AUTHOR: DAVID YONKI

2012-02-17T21:28:00.000-08:00

Ciavarella Trial Verdict Part One from David Yonki on Vimeo.

2011-04-27T07:42:00.001-07:00

http://www.facebook.com/l/fcf2fuu84Y_xNfEOOC6VuIQejKg/www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGG8rD7h5MA?

2011-02-01T17:40:00.000-08:00

PHOTO INDEX: COVER FROM THE BOOK, "A RADIO STORY".

EXCERPT The following is an excerpt from the book "A Radio Story". The chapter tells the story of a Super Bowl party hosted by a local family connected with the radio station the main character Jake Yanick worked at.

The social event of the entire season for broadcasting people was the Mecklenburgh Super Bowl party. The gathering was everything Jody and Jerry were, generous, friendly, gregarious and fun loving. In the competitive cut throat world of broadcasting, the party was a one time oasis of good solid fellowship. Sales reps that routinely stabbed each other in the back were pleasantly surprised to see that away from the media, these people actually were loved by either a spouse or a kid. The party was going to be difficult for Jake because of the presence of Penelope Hartz. Penelope was the type of woman who made men crazy. In her 50s, she was tall, bright, engaging but had two annoying habits. One was that she acted dumber than she was and the second was that she was an incredible flirt. She would take a relatively worldly man and turn him into a 12 year old boy. Much to Jake’s chagrin and shame, she did that to him. Jake, vulnerable for excitement after being a care-taker to his ailing wife leaped into the Penelope situation with gusto. He found her bright, engaging, but very volatile and passionate in her beliefs and ideas. Jake didn’t like that aspect though, Jake liked the boredom of a friendship, the sameness. Penelope on the other hand fed off the attention of many male suitors. She had been engaged 6 times but broke them all off at the last minute. It was said that she took a man to the edge of the creek but never allowed him to drink. When she was with you, Penelope was with you. But when she was bored of a man’s shtick, she cut him off cold turkey. That was difficult for anyone concerned about image. To Jake, image was everything and Penelope had provided a wonderful and glamorous addition to that aspect of his personality. Jake’s meetings with Penelope abruptly ended when Poppy, getting worried about Jake’s intentions created a nasty misunderstanding with a mutual client of the two friendly but rival radio reps. Jake did not miss Penelope but missed the attention she gave him. He knew this friendship would be fleeting because he understood Penelope’s monumental need for up close attention, a commodity he had no desire or energy to provide. Jake didn’t think Penelope ever realized what she did to various men like him but all her male victims certainly did. For Jake it was the embarrassment of being so goofy around her. Jake was too old for that type of infatuation. The key here was to make it appear that the Penelope Hartz situation had no effect on him. He had heard that every man had a Penelope Hartz recovery strategy and to save face, his would be two fold. The first part was to avoid her altogether and the second was that if he could not do the former, he’d have company whenever he encountered her. This meant he had to get someone female to accompany him to this Super Bowl party. Making this happen was easier said than done. His choices were very limited because Jake had been out of action for some time on the “lady front”. Plus, Adrienne was still unavailable for huge social events due to her continued recovery. A month prior to the party, Jake asked several women he knew to go with him. The obvious choice would be Jake’s wife but for his spouse the entire month of January was spent on the couch in fits of sleep and depression. She was paralyzed by her inability to accept that what she could accomplish mentally before the accident. While Jake tended to her needs, he tried to get her socially engaged. Each time he tried to suggest something new, it turned into a disaster. The setting was either too loud or crowded and her recovery time from each tried foray would take days. Jake, while loyal to her, was on his own socially. Unlike other couples, Jake and his wife were not joined at the hip. It was common for the couple to go their separate ways via business trips, meetings and the like and reunite for quality time. The accident had turned that time into constant rehab and rest. And while Jake looked at it as a labor of love, it still was a labor. With his wife out of commission, Jake tried other female friends. A male buddy would not do. He had to make the point to Penelope that he was not like the other panting suitors pining away for her in solitude. Every person Jake asked either had plans, avoided the subject with him or just said no. Jake even lowered himself by stopping off at various happy hours that yielded disastrous results. It was the day before the party and Jake had not found anyone to accompany him. Like he did every day, Jake went to the gym. Always a big man, Jake was haunted by his size, his perception of himself as not handsome and the way his clothes fit. Jake could handle a brain injured spouse, a screaming client and solve most any problem with aplomb. He was strong in those areas, but weak in his comfort with his physical appearance. On the way to the gym, Jake thought at least he’d look half decent at the party, but nothing could change the fact that he would be going alone and he was sure Penelope Hartz would make note of that fact. The gym Jake went to was a cardiac rehab center run by one of the hospitals. Jake went there to sweat and lose some weight, nothing more. His wife had introduced him to the modern facility. Jake liked it because hedidn’t have to be the big friendly media guy, he could sweat and grunt in anonymity. He struck up few conversations but recently had begun talking with a gangly girl who once approached