"Catalog, Finito" Means Writing Recommences

I love the deeply rejuvenating night's sleep that follows the completion of a huge project. Don't you? Your mind is exhausted, but at the same time its elated that the thing which has dominated its attention for so long can now finally be put on the back burner, so it knocks out and you sleep fantastically.

I finished recoding, indexing, and cataloging that library project last night, and I couldn't be more pleased. The system is good and strong, malleable for future inclusions, and easy to work with. I think the most time-consuming part of the work was removing the old code numbers from the individual pieces and replacing them with new ones.

My second project is also coming along nicely and should be finished next week. So, I'll have another post about that soon.

With all this progress and so many distractions removed, I can finally get my attention back to writing. I'm currently working on a piece of Oblivion's Gate: Book 2 that has been stuck in my head since last Saturn's Day. It involves the interaction of two characters, Master Morgan and a robber named Zebad, within the walls of King Michael's fortress, and is the beginning of something very important. But that's all I'm going to say about that right now. ;-)

Until next time,

Peace to you!

The All-Seeing Floor of Pukwan's Temple

The Kingdom Chronicles draws its inspiration from the endless realms of fantasy and religion; but because the series carries no singular religious affiliation, I love seeing the ways that people from all over the globe choose to connect the story and characters to real world things and places. So often the allusions they make teach me more about my readers than about my books.

One aspect of the book that is based on religious writings is the throne room in the Temple of the Crown, where the throne is carved with representations of their planet's present solar system, two fire-breathing dragons defend the throne (though needlessly), and the very floor has the ability to reveal anything the Great Vagahem wishes to see: things past, present, or future in as vast or minute a scope as He desires.

There are long discussions about every part of the Temple of the Crown and Mount Ryel that could be had, but today I want to focus on the throne room floor only.

When I created this aspect of Pukwan's temple, I drew from verses and writings of both Judaism and Christianity. References such as: "The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool" (KJV Isaiah 66:1), "...and beneath his feet was...like the appearance of the heavens..." (Pentateuch, Exodus 24:10), "...thy walls are continually before me." (KJV Isaiah 49:16), "...but there is no God beside me, and all things are present with me, for I know them all... And it came to pass that Moses looked, and beheld the world upon which he was created; and Moses beheld the world and the ends thereof, and all the children of men which are, and which were created;... For behold, there are many worlds that have passed away by the word of my power. And there are many that now stand, and innumerable are they unto man; but all things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them." (Moses 1:6, 8, 35.), "and I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire:" (KJV Revelation 15:2), and my final example, "but they reside in the presence of God, on a globe like a sea of glass and fire, where all things for their glory are manifest, past, present, and future, and are continually before the Lord" (The LDS Doctrine and Covenants 130:7). There are many others, and too them I added my own thoughts and expectations.

If a being is all-powerful, all-knowing and ever present, there really is nothing to put limits on it except itself. There is no one who can give it boundaries or limitations. Essentially, such a being would be an unstoppable force and an immovable object, living far outside the captivation of space and time. To perfectly contemplate the grandeur of a god is a feat that no finite human could ever accomplish, for we know of no such condition as infinity, only the limits we face in and of ourselves; everything we know is governed by some law not its own and has some sort of a limit. Therefore, no person will ever have the ability to prove or disprove the existence of a god unless a god chooses to reveal itself to us and prove that they do in fact exist.

This being the case, if a god did exist, I would imagine that such an infinitely powerful being would also be the most perfectly compassionate since everything that has come into being, including time, space and the laws of nature, has done so by the god's sanction and appointment. In essence, it created the game, which means it also created the rules and their loopholes and has the power to transcend them all for its own purposes.

These thoughts and others, along with the verses noted above, all played into the creation of Pukwan's all-seeing floor. Using the special surface as a medium, Pukwan is able to open up a view beyond time and space to display anything He so desires. Instead of having to preserve His kings on a journey across time and space constantly, He can simply throw open this fantastic window and show them as a distant observer something they could not otherwise behold. He knows the limits that He has placed on His mortal kings, and so He utilizes means whereby He can give them a glimpse of His knowledge or purpose without destroying, harming, or frightening them. The all-seeing floor is just as much a manifestation of compassion as it is a tool of instruction and revelation.

What do you think? How have you interpreted Pukwan's character in the books so far? What expectations would you have if you were to interact with an eternally infinite being, a god? Please leave a comment, and take them anywhere you want to go. I don't care if you believe in a god or not; if you don't, just pretend for a minute. What if they did exist? What would they be like?

Cataloging a Library

This week I have two major projects going on: 1 - Setting up a new terrarium (hint hint), and 2 - Creating and implementing a new cataloging system for images in the local church meetinghouse library. The terrarium part will be fun every step of the way; the cataloging might not be.

