The Writings and Rantings of Frank L. Cole

Review of Lisa McCann's Unwanteds

2012-01-30T08:00:00.009-07:00

So I'm going to try and review more books on my blog. I'll give snippets on occasion, but here's my first (in a while.)

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

Every year in Quill, thirteen-year-olds are sorted into categories: the strong, intelligent Wanteds go to university, and the artistic Unwanteds are sent to their deaths.

Thirteen-year-old Alex tries his hardest to be stoic when his fate is announced as Unwanted, even while leaving behind his twin, Aaron, a Wanted. Upon arrival at the destination where he expected to be eliminated, however, Alex discovers a stunning secret—behind the mirage of the "death farm" there is instead a place called Artime.

In Artime, each child is taught to cultivate their creative abilities and learn how to use them magically, weaving spells through paintbrushes and musical instruments. Everything Alex has ever known changes before his eyes, and it's a wondrous transformation.

But it's a rare, unique occurence for twins to be separated between Wanted and Unwanted, and as Alex and Aaron's bond stretches across their separation, a threat arises for the survival of Artime that will pit brother against brother in an ultimate, magical battle.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Actually I give it 3.5 stars, but Goodreads won't allow half-star ratings. It was good. I enjoyed reading this. It had a great beginning and an exciting ending but the middle kinda lost me at times. Still, great concept all in all. Great writing. There were a few whoa moments which I appreciated. And I'll check out the sequel as well. On a side note, really weird animal morphed characters hurt my mind a little. I had a hard time envisioning the crocodile/octopus hybrid teacher. Other than that...

Goodreads Give-a-way!

2012-01-27T21:12:00.000-07:00

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter

by Frank L. Cole

Giveaway ends February 10, 2012.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

My Interview with B.K. Bostick

2012-01-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

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!

2012-01-19T12:22:00.000-07:00

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

2012-01-01T20:15:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-11-16T20:08:00.001-07:00

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

2011-11-06T20:03:00.001-07:00

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

2011-10-30T20:03:00.000-06:00

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.

Book Give-A-Way

2011-10-25T21:03:00.000-06:00

Has it really been 3 weeks since I last blogged? Yep, the weather's definitely colder, I just turned off my sprinklers for the year, we carved up some pumpkins, told the kids my own rendition of the Headless Horseman (only made it about 10 minutes before they freaked out and slept on our floor.) It wasn't that scary.

To be honest I've been busy writing, which, if you read this blog, is what I live to do. I'm working on so many projects at once, it's really crazy. My newest book has quickly become my all-time favorite, but that's the beauty of writing. Each new book you write is like a new child. You always like the next one better... right? That's not true. I love all of my kids equally as do I my books, except for this new one. It is seriously going to earn valedictorian.... if it were human. Maybe they're not like children, but kinda. Think about it. Books make you cry. Kids make you cry. Books can make you laugh. My kids are somewhat funny. Some books really stink. HELLO!!!

I recently hung out at Authorpaloosa with my buddies B.K. Bostick and Berin Stephens. We had fun shooting the breeze, watching the long lines of fans for Jessica Day George, and being a little envious. Well, come on, if you've heard of Jessica's books, then you know she's deserving of every long line of fans she gets. She rocks!

I also saw Ally Condie, NYT Bestselling Author of Matched and soon to be Crossed which comes out in November. I know you ladies have heard of her and have slobbered over her books. Ally is awesome! So down to earth, so humble, and good grief the woman is about to blast off to another planet with how outrageously huge her books are going to be. I think I read somewhere how Disney optioned the rights of Matched to make a movie.

Here's a pic:

Notice how Ally seems a little creeped out by me? Notice how I look like that guy that sits all alone in the booth behind you at Pizza Hut eating a large pizza all by himself while arguing with the jar of red pepper flakes? That's because I am that guy and those red pepper flakes are morons.

Anywhooo.....

I'm giving away a book this week. All you have to do to enter the drawing is LIKE my author page on facebook. Many of you already LIKE my Hashbrown Winters page and some of you LIKE my Guardians of the Hidden Scepter page, I just want you to LIKE my Frank L. Cole Author page. I know! Why do I have so many different pages? It's because I'm a red pepper flake (psst! That's code for moron from this day forth.) Soon, I'll probably only have an author page, but I'll keep you posted on all of my books from there. Is this confusing? It's confused me.

Okay. Step by Step.

1. LIKE my Author Page. Follow this link to do that: Frank L. Cole

2. Let me know you've done. You can do this by commenting on this post, or on my facebook page, or via messenger pigeon if you'd like.

3. CROSS your fingers.

4. I'll announce the winner on Tuesday, November 1st, at some point during the day before midnight.

You could become the proud owner of an autographed copy of B.K. Bostick's brand new middle grade novel, Huber Hill and the Dead Man's Treasure.

Now how cool is that?

What's the Deal with Fall

2011-10-02T17:36:00.000-06:00

*YAWN*

*STRETCH*

Back from hibernation. Good thing I ate all that bark and berries. Bears have got the idea, don't they? Sleep through the cold. Avoid the snow. Smart. You know what else is smart? I just thought of a new book title.

BACK FROM HIBER-NATION!

Oh that's rich and delicious.

Seriously though. Fall is officially here and I must say it may very well be my least favorite season. I don't want to sound negative and yes the color-changing leaves are cool, but when I think about Fall, I immediately remember the anxiety of going back to school. A new year of new subjects and school books and homework. Riding the bus. Never knowing where to sit. Home room. Seeing how all the pretty girls have gotten prettier over the summer while the popular guys became more popular. Realizing I'm still carrying my lunch to school in a plastic He-man lunchbox and I'm supposed to be a sophomore in high school. Yuck! I don't know how you kids do it. There's a level of stress that immediately kicks in whenever I feel the first frosty morning.

Of course there will be sports. Football. Love it! Up until I pick a team in the family competition and I watch that team's quarterback get injured in the first game. Then I watch everyone else's teams make comeback after miraculous comeback to win every one of their stupid games while my wife and her mother shout things like "Double play!" and "He's traveling! He can't do that!" every time their teams take to the field. It's embarrassing. I do all the research, make spreadsheets, watch Sportscenter until numbers swirl before my eyes as I meticulously select my pick, while they make decisions based on how shiny their helmets are. All right, I'll probably get in big trouble for this paragraph because its not entirely true, but I guess I am just bitter.

But the Fall television premieres, Frank! What about those?

Yeah, I've never been much of television fan. Oh, I watch sports and movies and the Food Network, but I don't know what programs are befitting my evening hours. I can't handle drama. People dying on hospital beds, crime scene investigators, or weirdos lost on make believe islands. Week after week of more guessing and more watching and more "find out next week" and 24 episodes, etc., etc. I guess that's why I like movies so much. They end in between my bathroom breaks. Perfection. I sat down with my kids the other day and watched an episode of one of their shows and I about barfed in my hands. I don't remember what the show was called, but I didn't like it and from what I could see, neither did my kids. They just stared at the screen dull-faced, barely blinking, never laughing or cracking a smile, never repeating any of the catchy quips supposedly being said by the mini-Britney Spears wannabes dancing across the television. Don't they realize this stuff is junk?

The single saving event for the Fall is Halloween. Now that is almost worth the 3 months endurance test. I really wish grown-ups could go trick-or-treating. I want to dress up like a large slug and slime people. I want to go door to door for grown up treats. You know, stuff like: extra value meals, cans of soda, lottery tickets, paychecks, hammers, IPhone 5's, tubes of sensitive tooth paste, things of that nature. Wouldn't that be awesome? We could take our kids along with us, but they would stand on the curb with the strollers coaxing us to walk up to the houses by ourselves and reminding us to say our little chants. Then I would slime them. All of them! And shout, "Michael Vick! Why can't you win a football game!!! The 49ers man! Are you kidding me???"

I'm supposed to like the Fall. It's the end of sweltering heat. But everything is getting colder. Shaving my face hurts. Wearing hair gel becomes a nuisance because it freezes my hair. Hand shakes and high fives start to hurt because of the cold. Scraping car windows. Might as well schedule a dental exam and shoot a reindeer. And lets not forget Thanksgiving. Don't even get me started on that awful, useless... holy curdled cream Batman! Did I almost knock Thanksgiving? Turkey... Stuffing.... Food Coma.... Hiber-nation? I forgot Thanksgiving fell in the fall.

Fell in the fall. Say that five times real fast. And what about haunted houses and corn mazes and horror movies and sweater vests? And miniature candy bars and pumpkin pie and hayrides and knit caps. And woolly socks and bubble baths and aroma therapy candles? Oh wait. Those three things are fit for any season.

ARGH! GRUNT! GROWL! *Sigh* It's not so bad. It's all right. Therefore, in order to keep the Fall season in a positive light, I vote we forfeit the whole NFL! And school and cold and television shows and the Eagles and the Philadelphians (not the people of that great state just the football team who ruined my chances of winning the Golden Football.)

The End.

Have You Seen This?

2011-09-13T18:16:00.001-06:00

I was just reminiscing today and I clicked on this video I made for Hashbrown Winters and the Phantom of Pordunce. I know it's the third book in the series and the newest to hit the shelves, but it is probably my favorite. There's a ghost, a girl, marbles, Whiz, Nuggets, so many good things in this story. Great fun for your little guys and gals! If you haven't picked up your copy, now's the perfect time to do so.

Here's the link to Amazon.

And in case you missed it when it first aired, here is the book trailer. Enjoy!

KSL Utah Book Festival

2011-09-07T20:58:00.000-06:00

Howdy Ho Neighbors! So, this has kinda become an annual deal. I'll be participating in this year's KSL Utah Book Festival up on the University of Utah Campus.

Brandon Mull will be there!
Obert Skye
Ally Condie
Tyler Whitesides
Matthew Kirby
And Me, of course.

I'm in way over my head. I'm actually presenting up on the stage at 1:20 following Matthew Kirby, author of The Clockwork Three, and right before Obert Skye, author of a bazillion Leven Thumps books and so many others. I'm gonna barf. All over the stage. I don't even know what I'm going to talk about.

Last year, I went after Obert Skye and I could hear crickets in the audience because everyone left to go get their books signed by Obert. Not pretty. Did I barf then? Uh... I think they cleaned it up.

If you live in Utah and you are alive on Saturday from 10-3, you've got to attend the Book Festival. There are games and balloon animals and musical performances by Alex Boye and David Osmond.

And I'm speaking on the stage right before Obert Skye. I just said that. Did I say I was going to barf? Yep.

Here's the link to all the authors:

LINK

Like how I wrote Link? Funny huh?

And here's a map so you can drive there.

MAP

You don't even have to go all day, just from 1:20-1:45 to watch me barf on the stage. Then swing over and buy my books.

Thank you, you wonderful people!

Huber Hill and the Dead Man's Treasure

2011-08-30T00:01:00.001-06:00

SSo, let me tell you about one of my friends, B.K. Bostick. The dude's kind of nuts, but he's hilarious! Plus, he writes awesome books. His debut novel, Huber Hill and the Dead Man's Treasure, hits the shelves in October and I can't wait for people to read this book. The writing is sharp. The characters are awesome. And the story will hook you!

Here's what he has going on with his book:

The Story:

My grandpa inspired the story. He would always tell me stories about Spanish treasure hidden up in the mountains. I always imagined going on these wild adventures to find treasure. As I grew older, I realized that the real treasures were the stories my grandpa told me. I'll always remember those days sitting at his side listening as he showed old maps, books, and artifacts. If there's one theme to the story, it's that relationships with friends and family are invaluable- of much more worth than any kind of money.

The Fundraiser:

Alyssa, my neighbor, was diagnosed with a Meningioma brain tumor on December 5th, 2010. The only way to get it out was through surgery. It took four surgeries to get out as much of the tumor as they could and now she's almost finished with her radiation treatments. Alyssa is an inspiration to me. Her positive outlook and attitude while facing something so terrible is truly remarkable. Because of the inspiration she's given me, I am trying to give back. I will be donating 100% of profits from all pre orders of Huber Hill and the Dead Man's Treasure along with sales during the first two weeks of launch (Oct. 1-16) to Alyssa and her family. Visitwww.treasureforalyssa.com

The Giveaway:

I'll also be giving away a replicated gold coin/bookmark to each Frank Cole Follower who goes to my author page on facebook and clicks the "like" button. Go to: http://www.facebook.com/bkbostickauthorpage

Check out the Book Trailer:

And, since I love goofy videos, check out this interview BK did as well.

Come on, this guy's book has to be worth taking a look at!

Do you believe in ghosts?

2011-08-15T20:15:00.000-06:00

That seems like a legitimate question right? The world is full of ghost stories and people honestly believe in hauntings and all that. So I'll repeat my question. Do you believe in ghosts?

I've had some interesting encounters in my life, which cause me not to rule out ghosts and creepy stuff like that.

Once I saw a ghost rummaging around in my underwear drawer. I've seen a woman hanging clothes on a clothesline in my bedroom and an old man trying to shove a pillow on my brother's face. And don't get me started on the Wallknocker who, by the way, has returned with a vengeance. Yes, I hear you. You've made yourself known. Please stop knocking! And what's with it always happening right when I'm about to fall asleep?

Don't ghosts have any sense of time?

Granted, you could probably pin the blame on too much soda before bed. Too much stress. Too many creepy books and movies. That stuff plays with your mind. The Wallknocker's probably not a ghost either. I'm betting it could be a goblin or maybe a litter of baby Sasquatches just eager for some affection.

Next question:

What the heck are ghosts made of?

Dust?

Air?

Gas? (Not that kind of gas...)

Hmmm....

That kind of gas?

Call it a writing project if you will, but I'm curious. I've seen the Sixth Sense (creepy) and according to that "true" story, ghosts make the temperature drop until you can see your breath. I don't know how I feel about that. When that one ghost was sifting through my tighty whities, it didn't feel cold in my room. Of course, I was in Alabama.

Do ghosts just hang around in the places where they've died. Can they roam free? And how is it the ghosts everyone claims to have seen are all wearing clothes? Wouldn't they be naked? Or did their clothes have spirits too that decided to come back from the dead?

If that's the case... How do you know if your clothes are capable of coming back from the dead?

Man, I think I'd want to know that.

Maybe its just me, but seeing floating clothes would be just as freaky as seeing a ghost. Now I know why there are so many hand-me-downs in the world. So many donations. You really never hear of people just burning their clothes or burying them or throwing them away. Am I the last person to realize the paranormal nature of polyester?

What about the different classifications of ghosts. You've got:

Poltergeist

...uh...

the...

... uussshh...

I'm drawing a blank. What other ghost classifications are there? I know Tolkien had a whole bunch in The Lord of the Rings, but for the life of me...

Again, for science, I need to know. Your opinions on any of my ghost related questions will be greatly appreciated.

A DELICIOUS Review

2011-08-12T10:49:00.003-06:00

My friend Wendy Paul has an awesome recipe book that just came out-
101 GOURMET CAKE BITES.
If you don't know what cake bites are then let me tell you: they are these chewy, little, cake morsels dipped in a topping of your choice (usually chocolate). Think truffles but lighter!
You might think, really how many different variations can there be?
In her book she has over 122 pages of recipes on the different flavors and toppings you can do with just cake bites.
Can you imagine the possibilities!?!
Wait, you don't have to, Wendy already did it for you, plus she included tantalizing pictures of almost every creation.
What could be better?

This crazy picture just shows you a sample of what you are in for! DELECTABLE I tell you! This is the chocolate peanut butter cup cake bite and this is my wife's favorite combination of flavors. Doesn't it look amazing?

This book has very detailed instructions plus the beautiful pictures- I know Wendy worked hard in her kitchen creating these delicacies and they are all "tried-and-true" recipes.

Okay, okay.

First off, I didn't write this post, but I love how my wife thinks she knows how I talk. Secondly, in all honesty, Wendy Paul is amazing at making things I eat over and over again. So. Yep. Check it out.

My Pal Tristi's new novel!

2011-07-31T00:01:00.001-06:00

Author Tristi Pinkston is excited to announce the release of the third novel in her Secret Sisters Mysteries series.

Titled Hang ‘em High, this novel takes place on a dude ranch in Montana. When Ida Mae’s son invites her to come for a visit, of course she brings Arlette and Tansy along with her. They are expecting to spend the week looking at horses, avoiding the cows, and making amends in Ida Mae’s relationship with her son. What they don’t expect is to be stuck on the ranch in the middle of a blizzard and to be thrust headlong into the middle of a mystery.

***

Help Tristi celebrate her new novel in two ways. First, come participate in the two-week-long blog contest, where you can win a book nearly every single day! All the details are up on Tristi’s blog.

Second, come to the book launch!

You are invited to an

August Authorama!

Saturday, August 13th

Pioneer Book, 858 S. State, Orem

12 – 4 pm

Games, prizes, balloons, face painting,

and Dutch oven cobbler

prepared by world champion cook

Keith Fisher.

Authors Tristi Pinkston, J. Lloyd Morgan, Cindy Hogan,

Nichole Giles, and Heather Justesen

will all be there to sign books.

This is one book launch event

you will not want to miss!

What are you reading right now!

2011-07-18T19:19:00.000-06:00

Man! I haven't read anything for a while! So, that's not entirely true. I've started lots of books and a few of them I got into, but something happened along the way and I lost the rhythm. Now, I desperately need to read something. Anything. But not just anything. Something I will truly enjoy. Something I'll look forward to reading every night and not just in the bathroom (sorry TMI). Here's what I've started and failed to finish:

Lost Hero by Rick Riordan (I love this guy! I loved the Percy Jackson series, and I was really digging this book. Then it got stolen out of my hotel room in Colorado.) Gone.

Tunnels by Gordon and Williams - This book is well-written, but I ran out of bath salts. K. Need to explain. I like to read while taking a bath. Is that so wrong? I ran out of bath salts. No bath salts = loss of interest in reading novels. Sad really.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3 by Jeff Kinney - These books crack me up, but I got sick and tired of trying to wrestle the book free from my sons.

So there you have it. Not finished. Not reading. Miserable. Nothing is capturing my attention right now. Believe me when I say I own a ton of books. But I just look at their fancy covers and sigh. *sigh*

Do you know how important it is for an aspiring author to read? Very important. The most important thing I can do. I'm trying to write right now. Finish books. Spark up new ideas and I'm drawing blanks. I need something to ignite my mind.

Help me.

What are you reading right now? I don't care if it's Harlequin romances or Gardening books or text books or Biographies of really boring people. Preferably I want to read fiction. Kids fiction. Teen fiction. Horror books. Something gripping.

I'm willing to pay for this information. I'll send the winning suggestion a signed copy of The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter because I've read that enough already.

All right. Please let suggestions roll in.

Book Review of The Last Archangel

2011-06-30T20:46:00.001-06:00

A month or so ago I had the opportunity to read and review a copy of The Last Archangel by Michael Young. In a nutshell, this novel follows the adventure of a destroying angel named Xandir who has been exiled to earth. Xandir carries out a variety of destroying assignments with the use of his wickedly powerful swords. When Xandir is given the opportunity to bring back the woman that he loves, it sets in motion events that could ultimately destroy mankind. Filled with giants, cherubs, demons, and a variety of crazy and creepy characters, The Last Archangel is guaranteed to excite.

I really enjoyed reading this, particularly the action sequences that used a combination of witty humor and vivid descriptions to layout the scenes. I felt tis story had an almost Constantine feel to it and should appeal to both teen and adult readers looking for a gritty paranormal adventure.

Summer's creepin'

2011-06-15T19:33:00.001-06:00

Well, thanks to all who showed their love for my last post. I wanted like 100 comments, but 13 is a nice round number (so bad at math and I guess shapes as well.)

I've picked a winner using this high-tech sorting device called Microsoft Excel. And the winner and new owner of a signed copy of Paranormalcy is.... AJ Dub!

Have you won a contest before or is this your first time? Whatever the case, it definitely pays to participate.

Send me an e-mail with your address and I'll ship the book out to you asap.

Now, 5 reasons why the Summer is looking great.

1. The Mavs won the NBA finals! I hate the Heat. No offense to Miami folks, but I just love old players that play with heart. I had some serious anxiety during these playoff games and I'm so glad the series ended early. Great job!

2. Harry Potter 7 part 2. Is it me, or have movies been somewhat underwhelming this year? I don't know. I've sat through my share of films and there have been so many in years past that leave me with a sense of exhilaration. Not so much this year. Every show I've seen has been... eh, s'okay. I want a movie to blow my mind! Will HP7-2 do it? Sounds like a new Honda Electric car or something.

3. Swimming! Oh that's so not true. I hate swimming. Mostly because I'm out of shape and pale and I burn easy and I have weird moles and suntan lotion is sticky and chlorine irritates my face and kids pee in pools and people pee in pools and I have a weird condition on the bottom of my big toe so that it splits open whenever I go swimming and it irritates me... like chlorine only worse and I usually hear subtle comments from people not necessarily directed at me, but I pick up on the meaning about exercising and getting some sun and having moles removed whenever I go swimming. But my kids like swimming. So YAY! Wait, that was too loud. yay.

4. Air Conditioning - I love being cold in the summer. Ice Cold! Do you do this as well? Lay on the vent with your blanket until you freeze and when you stand up you look like Wolverine just manhandled your face? Do ya? Do ya? I do. After a long, hard day at work, I like to come home, change into some PJs, grab my blankie, and plop down on the A/C vent with an Otter Pop and a smile on my face. Say goodbye troubles.

5. Otter Pops - I eat them 6 at a time. No joke. Actually, I eat three of them cut in half and they all have to be different flavors. I like to mush them into slush, or suck the syrup out of them until they turn into plastic tubes of frost. I could live without the whole numb tongue or the little sores I get on the corner of my lips from the plastic edges, but still.

