tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2620152203820086872024-03-13T04:17:32.923-07:00RumblegutJohn Bladek, Author John Bladekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164584989038706262noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262015220382008687.post-17312697083048077802020-08-19T12:25:00.002-07:002020-08-19T12:27:45.811-07:00Blogging in the age of covid<p> <span> </span>Hi Everyone! It's been a while, but pandemics can do that. Since the lockdown and my last post I've been writing pretty regularly and the first book in Davonna and my fantasy series, THE LAST WIZARD OF BRETONIA, is being read by our beta readers, who've found some interesting things. One now obviously more metaphoric than we intended passage had us both rolling on the floor, glad it didn't sneak through and get us an R+ rating. We've also begun book II and are about a third into a first draft. So the story will continue. And we've done a draft of the first book as a pilot for a TV show. Who knows what might happen with that.</p><p><span> For those wanting an update on Coda, my German Shepard, she's had issues with weakness in her hindquarters, so I've been taking her to get some hydrotherapy. I'm not sure how much she likes it, but she sure looks cute jogging in the water tank. Plus she's shown some improvement and gained back some muscle mass and range of motion. Here she is enjoying her walk.</span><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kilAg-Vf6oc/Xz16gb4mUaI/AAAAAAAAAR8/0RJIQecoPIwk93Xn2ZMEuJ_-gLRPDZqUgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20200616_161346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kilAg-Vf6oc/Xz16gb4mUaI/AAAAAAAAAR8/0RJIQecoPIwk93Xn2ZMEuJ_-gLRPDZqUgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/20200616_161346.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span><br /></span><p></p>John Bladekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164584989038706262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262015220382008687.post-12465469432837274242020-03-23T12:41:00.001-07:002020-03-23T12:42:20.569-07:00Pandemic musingsI just wanted to check in with everyone during the pandemic. I'm doing fine, no symptoms; Coda, my German Shepard is doing well too. Where I live, Spokane, we don't have a lot of cases yet, but we're 300 miles from Seattle, and they are swamped. I have friends and family there and it's worrisome. I canceled my plans to go visit over spring break and instead I'm self-isolating. Fortunately, I have a big yard and can go outside easily, and when the weather is nice spend time in the sun away from others. I'm on day eleven, so I think I'm probably in the clear, at least until I have to go grocery shopping again. I bought enough food for probably 3 weeks, depending on what I want to eat, but eventually, I will have to go out again.<br />
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I work at a university, and things are going to be strange there for awhile. Everything will be done online, although there will be students who have no other choice still living in dorms. That seems like an invitation to parties, but what do I know?<br />
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Anyway, I'm still writing, working on what I hope is the last draft of Davonna and my fantasy before sending it to readers. And my books are still available as long as the internet works.<br />
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If you're stuck inside, catch up on some reading, video chat with friends and family, don't read/watch more news than you have to to stay informed, and keep in touch. Keep safe, and take this illness seriously.<br />
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Here's a picture of Coda warding off illness with stress relief.<br />
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Good luck my friends.John Bladekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164584989038706262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262015220382008687.post-47845197644071658092019-12-31T14:35:00.001-08:002020-01-31T11:58:54.199-08:00End of the Decade: Top Five ThingsIt's the end of the year 2019, and of the decade--almost 20 years later than any date I imagined what I'd be doing as an adult when I was a kid. So uncharted territory from childhood me. I pretty much stopped imagining where Stanley Kubrick did, 2001.<br />
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But that's a lot of years to cover, and to build top lists for. So today it's TOP FIVE THINGS OF STUFF...for the past amount of randomly chosen time. Ready?<br />
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<b>5.</b> I had an awesome couple of years playing trivia. Go, Trivia Super Alliance!<br />
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<b>4.</b> I stopped paying for cable.<br />
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<b>3</b>. This is Coda, she helps me write and is my friend.<br />
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<b>2.</b> I'm an author now. I get to write with my best friend, Davonna Juroe. We're working on a fantasy series about a retired wizard who returns to duty to save stuff. Totally top five.<br />
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<b>1.</b> And number one...Baby Yoda, of course<br />
<br />John Bladekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164584989038706262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262015220382008687.post-66468641324798392852019-09-10T15:01:00.000-07:002020-01-31T12:04:17.524-08:00<a href="https://screencraft.org/2019/08/07/announcing-2019-screencraft-horror-screenplay-contest-quarterfinalists/">Quarterfinalist in the 2019 Screencraft Horror Screenplay</a> contest for <i>Winterbay Abbey</i> screenplay! I just had to put this up, as it's a pretty cool achievement for my co-author, <a href="https://www.davonnajuroe.com/">Davonna Juroe</a>, and I. We adapted our novel <i>Winterbay Abbey: A Ghost Story</i>, last year and decided to enter a few contests, and we were surprised, and delighted, to hear that we made the first cut. The feedback we received from the judges was both encouraging (very) and helpful. Almost all positive, they thought it would make a "fine feature." Good news.<br />
Here's to more good news in the future.<br />
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<br />John Bladekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164584989038706262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262015220382008687.post-69307199543940972042018-03-27T11:54:00.001-07:002019-12-31T12:51:00.679-08:00<br />
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Major news! <i>Winterbay Abbey: A Ghost Story </i>is now on audio! Narrated by <a href="http://www.mattgodfrey.net/" target="_blank">Matt Godfrey</a>, Voice Award nominee, and Audiobook Listener 2018 finalist, (he's awesome, check out some of his work: <a href="http://www.mattgodfrey.net/">www.mattgodfrey.net/</a>. He reads <i>Winterbay</i> just like I always imagined it sounding, except way better. It's creepy and moody, and the New England and British accents add that terrific feel of authenticity.<br />