I have the coding system down, but that doesn't mean much yet. I still have to go over, remark all of the images, copy the new data into a spreadsheet, and create the new catalog book for the librarians to use, all before next Sunday hopefully. The new system is going to be far more productive and easier to work with; the issue is simply the time it will take to get everything done. Thank goodness I will have help.

I've always been one for systematic record-keeping and cataloging. It's the way I keep things accounted for and easily accessible. You give me a load of stuff and I give you a order system in the blink of an eye. I guess that's just the way my brain works with information best.

How about yours? How do you keep track of things best?

A Touch of Destiny

Have you ever had something come into your life that you didn't expect but which turned out to be much more impacting than you realized?

For the last three years a pair of mourning doves (aka turtle doves) has taken up residence in the tree before my house. It is always the same pair. (I know because I've checked each year very carefully.) Their nest is large and strong, right at the top of the tree, and has housed ten broods. Never once has a single squab fallen from the nest.

What strikes me about these birds is the events that preceded and followed them. You see, the first day they flew into the area was the day after my brother died. This is interesting because doves are by far one of my father and I's favorite birds. My father has always seen doves as the harbinger of peace and will go out of his way to talk to a dove and take its picture when he sees one. And since their arrival coincided with the culmination of a very hard time for our family, we all took it as a sign... like the dove and the olive branch were to the ancient man Noah... that things were all right and there were good things to come.

But in the hours following their arrival, the doves quickly built a fortress of a nest and took up their permanent residence. Like clockwork they leave late every autumn and return late in the winter, never waiting till spring. They've even begun interacting with us a little bit.

Now for the clincher.

To be straight, I have zero belief in superstitions. Rabbits' feet, black bats, umbrellas, dream catchers, spilling the salt, stepping on a crack, the groundhog's shadow--all are rubbish. But there's one thing about these doves that I have not been able to ignore.

Every day that I wake up and hear them cooing, the day following has included some stroke of miraculous good fortune; when I wake up but don't hear them until after sunrise, the day has been mediocre; and when I don't hear them at all in the morning, something ill has followed for my family that day.

Like I said, I'm not a superstitious person, but even I can recognize a pattern from day to day. It is the strangest thing. The pair flew in yesterday to begin their fourth year here, and I woke this morning to find them cooing together on my window sill.

Whether I've finally found my superstitious weak spot or their presence really is an omen, I'll let you decide. But to me these delicate little birds are a sign, one I hope will stay for many years to come.

New Wallpapers Based on S. R. Ford's Books

The stage one wallpapers I promised just went live!

There are eight of them total, and you can get them through my Pinterest board Background Wallpapers or from my official website www.authorsrford.com. Instructions are given on each site to help you download them in your size of choice. There are currently three sizes available for each wallpaper: 1920x1080, 1366x768, and 1280x800.

These wallpapers were inspired by the covers of each book. Except for one which was inspired by an original design for the cover of Mimgardr. I hope you enjoy them and will pass them around to your friends. If you have Windows 7 or the like, it's fun to put them all in one folder and have the computer cycle through them. :) Just saying.

Here's one as a sample:

I'm stoked to see these going live. We worked hard to figure out the best way to approach this first stage, and I'm very happy with the simple yet bold style we elected to use.

Ciao!

"But the Journey"

There are certain aspects of the Olympics that are more important than the medals. One of them is the athletes' and teams' back stories. Many of them have overcome incredible hurdles and personal conflicts to give us some pretty inspiring stories.

Here's a few random examples in the headlines right now: American Angeli VanLaanen overcame Lyme Disease to make it to the women's half-pipe skiing competition. Russian Alexander Zubkov came out of retirement to drive the two-man bobsled to gold. American Steven Holcomb competed on an injured calf, and with his teammate Steven Langton broke the United States' 62-year medal drought in the two-man bobsled by taking bronze.

One of my favorite stories is the return of the Jamaican team to the bobsled slopes. Despite their position in the ending standings, the Jamaican team has proven that not only did they want to be there at the games but that the people wanted them there too. With qualification under there belt, they were ready to break their teams' 12-year absence from the Winter Olympics; however, they ran aground on a financial reef. Turning to a fundraiser, they were gifted with an outpouring of money from all around the world. They needed 80k but ended up with over 180k, proving how much people wanted to see them there, wanted them to have a chance at the podium just like everybody else.

Everyone has a story to tell, and more often than not, the back stories are more entertaining and inspiring than the competitions or medals. As the old maxim goes: "It isn't the destination but the journey that makes people who they are."

