My Interview with B.K. Bostick

Hello my peoples! I recently interviewed B.K. Bostick for the man cave blog and wanted you all to see it for yourself.  This guy's hilarious and you should totally check out his book(s).

Frank - So B.K. you’ve been published now and have a couple other books on the horizon. How difficult was your road to publication? And would you say you’ve finally arrived?

B.K. - The road to publication has been a long one. When I set out a few years ago writing Huber Hill and the Dead Man's Treasure, I didn't anticipate just how hard it would be to find a publisher. I thought the hard part was writing the book- turns out that was the easy part. At one point, I even threw the manuscript in the recycling bin and told myself I was finished searching for publishers, but after I'd poured my heart and soul into the project, I couldn't just give up. I decided to send it to one more publisher and they picked it up. I wouldn't say I've arrived to where I want to be as an author, but at least I've got my foot in the door.

Frank - Congratulations on being published. That’s quite an accomplishment. But the world is full of books. Sappy ones. Tender ones. Ones that make our heartstrings reverberate. What makes your book worthy of the man cave blog? Or is it worthy?

B.K. - I truly believe the book is worthy of the man cave blog- it was written by a guy for other guys. It's the kind of outdoor adventure series I loved to read and imagined myself being a part of as a kid. There are a lot of books out there, but with the Huber Hill series, I've tried to create something reminiscent of the Hardy Boys or a Jr. Davinci Code- something that kids can actually see themselves doing (and learn some history and folklore while at it).

Frank - You’ve just woken up and found yourself marooned on an island. Aside from food, shelter, and water, list your top 5 plans for survival. Oh, and there are zombies…

B.K. - Top 5 plans for survival:
a) Wipe out the zombies using tips from the Zombie Survival Guide
b) Keep one zombie chained up for company
c) Enjoy the little things like eating bugs and counting the stars
d) Make the world's biggest sand castle.
e) On second thought I'd just join the zombies.

Frank - Give us your one paragraph description of Huber Hill and the Dead Man’s Treasure. What book does it closely compare with and, more importantly, if your novel were to square off with this comparable book in a death match, which one would win?

B.K. - When his grandfather dies, Huber Hill is devastated---until he opens Grandpa Nick's mysterious box. An old gold coin and directions to a hidden Spanish treasure send him and his friends off on an mind-blowing adventure, but he's not the only one on the hunt. Filled with dangerous animals and cryptic puzzles, this book will have you on the edge of your seat until the last page. People have said it's a mix between Goonies and Holes. I think Dead Man's Treasure wins in a deathmatch with one of them but not both.

Frank - Describe your writing rituals? Are there any necessities you must have for the magic to flow? If someone were to walk in on you and surprise you while writing, would you be embarrassed about what they saw?

B.K. - Dead silence + middle of the night + Reese's & Mtn. Dew= Great writing. They'd find me in my pajamas, chocolate all over my face, and staring at them with glazed over eyes (not unlike a zombie).

Frank -  Of all the mysteries in the world, be it paranormal or alien, what creature do you secretly desire to be true? And why?

B.K. - I always thought it'd be cool to be a Predator (from the Arnold movie). Being able to go invisible and secretly target people in infrared has always appealed to me.

Frank - Here’s your chance to bring us up to speed on the future for B.K. Bostick. What does it hold? At what point will you be satisfied with your accomplishments?

B.K. - Huber Hill and the Brotherhood of Coronado will be out this fall (those who have read it have said they enjoyed it more than the first). Huber Hill and the Golden Staff of Cíbola, the third and final book of the Huber Hill series will be out in 2013 sometime. I'm very excited for both. I'm also working on a few other super secret projects that I'll hopefully finish before the next decade- here's a hint- they don't 

involve zombies or islands.

Thanks B.K. for chatting with me! 

Hashbrown's Going Overseas!

Yep. You heard me correctly. Cedar Fort just finalized the contract with a Korean publisher who bought the rights to all 3 Hashbrown Winters Adventures! There's also the 4th Hashbrown due out in November and I believe they've either bought that one as well or will in the near future.