him with concern while he was on the stair master. She thought he was having a heart attack. This tall woman with the engaging smile and Julia Roberts giggle was going to be Jake's last stand. Furthermore, he was going to try a novel approach this time, unusual for any man, especially one like Jake. He was going to be brutally honest with her. She sat down on the stationary bike next to him looking disheveled and awkward as always. Their conversation was compact with the young lady doing the asking and Jake responding. “Hey. Hey. Wearing the Packer shirt today, they going to win tomorrow? I hope so but I wouldn't care if Elway won. Hey, Elway's cute. Sure he is. That's always the key to victory. Who crapped on your English muffin this morning? If you must know, I’m a bagel man myself. But I have to go to a thing tomorrow and I don't want to go by myself. Wow, I have to go somewhere tomorrow and I'm gonna be hating it too!” This time Jake asked the questions. “Where do you have to go? Well, I have three brothers and they are all married to these hideous women who hate me. They're having this annual Super Bowl party. It is a huge deal with hundreds of people I don’t know and a few I do.” Instantly Jake deflated. Still another woman with plans, another dead end in his quest to show up Penelope. This time though a ragamuffin in ill fitting gym clothes was refusing him. How low could he go with this streak. Still, he decided to soldier on and present his plan. “I have to go to this party with all the people who work in my industry. Which is...............? Radio and TV, I work for power 108. My family is in the demolition business. I love Power 108. Billy Jefferson lives the town over from me. He’s a scream. Sounds like fun. Why don't you want to go? There's this woman that's going to be there. Our friendship ended badly. I don't want to go alone, I just don't want to walk into that party and have her see me solo. I know it’s dumb but I don’t want to go alone. You realize that you are acting very immature about this, right? Absolutely!” This time, the red headed girl turned interrogator. “This woman, did you treat her well? Yes, very well. Was she erratic in her actions? Sometimes. Did she have kids? Three boys. That explains it. What? When a woman has children, especially boys, the mental stress of the birth saps her energy and even some of her intelligence. As she ages, the woman's behavior becomes more erratic. You compound that with someone with an ego and you got problems. Where did you get this stuff? Italian scientists did a study of afterbirth and placentas and determined this was so. You're nuts. Hey, I'm not the one looking for a date to show off because I'm immature! Point well taken. You want to go? Well, let me ask a few questions. Okay. Have you ever been arrested? No. Ever hit a girl? No. Favorite song? Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow by the Shirelles. Love the kettle drum at the start of that song! I do too. My second favorite song is.......Don't care. Next question. Is your mom alive? Yes.Call her every day? Yes. Do you go to church? Every week. What type of cologne do you use? Polo. Okay, meet me at 4pm Sunday at Flannery's grocery store on Shadow Avenue. I'll see you there. Where do you live? In Simpson. About twenty five miles from here. How did you wind up working out here? Using my girlfriend's pass. So you're real name is not Kimberly? No it's Bernice but I hate my name. It's an old ladies name! So what do I call you? By my name, you dope! Bernice I appreciate you going. I hope you don't feel I'm using you to do this. Hey, as long as there's good food, I don't care. and besides, I may ask you to come to my family's Super Bowl deal afterwards. Sure.You realize you are being very immature though, right? I do. Okay, as long as we got that straight.” Jake was elated. He would not have to walk into that party alone with Penelope and her posse of ordinary looking girlfriends chattering about how she pulverized his sorry emotional ass. Jake would walk in, nod a curt hello to Penelope, signal that he was doing fine without her and then waltz back out again. Sunday came and Jake got ready for the party. He drove to the designated meeting spot and commenced to wait for his date's arrival. On time as usual, he settled in to wait. When 430 pm rolled around, Jake got a bit concerned but then remembered he was not dealing with a sales rep nor a rocket scientist in the person of this Bernice, a.k.a. Kimberly. By 5 pm, when there was no sign of her, Jake became worried. By 530 pm, he was frantic. No sightings at 6pm either, by then he was beside himself. Jake considered himself the biggest loser on the planet. Bernice was right, he was not only immature but pretty pathetic. It took a kid in a gym to show him that by standing him up. His plan now was to go across the street to the Sheraton hotel, use the bathroom and then go home to watch the game. Penelope had won her emotional war with him. The saddest part was that she was oblivious to the energy she caused him to waste in this endeavor and the pain that it caused him. As he walked out of the hotel, his cell phone rang. It was Bernice. “Hey, it's me, I fell asleep in the bathtub. Do you still want me to come? You fall asleep in your tub, Gosh I do that every couple of days, I thought I was the only one who did that! No it's quite relaxing. Kind of like being in a mother's womb. You're really fixated on this baby thing, huh? Do you still want me to come and what do you want me to wear? Yes I do and wear what you'd wear on a date. I used to date this guy Richie who owned a lube shop so should I wear the beige coveralls or the navy? Could you change a car's oil? Sure but I know you can't. Yeah, you're right. Wear what you wear when you want to....oh wear whatever you want. I’m getting dressed and I’m on my way”. Jake looked around in disbelief and realized the night was not going to be a total loss. About 20 minutes passed when he saw