There. 5 random reasons Summer rocks. I don't necessarily favor Summer more than any other month, but I definitely like it better than winter and maybe fall and Spring causes allergy pain. So, yeah, I favor Summer the mostest.

The end.

All Hail the Librarian and the Teacher!

2011-06-05T19:55:00.001-06:00

That's right.

We had fainting goats and silly videos. We had announcements and updates and all that jazz. Now it is time to pay tribute to two of the greatest professionals in da woild!

The Librarian and the Teacher.

Did you feel that? Did your skin prickle? Mine did. Every time I talk with a librarian or a teacher I'm almost moved to tears. They are amazing. They work their knuckles to the bone to secure the future of books and reading. I've met many throughout my career. Yes, some of them fall in line with the stereotype. The grey bunned hair (bunned is not a word librarians, I know this.) Bespectacled. Ornery. Addicted to silence, with index finger permanently pressed against pursed lips (check out that alliteration, teachers. Booyah!)

But most of the librarians and teachers I've met wander inconspicuously among us. Observing. Calculating their next move to ensure our youth develop a burning love of mind-expansion. They deserve our praise. Our money. And in the very least, our attention. They know which books matter. They know it is not only all about the classics in literature or the controversial pieces that make a difference. They know sometimes a good book requires a little flatulence, a little tomfoolery, a little talking cockroaches. Yes, they know. Because if a doubting child can somehow pull through to the end of a book and feel that amazing sense of accomplishment, something ignites within them. So the librarians and the teachers endure the lows of book recommendations not containing the words "Ere" and "Yore" from time to time.

In my writing world, the librarians and teachers reign supreme. They make all the difference. They are the Mrs. LaDukes and the Mrs. Bennetts and the Mrs. Paschals and the Mrs. Haymonds. They are the Mrs. Nociforas and the Mrs. Nguyens and the Mrs. Perrys. They are so many and yet so few. Whoa now, we just got deep. Philosophical even.

So, in tribute to some of the greatest beings on this planet, I give you a contest. All you have to do to enter is make a comment showing your praise for the librarians and teachers of the world. That's it. Comment as many times as you like with as many pearls of praise as you desire. I'll hold a drawing in one week from today and randomly select one of the commenters to win a signed copy of the NYTimes Bestseller, Paranormalcy, by Kiersten White.

Even if you don't want to win this fabulous prize, you should still shower some kind words to those who quietly mold the future of our kids.

Nostalgic Moment #32

2011-05-29T13:51:00.000-06:00

Fainting is weird.

That's it.

That's my post.

Enjoy.

Hold up, wait a minute. I can't just do that. I have to post legitimately.

From what I can remember, I've only fainted twice in my life. I have had a couple near collapses:

Jackson's birth,
After being told by my track coach I would have to run the second leg in the 4x400 when I had just chowed down on several hot dogs,
During a tragic episode of Silver Spoons.) Remember Silver Spoons? Aw man! I do!

Here we are.... face to face... a couple of Silver Spoons....

Anyways, 3 near misses, but 2 full on faints.

The first happened when I hopped out of bed too fast to go shower for work a few years ago and then the next thing I remembered, I was laying on my back by the dresser and I had somehow pulled Heidi's jewelry box over top of me. I actually coughed out a pearl earring.

The second happened just last week in similar fashion. I jumped out of the bed (okay, okay I was all ready standing in the room attacking the wall in my sleep.) I can't remember why I was attacking the wall or what the details of my dream consisted of, but I do remember that the wall had it coming and I was wailing on it. Heidi woke up and scolded me something awful. I walked to the center of the room, made brief conversation with her, and then collapsed. I fell hard. Face first onto the carpet. I lay there for a while. Heidi got up (bless her), kicked me with her foot to make sure I was breathing, covered me with a pillow case, and went back to bed. She's my silver spoon! No doubt about that.

Fainting is one of those conditions I just don't understand. I've heard many a good tale of fine faints throughout the world. Usually they involve needles, or bloody knees, or self-inflicted fainting rituals, but they all make me laugh. Now, I'm not trying to lessen the gravity of how serious fainting can be. No, no. That's not what I'm doing. But have you seen those fainting goats? Hilarious!

Do you have a good fainting story to share? Please do, and bonus points for whoever can provide me with additional lyrics from the Silver Spoons theme song.

Book Review of River Whispers

2011-05-26T23:01:00.000-06:00

One of my friends is Kathi Oram Peterson. Since the day my first book went to print, Kathi has been uber supportive. Oh, and it just so happens Kathi is a rocking good author! Now, don't let my preface of this post fool you into thinking I'm only doing this review because Kathi is a pal. Oh contrar (is that how you spell that?) She's been in the publishing game a lot longer than me and for good reason. Her latest novel, River Whispers, is somewhat geared toward the female crowd (those seeking romance with their mysteries), so naturally, I'd be a fool not to involve my beautiful wife in reviewing this book. Together we came up with our take on Peterson's latest masterpiece.

Regi Bernard has to deal with quite a few headaches when she finds herself confronting her first love in a tiny town who happens to have an odd involvement with a mysterious murder case. Things get even more tangled when Regi becomes the number one suspect in the case and she's forced to prove her innocence while finding the true killer in this small town murder mystery.

The very first paragraph peeked my interest so I had to keep reading and by the end of the first chapter I was well committed. Peterson definitely keeps you guessing in this classic "who dunnit". River Whispers has something for everyone: romance, action, a little humor, quirky characters, and mystery- you won't be disappointed.
Peterson paints perfect imagery and her use of clever analogies, metaphors, and descriptions set the various scenes up perfectly. You'll enjoy River Whispers and if you like it, you should check out her other novels as well.

A Day in the Life of Writing

2011-05-17T16:44:00.000-06:00

How does one write novels? Where does one begin? It's hard. Sometimes it can feel downright impossible. Sometimes I wonder why I put myself through the stress. Truthfully, the most difficult part of writing a novel is starting. There are so many distractions, so many things that seem to be more important than sitting down at the computer and typing away on the keyboard.

Since I've been uploading a lot of videos as of late, I thought what better way to illustrate the difficulties of starting a novel than with a real video of myself at the computer.

Enjoy

So you see... it's not easy, but still it's amazing once the magic happens...

Busy as a Beetle

2011-05-11T18:52:00.000-06:00

I've had somewhat of a busy couple of weeks. That's good though, right? I need to stay busy! I need to keep writing. So, here's what's been going down.

A couple of weeks ago, I participated in the Writers Cubed Teen Writing Boot Camp. I taught an hour presentation on how to use your imagination to help you get started with your writing project. It was fun, though I was pretty nervous. But I got to hang out with some really cool kids, authors, and of course, the wickedly cool (yes, I said it) members of Writers Cubed, who are now my buddies. Here are some pics from that event.

Sitting at a table, prepping for my presentation

All the cool people at the event. Kiersten White, author of Paranormalcy, is front and center.

They had these little fake grenades and I couldn't stop playing with them.

Teaching some kids. Yeah, it's not a full house, but there were other cooler authors presenting at the same time. What do you expect?

Here are the slides from my presentation. I probably won't make much sense, but I was talking throughout. If you can make any sense from this, then pat yourself on the back!

After that, I did a couple signings and then participated in LDStorymakers 2011 Writing Conference. I already uploaded the music video. (The one with me dancing in the shower...yikes!) But if you missed it, you can watch it HERE.

I did a presentation on writing for Middle Grade. I promised to upload my slides.

I've been spending time at schools this week in Alabama and I'm off to Pocatello tomorrow. I'll post some updates when I get back.

Yes, another video

2011-05-10T19:46:00.000-06:00

This one's of me on Channel 31 WAAYTV today (Tuesday) for their 4:00 p.m. show. I think I consider myself to be a vigorous nodder. I nod like no other. Check out me nodding. Oh and this was live by the way, so when you see me fumble with words... be kind. But watch my head nod vigorously!

New Music Video

2011-05-08T09:01:00.000-06:00

This is just a quick post and then I'll update you here in a couple of days. I got to dance around in the shower for a writing music video for LDStorymakers. It's a little embarrassing, but.... uh.... oh well.

The video is called Fiction and it's based on George Michael's Freedom.

Blog Tour (like Star Wars, but without the Ewoks...)

2011-04-16T20:05:00.002-06:00

Right now I am participating in what is called a Blog Tour. I've never done this before and I really wasn't sure what to expect. It's awesome! So far, I've been interviewed by a lot of really cool bloggers and they've had some positive things to say about my book, The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter. I've posted the schedule below with the links to all the blogs. There are some fun questions out there asked specifically to the characters in my book. Cool idea, huh? Also, look at this blog tour banner:

April 12, 2011 – I Like These Books – featuring an interview with Frank L. Cole!

April 13, 2011 – Pensive Bookeaters – Book Review

April 15, 2011 – Cherry Mischievous – A guest post written by Frank

April 16, 2011 – The Wormhole – Book Review

April 17, 2011 – Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile - Frank’s Top 10 Favorite Books

April 20, 2011 – Babs World of Book Reviews -Interview with Frank!

April 20, 2011 – I Am A Reader, Not A Writer – Interview with Frank and a GIVEAWAY!

April 20, 2011 – All-Consuming Books – Book Review

April 21, 2011 – The Elliot Review – Interview with Frank!

April 21, 2011 – Bookworm Lisa – Character interview with Trendon and Amber from The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter

April 22, 2011 – Burning.x.Impossibly.x.Bright – Book Review

April 23, 2011 – Manga Maniac Cafe – Interview with Frank!

April 24, 2011 – Books R Us – A guest post written by Frank

April 25, 2011 – Roots in Myth – Book Review

And to top that off, here are some other interviews with me from past couple of days:

Star Crossed

Precision Editing Group

And a shout out from my buddy, James Dashner! Who also wrote the cover blurb for the book. Yeah, I know... I'm name dropping.

All this buzz has me stressin' a bit. I actually found a couple of grey hairs today. I was at Walmart of all places, checking myself out in the mirror while I tried on some cheap, $10 sunglasses when I spotted them. Let me tell ya. De---pressing. Hey, but you know what made me warm up just a little bit? Seeing a stack of my books on the shelf. Wait a minute... Why was there still a stack? Here comes some grey hairs!

Rolling Back Prices!

2011-04-06T18:24:00.000-06:00

Last week I was abducted by aliens. That's the only explanation for it. My absence. Aliens took me. I saw their ship, but don't worry govermenty people, they're technology is way behind the times. I think their main computer is run by an Atari 1600 and they've got weapons, but they're only set to stun.

All joking aside (yes that was a joke), where have you people been? I haven't seen you forever! Let's chat for spell.

First things first: This is a call to action! I know there are people out there who have yet to buy their copy of The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter. If you're my friend... I'm ashamed of you. Where's the love? Oh, but Frank, your book is like $17. I know, the price for solid lifelong entertainment isn't cheap, but $17 is well worth an enjoyable ride. Isn't it? You'd take your date to a movie and pay way more than $17. Think what that amount will buy you. Memories. Loyalty. Friendship (hmmm...). A good story. Humor. Terror. Suspense. Mystery. History. But wait, I've got some great news for you. Do you know where your local Walmart is located? Chances are, you can look out your back window and see in to the Produce section. Walmarts are everywhere and if there's one thing I've learned about Walmart is you can find things you want there for great deals. Not always the case with books. They don't always carry every title, but guess what. For a limited time (and I do mean limited) you can find The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter at Walmart (at least in Utah.) They've got it priced for a little over $13. So I'm saving you some buckage. Right now, please stop what you're doing (unless you're shopping at Walmart) and head over to your local Wally World and buy a copy. Today, before it's too late! Yes, this is a shameless plug, and yes, I'm sure I'll have more in the future, but I need your help. You can make a difference. Aw shucks, I'm getting all misty-eyed.

Second: I've added a new thing on my blog where you can click and become a fan of my author page on facebook. I have pages for Hashbrown Winters and The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter as well, so pick them all. I'll have prizes and all sorts of stuff as the page grows over time.

Third: Costco - I'll be there at the Downtown Costco quite a bit this month:

Thursday, April 14th from 5:00-8:30
Friday, April 15th from 5:30-8:30
Saturday, April 16th from 9:30-12:00
Thursday, April 21st from 5:30-8:30
Monday, April 25th from 5:00-8:30

Fourth: Here are some random reviews of The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter (I hope they don't mind I quoted them here):

Susan, 4th Grade Teacher - "The girl from my class who bought your book finished it today and announced that it was AWESOME! And, that is a very big compliment from her! She is a voracious reader!"

Kay, "I read this on the plane this week and really enjoyed it. The story was fun - I wanted to smack Trendon a few times but he had a good heart that came through - Several times I laughed out loud - while written for youth, adults will enjoy it too."

Lindsey, "Hey Frank! Jamie had a copy of Guardians of the Hidden Sceptor when we were together over spring break. I borrowed it from her for something to read, and I ended up finishing it in less than 2 days! It was great- and I look forward to reading more of the series!

Jason, "Frank I finished your book last night. I loved it. I read it in 4 nights -- couldn't put it down. Nice work. I would like to ask you some questions about it sometime."

Jeana, "I fell in love with Frank's Hashbrown Winter's series, so when this book came out I jumped on it! He did NOT disappoint me. I am a Children's librarian, and read ALL the time. So many children's books (YA as well) are just fluff...don't leave much to the imagination, and have no depth to the characters. This book grabbed me in the first chapter! The characters are well thought out, and real. It's adventure, mystery and intrigue at it's teen-aged finest. I felt like I was right there next to the characters through the whole thing. I completely enjoyed it, and can't wait for Frank's next book. There will be a "next book," right Frank?? I certainly hope so. If you haven't read Frank Cole's other books, DO IT! You will seriously laugh out loud!"

Kaylynn, " bought this four days ago and finished it today. It was both funny and riveting. I didn't want to put it down the night I started reading it(but I must have some sleep). I loved his sense of humor, and the mystery and suspense. The plot left me guessing until the very end. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I hope that he's considering writing a sequel. I would definitely recommend this to my friends and acquaintances. Thanks to Frank Cole for writing such a great book."

Survey Says!

2011-03-22T22:46:00.000-06:00

I almost didn't make it! I'm up way past my bedtime trying to not fail on my first attempt to blog every Tuesday. That week went by in a blur.

I had to do some work on my end to figure out who won the copies for this past contest and I think next time, I'm going to have to try something different. Still, thanks to everyone who participated and the winners have been selected:

Bee (Is your name Bonnie?)

and

Rashelle Workman

Randomly selected from a spreadsheet made with love. E-mail me at hashbrownwintersATgmail.com and I'll send you a copy.

Now, I need some help from the faithful parents, teachers, librarians, and readers of books out there. This is a legitimate request, so please, shower me with your knowledge. In about 2 months I'm going to be presenting a middle grade writing workshop at the LDStorymakers Writing Conference. I'm honored for the opportunity, but a little panicky about what to talk about. I've definitely got some ideas, but I need some stats (cold hard data.) I want to compile a survey of some information about young readers. Specifically, I would like to know what you think the top 3 turn offs are for a kid when they're picking out a book to read. Please give me your opinion and if you could ask the kids you know, that would be SO helpful.

If you want to comment on this post with your responses, that would be awesome. But you can also e-mail me, facebook message me, or send me a letter in the mail (do people still do that?)

I really need your help and this information is critical for my presentation.

Again, the top 3 turn offs (dislikes) for kids when they're looking for a book to read. I'll probably be asking another survey question in a week or so, but for now this will work.

Also, Deseret Book just received a large shipment of The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter for all the locals. Walmart carries it now. It's at Barnes and Noble, Costco, Seagull Book (I think), Borders, online. Really, there are plenty of ways to put this book in your hands.

As Promised

2011-03-15T11:00:00.003-06:00

Look at that! 2 days have passed and here I am. Just as promised. I'm proud of myself. I mean come on. After my last post of honoring commitments by showing up on time for book signings and all that, I couldn't just ignore my 2 day goal of blogging again, could I?

I've been thinking a lot lately about this blog and how much has changed since the good ole days of 08' when I started. I'm definitely busier now with writing and there are times when I neglect blogging and keeping people posted with nostalgic moments and updates and what-nots. When was the last time I went off on a rant? Too long. But here's the deal. My priority is to writing books. You can respect that right? Frankly, I'm behind right now on my next project and in between blogging and facebooking and all that, something is suffering.

So, what am I getting at? Well, I've noticed other blogs from other authors and several will commit to one day a week of posting. Like a Tuesday or a Friday. Guaranteed, barring some disaster, they'll post something on that committed day. Can I do this? I think I can. So, I like Tuesdays. They work for me. I can wake up, blog, and life goes on.

Starting today, I'll blog every Tuesday. Wow! Generosity. It runs in my family.

Okay. Updates, who's got the updates?

First. If you're on goodreads my publisher is giving away 5 copies of my book in a contest. Check it out HERE.

Second. I'm signing at the Downtown Salt Lake City Costco this Thursday from 5-9. Costco=cheap books. How cheap? Like $10.69 cheap! And they have samples. I had their pizza and brownies the other day. Mmmm. Yummy. Remember, wait for the changing of the guard and then you can get 2 samples without those angry stares.

Third. I'm doing a writing workshop at Oak Hollow Elementary on March 31st and then a book signing at the West Jordan, Barnes and Noble that night at 6:00 pm. For all my local peeps, this one's for you!

Fourth. I'm signing at the Downtown Deseret Book on Friday, April 1st from 11:30-1:30. And I'll be sitting somewhat close to Richard Paul Evans as he promotes his newest book. Come on! You people that love a good romance will want to be there and then while you're gawking at Richard, I'll pelt you with gummy bears in the back of the head. Why gummy bears? Why not?

Lastly, I promised another contest. This time I'm giving away not 1, but 2 signed copies of The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter. Gripes! That's a lot of books... 2 of them. Free copies! 2 Winners.

Here's what you have to do to qualify (and you gots to do 2 of the 3):

1. You have to be a follower. Is it that hard? No. I'm not going to lead you astray. I'm not the general Lemming headed toward the Cliffs of Dover. All followers get an automatic entry.

2. You have to become a fan of the Hashbrown Winters and The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter Pages on facebook. That's 2 more entries (automatic ones if you're already fans!)

3. (I saw this one on another author's website and I liked it). You have to comment with who you're picking to go all the way in the NCAA tournament. It's March Madness! I love the tournament. If you don't follow basketball, well then, you can just make it up.

Tell your friends. Tell those people you already told about my book in the last post cost. Have you bought your copy of The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter yet? Have you?

5 Truths of Marketing a Book

2011-03-12T23:03:00.000-07:00

Randomly selected and new, proud (hopefully) owner of a shiny copy of The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter is...

kbrebes!

How bout them apples? Her entries occupied slots 8-17 on the drawing board and the winning number was 15.

E-mail me with your address and I'll drop a signed copy in the mail first thing.

Well that was fun! Thank you everyone for all the entries. And a big thank you to everyone that came out to the release party this past Thursday night!

The book is out now, I've already sold a few, and I spent a good chunk of my time today at Costco throwing bookmarks at every passerby.

Marketing a book is pretty tough. Actually, it's probably just as hard as trying to get published or trying to write a new novel. Well, maybe not as hard, but I do invest a ton of time peddling my books. Book signings, school presentations (my favorite), workshops, conferences, blogging, facebooking, tweeting (hee-hee, that cracks me up... tweeting. Weird.) I can't even add all the hours I've chocked up, but if I ballparked it, I'd say a million hours. Yep. A million hours. I've spent one meeleeeon hours marketing my book. It sure feels like it.

But I think future authors and actually present-day authors need to realize the investment one has to make to create a following. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Do I feel like I'm beating my head up against a steel barrel sometimes? I can show you the bruise. I really wish I would have paid better attention in my college marketing classes. Authors, now-a-days, are more than the writers of fine works of fiction. They are much, much more. Unless you can sign your name as Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games), J K Rowling (Potter), or Rick Riordan (Percy), you'll be required to really sell your self along with your book.

Here are five things I've learned so far:

1. All bookstore employees are the gatekeepers. Befriend them. Praise them. Shower them with gifts when necessary. Thank them for allowing you a moment of their time, or a chair and a table in their bookstores. Never, ever. I repeat... never take them for granted! I've heard of authors making demands upon the fine bookstore employees, even yelling at them when their books aren't positioned in a certain way at the store. Bad form, I say. I've seen bookstore employees literally hand sell dozens of an author's books during one shift. They have power you cannot imagine.

2. Laughter helps to sell even horror novels. People like to laugh. Genuinely laugh. No, you don't need to learn an array of knock-knock jokes, but you do need to be willing to chum it up with everyone you come in contact with. It works for me. I like to hear people laugh at something I've said. Makes me feel all joyous. But don't fake it. You've got to naturally like people. If you don't, that's something you should work on first, even before writing a novel.

3. Pass something out. I've handed out pencils, marbles, bookmarks, candy, etc. Yes, this should never distract from what you've written, but I like having something to fidget with in my hands. In most cases, it's nice to have an object to give someone who's decided to pass on buying your book and can turn an awkward moment into a promising future. Cheesy, I know. But have you ever sat there and stared at somebody who you know is not going to buy your book, but they don't quite know what to do to close the transaction, so they slowly return your book to your pile, and try to make eye contact with someone... anyone else in order to leave and avoid your humiliating stare? No? Trust me. Pass something out.

4. Sign everything! Yes you want to sell and sign books, but I once made the mistake of telling some kids at my very first school visit who wanted my autograph that I'd sign some bookmarks for them later at my book signing because I was in a rush to get to my next school. Don't ever do that. Make the time, if you can, for kids. I've regretted that moment ever since. Now, I'll sign socks, hands, scraps of paper, pencils, whatever. Kids deserve the best and if they, for reasons beyond my understanding, think I'm cool enough to sign something for them, you better believe I'll do it.