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John Bladekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164584989038706262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262015220382008687.post-56317631269490749562016-10-08T13:44:00.002-07:002019-12-31T13:04:33.200-08:00Ghostville Reading<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><em></em></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo courtesy of Davonna Juroe</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><em>Lost in Ghostville</em> fans, if you happen to be in Spokane, WA this October 29, stop by <a href="http://www.auntiesbooks.com/" target="_blank">Auntie's Bookstore</a> @4:00 pm and see me teach how to find ghosts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">I'll read a bit from <em>Ghostville</em>, answer some questions, and of course, we'll search the store for any spirits who might be haunting the old building. It should be great fun! See you there!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1460546193974983/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Lost in Ghostville</em>--Children's Event</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: x-small;"></span>John Bladekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164584989038706262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262015220382008687.post-57302975152607059832016-07-21T15:04:00.000-07:002016-07-21T15:06:24.643-07:00The Day Your Books Arrive<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's always cool to see a FedEx truck pull into your driveway, but especially so when you're expecting something big. My author copies of <em>Lost In Ghostville </em>arrived today. That's a big day for any author--the day you get to see your published work on actual paper, not from your own printer, and bound, with a beautiful cover. Here's my experience opening my box of books.</div>
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Take a close look at the cover. The illustration is by Charlie Bowater. I think she made a fantastic cover, and most people who've seen it agree. You can see more of Charlie's work here: <a href="http://charlie-bowater.deviantart.com/">http://charlie-bowater.deviantart.com/</a>. We've never met, but she draws a mean mermaid.</div>
<br />John Bladekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164584989038706262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262015220382008687.post-9326038265935249812016-07-15T13:31:00.001-07:002019-12-31T12:53:16.568-08:00<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/13633345-ghosts-ghosts-ghosts">Ghosts, ghosts, ghosts...</a> <br />
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I'm hitting the spirit world hard in August, with two new releases: <em>Lost in Ghostville,</em> a middle-grade humorous ghost story about a boy, his homemade ghost detector, and a ghost-napper. <br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Ghostville-John-Bladek/dp/1623707765/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468613614&sr=8-1&keywords=lost+in+ghostville" target="_blank"><img alt="Lost in Ghostville" border="0" height="208" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p5aNAQsAEww/V4lFTDILT1I/AAAAAAAAAFU/O4HAYXrIGfcOdDuMdoE-3ZtjXJkg_B7UACLcB/s320/12814803_10201449279591373_3435874078297807692_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Winterbay Abbey</em> is an adult ghost story I wrote with co-author, <a href="http://www.davonnajuroe.com/" target="_blank">Davonna Juroe</a>, and is set in an old, abandoned abbey in Maine, with dark secrets and a future as terrible as its past.<br />
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Why all the ghosts, you ask? Well, we all have those times when we're trying to deal with loss, and both these stories helped me confront that, although in different ways. <em>Ghostville</em> does it by being funny, and heartfelt, as well as with robot dinosaurs and dino-poop. <em>Winterbay</em> is a bit darker and intended to scare. Combined, they gave me multiple ways to show the impact of ghosts, both their dark, and light sides.<br />
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In either case, I hope you enjoy my expedition into the spirit world. <br />
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Cheers! </div>
John Bladekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164584989038706262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262015220382008687.post-50578228459754215962016-07-15T13:31:00.000-07:002019-12-31T12:53:51.466-08:00<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/13633345-ghosts-ghosts-ghosts">Ghosts, ghosts, ghosts...</a> <br />
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I'm hitting the spirit world hard in August, with two new releases: <em>Lost in Ghostville,</em> a middle-grade humorous ghost story about a boy, his homemade ghost detector, and a ghost-napper. <br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Ghostville-John-Bladek/dp/1623707765/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468613614&sr=8-1&keywords=lost+in+ghostville" target="_blank"><img alt="Lost in Ghostville" border="0" height="208" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p5aNAQsAEww/V4lFTDILT1I/AAAAAAAAAFU/O4HAYXrIGfcOdDuMdoE-3ZtjXJkg_B7UACLcB/s320/12814803_10201449279591373_3435874078297807692_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Winterbay Abbey</em> is an adult ghost story I wrote with co-author, <a href="http://www.davonnajuroe.com/" target="_blank">Davonna Juroe</a>, and is set in an old, abandoned abbey in Maine, with dark secrets and a future as terrible as its past.<br />
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Why all the ghosts, you ask? Well, we all have those times when we're trying to deal with loss, and both these stories helped me confront that, although in different ways. <em>Ghostville</em> does it by being funny, and heartfelt, as well as with robot dinosaurs and dino-poop. <em>Winterbay</em> is a bit darker and intended to scare. Combined, they gave me multiple ways to show the impact of ghosts, both their dark, and light sides.<br />
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In either case, I hope you enjoy my expedition into the spirit world. <br />
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Cheers! </div>
John Bladekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164584989038706262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262015220382008687.post-48167596312943425792016-03-12T10:09:00.000-08:002019-12-31T13:10:28.994-08:00LOST IN GHOSTVILLE CoverHere it is! New cover for a new book! This is the ARC cover for my new middle-grade ghost story, LOST IN GHOSTVILLE, due out Aug. 1 from <a href="http://www.capstonepub.com/library/" target="_blank">Capstone</a>.<br />