a red Escalade careering down the road. The car pulled beside him and Jake was stunned to see his gym buddy transformed into a Cinderella. Her red hair was flowing over her coat, her legs were longer than he had remembered seeing on the bike at the gym and her smile lit up the parking lot. She wore a navy skirt, pale blouse and looked like she stepped off a model's runway. “How do I look? Beautiful. Really? Yeah, how do I look? You look nice. Do you dress like this all the time? Pretty much. Nice, now sir, what are my instructions for the evening?” As Jake’s car pulled away from the parking lot and headed toward the festivities on Doe Road in nearby Moscow, he simply said, "Just act as if you like me". “Oh Christ" she answered, "you didn't tell me it was going to be this freaking' tough". The party was hopping by the time they arrived. People were spilled out into the January cold at the house drinking all forms of alcohol, eating food, and watching the game on a myriad of TV sets set up by the hosting couple. They parked a block away and went through the back door. Jake let Bernice go first to guide her from behind winding their way through the crowd to see their hosts. Bernice had made him stop at a convenience story to get Jody flowers as a gift. When the two entered, there was a buzz but then it lowered when people saw them together. Quiet murmurs began to circulate as they made their way from the massive deck area to the inside of the home. Just then, the quiet was shattered by the unmistakable voice of Penelope Hartz who screamed at poor Jim Poppinaro, or Poppy as he was called. "You perverted sick bastard, we're leaving". The front door slammed hard and Penelope was out the door. She had not even seen Jake!!!! All this energy, all this planning and she went out the front door while Jake was coming through the back door!! As they entered the living room, the duo encountered Jody who while graciously accepting Bernice's flowers filled them in. “Poppy just called Penelope a lesbian again because she went to see “Titanic” with her girlfriends instead of him. So she just caused a scene and flew out the front door,” " said Jody juggling the flowers and her 2 year old daughter. "You mean we missed meeting her?" Bernice asked grinning an impish grin that spoke volumes. Jody, figuring Jake’s original motives nodded knowingly and said, "Yep, you missed her". At that point her baby started to grab at Jake and Bernice said "Babies like him huh?" and Jody proceeded to tell Bernice how Jake was an unofficial uncle. "Cool" commented Bernice. At that point Jake left Jody and his date to talk while he got some drinks. Poppy approached Jake filled with too much wine and still stinging from Penelope’s latest rebuff. "It's too bad Penelope didn't see you with that babe" he said loudly. "Is she a hooker, how much you paying her?" "Poppy, she's not a hooker and the reason why Penelope left is you called her a lesbian again. She was storming out the front while we came in the back," Jake said. Poppy continued, "Hey she's nice, she's not the girl from the gym, that girl was really homely and real tall, like a big old rag doll, I saw her there once when I was waiting for you". "That's her", Jake replied. Just then Poppy screamed over at Bernice at the top of his voice "Hey, hey you over there, you're not as bad looking all dressed up as I thought you were. I thought you were pretty ugly there but you look nice!!!". It was another Poppy outburst, a symptom of his innocence and his OCD disorder. In shocked silence people waited for Bernice's response. She grabbed her heart and said, "At long last I can rest well at night because such a master gentleman says I made the cut". Doing a mock ballerina bow, she blew him a kiss and said, "I now have the broadcasting seal of approval." The stark contrast between the way Penelope and Bernice responded to Poppy was not lost on anyone. The two then made the rounds of the party. All eyes were on the dumpy little fat guy with the glasses and this tall, friendly and energetic woman. She charmed the men talking about sports, banished any envy of the women there by complimenting them on what they were wearing and enthralled the young kids with that smile that came so natural and easy. She swapped recipes, listened to the stories of radio and TV folk and of course shared her theory on women's intelligence vs. childbirth with anyone who listen. Two hours went by and Jake had no thoughts whatsoever of Penelope Hartz. After two hours and 15 minutes the couple decided to take their leave. Donning her coat Bernice broached the subject about the rest of the evening. “Wanna meet my Super Bowl demons? Can I? Absolutely. Just know that I think my dad is a year younger than you, my brothers will try to get you to say dirty Italian words to my gram and my sisters in law will tell you how stupid and pathetic I am. Can you handle all that? Only if I can defend your honor. Cool.” They said their goodbyes and Jake could tell that this party was going to be media gossip for weeks on end . He knew everyone would be talking about his party guest. But it didn't matter now, Penelope Hartz didn't matter after this night. What mattered most now was going to Bernice's party and being as protective, charming and as wonderful to her as she was to him. This was going to be Jake’s mission for the rest of the evening. The night was freezing cold and some ice had formed on the road. They walked up the street arm in arm, being careful not to fall, in effect, holding onto each other for dear life. "Well, how did I do?" she asked. Jake responded, "Wonderful. Just wonderful. Thank you for acting like you wanted to be with me". Just then, Bernice grabbed Jake with force and spun him around on the ice. It was the first time he had an appreciation for her size and strength. She held his face, kissed him and looked deeply in his eyes and said, “I wasn’t acting”. On that night, under the cold frigid stars is how Bernice and Jake began