5. Take every opportunity to promote your work. I've done all sorts of book signings. There are times I've only sold one copy and that was to the kind store manager who felt sorry for me sitting by myself at a table for 3 hours. Other times, I've sold out. I've done signings where a hundred books weren't enough and others where twenty books looked like a mountain of doom. The point is, you never know when you're going to meet somebody who will want to read your book. Isn't that what this is all about? I'll answer that question for you. It is. Try to arrive early and stay your committed time. I recently missed two book signings that I didn't realize I was scheduled for. Shame! I still feel awful and I've apologized profusely to the parties involved. That's not me. I'm grateful for every opportunity and I never want to convey the message that I'm more important to make my commitments. I'm not more important. No one is. So much time and energy go into setting up a book signing. And like I said before, you never know what awesome people you might meet.

Yeah, maybe these ideas are nothing new, and maybe they're not that helpful. Still, writing a book is only the beginning. It's a fun and an amazing adventure, but be ready to work towards success.

Tune back in like 2 days for another exciting contest. Yes, I'm giving away more. Lastly, did you spot the Austin Powers tribute in this post?

First Official Give-A-Way!

2011-03-06T10:58:00.000-07:00

That's a lie. It's not the first official give-a-way of stuff on this blog, but it's the first official give-a-way of the real copy of The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter on this blog. What's this so called Guardian of the Hidden something or other you ask? Click HERE to see pictures, or (lazy) scroll down.

I'm having a contest and I'm leery about it. You see, sometimes contests do really well on my blog. Other times... total bust! I'm assuming the reasons range from lack of interest to, too many difficult rules, to "you just don't like me that much", and so on, and so on. But I've got books to share and although I like the look of all these copies on my shelf, it's kind of ridiculous. So, this first contest (yes there will be more) will be an easy one to get in on the action.

It's the tell a neighbor contest.

RULES: Uh... tell your neighbor. Who's your neighbor? Anyone can be your neighbor. Meaning, if you're a parent, tell your kid about my book The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter. Get em excited. Tell your spouse. Tell a co-worker. Tell your actual, physical (next-to-your house) neighbor. You can do this in passing. I've even given you an example:

You - "Hey Earl, how's that new weed whacker holdin up for you?"
Earl - "Oh, not so bad."
You - "Ah, I see."
pause
pause
You - "Have you heard about Frank Cole's new middle grade novel, The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter, yet?"
Earl - "Huh?"

See, it's that easy.

Now - How are you going to report this? Again. So simple. All you have to do is comment on this blog with one person you've told. You don't have to name them. You just say, "I did it" and I'll believe you. I'll give you an entry for every comment you make, but up to 5 as the max. Now, if by chance, you tell your neighbors on facebook or on your blog and one of your comments tells me that, or provides me with a beautiful link where I can go and read this beloved post, well, golly, that's worth 5 entries all by itself.

Heck, here's even a little blurb I stole off of Amazon about the book you could put on your blog if you wanted.

Amber never dreamed her archaeology class would turn into a top secret mission that would take her across the globe, but when her teacher goes missing, Amber realizes it's up to her to protect the Hidden Scepter or risk unleashing an ancient power too terrifying to imagine. This guaranteed page-turner from the bestselling author of the Hashbrown Winters series is perfect for the adventurer in your family.

So there. I've provided you with the rules, the incentive (a signed copy of The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter), and now here's the date: I'll randomly pick a winner on Saturday, March 12th. That means you can start telling everyone right now.

And, in case you didn't scroll down, here's a video clip of me holding my book. Enjoy.

There's no turning back now!

2011-03-04T22:57:00.000-07:00

I've got it in my hands. It's a real book! That means no matter what happens now, this is published! I know I'm probably being silly, but still. Sometimes I wonder if even though I signed a contract and there was a release date and all that good stuff, if they'll change their minds and say... "Nah. We don't want to publish this anymore." or "You're dumb, Frank. Dumb, dumb." (I don't know why they would say that. Just mean if you ask me.)

Well there's no turning back now! :)

I carried this book around with me all night... even opened it once or twice. I can't wait until you feel it. It has this sort of suedey-ish texture and the title has raised letters. I'm weeping right now. Literally weeping. No, I'm not. But innardly...wardly...wordly. Yep. Inwordly (cuz I write with words) I'm weeping. Tears of joy. Now, doesn't this make you want to come to my release party on March 10th at the Sandy Barnes and Noble to pick up your own copy and weep inwordly along with me? You better!

While we wait in eager anticipation, you could check out these 2 new awesome websites.

www.guardiansofthehiddenscepter.com

www.franklcole.com

Yep, that's my big, shiny head on the screen. Smiling like a goof. Makes you want to punch that face doesn't it? I would. But please don't. I bruise like a peach.

Interview with Jennifer Fielding (Cedar Fort's Acquisitions Editor)

2011-02-24T22:07:00.000-07:00

I recently interviewed the very brilliant and talented Jennifer Fielding who works for my publisher, Cedar Fort, in acquisitions. I do a lot of browsing on blogs and websites and I see interviews from time to time with publishing companies that are very useful for up and coming authors. Of course, I wanted to offer the same kind of information on my blog, so here you go! And thanks Jennifer for being so awesome to take time out of your busy schedule to answer these. (In case you're wondering, her answers are in blue.)

How long have you been with Cedar Fort and in your current position? I have worked for Cedar Fort for just over 3 years. I have been in acquisitions for two and a half of those years.
What has been the most exciting experience you’ve had with your work in acquisitions? I can't think of one instance in particular but I can think of two specific scenarios that get me very excited: 1) When I put off lunch or going home because I'm so engrossed in a manuscript submission. 2) When I acquire a book or an author that I didn't think would give us the time of day and it turns into an amazing partnership.
And just for fun, what has been the most bizarre experience? Hmmm...I think it would have to be the time when I took a call from someone who wanted to “update their account.” I was a little confused but sometimes people do call in who want to send in a revised version of their submission so I though maybe that was what he was referring to (?). I asked what account he was talking about and he spouted off a number. Then I asked him if he knew he had called Cedar Fort, a publishing company. He got quiet, said sorry, and then hurried and hung up. I later found out that there is a gambling hot line that has the same toll free number as us, but with an 888 prefix instead of 800.
If you’re able to, could you give us the break down on submissions with Cedar Fort? (How many manuscripts you receive in a given year. How many you personally read of those submitted? How many you accept for publication? And how many of those are fiction manuscripts?) We receive around 800 manuscripts a year and accept between 60-75 of those. Our fiction to nonfiction acceptance ratio is approximately 1:3. We publish between 100-120 books a year and each month we only put out 2-3 new fiction titles vs. 7-8 nonfiction. Of the submissions that come in, I personally read less than ¼ of them.
Being a fiction author, I’m particularly interested in Cedar Fort’s penetration in the national market. How much emphasis is CFI placing on having a strong position on a national level? We are creating a name for ourselves in the national market. The buyers at Barnes and Noble, Borders, Walmart, etc. all know who we are. We have quarterly (in person) meetings with them to present our new books. We are always looking for ways to grow and get bigger as a publisher. It is a daily study of the market and what works to see how we can continue to grow our presence.
As a follow-up question, do you think the emphasis will get stronger within the next 5 years? Yes, we have a goal in the next few years to get to the point where, thanks to the support from both the national and LDS markets, we do a first print run of 10,000 books for all of our books.
What are you currently looking for in a fiction manuscript? An original story, well-developed characters, and something that has a theme with series potential.
Are there any specific genres you’re absolutely craving right now? Not really, we're pretty open about the fiction that we accept.
Any you won’t even consider? We don't really do any children's books. Just about everything else is a go.
Have you ever been so involved in reading a manuscript you’ve lost sleep and/or forgot to go home from work? Yes, those are my favorite ones!
How important is the query letter and what sets the good ones apart from the not-so good ones…To be completely honest, the query letter is not terribly important to me personally. Stephanie Meyer could have written in to tell me she had a story about a high school girl that falls in love with a vampire and it may have sat on the shelf as long as any other submission. It's the story, the content that we're most concerned about. However, a cover letter littered with grammar and spelling errors definitely sends a red flag. One of the best things you can do as a prospective author is let us know what you are doing, or are capable or doing, to help sell your book. Any successful author knows that selling books is a partnership and that the publisher can only do so much. When we read in a cover letter about an author who has concrete ideas already in place or ready to go as soon as we agree to publish their book, that stands out above the others. That said, even if you have fantastic marketing ideas, we have to like your book first. :)
What tips can you give prospective authors with their submissions? (i.e. How does one hop out of the notorious slush pile? and… What will kill a manuscript submission faster than anything else for you?) It's hard to pin point what will make us choose to read your submission before someone else's but here are some of my thoughts.

a) Present your premise as succinctly and desirably as possible.

If you can tell us in the first (short) paragraph of your cover letter what your book is about and why we should be dying to read it, you may grab our attention enough that we decide to put it on our desk instead of on the shelf to read later. You don't need to tell us the story, just tell us why we should be interested. Also, don't waste time telling us that you were nervous to submit to us for whatever reason, let us figure that out for ourselves.

b) Tell us who you are.

If you're submitting nonfiction, tell us how you're qualified to write about the subject you've written about. If you're submitting fiction, give us details about your life that convince us that we should give you a chance. Things we care about are email contact lists, blogs/personal websites, speaking engagements, social network involvement, etc. This type of information helps us gauge how many people you will be able to notify about your book's release and gives us an idea of what forms of marketing will be most effective. An important thing for authors to recognize is that we are taking a chance by signing your book and putting thousands of dollars into it, with the hope that we earn that money back. So, we need to know who you are and how you can help us make your book a success. Sometimes we have to turn down a book that we love because we're not convinced that we can sell it.

c) Hook your reader from the first page

It is very important that your reviewer wants to keep reading after the first page. Spend a lot of time making sure that the first line, the first paragraph, and the first chapter set the reader up so that they won't want to put your book down. Focus on opening sentences that bait the reader. For example:

It had been seven, long years.

Really? Seven, long years of what? Since what? I'm interested in knowing more. One line can create a lot of curiosity and that is key.

Here are a few examples from the greats:

There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it. —C. S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952)

In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. —F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (1925)

I write this sitting in the kitchen sink. —Dodie Smith, I Capture the Castle (1948)

Of all the things that drive men to sea, the most common disaster, I've come to learn, is women. —Charles Johnson, Middle Passage (1990)

Call me Ishmael. —Herman Melville, Moby-Dick (1851)

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. —Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice (1813)

I am an invisible man. —Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man (1952)

You don't know about me without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; but that ain't no matter. —Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885)

Things that kill a manuscript submission include:

1) A typo in the first few pages.

First impressions are important and that shows me that the author didn't take the time to make sure they were sending in their best work. Don't get me wrong, a manuscript doesn't need to be perfect, that's why we have a full staff of editors. But an error on the first page gets us thinking that you didn't even take the time to make sure your first impression was the best it could be. It's like you showed up for a job interview in your pj's.

2) Telling us that we're making a big mistake (or worse) if we don't publish your book.

3) Not following our guidelines (found on the website).

We really appreciate it when our submissions are uniform. Please follow the guidelines!

Release Party and Kirkus Review

2011-02-16T20:04:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all that commented on my last post about names. I'm still in a bit of a bind as I continue the naming and creating process, but it's nice to have options. You're all swell. Now, on to some announcements and such.

A. I'm going to be joining the LTUE conference for the first time in my career tomorrow, Friday, and Saturday. This conference is huge! That's why it is called LTUE (Life, the Universe, & Everything.) This year I'll be on 3 panels and doing a signing on Saturday with some pretty big names. Yikes! I don't even know what to expect. I'm nervous, nauseous, bloated, pale, clumsy, as I gear up for this event. You should come. Here's the link to the website so you can learn all about this glorious event. LINK Do you like how I just said link? I do.

2. My Release Party for the Guardians of the Hidden Scepter is just around the corner! March 10th, 6:00-8:00 pm at the Sandy Barnes and Noble (10180 S. State Street.) I stuck a countdown clock on the right. See it? This is huge for me. I can't tell you all that I went through to see this book come to life. Blood. Sweat. Tears. Spit. Phlegm. Yep. All that. I want you to be a part of it. No, not the phlegm and the blood and stuff you weirdos! I want you to be a part of this event. I say you, meaning all of you. I guess I could name you individually. Sally... Jesse... Leonardo (Ha! I know what you thought I was going to say, but I chose a different turtle.) Tell you what. Have you ever seen me draw a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle? I'm no artist, but I've got a knack for that little illustration. If you come to my signing and say the code word: Shredder. I'll draw one for you. Does it seem like I'm literally begging for you to come to this book signing/release party? Well I am. This book is my favorite. I know I should never single out a child, but this is my pride and joy. You'll like it I think. And if not, the cover's awesome. And there are some creepy things and explosions... guaranteed.

D. My book received a review from Kirkus. Scary. Have you ever heard of Kirkus reviews? Well, I didn't until I started getting involved in writing and publishing. They're the real deal and they can be brutal. Don't believe me? Go to Kirkus reviews and read some of their reviews for books you know. I did and they don't pull any punches. Basically, if you can get a good review from Kirkus, you should pat yourself on the back. So when I saw they reviewed The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter I about passed out. Because come on. I'm not that swell of a writer. I don't want to knock myself, but you start doubting your ability when people start reading your stuff. Hashbrown got put through the ringer by several readers and yes I made voodoo dolls of those (unnamed) individuals, but ultimately I got over it. I was too worried to read this review, but after I did, I feel okay about it. Yes, they were brutal at times (some of their wording hurts my feel bads), and of course I would much rather receive a glowing "starred" review, but according to my publisher, they were very pleased with it. All-in-all I think it's an okay review. What do you guys think? Be honest.

GUARDIANS OF THE HIDDEN SCEPTER
Author: Cole, Frank L
Review Date: February 1, 2011
Publisher:Bonneville BooksPages: 288Price ( Hardcover      ): $16.99Publication Date: March 1, 2011
ISBN ( Hardcover      ): 978-1-59955-448-8Category: Fiction

In this mystery adventure, four star students struggle to save the world when their slightly eccentric teacher vanishes, leaving cryptic messages behind; they have only their ingenuity and expertise to solve the puzzles. Fifteen-year-old Amber relates the unfolding drama as she is joined by her friends: fashionista Lisa, techno-whiz Trendon and imperturbable Joseph. Apparently Ms. Holcomb knew she was heading for what appears to be a possible kidnapping, but she is less concerned with being rescued than she is with the safety of a powerful artifact—the Tebah Stick—connected to the original Ark of the Bible. Heavy with Indiana Jones overtones, the relic is both hugely powerful and sought by evildoers who want to use the power of the Tebah Stick to rule the world. Chance and knowledge combine to help the kids work out the clues as danger increases. Astute readers will find the clues a mixture of the opaque and the easy, but this is not realistic fiction, and the complications and daring escapades take it a big step beyond Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys in excitement. The dire consequences of failing are so exaggerated that solving the puzzles may not be much fun for readers, but those who favor a little fantasy element in their mystery will enjoy the ride. (Adventure. 11-15)

Personally, I absolutely hate the line "the dire consequences of failing are so exaggerated that solving the puzzles may not be much fun for readers." Why did they say that?? Couldn't they have just passed on that little tidbit? Yes, there is a lot of over-the-top action in this book (explosions, death, creepy things in the dark), but it is fun and cool. That's what they should've said.

Kirkus: "This book is fun and cool." (Adventure. 11-15)

I don't know, criticism is good I suppose.

For now, I'm only going to add these lines from the review to advertise my book:

"...the complications and escapades take it a big step beyond Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys in excitement."

and

"... those who favor a little fantasy element in their mystery will enjoy the ride."

oh, and one of my all time favorites:

"Heavy with Indiana Jones overtones..."

Yes, that quote may be taken out of context, but heck yeah! Indiana Jones???

But since you all are my loyal followers and readers, I didn't pull any punches and allowed you to read it in it's entirety. Makes you respect me more doesn't it? Makes you want to read the book and decide for yourself if it is indeed "Heavy with Indiana Jones overtones" doesn't it? Makes you want to come to my release party and say the code word Shredder doesn't it?

Bonus points for whoever can spot the "Home Alone" reference in this blog post.

The Naming Game

2011-02-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's been forever since I've posted. Fooeeevvveerr (what's that movie from? It's a classic...)

To my defense, I started writing again and that has to take first priority. I get so easily distracted. As an update, I've written a little over 6,000 words in the sequel to The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter. Yeah, I'm nowhere yet, but it's a start.

Before I start with this post, I want to point out a few updates to my blog. #1 There are now events (current events) posted in the events tab. Check em out. Come see me, if you'd like. I'm super way nervous about one of them because I don't know what the heck to talk about. #2 I finally posted a writing tip in the Writing Tip tab. Before you read it, please understand I'm not a teacher. I never went to school to be a writer, I don't claim to truly understand the schematics of writing a novel, and I'm actually a little embarrassed to write anything in that tab. But I wanted to share a tip or two of how I write. If it helps you... great! If it just ticks you off and makes you think you hate that Frank Cole guy, and who does he think he is for trying to tell me how to write my story, and why doesn't he mind his own bidness. If any of those thoughts are already embedding themselves in your subconscious, please don't read it. Just ignore. Instead of clicking on the tab, go buy yourself a "Tab" soda and enjoy. Tab soda? Is that not a blast from the past? I once had to drive all over town in search of a box of Tab for some high-to-do, stuffy, vice president who only drank Tab. Can you say spitter? Do you know what that means?

Now that that's out of the way. Names. Yep, I want to talk about names. Coming up with names is hard. Especially in writing, but not limited to that. Naming a kid is hard, right? I mean this will be how they are forever known throughout history. My name is Frank Cole. Immediately, people conjure up an image of an old man who fancies sticking his dentures in upside down and smells of cantaloupe. Right? Come on, you know you think that when you hear Frank Cole. And if you didn't... you do now. But I kinda like my name. My dad's name is Frank and he's cool. My grandpa's name was Frank and he didn't have dentures. He did smell a little of a cantaloupe, but it was a nice smell. Plus, if you say my name really fast it becomes one word. FRANKLE. I'd like to think I have the right to come up with the definition of Frankle. Something awesome. A Frankle is... a Swedish sports car, or a laser-guided switchblade. Or it could be like, if one's feeling very Frankle they feel unstoppable and capable of taking flight.

Chances are though, a Frankle is something lame. Like a heart-attack inducing cheese sandwich, or a 3-story building with no door on the ground level, or a cardboard box used to dispose of trash when the garbage can is full.

"The garbage is full. Where do you want me to throw this dirty diaper?"
"Eh, throw it in the Frankle."

Lame.

Why is this my post? Because, when you write a story, you need a name. Think about it. The name of the main character is one of the most important elements of a story. It's what you remember first. What if JK called her story, Frank Cole and the Sorcerer's Stone. Gasp. How awful? No one would read that! And what's a cheese sandwich have to do with magic anyways? See. Now, Harry Potter has a nice ring to it. That's the beauty of that name. Harry (normal) Potter (normal). Together. Brilliance.

I recently wrote another story and I named the main character Calvin. Is that dumb? Calvin. I wanted a unique name. Something not seen in the everyday ongoings. But Calvin? Where do you draw the line in between unique names and something that's not obnoxious? I once new someone who knew someone who named their kid Christopher with a silent 3 in the name. Christo3pher. Christothreepher. No, the 3 is silent. Christo3pher, but just don't say the 3. Why did they do this? I assure you I don't know. See that's obnoxious to me. Readers I think would see that as obnoxious too. Oh, this is exhausting.

These are some of the names I've come up with over the years that I'm proud of:
Amber Rawson
Hashbrown Winters (yeah, that one's my best so far)
Squeaky Mittons
Echo Rodriguez
Yankee Molicka (not a big role, but a classic I think.)

Then, I came up with these
Stephen Thomas
Calvin Simmons
Blah...

I struggle sometimes. Especially when you look at the world of literature and see the creative names authors have come up with:

Percy Jackson
Septimus Heap
Tick Higginbottom
Hermione Granger

I need a new name. Something awesome. Calvin Simmons isn't it. This is a teen-horror-type book. Calvin doesn't sound like a teen-horror-type book main character does it? I don't know. I'm stumped. I need inspiration. I need something. I need a tab! Mmmm and a soppy, cheesy, Frankle.

Ah heaven.

The Official Cover of The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter

2011-01-10T19:24:00.000-07:00

I know I already posted this cover a little while ago, but I needed to do it again because there have been some minor changes. And FOR THE LOVE OF CHOCOLATE PUDDING, THE BOOK GOES TO PRESS LIKE THIS WEEK!!! Sorry, spaz-attack

Things are coming together so quickly, I just can't believe it. I'm going to be heading out and doing more school presentations and book signings in the upcoming weeks and months with Hashbrown, of course, but with also my Guardians tour. I just love this cover. It makes me warm and happy. It really is a dream come true and I owe it all to Cedar Fort and the illustrator Mark Mckenna. Check out his talent at his website here.

I probably have one more advanced copy of The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter I can give away. So, let's do it. This one will require some work on your part, but just a teeny bit. I'd like to see some more reviews of my Hashbrown books on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. So, if you've read any of them, please go on and review them (preferably on both websites). I love great reviews, but I'll take whatever you can give me. Once you've reviewed the book hop on here and comment about it so I can go read your wisdom. I'll then give you two entries into the drawing for every review. That means there's a potential of 12 entries or more if you review each of my 3 Hashbrown books on both Barnes and Noble and Amazon websites. There are also places to review the books at deseretbook.com, borders.com, etc., etc. The more you review the more entries you receive. If you haven't read the book, but plan on doing it and can pinky promise to review it when you've finished, comment on the blog and I'll give you one entry. And lastly, if you don't have any desire to read my dumb books (your words not mine), but still want a chance to win a free one, comment about my cover for The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter. Any feedback is welcome, but know, I can't change it now.

