New chapter in life leads local man to publish book

ASHLAND, Ore. —What started as a short story for a writing group, has become a newly published book at your local book store. One Ashland man says it’s never too late, to try something new.

You’re never too old to live out your dreams. That’s the mantra 77-year-old, Rick Bleiweiss lives by.

“If had just said, I’m too old nothing can happen to me, nothing would have happened for me,” said Bleiweiss.

Starting at age 12, Bleiweiss published everything from a sports newspaper to plays, film scripts, and even a science fiction rock opera in New York. He was also in the music industry, producing over 50 records, adding a  Grammy nomination to his resume, alongside some superstars. After retiring, he moved to Ashland with his wife, nearly 20 years ago.

“My next-door neighbor was in a writing group, and she knew I had written some newspaper articles and columns, and said why don’t you join the group start writing fiction, and I joined and this book came out of that,” said Bleiweiss.

Blyweiss has written other short stories, ad a handful of novels that never saw the light of day. Fast forward 7 years later, the Ashland resident recently published his first historical fiction mystery novel, “Pignon Scorbion and the Barbershop Detectives.”

“People will find good mysteries, characters they enjoy, and a good laugh along with a good who done it,” said Bleiweiss.

And it’s taken off from there, he’s done a multi-book deal with Blackstone Publishing. He just finished writing the second book in the series. He says a UK company is looking to make it into a TV show or movie, and it even has its own video game!

His message to his readers, “I’ve spent my entire life chasing the pot of gold at the end of rainbows if there are rainbows and pots of gold that you find appealing, go chase them,” said Bleiweiss.

You can find your copy of the book online, and at local stores like Barnes and Noble, Bloomsbury Books, and Canvasback Books.

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Jenna King is the 6pm and 11pm anchor for NBC5 News. Jenna is a Burbank, CA native. She graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Sports Business. During her time at Oregon she was part of the student-run television station, Duck TV. She also grew her passion for sports through her internship with the PAC 12 Network. When Jenna is not in the newsroom you can find her rooting for her hometown Dodgers, exploring the outdoors or binging on the latest Netflix release.
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