Originally posted HERE
What's the worst sound you can ever hear when you've just handed over the tile to your van you've just sold.... the engine trying to start. Note the word "trying."
Yesterday we sold our van, but when they handed us the cash and tried to start the car it wouldn't start because the battery had died. Fortunately, their friend jump started the van and they left without a word. I guess it serves us right. We haven't driven the van in 2 months.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Divine Intervention
Originally posted Here
Do you believe in divine intervention? I sure do. Yesterday I was praying about what my priorities should be towards my book, Paraworld Zero. Surprisingly, the answer I received was that I should put a shopping cart onto my website so I can take pre-orders.
Today, I mysteriously received two phone calls from two different companies asking me if I am in need of a merchant account so I can take orders from my website. I have never received a phone call like that before, even though I have some websites that have received millions of visitors. On top of that, I just received a newsletter a few minutes ago that just happened to have a tiny section in there telling me what licences I have to have in order to sell books specifically from Arizona.
I'd have to say that God is pushing me in the right direction.
Do you believe in divine intervention? I sure do. Yesterday I was praying about what my priorities should be towards my book, Paraworld Zero. Surprisingly, the answer I received was that I should put a shopping cart onto my website so I can take pre-orders.
Today, I mysteriously received two phone calls from two different companies asking me if I am in need of a merchant account so I can take orders from my website. I have never received a phone call like that before, even though I have some websites that have received millions of visitors. On top of that, I just received a newsletter a few minutes ago that just happened to have a tiny section in there telling me what licences I have to have in order to sell books specifically from Arizona.
I'd have to say that God is pushing me in the right direction.
A blurb from Maria V. Snyder, author of Poison Study
Originally posted Here
I just got a blurb from Maria V. Snyder. She was also kind enough to invite me to be a guest blogger on her blog in January. I met Maria a couple years ago when Poison Study was just starting out. I'm happy to say that her books are doing very well. I just listened to the first one from audible.com and the narrator did a wonderful job.
"Flame throwing pigeons and demonic dumpsters. Funny and imaginative."
– Maria V. Snyder (award-winning author of Poison Study, Magic Study, and Fire Study)
I just got a blurb from Maria V. Snyder. She was also kind enough to invite me to be a guest blogger on her blog in January. I met Maria a couple years ago when Poison Study was just starting out. I'm happy to say that her books are doing very well. I just listened to the first one from audible.com and the narrator did a wonderful job.
"Flame throwing pigeons and demonic dumpsters. Funny and imaginative."
– Maria V. Snyder (award-winning author of Poison Study, Magic Study, and Fire Study)
Paraworld Zero is now a high priority - Print run doubled!
Originally posted Here
I got a phone call today from Windstorm Creative. They checked over my marketing plan and are going to run with it, full-force. This is very exciting. My wife keeps reminding me that all my lofty plans might not come to fruition without the support of my publisher. Looks like that will not be a problem. In fact, they're doubling (well, 2.5'ing) the print run. My book will also be their first 6x9 trade paperback as well. They will be supporting my book in ways that they’ve never done with their previous books. That means a lot to me.
The price of the book raised some concerns, but I think they'll find that with a larger print run, the costs per book should go down. I read from at least two publishers' websites, DAW and BAEN, that they do 10,000 print runs because at that price point, the costs go down significantly per book. One other good point about this is that I will now be eligible to enter some of the contests and organizations out there (some of them like the Campbell Award require a 10,000 or more print run). The main reason, for the increase, of course, is to coincide with the huge marketing budget that Windstorm and I have. We expect a lot of sales.
Also, January 2008 is the tentative production date. So now I have extra motivation to make this happen. I have lots of stress, but it will all turn out okay. I have a sneaking feeling that I’ll be contacted for subsidy rights from all the ads I’m placing. I just placed my first one yesterday, which will help with school and library sales. And, hey, a nice coincidence is that Windstorm is hiring a sales agent who will deal with subsidy rights. They start January, the month my book comes out. The moons are aligning perfectly for my book.
I mentioned earlier that I sometimes have the golden touch. That apparent good fortune that I have isn’t really luck. Much of it comes from faith and prayer, but the rest comes from hard work and perseverance. I make things happen. I was the number one salesman one month for a nationwide MLM. Who in the world ever makes any significant money from an MLM? I was one of the “lucky” few. A significant part of my income when I went to BYU came from an online affiliate program called AllAdvantage (I probably was in the top 5% of people who made money from that). The first month I started my new business (a year ago) I made three times as much money than from my previous job (and it went up from there). I just have a knack for making things happen. I don’t know if my book will be a success, because there are so many variables, but everything seems to be falling into place for me. “Luck” is on my side.