The Adventures of Hashbrown Winters AMAZON

The Adventures of Hashbrown Winters BARNES AND NOBLE

Hashbrown Winters and the Mashimoto Madness AMAZON

Hashbrown Winters and the Mashimoto Madness BARNES AND NOBLE

Hashbrown Winters and the Phantom of Pordunce AMAZON

Hashbrown Winters and the Phantom of Pordunce BARNES AND NOBLE

Now, I've just decided something. Since this is my last ARC to give away, let's make this something special. I'll give away 3 prizes on this drawing. 1st prize - the ARC of Guardians of the Hidden Scepter with it's wickedly ominous black cover and wrong title (it could one day be a collector's item...) 2nd prize - A copy of Hashbrown Winters and the Phantom of Pordunce (possibly my best Hashbrown story ever!) and 3rd prize -... wait for it... an ARC of Hashbrown Winters and the Mashimoto Madness (this thing is old and priceless because it was never sold in stores. I just found a small stack of these in a box downstairs. Yep, it's black and white, but come on, it's cool.)

There you have it! The contest is set. I'll let it run until January 19th. Why? Cuz I wanna.

ABC4 Good Things Utah

2010-12-28T18:04:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate enough to have a great opportunity to appear on ABC4 Good Things Utah today to talk about my Hashbrown books. I owe a big thank you to Amanda Summers (the producer) and Suzanne Houghton for making it all happen. I was a nervous wreck, but I think it went rather smoothly. I guess you can be the judge of that...

Winner of the Nutha Contest and More Christmas Memories

2010-12-23T20:32:00.000-07:00

I plugged in all of your entries and the winner was number 14....

Hurray for Jennifer! You won! I'm not sure I even know who you are. Are you my sister Jennifer? Are you Jennifer Love Hewitt?

Any whoooo... e-mail me with your address and the book is yours.

Now, in response to some of your comments:

PaigeE - I feel your pain. Most of the time I can't stand radio Christmas music, but I do like the occasional newer stuff.
Jeana - Christmas Shoes? Deeeeepressing. But, I really do appreciate your support of my blog. It makes me feel all good.
AJDub - Ditto on the blog support. And, I love the muppets too.
Kristen - Who's Johnny Mathis?
Tia - Were you listing a song or just making a statement?
Michael - I love you man. Maple syrup eh?

Now, here is another one of my Christmas memories.

A couple of years ago, I was at Target with Heidi, Jackson, and Gavin. Gavin was a little tyke and at that point in his life, he really couldn't stand me. To him, I was a nuisance. Someone who just got in the way of mom. On several occasions, I vividly recall him wishing on the first star in the sky for me to disappear. Okay, that's a little harsh and made up, but seriously, he didn't like me until he was like 3 years old. Ask Heidi. I was ready to start therapy sessions.

Well, since it was Christmas and there was the prospect of gifts from Santa in the works, Gavin began acting more cordial to me. We didn't share long conversations by any means, but at least he wasn't whispering I hate your face under his breath. As we were leaving Target and crossing through the parking lot, Jackson sat inside the cart while Gavin stood hanging off the back staring at me. So, I decided to have a little fun and steer the cart wildly for my sons' enjoyment. They laughed and all seemed right with the world. That was until I hit a pocket of icy snow and Gavin was catapulted through the air landing on his back in a puddle of sludge. I raced to his safety, because we were still in a parking lot and there were cars zooming around everywhere. As I fished him from the puddle, Gavin narrowed his eyes at me and growled in a very sinister voice, "Ah! Look what you did!"

Therapy sessions began shortly after.

Nutha Contest

2010-12-20T17:18:00.000-07:00

I Still have a couple of ARCS of The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter left in my office and they need to go. I need people to read this book and get the word out early.

So here's another contest. Simple and easy.

Put a comment about your favorite Christmas song. One that when it's on the radio you have to listen and it puts you in the holiday mood. Comment as many times as you like or just once. I'll do a random drawing on Wednesday and the winner will get a signed Advanced Copy of The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter. So, naturally, the more times you comment the more chances you have of winning. If you've already won (Jeana) and you happen to win again, I'll give you the choice of an ARC of Guardians, or Hashbrown Winters and the Phantom of Pordunce.

I personally love the Christmas Song by the Dave Matthews Band. If you haven't heard it, go download it or listen to it or something. I just think it's cool.

On another note, I don't get the 12 days of Christmas song. At all. Yeah, it was great as a kid. We'd all get excited because I think there were numbers in the song and it sounded like the singer was going to get a whole bunch of cool stuff for Christmas as they rattled off their list.

But it's all about birds. Did the author of that song work at an aviary? Birds?

What would I do with turtle doves, a partridge, french hens, calling birds, swans...

I know what birds do. They do it all over my car all year round.

Winner of the Contest and Christmas Memory #11

2010-12-16T15:15:00.000-07:00

Wow! Those were some great movies and I was pleased to see such good participation and from some new commenters I might add. All right, I plugged every one into a spreadsheet and gave each person that posted more than once an entry for each comment and I used a random number selector. And the winner is...

Jeana!

It was actually your second comment that won. Not that it mattered what you commented about, but I just thought you'd like to know. I'm excited for you to read this one. E-mail me with your address and I'll drop it in the mail first thing. You've got to promise me to read it soon and then post feedback on what you thought about it.

That was fun! I think I'll do another contest before the week is up for another copy of my book. Maybe tomorrow.

And here's #11 of my cherished Christmas memories...

I was younger and dating my wife, Heidi, out at college. It was getting close to the end of the semester and the Christmas Break and we had plans to go to some school play later that Friday evening. I remember not being that excited about the play because it had been a requirement for one of our classes, Heidi and I shared. While we waited, we snuggled on the couch in my apartment and watched T.V. I really don't know how or why we started dancing, but we did and soon we were jumping around the living room like real dorks. Suddenly, because I wanted to show off my strength to impress Heidi, I hoisted her into the air and started spinning her around as fast as I could. What fun! I remember laughing and smiling up until the point I lost my balance and sent Heidi crashing, head-first, into the windowsill. She ended up with a rather large goose egg and a concussion. Delirious, confused, and probably suffering from a bout of amnesia, Heidi was in poor shape. I was devastated. How could I have done this to her? What was I to do? Well, I did the only reasonable thing I could think to do at the time.

I immediately proposed. The rest is history.

That really didn't happen that way, but most of it did. Actually, it may have happened sometime after Christmas for all I know, but it WAS really cold and snowy. And no, I didn't really propose right after braining her on the windowsill, but for those that know my wife and know me, you'd have to agree she had to have hit her head to marry me. Right?

Anyways. That's a made up Christmas memory, but as long as it lingers in my mind, I claim it as truth.

I know. Lame huh? #11 on my fondest Christmas memories is of a time when I nearly knocked my wife unconscious? Well... yes. It just wouldn't be Christmas without Heidi by my side and I consider all holiday memories with her as cherished. Gabwuf. Sorry, I may have just barfed a little. And if I didn't, I'm pretty sure some of you did.

Quick Christmas Contest

2010-12-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

I've got these advanced copies of the Guardians of the Hidden Scepter just sitting here, staring at me and I need to give them away. So here's a quickie contest just to keep us in the holiday spirit:

Post a comment that tells your favorite Christmas movie. I'll do a drawing on Thursday from all those that commented. The winner will get an advanced reading copy of The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter which comes out in March. Easy peasy!

You can comment as many times as you want and I'll increase your entries by that many times as well. And if I only get one comment from one person, you win! How's that for holiday cheer? Know any kids ages 9-16 looking for a book that no one's read yet? Got it here!

My favorite Christmas movie? The Christmas Story! Not a finga!!!

Nostalgic Moments of Christmas #12

2010-12-07T12:24:00.000-07:00

For fun, I'm going to post one of my most favorite Christmas memories randomly from now until Christmas. I've been becoming quite Scrooge as of late and I need something to put me in the holiday spirit. Most of these will be funny, but a few may or may not be sentimental. There may be 12 of them or not.... I don't know and I really don't know the pattern. Heck, I might post 2 or 3 in a day, but that's unlikely. I'll probably post something in between a memory, like a contest or a writing update or a rant about something. The point is... I don't have a point to this other than creating the Christmas mood on my blog. And here we go...

#12 - I've blogged about this before, so for those stalwart followers of my website, this will be a repeat post. But for you others (recent joinees and random looker-inners) this will be a treat.

It was Christmas eve 2001. Heidi and I stayed the night with her family and slept on the couch with her brothers and sister as we eagerly awaited the arrival of Christmas morning. Heidi was pregnant with my first son, Jackson, and on the verge of popping (he arrived in February.) We had spent the evening playing games and watching movies, and if I recall correctly, I had fallen asleep in the middle of the movie on the couch. It was warm and peaceful and I dreamed of sugar plums (which by-the-way I've never had one, but they sound exquisite.)

Soon, all of us older kids were nestled snug on the enormous family room couch, snoozing. Suddenly, sometime past midnight, my dreams of sugar plums changed into a horrifying spectacle. There I sat in a warehouse in front of a bay door with Heidi sitting next to me holding our son. Although, I can't remember exactly what he looked like, I'll wager Jackson looked a little like a baby Bob Costas in my dream (that's for you cousin John). When all of a sudden, a tractor-trailer began to back towards us. Why we were sitting there, I have no clue. And why we didn't move when the reverse beep of the truck sounded off, baffles me. It was a dream, people. Needless to say, we were in trouble. The truck continued to back and we sat frozen to the floor. I knew I needed to do some drastic, so I sat straight up and shouted at the top of my lungs.

"HEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!"

Meanwhile, in ma and pa Hickok's basement, the scene unfolded in real life. Their downstairs doesn't have any windows and the room was cloaked in total darkness. I must have shouted for a solid minute. Everyone woke up, disturbed, confused, and wondering why I was still shouting.

Keri, my sister-in-law, took the startling wake-up call the worst and I remember hearing her desperately ask Heidi what the heck I was doing. My mind still hovered somewhere in between the dream world and reality, but I managed to shout, in my best Gollum impersonation,

"My Precioussssssssss."

To which Keri started bawling.

Feliz Navidad!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T12:59:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful day! A day of eating and sleeping and watching football. I look forward to this day every year because of the stuffing and the turkey and the pumpkin pies. But it would be incredibly ungrateful of me if I didn't take the time today to post of all the things I am thankful for. So, here they are, in no particular order, 100 of my thankfulties:

Family - Heidi, Jackson, Gavin, Camberlyn, parents, siblings, in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, unknown relatives, George Clooney, Guiseppe Gandolfo, and Pocahontas.
Movies - DVDs, blu-rays, 3D shows, theaters, $6.00 bags of popcorn and stadium seating.
Cars - the van, the hyundai, the jeep, the mazda, the Ford, the Subaru station wagon. All of the cars of my life from 16 years and up.
Legos and many quiet bonding moments for me and my sons as we constructed lairs, death ships, and all manner of weaponry.
Disneyland
Pirates of the Caribbean
Splash Mountain and Dole Whips.
Michael Jordan, Ricky Henderson, Babe Ruth, and Larry Bird.
Ducktales the television show and fond memories hanging out on the couch after a hard day at school.
Providence Elementary where it all started.
Manny Pacquiao and Mike Tyson of the days of yesteryear.
Snowplows and the wonderful men and women that drive them.
Cell phones, Tylenol, and Ceiling fans
Our country
Books - Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and Ghost Soldiers
Otter Pops and Five Guys Burgers and Fries
Wal-mart - yes. I said it. I'm thankful for Wallyworld.
Air Conditioning and Hot watered showers
Slight of hand magicians, street Performing sword swallowers, and jugglers.
Memories and pictures of climbing the World Trade Center
Family vacations to NYC.
Road trips with Michael, Clark, Heidi, and Mom.
Jackson Hole Wyoming
Big Juds Burgers
Manhole Covers
Ambulances and EMTs and Hospitals and doctors
Current Hangout Friends and College buddies
Past Friends - Wen Nyman, Preston Carlson, Bryan Nyman, Eric Korsgaard, Dale Lane, Fred Wilcoxsen, Rachael McDonald, Amy Cobb, Greg Keller, Mike Sapp, Chris Mcguire, Josh Hayes, and Andy Spargo
Future Friends - Joe, Larry, Cindy, Margaret, Palupa, Enrique, Hakeem, Roland.
P90X and the mute button on remote controllers.
Hashbrown Winters and gang, tree houses, stilt houses, the ramps, and maybe not crossbows.
The Superbowl and chicken wings
Toilets, running water, and the sanitation department
Lawn Mowers
Jurassic Park, the possibility of aliens, banshees, big foot, chupacabra, and haunted houses
Noah's Ark
Artists - James Christensen, Carl Heinrich Bloch, Adam Record, Mark Mckennah, Tom DuBois, Michelangelo
Music - Weezer, Black Eye Peas, Coldplay, CCR, Plain White Tees, Aerosmith, the Beatles, the Eagles, Steve Miller Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and so forth.
Robots, and Car Washes
Firemen, Policemen, and the Coast Guard
Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream and Jalapeno cheese dip
Rodizio Grill
Comfortable couches, and socks without holes in the toes
Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds baseball games
Our Armed Forces
GPS
back scratchers (I have 3 of them) and bubble baths (shut up they rock!)
Blogs, Facebook, Twitter (I guess)
A job, money, wallets, and bank accounts.
the smell of fruity candles, garden tomatoes, and Peach pie
Holidays - Halloween, Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years, Birthdays, Easter, Valen... no, Leprechaun day, tree day, firework day (4th of July).
Dad's stories of growing up in Queens
Mom's stories of corn on the cob in the sewer
Michael and Hyenas
Jennifer and magical radios
Ginger, Darby, Squirt, Scooter, Fuzzy, Lacy, Zoe, and some fish
Fried Chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, buttermilk biscuits, and wet-naps
The Philippines - Balut, Aso, Adobo and Sinigang.
Silly Putty, colored pencils, notebooks, and the Fly-swatter Journal.
A house with heating and beds and carpet.
Heating pads and Arctic Circle shakes
Mountains, caves, oceans, space, and sharks
Gold, Silver, and precious stones
Blockbuster Video stores, and Albertsons (May they rest in peace.)
Caller ID, Call-awaiting, and the days of unknown prank calling
The dude playing air guitar by the Little Caesars on 5400 S.
Cruise Liners and escargot
Cedar Fort and Ann Behar for a week or so
Sports - Basketball, baseball, boxing, football, ping pong
Russell Crowe, Johnny Depp, Kate Beckinsale
Pixar and Dreamworks
Airplanes, airport security, stewardesses, gingerale, and miniature bagged cookies
Dum Dum Suckers, Snickers candybars
My wife's pretty face
underarm deodorant, soap, electric razors, shampoo, and heartburn medication
Online shopping, ebay, amazon, and the real Amazon river
Faith and religion
Triple Antibiotic Ointment, bandaids, and Flexall 454
Cable television, VCRs, DVD players, and live news
Zoos, parks, pavilions, picnic benches, water balloons, koolaid, and casseroles
Snowmen, snow forts, snow balls, paint balls, paint brushes, hair brushes, and hair spray
Ale-8, Coca Cola, Dr. Pepper
Mrs. Mobley, Mrs. Preston, Mrs. Slone, Mrs. McCord, Mrs. Dulin, Mr. Hughes, Mr. Caudill.
Coach Jackson and the Bob Jones Patriots
Vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, ovens, refrigerators, and magic bullet blenders.
Computers, laptops, printers, and Xboxes
Presents, free gift wrap at department stores.
Sunscreen, bug spray, Raid, hobo spider traps
Bookstores - Deseret Book and Barnes and Noble
Contracts, covers, and chapter illustrations
Garage door openers
Olive Garden, Burger King, and Subway
Great employees and employers
Cicadas, chiggers, and ticks (yeah, weird... I know.)
Condiments, mayonnaise, and egg sandwiches
Opposable thumbs and episodes of Friends
Hugs
Laughing
Happiness
Miracles

There are hundreds maybe even thousands more, but you get the point. I'm thankful for so many things. Some of them corny, some of them weird, but all of them real.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter

2010-11-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

I've waited long enough. It has pained me something awful to not show this. Now, there could still be changes to the cover, i.e. color or stuff, but I revealed this at the release party and so now, I'm revealing it to the world.

The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter due out March, 2011!

It will be in hardcover and is already showing up on Amazon and Barnes and Noble (under the title The Guardians of the Tebah Stick... old title)

We have a winner!!!

2010-11-17T21:08:00.000-07:00

I was beginning to doubt there would be a winner to my most recent contest. We hovered around 68 for the longest time, but now we've done it! Hooray! I'm so happy!

So, I've randomly picked a winner using a formula in an excel spreadsheet (gibberish) and the winner of the free signed copy of Hashbrown Winters and the Phantom of Pordunce is...

Robin Mellom!!

Congratulations!

e-mail me so I can know where to send this book.

And now the contest continues. That's right, I want 80 this time and to sweeten the deal, I'll give away two prizes. One signed copy of Hashbrown Winters and the Phantom of Pordunce and one signed ARC copy of The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter (formally known as The Guardians of the Tebah Stick). There will be two separate winners once we hit 80 blog followers. So, go out and tell the world, or just your friends and family to follow my blog.

Coming soon... I'll be posting the cover of The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter, possibly this weekend.

For those who have never read or even heard about Hashbrown Winters, here's one of my favorite characters. The first five people that comment on this post with the answer to why he's called Whiz, will win 5 signed bookmark/maps of Pordunce Elementary (Hashbrown's school) to give to all your friends. Ahhh, shucks, Frank. You're so generous.

I know. I know.

Whiz Peterson

Ahhh, finally a moment's relief.

2010-11-14T17:37:00.000-07:00

Well, I won't say I'm happy the Hashbrown Winters and the Phantom of Pordunce Release Party is over, but I will say I'm relieved. A couple of posts ago I talked about stress. This party gave me an awful lot of stress. Mostly, it stressed me to think it wouldn't be successful, and Barnes and Noble would regret hosting it, and I'd look and feel like a total loser in the chair all by myself directing people to the restrooms while I twiddled my thumbs and stared around at all of the prizes no one would win because no one would show up. Fortunately, it went well. And I am now free to breathe a sigh of relief as I await the next release party in March for the Guardians of the Hidden Scepter.

But that's March. Psh. Time to kick back and sleep through the night and not attack random articles of clothing hanging on doorknobs throughout the house I mistake as goblins in my dreams. Time to leave my poor rat, Zoe, alone after midnight and not walk around holding her cage because I'm dreaming the house is flooding. I wonder what all these dreams mean? I wonder if I ever made an appointment with a dream psychologist... a dreamologist?... a dreampsycholo?... a dreamscicle? If they'd have a field day deciphering the hidden messages in my dreams? Maybe one day.

For now, enjoy some pictures from my release party this past Thursday and check back in later this week for a special post.

The Guardians ARCS

2010-11-09T19:31:00.001-07:00

A little while ago, I posted about how I started a new series that my publisher bought and that will be in bookstores Spring 2011. Originally called The Guardians of the Tebah Stick, the book is now slated to bear the title, The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter. I think it has a catchier ring to it.

Words can't describe how excited I am for this book! And already, look what I have in my hand...

Yep, that's an ARC baby! An Advance Reading Copy! These uncorrected proofs, come out several months before the actual edited hardcover hits bookstores and are sent to reviewers across the country. It just so happens, my publisher gave me a few copies to play with. They still have the old title, and of course there's no cover illustration yet, which, by the way, rocks the house and I'm dying to show you!!! We're talking 271 pages of high-octane suspense and adventure! Not to mention a chance to read the story first, before anyone else in the known universe. I'm giving a couple away at my book release party for Hashbrown Winters and the Phantom of Pordunce this Thursday. Haven't heard about the party yet?

Are you serious?

Thursday! (November 11th)
6:00 p.m.
Barnes and Noble
10180 S. State Street
Sandy, UT

Prizes, stuff, and then some!

You have to come. Everyone of you. I won't accept anything less. Come for the fun. Come say hi. Come win a prize. I'm giving away an entire boxed set of the hardcover Fablehaven series and many other glorious gifts. Just to celebrate the newest installment of the Hashbrown saga.

And, in case you missed it, check out my book trailer I made from scratch with a little love and some homemade biscuits....

PHANTOM OF PORDUNCE BOOK TRAILER

Oh, and for Pete's sake, follow the blog!! We only need 2 more followers before I give away a signed copy of Hashbrown 3 to a lucky winner. Come on. I know it's painful to follow a blog for some of you, but don't think about it. Just push the button and then take a nap and sleep away the pain.

Hashbrown Winters and the Phantom of Pordunce Book Trailer

2010-11-06T17:41:00.001-06:00

Yes, it is amateur. Yes, I did it myself. But, seriously doesn't this little clip make you want to go out and read Hashbrown Winters and the Phantom of Pordunce?

Come on, admit it. You know you're smiling.

Stress... How do you handle it?

2010-11-04T17:06:00.000-06:00

I think that's a legitimate question. Stress. We all have it at some point in our lives. Some of us have it more often than others. The clincher for me is how to handle stress. I don't do this well. Ask my wife. She'll tell you I'm intolerable when I'm stressed.

Some of my stress symptoms:

Prone to angry outbursts and since I've never been really good at speaking clearly, stress causes me to stutter something awful especially when I'm angry.

Exhaustion.

Excessive wandering. I don't even know where I'm wandering to. I just end up moving in and out of each of the rooms searching for something and than growing more and more irritated when I don't find it.

Cold feet. No, this isn't nervousness. I get cold (temperature) feet. Maybe this doesn't have anything to do with stress, but when I am stressed, cold feet really bug me. There aren't enough socks in the world!