The Right Hand of the Devil

Many people, when they read The Kingdom and the Crown for the first time, assume that Malystryx represents the devil himself. The only thing wrong with this assumption is that it's wrong. The end of the book and The Elements and the Exodus reveal that Malystryx is merely a pawn in the hands of much more adept and sinister foes.

Malystryx started out as the Crown Prince of the Vagan Kingdom. At the time his name was Zulacon. In rebellion against established tradition, he abandoned his rights and duties to the throne and joined a revolt that would culminate in a massive civil war under his leadership.

During the greatest battle of the war, he fought with his brother, the new crown prince, and by means of godly intervention was defeated. Then he and his followers were cast off and cursed, becoming the Uhuu-malush. The Uhuu-malush then turned against him and made him out to be the reason for their destitution. They drove him away and chased him, threatening to kill him. Taking refuge in the mountains, he wandered and searched for ways to sate his wounded pride until he came in contact with the king-demon Shunul.

With promises of power and dominion Zulacon sold himself to Shunul, becoming a servant and being renamed Malystryx. Part of the price was the sacrifice of his own body by means of dark magic. From then on, Zulacon Malystryx became the right hand of the devil, so absorbed into the darkness and the will of his master that he oft times claimed Shunul's goals and actions as his own.

From chosen Vagan prince to Right Hand of the Devil, the life of Zulacon is a sad tale; but it is an important one as well. Without Malystryx, the course of history would have been very different for Uhuu-malush and Vagans alike.

What do you think about Malystryx and his life story? I wanna hear and read your thoughts. Does anyone have any good fan art of him? That would be a fun thing to see too. Please leave a comment.

Simpul Post with a Kweschun

Good morning, everyone!

I hope my terrible spelling caught your attention. It should read "Simple Post with a Question", and that's because this post is only a question.

I need you to give a one- to two-word answer in a comment below (please not on Facebook or Twitter), then pass this on to your friends so they can comment too. The more answers I can accumulate the better.

Here's the question:

What is your favorite mythical creature?

The time is now yours...  :)

Music and Subconscious Needs

Isn't life more fun when there is music playing? Workouts work out better, athletes compete better, romantics romance better, dreams even modify to the influence of music--everything just seems to get better with music. My favorite aspect of music is its effect on the clock. Time seems to pass faster when music is on (as long as you like the music that is playing), thus making it feel like it takes less time to do your work. Contrariwise, however, music has just much leverage on subconscious self-revelation. The music you listen to and play oft times says more about your inner workings and feelings than about the tasks at hand.

To illustrate, let's step into Mimgardr for a second. While Dan is cleaning the second floor of Merlin's tower following a particularly distressful turn of events, he chooses to break a few rules and incite some early morning mischief in response to the early happenings. He uses magic to make his treasured Fazioli pianoforte play out some powerful tunes while the mops and brushes work. He chooses two pieces of music that hearken back to the days of his childhood and remind him of doing chores at home while his father would play. The first piece he chooses is Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, which builds from a gentler beginning to a very energetic end. He follows the rhapsody with "Danse Infernale", or "Infernal Dance" in English, from Igor Stravinsky's Firebird Suite, which definitely earns its title for the overpowering, crazed sound of the music.

For those of you who don't recognize these pieces by name. Here are two excellent examples from the endless realms of YouTube. I've hunted down certain piano performances to better illustrate how the music might've played into Dan's scheme in the wee hours of morning.

Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 by Franz Liszt. This rendition was performed by Ádám György, who studied at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, and posted to YouTube by dexsst5 on 15 Sept 2009.

"Danse Infernale" from Firebird Suite by Igor Stravinsky. This rendition was performed by
Francesco Piemontesi, and was posted to YouTube by ClassicalMusicVideos on 07 Dec 2008.

As you can hear, both pieces are a bit more fast paced, aggressive and energetic than most people would be accustomed to hearing when they first get up in the morning. However, I felt that they perfectly illustrated Dan's desires by starting out very simply and purely mischievous, and building to an obnoxious finish. In a way the selections reveal not only Dan's intent that morning and portions of his past, but they also reveal the storm that's built up inside his heart. On the edges of the storm Dan seems to be purely mischievous, but as one slowly peels back the layers they find the spite, heartache and fear buried deeper in. With the choice of music he subconsciously reveals his whole soul to the world in a desperately aggressive cry for help. Unfortunately, the volume and hostility of the music only serve to drive away the people dearest to him and increase his own bitterness. Maybe that's why his older counterpart appears then. Perhaps the visit was due to the music chosen that day. Perhaps it wasn't so much of a recruitment as it was a desperate act to preserve young Dan's own emotional health. He had already contemplated suicide once, so maybe there's more to the story than meets the eye.

What do you think? Do you think these pieces of music accomplished these various ends? Or am I just blowing smoke? What songs or pieces might you have chosen to illustrate these points?