I got a phone call today from Windstorm Creative. They checked over my marketing plan and are going to run with it, full-force. This is very exciting. My wife keeps reminding me that all my lofty plans might not come to fruition without the support of my publisher. Looks like that will not be a problem. In fact, they're doubling (well, 2.5'ing) the print run. My book will also be their first 6x9 trade paperback as well. They will be supporting my book in ways that they’ve never done with their previous books. That means a lot to me.
The price of the book raised some concerns, but I think they'll find that with a larger print run, the costs per book should go down. I read from at least two publishers' websites, DAW and BAEN, that they do 10,000 print runs because at that price point, the costs go down significantly per book. One other good point about this is that I will now be eligible to enter some of the contests and organizations out there (some of them like the Campbell Award require a 10,000 or more print run). The main reason, for the increase, of course, is to coincide with the huge marketing budget that Windstorm and I have. We expect a lot of sales.
Also, January 2008 is the tentative production date. So now I have extra motivation to make this happen. I have lots of stress, but it will all turn out okay. I have a sneaking feeling that I’ll be contacted for subsidy rights from all the ads I’m placing. I just placed my first one yesterday, which will help with school and library sales. And, hey, a nice coincidence is that Windstorm is hiring a sales agent who will deal with subsidy rights. They start January, the month my book comes out. The moons are aligning perfectly for my book.
I mentioned earlier that I sometimes have the golden touch. That apparent good fortune that I have isn’t really luck. Much of it comes from faith and prayer, but the rest comes from hard work and perseverance. I make things happen. I was the number one salesman one month for a nationwide MLM. Who in the world ever makes any significant money from an MLM? I was one of the “lucky” few. A significant part of my income when I went to BYU came from an online affiliate program called AllAdvantage (I probably was in the top 5% of people who made money from that). The first month I started my new business (a year ago) I made three times as much money than from my previous job (and it went up from there). I just have a knack for making things happen. I don’t know if my book will be a success, because there are so many variables, but everything seems to be falling into place for me. “Luck” is on my side.
Participating in the CopperCon
Originally posted Here
I thought this was newsworthy. Even though my book is not out yet, I will be doing a reading and I will be participating in a few panels at the CopperCon 27 in Phoenix Arizona, September 7-9, 2007.
http://www.casfs.org/cucon/
This will be my first reading and panel. I'm not usually scared in front of a crowd, so I assume I'll do fine. Plus I already know half the people there. Wish me luck!
------------------------
Here's the schedule
-----------------------
Fri 4p-5p Suite E
THE HARRY POTTER PHENOMENON with Michael Wentz (moderator), Bennie Grezlik and Matthew Peterson
Why does it succeed on such a stupendous worldwide scale? How does it appeal to so many age groups? Will it outlast a generation?
Fri 830p-9p Room 1123
Matthew Peterson Reading from “Paraworld Zero”
Sat 10a-11a Ventanas Room
BUSINESS ETIQUETTE FOR WRITERS with Emma Bull (moderator), David Boop, and Matthew Peterson
If you're interested in writing for publication, you are engaging in a business activity. Panelists discuss some do's and don't's for dealing with editors and publishers, including suggestions of things you can do to help get noticed in a positive way and things to avoid that could hurt your career.
Sat 6p-7p Ventanas Room
REALISTIC ALIENS IN FICTION with Mark Lund (moderator), Lee Hogan, and Matthew Peterson
How do you create a realistic alien? Is that an oxymoron since we’ve never seen one? Why are they typically humanoid in film but anything goes in print?
I thought this was newsworthy. Even though my book is not out yet, I will be doing a reading and I will be participating in a few panels at the CopperCon 27 in Phoenix Arizona, September 7-9, 2007.
http://www.casfs.org/cucon/
This will be my first reading and panel. I'm not usually scared in front of a crowd, so I assume I'll do fine. Plus I already know half the people there. Wish me luck!
------------------------
Here's the schedule
-----------------------
Fri 4p-5p Suite E
THE HARRY POTTER PHENOMENON with Michael Wentz (moderator), Bennie Grezlik and Matthew Peterson
Why does it succeed on such a stupendous worldwide scale? How does it appeal to so many age groups? Will it outlast a generation?
Fri 830p-9p Room 1123
Matthew Peterson Reading from “Paraworld Zero”
Sat 10a-11a Ventanas Room
BUSINESS ETIQUETTE FOR WRITERS with Emma Bull (moderator), David Boop, and Matthew Peterson
If you're interested in writing for publication, you are engaging in a business activity. Panelists discuss some do's and don't's for dealing with editors and publishers, including suggestions of things you can do to help get noticed in a positive way and things to avoid that could hurt your career.