And of course, night terrors. They're particularly bad when I'm stressed. Its hazardous to my health. I'm not that agile anymore and when my dream suddenly calls for gymnastic moves to avoid Anderson Cooper sneaking in through a doggy door, someone's bound to get hurt. Don't be worrying about Heidi. She can handle herself. It's me you've got to be concerned about. Heidi likes to throw punches.

Right now I'm stressed about a lot of things. Work (I work in retail and we've just entered the holiday season. Ouch.) My writing. My release party. My book sales. Whether or not my lego action figures are selling well on Ebay. There's no end to it.

My problem is I just don't know how to handle it. I've heard eating over-the-top milkshakes are a good start, but Heidi denies this. What can be done about this stress?

Oh, and we're one week away from my release party. Yep, you can expect more night terror stories in the immediate future. But, on a side note, I may have a couple of ARCs (Advanced Reading Copies) of my new book due out in the spring. How's that for enticement? I plan on giving them away at the release party!!!

Also, I just need 2 more followers and I'll give away a signed copy of Hashbrown Winters and the Phantom of Pordunce. 2 more! That's it. And just think, 2 more followers may reduce my stress level just a bit.

Let the Madness Begin (In Slide Show Fashion)

2010-10-18T21:41:00.001-06:00

Remember the old slide shows with the film projectors? Those were awesome. Which gives me a really dumb idea on how to kick off this new contest.

Boop. (Please turn the projector to the next slide now.)

It's happened before and it's time to do it again. Last time was, to put it Frankly (and I always do), somewhat of a bust. Contests are tricky in my opinion. You have to have something worth giving away. For example, if I suddenly announced I'm having a contest and the prize is half a box of unscented wipes I probably wouldn't get too much participation. Wait, hold it. Nope. Heidi, my wife, thinks I would. Well, I'm not giving away my wipes!

Boop.

But as I read other author blogs, contests and give-a-ways are all the buzz. Is that what my readers want? Free stuff? I know I do. Anytime I can get some free stuff, I'm giddy. I love bookmarks and plastic doohickies. I like getting stuff I will never use or read. There's just a great feeling free stuff creates. So, I'm doing another contest and I'm going to try to make it as uncomplicated as I possibly can.

Boop.

For starters, in order to participate, you have to follow my blog. No exceptions. How hard can it be to click the follow button? What does it accomplish you ask? I have no idea. I don't get paid money for each follower that appears, but for some reason, my head gets bigger. Yeah, there's the whole pride and ego deal, but I firmly believe a bigger head will result in better writing. My brain will have to get bigger as well. For those of you that like my books, this will be a plus, right? And for those of you that have hated my books, despised my writing, called me foolish, this will also be a plus, right? Better writing means you don't have to rip your hair out every time I create a dangling gerund. (I don't think that's really a grammatical term. I don't even know what a gerund is.)

Boop.

I'm currently at 60 followers. Thank you my beloved friends. I owe you so much. You have no idea. I want to get to 100 followers. It's a lofty goal, especially if there aren't many people reading this blog anymore. I haven't had a whole lot of comments recently. It's not a big deal, but it makes me wonder who's out there.

So, that's it. That's the contest. We need to get to 100 followers. I won't set a date or time limit, but I will do this. Whenever my followers increase by 10, I'll put a signed copy of Hashbrown Winters and the Phantom of Pordunce, up for grabs. I will then randomly draw a name of one of my existing followers to win and then I'll ship you the copy. That's right! I'm talking 'bout the new one partner! I've already got some and I want to share. The book hasn't really hit book stores yet! When we hit 80, I'll do another drawing. 90? You catch my drift? All the way to 100. Then I'll have to stop for a while to replenish my stock.

Boop.

Am I crazy? Yes, but what does that have to do with anything I'm talking about right now? There's a good chance I'll end up adding only 1 follower after a month. I'm not shameless. I know the risk. But I need some participants people! What better way to complete your set of Hashbrown books (that's assuming you own the other two) then with a signed copy?

Boop.

K. Contest starts when I click the publish button.

On a side note, check it out on the right column. There's a little announcement about my upcoming release party for Hashbrown Winters and the Phantom of Pordunce. Thursday, November 11th, 6ish (more details to follow) at the Sandy Barnes and Noble, 10180 S. State Street, Sandy, UT. There will be a lot of fun and prizes as well. Let's give a shout out for Free Stuff!!!

Books that changed my way of thinking...

2010-09-29T17:18:00.000-06:00

If you hadn't already guessed it, I'm kind of a book fiend. Meaning: I love books! I love collecting them and holding them. I love covers and quotes and back blurbs. I love witty chapter headings and cool pages with the whatever you call them edges. I love writing books. I certainly love reading books. And for the most part, I've been satisfied with my reading. Occasionally, I'll read a book that will make me say... Oh well. It just didn't do it for me. But those occasions are rare. I'd say 80-90% of the time, if I sit down and invest my total focus in a book, working my way to the finish, I end up pleased with the read. Now, on the opposite end of the scale, every now and then I'll find a book that changes my complete way of thinking. And this could be in a number of areas. My views on a controversial topic. My opinion of a particular genre I previously wouldn't have read. And so on, and so on. Also, as a writer, on occasion I'll read a book that changes my views on how to write.

For example: I've grown up in a strict third-person past tense world. That means a narrator, sometimes who sees all in every characters mind, but mostly focuses on one main character, tells a story that happened previously. I liked that. It worked for me and had worked for quite awhile. Harry Potter was written in this manner and the master, JK Rowling, wrote it to perfection. So, I started writing in that way. My first book, The Gothian Box, was written in third person. It's an okay story, but probably needs a major overhaul before it's worth publishing. I wrote the first draft of The Adventures of Hashbrown Winters in third person. That was the law in my opinion. That's how you wrote and everything else was pointless.

Now, I've read many novels since Harry Potter. Most of them in third person past tense. But I believe it was Percy Jackson and the Olympians which opened my eyes to the beauty of writing in First Person past tense. I loved those books. They held me captive and I eagerly awaited the arrival of each next installment in the series. Because of my love for the stories, I changed my way of thinking. First person past tense narratives can work and... work well. I immediately tested it out on my yet to be published Hashbrown Winters and bingo! The story finally came together. I was sold on this way of writing. Allowing the narrator to be the same as your main character helped me to find my voice in writing. Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan changed my way of thinking. My next series, The Guardians of the Tebah Stick, is written in first person. In fact, I don't think I can write a book in third-person anymore. Maybe that's me being drastic.

But it goes on... Suddenly I started reading, and sometimes trying to read, a new way of writing. First Person Present Tense. Again the narrator is the main character, but the events and the story happen in real time as you read. Oh man, I struggled with this. I couldn't enjoy it. What the heck was the author trying to do? Confuse me? Well they succeeded and there were several books (they'll remain nameless) I never finished because of this writing style. It was worthless. That type of writing could never work... Until... The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Whoa boy! Hold your horses. That book rocked! And like you probably can guess, my way of thinking changed. First Person Present Tense... what a wonderful idea! Next I started reading the Demonata series by Darren Shan which solidified my positive strong feelings about this style of writing. And now, I'm close to completing a novel using First Person Present Tense.

Change is good.

For me, these are the books that changed my way of thinking with my writing:

Harry Potter

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

The Hunger Games

The Demonata Series

For now that will have to do. There are dozens more I plan to highlight in the upcoming weeks and months of books I recommend to change your way of thinking. If you haven't given these a shot yet, you won't go wrong. Just a warning though, The Hunger Games (which includes Catching Fire and Mockingjay in the series) and the Demonata series are darker books intended for older audiences. Great stuff!

The Evolution of Hashbrown Winters (The Covers)

2010-09-16T21:30:00.000-06:00

I just had to post to show off the new cover for Hashbrown Winters and the Phantom of Pordunce. It hits bookstores on November 8th and I'm so stoked for you guys to read this one. Lots of fun and lots of laughs.

And don't forget about this Saturday (September 18th). It's Authorpaloosa at the Orem Barnes and Noble!!!

Authorpaloosa!!

2010-09-12T15:04:00.001-06:00

So... chickety-check it! Have you ever been to a ridiculously awesome event? One where there's so much going on your mind literally implodes? Well, I have and I've been fortunate enough to have been a part of such an event on two different occasions. It's called Authorpaloosa and it happens twice a year. Once in September and once in February. I don't know how to better explain how crazy, cool, insane, intense, and just plain gnarly this event is. Gnarly in a good, surfer type way. So, I'll just show you what you can expect at this fall's Authorpaloosa at the Orem Barnes and Noble this Saturday, September 18th starting at 11 am.

Allan Bellows   Alien Hands
Anne Bradshaw   Famous Family Nights
Aubrey Mace     My Fairy Grandmother & Santa Maybe
Becky Hall      A is for Arches & Morris and Buddy, The Story of the First Seeing Eye Dog
Berin Stephens The Dragon war Relic
Brandon Mull    Fablehaven, Pingo, Candy Shop Wars (Yeah, that's a national bestselling writer) Can you say Super stud? Really? Can you say it 5 times real fast?
Brandon Sanderson       Wheel of Time/Warbreaker, Mistborn, All (Holy mole, that's another! He hit #1 on the New York Times Bestsellers List.)
Camille Funk    Cooking for One
Cindy Beck      Mormon Mishaps and Mischief
Dan Wells       I Am Not A Serial Killer (Read this book... scared me. Loved it!)
Dan Willis      The Survivors
Emily Smith     The Way He Lived
Frank Cole      Hashbrown Winters All  (Well looky here!)
G.G. Vandagriff Pieces of Paris & The Last Waltz
Heather Horrocks        How to Stuff a Wild Zucchini
Heather Justesen        The Balls in Her Court
Jessica Day George      Princess of Glass & Dragon Spear PB (This girl can write some fiction and she cracks me up!)
Jillayne Clements       The Diet Rebel's Cookbook &Deadly Treasure
John Brown      Servant of a Dark God
Kim Williams-Justesen   Hey Ranger Books
Kristen Chandler        Wolves, Boys and Other Things that Might Kill Me
Kristen Landon The Limit & Life in the Pit (Probably gonna have to buy this book. Looks too good to pass up!)
Kristyn Crow    Cool Daddy Rat
Laura Card (aka Dean Low)       Petronella Saves Nearly Everyone
Lisa Mangum    The Golden Spiral
Marilyn Bunderson       The Mark
Mettie Ivie Harrison    The Princess and the Bear
Nancy Miles     In Good Taste
Nathan Hale     Rapunzel's Revenge
Nichole Giles   The Sharp Edge of a Knife
Rachael Anderson        Luck of the Draw
Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen   Trapped
Sharlee Glenn   Just What Mama Needs
Shawn Bucher    The First Timers Cookbook
Sherrilyn Pratt City of Angels / Welcome to SLC (This girl is crayyyzeee! But she's my pal and she's like pumping out the books left and right.)
Stephen Gashler The Bent Sword
Sterling Nixon The Sea Kings of Rome
Sydney Salter   Swoon at your Own Risk
Terri Ferran    Life's Alphabet Soup
Tom McCourt     Last of Robbers Roost Outlaws
Wendy Paul      101 Gourmet Cupcakes (I've eaten like 30 of her cupcakes... all at once... blissful!)
Zane Taylor     Lesser Heroes

Can you say gnarly? Like a surfer? Shaw... gnarly! All of these authors in one location gabbing about their books, signing their books, eating their books, throwing their books, throwing up their books. If you like books and by chance you like one or two of these authors, then I don't care if you live in Colorado. You need to be somewhere on Saturday and that somewhere's in Orem.

Upadoodle Doo

2010-09-02T18:04:00.000-06:00

You know what I love to do? Burn stuff on a grill. It's kinda like fulfilling my adolescent needs of pyromania in a safe, culinary environment. I've watched a ton of grilling shows to help me master the craft. I've heard the rules. The ones that tell you to leave it alone, let it grill on one side for a while before flipping it over and don't just keep flipping it over and over again because doggone it, the meat will dry out.

Ultimately, I just burn stuff. All I do is create food in various forms of cremation. Still, I abide by the principle I learned at a young age: Eat everything on your plate, even if it causes you severe disease.

I want to grill a watermelon one day. That's my goal. I reckon its plausible, right?

Did you see what just happened there? I wanted to post about some updates of what's been going on in my writing world, but I wanted to go about it differently. So often, I start off a post with... yodayodayoda, Here are some updates.

Blah.

Okay.

Here are some updates:

With the start of the new school year, so starts my events. In the past two weeks I've done a few already. On Thursday of last week, I went to Jim Bridger Elementary just right up the road. I was a little nervous, having stepped out of the presentation loop for a couple of months, but the Jim Bridger kids made me feel right at home. On Saturday, I was fortunate enough to participate in the KSL Book Festival up on the University of Utah campus and got to rub shoulders with Brandon Mull, Obert Skye, Avi, and several other famous people. Aside from the wind launching all of my presentation stuff off the stage like a hurricane, I had fun and I learned from the best. By the way, Brandon and Obert... awesome people. They even know me by name... when I wear a name badge. Then just yesterday (Wednesday, September 1st) I participated in the Upland Terrace Elementary Back to School PTA reading event. I had a blast and we sold a ton of books and I even got to sign my first diaper. It was clean and unused, but memorable.
I've seen the inside chapter illustrations for Hashbrown and the Phantom of Pordunce and a first draft of the cover illustration. I can't wait for you guys to see it too!
Check out this great review of Hashbrown Winters and the Mashimoto Madness at Maw Books. I found it to be honest and exactly what I was looking for when I wrote the book.
Lastly, I'm now 1/3 of the way finished with my newest fiction novel that I'm tentatively going to call, ROTTEN. Ooey, gooey fun.

That's it. That's all I got. Have you purchased your copy of Mashimoto yet? Have you pre-ordered Phantom of Pordunce yet? Are you wondering why I used yoda instead of yada earlier in this post? Hopefully, you've answered yes to all 3.

Where do you come up with it?

2010-08-25T22:56:00.000-06:00

Writing novels is a growing phenomenon and is quickly becoming one of our nation's pastimes. The chance to sign a publishing contract entices millions of people to forgo their regularly scheduled evening activities in pursuit of the next bestseller on their computers.

I've been asked by some of my readers and friends in general, where I come up with ideas for my books. And although I think it's essential you grasp the basic concepts of how to create a story and all the grammatical stuff that goes along with it, the "idea" is the most important element of writing a book. This is my opinion only, but a good idea will carry your writing a lot further than your actual writing ability. I think that works for publishers and agents alike. They're looking for an idea people will be interested in from the get go; from the moment they look at the back cover of a book. If you have that idea, you'll have a much greater shot of selling your novel. The rest can be worked on over time and will improve. But there in lies the problem.

Where do these ideas come from? And how do you create something new and exciting? Tough stuff, but honestly its the most exciting part of writing. Unless you've felt it for yourself, it's difficult to explain the feeling that comes over you when the perfect idea hits you from out of nowhere. For me, I enter a state of euphoria. Angels sing. Outside, animals howl in unison. It is beautiful and eerie and awesome. But how do you know and what can you do to prepare yourself to feel that moment of jubilation.

1. Change your mindset. Open yourself up for a chance to be inspired. Writers will agree with me, we're always in "info" mode. Meaning, it doesn't matter where we are. We could be at work, in the car driving, outside with the family at the park. We could be shopping at Wal-mart, or watching cartoons with the kids. We could be mowing the lawn or running a hideous, overflowing, dirty diaper out to the dumpster while barefoot. But wherever we are, are minds are processing everything with the off chance we will see something, some event, some human reaction, or even hear certain dialogue, that could be used as material in a future book. It happens all the time. Someone, a friend or even a random acquaintance, will say something or do something either heroic or incredibly foolish, and suddenly I'm hit with an idea. Most of the time, it involves the action I just witnessed, but sometimes complete off the wall ideas will spawn from an unrelated event.

For example: Let's say I see a friend stumble over the curb and clumsily topple into the yard. Funny? Sure. I'll probably laugh, but if I'm in "info" mode, anything is possible. That clumsy stagger could quite possibly become a scene in a future book where a victim feeling the onset of some deadly poison, stumbles over in the yard while his friends stare on in helpless horror. I know it sounds a little gruesome and no, this particular event has never happened. So any friends out there, don't worry. All I'm saying is, a clumsy gesture can quickly turn into a climactic scene in a novel. The emotions, the facial expressions, the body movements, all of it can be used as we witness it. "Info" mode is that perceptive. That's how these things work sometimes. Writers out there, correct me if I'm wrong. So beware, your interactions with writers are almost always mentally recorded and if you're caught in those moments, your embarrassing actions could be in our next book. If we see it and it's good, we'll use it. And chances are, we'll never tell you where we got the idea. So, first things first, change your mindset. Allow yourself an opportunity to observe everything around you. Enter "info" mode.

2. Pick a genre and then "Gobble". I have an interesting story about a turkey, but I won't go into it right now, because this isn't about turkeys, people. Gosh. Stick with me! Gobble means to eat. Right? Anyways. I used to like writing horror. I loved scaring people especially my older sister. If I could creep her out, I felt I wrote something noteworthy. She had a real kit for warding off vampires back in the 80's for Edward's Sake! I still like to scare people. Halloween is one of my favorites and I have an extensive collection of horror masks that I'll randomly wear around the house on any given day. But writing horror was too deep for me. Too dark. Too gruesome. I needed something lighter. We'll get to that in a second. The horror writing stemmed from my obsession with Stephen King novels. I read tons of them in high school. Tons! It was all I knew to read and they were good. Terrifying, well-written, thought-provoking masterpieces. So naturally, since that was what I "gobbled", it filtered in through my writing. Do you see where I'm going with this? I feel very strongly, had I continued to read nothing but Stephen King novels, my writing would've progressively become better in the horror genre. I would've come up with newer ideas dealing with terrifying circumstances. Good enough to be published? Who knows? Probably not. But still, even at a young age writing scary scenes, my style started to improve. That happens when you're constantly writing and reading material dealing with your genre and style of writing. You'll naturally improve your ability and what you're reading will generate similar ideas.

Well, in 2001 I decided to write for kids. This desire came to me when I changed my choice of reading. I now love "gobbling" up middle reader books. They're amazing and they definitely don't short change your experience. Some people think, "Oh I don't want to read kids books because I want to improve my education by reading nothing but adult books." What a bunch of Maloney! Yeah, I kinda made that word up just now because I hate bologna. It has to be my least favorite lunchmeat next to olive loaf, which is like bologna with olives or something. Yuck. Middle Grade authors are brilliant. And kids these days, even at a young age (my son's 8), are able to handle deep, inspired writing far greater than most adults. They just don't necessarily want to deal with all of the adult subject matter. So, please believe me. Middle grade books are fantastic. Sorry, that was a little step onto my soapbox.

Because of my change in genres for reading, my writing style and my writing ideas, for that matter, changed as well. Since 2001, I think my writing has improved because I continue to read those books from great authors. I credit most if not all of my ideas from reading tons of books. That's the beauty of reading. I'm not copying ideas, on the contrary, reading books opens the door for greater inspiration particularly in my chosen genre. Again, this is only my opinion but on this matter I think it's accurate, you can't expect to be a great writer if you're not a great reader first. And to further that, you can't expect to cultivate great ideas into future books unless you read the great ideas from authors first. Sure, you might be inspired and come up with something extraordinary, but you'll never know how to formulate that into a novel, unless you've read how it's done.

3. Go "1 up" on the competition. This is hard. Real hard. What does it mean exactly? Well, if I'm currently writing a novel about romantic vampires or kids fighting each other or something in an arena, or struggling in some dystopian future I'm too late. I'm way behind the times. Those books are out in stores right now, enjoying their successes, thrilling their audiences, and basically shutting the door on any of our similar ideas. Chances are, if that's where my thoughts are right now, I'm 2 or 3 ideas behind the times. Publishers are like fortune tellers. They've already seen the future bestsellers and are searching for the authors willing to write about them. If you have read an awesome story or are reading about it right now, you're going to have a tough time writing about the same idea and getting it sold. Yeah, it happens for some really good writers and for some really lucky ones, but for us, normal, struggling authors, it won't happen.

And I know what you'll say. But have you seen how many romantic vampire novels there are out in stores right now? Of course I have, but it's not the point. Oh, but I could've written this so much better and my idea will scare people more or shock them far greater than... It doesn't matter. We (okay I can't speak for you so I'll just say "I") I'm not that lucky. My idea will get rejected if I fall victim to writing a novel about material that's already flooding the bookstore shelves. So, the sooner you (I) can accept this fact, the better you(I)'ll be. But it's not easy. Because rule number one (yeah, I know I already wrote a rule number one on this post, but I'm talking about something else right now) you have to write for yourself. Right something that will make you happy. If that happens to be a book about Greek Gods with half-breed kids that go to school, you shouldn't shut out the idea entirely. Just don't plagiarize and don't expect to get published anytime soon.

Man! That sounds harsh. Maybe, I need to clarify. This post could very well be for my own benefit because I break all these rules almost daily. My ideas get rejected all the time, but the fact still remains, we have to find the next best thing. This requires hours of brainstorming. I recommend a good writing group and going into those groups with the intent of not leaving until a unique idea has hit you. Sometimes it won't happen during one session or several. Sometimes it takes weeks or months. I've had literally dozens of what I thought were great ideas come to me over the past year. You know what, probably over one hundred ideas. A couple of them made it through the initial brainstorm, but most were trashed. One of the best ways to know whether an idea is good or garbage is to tell somebody else your idea. Someone not in your group, preferably someone not in your close-knit circle of friends or family. Tell it to someone you know and you know likes to read. Watch their reaction. If they have no reaction, like a blank stare or if they immediately change the subject, or if they outright tell you it's worthless, that's pretty good feedback. Sometimes they'll try to sugarcoat it, but you can usually sift through that as well. If they fake an "Ah" moment. Like you tell them your idea and after a moment's pause they smile and say "Ah, I get it." Yep, that's garbage.

