local book stores. It can also be bought by contacting Alubirp Publications or the author at Alubirp54@aol.com. Plans for a national internet campaign are also in the works. David has also completed a mystery novel set at the Call Center in Wilkes Barre as well as a “Rules of Life” book which are currently being shopped around. Another project, dubbed “Christmas Cards” centers around the lives of two major entertainment figures who are forced to return to the hometown they both left to take care of their aged mothers. “A Radio Story” is available at Tudor Books stores in Kingston and Clarks Summit, Barnes & Noble in Wilkes Barre, the KRZ 98.5 website on the Shadoe Steele page, and at ALUBIRP54@AOL.COM. Writing a book has not only given David a second career but has also aided him in his recovery from his accident. It has shown him that anything is possible and that any adversity could be overcome. In this case, words overcame the adversity.

BOOK REVIEW FROM SUE HENRY PROGRAM ON WILK RADIO FROM THE SUE HENRY PROGRAM ON WILK RADIO E mail address: SueHenry@WILKNEWSRADIO.COM David Yonki’s book about radio isn’t bad for a local lad. Dave recently visited WILK to discuss his work of fiction, "A Radio Story (We Wish You Well in Your Future Endeavors)." The subtitle of this book refers to the closing of a letter that many radio folk receive on their way out the door. The book features composites of many people you just might recognize. Keep in mind it’s a work of fiction, however, because "The Yonk" doesn’t want any lawsuits. Although most of the book is very believable, the ending, eh.....not so much. I give a lot of credit to anyone who has the audacity to write a book, however. Dave started his own career in broadcasting by handing out 45s (of the recorded variety, not suds) for the late Jim Ward. He is considered to be the Hemingway of his family and manages to work in the names of both of his nephews into the novel. We wish him well in his future endeavors.

BOOK REVIEW OF "A RADIO STORY" by DAVID YONKI.....from Pa. Radio Info Subject: A RADIO STORY We wish you well in your future endeavors. Posted by: mrsweep Posts: 37 Status: Offline Posted on: 07/24/05 07:18 PM Some notes about Yonkstur's Book... Here's what I think. David has written an interesting book, the story of Jake Yanik. The man led a remarkable life. And David placed him amid a cast of memorable characters in his personal and business life. I was intrigued by Jake's personal life and the way he campaigned for and managed the women he had relationships with. However, is the basic premise of Yanik\'s relationship style believable. In the real world, I don't know anyone who was more attracted to the chase than the ultimate conquest. But our author presents Jake and his thrill of the chase in a way that the whole idea is food for thought. On the other hand David's fiction about NEPA\ radio business was peopled with familiar character's. People, or parts of people, many of us know and deal with even today. David presents his view of the out of market corporate takeover of local radio stations and the changes that might occur if management was focused only on the bottom line. If fact, we may have already had that story here in real life. So the plot rings true. David tells a lot of story in just over three hundred pages. His writing sticks to the plot and presents dialog while he leaves out pages of description another writer might have included. I found the sparse descriptive style enjoyable to read. The book is best when the story has some action. Maybe it's a guy thing, but the finale of the Super Bowl Party sequence and the soda dispenser scene in the radio station parking lot both were fun to read and easy to see in the mind's eye. And there are a few plot twists, so read carefully. The story had a lot of characters. I almost needed a scorecard to keep everyone straight, particularly in the work place sequences where the characters were so familiar. I know it's fiction and any resemblance to a person living or deceased is purely coincidental (official disclaimer), but there were enough coincidences to make the book interesting, and distracting on a whole different level. I was translating the book character's name to a person he or she could represent in our area and the whole process was making me a little nuts. I expect a reader who has no contact with David's inspirations, would not find the similarities as distracting. On the other hand, I was reading to see if I snuck in there somewhere. Writing a novel is a major undertaking. David deserves kudos for the book. I found it a fun summer read. And I thank David for securing me a copy, while other posters to this board have had some challenges securing a copy for themselves. When David picks up a pen to write his next story, I wish him well in that endeavor. And I'll make a point of reading that book, too. What do you think? [ Report this post to a moderator ]

TWO SUCCESSFUL CABLE TV ADS WE RAN FOR A RADIO STORY FEATURED THE TAG LINES, "WHO SAID RADIO WASN'T FUN?" and "RAISING CANE". THEY ARE BOTH ON THE POST BELOW THIS ONE.