Please comment below.

Infatuated with Naminé

I don't know if an author should be picking favorite characters from the worlds he creates, but I know I have. One thing I love about writing is that the characters you create develop a life all their own; they grow and evolve far beyond what you had intended or sometimes even wanted. Some of them you will love, others you will hate; it just happens. One of my favorite characters is Naminé from the Kingdom Chronicles.

Three very important people inspired much of Naminé's original creation, especially the aspects of her personality and pieces of her behavior. After that, I put incredible amounts of time and care into figuring out exactly who Naminé was meant to be. I thought I had it all figured out, but then Naminé took a life all her own and started down her own path.

When we first meet Naminé in the books, she is called by the name Naomi. Her gentle soul bears a presence of innocence and timidity. She is easily frightened and in many ways dependent on the people around her for confidence. The Human-Vagan war and the lifestyle of her childhood have certainly scarred her on many levels. But as the book goes on and we watch her gradual transition from Naomi to Naminé, we get to see what lies beneath her fear--we get to see the fireball inside her. When free of fear or solely compelled by it, Naminé reveals the deeper, more aggressive part of her personality. She becomes forthright and assertive about her opinions. As one reader put it, "She becomes quite the little firecracker."

In addition to her personal development, I love the relationship she has with Zarrys. At the core they are very similar personalities; however, they express themselves almost oppositely: where Zarrys is quick to lash out in anger, Naminé is more patient and careful; where Zarrys is just, Naminé is merciful; where Naminé is bold, Zarrys is timid; and so on. They balance and rely on each other even more than they yet realize, and to me that's what makes them such a fit couple.

To sum it up easily, I think Naminé is a character that endears herself well to everyone. She's easy to connect with and easy to love, which is why I think she's such an integral part of the story to so many readers. What do you think? Who are some of your favorite characters, and why?

Lessons from an Angel, aka My Sister

Today is February 12, 2014. That means two things. First, it's hump day (Cue the camel.), and second, it's my sister's birthday. Unfortunately, she isn't here to celebrate it with us right now because she died 20 years ago in October of 1993.

Shannon Ford was born February 12, 1989. Like my brother before her, she was born with a vicious disease called Neonatal adrenoleukodystrophy (NALD). That is a mouthful of a name for a rare and hostile gene-related disease. Essentially, being born with Neonatal adrenoleukodystrophy means that even while one part of your body is trying to build itself, other parts are actively trying to tear it down. My brother and sister quickly became deaf, blind, and lame (meaning unable to walk) within the first few months of life, communicating only with small bits of sign language, simple touches, and short verbal cues thereafter. Shannon died when she was four, just one month shy of my own third birthday.

She was born literally sticking her tongue out at the world, as if to say "Neener-neener! Here I come!" and she continued to live her life that way. She was always a mischievous little one with a heart of gold. Although I was very little when she died, I still remember her quite well. She loved Nutter Butter cookies and lollies, laying her head on the piano and banging on the keys, and cuddling. She and my brother had a sixth sense to know who had entered the room, and even though they couldn't see or hear they always turned their attention toward you and waited for you to come say hello.

I learned powerful lessons from the lives of my siblings, and even though they have both died now I continue to learn from them as I look back over the years. Shannon taught me that most subjects of conversation are nothing but wasted wind passing over idle lips. It's not what you talk about with people that's important; it's being close to them, it's compassion. She taught me the meaning of contentment and exploration. She taught me how to be patient with people who don't understand what you need or want. She taught me most importantly how to love.

The world we live in focuses endlessly on money, instant gratification and self-aggrandizement, which shows just how stupid the human race really is. For all our supposed intelligence most of us can't figure out that spending time engaged in the lives of our families and friends is vastly more important than the size of our paycheck. People who gripe about the size of their TV or the horsepower of their car or the lack of spare square-footage in their home need to wake up. Humans have lived for thousands of years without those things, and most of them still do. It's learning how to interact personally and intimately with each other that's important. TV won't take away loneliness, cleaning a huge house won't help you cope with heartache, a car won't lift your spirits after a hard day a work; but a hug will, a kiss will, even a simple conversation can.

A good friend of mine has always put it very simply, "People are more important than things." The statement is so true. I learned it daily during my childhood, and it's something I'll never be able to forget. Take away a person's sight and hearing and most of the things we humans place so much greed upon suddenly lose all their value. Maybe that's what we need--to be reawakened to what matters most. Whatever the course, one thing will remain certain for me: I believe in angels, because I lived with them. Did they have wings and trail sparkles as they hurried about? No, they were crippled and physically diminished. But within the withered bodies were souls of intelligence that taught me lessons I will never forget.

Happy birthday, Shannon. I love you. And thanks for everything.