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John Bladekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164584989038706262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262015220382008687.post-16034670262741963142015-02-05T13:21:00.001-08:002019-12-31T12:56:19.283-08:00Great New MIddle Grade Series<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F7wrpJyvJlo/VNPmw3OxkJI/AAAAAAAAAEU/HQZnHcfFfbg/s1600/Finley%2BFlowers_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F7wrpJyvJlo/VNPmw3OxkJI/AAAAAAAAAEU/HQZnHcfFfbg/s1600/Finley%2BFlowers_.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
I've known <a href="https://jessicayoungbooks.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Jessica Young</a> for about three years now. We belong to a critique group and every month she sends me a new piece of writing and returns the favor by struggling to read parts of my manuscripts. We've actually never met in person, but we've talked voluminously, including a two-hour conversation about quantum mechanics as it relates to story structure (yes, it was as thrilling as it sounds!). She's fun and smart and funny, and so are her books. Her newest, <em>Finley Flowers (Original Recipe)</em> has just been released, and it's fantastic. I've had the honor of reading <em>Finley</em> since Jessica first came up with the idea and I'm so happy to see it make its way into the world. It was a fantastic story idea from the start (and has the most awesomely named nemesis in all of kid lit, wish I'd thought of it) and has only gotten better through successive drafts. I'm eager to see if any of the joke ideas I tossed Jessica's way made it into print (none are as good as Finley's nemesis' name though).<br />
Better yet, <em>Original Recipe</em>, adorably crafty Finley's attempt to win a school recipe contest with delicious/disastrous results, is just the first of a series from Capstone Publishing. A whole slew of Finley Flowers is on the way, and I can't wait to read all of them, even though I've already read the manuscripts.<br />
Jessica's book is great for early readers and middle grade. If you've got younger kids, check out her picture books too. They're just as wonderful.John Bladekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164584989038706262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262015220382008687.post-19752582050786956202013-03-08T11:26:00.001-08:002013-03-08T22:31:06.062-08:00<br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times","serif";">Author Mary Cronk
Farrell tagged me to be one of the<strong><span style="font-family: "Times","serif";">
Next Big Thing Blog Hop </span></strong>authors. This traveling blog started in
Australia. Each author answers ten questions about his or her work in progress
and "tags" from one to five others to be The Next Big Thing. Many
thanks to Mary for inviting me to </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times","serif";">participate</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times","serif";">.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<em><o:p> </o:p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times","serif";">I actually have two
WIPs, so I'm going to shamelessly tell you about both of them.<o:p></o:p></span></em><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times","serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times","serif";">Book one: <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times","serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><strong><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times","serif";">What is the
working title of your book?</span></strong><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br />
<br />
</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times","serif";">My working
title is FREELAND</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span><strong>Where did the idea come from for the book?<o:p></o:p></strong><br />
<br />
That's a bit of a story. Originally the idea was a takeoff from a manuscript
I had just finished. I wanted to put my education, a PhD in History to some
use, but not in as a straight historical fiction. I wanted pirates and weird
steampunk technology, and came up with an idea about a brother and sister
working as spies for George Washington during the 1790s. That got tossed around
and reworked quite a bit. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
FREELAND is now set in an alternate 1837 where the British Empire has
intervened in the Texas War for Independence. Outgoing President Andrew Jackson
leads a covert operation into Texas to force the Brits out. That's the setting.
The story is about Nathan Freeland, a 14-year old who's spent his whole life
dreaming of joining his father as a spy. It begins when Nathan discovers that
his father, who was sent to Texas, has been captured by the Brits. Nathan set
off with a mysterious friend of his fathers and ends up joining with Jackson on
his cross-country voyage to Texas. The mystery builds around Nathan's companion
and the true nature of the Brits' plans for Texas. The story climaxes with some
rather horrible revelations that promise to change not just Nathan's life, but
the world forever.<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<br />
</span><strong>What genre does your book fall under?</strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></b>FREELAND is a middle grade steampunk novel.<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<br />
</span><strong>What actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie
rendition?</strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></b>That's a good question. I've "watched" this story in my
head as a movie over and over again. I even wrote the action scenes with
particular music in mind. That said, I'm not at all sure who I would cast.<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<br />
</span><strong>What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?<o:p></o:p></strong><br />
<br />
FREELAND is one boy's epic journey to reunite his family in the shadow of a looming
battle between freedom, slavery, and empire in a world of unbridled
technological change.<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<br />
</span><strong>Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency</strong><strong><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">?</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></b>I'm represented by Jamie Weiss Chilton of the Andrea Brown Literary
Agency.<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<br />
</span><strong>How long did it take you to write the first draft of your
manuscript?</strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
I mulled the idea over for almost a year before I started writing. Once I
did start the first draft took about six months.<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<br />
</span><strong>What other books would you compare this story to within your