2011-02-01T17:35:00.000-08:00

WEATHER OR KNOT RELEASED Weather Or Knot, a story about a series of murders in a small town has been released and is available at area book stores.

2009-08-07T17:28:00.000-07:00

NEW NOVEL ON THE WAY In anticipation of David Yonki's third book, we thought we'd post the FACEBOOK Interview. Are you self obsessed? Yes. Who Are Your Best Friends? Frank, Jim, David, Mrs. Facebook not in that order. Why do you go on facebook? To check out what people are doing. Who is the person you love the most? Myself. My wife, family, country. Imagine your homeroom teacher with a bikini on.... Let's not. What I dislike most about the general public is... Ignorance and slobs. Wilkes Barre Scranton is the king of slobs who litter. They're a bunch of pigs. Also, asholes, especially women drivers who are using their cell pho Is there any circumstance where cheating is okay? Yes. Looks or Personality? Both. I had them without one and it never works. East Coast or West Coast? West. East. No South please. What is your biggest turn on? A smart woman. If she's not around, Angela Stone. Would you rather perfer be stabbed by a knife or a sword? I'd rather run razor blades over my lips, what a stupid ass question! Rap or Hip-Hip? Shit, neither. They're both dreadful. What motivates you? What other people think. When will you be in Chicago next? When the Cubs win or Lou Piniella strokes out. What is love? A rush, a high. A downer, a collapse. You hope to take the best of the two extremes and make it work. Jeans or shorts? Shorts in summer. Jeans with a blazer, white shirt and tie. Are you a good friend or not ? Yes. But very selective. I just don't pick any asshole. Do you sometimes wish you were a porn star? Only when I see Angela Stone. how many people does it take to screw in a lightbulb? I hire one guy. Biggest turnoff in the oppisite sex? Loud, chatty broads who say "hon", "you go girl" and "awesome". Do you have to go to the bathroom? No. Do you? It's down the hall. do you currently like anyone? Nobody. If you look at the color blue, what does it make you think of? Sky. What is the meaning of life? You're born, you die, and try your best in between. Favorite perfume? Coco Mademoiselle Do you like thunderstorms? No. What would you do if this interview is never ending? Keep going. I love to talk about myself. What is your favorite grocery store? A few. I like 'em all. They have to be well lit. Orlando bloom or Johnny depp? Johnny. What do you think they eat in heaven? I just had a dirty thought. Do you drink coffee? No. Do you like to bake/cook? Cook. Everything I bake, even with a mix, turns out flat. Do you believe in ghosts? No. Winter or summer? Summer. If you could pick anyone dead or alive to have lunch with, who would it be? Babe Ruth (he'd love Abe's) Hubert Humphrey, Ralph Abernathy, Duke Ellington, Richard Nixon, John Chancellor, Bill Clinton and Angela Stone. Do you have any piercings/tatoos? Shit no. What kind of car do you drive? Chrysler convertible. What are your "comfy clothes"? Boxers, football jersey, or tee shirt. Shorts when I'm outside. Don't want to get arrested with just the boxers on. if you were one of the seven dwarfs, who would you be? Grumpy. Is there a sexy? Do you believe in heaven and hell? I don't think there's a hell, hope there's a heaven. I mean what a waste if there's not. Rolling Stones or Beatles? Beatles. What colour are your eyes? Brown. What sort of character would you play in a comic book (hero, humorous sidekick, villian, that abrasive newspaper guy, etc.)? Abrasive newspaper guy. Coke or Pepsi? Coke. If you were on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition; what kind of room would you ask for? Don't know. If you were one word, what word would you be? Amazing. What is the name of your truest friend??? Frank, David, Jim, Dana. If you could time travel, what would be your first stop? Mideast. First century. I'd want to hang with J.C. for a while. What is your natural hair color? Brown. How many people are in your family? Hundreds. Favorite Rapper? C'mon!!!!!! Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt? Neither. I'd want to look like Paul McCartney. Whats the First Thing You Notice In A Boy/Girl? Eyes. Face. What language would you like to speak fluently? Spanish. Yiddish. Italian. Desktop or Laptop? Desktop. Whats your favorite sport? Baseball. Are you in love? Yes. How many kids (or any at all) would you want to have? None. Chocolate or other candy? Chocolate. Sour or sweet candy? Sweet. Favorite hot drink? Hot chocolate. Got me through chemo. City or the suburbs? City. What is your dream job? Writer. Author. What religion did you choose to follow? Roman Catholic. Performing Arts, Fine Arts, or Sports? All three. Riding horses or riding dolphins? Neither. Are you fed up of all these questions? Nope. Do you believe a good life is attainable? or is it something that is out of our control ie subject to luck etc. Luck. Totally out of our control. And if we think we are in control, we're foolish. What came first, the