WHO SAID RADIO WASN’T FUN? A RADIO STORY “We Wish You Well In Your Future Endeavors” By DAVID YONKI- the novel everyone is talking about is available at Barnes & Noble, Tudor Books in Kingston and Clarks Summit, Joe Nardone’s Gallery of Sound in Edwardsville, Wegmans and select Price Chopper superstores.

Bringing new meaning to the phrase: RAISING CANE!!!

A RADIO STORY “We Wish You Well In Your Future Endeavors” By DAVID YONKI- the novel everyone is talking about is available at Barnes & Noble, Tudor Books in Kingston and Clarks Summit, Joe Nardone’s Gallery of Sound in Edwardsville, Wegmans and select Price Chopper Superstores.

SHADOE STEELE................The Real Deal................One of the biggest things you need in promoting a book is, well promotions. And "A Radio Story's" promotional campaign was kicked off on WKRZ FM, 98.5FM's "Saturday Night Live At the Oldies" on July 2nd, 2005. The show, a broadcast institution in this region and even around the country provided me with a forum, as a writer to tell the story of the book. Here is the transcript of that interview heard on Shadoe Steele's program. SHADOE STEELE INTERVIEW OPEN SEGMENT WITH “YONKI TIME” BY TOM VERLANE. 1. I’M HERE WITH DAVID YONKI, DAVID WROTE THE JUST RECENTLY RELEASED BOOK “A RADIO STORY” SUBTITLED “WE WISH YOU WELL IN YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS”, DAVID, WAS IT YOUR LIFE’S AMBITION TO ALWAYS WRITE A BOOK. ANSWER: ACTUALLY, SHADOE, WRITING HAS BEEN IN MY VEINS FOR A VERY LONG TIME. MY FIRST JOB WAS FOR THE OLD SUNDAY DISPATCH IN PITTSTON AT THE AGE OF 15. I’VE ALWAYS WRITTEN. WHETHER IT WAS A STORY FOR THE PAPER, OR FOR WORK, I USED TO WRITE A LOT OF MY OWN COMMERCIALS WHEN I WORKED IN RADIO SALES. BUT AS FAR AS WRITING A BOOK, THAT’S SOMETHING THAT I TRIED TO DO IN THE PAST BUT COULD NOT. I STARTED, GOT A FEW PAGES IN AND THEN GAVE UP. IT WAS A WEDDING OF HAPPENSTANCE AND TECHNOLOGY THAT GOT THE BOOK WRITTEN. I WAS INJURED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT IN 1999 AND HAD TO GIVE UP BROADCAST SALES. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, I GOT A HOME COMPUTER. AT NIGHT, WHEN I WAS IN PAIN, I’D GET UP AND START TYPING STORIES OF MY DAYS IN BROADCASTING. A YEAR WENT BY AND I FOUND THAST I HAD OVER 35 WORD DOCUMENTS. I LOOKED AT THEM AND SAID TO MYSELF “IF I COULD FIND A COMMON THREAD HERE, I HAVE A NOVEL.” AND THAT’S HOW I WROTE THE BOOK. 2. THE TITLE, “A RADIO STORY” IMPLIES THAT IT IS SET IN THE CONFINES OF THE RADIO INDUSTRY, BUT IT’S MUCH MORE THAN THAT, CORRECT, DAVID? ANSWER: IT IS A NOVEL SET IN FAMILIAR PLACES ABOUT AN ORDINARY GUY (WHO HAPPENS TO BE EMPLOYED AS A RADIO SALES REP) WHO FACES MORAL DILEMMAS CAUSED BY THE DECISIONS HE MAKES IN HIS LIFE. EVERY ACTION THAT HAPPENS IN THIS BOOK, WHETHER IT BE HIS BROADCAST CAREER OR HIS LOVE LIFE, IS A DIRECT REACTION TO A DECISION THE MAIN CHARACTER MAKES. SO IT MIGHT BE REGARDED AS A STUDY OF THE MALE ANIMAL, AS WELL AS JUGGLING PERSONAL AND BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS. 3. THE MAIN CHARACTER IN THE BOOK, JAKE YANICK, THE RADIO SALESMAN WHO GOES THROUGH THE NOVEL LOOKING FOR MEDIA BUYS AND LOVE, WHAT MAKES HIM SO COMPELLING? ANSWER:HE DRIVES PEOPLE CRAZY. HE’S THE TYPE OF GUY WHO IS ALWAYS DOING A DEAL BUT THE DEAL ALWAYS IS DESIGNED NOT FOR GREED OR