Enjoy four fun conversations about the wonderful world of authorship. Episode 12 is my favorite. Also be sure to subscribe to the Ready, Set, Write podcast on iTunes.
Start the New Year off right with literacy and games of chance. Enter for your chance to win a free ebook of the exciting debut mystery novel The Land of Look Behind. Your friends will be so jealous. Plus you get to follow an author on Amazon. #winning
See this #AmazonGiveaway for a chance to win: The Land of Look Behind (Kindle Edition). https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/
I’m not a movie critic I’m a storyteller and I love a good story well told. Yesterday I gained a new appreciation for a storyteller I have long admired. J.K Rowling returned to the world she created and brought us back into the secret society of witches and wizards with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
A couple of things struck me about this story. First, it was immediately familiar and welcomed you right in like we’d never been gone. And second, this story was set so far apart from the Harry Potter story where someone with no context to her original series could enjoy this world for all its wonder and not feel completely lost.
Rowling set her latest story seventy years and an ocean apart from 4 Privet Drive and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and yet from the opening scene you knew you were right back in the magical world of wands and sorcery. In the medium of film, a writer is not alone in the task of telling their story and in many ways relies on the director to bring the story to life. David Yates is well acquainted with the Harry Potter universe having directed the final four films and he did not miss a beat bringing us to 1920’s New York where magical society facing its own set of challenges with the No-Maj population.
This was just one small way in which Rowling beautifully distinguished both the time period and cultures from one another. Wizards and witches in the United States in the 20th century called non-magical folks No-Maj as opposed to Muggles. This was introduced and explained early on in the story as Newt Scamander stepped off the boat from England and signaled to the audience that things weren’t going to be what they were used to. Certainly we were treated to familiar spells and names, like Albus Dumbledore, but much of the setting and tone was different from what we experienced in our first introduction to the magical world through the eyes of the boy who lived.
Although New Scamander was an established Wizard he was more than a little out of place in the society and culture of New York. This was a perfect way for Rowling to expand her universe as we could travel with Scamander and leave a world we knew for a different place and time, both we and Scamander could share a frame of reference and experience the new world together.
For those who had never before visited Rowling’s magical universe, presumably due to them either being too cool for what they deemed to be a children’s story or having been in a coma for the past twenty years, they also had a character who journeyed with them in the No-Maj aspiring baker Jacob Kowalski. This is where Rowling gave us something we never had before, an uninitiated character with no magical connection. Jacob’s reaction to this stunning revelation of the existence of magic was highly entertaining and although he took most of them in stride we were able to get a different perspective that was refreshing and new.
Speaking of different perspectives, this story was centered around adult characters with adult problems and concerns, which set an entirely different tone from Harry Potter. Not only did we have Scamander and Kowalski trying to navigate a foreign environment but we were introduced to the recently demoted Auror Tina Goldstein who had her own set of problems seeking to redeem herself with the Magical Congress. This was a far cry from children playing Quidditch, sneaking to Hogsmeade, and preparing for exams.
Finally, there was no prophetic child or You Know Who but we did have reference to a dark wizard, Gellert Grindelwald, who we learned about in the Deathly Hallows and a nice Easter Egg to that story along the way, yet another example of the something familiar yet new in this fantastic story [pun intended].
In closing I would like to give one last tip of my hat to Rowling and Yates not only as collective storytellers but for their individual accomplishments within the film. First, Rowling introduced a mystery right from the beginning of a powerful unseen force and those that pursued it. This mystery was slowly unfolded throughout the story in a masterful way and the ramifications were far more complicated and tragic than the physical destruction it wreaked. Second, Yates got top notch performances out of a tremendous cast led by the Academy Award winning Eddie Redmayne. I felt like the character portrayals and interactions were pitch perfect which was highlighted by the final interaction between Scamander and Goldstein. This punctuated the story beautifully and sent my anticipation for what is to come through the theater roof.
Whether you are a fan of the Harry Potter series or just waking up from your decade’s long coma, you should treat yourself to this new adventure and a story well told.
It’s that time of year again where we turn our collective thoughts to the things we are grateful for. That got me thinking about the things we should be more thankful for. We live in a miraculous world full of crazy cool things and it’s easy to overlook just how fortunate we are. With that said I submit, for your consideration and in no particular order, 5 things we should be more grateful for.
You may have never given consideration to the aglet or you might not even know what it is, but I promise you that you would be filled with a profound appreciation and gratitude for the unsung hero of your high-tops if it were not a thing. I’ll give you a moment to Google “aglet” … [Jeopardy theme music] … [check my watch] … [remember that I don’t wear a watch] …and your back. See?! The AGLET! Imagine trying to lace up a new pair of sneakers with a limp nylon string. It would be maddening. Now every day you tie your shoes be sure to give thanks for this tiny plastic hero.