.Neonatal - Adrenaleukodystrophy

Neonatal - Adrenaleukodystrophy

Neonatal - Adrenaleukodystrophy

Neonatal - Adrenaleukodystrophy

What's Next Poll

Hey, everyone!

I'm using this post today to gather your opinions so I can make this blog more enjoyable and useful for you. My question is:

What type of posts do you want to see most on this blog?

Do you prefer writing updates, book clips, background information on the characters and places in my books, reviews for books by other authors, writing tips, random facts, or something else?

Take a minute to hit the comments section below and share your opinion! Feel free to list more than one option, but please ensure that your list appears in order of importance, starting with the most important.

Thank you!

Randomosity: Hair

Welcome to Randomosity, my new chain of posts dedicated to nothing more than fun facts. Sometimes simple facts can brighten a day, start a long discussion, or give someone inspiration. Hopefully, you'll enjoy these simple posts on occasion and will find the facts as interesting as I do.

Today's subject is hair.

Fact #1 - Humans have an average number of head hairs based on factors of race, hair color, and of course age. At a prime age, between 25 and 30, you have somewhere between 80,000 and 150,000 hairs. Redheads sport the fewest hairs, averaging between 80,000  and 90,000. Dark-haired people (those with brown and black hair) have between 100,000 and 120,000. And blonds rock the greatest number at 130,000 to 150,000 hairs.

Fact #2 - Black hair is the dominant hair color in the world. Only 2% of the world's population have blond hair, and only 1% have red. Thus red is the rarest of all hair colors. Interestingly, 13% of Scottish people have red hair (the highest concentration by ethnicity), and the ancient Greeks believed redheads became vampires when they died.

Fact #3 - Hair grows at an average speed of half an inch per month. The only thing in or on the human body that grows faster is bone marrow.

Fact #4 - In 1950, just 7% of women dyed their hair. In 2013, that number had risen to 75%, and a quarter of these women dye their hair so often they can't remember what their actual hair color is anymore.

Fact #5 - While hair can be used to gather information about race, ethnicity, diet, blood health and genetics, one thing it cannot give you any information on is gender.

Want more fun hair facts? Check out this Infographic!

The Outpost of Yerhan

The city of Yerhan was established as nothing more than a military outpost on the southern side of the Zulacon mountains, intended to maintain the great road that led north into the Vagan empire. Over time, the outpost would grow and grow until it reached the limits of Vagan law. At that point Sharhan was established, and eventually it, too, would grow until it was filled to capacity.

"Filled to capacity?" someone asks. "What does that mean?"

Unlike our cities, which continue to expand and grow out over more and more land, Vagan cities are built from the very beginning to accommodate a specific number of number and no more. When the city reaches capacity, the populace is divided and a new city is built. In the Kingdom Chronicles: Book 3, you'll have the opportunity to learn exactly how large Yerhan and Sharhan are, their relationship to other cities in the Vagan kingdom, and how the Vagan kingdom was kept at a clockwork.

I'm very excited for readers to learn more about the inner working of a civilization that transformed a wasteland into a paradise. There's so many cool thing to share. So stay tuned for clips to come.

2014 Sochi Winter Olympics

I'm so glad the Olympics are back. Now there's something besides football, basketball, baseball and hockey getting some real coverage on the big name sports channels. The Olympics are great, because they allow people to share in a worldwide competition, in an arsenal of events. You also get to see some of the great talents and cultures from around the world, especially if we can set aside politics and our international skirmishes.

Unfortunately, the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics are getting overshadowed by a large political shadow, it seems. Old anti-Russian sentiments are flying again, the homosexual campaigns are waving their war banners, and as always everyone's worried about the terrorists (Rightfully so though. A terrorist tragedy would be heartbreaking.). I wish we could go back to the age when only amateur athletes were allowed to attend the Olympic games, and when people could quit using the games as a means to forward their personal agendas, political and otherwise. These are games, people. It's not a U.N. council session or a battlefield of war; it's a worldwide athletic competition. These are games, meant to bring all nations together, set differences aside for a couple weeks, and share world talents in a host of athletic events. What's so bad about that? Why do we have to sully everything with personal and national agendas?

Anyway, I'm glad the Olympics are on again. Over the years, I have been inspired by competitors in each event and the hosting cultures. I loved it when the Olympics were here in Utah back in 2002. Events were going on all around me here in Ogden. Now it's the citizens of Russia's chance to show off their hospitality and the beauty of their nation. I'm loving the background scenery around the events in Sochi nearly as much as the games themselves, and so far the games seem to be going well. Despite what people may want to believe, there are some wonderful people and some beautiful terrain in Russia.