Right now, I'm about 25,000 words into a brand new novel. It does have some elements that are currently popular, but there's a definite uniqueness about the story. I'm hoping that uniqueness we'll be enough to sell the idea. I could be wrong and have been before. But this idea came to me while trying to "1 up" the competition. To go beyond what's currently out there. Maybe put a new spin on an old idea. I'm maybe too late as well. Because remember, publishers work far ahead into the future. But I followed the process and I'm trusting my instinct a little to put me in a good position.

I honestly don't know why I suddenly decided to write about this topic. But I think I'm going to continue in future posts. Maybe it won't be worth your time. Maybe you'll think I'm not telling you anything you haven't already heard, or maybe you don't consider me a worthy advisor on the matter. That's okay with me. What I hope to accomplish from this and future topics is to create something of value for anyone out there seriously interested in diving into the writing world. Someone (or many someones) offered me sound advice years ago when I got started and I'm forever grateful for it. Now, I guess it's time to pay it forward.

Cedar Fort Author Video

2010-08-14T18:53:00.000-06:00

Check out this awesome video my publisher, Cedar Fort, put together recently. A lot of great authors and some amazing books! I'm just so impressed with them. They're such an outstanding publisher to work with!

Oh, and guess what's on Amazon and Barnes and Noble already?

Hashbrown Winters and the Phantom of Pordunce! - Amazon
Hashbrown Winters and the Phantom of Pordunce! - Barnes and Noble

You can pre-order it now.

No cover yet, but that should be coming really soon. Stay tuned...

My Bucket List

2010-08-02T19:59:00.000-06:00

I've never seen the movie, but I heard it was note-worthy. The concept is very intriguing isn't it?

What are the "things" you want to do before you die?

What's great about this list is that it is all-encompassing. It doesn't have to be reserved for spiritual goals or weight loss. You don't have to fill you bucket with regrets or some sort of corrective behavior. It's your bucket and you can fill it with whatever you want. I do think my bucket will need to contain things that I haven't already done, because I'm happy to say, I've achieved a few of my life-long dreams on my list already.

I'm 33 years old. I may or may not have already had a heart-attack (it's difficult to know for sure since I never went to the hospital.) I take some pills for cholesterol and heart-burn. I've got a pretty bad back, a nasty neck, and I'd wager I'm already feeling the onset of arthritis. This doesn't mean I want people to feel sorry for me. I'm just coming to terms with the fact I'm not going to live forever. With that being said, should I place limitations on the things I place in my bucket? Should I say things like, "There's no way I'll ever come close to achieving that goal, so leave it out."

Can't do it.

One last question before I list... Should I name the bucket? I mean, is it all right to just call it a "bucket list"? Would that be considered copyright infringement? I don't think I'm going to call it Marcy or anything like that, but you know, does it deserve a legitimate name? Like... Frank's Daring "To-Dos", or Do-dos or Do-don'ts... ha, I like that one, just because of the word... well there's no need in typing it again.

I'll come back to the name, when its had time to cook.

1. Sky-Dive - Yeah, it's probably on many people's bucket list, but the scary thing about this, I'll probably achieve this goal in the near future. Isn't it our dream to fly? Some of my most vivid dream memories (the one's not involving Anderson Cooper and a doggy door) are of me hopping off the swing-set in our first home on Shandon Drive and realizing I could skim across the ground without touching. So sky-diving is just prolonged falling with some stranger strapped to your back while you wear balloon pants and Mr. Koolaid's mu-mu. So what? I bet it rocks!

2. I want to go on The Price is Right and win the showcase showdown, but not until after I've grabbed hold of the wheel and not let go until I've done a full rotation clinging to the numbers. Can you imagine the publicity that would create? Bob Barker (well, shoot, it's not even him anymore, which kind of negates the whole entry to my bucket list) would probably kick my tush. I've seen Happy Gilmore, but it would be the best beating I've ever taken. So free, so alive. Don't tell me there's no physical way to make a full rotation on the wheel. Don't tell me that. I don't want to hear it. It's my bucket... get out!

3. I want to learn how to juggle swords. I'm not very good at card tricks, but I have this condition where I want to "Wow" people at parties with my skills. Most of the time when I'm trying to make your card pop somewhere else in the deck, people stop paying attention and forget the card they chose. You would never do that to David Copperfield, or... David Blaine, or that one guy who makes Marilyn Manson look like a Wal-mart Door-greeter. There's respect for those magicians. I'm not a magician and my card tricks are lame and why do I need to do tricks in the first place? What gives? Can't we all just sit around and enjoy conversations about politics, and.... global warming, and who the bachelor is going to choose as his soul-mate? Wouldn't it be possible to just nibble on some munchies and enjoy the silence as we stare blankly at everyone's yearbook photos?

I have a condition. It could be a disease. I don't know what happens to me when I see a deck of cards, but I want to make them vanish into thin air while simultaneously releasing a murder of crows (yes that is the correct term) from my sleeves. All this for an applause. Bravo Frank...Bravo. Alas, it doesn't work that way. Instead...
"Was this your card right here?" I ask enthusiastically.
"Oh, you're still doing a card trick? Um... I forgot."
"Oh that's okay, I'll just juggle some swords."
Instant respect.

You see? You see how that works? Who wouldn't want that in their bucket list?

4.People always talk about the exotic locations they want to visit before they die. Italy, France, Greece, Australia, Africa. I agree, those would be awesome. So, one day, before I die, I want to travel to all of those places... on one trip. I don't want to come home and rush off to download the contents of my memory stick onto my computer so I can upload and blog about it. I don't want to come home to a house that smells. They always smell and what's sad is that the smell is no different then when you live there, but you've become so acclimated to the smell you don't even realize it smells. I don't want to go back to a place that dulls my sense of smell.

The thing I hate most about vacations is the countdown. You know what I'm talking about. You arrive at Disneyland and immediately you start counting down the minutes, hours, days until you have to go home. You don't want to do that, but you have to. You say stuff like, "I'm so excited! We still have three days left!"
Don't you get it?

Left!

That makes me sick! Vacations should never be about how soon you have to go back to reality. There should be no countdown. Instead of counting down the days until you go home, you should be counting the days to the next part of your adventure. I'll probably need to be retired with the kids all grown and Heidi and I are old and feeble when this dream could ever be fulfilled. Instead of wandering into some dive to try crazy foods, will be hunting for the closest restroom that has ample supply of toilet paper. Still... to go on a trip that expands beyond the norm. To not have to countdown at all. To wake up each day without a clue of when it will end. Folks it maybe number 4 on this list, but I think you'll agree there's not a better number 1.

5. I want to make a cameo appearance on a cartoon. It has to look like me (not the Simpsons' version) it has to be my voice and I get to do whatever I want. Celebrities make their own fragrances, become the spokespeople for automobiles and sandwiches. They grace the "Red Carpet" and people pass out from their beauty. Have you ever seen the size of the gift baskets they receive when they attend the Academy Award shows? I heard the value of one of the gift baskets was like well over $100,000. Why? Because they are celebrities. They are famous. They need that stuff and we want to give it to them. Do I want to be a celebrity? Of course. It's kind of a goal. Is it because I want to trip down the red carpet or snag my expensive gift basket, or have my face plastered on the wrapper of a sandwich, or create my own bottle of Frankie Stink?

Sure. That works.

But real celebrities are drawn into cartoons. Real celebrities show up on a national television program watched and adored by millions of kids. I haven't really mulled over what cartoon I want to be apart of just yet. I'll cross that road when the time is right. For now, I'd settle for a cameo on... wait a minute. It just dawned on me I don't have any clue what cartoons are being watched now-a-days. Are there cartoons anymore? My kids love Zach and Cody and Wizards of Waverly Place, but I don't think they watch animation. What has come to this world? Forget it. I want to be so famous they bring back He-man and I get a recurring role as Teela's boyfriend. And I want a sword that sings and a fruit basket that never runs out of grapes. So there!

That will be my last entry into my virtual Bucket List for now, but I hope you've enjoyed catching a glimpse into my dreams. Everyone needs a bucket list. We need goals. We need dreams and not just dreams that stay floating around in REM sleep. Real ones. And doggone it, everyone needs to go after these dreams.

Me and Marcy are going to be good friends one day real soon.

Check Out My Friends

2010-07-21T19:54:00.000-06:00

All right you beautiful people. Wendy Paul and myself need your help. Don't know who Wendy Paul is? You've probably salivated over a few of her cupcakes and didn't even know it. I don't know if she goes by this title, but I like to call her the Cup Queen. Yeah, that's a terrible name, but this woman makes incredible cupcakes and has taken the western world by storm with her skillz. (take note of the "z" at the end of that word, because I'm cool like that.) Wendy is also a good friend of mine and she needs your help. She and some of her cupcake goodness are taking part in the Duncan Hines Red Carpet Cupcake Challenge. I know, amazing huh? Well, since I know you guys want to help a good person out, you'll want to vote for her cupcake, which happens to be heaven sent in a paper wrapper. It's the Boston Cream Pie Cupcake. So, if you've tried her cupcakes, or plan on doing so (strongly recommended. Heidi makes them all the time and I've got the belly that proves how great they are) then please follow this LINK and vote for her. Now, the way you'll help me is that she's promised to make me a dozen cupcakes if I can get her some votes. I'm way too skinny and I need some buttering up. It's up to you to beef up my facade. Sadly, that last part was a lie. Oh she'll make me some cupcakes, but I don't think I really need the buttering up.

Yes, I have more friends with great news. Andy Hueller's new book Dizzy Fantastic and the Flying Bicycle is due out in bookstores next month. I've read this book and loved it. I think if you're looking for a great, clean read for your kids this would be an excellent one to pick up. Just click on the link above and you'll be magically whisked away to the Amazon.

I've got some pretty cool friends. Pretty talented ones as well.

Nostalgic Moment #30

2010-07-06T20:48:00.000-06:00

It took me a long time to get here, but finally I have arrived at 30. Geez, when I first started with Nostalgic Moments I figured I'd be sittin' around 100 at this point. It's amazing how side-tracked your life can get you. It's been a little over 2 years since the first one hit the blog and I wont lie to you, I often forget what I've told you. It's like that in my regular life as well. I'm always telling people, "Hey did I tell you the one about the..." and then I tell them regardless of whether or not they've already heard it. Is it my ego that drives me to tell stories? Maybe. Not that I have any really self-praising stories from my past. Most of my nostalgic moments border the line of embarrassing. The way I see it, if you can't laugh at your mistakes, then you'll probably make so many you'll end crying all the time. Since I'm not much of a crier... I'll insert a moment right here for you...

We've just had yet another patriotic weekend. Mine was a fun one filled with lots of exciting events and good people. I have many fond memories in the summer. My kids have year round school and so I don't think they (and when I say they I really just mean my oldest) truly grasp the awesomeness of a summer vacation. Remember the jingle-jingle of the ice cream truck? Oh I hear it now all the time, blaring it's obnoxious music through my neighborhood, but it's not the same. Back then, you could afford one of those sherbet ice cream feet with the bubble gum ball covering the big toe. We even had a dude driving around a slushy mobile and regrettably it started a turf war with the ice cream man. But that's an entirely different story that I would probably fabricate beyond any recognition.

Family summer vacations was the stuff of legends. We never really went anywhere exciting (other than Disney World). Most of the time, we took long 3 day drives, in barely any air conditioning, sleeping on the floor with our feet on the windows, out of our seat belts trips to places like Utah. We played the staring games which usually consisted of trying to make the other person blink while spitting luke warm water in their faces. Ah good times. Some of the best trips were to NYC. My dad was born in Queens, lived in Brooklyn, and my grandparents had a third story apartment on Palmetto Avenue. That was an adventure.

When I was in second grade... (oh I'm starting the nostalgic moment now, in case you were wondering.)
my great-grandma Lukikas passed away. She was like 99 years old and about as tall as a hobbit. I used to cry whenever my parents made me go in say hi to her. I was such a pansy... Well, she passed on and it was decided we would drive the 16 hours to attend the funeral. I'm a little shaky on the actual memory of whether or not this happened in the summer, but for the sake of continuing, let's pretend it was. A winter trip really wouldn't fit in to this blog post.

We spent most of our time at the funeral home as my parents and grandparents visited with relatives and friends and preparations were made for the burial. I still remember the funeral director. She was a nice, elderly lady with a thick foreign accent. I'm not even sure where was she from, but she made us feel right at home. After the services were finished everyone filed out of the funeral home and hopped into their limousines. Everyone was going to ride in a limousine. Everyone, that is, except for my family. We had a big black Subaru station wagon (the same I would end up driving my senior year of high school) and they saw no need to spend the $100 for us to drive in style.

I threw a fit! It was epic. Complete with weeping, wailing, and I'm sure some gnashing of teeth. The sidewalk received it's punishment as I rolled around on the ground, screaming because I needed to drive in a limo. What was wrong with me? I was normally a fairly tame child, but the limo deal rubbed me the wrong way. Good for my parents; they didn't back down. After all, the trip to the cemetery was only a couple of miles and we were there to mourn the death of a family member not to gallivant around as celebrities. Still, I persisted and eventually caught the attention of the very nice funeral director. She could see my predicament and wanted to calm me down. So she offered to let me ride with her in her limousine. Immediately, I stopped crying and begged my parents to give in. Oh how I wanted to stick my head through the sun roof while sipping some cold beverage from the mini-fridge. I had seen movies and I knew limos had special buttons that could make all of my dreams come true.

My parents surrendered and I was permitted to ride with the lady. She was my new best friend. I joined her outside of her limo and she opened the front passenger door for me. I had been hoping to ride by myself in the back, but riding shotgun in a limo had to be better than riding squished in the back of our station wagon. As we pulled away from the funeral home, I was a little disappointed. The limo was nothing special. It was long and black, but there were no fancy buttons or tasty beverages. In fact, the front of the limo looked suspiciously like a normal car. What was going on? I wanted an explanation, but didn't know how to ask the funeral director who was now forced to ride in the center of the front seat practically straddling the gear shift while the driver drove the vehicle. That too was weird. Wasn't there enough seating where she could sit comfortably? And wasn't there supposed to be a cool, automatic, tinted window blocking the view of the back seats? There wasn't one in this limo. Instead there was a pink, frilly curtain.

I don't know if you picked up yet on my subtle hints, but I'm terrible at giving clues. The truth is, I wasn't driving in a limo. I was riding in the hearse. Great-grandma Lukikas was enjoying the full amenities of the back seat and I was crammed in the front. What a crock!

The funeral director, trying to be nice, handed me a roll of candies and suggested I share them with my brother and sister. I thanked her for the treat and crammed them in my pocket. Later, I ate the whole roll. Now you could say I did this out of spite. I was angry with my poor luck in not actually riding in a real limo, but to be honest, I don't think I really knew how to share. Plus the lady was hard to understand so I played that card to my advantage. Yep, I scarfed down the whole package. Turns out, they weren't really candies. Nope, they were antacids.

As a side note, a few antacids are quite lovely, a whole package... well, they didn't leave me feeling fresh and gas free. My dad said I actually turned green and he was worried I might pass out.

That was a pretty lame vacation. I don't remember much after the funeral. I'm guessing we might have stopped and saw the sights, but I'm not really sure. All I can remember is the hearse and the Rolaids. But isn't that all that matters.

Memories.

A Dream Come True

2010-06-21T22:17:00.000-06:00

Have you ever had a reoccurring dream? You know the ones where the same things happen over and over again in your sleep. I've heard these dreams are supposed to symbolize something important for the dreamer, but since I'm no expert in the field of dreamology (whatever) I wonder if anyone has any ideas. I've had three reoccurring dreams I can remember:

1. I'm laying in a meadow and I'm very relaxed. In the distance I can see a white horse galloping back and forth across the horizon. It's all very serene and peaceful like the opening credits of a movie (I can't remember the production company) where the white Pegasus gallops over some title. This is all fine and dandy until the horse gets closer and closer and closer. Pretty soon it's right on top of me and before I can move, WHAM! It gallops right across my face. Then I wake up, sweating and not too happy. Any ideas what this dream could mean? I'm really curious.

2. I'm usually dreaming about something else when this one happens. But there I am... dreaming when all of a sudden I start to wake up (for reals) and in my room there's a creepy old man hunched over and staring at me. At that point in the dream I've always sat up in bed quickly and chucked my pillow at him and of course, he disappears. I've seen him multiple times and he's always doing something a little different. I actually posted about one of these encounters a while ago when my brother, Michael, and I were on a road trip and I saw the old man trying to suffocate Michael with a pillow. Is my subconscious trying to tell me something? Am I missing the bigger picture?

3. The last one is similar to number 2, only instead of a creepy old man, my dream transforms and I see an elderly woman (grey hair pulled back in a bun, wearing some sort of pioneer attire) hanging clothing on a clothes line in the corner of my bedroom. Again, my weapon of choice is a pillow and she always vanishes when I start chucking.

Dreams are weird. But I am excited about the new movie, Inception, which comes out in July. It's all about dreams and other stuff... honestly, I have no idea what it's about, but the special effects look cool and I'm stoked to watch it.

Now, for the good news I said I would tell you. Tricky huh? I purposely started this post about some random topic in order to lure you in so you wouldn't immediately click off my blog at the first sign of me announcing some self-promoting mumbo jumbo. Quick as a cat I am. (Sorry for the Yoda Phraseology). Hey, I just used two different "ology" words in the same post. Neat.

All right, I'll get on with it. Here's the news: I just found out from my publisher that they're planning on printing the Guardians of the Tebah Stick in...

HARDCOVER!

Isn't that just a trip? Hardcover! Do you know what this means? Um... uh... it means you can buy my book and feasibly use it as a weapon! It's going to be heavy, both in weight and in the same way Marty Mcfly used the term "heavy" in Back to the Future. Actually, now that I think about it... when Marty said "heavy" I think he was referring to something that wasn't too swell. So scratch that! It'll just weigh more than any of my other books. This seriously is a dream come true! I've always wanted to have a book of mine printed in hardcover and I can't say enough nice things about Cedar Fort. They've really shown their support of me as a writer and this is stinking awesome! Of course things can change in the publishing world and nothing's set in stone. But I made certain to ask for their approval to announce this and they assured me they were 99% positive it will be printed in hardcover and should be out in stores next spring.

So there you go. Great news huh? Now I'm eager to see the cover and I'm not sure when that will show up on the radar. You can bet I'll keep you posted... inconspicuously as always.

Bridger Beans

2010-06-17T22:50:00.000-06:00

I'll repeat it for those that don't read the titles of blog posts. Bridger Beans. That is what I want my pen name to be if I'm ever big enough to require a pen name for the safety of my family. Bridger Beans. I like the sound of that. Oh it wasn't an easy choice. I went through a ton of worthy candidates:

Gorman Pinterworth
Marcus Free
Wiley Miggs
Maverick Ice Man
Goose Patee
AJ Slater

But I like Bridger Beans. So, one day perhaps in the near future, when you're out at your local bookstore, keep your eyes peeled for the latest bestselling thriller. If you see the double B, shoot an e-mail and tell me you love my work. I'll play it cool and act like I don't know what you're talking about, but later we'll laugh together.

Bridger Beans.

Now, I need to run through some things very quickly. I mean turbo fast. Here goes:

The Lakers ruined my life. I'm a huge basketball fan and have been that way for most of my life. I'm not afraid to say it, I love Michael Jordan. I wish I liked Kobe, because he's amazing at basketball, but I don't... so.... I may be the first to try and throw a pillow through drywall tonight due to my anger. Heidi's worried.
I now own a Mac. After much deliberation, I decided to try something new. I've been a PC owner forever, but people kept telling me to try out the Mac experience. So I did and so far it's been fun. To illustrate this point... enjoy this video.

I've got amazing news that I want to share in a couple of days so stay tuned. Yes, I know, it'll probably be about me and my writing. And I know you may be sick of hearing about it, but come on. Just join me in celebration every now and then people!

That's it for tonight. Remember keep your eyes open for the future and by future I mean Bridger Beans. Also, heaven help you because I have a Mac and making videos just got easier. There will be a lot more in the future... I'm afraid.

An Eyeball in My Garden

2010-06-08T09:55:00.001-06:00

I mentioned in my last post I would have exciting news in my next entry and it wouldn't be about me this time. Well, I'm holding true to my promise and I'm very excited to announce the upcoming release of a wicked new book. That's right, I said wicked. So what of it? I can say wicked if I want to. It's my blog.

Coming out in September published by Marshall Cavendish books is a collection of spine-tingling poems for children entitled, An Eyeball in My Garden, selected and edited by Jennifer Cole Judd and Laura Wynkoop.

This book is awesome! I've seen the galleys, read most of the poems, and I must say if you have kids or you just like books, you're going to need to buy it... right now! And you can do it by clicking right HERE!!! Now, if you've read my blog before you know it takes me awhile to work up to begging people to buy my own books. Oh all right, I'll admit it, I can be shameless at times and I beg and plead for your support, but I'm not that bad, really... But now, I'm not begging, I'm flat out telling you (kindly, with soft words and gently playing Kenny G. music in the background) to preorder this book! I just preordered one and there's a slime chance I'll get my own one of these days for free. That's support if I do say so myself and yes I know I wrote the word slime instead of slim in the last sentence and no I'm not changing it. I thought about it, but then decided it kinda fit with the theme of this post so there. Slime chance.... that's now the new title of my next book.

No it's not.

Back to this book! You won't regret buying it. It's perfect for Halloween. Hey, any rich people out there should go buy like a couple hundred and hand them out for trick-o-treaters this year. Wouldn't that just be a hoot?