GOLD, BUT FOR THE CURRENCY OF LOVE. HE WANTS PEOPLE, HIS CLIENTS, HIS CO WORKERS AND HIS BOSSES TO LOVE HIM. BUT GIVEN ALL OF THAT, IF HE HAD A CHOICE OF PLEASING EVERYONE IN THE WORLD VS A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN HE HAD HIS SIGHTS ON, HE’D PICK THE WOMAN EVERYTIME. BUT ONCE HE GOT THE ATTENTION FROM THE WOMAN HE WAS CHASING, HE MOVED ON TO THE NEXT ONE. AND IN THE BOOK, HE DROVE THE MAIN WOMAN CHARACTERS JUST PLAIN CRAZY BECAUSE WHILE HE LOVED EACH ONE OF THEM WITH ALL HIS HEART, THERE WAS ALWAYS ANOTHER EYE LOOKING OUT FOR THAT NEXT BABE TO ENTER HIS LIFE. TO JAKE, THE CHASE MEANT EVERYTHING. THAT, DROVE THE WOMEN CRAZY. SEGUE INTO “MIXED UP SHOOK UP GIRL”. 4. DAVID, HOW MUCH OF THE BOOK CENTERS ON THE RADIO INDUSTRY’S CAST OF CHARACTERS AND DID YOU BASE THEM ON ACTUAL PEOPLE THAT YOU WORKED WITH? ANSWER: FIRST OF ALL, THIS BOOK, THIS STORY IS A WORK OF FICTION. IT’S MADE UP. BUT IF YOU ARE AN OBSERVER OF EVERYDAY LIFE, A PEOPLE WATCHER, YOU CAN’T HELP BUT CREATE A CHARACTER WHICH IS A BLENDED HUMAN BEING. YOU TAKE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ONE, THE QUIRKS OF ANOTHER, AND IN A WAY, CREATE A WHOLE NEW PERSON. HAVING WORKED IN THE BUSINESS A LONG TIME SHADOE, YOU’VE COME ACROSS MANY PEOPLE. THERE ARE SOME THAT STRIKE YOU AS BLAND AND THEY DISAPPEAR INTO THE WOODWORK AND YEARS LATER, THEY BECOME “WHO WAS THAT GUY?” AND YOU NEVER, EVER REMEMBER HIS NAME. BUT THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE WHO BURST ONTO YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS AND THEY STAY THERE, FOR GOOD OR BAD, FOREVER. SO WHEN THE READER, ESPECIALLY RADIO PEOPLE PICK UP THIS BOOK, THEY’LL MOST LIKELY SEE COMPOSITIES OF PEOPLE. AS AN EXAMPLE, I PUT A LITTLE BIT OF MYSELF INTO A CHARACTER BY ADDING TO THE BOOK MY FAVORITE SONG OF ALL TIME, THE ONE SONG, THAT IF I WERE STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND, I’D WANT WITH ME. SEGUE INTO “WILL YOU LOVE ME TOMORROW BY THE SHIRELLES. 5. IN THE BOOK, THE MAIN CHARACTER IS A PHILANDERER, BUT HE SEEMS TO BE ONE WITH REDEEMING QUALITIES, THERE ARE MANY IN OUR AUDIENCE WHO WOULD DISPUTE THAT THIS TYPE OF ANIMAL CAN EXIST. HOW DID YOU MAKE A CHEATER A SYMPATHETIC CHARACTER? ANSWER: THERE ARE SOME WHO HAVE READ THE BOOK THAT DON’T FEEL ANY SMPATHY FOR THE PHILANDERING CHARACTER AT ALL. WHAT THIS GUY IS DOING WITH WOMEN IS MORALLY DUBIOUS BUT HE DOES IT IN SUCH A WAY THAT EVEN THOUGH THE WOMEN KNOW HE’S WRONG, THEY RARELY CALL HIM ON IT. THERE ARE TWO REASONS, THE FIRST IS BECAUSE HE TREATS EACH WOMAN BETTER THAN THEY’VE EVER BEEN TREATED BEFORE. THE SECOND REASON IS HIS COMPETITION. THE OTHER GUYS WHO ARE OUT THERE IN THE DATING POOL MAKE HIM LOOK GOOD BY COMPARISON. AND HE SMARTLY EXPLOITS THAT. SO EVEN THOUGH EACH WOMAN HAS A LITTLE BIT OF JAKE, THAT’S BETTER THAN HAVING A WHOLE GUY WHO’S A TOTAL JERK. IN SHORT, HE STAYS IN THEIR LIVES BECAUSE HE MAKES THEM HAPPY. SEGUE INTO OH HOW HAPPY. 