genre?</strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">
<br />
</span></b>The LEVIATHAN series by Scott Westerfeld is close in its steampunk
retelling of a crisis point in world history. <span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<br />
</span><strong>What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?</strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Besides the alternate history and steampunk, Nathan's companions on his
journey, Victor and Maria, are drawn from a 19th century literary classic and
give the novel a bit of monster feel (no vampires, I promise). I also think
that Nathan and Victor's friendship on their cross-country journey has a hint
of Huckleberry Finn to it. And as an historian, I really enjoyed dealing with
the issue of slavery in a way that addresses the American experience, but also
expands it into a new world of technological horror.<o:p> </o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times","serif";">What is the
working title of your second book?</span></strong><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br />
<br />
</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times","serif";">My working
title is TREY NEWTON: LOST IN GHOSTVILLE</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span><strong>Where did the idea come from for the book?</strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The idea for TREY came from a backyard brainstorming session with a friend
about ghosts and a kid who gets lost all the time. I kept the ghosts and used
getting lost as my catalyst.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">
</span><strong>What genre does your book fall under?</strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></b>TREY NEWTON is middle grade humor<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<br />
</span><strong>What actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie
rendition?</strong><br />
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></b>As I’m writing about kids I’m sure everyone I would think of will be
too old by the time the movie is made, so I’m just going to have one of my
nephews play Trey. <span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<br />
</span><strong>What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
TREY NEWTON wants to find a ghost so he can be rich and famous, but when he discovers
that all the ghosts in town, most especially his grandma, have been kidnapped, he
must battle robots, dinosaur poop, and his greatest hero to save them.<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<br />
</span><strong>Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency</strong><strong><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">?</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">
</span></b>I'm represented by Jamie Weiss Chilton of the Andrea Brown Literary
Agency.<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<br />
</span><strong>How long did it take you to write the first draft of your
manuscript?</strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
This one was hard. I spent maybe eight months on the first draft and then
wrote many more after that.<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<br />
</span><strong>What other books would you compare this story to within your
genre?</strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">TREY </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">can be wacky at times, a
bit like M.T. Anderson’s WHALES ON STILTS. It has a mystery like Stuart
Gibson’s, BELLY UP, and it also deals with real emotional issues like Rebecca
Stead’s, LIAR AND SPY.<br />
<br />
</span><strong>What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?</strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
TREY is very funny and filled with action, a great book for middle grade
boys and anyone who is intrigued by the phrase, “dino-poop.” <o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span><strong>Here are the authors I'm tagging. Check back for others I will
tag:</strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/3835828-next-big-thing-blog-hop" target="_blank">Dianna Winget<o:p></o:p></a></span></div>
John Bladekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164584989038706262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262015220382008687.post-15218766105370358022013-03-07T14:05:00.002-08:002019-09-10T15:01:33.027-07:00<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times","serif";">Author Mary Cronk
Farrell tagged me to be one of the<strong><span style="font-family: "Times","serif";">
Next Big Thing Blog Hop </span></strong>authors. This traveling blog started in
Australia. Each author answers ten questions about his or her work in progress
and "tags" from one to five others to be The Next Big Thing. Many
thanks to Mary for inviting me to </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times","serif";">participate</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times","serif";">.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<o:p> </o:p><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times","serif";">I actually have two WIPs,
so I'm going to shamelessly tell you about both of them.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times","serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times","serif";">Book one: <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times","serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
<strong><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times","serif";">What is the
working title of your book?</span></strong><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br />
<br />
</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times","serif";">My working
title is FREELAND</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span><strong>Where did the idea come from for the book?</strong><o:p></o:p><br />
That's a bit of a story. Originally the idea was a takeoff from a manuscript
I had just finished. I wanted to put my education, a PhD in History to some
use, but not in as a straight historical fiction. I wanted pirates and weird
steampunk technology, and came up with an idea about a brother an sister
working as spies for George Washington during the 1790s. That got tossed around
and reworked quite a bit. <o:p></o:p><br />
FREELAND is now set in an alternate 1837 where the British Empire has
intervened in the Texas War for Independence. Outgoing President Andrew Jackson
leads a covert opertation into Texas to force the Brits out. That's the
setting. The story is about Nathan Freeland, a 14-year old who's spent his
whole life dreaming of joining his father as a spy. It begins when Nathan
discovers that his father, who was sent to Texas, has been captured by the
Brits. Nathan set off with a mysterious friend of his fathers and ends up
joining with Jackson on his cross-country voyage to Texas. The mystery builds
around Nathan's companion and the true nature of the Brits' plans for Texas.