That's Jennifer COLE Judd of the Frankie Cole family clan! My big sister (she's not big, she's just old... sorry Jen) is getting published! Now, let me clarify. Jen has had her poems published many times in all sorts of cool magazines including Spider Magazine for kids. She was the first to break into the publishing world and is by far the best writer of the family. I owe a lot to Jen. For starters, none of my books would have ever made it had she not ripped into them and helped me smooth them out.

Jen drives me crazy because I'll be talking on the phone to her, telling her about a story idea, and she'll say something like "Oh it would be cool if your character said something like this..." Then she says something that blows me away and I have to pull my car over to the side of the road and scramble to find paper and pen to write it down. Of course when I ask her to repeat what she just said... she can't and then she says something like, "Don't write it like that I was just making something up." AARGH! is what I say!! AARGH! Why do lines come so easy for her? It's because she's a poet that's why. She's always writing and speaking poetically. It can be annoying at times for the simple-minded like myself, but for the most part, it's inspiring. I still remember her amazing poem The Warrior Atmos. I dreamt about that thing for months.

Anyways, An Eyeball in My Garden is a collection of poems from several different authors. Jen's poetry critique group got together and wrote a bunch of spooky poems, and Jen and Laura worked as editors on the project. So you'll get a selection of great poems with awesome illustrations. Seriously, the illustrator, Johan Olander, has got some talent. Go to his website HERE to check him out and all his work. Really cool. And I don't know Laura Wynkoop, but she's got to be awesome and now she's practically family. Hey Laura, you're in charge of yams at our next Thanksgiving dinner. Thought you'd like to know.

All right, I've said my piece for now, but I'm sure I'll say more as soon as this book arrives. So... what are you waiting for? I'm not seeing that Amazon ranking number drop! You're wasting time and all the good copies are going to be taken before you get a chance to buy it. Hurry up!!!

A Maddening Month of Madness!!!

2010-05-31T21:59:00.000-06:00

Boy, time flies when you're busy. May's been a crazy month, what with Disneyland and school visits and everything else going on. I realized today I haven't blogged in more than 2 weeks and my last blog post was really kind of a cop out. I didn't have to write anything because the video said it all. In case you missed it you can scroll down to the next post and enjoy or click HERE, which will do that for you... lazy!

Let's fill you in on all that has happened shall we?

End of April beginning of May (can't remember the dates because it's been so long ago) - Went to Disneyland with Heidi's family. It was a blast and probably the best Disney trip I've been on in quite a while. Disney World when I was a child with my folks is still tops because I was young and everything seemed even more magical, but this trip was a keeper. I think I mentioned it in the previous post, but I seriously ate like 4 corn dogs while I was there. Yeah, I know, 4 corn dogs is weak sauce typically, but these things are massive and amazing. They take up the whole stick. I did have to make my own Fry Sauce (that's ketchup and mayonnaise mixed together... it's a Utah thing. I thought it was weird too when I first heard about it, but then I tried it and fries and dogs just don't taste the same without it.) Can I get a woot for Fry Sauce? WOOT! Sorry, I read some body's tweet today and they Wooted (not sure if you can use that in the past tense) so I wanted to Woot and sense I didn't have anything else to Woot about in this paragraph, I Wooted for fry sauce and you should too. Right now. Do it! Open your window and give big Woot for Fry Sauce.

Going on...

May 12th I headed up to Davis County and visited a couple of Junior Highs and a High School! Yep, a real live High School. I'm not making this up and it turns out High School is exactly the way they describe it in books. Scary, gigantic, filled with kids that could easily cram me into a locker for good. And I'm 30...s three times removed. Honestly though, the kids (can I really call them that) were awesome. I had a blast chatting up my whole writing adventures and I have to say the future of writing is in good hands... not my hands, their hands. Later that afternoon I arrived at the Davis County School District and was the Keynote Speaker at the Davis County Young Writers' Awards Conference. It was an incredible honor and I was humbled by the talent of these highly-skilled teenagers. Several passages were read from the Anthology of their award-winning writers and I was literally dumbfounded. I wish I could write like that! The Superintendent could only read a few paragraphs from each passage and it wasn't enough. I was left hanging... craving more. I'll repeat it, the future looks bright!

May 21st-22nd It was off to Heber to attend Wasatch Wasps High School book fair. I got to rub shoulders with some really cool fellow authors: Berin Stephens, author of The Dragon War Relic, Alicia Buck, author of Flecks of Gold, and Marilyn Bundersen, author of The Mark. It was great to learn a thing or too, hang out with my B&N buddies (Brandi, Melyn, Michelle, Rachel), sign some books, and chill with the good people of Heber.

May 24th - I attended the Sprucewood Elementary Book Fair at the Southtowne Barnes and Noble. I love that school! They're such huge supporters of Hashbrown and their teaching staff is top notch. I even stopped by the school in the early afternoon to make an announcement and there was just so much excitement.

May 25th - I attended the Welby Elementary Book Fair at the Jordan Landing Barnes and Noble. Another great evening of book signing and meeting some new friends. Hopefully I'll get some more opportunities to visit these schools. They've been good to me and I love spreading the fever of reading!

May 28th - 30th - Took a little R&R up (over? under?) to Star Valley in Wyoming. I'm lucky to have some really great friends that thought it would be okay if Heidi, me, and the kids could come hang with all their family in this really cool barn converted into a cabin. Wait, did I say R&R... that was a lie. I almost died when everyone decided it would be cool to scale a mountain and rappel off the side. Don't get me wrong, I love rappelling. It's a trip, but when the only way you can make it up to the launch point of the mountain is by being bitten by a radioactive spider... it poses a slight problem. Well, I guess you only live once and I just about did. Whatever that means. I did have a blast though and I realized I need to get in shape. So I've started running. Where? Just around the block and back. I know crazy huh? Why would I run if no one's chasing me? It's one of those phenomenons.

Anyways, that was my month. Throw in some tee-ball games, some pick-up basketball, a neighborhood barbecue, and some car problems and that about rounds it out.

Check back in at the end of the week when I have some really awesome news and no it's not always about me. I'm not that big-headed. Although, I really do have a big head... Thanks for pointing it out.

What Was I thinking?

2010-05-13T22:08:00.000-06:00

Just a quick post for giggles and kicks! For starters, congrats to A.J. Dub who won my last little contest! Yeah, I bet you thought I forgot about that. Well, I didn't and you're the winner of a brand new (okay slightly used) signed copy of Hatchet. Shoot me an e-mail with your address and I'll send it off.

And for the first time (at least that I know of) I'm on Youtube! I helped make a music video for the LDStorymakers Writing Conference just recently and yep, go ahead and say it, I'm a total dork! While I was eating my 4th corn dog at Disneyland (so good), like 400 people were at that conference probably wondering who that idiot was dancing around. My part's toward the end and also, during the dance sequence, see if you can spot me biffing it while attempting a cartwheel. I swear it was a deliberate fall!

I think they did an awesome job with the video don't you?

Where Would I Be Without My Mommy?

2010-05-09T21:23:00.001-06:00

I owe my mom my life (of course), but not just because of the whole birth deal. My mom gave me a life worth living. She's the reason why I love to laugh and why I can whole-heartedly laugh at myself without too much embarrassment. She's the source of so many amazing memories, some of them frightening :), but all of them worth it. She knows how to keep me grounded, yet encourages me to take risks when a fall is inevitable. She's an amazing story teller if she can stay awake long enough to finish one. Because of my mom, I will always have "Corn on the Cob in the Sewer" and "The Fly-swatter." My mom helped me to realize some of the best moments in life are discovered with a bucket of KFC chicken. She was my morning bugler. She taught me how to color within the lines and where to hide during a tornado. From her I inherited my love of writing and all of my night terrors.

I love you mom!

Happy Mother's Day

A week of great news!

2010-04-23T22:28:00.001-06:00

Now, I know this blog is starting to turn into an outlet for me to toot my horn and I apologize for that. I promise to start providing something of worth to my faithful readers. I need to add a few more nostalgic moments and I'm thinking of some other great ideas to post for future published authors. That's all in the works once I get back from a little trip to the Happiest Place on Earth. Yep, Canada. Okay, I'm not going to Canada (though I'm sure it's lovely and hope to one day visit), I'm going to Disneyland!!! I'm so excited. I can't even sleep and I know I'm going to be driving a ton while everyone else dozes in the car. I need to find a way to get some shut-eye because I don't want another duck incident on my conscience.

So I promised to stop tooting my horn, but I just have to tell you three little things and that's it... for now. :)

1. I just turned in my 3rd Hashbrown Adventure, Hashbrown Winters and the Phantom of Pordunce, to my publisher this morning. Man I'm excited for this one. There's a ghost, a girl, and someone might be moving away. Drama. Suspense. A little horror maybe? And, of course, there should be plenty of moments where you'll blow snot laughing. At least I hope you will. And this will all depend on whether or not my publisher likes it. Please keep your fingers crossed for me.

2. I just signed the contract with Cedar Fort for my newest novel, The Guardians of the Tebah Stick. Holy cow! I'm just so thrilled that they liked it and are going to publish it. Here's a short synopsis of the book. Let me know what you think!

Fifteen-year-old Amber Rawson has a passion for archaeology with a particular talent for deciphering ancient codes. So when Dorothy Holcomb, Amber’s beloved archaeology instructor, is kidnapped by a shadowy organization called the Architects, Amber is determined to unravel the mystery. With the help of her sarcastic friend, Trendon, and a slew of other strange clues and peculiar characters, Amber embarks on the hunt for the Tebah Stick; a Biblical artifact capable of global destruction.

That's the one paragraph synopsis which, by the way, is one of the hardest things to write for an author. Trying to condense a 300+ page novel down to a few measly words is brutal. This is the first in what I plan to be 3 maybe 4 books in the series. I can't wait to write the rest. You can probably expect to see this one out in book stores in late fall of 2010, possibly early 2011. I'll let you know of a more exact release date once I find out.

3. Lastly, I attended Cedar Fort's annual awards banquet last night at the very lovely Springville Museum of Art. It was an awesome opportunity to mingle with tons of other amazing authors and eat some great food. To top off the evening, I received an unexpected award. The Adventures of Hashbrown Winters was named Cedar Fort's Bestselling Fiction of 2009! I couldn't believe it. I'm incredibly grateful and flattered by this award and now I realize I've got to get to work on selling book 2, Hashbrown Winters and the Mashimoto Madness. For all you aspiring authors out there, I strongly encourage you to submit your best work to Cedar Fort. They are an incredible publisher and I owe so much of my success to their amazing team. I consider myself lucky and very blessed to be published by Cedar Fort.

So, you heard me, I need to get the ball rolling for Hashbrown Winters and the Mashimoto Madness. I need your help. Over the next week and some change, I'm holding another contest. I just recently spent over an hour in my office chatting with one of our nation's bestselling children's authors, Gary Paulsen. This guy has written and published more than 200 books. He has won the Newberry Honor 3 times. And his most famous novel, Hatchet, is currently ranked #87 on the top 100 bestselling books of all-time (yeah, that list includes the Bible.) I think it has sold more than 20 million books over the past 20 years. I finished reading Hatchet the other night and I must say it is one of my favorite books ever. It's such a great book and I'm putting up my autographed copy for grabs. That's right, if you win this contest, I'll give you an autographed copy of Hatchet.

There are many ways to enter to win this prize. If you do a review on Amazon.com about Hashbrown Winters and the Mashimoto Madness, I'll give you an entry. If you convince someone else to follow my blog you'll get two entries (and of course they'll get one as well.) If you're a newcomer following my blog I'll give you an entry. If you become a fan on Facebook of my fan page, I'll give you an entry. If you buy Hashbrown Winters and the Mashimoto Madness on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Deseret Book.com, I'll give you 10 entries. Or, if you already own the book and you convince someone else to go buy it on one of these sites, I'll give you 10 entries as well.

You've got to let me know in the comments when you do any or all of these things. Rally all your friends and family! Make a tee-shirt if you want. I recommend anything with Whiz on the front. And let's spread the word of Hashbrown!!!

Some Positive Reviews

2010-04-15T10:30:00.001-06:00

Reviews are a funny thing aren't they? When someone reviews something you've done you are placed upon a pedastal to be either praised or pelted with rotten fruit. I'm always worried about reading reviews about my books and alas I have read a few unsavory ones. I won't say it doesn't hurt, but I do know you have to have bad ones so you can really appreciate the good ones. That's the beauty of opinion isn't it?

This here's just a quicky blog post to show a couple of reviews and articles about Hashbrown! Good ones of course. Why would I post the bad ones? That's just silly! The first one is from Michael Young who's debut novel The Canticle Kingdom is in bookstores now. I'm going to be diving into his book really soon. It's storyline is very intriguing. Check out my interview with him!

The Canticle Kingdom

And you should probably look on Amazon HERE to see if this looks a book you'd want to read.

This one's an older article one from a couple months back that was featured in the Salt Lake Tribune.

The Salt Lake Tribune

This one's from another new author, Andy Hueller, who's debut novel, Dizzy Fantastic, hits bookstores really soon. I'll post a link when it becomes available for preorder.

Andy Hueller

I also just found this review on Google and I hope they don't mind me posting it here. I thought it was cool!

LDSWBR

And this one... I needed a lift!

CLEAN BOOKS FOR LDS FAMILIES

A Tale of Two Duckies

2010-04-04T21:31:00.004-06:00

I like ducks. I really do. In my life, there have been no reasons for me to dislike ducks. I think they taste good and I've enjoyed on more than one occasion the calming effects of tossing stale bread to ducks at the local ponds. Having said that, I'm afraid I must go on record and proclaim that ducks don't like the Coles at all.

That's a strange statement is not? The title of this blog post is, like that statement, extremely odd. I have no choice but to explain.

The first duck incident happened several years ago when my family and I traveled to Oregon for my brother's wedding. It was our first time in that part of the country and we enjoyed our stay, but on the way home we were faced with tragedy. Heidi was driving because I had just experienced a brush with the law in a small country town due to my excessive speeds (I think I was going 22 mph in a 20 mph zone) and was given a stern warning. Since obviously I was driving like a bat out of Hades, my wife took the wheel. As a side note, Heidi firmly believes she is a superior driver than me and loves to rub it in whenever the opportunity presents itself. It's annoying, but something I'm forced to live with forever. Oh well. As Heidi was driving, making sure to emphasize her perfect driving posture with her hands at 10 and 2 on the steering wheel and the cruise control set on the exact mileage of the speed limit, we crossed over into Idaho. I still vividly remember her cheers of joy because the speed limit increased to 75 mph. Heidi promptly stepped on the gas and our jeep surged forward just as a flock of ducks were rising into the air from a lake on the side of the road. It all happened so fast there wasn't much she could do and, as you could probably guess, we took out Donald. Heidi screamed, removed her hands from the wheel to shield her eyes, and I watched as the duck rolled up the windshield and vanished behind the swiftly traveling vehicle. She looked at me, her eyes wide in astonishment, her mouth ajar and gasping for air and demanded to know what just happened and what was it that she had hit. I quickly explained to her that it was an eagle and that she would probably be arrested for killing the national bird. My memory sometimes fails me, but I do believe I drove the rest of the way home.

Duck incident #2 - This happened yesterday morning. Our van was in the shop and the repairs were complete. Because I had work, we woke up the kids and got them ready for the day very early, so that I could drive Heidi and them to the dealership to pick up the van. When I walked out of the garage to scrape the windshield of my car I noticed some strange object by my front tire. It could've been a rolled up newspaper, or some other garbage, so I paid it no attention and started scraping. As I came around to the far side of the car I received a better look. The object was a giant duck. How big you ask? Well, at any moment, I expected the duck to sit up and sell me insurance. I warned Heidi not to bring out the kids until I had time to see to the burial of the duck and shoveled it into my dumpster. Now, I don't know how the duck ended up in front of my car. It's possible I hit it the night before. I had been out with some of the guys catching a movie and some food and we did just watch Clash of the Titans in 3D. Perhaps my eyes were still whirring on my drive home and I accidentally struck the duck somewhere on the road. But I don't think so. Honestly, where did this come from? The weather is still very cold and we don't live close to any ponds or lakes. I don't recall seeing many ducks waddling through my neighborhood. If it had been a seagull I would've understood. So many possibilities entered my mind that day. Was it some sort of mafia message? You know, like Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes. It happened on Easter's Eve. Am I now cursed for having slain the Easter Bunny's sidekick? What's with the ducks? I know there have been only 2 incidents, but I'm starting to worry about a possible conspiracy. Am I blowing this out of proportion?

Podge Hodge

2010-03-26T19:34:00.003-06:00

First things first, I'll be at the Southtowne Barnes and Noble tomorrow (Saturday, March 27th) from 1-3 p.m. doing a book signing. Usually I end with announcements, but today I wanted to start. I love this Barnes and Noble. It's so big and the people are great and they have some really great books. Plus, they have my books, stocked on the shelf for anyone who is interested in picking it up and giving it a go. I'm just saying. And if you're one of those people interested in giving it a go, come see me tomorrow.

Now, on to other things. I've read another book and I have to say I loved it. The Magician's Elephant by Kate Dicamillo was fantastic. I read it in 2 days and found it hard to put it down. It's only about 200 pages (little, tiny pages), but the message is so profound. I believe Kate writes in a similar fashion as C.S. Lewis. Have you ever read those Chronicles of Narnia books? So simple and easy to thumb through, but every book has the ability to floor you with it's symbolism. Would I recommend this book? Absolutely! Everyone should read this book. It's a feel good story about a little orphan boy who sets off on an impossible journey to find his lost, little sister. So many unique characters are thrown together when a show magician, tired of performing the same ordinary tricks, calls upon an old spell and a mysterious elephant appears. Come on, that's got to hook you!

Lastly, I need a title for my third Hashbrown story. Why, that would mean... Yes! It's almost finished. In fact, the story is finished, but my little wrap up chapter at the end is in the process of being completed (once I can lick this sickness that's taken hold of me.) I'm so excited to see a 3rd installment to the Hashbrown saga. Yes, Nugget Nottingham (Kaitlyn's creation) is in the story and yes, he's quite the addition. There are a few new characters introduced. Along with Nugget, I've added Melanie "Thumbs" Nottingham (Nugget's older sister) who has an unusual skill at shooting marbles. Things get hairy at Pordunce Elementary when one of the key members of Hashbrown's club receives some devastating news. Oh, and did I mention the school was haunted? Yep, you gotta love ghosts. They always make things interesting...

Stay tuned for more news on the horizon. Cliche. Now, excuse me as I Netti Pot.

The Embarrassing Truth

2010-03-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

I asked my wife this morning on what I should blog about. There must have been something foreign hidden within her morning protein shake, because she responded with this suggestion: Life as a web-footed sea creature.

Hmmm. I think she's onto something, don't you. How would life be as a web-footed sea creature? Mesmerizing.

Unfortunately, I have very little experience as one of these mentioned sea-creatures. That is unless, of course, you count the time when one of my neighborhood friends dared me to lick a leech stuck to the back of a rock. That's as close as it gets. I apologize for this little side anecdote, but it is important to mention that my wife offers the strangest sense of humor I've ever encountered. I sometimes wonder if I'm supposed to laugh, cry, or floss. Interesting segue don't you think? I do.

As I think back throughout my life, and no I'm not writing my memoirs just yet, I can't help but dwell on one particular area in my history. Elementary school. Those two words drum up a plethora of emotions. Fear seems to be the predominant one and that is always coupled with embarrassment.

Wasn't it in elementary school when we experienced the most embarrassing moments in our life? True, we were young, innocent, and ignorant to what constitutes as something that is embarrassing, but you have to agree with me don't you?

Wasn't it in elementary school (3rd grade to be precise) when you wet your pants in front of the entire class and then thought it was a good idea to turn in your homework assignment the next day (the one that happened to be under your desk when you decided to relieve yourself for all the world to see?)

Wasn't it in elementary school when you experienced the dreaded barf beads? You know the ones. Smelled like a generic brand of mouthwash and carried in an unmarked canister on the janitor's cleaning cart. And why did you experience the dreaded barf beads? Oh, because you barfed. Not in a toilet or a sink, but in mid-stride to the front of the class while turning in your homework.

Wasn't it in elementary school when you launched off the see saws because you challenged a heavier kid to a game of "bump bum" and ended up face first in a pile of leaves and left for dead by your classmates, one of which eventually tried poking you with a stick to see what dead people felt like?

Wasn't it in elementary school when you were prevented to join your classmates outside at recess because you insisted "used" was spelled with a "Y" and "rough" was spelled with two "F"s?

Wasn't it in elementary school when you got singled out by the monstrous lunch lady who, by the way, is the model after which Ms. Borfish was patterned, in the middle of lunch because you kept pounding the salt shaker like a gavel whenever she yelled for order in the lunchroom?

Wasn't it in elementary school when you decided showing off your karate moves for "show and tell" was a good idea? Oh, might I add, you had no karate moves, and the closest thing you could muster was skipping back and forth at the front of the class until you tripped on an eraser and banged your chin against the chalkboard.

Wasn't it in elementary school when you were forced to dress up like George Washington for the school Christmas play which included wearing tights, black shoes with gigantic buckles, and a white, powdered wig? No one else was dressed as such.

Wasn't it in elementary school when you first started passing love notes to girls? And wasn't it then when your teacher would snatch up these letters, read them to the class, and reprimand you for your awful handwriting and for spelling "use" with a "Y"?

Wasn't it in elementary school when the music teacher proclaimed that you had a beautiful voice and insisted you belt out a solo with notes that most of the girls couldn't hit. The result of which landed you the highly-coveted part of George Washington for the school Christmas play.

Wasn't it in elementary school when you consistently forgot the day of school pictures and were immortalized either wearing a snoopy sweat shirt (in the 6th grade) or accidentally posing cross-eyed with a hair-cut that may or may not have started the Billy Ray Cyrus Mullet revolution?