Sat 6p-7p Ventanas Room
REALISTIC ALIENS IN FICTION with Mark Lund (moderator), Lee Hogan, and Matthew Peterson
How do you create a realistic alien? Is that an oxymoron since we’ve never seen one? Why are they typically humanoid in film but anything goes in print?
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Douglas Hill was killed
Douglas Hill was killed June 21st 2007 by a bus. This might not mean much to some of you, but it means a lot to me. Douglas was the main inspiration for me wanting to become a writer. He wrote nearly 70 science fiction / fantasy books for young readers. The Last Legionary series was what got me started down the speculative fiction path. I will dearly miss him. Douglas gave me a blurb for the back of my book and it will always mean a lot to me.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6458648.html
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6458648.html
Friday, July 27, 2007
Strange Coincidences Between Harry Potter and Paraworld Zero
Originally posted July 27, 2007 HERE
I just watched an interview with J.K. Rowling and I was shocked to hear that she got the ideas for Harry Potter 17 years ago. Holy Cow! That's the same amount of years ago that I came up with the ideas for Parallel Worlds. There must have been something in the water at that time.
I'm constantly frustrated every time I read one of her books, because we seem to be on the same brainwave. I finished Paraworld Zero before the fourth or fifth Harry Potter books came out, although I started writing my book in 1990. And when I read the later Harry Potter books, I found a few similar ideas and characters that I had included in my book.
The other day I was filming a movie trailer for my book and I had the character snap his fingers and then turn his head away. One of my boys said that he was doing that because fire was coming out of his fingers. My boy hasn't read the book, so I asked him how he knew that. He said that he saw it on Fantastic Four. ARRRG! By the time my book gets published it will look like I'm copying ideas from other people!
At least I have video footage of me when I was 14, talking a little about my book. I have the original printed version of parts of the first 6 chapters from 1990, but that doesn't mean anything to most people. I'm sure it will be a battle I'll have to go through to prove myself. As it is, I've already had to change parts of my book after I read the Harry Potter books because they were just too close together.
On a side note: the first book I started writing (even before 1990) was called The Sorcerer's Wand and it was about a boy who discovers his parents (who had died) were magical. He sets off on a journey that would end up with him joining a magical school. No joke. I do have some of that printed out from the 1980s. The computer file died on me twice and I had to rewrite about 60 pages from memory. With so many frustrations, I stopped writing it and then a little later I started Parallel Worlds, which had a similar theme. What a crazy coincidence to Harry Potter! I've said this before that reading Harry Potter (or listening to it, as was the case) was what got me excited to finish my book, so thanks J.K. Rowling for giving me a kick in the behind.
I just watched an interview with J.K. Rowling and I was shocked to hear that she got the ideas for Harry Potter 17 years ago. Holy Cow! That's the same amount of years ago that I came up with the ideas for Parallel Worlds. There must have been something in the water at that time.
I'm constantly frustrated every time I read one of her books, because we seem to be on the same brainwave. I finished Paraworld Zero before the fourth or fifth Harry Potter books came out, although I started writing my book in 1990. And when I read the later Harry Potter books, I found a few similar ideas and characters that I had included in my book.
The other day I was filming a movie trailer for my book and I had the character snap his fingers and then turn his head away. One of my boys said that he was doing that because fire was coming out of his fingers. My boy hasn't read the book, so I asked him how he knew that. He said that he saw it on Fantastic Four. ARRRG! By the time my book gets published it will look like I'm copying ideas from other people!
At least I have video footage of me when I was 14, talking a little about my book. I have the original printed version of parts of the first 6 chapters from 1990, but that doesn't mean anything to most people. I'm sure it will be a battle I'll have to go through to prove myself. As it is, I've already had to change parts of my book after I read the Harry Potter books because they were just too close together.
On a side note: the first book I started writing (even before 1990) was called The Sorcerer's Wand and it was about a boy who discovers his parents (who had died) were magical. He sets off on a journey that would end up with him joining a magical school. No joke. I do have some of that printed out from the 1980s. The computer file died on me twice and I had to rewrite about 60 pages from memory. With so many frustrations, I stopped writing it and then a little later I started Parallel Worlds, which had a similar theme. What a crazy coincidence to Harry Potter! I've said this before that reading Harry Potter (or listening to it, as was the case) was what got me excited to finish my book, so thanks J.K. Rowling for giving me a kick in the behind.
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