The story climaxes with some rather horrible revelations that promise to change
not just Nathan's life, but the world forever.<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<br />
</span><strong>What genre does your book fall under?</strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></b>FREELAND is a middle grade steampunk novel.<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<br />
</span><strong>What actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie
rendition?</strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></b>That's a good question. I've "watched" this story in my
head as a movie over and over again. I even write the action scenes with
particular music in mind. That said, I'm not at all sure who I would cast.<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<br />
</span><strong>What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?<o:p></o:p></strong><br />
FREELAND is one boy's epic journey to reunite his family in the shadow of a looming
battle between freedom, slavery, and empire in a world of unbridled
technological change.<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<br />
</span><strong>Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency</strong><strong><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">?</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<br />
</span></b>I'm represented by Jamie Weiss Chilton of the Andrea Brown Literary
Agency.<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<br />
</span><strong>How long did it take you to write the first draft of your
manuscript?</strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><o:p> </o:p></strong><br />
I mulled the idea over for almost a year before I started writing. Once I
did start the first draft took about six months.<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<br />
</span><strong>What other books would you compare this story to within your
genre?</strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<br />
</span></b>The LEVIATHAN series by Scott Westerfeld is close in its steampunk
retelling of a crisis point in world history. <span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<br />
</span><strong>What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?</strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><o:p> </o:p></strong><br />
Besides the alternate history and steampunk, Nathan's companions on his
journey, Victor and Maria, are drawn from a 19th century literary classic and
give the novel a bit of monster feel (no vampires, I promise). I also think
that Nathan and Victor's friendship on their cross-country journey has a hint
of Huckleberry Finn to it. And as an historian, I really enjoyed dealing with
the issue of slavery in a way that addresses the American experience, but also
expands it into a new world of technological horror.<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p> </o:p><strong><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times","serif";">What is the
working title of your second book?</span></strong><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br />
<br />
</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times","serif";">My working
title is TREY NEWTON: LOST IN GHOSTVILLE</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span><strong>Where did the idea come from for the book?</strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p> </o:p><br />
The idea for TREY came from a backyard brainstorming session with a friend
about ghosts and a kid who gets lost all the time. I kept the ghosts and used
getting lost as my catalyst.<o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span><strong>What genre does your book fall under?</strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></b>TREY NEWTON is middle grade humor<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<br />
</span><strong>What actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie
rendition?</strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></b>As I’m writing about kids I’m sure everyone I would think of will be
too old by the time the movie is made, so I’m just going to have one of my
nephews play Trey. <span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<br />
</span><strong>What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?<o:p></o:p></strong><br />
<strong><o:p> </o:p></strong><br />
TREY NEWTON wants to find a ghost so he can be rich and famous, but when he discovers
that all the ghosts in town, most especially his grandma, have been kidnapped, he
must battle robots, dinosaur poop, and his greatest hero to save them.<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<br />
</span><strong>Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency</strong><strong><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">?</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></b>I'm represented by Jamie Weiss Chilton of the Andrea Brown Literary
Agency.<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<br />
</span><strong>How long did it take you to write the first draft of your
manuscript?</strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><o:p> </o:p></strong><br />
This one was hard. I spent maybe eight months on the first draft and then
wrote many more after that.<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<br />
</span><strong>What other books would you compare this story to within your
genre?</strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">TREY </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">can be wacky at times, a
bit like M.T. Anderson’s WHALES ON STILTS. It has a mystery like Stuart Gibson’s,
BELLY UP, and it also deals with real emotional issues like Rebecca Stead’s, LIAR
AND SPY.<br />
<br />
<br />
</span><strong>What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?</strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><o:p> </o:p></strong><br />
TREY is very funny and filled with action, a great book for middle grade
boys and anyone who is intrigued by the phrase, “dino-poop.” <o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span><strong>Here are the authors I'm tagging. Check back for others I will
tag:</strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Brandi Dougherty<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Dianna Wingnet<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Jessica Young<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Jessica Rising<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Davonna Juroe<o:p></o:p></span></div>
John Bladekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164584989038706262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262015220382008687.post-27602707163504781872013-01-27T13:27:00.001-08:002019-12-31T13:11:04.408-08:00I love getting personal reviews more than anything. Here's a letter I received from a 3rd grader who read <em>Roll Up the Streets!</em><br />