Some people are breaking their heads over where the games are being held and why people aren't boycotting them because of it. But these people miss the point of the games. The Olympic games are a third-party entity, and they hold no mono-national allegiance. They aren't forwarding any political cause, just the cause of good sportsmanship. Therefore, I'm excited to watch the many events and cheer on the competitors from my home country (and maybe even a few from elsewhere in the world). The talent of these athletes is awe-inspiring.

Props to you, Olympians!

Go, USA!

Ooo! Plot Twists, My Favorite!

In my opinion, the best moment in a great story is followed by the words:

"NO WAY!"

It's not the big climactic battle, the heroic victory, the villain's plotting or demise that gets me. Oh no. It's the plot twist. It's the moment where the whole story gets turned on its head, where the unpredictable happens. I love it when you've been led to believe one thing the entire story, then all of a sudden get blindsided by the fact you had failed to consider.

Some of the best plot twists, I think, come after many, many minor twists. I love it when a storyteller knocks off several possible twists you might be thinking of as you read, watch or listen before knocking the wind out of you with the real plot twist. By that point you're so sucked in to a particular self-conceived expectation that the plot twist leaves your jaw dangling.

"No way!" from Disney's Wreck It Ralph

Here are some well-executed character-related examples:

- The King-Candy-is-Turbo reveal from Disney's Wreck It Ralph.

- The Hans reveal in Disney's Frozen.

- The Scabbers-is-Wormtail twist from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban.

Then there are the "And they lived happily ever----Wait a minute!" plot twists, like these:

- Here's a relatively cliched example to start; the overlooked surviving monster egg/baby.

- Loki's appearance at the end of Thor, after he supposedly died, when the Tesseract was revealed. 

- "Fallon was gone." - from my own book The Elements and the Exodus.

Plot twists are what make stories interesting. They're what grab the attention of readers and bring out the demands for a sequel. What are some of your favorite plots twists? and why?

Cover Design Tips for Indie Authors

Despite the old maxim 'Don't judge a book by its cover,' everybody does. Covers actually say quite a lot, so if you're going to publish a book you gotta make sure the cover's only saying good things. Here are some quick tips on the subject:

1 - "Don't get cheap on me!" - Do not take the easy way out. Don't freehand your cover or use a program like Paint to create it simply to save money and time. You might be able to get away with that for a small number of children's books, but for the most part people will never even pick up such a book. Covers like this give the impression that the book is amateur trash, that it's not well written, not well put together, and not worth their time.

2 - Study other covers - Take a little trip to the local libraries and bookstores. Find popular books of the same genre as your own and examine the cover designs. Why would that particular cover grab so much attention? Is it the graphics? the cover copy? the title? the colors? reviews?

3 - Big, and easy to read - Make sure that your title is big and easy to read. Same goes for your name. These are the two most important pars of your covers. The easier it is for your title to stand out from a distance, the easier it will be for people to walk immediately toward it.

4 - Be subtly flashy - Use a color scheme and design that can't be ignored but doesn't go overboard. You want people to like looking at the book, so don't burn their eyes out with too many intense colors. Remember to keep it pretty simple. The more questions your cover inspires--the more mystery it contains and curiosity it inspires--the more likely it is that people will pick up the book to read the cover copy.

5 - 120-word max on cover copy - Book browsers won't spend a lot of time reading every piece of cover copy (also called "the blurb"), so ensure that yours is short, powerful, and has a very catchy tagline at the beginning. The shorter the better, but make 120 words your max. Comparing this project to fishing, the cover is the tip of the hook and the blurb is the barb. The barb usually isn't very large, but it does it's job well. You need to set this thing and make it so readers cannot walk away without taking the book with them.

6 - Don't be afraid to hire a professional - If you have no idea how to design a good cover, don't try. This isn't something you can just throw together and have success. If you know what makes a good cover but don't know how to use Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator or another like program effectively, don't DIY. People will be able to tell in a heartbeat. Be brave, be humble, be smart, and hire a professional; it's well worth your money.

* * * * *

Today is your last chance to pick up The Kingdom and the Crown and Mimgardr for just $1.99 on Amazon.com. Don't miss out on this awesome deal! It lasts till midnight, so tell your friends!

For the Kingdom and the Crown, click HERE.

For Mimgardr, click HERE.

HAPPY READING!

Top Ten Tips for Writers

Do you have a story buzzing around inside your head? Is it one you can't wait to write down but simply know where to begin? Well, maybe this will help. This is my top ten countdown of tips for writers:

10 - Talk It Out - Tell the story verbally. Or at least run pieces of it past your friends and family. This will give you a chance to think through things before you write it as well as giving you a chance to see how other people react to it. Do they like it? What feedback can you get? Are there ways to improve the story and your telling of it?