6. IN THE BOOK THE MAIN CHARACTER HAS TROUBLE WITH WOMEN. DAVID, HOW DO YOU FEEL THE BOOK PORTRAYS WOMEN? ANSWER: THE BOOK PORTRAYS JAKE YANICK’S WOMEN IN STAGES. AT THE VERY START THEY SEEM TO BE EASILY MANIPULATED AND NEEDY TO BEGIN WITH. THEN WHEN THEY INCUR THEIR INJURIES, BOTH MENTAL AND PHYSICAL, THEY APPEAR TO BE TOTALLY DEPENDENT ON HIM. BUT AS THEY GET TO KNOW HIM AND BECOME INVOLVED WITH HIM, MUCH TO HIS SURPRISE, THEY BECOME STRONGER. AND AT THE END OF THE STORY, THEY BECOME MORE INDEPENDENT AND ACCOMPLISHED. NOW IT IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER WHETHER IT WAS BECAUSE THEY LOVED HIM THEY BECAME STRONGER OR BECAUSE HE WASN’T 100% FAITHFUL THAT THEY BECAME STRONGER. BUT ALL IN ALL, THE WOMEN ARE PORTRAYED AS SMART, STRONG AND A LITTLE SASSY. 7. IN MANY INCIDENTS IN THE BOOK, YOU SEEM TO THREAD MUSIC THROUGH IT, WAS THAT AN ARTISTIC DEVICE OR WAS THAT DESIGNED TO APPEAL TO POSSIBLY A LARGER MARKET? ANSWER: PARTLY ARTISTIC DEVICE, PARTLY AS A REAL BASIS OF THE STORY. THE GUY FINDS OUT IN HIS BROADCASTING CAREER THAT THE RADIO AND MUSIC HE KNEW AS A BOY NO LONGER EXIST. THE MUSIC THAT’S IN THE BOOK IS GOING TO APPEAL TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO GREW UP WITH TOP 40 RADIO. EVEN WITH THE CORPORATE CHANGES, JAKE STILL LOVES RADIO AS HE DID AS A KID BUT NOW AS A MAN, RADIO DOES NOT LOVE HIM BACK. SEGUE TO JUNIOR WALKER AND THE ALL STARS. 8. WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THE PROJECT, HOW FAR DO YOU WANT TO TAKE THIS? I KNOW YOU’RE A BIG FRANKIE VALLI FAN, AND IN THE BOOK, THERE IS A PORTION WHERE THE CHARACTER REFERS TO THE SONG RAG DOLL. AS A MATTER OF FACT, HE EVEN SINGS THE SONG. IT SEEMS TO ME YOU WROTE THAT PART WITH A SCREENPLAY IN MIND/ IS THAT TRUE? ANSWER: I THINK, SHADOE, IF YOU HAVE WHAT YOU THINK IS A GOOD STORY, OF COURSE YOU ARE GOING TO GIVE IT BROADER INTEPRETATIONS WITH AN EYE TOWARD SOMETHING BIGGER. I BELIEVE IN THIS STORY, THIS IS NOT MY EGO TALKING HERE BUT I BELIEVE IF PEOPLE LIKE IT, IT HAS POSSIBILITIES. AND I CAN’T LIE TO YOU AND TELL YOU I HAVEN’T THOUGHT ABOUT AN ACTOR LIKE BILLY CRYSTAL, JOE PESCHI OR SOMEONE LIKE THAT SINGING RAG DOLL TO HIS GIRL FRIEND IN A MOVIE BASED ON MY BOOK. I DON’T THINK I’M THAT GOOD OR MY WRITING IS THAT GOOD, I THINK THE STORY IS THAT GOOD AND HAS POSSIBILITIIES. BUT AS THE SAYING GOES, “FROM YOUR LIPS TO GOD’S EARS”. SEGUE INTO “RAG DOLL” BY THE 4 SEASONS. 9. DAVID, WHAT WAS THE HARDEST PART ABOUT THIS PROJECT? ANSWER: JUST GETTING IT FINISHED. WRITING THE THING IS EASY, GETTING THE MARKETING SET UP, EDITING IT, POLISHING IT, REFINING IT, THAT’S THE TOUGH PART. 10. ARE YOU WORKING ON ANY OTHER FUTURE ENDEAVORS WITH YOUR WRITING AND BY WAY OF THAT QUESTION, WHAT IS THE PROGNOSIS FOR A FULL RECOVERY FROM YOUR ACCIDENT? ANSWER: WELL, I'M ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE TO WALK WITH A CANE, THAT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE. BUT I'M FROM THE PITTSTON AREA, AND EITHER WE'RE TOUGH OR WE DON'T KNOW ANY BETTER. THERE ARE PEOPLE WORSE OFF THAN ME. I HAVE A FEW BOOKS COMPLETED, ONE OF THEM IS THE 26 RULES OF LIFE AND THE OTHER IS A NOVEL BASED ON THE CALL CENTER ON SOUTH MAIN STREET. HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET SOME PEOPLE NATIONALLY TO LOOK AT THESE. BUT AS FAR AS THE ACCIDENT AND THE WRITING, THEY GO HAND IN HAND, ONE WOULDN'T HAPPEN WITHOUT THE OTHER. AND EVERYDAY I GET UP AND JUST DO WHAT I NEED TO DO> SEGUE INTO TUB THUMPING. 11. DAVID, WHERE CAN WE GET THE BOOK? ANSWER: BARNES AND NOBLE, THE TUDOR BOOK STORES IN KINGSTON AND CLARKS SUMMIT, COMING SOON TO PRICE CHOPPER AND WEGMANS AND AT ALUBIRP54@AOL.COM. DAVID, THANK YOU FOR BEING OUR GUEST TODAY ON SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE OLDIES ON KRZ FM.

