Kirkus Likes the Gaia Wars
“A solid first entry of a promising, imaginative new young adult fantasy series featuring a well-crafted character.”—KIRKUS When 13-year-old Warren plays a prank on an unfriendly peer, he unknowingly sets in motion a series of actions that may have devastating consequences for his community and the world. Warren Wilkes is an orphan being raised by his uncle in a...
read moreSALMON FISHING WITH TOLKIEN; And how I found the “truth” in The Lord of the Rings.
I discovered J.R.R. Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings in Alaska. It was summer and I’d just turned fourteen. I was spending May through August fishing for salmon in the stunningly-beautiful waters of the Prince William Sound. We caught a lot of fish (which my family sold) but there was downtime, too. When the fish weren’t biting, I read. And read. And read some more. … And pretty much...
read moreThe Single Most Inspiring Paragraph in Stephen King’s ON WRITING.
Stephen King’s ON WRITING is a fabulous resource for beginning and experienced writers alike. It’s a fast read, full of useful advice, wisdom and humor. King talks writer-to-writer throughout the book in a positive, encouraging tone. It feels more like a conversation than a tutorial. I’ve read ON WRITING twice and have referred to it many times. King includes tons of helpful...
read moreLISTEN TO THE PODCAST. Gaia Wars excerpt makes Litopia Flash Fiction shortlist.
UK Literary Agency Redhammer and the Litopia Writers’ Colony held a Flash Fiction contest under the title of “First Twin.” Entries had to have something to do with twins. There is a twin aspect to my YA fantasy/adventure novel, THE GAIA WARS, so I entered an excerpt from the book. My excerpt was chosen as a finalist and Redhammer turned it into a podcast for their...
read moreThe Gaia Wars makes “Top 100 Best Sellers in Children’s Action & Adventure Literature” List on Amazon!
I even have evidence! Christopher Paolini, eat your heart...
read moreHow THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN made my son a stronger YA reader.
According to family lore, my Dad gave me a Lionel electric train set for Christmas when I was just two years old. My mom told me this, decades after the fact. “Two years old?” I said. “Why did he buy such an elaborate, cool toy for such a little kid?” My mom laughed. “He wasn’t buying it for you. That was just his excuse. The truth is, he wanted to play with it. The train was for...
read moreBOYS DON’T READ. (Unless the book is really good).
My wife and I read with our son, Eli, from when he was a few weeks old until he was nine or ten. Now Eli’s fifteen, and we still talk a lot about books and listen to books-on-tape in the car. I know that great YA books can and do appeal to both boys and girls. The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Hunger Games, The Golden Compass and Harry Potter are great examples of books and/or series that...
read moreTOP 5 YA novels to help cure “Nature Deficit Disorder.”
Author Richard Louv gave a name to a problem many parents have sensed: Nature Deficit Disorder, or, the growing disconnection between children and nature. Many kids spend too much time glued to computers and other electronic devices. We all know that. People in general seem to be losing touch with the natural world. Louv’s excellent book, Last Child in the Woods, offers plenty...
read moreUrsula K. LeGuin
I love this quote by Ursula K. LeGuin. It’s on the wall above my computer: “Open your eyes; listen, listen. That is what the novelists say. But they don’t tell you what you will see and hear. All they can tell you is what they have seen and heard, in their time in this world, a third of it spent in sleep and dreaming, another third of it spent in telling lies. …Fiction writers,...
read moreThank you JA Konrath
A thank you to the generous Mr. JA Konrath: I’ve only been reading Konrath’s blog, A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing, for a few months, but I love it, and would recommend it to any writer attempting to navigate the huge changes in publishing. Konrath had the prescience and courage to leap into self-publishing early on, and he’s learned a ton along the way. But instead of...
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