9 - Read About It - Who are your favorite authors? What are some of your favorite books in the genre you're writing for? Read them! A lot! The styles of writing you read tend to replicate themselves in the way you write (including grammar and punctuation), and by reading similar books to your own you'll also be able to see what other writers have done and how they've done it.

8 - Sketch It Out - Draw some pictures and make some biography sheets. Maybe even a Pinterest board or two. They don't have to be masterful creations. Simply sketch out some fundamental ideas. What does this character look like? Who are they? What does this place look like? Where is it? What does this trinket look like? Stimulate your visionary imagination.

7 - Break It Up - Don't envision writing a story as an A-to-B trip from the first capital letter to the closing period. You may find it more productive to write all of the important scenes first and then work on linking them together with subplot, journey accounts and dialogue. You may even be one who finds that writing the story backwards (from end to beginning) is easier. If you hit a snag or writer's block, skip the scene. Jump to the next one, write that, and then come back and smooth out the connection.

6 - Act It Out - Never be afraid to unleash the inner child as a writer. Don't be afraid to rehearse character conversations with yourself in the mirror, nor to act out a whole battle scene in your office or bedroom. Getting your head completely submersed in the game will help you get it onto paper better.

5 - Get Inspired - Here's a point where some writers will disagree with me, but I find it helps many authors get a better idea of where their story is going. This tip goes along with Read About It, but from a different angle. Watch movies and listen to music that help you better visualize how your story is going to go. You'll find examples of how your characters might act or appear, what places in your stories might be like, how events might pan out, how realistic the event is, and much more. The better you have the ideas pulled together in your head, the better you'll be able to write about them, and the more confident and excited you'll feel while doing so. Therefore, any means of creative inspiration is advantageous.

4 - Study It Out - Do some research. Ensure that your usage of fantastical things is correct, that you name pieces of armor correctly, that your science is feasible, that characters really act the way they should, that you match the phraseology and style of the time period you're writing about, and so on.

3 - Plot It Out - Plot out the story in short form. Whether it be a bullet list of events or summarized paragraphs, get the whole thing down on paper. This will help you figure out major plot points and where the chapter breaks might go. More importantly, it will help you to not forget details and subplots as you're writing, which will help prevent writer's block and discouragement.

2 - Purge It Out - Cut out the fluff, simplify, condense. If you make the story too complex, you will find it incredibly too long, too confusing, too disoriented, and too boring. You may think lots of complexity is good while writing the story, but when you finish and are reading through it for the first time you will find yourself regretting a lot of it and wanting to simplify things down.

1 - JUST WRITE - This is my #1 tip of all time! "Just write." When you come down to it the most important part of writing is writing. Everything else can be fixed once the original draft is complete. If you run upon a story snag or writer's block, do not stop writing. If you're unsure of where you want the story to go, that's fine, but do not stop writing. You can always go back and rewrite and reorganize later. The key is to never let yourself fall off the writing wagon. The best cure for writer's block and confusion is to write your way through it until better inspiration comes. Don't spend a lot of time just sitting around thinking about it, do it. And don't focus on your grammar and punctuation yet either; this is your first draft. Grammar and punctuation can be cleaned up and fine-tuned later. Just write. There's nothing wrong with going back and rewriting later, just write and keep the the story going. Once it's finished, THEN go back and clean it all up. Just write.

Well, what do you think? Hopefully this list has helped you new writers out there get a better idea of where to find some footing. Maybe it inspired more seasoned writers with some new ideas. I hope so. If you have another suggestion for a great writing tip, please leave it in a comment below.

Facing the Irrational Fear of Snakes

Everyone's afraid of something, whether they have a rational reason for it or not. The assortment is incredibly vast and sometimes astounding: including, clowns, spiders, sharks, the dark, mirrors, cameras, lightning, thunder, speed, wind, dogs, cats, birds, and so much more. But one fear that drives me up the wall is the fear of snakes.

Now, if you live in Australia or India, that fear may be completely justified; however, the fact is most people who are afraid of snakes have absolutely no reason to be. People that "hate" snakes are usually the people that have never even seen or handled one outside of zoos, overblown documentaries, or stupidly unrealistic movies like Anaconda and even Harry Potter, where people get eaten or killed left and right. Snakes aren't slimy, or clammy; they can't hypnotize you; they don't breath venomous clouds; they don't suckle off of cows at night; and they won't eat you.

 One line I hear a lot from talking to people about snakes is: "That thing could eat me!"