KOREA!!!!! What does that mean? I don't know, but I'm hoping for a vacation. Come on, you know you want to see Frankie in Korea. Think of the photo opportunities!

I'm just very excited to say I'm an International Author now.

In other news, The Guardians of Elijah's Fire is now available for pre-order on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

AMAZON - The Guardians of Elijah's Fire
BARNES & NOBLE - The Guardians of Elijah's Fire

This is the sequel to The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter in case you were wondering and it will be available in bookstores some time in June. I'll keep you posted on release parties and signings and other hoopla as we draw near.

I will also be revealing the cover art soon, so stay tuned!

So, for all you folks out there who want to start reading my books. Get crackin'! Hit your local bookstore up for a copy of one the Hashbrown Winters Adventures or The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter right now!

Don't wait until the Mayan Calendar expires!!!

Back from the Dead

I didn't die really, but I suppose in the blogging world, I entered a comatose state. There are reasons for my long absence. One, I was under the gun. I had a deadline and it seriously absorbed all of my time. Secondly, it was the Christmas Holidays and there was... snow and shop...ping (imagine me stammering trying to find good excuses.) Thirdly, I must've bought and received close to twenty new DVDs. Super 8 and Captain America, and HP7, and Cowboys and Aliens, and Jane Eyre. Hold up. Scratch off that last one. Heidi received that one and I did not watch it. I promise.

This is my traditional New Years Resolution Post. I have to write them for posterity and so I can remember what I wrote and ultimately neglected to do. But don't forget, I created a new holiday a year or two ago called Resoredo Day. And that allows anyone who made a resolution and immediately tanked on following it, to redo their resolutions guilt free and start afresh. So I'm not worried.

#1 - I need to read 24 books again. I'm seriously slacking on my reading and all writers will tell you, you need to read. It's like research. Or something. 24 books and picture books don't count, unless it's The Invention of Hugo Cabret because that is more than just illustrations.

#2 - I've been losing weight! I'm cold now. All the time. It's because some of my heaviness is gone. Though I hate the fact I need to turn on the heat wherever I go and wear mittens in the restroom, I'm happy to see some thinning in my future. I'm going to try to lose some more weight. How much you ask? Why are you so rude!

#3 - Paint a landscape. I don't know why. I just want to... with some paint.

#4 - Be awesome to people. I think Bill and Ted said it best. I watched a movie recently where this totally amazing fighter had such a calm demeanor about him. He never provoked violence but could handle himself if needed. I want to be like that. So, #4.5 on this list would be to learn how to fight awesomely so that I can have a calm demeanor whenever I'm attacked. Ultimately, people are good and they deserve respect. I'm going to try to give it to them.

#5 - Be happy when people I know are successful, particularly when they receive awesome writing contracts. This is hard for me. I want an awesome contract and when other people earn awesome contracts (notice how I said "earn" because they did indeed earn them) I've always been the kid kicking dirt with my shoe saying things like, "Golly gee I wish that were me."

#6 - Never say Golly gee or kick dirt while rhyming again.

#7 - I want to write 3 novels this year. Count them 1.2.3. I've already started one which is due in May, but I also need to write 2 more. Something new. Something exciting. Something to earn me one of those awesome writing contracts. Golly g... Whoa! Close one.

#8 - This list stinks.

#9 - Use my time wisely. This will be hard. Santa brought me 2 video games for Christmas. One of them is this ridiculous game called Skyrim and I've turned into a total nerd. I won't go into the details of the game, but for those of you who have played this game, you'll understand why I constantly find myself wandering around the neighborhood checking in baskets for potatoes. How am I supposed to write three novels, read 24 books, and paint a blooming landscape if I'm spending all my time hacking dragons? You can't do it.

That's it. I know the list is only 9 items long (well technically 8 if you don't count #8 on the list... but I do), but that's all I got. I intend to revisit this list on January 22nd (Resoredo Day) and perhaps I'll add more to it. For now, Happy New Year to you my friends and may the Sugar Plum fairies forever be kind to your molars. Huh?

Oh, and Jeana, I know you already have all of my books, but you win some more! Thanks for participating!

A Score of Announcements!