chicken or the egg? Neither. It was the bacon. What is your favorite color? Black. Then Navy. How much wood could a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood? Stop!!! We aren't in grade school anymore. Beach or mountain? Beach. left handed or right handed? Left. Why are you taking this interview? I love to talk about myself!!!!! who do you count on when feeling down? Myself. No one can really get you out of a rut except your own sorry ass self. do you plan in advance? Like a lunatic. What attracts you most? Brains. Personality. Do you feel comfortable showing PDA in pubic? Yes. How many hobbies do you have? I write. I used to play tennis but not anymore. I guess a hobby is answering questions like these. Close your eyes for a moment, who pops into your head? Geena Davis. Do you say "I love you" in the relationship? Constantly. Aliens have landed and selected you to visit their home planet. Do you go with them? Shit yeah. Don't forget, I live in Pennsylvania. Describe your perfect Sunday morning? Watching Meet the Press while eating scrambled eggs and drinking Tab with a nice summer breeze blowing in. If you could be successful at any job in the world, what would that job be? Politician. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? Jamaica. If you could be someone else for a day, who would it be? Babe Ruth. If you have friends coming for supper what would you cook? Pasta. What is your favourite word? You don't want to go there. What makes you cry? Movies. What makes you laugh? People. If you were an animal in the wild, what would you be? My dog. He has it better than me somedays. If you won the lottery, how would you spend your millions? Charity. If you could travel back in time, what mistake(s) would you want to correct? My career path. Do you believe that the cup is half empty or half full? Full. Who was your hero as a child? Hubert Humphrey, John Kennedy, Bart Starr and Art Mahaffey. What do you do for fun? Top the pop on my car, cruise while listening to music. Write. Watch baseball. Watching Maria Sharipova play tennis. Are you an outdoor or an indoor person? Summer out: Winter: In. If you had only six months to live, what would you do first? Panic!!!!! What 3 words would your best friend use to describe you? Funny. Smart. Revengeful. Where do you see yourself in five years? Alive I hope. What are you most proud of in your life? I have survived my mistakes. Do you own any pets, and if so what do you have? A dog. Westhighland terrier. McKinley. Who do you admire most? My parents. Do you have any tattoos, and if so what and where? Jesus, no! When do you plan on getting married? I am. I'd be in the gutter without her. Get the number or give the number? Give. I've always been worth chasing. Romance or Kinky? Both. How do you feel? Great. What size shoes do you wear? 10. Water or 100% Juice? Water. Would you rather be hot or cold? Hot. Would you rather lose an arm or a leg? Neither. Favorite Place to Eat? Across from a beautiful woman. Opera, Musical, Concert, Play, Performance, or Other? Concert. What is your favorite clothing brand? Tie: Ralph Lauren's Polo and Donna Karan's DKNY. If you had to pick one car, which would it be? Convertible. 1958 BelAir Chevrolet. Your favorite Disney Films? That Jiminney Cricket film too. 101 Dalmations. Both versions. Why did the chicken cross the road? To get away from the women on "The View". What was your last thought? I better answer the last question saying the milk was skim. Juice and crackers or milk and cookies? Milk (skim) and cookies. Favorite fruit? Northwest Cheries. Plums. Watermelon. Are you a cat or a dog person? Dog. Hate cats. Would you rather be blind or deaf? I'm blind in one eye. Neither. Define yourself in 3 words... Generous. Loving. Revengeful. Do you eat cold cereal at night? Yes. Part of my ass backwards lifestyle. What is your favorite TV show? In Plain Sight. Love Mary McCormick. She's the type of woman who could kick my ass and boss me around. With her, I'd enjoy it. Kill the spider or let it out? Kill it. Do you shower every single day? Yes. Walking past a beggar, spare change or ignore? A dollar bill if I have one on me. Where do you want to travel next? Back to Jamaica. What would you do if Michael Jackson asked you out? Go to a tanning booth, get bronzed just to make him uncomfortable. And of course, refuse to go anywhere with him. What is your favorite food? Pizza. Do you read harry potter books? Jesus, no. What is your favorite place? My bed. If you could have one super human power what would you choose? Picking correct lotto numbers. Have you had a beer in the last week? No. Have 2 a year. Vitamin Water or Gatorade? Neither. TAB, Coke Classic or Diet Peach Snapple or Aquafina. Flip flops or sandles? Neither. What do you do on fridays? Enjoy the day like any other one. What is your favorite song of all time? "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow", The Shirelles. Do you like bananas? Yes.

2009-01-31T23:11:00.001-08:00

PHOTO INDEX: COVER FROM THE BOOK, "A RADIO STORY".