SYNOPSIS OF "A RADIO STORY/WE WISH YOU WELL IN YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS", by David Yonki. Jake Yanick loved two things, radio and beautiful women. In “We Wish You Well In Your Future Endeavors”, the main character’s life is traced from a boyhood fascination with the dual loves of his life. These two obsessions collide when Jake, in his early 40s takes a job as a sales representative for two very different radio stations. Jake finds that radio, as he knew it as a boy has changed totally. He struggles with the demise of mom and pop operations that gave way to the bottom line Wall Street acquisitions that permeated the broadcast industry because of government deregulation in the 1990s. The change in the medium he cares about is the least of his problems. Jake has serious self image problems that dictate he chase and win only beautiful women with dysfunction qualities. Meanwhile at home is the beautiful and very normal Mrs. Adrienne Yanick who centers Jake’s frenetic personal life. Just when Jake slows down and decides to eschew the pursuit of crazy gals, his wife suffers a brain injury in an auto accident that makes her seem eerily familiar to the Casanova. Jake’s intentions are to take care of his ailing wife. Finding it ironic that the brain injury has made her just as unstable as his past loves, he decides to settle down and make a commitment to Adrienne and his new found radio career. The radio world is permeated by a series of off beat characters that would be unemployable elsewhere. Jake surrounds himself with all of them and moves deftly through that world. The one constant though is still beautiful women. They exist in radio too but Jake resists the temptations. All is going well until Jake’s issue with his image sets off a series of events that not only change his life but even the local company he has chosen to call his professional home. Jake, despite his devotion to his wife acquires a girlfriend 20 years his junior who prays the rosary everyday and comes from a “connected” mob family. This sexy tall lithe beauty who adores little fat dumpy Jake suffers a fall at his home escaping down the side steps when his wife returns home unexpectedly. Now he has a brain challenged wife and a partially paralyzed girl friend that he must care for while balancing the slings, arrows and shark bites of the cut throat radio business. In his radio career, Jake sees two different media worlds when he is employed by the two radio groups. Jake will see how one manager gets the very best out of his staff while the other brings out the very worst. It is a moral ping pong game for a man used to making up his own rules as he goes along. However it always comes back to the beautiful women in his life that ultimately leads to the climactic end of this saga. Jake will stay faithful to the two women who count on him the most. But that will not be accomplished without a lot of temptation, sacrifice and twists and turns along the way. In the end, the winners are Jake’s women because of their acceptance of his failings as a man. They become better and stronger women for having loved Jake, faults and all. That is Jake Yanick’s imperfect but loving legacy to his women.