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John Bladekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164584989038706262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262015220382008687.post-42880213547612307372010-10-26T12:44:00.000-07:002010-10-26T16:52:12.257-07:00Author readings vs signingsJust recently I did both a reading and a bookstore signing of my book, Roll Up the Streets. I’ve been giving it some thought as to which is better for an author to do.<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I think most people would assume, and I always have, that a reading is better than a signing. You get to sit down with a group of interested listeners, read a couple of chapters—I did a bit of acting with props and a squeaky voice I worked on, don’t ask why I gave my villain a squeaky voice—interact with the audience and actually see and hear their reaction to your story. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hVeBWSyDuGc/TMcuowCzRYI/AAAAAAAAACY/zXGeJZrEh8Q/s1600/tinmanreading2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" nx="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hVeBWSyDuGc/TMcuowCzRYI/AAAAAAAAACY/zXGeJZrEh8Q/s320/tinmanreading2.jpg" width="320" /></a>My reading at the <a href="http://www.tinmantoo.com/">Tinman Too</a> bookstore went very well and I got to hear the laughs in person. That’s always rewarding for any writer used to working in isolation. I also spoke with a couple of 11-year olds, my core audience, both of whom wanted to be writers. So as well as being entertaining, I could also encourage future writers. I also managed to sell a few books. All in all it was as good of an experience as I expected.</div><br />
The signing was a bit different, and I was uncertain what to expect. Like everyone I’d heard stories, and actually seen, authors sitting alone behind a pile of their unsold books, looking bored, while shoppers walked by desperately avoiding eye contact. The bookstore I signed at, <a href="http://www.auntiesbooks.com/">Aunties</a> in Spokane, Washington, even put my signing table in front of the psychology section in case I needed to consult books on coping with depression.<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hVeBWSyDuGc/TMcu1M8YtHI/AAAAAAAAACc/4XvJXtAeLE4/s1600/Aunties+signing2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" nx="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hVeBWSyDuGc/TMcu1M8YtHI/AAAAAAAAACc/4XvJXtAeLE4/s320/Aunties+signing2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
But I was pleasantly surprised. The signing went for two hours, and although there were lulls, none were so long as to make me feel like I’d been abandoned. My table was placed in a spot everyone who entered the store passed by, without being directly in the entrance. It was also Librarian and Teacher appreciation day, and I talked to a number of librarians who promised to put Roll Up the Streets into their middle school libraries. Without this special event the signing probably would not have gone as well. But for this first experience of both a reading and a signing I sold out the bookstores’ supply of Roll Up the Streets, so I have to consider both a success.<br />
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As I was about to close up shop at the signing, I met a man who spends his retirement years photographing artists and writers for free. While he took my picture, he talked about how he thought signings were actually better for getting to talk to people because you get to spend some one-on-one time with each person who asks for an autograph. And as he put it, while you’re writing that dedication and your name, you’re thinking only of that for the moment, and leaving a record of it behind. That’s a nice thought.<br />
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I suppose if you’re doing a reading to a big audience the one-on-one interaction might be hard to work in. But my experience reading was with a small group of people who asked questions and with whom I spoke individually. So for me, at least this time, the reading was more fun, but the signing was a pretty close second.John Bladekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164584989038706262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262015220382008687.post-34937325460430679232010-10-05T17:07:00.000-07:002010-10-05T21:36:34.387-07:00Roll Up the Streets! Book readingStop by and see my book reading of <em>Roll Up the Streets!</em><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hVeBWSyDuGc/TKu8P4Of85I/AAAAAAAAACA/g2p_ssK9Ghw/s1600/Roll+Up+the+Streets+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hVeBWSyDuGc/TKu8P4Of85I/AAAAAAAAACA/g2p_ssK9Ghw/s320/Roll+Up+the+Streets+cover.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>Saturday, Oct. 9, 1:00 pm. <a href="http://tinmantoo.com/">Tinman</a> Too Chidren's Book Store.<br />
809 W. Garland Ave. Spokane, Wa. <br />
For more info call the Tinman Too Bookstore:<br />
(509) 325-3001<br />
Or email:<br />
<a href="mailto:tinmanartworks@yahoo.com">tinmanartworks@yahoo.com</a><br />
Directions: <a href="http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Spokane&state=WA&address=809+W+Garland+Ave&zipcode=99205-2818&country=US&latitude=47.69348&longitude=-117.423359&geocode=ADDRESS">Map</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hVeBWSyDuGc/TKv8s5S7dDI/AAAAAAAAACQ/9KA-bZVsMcc/s1600/flyer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hVeBWSyDuGc/TKv8s5S7dDI/AAAAAAAAACQ/9KA-bZVsMcc/s320/flyer.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>John Bladekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164584989038706262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262015220382008687.post-27258906837897812092010-10-04T10:54:00.000-07:002019-12-31T13:09:59.529-08:00SCBWI ConferenceFor those of you who don't know, <a href="http://www.scbwi.org/">SCBWI</a> is the tongue-twisting acronym for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. It's a professional organization for writers and illustrators, and would-be writers and illustrators, all looking to make contacts, improve their skills, and generally be better at their craft. SCBWI holds a yearly conference during the summer in Los Angeles, where the headquarters are, and regional conferences all over the country and world during the whole year.<br />
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This past weekend I had a great time attending the regional conference in Spokane, Wa, my <a href="http://www.scbwiwaid.org/">home region</a>. If you're serious about writing you should consider attending some kind of conference. The guest speakers are usually other writers or illustrators, and editors and agents who are available to also do critiques for the attendees. This is a good way to see how your writing looks to someone from the biz and not just your spouse or even critique group. It's also a good way to make contacts. I met my agent, <a href="http://www.andreabrownlit.com/agents.php">Jamie Weiss Chilton</a> of <a href="http://www.andreabrownlit.com/">Andrea Brown Lit</a>. at the regional conference two years ago, so it's well worth the effort to get to one.<br />
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I suggest if you are going, check out the speakers beforehand, find out what they write or the kinds of work they represent and tailor your conference attendance accordingly. If you find a conference with an agent who just loves your style of writing and represents the genre you work in, it just may help you to go and get some face-time. That's why it's also important to get an idea of who's who in the industry, so when they do show up, you know enough to make the right connection. The more you know about publishing, the better your chances. Of course, you still have to be able to write, or illustrate, but know where and who to sell to puts you that much further ahead.John Bladekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164584989038706262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262015220382008687.post-68414733028765027742010-10-01T15:39:00.000-07:002010-10-04T10:42:25.095-07:00InterviewI love being interviewed! So check out this one by <a href="http://dlkingwriter.blogspot.com/2010/09/author-interview-middle-grade-funny-man.html">D.L.Kingwriter</a>. I answer all of your questions, or hers actually, and only make up a few things.John Bladekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164584989038706262noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262015220382008687.post-72928247808851111122010-10-01T12:12:00.000-07:002019-12-31T13:08:44.955-08:00Book ReadingsBook readings are the best way to see the reaction of an audience to your work, especially for a children's writer. Reading to a critique group of adults is great for the writing process, and scanning a review once in a while, well, that's a mixed bag. Too many reviews are much too brief to be of any help. But reading to a group of kids can tell you a lot about how your intended readers will respond to your story.<br />