Here’s another topic you may not have given proper consideration. Go ahead and stroll on over to the sink and turn the nozzle or lift the lever.
Did you do it? Why not? Is it because you already know that clear, cool, life giving water will immediately come pouring out at a pressure you can regulate at will? Yeah, now think about that for a second. Where does it come from, how does it get there, who makes sure it’s clean and what would you do if it all stopped? Are you frightened yet? Well then you should probably throw up a prayer or two of thanks to whatever God you worship for the invisible forces that afford you such an essential luxury; you know the one that allows you to clean, wash, cook, drink and LIVE!
I won’t even get into hot water which is a beautiful flower of goodness itself. I took cold showers for two years as a missionary in Jamaica and felt a bit like John Rambo in the shower stalls of the Hope Washington Police Station most mornings, but at least the water flowed and I didn’t have to worry about diphtheria.
I’m not even talking about smart phones. I’m talking straight up about the ability to take a device out of your pocket and speak to somebody through a device in their pocket or a phone in their home.
Some of you may be too young to remember when you had to make plans with someone before you left your house, at which point you were entirely beholden to those plans and at the mercy of the dependability, punctuality and/or commitment of said someone. It was a ball of anxiety wrapped in uncertainty. Are your friends still going to meet up for dinner? Is your mom going to pick you up from the mall? Has the world come to an end and no one is coming to your Jean-Claude Van Damme movie marathon? You don’t know! You just have to sit there and wait like a pathetic loser. It was a nightmare.
Certainly there’s a life sustaining value to clothing, in some cases, and although I’m not a fashion expert there can be applications that allow for an expression of either unity or individuality. However, on a day to day basis, are we thankful enough that clothes are covering up a whole lot of nakedness? While there are certainly cases where humanity would not raise a cry of objection or call for a public covering, by and large (and I mean LARGE) the majority of bodies, including my own, ought to be shrouded in as much cotton/poly mystery as possible. There are some sights that can’t be unseen and while beauty may only be skin deep, my love handles need a t-shirt.
Try and go a week without sitting in a chair, try it for a day. And it’s cheating to just stay in bed or lay on the sofa. I mean go and live your life and look at how many chairs you encounter and how much better your life is for it. Sit down for dinner. Chair. Wait in a doctor’s office. Chair. Go to school. Chair. Work on the computer. Chair.
Have you ever been camping and not brought a chair? The first thing you do right after building a shelter and prepping a fire pit is try and fashion a makeshift chair from a rock, a stump, or your least favorite child; anything but sitting on the ground like an animal. Even worse when you show up to your child’s soccer game without a chair and have to shamefully sit/squat in the damp grass or steal the corner of some strange toddler’s blanket while he eyeballs you. It’s called sharing Evan, it won’t kill you! Just go back to playing with your T-rex and Hot Wheels car, like that even makes sense. You’re not better than me.
Where was I? Oh right. Chairs.
There are few things as sweet as resting your weary bones on a good old fashion chair with a back. Much is made of how the wheel accelerated the human race out of a primal age, but I’ll bet you fifty bucks that long before Neanderthals turned their robust craniums to the wheel they had already invented the chair.
So when you pause to express thanks for the many blessings in your life take a look around and you might be surprised with just how many reasons you have to be grateful.
I am thrilled to invite you to The Unsaid Launch Party. Come celebrate with me and get a signed copy of my latest novel. The party begins at 4pm on Saturday October 15, 2016 hosted by Barnes & Noble at San Tan Village Parkway.
The Unsaid is a unique love story with heart and humor that deals with choice, hope, love, courage and the crazy things we think but do not say.
“Maggie, a heavenly curator of unspoken thoughts, is content to do her job while she waits for her turn in mortality. When Eric, her beholden, shows interest in the new girl at work, Maggie’s curiosity for the wonders of love and life cause her to forsake the rules in search of answers. But meddling in mortal affairs has consequences that Maggie could never have imagined…”
Mark your calendar, invite all your family and friends, and join us for fun, food and literature.
I was thrilled to get to speak with the Southeast Region Library’s Mystery Discussion group about The Land of Look Behind. I attempted to stream the event on Facebook Live with a few hiccups but here is the video from our discussion. Thank you again to all who came and watch online.