I selected my favorite comment on the last post and the winner of Elliot and the Goblin Wars is.....

Ruth McNally Barshaw

E-mail me or message me on facebook with your address and I shall send you your prize. This one's a doozy!

That was fun. Now, boy do I have some awesome announcements to share with you.

#1 I've been sitting on this info for a while now. Don't know why I didn't shout it all out to the world, but here's my shout out now. The 2nd Guardians book will be in bookstores in June 2012. I've signed the contract and all is well. Of course, I don't have a title just yet, but for now we'll call it:

The Guardians of the Blue Baboons

Catchy huh? Not really going to be the title and there aren't baboons of any color in the story, but at least that will leave an impression on you.

I'm so excited to continue the story of Amber and Trendon. They're my buddies and this next story will go crazy!

#2 Here's another announcement I've been sitting on. Guess what? I just signed another contract and there will be a 4th Hashbrown Winters tale! I'm so stoked for another wacky Hashbrown adventure. I've thought of a lot of crazy stuff for this one and I'm just gonna turn myself loose. HB4 will hit bookstores in November 2012. Don't have a title for this one either, so we'll tentatively call it:

Hashbrown Winters and the Pasty Pickle Porta-Potty

Oh mother, I do like the sound of that one...

I also heard there could possibly be a boxed set next fall. Oh please, oh please! I love cellophane wrapped items! If you do too and want to see Hashbrown wrapped all warm and snug with all of his adventures cuddling on a shelf with a bow and a blowtorch, then you need to write your congressman and tell them about it. Or better yet, start getting your friends, family, neighbors, classmates, students, enemies, mail persons, heroes, villains, and so forth to buy the other Hashbrown books. I think particularly it would do well for them to buy the last one: Hashbrown Winters and the Phantom of Pordunce, but any of the three would suffice.

#3 - Thanks to your efforts, The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter has been nominated for a Whitney Award and a Cybils Award. You guys make me happy.

#4 - There's another little morsel I want to share, but I can't just yet. Waiting.... always waiting... 

To celebrate this tremendously joyous occasion, I'm going to give away a signed copy of The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter and a full signed set of the Hashbrown Winters books. That's a total of 4 books. Can you think of a more perfect Christmas gift? 

All you have to do is comment on my blog or any of my facebook pages with your suggested title for my next Hashbrown book. I'm thinking there could be some trans-dimensional travel in this one and some healthy chapters of Whiz. If that makes any sense. Please participate! 

The Colony has Me Spooked

I'm not ready for the apocalypse. Just so you know. I'd like to think I'd survive a while if zombies took over or if I had to live through a nuclear holocaust, but let's face it. I'm a softy. I weep when I drink diet soda. Weep! How am I supposed to drink toilet water? How am I supposed to eat rats?

Okay, an explanation is probably needed. Yesterday evening, Heidi and I were plopped downstairs on the couch flipping through our Netflix options. Have you noticed there aren't a whole lot of options on Streaming? We keep it because my daughter only needs one option: Strawberry Shortcake. And she utilizes that option over and over again. Anyways, I saw they had made the first season of The Colony available to stream. This show chronicles the survival of 10 volunteers with varying skills (marine biology, shop mechanic, computers, kung fu, etc.) placed in a post-apocalyptic environment. I'm not a huge reality fan unless it involves food and an Iron Chef, but I decided to give it try. At 2 a.m. I groaned and decided I'd watch the remaining four episodes the next day. Hooked me from the get-go.

But I learned a valuable lesson from watching over 8 hours of The Colony: I don't have any skills. I really don't and that saddens me. If I were one of the volunteers picked to survive in that setting, what would I contribute? Would I write a fictional middle grade adaptation of our adventures? Provide the evening entertainment with pathetic party tricks? Serve as bait for larger predators? Nothing. I got nothing.