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I wrote my book, Roll Up the Streets! while reading it a chapter at a time to fifth-graders at Holmes elementary school in Spokane, Wa. Every Friday I'd sit down over lunch and read a new chapter while watching the kids chomp on whatever horrifying public school lunch was offered that day. The whole idea of centering my story around evil corndogs came from those lunch readings as well as half the gross passages in the book. I owe a lot to those kids.<br />
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I'm holding a book reading on Oct. 9 at the <a href="http://tinmantoo.com/">Tinman Too</a> children's bookstore in Spokane on Oct. 9. It's the first one where I'll actually be able to read from the published book, and not just a handful of papers in my lap. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping it will be as rewarding as those trips to Holmes.<br />
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So when you read in public, don't just read. Watch too. You might just pick up a few gross, disgusting tidbits to brightening up your writing.John Bladekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164584989038706262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262015220382008687.post-20570484230776194522010-09-07T21:43:00.000-07:002010-09-07T21:43:30.872-07:00Roll Up the Streets! release<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hVeBWSyDuGc/TIcTb-EgenI/AAAAAAAAAB4/qUFI0YBMRiA/s1600/Roll+Up+the+Streets+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hVeBWSyDuGc/TIcTb-EgenI/AAAAAAAAAB4/qUFI0YBMRiA/s320/Roll+Up+the+Streets+cover.jpg" /></a>Roll Up the Streets! hit the streets this week! My first book, finally available. Book readings/signings to follow. Stay tuned.</div><br />
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</div>John Bladekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164584989038706262noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262015220382008687.post-81644084450847571952010-08-06T23:06:00.000-07:002019-12-31T13:07:20.114-08:00Critique groupsHow do writers break out of the isolation of their own writing to share it with others before sending it to an agent or editor? Everyone knows writing can be a lonely business and that writers are the worst judges of their own work. Some think everything they write is gold, others hate every word. Rarely is either true.<br />
I have a great first reader who happens to be a writer herself and a good and honest judge of my work. She doesn't coddle me, but always gives great advice and isn't afraid to tell me when something makes no sense or just doesn't work. I also have an agent who does the same thing, but she sees things at a later stage.<br />
But I also have a third, invaluable source of criticism, my critique group. This group of writers meets every month to share new work and give constructive criticism to any and all. We focus on children's books from picture books to middle-grade, my thing, to Young Adult.I would never have been published without the criticism of the people in this group. <br />
Finding the right group can be hard, I got lucky the first time around and now that I'm coordinating it the group fits my style even better. But finding one is well worth it. Very few successful writers will say that they never had anyone to read they work. You need those extra eyes if you're going to sell what you've written.John Bladekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164584989038706262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262015220382008687.post-35430674349344910822010-07-28T11:47:00.000-07:002010-07-28T11:47:07.229-07:00Review Copies<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hVeBWSyDuGc/TFB3Jhm88qI/AAAAAAAAABg/a1WuFOzh7tg/s1600/123340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hVeBWSyDuGc/TFB3Jhm88qI/AAAAAAAAABg/a1WuFOzh7tg/s320/123340.jpg" /></a>Review copies are the coolest thing in the world. I just got a big box of my new book, <em>Roll Up the Streets!</em> dropped on my front porch. Inside were these glorious brand-spanking new books with shiny covers and filled with words that I had written. Now all those people who thought I'd made up those stories about getting published can see the actual proof. A real hardcover book is so much cooler than a flickering image on a screen.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I just love the corndogs and the swirling ketchup and mustard on the cover. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">My favorite image is this one from the back cover. You'll have to read the book to find out who the lovely, and for some reason annoyed looking woman is. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hVeBWSyDuGc/TFB4PzecXjI/AAAAAAAAABo/mZbnTlSWcZU/s1600/janet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hVeBWSyDuGc/TFB4PzecXjI/AAAAAAAAABo/mZbnTlSWcZU/s320/janet.JPG" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Now to get it into other people's hands. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div>John Bladekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164584989038706262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262015220382008687.post-14242090508697628492010-05-15T16:20:00.000-07:002019-12-31T13:06:34.610-08:00My Book<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hVeBWSyDuGc/S-8qf55_qbI/AAAAAAAAABY/pffZjGtMSY4/s1600/Roll+Up+the+Streets+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hVeBWSyDuGc/S-8qf55_qbI/AAAAAAAAABY/pffZjGtMSY4/s320/Roll+Up+the+Streets+cover.jpg" wt="true" /></a></div>
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It's almost here! My new middle-grade humor novel, <em><a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/bookSearch/isbnInquiry.asp?r=1&ISBN=1935279629&r=1">Roll Up the Streets!</a></em> is nearly here. Barnes & Noble has finally put up the cover art so you can see what it looks like.<br />
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I'm pretty excited. Corndogs will do that to you, especially if they're EVIL corndogs. It's a fun story about a sarcastic 12-year-old, (is there any other kind?) Jake Machet, who moves to a small town that smells like the inside of his shoe, and I think we all know what a 12-year-old boy's shoes smell like. The only problem is that he's the only person who can smell it. Well, that's not the only problem, there are the greasy, plastic tasting corndogs everyone eats all the time, and the gooey streets and some kind of conspiracy to take over the world. But other than that things are just peachy for our hero Jake and his only friend Sammie, a smart-alecky girl with a history of pig-poop busting.<br />