Snakes don't eat humans; they don't even try. Maybe a few species could eat a child if the snake got big enough and was really, really, really starving, but the fact is, wild snakes really don't like being anywhere near humans. Remember, snakes are not the top of the food chain, and they know it. They know that there are lots of animals (and humans) that could and would eat them if given the chance. Therefore, a snake will run from you long before it will stand and fight. I mean, think about it: if you were weaponless or had only a dagger, would you stand your ground as an elephant charged you? No. Because by the time you get a chance to use the dagger it's too late, and a dagger isn't going to deter something that large anyway. All a snake has to fight with are its teeth, so it isn't going to stand still when you come rushing up on it unless it feels completely cornered. They run and hide before they fight. And if you startle a snake or drive it into defense mode, if you provoke it and egg it on instead of just backing off and giving it space, it deserves to defend itself; you can't blame it.

"What about the venomous ones; venom is dangerous?" someone cries. First things first, if it can't bite you, you can't get envenomed; so just give the thing space. Second, of the 3,000 species of snakes in the world, only about 500 are venomous. For those that are, it's important to remember that venomous snakes don't have claws, or strong constriction muscles like their familial comrades, they only have a short burst of venom that they can employ as a tool for their survival. But, they don't see their venom as a primary go-to defense weapon; it is a last resort. The venom is the only thing that allows most of those snakes to eat, and they only have so much of it to use for any given time period. And when they only eat once every week or month or whatever, they need to make sure they have the venom ready when the time comes. Which explains why of all venomous snake bites in the world only 20-30% are actually venom-full; the rest are called "dry bites" and are simply meant to scare you off for a minute so the snake can have a chance to run--or slither--for its life.

On average in the United States: Less than (<) 1 in 37,500 people are bitten each year by venomous snakes (mostly due to tromping around in the bush in flip-flops or sandals instead of hiking boots while actively hunting to disturb snakes), and only 1 in every 50 million people will die from the bite with proper medical attention. Americans are 9 times more likely to get struck by lightning and die than be bitten by a snake and die; and how many people do you know who have been struck by lightning? Read article: Here.

Why do people believe every snake will kill them? It's because of unrealistic movies, preconceived paranoia over what they don't understand, and overblown news reports. Why do most snake-related deaths make the news? It's because they're so rare. If every death by dog-related injury made it onto TV, you'd see 30-35 reports a year in the U.S. alone. In the U.S.A., spiders, horses, cows, jellyfish, ants, dogs, bees, deer, hippos, and naturally mosquitoes are more likely to kill you than a rattlesnake (the rattlesnake being responsible for nearly all fatal snake bites in the U.S.). Read Article: Here.

Then you have constrictors. These snakes depend on size and muscle mass to defend themselves, and the only way these animals can kill is by literally squeezing the air out of their prey's lungs and suffocating them. There really aren't many of these snakes that could seriously harm us humans unless they got wrapped around our necks just perfectly and were really very upset with us. And to get in that position you really have to tangle with them improperly. Constrictors don't go chasing offenders (sorry, Anaconda lovers) and large snakes aren't very fast on land. For the most part when they hunt, constrictors sit and wait for the right prey to get close enough to them, then they bite on and wrap up. Constriction, ingestion and digestion take a lot of energy out of them, and once the food is consumed they go hide for a while in a warm spot. For them to kill a human in defense would consume far more energy than they care to expend and yield them nothing to eat. You're incredibly more likely to die at the fangs of a small venomous snake than you are to die in the coils of a larger constrictor; and you'd have to be pretty careless to find yourself in either situation. If you don't threaten them, they won't threaten you.

Snakes aren't mindless machines out to kill and eat everything in sight. They aren't evil. They aren't slimy or gross. They are timid creatures with incredible qualities of intelligence and strength. They are often curious little reptiles with silky smooth scales and a love for things warm and cozy. Snakes are important animals in our world, and you have no reason to spend your life terrified of them. If you are scared of them, I suggest you go spend some time around them and get to know them better.

Ready for Some Musical Inspiration

Ever had a day where you simply need a break? Need to step away? That's today for me. Several events have thrown me off my groove and things have been going roughly the last few days. It is time for a "me" day, or even a "me" hour. Luckily, I have just the opportunity to help me unwind tonight.

My family, for several years now, has been blessed by the friendship of a member of the New American Philharmonic. When concerts roll around we are often gifted a few complimentary tickets. Tonight is the philharmonic's winter concert, and once again we find ourselves the recipient of a kind gift. I am very excited. One thing I have always held in high regard as a pianist is a large group of accomplished musicians who can play in perfect time together and bring complex music to life.

The philharmonic performs here in Ogden at Weber State University, which is only a few minutes from my home. Usually one can find out easily what music the concert will feature, but this time I'm going to let them surprise me instead. A surprise now and then is good; they stir up the mind with new ideas that you wouldn't have thought of otherwise. It will be fun to journey across town, sit down with a notepad and pencil handy just in case, and let my ears enjoy the sounds and inspirations that come.

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