EXCERPT

The following is an excerpt from the book "A Radio Story". The chapter tells the story of a Super Bowl party hosted by a local family connected with the radio station the main character Jake Yanick worked at.

2008-10-09T17:25:00.000-07:00

2008-08-22T17:26:00.000-07:00

PHOTO INDEX: TOP ROW: JERRY "CRANBERRY" GILROY, CHIEF ANNOUNCER, JOHN FRED, "FRANTIC FREDDIE" AND THE BAILEY QUARTERS OF HER ERA, KAREN GLUSKI, TRAFFIC. SECOND ROW: PAUL GRIMES, "THE FATCAT OF RECORDLAND," GM AL CASTELLI AND RICK SHANNON, LISTED AS OFFICE MANAGER BUT REALLY PROGRAM DIRECTOR. THIRD ROW: WPTS LOGO. PICTURES FROM MARCH 1970 AD IN WYOMING VALLEY OBSERVER.

2007-02-21T13:38:00.000-08:00

26 RULES OF LIFE TO BE

FEATURED ON SATURDAY

NIGHT LIVE AT THE OLDIES!

Tune in this Saturday night,

Feb. 24th, at 9PM when we

are featured on KRZ FM's

"SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

AT THE OLDIES" with Shadoe Steele. His show airs 7PM to midnight and the 26 Rules project will be presented

at 9PM. TUNE IN and hear a

very interesting interview on

our latest endeavor.

2007-02-19T17:37:00.000-08:00

TUNE IN TUESDAY FEB. 20th AT 10AM WHEN SUE HENRY OF WILK RADIO HOSTS DAVID YONKI, AUTHOR OF THE 26 RULES OF LIFE!

2007-02-17T09:23:00.000-08:00

PHOTO INDEX: COVER OF NEW BOOK, "THE 26 RULES OF LIFE" NOW ON SALE AT BARNES AND NOBLE, ARENA HUB PLAZA AND DOWNTOWN WILKES BARRE,TUDOR BOOK STORE, KINGSTON AND AT ALUBIRP54@AOL.COM. LIVING BY THE RULES Everywhere you look, some famous person or personality tries to tell you how to live your life. Donald Trump has a “Get Rich” set of maxims out as well as Oprah, Doctor Phil and even cooking diva Rachael Ray looking out for us. But what is a “regular guy” put down on paper his philosophy of life, his rules. Would you listen? Would you buy what was written on his stone tablets? David Yonki, Author of “The 26 Rules of Life” (“Leges Vitae”) hopes you do. Yonki, who has one big literary project under his belt, last year’s funny novel “A Radio Story/We Wish You Well In Your Future Endeavors” is back again but this time with a short little book on his philosophy of life. The book is compiled in countdown style, with rule number 26 starting the book and the rest of the topics winding down until you reach number one. The topics are slices of life from Yonki’s well traveled existence and career right here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The writing is an extension of his disability from a car accident that has given the once physically active sports enthusiast a new calling. The concept of the rules started naturally enough in a workplace environment some ten years ago. “I never knew I was such an observer of human behavior until I began to reflect on the many jobs I’ve had in my life and the people I met along the way,” said Yonki. “Everybody has a story, but they don’t have an ability to tell it, hopefully with this book and the small vignettes I’ve compiled, I can communicate to people that the real stories in this world are the ones about the little guys and gals struggling to live their life. What they have to say and teach us is open to every one of us. But the key point is we’ve got to listen.” In one of the stories, Yonki tells of his days as a cab driver and the night he picked up two mentally challenged men who had just lost their caregiver mother. It is a poignant telling of a tale that reveals what is truly important in life. Other chapters deal with bosses, religion, relationships and love. “Yep” laughed Yonki, “I had to throw the biggies in there, love, religion, work, all those things. But I wrote about them from a pretty non traditional view. People may agree, disagree, like or dislike, but that’s what I was aiming for. These rules are mine, but they are certainly open to discussion, interpretation and even ridicule if need be”. The 26 Rules of Life began as a project after 911 when Yonki began e mailing a collogue in Salisbury Maryland about his take on things big and small. It was suggested to him that he began to write his pearls of wisdom down and compile them as a teaching guide for other human beings. “That suggestion came from someone who obviously overestimated my talent and ability to sway people,” continued Yonki. “But the recommendation that I put down on paper my rules of life was a pretty good one. I mean we both decided that the only difference between me and Doctor Phil was only twenty million dollars!” Well, the book’s cost is nowhere near twenty million dollars. As a matter of fact, the book costs under $6.00 and is available at Barnes and Noble at the Arena Hub Plaza and Downtown Wilkes Barre and the Tudor Book Store in Kingston. “You could pay more for a pizza, an 8 pack of Coors Lite or a pound of good provolone cheese” chuckled the author. Yonki will be signing copies of “The 26 Rules of Life” on Saturday, Feb. 24th from 2 to 4PM at Barnes and Noble, Arena Hub Plaza, Wilkes Barre. In addition to his publication of books, Yonki is also the author of the highly successful and well read political blog that covers politics in northeastern Pennsylvania, “The LuLac Political Letter”. Yonki can be reached via e mail from his publisher at ALUBIRP54@AOL.COM

2006-09-24T22:23:00.000-07:00

TUNE IN THURSDAY, SEPT. 28th at 5:30PM on Service Electric Channel 21 when L.A. Tarone interviews me on "A Radio Story" as well as my other literary endeavors!!!!!