Wasn't it in elementary school when you thought if you closed your eyes no one else could see you picking your nose or (in the extreme circumstances) peeing your pants?

Wasn't it in elementary school when you thought it would be cool to wear pajamas outside, complete with bum flap?

Wasn't it in elementary school when breaking wind was always uncontrollable and unfortunately ten decibels louder than your teacher's lecture? Of course, had it been the cool kid in the class "stomping the duck", every girl would've giggled and thought it was the most awesomest sound ever to grace their ears, but when you do it, you get yelled at by your teacher, threatened by the class bully, and doused with barf beads by the school janitor.

There are dozens more of these out there and it makes me wonder, how did I ever survive elementary school?

Shutter Island Review

2010-03-09T10:13:00.003-07:00

It's good to be back at home. I had a fun time on my trip despite the wind and the cold and the discovery of a bald spot on my head. I think I'm going to call it Emerson. Why? Hmmm, I really don't know. I like the name. I was going to call my first son Emerson, but Heidi Vetoed it. Luckily for Jackson, I vetoed the name Lipton. Of course, he could have been the poster child for some lovely teas and we would've reaped the spoils of commercial wealth. Heidi was on to something, but my stubbornness prevailed.

My how the mind wanders.

Aside from eating garden grubs, at least 10 pounds of prime rib, and enough Mountain Dew to make me an honorary member of the fire department, I relaxed, laughed so hard I cried, and read Andy Hueller's book recommendation, Shutter Island.

First, let me preface this review. For all of my readers that are below the age of 18, beware. This book is not for the faint of heart. Honestly, I never knew some of those words could be used in that context. Having said that (and I strongly caution), I LOVED this book. Man, was it a page -turner. There have only been six other books in my memory that have kept me that enthralled throughout. Tommyknockers by Stephen King, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by somebody (the name escapes me) I know I blaspheme! Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides, The Shack by William Young, The Croata by Owl Goingback, and The Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton. In all fairness to the hundreds of other books I have read throughout my life, these books (with the exception of The Shack) were read while on vacation or an airplane. Two of them are in my top 10 (Order of the Phoenix and Ghost Soldiers), but the others were note-worthy. Shutter Island falls into that category of note-worthy page turner.

The setting is an island where the criminally insane are imprisoned and, in an attempt to "find a cure", are the subjects of very radical and gruesome testing. One of the mental patients, a woman with a sad and twisted past, has done the impossible by escaping out of her heavily guarded cell and out of the prison. All evidence suggests an inside job and two U.S. Marshalls, Teddy and Chuck, have come to investigate the mysterious prison on the eve of a disastrous hurricane. As each chapter passed, I was drawn waist-deep into a plot that seriously boggled my mind. I'll probably have to read it again, now that I know the outcome, because I want to see how Dennis Lehane (the author) wove in the subtle hints and details in the early chapters. The characters were so strong. I wish I could write characters like that. Simply brilliant.

I'm not very good at assigning a rating to books. 4 stars, two thumbs up and a pinkie, 7 angry aardvarks. I don't know, it's just not that easy. So, I will say this; I really enjoyed it. Do I recommend it?

No.

WHAT??? How can you possibly give a review like that and not recommend it?

There, there, Emerson (yes talking to my bald spot), let me explain.

If you've read my review, have taken heed to my warnings, and from that deemed this a book worthy of your perusal, then so be it. If not, oh well. I just don't want to take the chance of someone reading Shutter Island and exploding on me for content issues. It's definitely not for kids and to be frank (which I am) it's not for many adults. I enjoyed it and hopefully learned a thing or two about characterization for my future books.

I do feel rejuvenated. Perhaps my slump of reading is over. I sure hope so. Reading books is the greatest form of entertainment. I'll be so bold to say it's better than high octane sporting events, 3-dimensional blockbusters with blue alien jaguar people, awards ceremonies with Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin cozying up to each other while donning Snuggies, and of course an entire day's worth of Alton Brown Food Network programming.

You should be happy to know since finishing Shutter Island, I dove right in to my next reading adventure. I've always been fascinated with Cormac McCarthy, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel The Road and No Country for Old Men. So, I've decided to read his personal masterpiece, Blood Meridian. So far, zzzzzz, but I anticipate it getting good shortly. Too bad I don't have another cruise to go on anytime soon. I'm going through Mountain Dew withdrawals.

And the winner is...

2010-02-26T22:45:00.002-07:00

I've read over every one's recommendations and after much thought and contemplation I've selected the winner.

Congratulations Andy Hueller! I'm kind of in the mood for a suspense/horror since I'll be on vacation and won't have to worry about losing sleep over something that's too scary. I'm going out to the book store tomorrow and picking myself up a copy of Shutter Island. I don't know if I'll get a chance to watch the movie and just from the trailer I'm very intrigued. Will it scare me? Will it keep me guessing all the way too the end? I sure hope so.

Wow! You guys are awesome! I'm so excited to dive into a new book and break out of this slump. I actually think I'll try out several of the book recommendations from this list. Shocker, but I haven't read Hunger Games yet. Uglies also sounds interesting and I'm going to definitely give Leviathan another go. Plus, I've yet to read a Brandon Sanderson novel and there were several recommendations for his writing. He's an awesome guy and I should take a stab at one of his books.

Andy, shoot me an e-mail with your address and I'll get your books signed and ready to go. Hopefully, I'll have a book report real soon on Shutter Island.

Book Recommendation Contest (in the land of the shortened posts)

2010-02-21T20:57:00.002-07:00

I never want to admit this, because I consider myself an avid reader, but I'm in a bit of a slump. My motivation to turn pages every night is gone. Why? I'm not even sure. I've picked up several highly-touted books and, regrettably, have found myself leaving the dust jackets intact. I don't even have a current bookmark. In times past I've been known to use old receipts, gum wrappers, business cards, and occasionally a watermelon Airhead. It pains me to say I have yet to use a bookmark in 2010. I haven't ventured far enough within a book to a point where I'll forget where I am (usually chapter 3 or 4.) Certainly I'm only stating the obvious, but in order to even consider myself as an author, I have to read books. What's a chef without a whisk? A mathematician without an abacus? An ogre without a donkey? Nothing. So goes the title of author without a book to read. As you can see, this is shaping up to be a devastation.

I need help. I'm willing to pay (sort of) for assistance. In exactly one week, I'm heading on a vacation and I fully intend on packing a book or two for the trip. As it stands, I have no idea of what to bring. This is where you (or y'all for my southern readers) come into play. Recommend a book for me. I can't do this without you. I need to break out of my slump and I believe you have the answer. Recommend the book I choose and I'll send you a signed copy of The Adventures of Hashbrown Winters and Hashbrown Winters and the Mashimoto Madness.

It doesn't matter what genre your favorite book falls under. It might be important to add though, I have a slightly partial leaning toward suspense and/or middle grade fiction. But I'm open to anything if your recommendation is spot on. Tell me why you love this book. Then tell me why I'll love this book. Will I get lost within the pages? Will I feel the need to linger in my room whilst the world around me plays, to experience just one more chapter? Will this book make my list of top 5 all time? That's what I want and like I said, I'm willing to pay out a reward. I know authors will visit this blog from time to time and my suggestion to you, whoever you are, would be to sell me on your book, but don't be offended if I opt for an alternate route. The contest runs until Friday at 8:00 p.m. I will then hurry out to the book store on Saturday to make my purchase.

I'm excited! I love books and I love reading books! I just need to be reminded with an outstanding recommendation. Please help. Ready... set... go!

Frankie the Phantom strikes again...

2010-02-18T21:14:00.002-07:00

Not really, I just wanted to start off this post like that. Okay, I did have a sleep episode the other night, but it was mild. Chased a little man around the bed that some how managed to morph into my desk chair, woke up Heidi with the light, but then couldn't find the words to explain to her why everything I was doing made perfect sense. She's so great. I'm not that patient and I get freaked out really easily in the middle of the night (no duh, right?) Had it been Heidi dancing around the room, I would've taken her out. My weapon of choice? The pillow. I don't know what it is, but I can't throw a baseball straight and I'm the last person picked in a game of dodge ball. Give me a pillow and wake me up in the middle of the night with some bizarre occurrence.... BLAM! I can't miss.

I've been very lucky the past two weeks to be able to visit a couple of amazing elementary schools. Canyon Rim Academy and Sprucewood Elementary. There's something about hundreds of kids truly giggling over something silly you've said. I can't explain it, but it makes me uber-grateful for my chance to write and do something I love (even if I'm on borrowed time.)

That's all I have tonight. I'm really tired and just wanted to log in an entry to keep up with everything. On a side note, I'm hovering around 23,000 words in the third Hashbrown story. If I can just get my act together, I could be finished in no time. There are a couple of key words in that last sentence, but I'm not quite sure what they are. :)

Oh, and here's a quote to brighten your day. It did mine, after I stopped to really think about it.

"I don't know how I feel about Hashbrown Winters. I guess I don't like it. He's just to mischievous. - Sweet old lady at a bookstore

Thanks mam. That's what I was going for...

Nostalgic Moment #29

2010-02-09T11:30:00.000-07:00

Do you realize it's been almost 2 months since my last Nostalgic Moment? I've severely let you, myself, and Zoe (my pet rat) down. Nostalgic Moments were the reason I started blogging, but with everything going on at Christmas, the New Year, and of course Resoredo Day, I've forgotten one of the most important elements of my life.

The question I'm posed with now is what part of my life's history do I want to dial up and broadcast for the world to see? And when I say world, I mean all 49 of you (give or take a few.)

To preface this memory, I must go on record and make a bold claim. The neighborhood where I'm from, in that far away place called Winchester, Kentucky, was the greatest neighborhood for any kid to grow up in. If I could draw (and I can't), I would fashion you an accurate map of the battleground I and my friends called LaSalle Drive. Instead for this Nostalgic Moment, I will describe to you the land where I come from and, for that matter, the land where Hashbrown's neighborhood was born.

My house sat almost at the top of a slow-rising hill where directly behind our back yard was a field that was off-limits to youngsters. Supposedly, there were criminals hiding out in the dark woods that would shoot you with rock salt if you got too close. And, of course, you might stumble upon The Crypt where the man in black patrolled. We had a secret passageway under our stairwell which was perfect for hide and seek and for discovering early Christmas gifts. We owned a deck that was the source of many of my injuries and a clump of fitzer bushes next to the garage that were perfect for scaring younger trick-or-treaters.

Across the street and a few houses down lived a boy that we'll call Kermit, to protect the innocent. Kermit owned an arsenal of weapons: knives, swords, throwing stars, and the deadliest cross-bow I've ever seen. I once witnessed him shoot one of my friends with that cross-bow, but I'll spare you the details. Kermit was dangerous at six years old, but by the age of eleven, he was downright lethal. Kermit also owned the fort where we all hung out every afternoon after school. It wasn't a tree house, per se, but more of a house raised up on stilts high above the trees. It was from that fort where I had to make an emergency stop at the hospital because I chose to leap from the platform when a simple game of hide and seek turned sour one fateful afternoon. Kermit's family eventually moved away before I hit junior high and the next family had a couple of idiotic boys that picked up right where Kermit left off. I tell you, that house was cursed. The older boy loved throwing clumps of doggie doo at sports cars and the younger boy, once tried to chop down the stilt house with an axe... while we were in it! Yeah, he was 7 and the axe was bigger than him, but still!

One house down from Kermit, lived another family with a boy my age who was almost just as lethal, if not the poster child for hyperactivity. We'll call him Chad. I'm not very good with regular names and for those of you that have read my books will probably agree. Whenever Kermit and Chad patrolled the neighborhood you could almost guarantee that trouble wasn't too far behind. They were both my friends periodically and unfortunately, also my enemies. We fought more than our share of battles (most of the time I had to pick myself off the ground fighting back tears and nursing scraped knees, but on occasion, I was the victor.) I still remember the day when Kermit pushed Chad from the fort and broke his arm while we were all busy hoarding buckeyes and walnuts to pelt at the rival kids from over the creek in Lyndell. Chad had a partial forest behind his house as well, where tall weeds made perfect places to lay low in after a night of toilet papering. His family also owned a barely used wood pile on the edge of the forest where my friends and I carved out another fort to utilize whenever Kermit's stilt house was off limits because he was being grounded for attempted murder. More like a log cabin, the wood pile provided the perfect hideout right after we destroyed one of our neighbor's garden in our vegetable fight with the Lyndell gang. Ah, the memories.

Next to Chad's house, the sidewalk ended and became a pathway of dirt, we kids called "The Ramps". I'm not too proud to say that I ate more than my share of pavement on those Ramps due to dares and bets. Some boys were born to steer the bikes... others, like myself, were born to ride atop the handle bars. Not smart.

My neighborhood also had a healthy amount of wildlife as well. Next door lived Medusa, the satanic cat, and Toto, the three-legged cocker spaniel, that twice took on a UPS truck and lived to tell the tell, if not missing a few limbs. Lucy, was a Boxer, that seemed to one day appear out of a metal trash can. That dumb dog had a death wish and would not back down from attacking no matter how many water balloons you'd chuck at her. Up the hill beside my house lived Doc, part horse/part Rottweiler. It didn't matter if you were riding safely in the family car, you still ducked whenever that massive beast would shake the bay window with it's bloody paws.

Most neighborhoods have a haunted house that steers kids away. Mine had four. There was the house on the same property of The Crypt, where an old lady in white would spend the twilight hours rocking on a porch swing with her eyes rolled in the back of her head. There was the house where "The Stacy" lived. I can't go into too much details about "The Stacy" because the stories of her that my sister would tell me on dark nights are still too troubling for me. Let's just say "The Stacy" held weekly seances and owned an extensive collection of goat skulls. There was the grey house at the end of the neighborhood where the road turned to head toward Old Boonesboro. Everyone knew about the ghosts that haunted that property. Spirits of elderly couples that die on train tracks, don't rest easy, as you all should know. And let's not forget the ghost of the farm worker that was attacked and killed by hundreds of turkeys years before any of the houses were built. Oh, it's true all right. Kermit and Chad swore that it was.

Lastly, if this wasn't enough to convince you of the uniqueness of my neighborhood, let's not forget about the bullies. There was Jon-Jon, who once made me hang out in an igloo for four hours on a Saturday afternoon. There was also Chad's older brother, Mumphry, who knew every swear word in the book and once hit his own dad with the family car... on purpose! There was Stanley, the high school kid that would show up to our routine football games wearing pads and a helmet and would treat us little guys like bowling pins. There was that one adult dude, don't know his name and can't think of a fake one at the moment, that would strut around the neighborhood with his shirt off and loved smacking us whenever we were in reach. I can remember saying a silent prayer one evening when that dude came charging toward "The Ramps" where we were all practicing our BMX tricks. He started shouting at us because he wanted to find the culprit that knocked the bike chain off his daughter's princess bike. We played dumb. Like we'd ever rat out one of our friends to that psycho.

Every house but mine owned a partially-destroyed motorcycle you could find up on blocks in the drive way at any given moment. Every dad but mine wore a moustache that conveniently disguised their expressions. You never knew when they were serious or not and that posed a problem whenever you were on the verge of getting into mischief. The creek had an endless supply of tadpoles, snakes, and tennis shoes. There were always kids, not the cool ones, but the smart ones, toting a red wagon up and down the street filled with bottles to be recycled for money. And most kids, practically all of us, smelled of Bactine and triple anti-biotic ointment. There were ticks, chiggers, mosquitoes, and cicadas. The nights in the summer were lit up by fireflies and illegal fireworks. And if you forgot your special toy at some one's house, or had to make a major pit stop because your bathroom was just too far away, you could simply walk through any one's unlocked door at all hours of the night, unannounced.

Yep, that was my neighborhood. There are hundreds of descriptions I'm leaving out because this post has gone on too long. All of it was true, at least, as my memory serves me. Can yours beat that?

Authorpaloosa

2010-02-05T10:56:00.003-07:00

Okay, so I've been sick for a little while (hacking, wheezing, you know the stuff) and so I've been absent from my blog. That's the reason. But good news! I think I'm well again. It's amazing what a little Vicks, a little humidifier-action, some Nyquil and a few restless nights where I'm dancing around the room attacking goblins... don't ask, will do for your well being.

Authorpaloosa is tomorrow! Do you even know what that is? It's one of the most amazing author signing events of the year because so many awesome authors show up at Barnes and Noble and sign their books. I'll admit it, I get a little star struck and maybe even stumble through my words when I see so many brilliant minds cooped up together in one room. And guess what, I'm going to be there with them, signing Hashbrowns (no not real hash browns. I've tried, but sharpie doesn't seem to stick to taters.) I'm pretty sure some of the biggest names will be there, Dashner, George, *cough* Cole *cough*! Sorry, I just had a temporary relapse from my illness.

It's a great opportunity to learn about some new books, support your local authors, and heck, maybe even learn a thing or two about writing. These people are so cool and willing to impart of their knowledge.

You have to come! No exceptions. I don't care if you're from out of town like in Florida somewhere. You still need to quickly go buy a plane ticket and make it out to the Southtowne Barnes and Noble, tomorrow (February 6th) from 1-4 p.m. (10180 S. State Street, Sandy, UT)

I need to sell a hundred books or I'll lose a kidney in this stupid bet I made with some bookies out of Vegas. K. That's not true kids, but if you felt even the least amount of sympathy for that completely made up story and were considering coming out to save my bodily organs, than you need to channel that emotion and come out anyways!

There, I've done my part. I can do no more.

Also, the Whitney Awards finalists have been announced for 2009! These are some really outstanding books by a lot of my friends in the writing world. To be a finalist for the Whitney Awards is really something special. Now, I'm not a finalist, but I was nominated (thank you to all of my loyal friends for your support), and maybe one day I'll make it on the list. But if you look at the list, you'll realize how special it is to be a finalist. They really are the cream of the crop when it comes to writing. Good job everyone!

Ummm... I really need to come up with better titles

2010-01-21T22:40:00.004-07:00

Today, I had somewhat of a mid-life crisis. I know, I'm only 32 that would mean I'll be dead by 46... (Math was never my strongest subject.) I don't even know if you could call it a mid-life crisis to be truthful. It was just one of those weird days that caused me to think way too much. Okay, okay, do you really want to know what brought it on? It's these doggone New Year's resolutions looming over me. We're 21 days into 2010 and I don't think I'm going strong on any of them! I've about given up. Funny how the number 21 reared it's ugly head. Didn't someone say that it takes 21 days to form a habit? Well my habits are all plopped. I drank some soda this evening. I knew I shouldn't have, but it tasted so good and the little bubbles were calling my name. I had some fast food today, which wasn't that bad because I think it made me sick so it didn't have the same affect the soda did, but still. P90X has become a running joke in our household. I laugh harder at Tony Horton than I do at Jack Black. Ugh, I don't know. I don't know (shrug)

This is a dumb post! No value... unless

Okay, I've got an idea, and I think it's a good one. I'm starting over right now. Same resolutions, same commitment, but now the new year starts on January 22nd (tomorrow)

Are you with me? You don't have to stay up late tonight unless you really want to. No ones going to blame you for tucking in early tonight. I'm not changing my mind about this. January 22nd will become an official holiday in my book. I think I may even try to register it with someone way up in the government. It needs to have a really catchy name. Something that will stick. Something that will give people hope that they can mess up on their resolutions in those first 21 days of any new year, but won't have to feel like total losers. They can start anew, refocus, achieve greatness!

We'll call it... Resoredo Day!

Get it? Reso- Redo (Resolution Redo)

Yeah, it's awful, but does a name really matter? I know I just said it did, but I'm so tired and yet excited about this brand new holiday.

So, join me now in celebration! Bang some pots and pans together to show your support. Go outside and light off a few Roman Candles. Spray paint an old basketball and throw it from your roof to symbolize the traditional "Ball Drop". Tomorrow is Resoredo Day! Anything's possible. Magic will happen and if it doesn't, you can join me here on February 13th and we'll give it another go!

More Pictures

2010-01-20T17:57:00.001-07:00

I know, I know, I need to blog about something new and I will, but here are some more pictures that Sheralyn sent to me from the release party.

Mashimoto Madness Release Party

2010-01-18T17:30:00.002-07:00

What a great week! I have to tell you though, I was so ready for Monday to come and be over with. It was one of the most nerve-wrecking events of my young writing career. I felt as though there were a lot of people counting on me to have a successful party and the closer we got to that day, the more I felt that it would be a bust. I was very happy with the turn out and the overall feel and support for the 6 finalists for the Create-a-Character Contest. It was a great kick-off to what I think is a great book and hopefully I can get the ball rolling on the 2010 school tour that will begin here within the next month. I'm grateful for all my friends and family that showed up Monday night. Some of you came from far away just to see me sit in a chair. I realize I have some amazing friends and because of this I'm motivated to keep writing. Again, a huge thank you to Sheralyn for making everything happen and for supporting me and my work in all those scary publishing meetings. :) Thanks to Michelle for the huge risk in allowing me overtake a section of your store. Thanks to everyone who thought the event was worthy enough of snapping a few pictures. The ones I've posted below are from Tia Chapman Photography. She's a good friend and quite the amazing photographer. I hope she doesn't mind me advertising for her website, but she takes some great pictures. See for yourself HERE.

Lastly, my wife puts up with so much. I'm such a moody little guy with a lot of weird writing antics which, of course, spill into my sleep. Heidi's always there to keep me motivated. She stops with everything she's doing which is a lot and listens to what I've written so far. She takes the kids out of the house to allow me some time to write in silence and doesn't get too frustrated with me when she discovers I was playing video games the entire time. I'm lucky to have her. She's amazing!!!

All right. Here are the pics and for those that are interested, I've already written my first scene with Nathanial "Nugget" Nottingham. I think it's pretty funny.