I am thrilled to be meeting with the Maricopa County Southeast Regional Library Mystery Book Discussion Group, Thursday August 11, 2016 at 7PM. Please come and join me for a fun time and an exciting and illuminating discussion about The Land of Look Behind. Register below (it’s FREE!). Please and thank you.
Chances are if you’re reading this you are A) my mother or B) an author interested in having a successful book signing. To the former I say, “Mom, you can stop reading. Also, your chocolate chip muffins were on point as usual.” To the latter, I hope you find this an informative and valuable use of your precious “non-writing” time.
Before I get into the details I’ve got to cover one critically important thing. You have to forget that you are an author and this is your book baby that you spent months and years birthing into the wide world of publishing. You are and it is, but nobody cares. At a book signing, especially for first time or little known authors, you are a salesman and your book is your product. I’ll give you a moment to let the bile settle back into your stomach. Ready? Is it okay to continue? Good. In a bookstore at a book signing you have an amazing chance to reach real live readers and let them know about your book; the more you embrace that the more successful you will be. Think of yourself as a glorified sign spinner pointing the way to an amazing story you want to share. Are you going to be okay? Suppress the gag. Suppress it. It’ll be fine. You’ll be all right. There you go. Shall I proceed? Okay then.
Here are ten things I learned on my very first book tour (because everybody loves a top ten).
Have something to say. This is crucial. You can knock 1-5 out of the park but it’s all for naught if you can’t briefly and succinctly describe your story/characters to them. Thankfully I learned this lesson beforehand. I was having lunch with a fellow author, Randy Lindsay, and he asked me to tell him about my book. I fumbled and stammered and started rambling about backstories and setup and I watched as his eyes glazed over. He then told me I needed to come up with a pitch. Not a synopsis or a book report but a short pitch that would give readers a taste of what to expect and a reason to care. It’s important that this isn’t overly complicated. You know your story is good and hopefully they’ll find out but when they stop and ask “What’s your book about?” they are really asking “Why should I care?”
So that’s it. You do those ten things and you just had a successful book signing regardless of how many books you signed. You’re welcome.
After a truly beautiful evening with friends and family at The Land of Look Behind launch party I struck out into the cold world, armed with my poster and some business cards on a local book tour to promote my book to the masses.
I had no idea if any among the throngs of strangers would be interested in my book and feared they might even be annoyed by my presence. To my great joy and surprise I started off with a bang and a sell out at Costco in Gilbert.
Then I got really nervous at the thought of following that up. I had to wait nearly a week for my next signing and in the days between I reset my own personal bar back to “Just not zero”. If I could sign just one copy then I’d be happy. Well the day came and I walked into my local B&N to find a table with my book and a picture of myself. Kirsten, the wonderful CRM, set me up with a drink and wished me luck.
I stood at the front of the store and smiled at everyone who entered until at last someone thought my book sounded interesting and I avoided the shut out. A few friends even dropped by for me to sign their pre-purchased copies. Before the evening was through I had hit double digits and only five copies were left.
I signed the remaining copies, breathed a sigh of relief, and returned home to wait another long week till the next signing.
Back at Costco, this time in Mesa, I found a very busy and crowded super store filled with a hurried and bustling Friday afternoon crowd and began to doubt again if anyone’s interest would be piqued by my presence. I was setup with a table near the books and left alone again.
“Just not zero” was quickly dispelled as several customers slowed in front of my sign and asked about my story. Copy after copy vanished and before I knew it two hours had passed and I had to run to a Live Q&A with Jorie Loves a Story.
After a good night’s sleep I awoke to a new day and another signing at Barnes & Noble. This time it was a marathon five hour schedule.
I arrived at the store and rode the escalator to the top where I was greeted by a table full of books and my own face smiling back at me. With several signings under my belt I thought I knew what to expect and was confident I could exceed my low bar of “Just not zero” but tucked between cookbooks and health & fitness I wasn’t sure how many people would stop and talk to a novice novelist.
I was thrilled as person after person ascended the moving staircase and smiled warmly at the nervous author behind his mystery laden table. Some good friends stopped by too which made the day all the more memorable. Just a few hours in and I was down to my last copy.
Before Masha, another wonderful CRM, could even get downstairs to make the announcement that I had just one copy left I had sold out.
As I was tweeting the wonderful news I even had a good friend of mine appear at the top of the escalator who had come to get an autographed copy.
We slunk downstairs for a clandestine signing, where I kept a couple of extra copies in the trunk for just such an occasion. So pretty much I’m calling it a sell out +1. All and all it was a successful first leg of my book tour and believe it or not I’m looking forward to doing it again. #JustNotZero