2006-08-14T18:36:00.000-07:00

WARM'S TERRY McNULTY, MEMBER OF WARM SENSATIONAL SEVEN/VETERAN NEWSMAN AND DRUMMER EXTRAORDINAIRE DIES....Terry McNulty died on August 11th and left a legion of fans who grew up with him through the years. I began listening to McNulty as a boy when I'd sneak the battery operated transistor under the covers to hear him play the top hits. My wife also was a fan of his and thoroughly enjoyed his sense of humor. We have had the opportunity to travel and meet many newsmakers and celebrities but the only person she ever wanted her picture taken with was Terry McNulty. My interactions with McNulty as an adult came when I worked in a variety of public relations positions. In 1987, McNulty was broadcasting live on WARM from the Cherry Blossom Festival (when it was a real festival) and my wife had this picture taken with him. It has hung in her office for many years. From left to right, Mary Ann Yonki, the ubiquitous pineapple, "The Big Fella" and Mary Carrano, my wife's best friend. In 2004 we both saw Terry at the Stadium and he heard I was writing a novel on broadcasting. I told him I'd put him in it. He collapsed into a seat and said, "Oh Lord, don't put me in there, we'll both get run out of town!!" I did anyway and we didn't. AN EXCERPT FROM "A RADIO STORY/We Wish You Well In Your Future Endeavors". Out of work for 4 months, she accepted an interview with Fortress Broadcasting to do a live call in talk show. The time started to drag on and she looked at herself in a mirror that was part of the front desk scenery. Her milk white skin had few wrinkles and her auburn hair had no hints of gray. She wondered to herself if, at the age of 48 she could still turn a head. Just then she heard a loud commotion and saw a short man with a large pompadour hairdo entering the front office lugging a watermelon and being trailed by a chimp dressed as a soda jerk. She silently thanked God she never took drugs because if she had, she might see things like this every day.“ Well hello there” said the man bouncing back and forth on his heels to make himself appear taller to her. “I’m Johnny Walker, the greatest radio sales rep in the country. I used to be Little Johnny Walker, the greatest nighttime personality in the history of radio. Perhaps you’ve heard of me”, he continued. “No” she simply said. “Oh come on, I had Little Jonathan’s House of Music, the Johnny Walker fifth of great liquefying and electrifying music” he proudly told her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t grow up here………I came from” Before she could finish, Little Johnny Walker had an epiphany. “Hold it, you’re Coral Rock, how can I miss that. You were here for four tours and we never met?” he asked. “I worked nights “she told him. “Well. If there is anything I can do to help you, after all, I’ve been here 36 years, I know where all the bodies are buried and can be of immeasurable help” he said in a low, sexy, radio voice that she imagined drove the teenyboppers wild in a bygone day. In a former time and place, she would have crushed someone like Little Johnny Walker but she found him oddly charming and somewhat sincere in a clumsy sort of way. “I do have a question Johnny, what’s with the watermelon and the chimp?” she asked. “It’s Wednesday and on Wednesday, Tommy McMurtry passes the watermelon around the studio for the guests. He cuts the watermelon in half and has each person in the studio pull out a piece with an ice cream scoop. It lasts about 5 minutes, a lot of local dignitaries come and go to be on the Watermelon feature”, said Johnny. “Where are they?” she wanted to know. “Oh, they’re here” he intoned seriously. “And the chimp?” she asked. “The chimp is part of a sponsor promotion we’re doing with Goodness Golden Ice Cream. We are going to have the chimp pass out ice cream and the flavor is unique. This is a heavily Polish area and the sponsor is calling the new pieroagie ice cream, HUNKY MONKEY ice cream and Tommy is going to interview the chimp” Johnny said with excitement. “I’m thinking there are all kinds of health issues, ethnic slurs and animal rights questions all wrapped up into this promotion, don’t you think?”Coral said voicing her concern. “Nah,” said Johnny, “This will be smooth as glass…… ……with class”. Just then Tommy McMurtry stepped out of the studio belting out the opening lines to musical “West Side Story.” The booming singing voice did not fit with the slight, handsome older man with red hair and a mustache. “Hello” he said and beckoned Little Johnny into the studio. Coral walked over to the speaker and tuned in 1050 Radio to hear this deal. Whether she got the job or not, at least she’d have a story to dine out on. A Salsa version of “Tea for Two” began to play as the distinctive voice of Tommy McMurtry began to boom through the speaker. A much respected radio newsman in his day, McMurtry’s reputation in the business was solid. He had been the first radio voice to report on the death of John Kennedy in this part of the world and was offered a position as a network night time newscaster but turned it down to be with his wife and kids. For the last 10 years he hosted the morning show, a show she would most likely follow if she were hired. Losing herself in thought, she didn’t notice Hugh Hammerstock, the tall, handsome Kevin Costner look-a-like Nebraska transplant who oversaw the Fortress stations on the east coast. . “Coral, hi, I see you’re tuning in to Tommy’s show, great stuff. Hey are we keeping a lid on this or what, sneaking you in early in the AM, getting a jump on the competition. If you accept our terms, we’ll surprise the crap out of everyone in the market bringing you back” he said with a smile that reeked of insincerity. “Well, let’s hear what you have to say to me”, she replied. “Cool, but let’s finish listening to McMurtry, this is a gas” he said as he turned up the speaker. McMurtry was going through the watermelon distribution, naming state senators, a hot dog vendor, a judge and a local Mayor. It was a typical McMurtry bit. Then it happened. “Oh yes folksie wolksies, here we are passing the watermelon and going in for a big piece of the red stuff without the pits, putting her hand around the watermelon rind is none other than the former tennis pro, former newscaster, who was taking a load off in our lobby this morning, Ms. Coral Rock. Go ahead Coral, grab that piece without the pits and just let that cool fruit touch that beautiful mouth” McMurtry broadcast. “Those fucking idiots” yelled Hammerstock loping down the hall. “They blew your cover, all my secrecy, all my hard work” he continued. Just then Little Johnny Walker was exiting the men’s room with the chimp in tow. “You, it was you, you little shit ass, get the fuck out of here with that chimp, you and McMutry blew our cover” yelled Hugh, veins popping in his neck. “We didn’t blow anyone yet” said JohnnyWalker “but the day is still new and we are after all in sales!” Hammerstock then reared back and began chasing radio legend Little Johnny Walker and the chimp down the hall around the “u” shaped offices. Dressed in her signature white tee shirt that accentuated her still perky breasts, light blue jeans weathered boots and navy blazer she she wondered aloud what other interesting characters there would be. Looking up, she saw Jake Yanick’s broad shoulders as he entered the radio station. “How’s it going?” nodded Jake who smiled and winked. “Okay, and you?” she asked. Walking down the hall, Jake called after her, “My father used to say that when your feet hit the floor in the morning, then there’s absolutely nothing to complain about, do you agree?” Coral laughing out loud said, “Uh huh, I agree”. Jake stopped in his tracks, turned around and said, “From what I heard about you, this is going to be the last time that will happen”. Coral Rock responded to him by doing something she hadn’t done in years, giggle like a schoolgirl.