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Did I mention that it's funny too? Pick up a copy for your sarcastic 12-year-old.John Bladekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164584989038706262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262015220382008687.post-58037233865657300972010-04-01T11:10:00.000-07:002010-04-01T17:17:02.165-07:00IPAD takes over the world<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hVeBWSyDuGc/S7UUlBFlMGI/AAAAAAAAABQ/GNHV4GifbR4/s1600/Ipad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" nt="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hVeBWSyDuGc/S7UUlBFlMGI/AAAAAAAAABQ/GNHV4GifbR4/s200/Ipad.jpg" width="200" /></a>You may have heard about the upcoming April 3, release of Apple's new Ipad, the world's most expensive feminine hygiene product. But in case you haven't been keeping up with the computer company and seller of the iPhone's attempts to recreate the very nature of reading and writing, here's the most recent news from Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple.</div><br />
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(AP) April 1, San Francisco: Apple founder and CEO Steve Jobs announced today in advance of the release of the company's newest gadget, the iPad, that "henceforth, publishing and writing will be a totally different experience, an experience completely controlled by yours truly."<br />
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The publishing industry has been rampant with rumors over the past year in expectation of the impact of the iPad on their business models, and today they were given the word from Jobs. "Publishing as we know it is dead," Jobs intoned. "The dinosaurs of the business have just been hit with a comet called the iPad and the iBookstore. No longer will elitist, effeminate, east coast liberal editors be in control of what you read. Writers as well will need to adjust to the new world order."<br />
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When asked just what this new paradigm would mean for writers, Jobs replied, "For years people have taken as writ that getting rid of the middleman would lower prices and increase efficiency. We at Apple are all about efficiency, but rather than get rid of the middleman, which is us, we chose to get rid of the front end of the publishing process, that is the writer. Writers will still exist, someone has to supply the drivel that will sell on the iBookstore and be read on the iPad, but they will no longer be paid. In this new world writers are a dime a dozen and Apple would just as soon keep that dime. Writers will instead work for free, competing for the honor of having their words seen on an iPad. Experience is king, content is meaningless. I mean, can you really call writing work, anyway? Sitting on your rear-end all day, pecking away at the keyboard of your Macbook pro, which by the way will be required of all contributors, that they compose on an Apple product."<br />
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Jobs went on to remark about the origins of this shift in creativity and intellectual property, which will be the sole property of Apple inc. "We got the idea from the adjunct professor model used in most American colleges and universities. Most people don't realize it, but 60-70% of college-level classes are taught by tempts working for reduced rate parking passes."<br />
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I don't know about you, but I think it's about time someone brought the unruly writers of this world to heel. For too long they have been holding us hostage by demanding to be paid for their so-called "work." J.K. Rowling, author of the celebrated Harry Potter series, the tale of a boy wizard and his magic stick, became a billionaire pedaling her writing. But do you really believe people bought her books because they enjoyed reading about Harry's exploits against the dark wizard Lord Voldemort? Of course not. Books are not about content, they are about experience. It's the choice of font and the feel of the crisp paper that draws people to reading. Ms. Rowling's contribution was relatively minor, yet she gets all the accolades. And with the iPad, the experience will be even greater. You can't turn a real book on its side and have the picture flip like you can on an iPad.<br />
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Yes, I for one welcome the new world order. I have an iPod, and life has never been this fantastic. The iPad can only make things better. And did you know that Random House publishing is owned by a German corporation? Jobs is a true patriot for putting them out of business.<br />
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April Fools! <br />
Is this really necessary to write?John Bladekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164584989038706262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262015220382008687.post-63658752705761706242010-03-31T10:59:00.000-07:002010-03-31T16:23:03.706-07:00How I sold my book, part 1For aspiring authors the question of how an author sold his/her first book is always of great interest. They're looking to do the same thing, so of course they'd like to get the ins and outs from someone who has been there. At all the writing conferences I've attended, this question is tops when the panels convene to answer queries from the audience.<br />
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Writers working diligently to get their creative genius down on paper aren't always the best at selling, so any tips can help. There are lots of blogs out there giving advice, most of it useful to a certain extent. But one can only be told to spell correctly and use proper grammar so many times. Another popular tip is telling people to "develop a unique voice." But again, that's not much in the way of advice, everyone knows that already. And no one I've yet heard has ever been able to define a "unique voice," let alone explain how you develop one. So in the end that particular piece of advice isn't much more helpful than telling a theoretical physicist to "become more of a genius." <br />
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What I've found is that many of these writers are actually looking to find a shortcut, a magic spell that they can whip out when they meet an editor or agent that so enraptures them they cannot help but make an offer.<br />
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Luckily there is such a magic spell, and they used to sell them in comic book ads. It's called a hypno-wheel. Spin it in the eyes of your intended target, and they become puppets in your hands. Mu-hahahaha!<br />
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Actually, the spell is call writing. If you do it well you will capture an editor's or agent's attention. I know it's not much, but it's the truth. But when you tell writers that, they want more. "But how did you sell your book? They want your story.<br />
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I've found that telling your personal story about how you were trapped in an elevator with an editor or how you rescued an agent from a burning building is a lot of fun, but in the end doesn't go much further than "develop your own voice." And burning buildings and stuck elevators are hard to recreate, and probably should send you to jail for trying.<br />
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It's fun to hear these stories, but in the end your writing is what will tell. That, and hard work. <br />
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Tomorrow, how I got a book contract. (Yes, I will tell you my story.)John Bladekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16164584989038706262noreply@blogger.com0