Meet Denny Dressman of ComServ Books

Today we’d like to introduce you to Denny Dressman.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Denny. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
When I was in the eighth grade, I wanted to be a meteorologist. I had a home weather station and even spent an afternoon visiting the top television weatherman in Cincinnati, Tony Sands. But when I got to high school and took physics, I quickly realized my weather forecasting days were numbered. By my junior year, I was writing for the school newspaper and yearbook and was my school’s correspondent to the local newspaper. That hooked me on writing and newspapering. I was co-editor of the school paper during my senior year and started my writing and newspaper career weeks after graduating from high school.

My first job was at a local weekly, The Dixie News, writing sports and learning to shoot and print photographs. From there, I became a copy boy at The Cincinnati Enquirer, and a few months later, the paper for which I had been my high school’s correspondent offered me a job as a cub reporter.

I worked at six metro dailies (one twice) over the ensuing 42 years. Among the positions, I held were city editor at The Cincinnati Enquirer and editor of The Oakland Tribune. I retired in 2007 from the Rocky Mountain News in Denver. During 25 years there, I was executive sports editor, assistant managing editor/news, managing editor/administration, and vice president labor and human resources.

I got into newspapers because I wanted to write and report, but in the last 30 years of my career, I was in management and did not write. So when I retired, I decided I’d pick up where I left off with writing. I wrote my first book, “Gerry Faust – Notre Dame’s Man In Motion,” in 1981 while at The Cincinnati Enquirer. It would be 2005 before I wrote another. I’ve now written 11, and have edited several others–working closely with the authors in the development of seven.

Being a journalist, I am most comfortable dealing with facts. And so most of my work has been in nonfiction. I enjoy interviewing, researching, learning the history of a subject or period, then telling the story of a person or event or period.

My biography of Eddie Robinson, who coached football lat all-black Grambling in north Louisiana for 57 years from 1941 through 1997, was a finalist for the Colorado Book Award for biography. But I’m not limited to sports. I’ve written about World War II, Japanese-American Internment, a local public artist, and a horse trainer, among others.

I’m now involved in one of the most exciting projects of my life. I began working with Christopher LaGrone three years ago when a friend asked me if I’d look at the manuscript of an aspiring author. Chris had been a Border Patrol agent and had written a novel about becoming a Border Patrol agent.

 I worked with Chris for two years as his manuscript evolved into The Delta Tango Trilogy. Tragically, he died in Peru before he finished the trilogy, and I volunteered to write Book Three so that his mother, Sherryl LaGrone, could publish the trilogy as his legacy. Although I’d edited many novels in the past ten years, this was my first attempt at writing fiction since an abortive attempt almost 40 years ago.

Book One is in production now and will be available in ebook by October and in stores by January 2021. Morgan James Publishing has committed to publishing the entire trilogy.

Has it been a smooth road?
My newspaper career presented many challenges, as most careers do. Mine helped me develop the abilities I’ve applied to write and publishing books since I retired. Most of all, my wife Melanie has encouraged me to pursue my writing and has been my sounding board and first editor on all of my projects. I couldn’t have finished even one book without her help in so many ways.

I am a past president of The Denver Press Club and a member of the Club Hall of Fame. I also served as president of the Colorado Press Association, the trade organization for all of the state’s daily and weekly newspapers. I was active in the CPA for more than a decade. Both of these experiences helped me grow. And I was president of the Colorado Authors’ League for 2 1/2 years, which exposed me to many facets of publishing and enabled me to make numerous connections with other authors and creative people.

Tell us more about your work.
I formed ComServ LLC in 2005. I publish my books through the imprint ComServ Books and conduct other business activities under that business name, including editing, freelance writing and public speaking. Through The Affix Group, I regularly speak to residents of senior living communities, mostly about some of my books, but also about history from a journalistic perspective, and I conduct senior writing programs.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The significant shift has already occurred with the advent of self-publishing platforms and ebooks. There are more people writing books and more books available in more forms than ever before.

Pricing:

• Sterling Heroes of World War II $39.95 hardcover, $29.95 softcover
• Beyond The Camps – From Japanese American Internment Nightmare to ‘American Dream’ $29.95 hardcover
• From the Streets of Brookly to Trainer to the Stars – John Parisella’s Lifetime of Celebrity Connections $19.95 softcover
• EDDIE ROBINSON ‘. . . he was the Martin Luther King fo football’ $24.95 softcover
• HEARD but not SEEN – Richard Nixon, Frank Robinson and The All-Star Game’s mosst debated play $14 softcover
• Yes I Can! Yes You Can! Tackle DIABETES And Win! $16.95 softcover
• TONY PEREZ From Cuba to Cooperstown by John Erardi $24 softcover
• JACK GROUT A Legacy In Golf – Pioneer Tour Pro and Teacher to Jack Nicklaus by Dick Grout with Bill Winter $24.95 hardcover

Contact Info:

• Website: www.comservbooks.com
• Phone: 303-717-7301
• Email: info@comservbooks.com

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