2006-08-01T09:26:00.000-07:00

FRIENDS AND FANS!!!!!!!!

2006-06-17T05:09:00.000-07:00

"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/.

2006-06-13T09:18:00.000-07:00

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.

2006-06-07T05:18:00.000-07:00

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".

2006-06-06T19:28:00.000-07:00

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

2006-06-06T19:25:00.000-07:00

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.

2006-06-06T19:19:00.000-07:00

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.

2006-06-06T19:15:00.000-07:00

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 ]

2006-06-06T09:46:00.000-07:00

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.

2006-06-05T06:36:00.000-07:00

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.

2006-06-04T04:42:00.000-07:00

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.

2006-06-01T10:41:00.000-07:00

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.

2006-05-31T22:35:00.000-07:00

"MAKE UP!!!! MAKE UP"!!!! I'm so bad looking, I needed two hair stylists to make my melon look passible in the publicity photos we used for the book. Nancy Naegele on the left is from Scranton, Shannon Parchinsky from Archbald were both students at Empire Beauty School in Moosic. They took great pains to bring out the metrosexual in me and my "do".

2006-05-31T18:35:00.000-07:00

THIS IS ME AT A BOOK SIGNING AT BARNES AND NOBLE LAST SUMMER. I WORE A CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE HAT AS A FAVOR TO A PERSON I KNOW WHO WORKS AT CARNIVAL. ACTUALLY, TRUTH BE TOLD, I'LL DO ANYTHING FOR A FREE HAT!!!!!

2006-05-31T18:24:00.000-07:00

My name is David Yonki and I write books. Actually, I never used to write novels until I was in a bad auto accident in 1999. Since then, I have used my time in pain to take my mind off of the incident. I also don't take pain killing drugs so when it gets really hairy, I begin to write. My first book was "A Radio Story/We Wish You Well In Your Future Endeavors". It is a story about a radio sales rep with dual loves of radio and women. It is on sale at Barnes and Noble, the Tudor Book Shop in Kingston, Pa. and on the internet at ALUBIRP54@AOL.COM. The price: $14.95. Photos and stories about my writing will be on this blog. Enjoy!!!! Sincerely, David Yonki "AUTHOR"