I need some skills. Let's go over the basics of where I'm lacking:

1. Hunting - I've never been. I once cried during a Silver Spoons episode when they shot a deer.
2. Cooking - Will there be Lean Pockets available for consumption? I literally fell in love with my wife because she made me macaroni and cheese after I ruined the first batch. It was out of a box people!!!
3. Security - I'm a squealer. Plus, I couldn't sneak up on an intruder if my life depended on it. A hippo in a room full of bubblewrap uses more stealth.
4. Handyman skills - Just because I can't keep my pants up around my waist doesn't mean I can plumb. But I did once work on a light fixture in my bedroom... while I was asleep.
5. Medical - Does it count if I always mummify patients no matter what the injury is? I don't mind the sight of blood, but if it starts squirting like a laser, I usually employ the "Horse with a Broken Leg" technique.
6. Bartering skills - "Hey, where's all our food supply and where did Frank get that yo-yo?" Need I say more.

As you can see, I'm toast once the big one drops. Oh, I have elaborate plans of what I'd do during a viral event manifesting in my mind all the time. Mostly they involve underground tunnels and a series of loud yet convincing bird calls. Cacoo! Cacoo! Lookuphere! Lookuphere!

I need a buddy system. People that will let me bum off their supplies just long enough until they die and I can take over as the tribal leader. Who's with me?

On another note, I have randomly drawn the prize winner from last week's contest and

Diana

is the luck winner. E-mail me with your address and I will send you your copy of Janitors by Tyler Whitesides.

As I said before, I'm going to keep giving away prizes for awhile, just to keep you reading. Tell your friends, tell the world!!!

Here's the next contest. It's the simplest one yet.

Just make a comment on this blog post that answers this question:

If I was forming a team to survive a Zombie Apocalypse and you were picked to join, what would be your skill?

You can comment as much as you like and I'll pick my favorite to be the winner.

This week I'm giving away a signed copy of Elliot and the Goblin War by my pal, Jennifer Nielsen.

Next week, who knows, maybe I'll give away my own survival kit (a chicken, a juice box, and a yo-yo.)

Stay tuned...

The Winner and The Weirdo

Wow! I really appreciate the support of this contest. I noticed a bump in my fans of my author page. You guys must like free stuff from cool authors. And when I say cool, I'm referring to BK Bostick. So, here's how I decided the winner and you tell me if you think its fair. I took all of the recent LIKES to my page and then I added anyone who commented about the contest, whether on my blog, or on facebook, or Goodreads and then I put those names in a randomizer and selected the winner. No, not everyone who LIKED my page prior to the contest was entered, because I've done that before and it turned out the winning person no longer cared about Frank Cole anymore and never read any of my stuff or anything like that. To make a long story short, I posted the winning name and to this day they have never claimed their prize. Sad. That was like a year and a half ago. So if you've come back after your long hiatus and you scroll through the previous posts to discover you were the one who never claimed your prize, I'll still give it to you.

Those were the parameters I put in place and the winner from the randomizer is....

Amber Jensen!

Wahoo! You're the winner not the weirdo. Read all the way to the bottom and you'll discover the real weirdo.

So Amber, shoot me an e-mail with your address and I will mail you your prize. What I lucky gal.

Okay, here's the next contest and give-a-way:

1. Post a link to my facebook Author Page on your facebook page with these magic words: Check out this weirdo! Wait. No, don't do that. I'll never get any fans that way. How about something along the lines of: This guy writes cool books and has great hair (hee, hee! What a crock! I don't write cool books!) Crud muffins. Just post a link and say something that makes you happy. Then, somehow let me know. I prefer a comment or a post on my author page or blog or a package of Pull-a-part Cherry Twizzlers (my personal favorite) with a note adhered to the plastic.

Here's the Link - https://www.facebook.com/FrankL.Cole

I think if you copy and paste it in the Update your Status spot, it should work.

That's it. Do that and I'll give you an entry into the drawing. Oh, and if you're new to the world of Frank L. Cole, first off welcome, secondly just like my author page and I'll enter you as well. I'm all about sharing and caring.

And here's the prize. The winner will receive an autographed copy of Tyler Whitesides debut novel Janitors!

Yes, I am generous.

I'll announce the winner next Sunday.

Also, I'm a presenter at the 2012 Teen Author's Boot Camp at UVU and the required a short video clip of myself for their website. I basically took all of the outtakes and combined them into one clip. It's quite embarrassing, but... oh well.