Books by Michael D. Young

October Blog Hop Entry Form

October 13th, 2011

Blogger is really giving me trouble. For some reason, it is showing the entry form from last month. Please enter the blog hop here. Don’t forget to follow and leave a comment and to scroll down to the next post to find the other blogs on the hop!Thanks for all those who entered and left comments!

October Blog Hop and Book Review

October 13th, 2011

NOTE: Due to a glitch in Blogger, the post got deleted and the comments were lost when I redid the post. If you posted a comment on the old post, please comment again. Sorry for the inconvenience..

Hello readers! I’ve got a double header today. First I’ve got a feature about a new fantasy novel called “The Key of Kilenya”. Then I’ve got a contest for my October Blog Hop, where you can win a signed copy of “The Last Archangel”. Please have a look at both parts of the post.

First a little about the plot:
When two vicious wolves chase fourteen-year-old Jacob Clark down a path from our world into another, his life is forever changed. He has no idea they have been sent by the Lorkon—evil, immortal beings who are jealous of powers he doesn’t know he possesses—powers they desire to control.

The inhabitants of the new world desperately need Jacob’s help in recovering a magical key that was stolen by the Lorkon and is somehow linked to him. If he helps them, his life will be at risk. But if he chooses not to help them, both our world and theirs will be in danger. The Lorkon will stop at nothing to unleash the power of the key—and Jacob’s special abilities.

My take:
Andrea is a debut author with a promising start. The book is highly imaginative, which is the greatest strength as a fantasy author. Her ability alone to come up with exotic-sounding names is impressive. The pacing is good and keeps the reader engaged, with plenty of surprising twists. The author did a good job of providing an interesting beginning to the story that did not drag down the pace. Andrea has set the readers up well for additional books and, I’m sure based on the first installment that the following installments will only be even better.

Purchase your copy here: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/68856

Visit Andrea’s site here: http://www.kilenyaseries.blogspot.com

RafflecopterSettings = { raffleID: ‘ZGM1OTRjYmFhNjUwNGM1OWE3ZTQxMmE4NzQ5MTc3OjU=’};&amp;lt;a href=”http://rafl.es/enable-js”&amp;gt;You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;.Welcome to the October Blog Hop, where you can visit new blogs, enter to win prizes, and have a great time! At the bottom of this post, you’ll see a list of participating blogs. Just click on each link, check out the prize, and follow the easy instructions to enter. You can enter on each blog, so it’s possible to win multiple times. It’s frighteningly easy. On this blog, you can win a signed copy of “The Last Archangel”.

To enter, all you need to do is: 1. Become a follower of my blog. 2. Leave a comment on this post and tell me why you’d like to win this prize. (There are a few additional options on the entry form as well) If your e-mail address isn’t visible through your Blogger profile, please also leave it with the comment so I can notify you if you win. You can enter until midnight MST on Saturday night, October 15th. That’s it! You are now entered. Now please go visit all my friends on the list below. It’s almost like trick or treating!

October Blog Hop Participants

1. Tristi Pinkston
2. I Am a Reader, Not a Writer
3. Bonnie Harris
4. Michael D. Young
5. Misty Moncur
6. Debbie Davis
7. Mandi Tucker Slack
8. Mary Ann Dennis
9. Deanna Henderson
10. Laura Bastian
11. Kristy Tate

12. Kristy Wilson
13. Jennifer Debenham
14. Jenny Moore
15. Elizabeth Hughes
16. J. Lloyd Morgan
17. Close Encounters with the Night Kind
18. Billy Boulden
19. Scott Bryan
20. Maria Hoagland
21. Shirley Bahlmann
22. Shelly Brown

23. Marcy Howes
24. Lynnea Mortensen
25. Jaclyn M. Hawkes
26. Diane Stringam Tolley
27. Gail Zuniga
28. Betsy Love
29. iWriteNetwork
30. Canda’s InkBlast
31. Stacy Coles

Learn more about October Blog Hop here.
View More October Blog Hop Participants
Get The Code

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href=”http://rafl.es/enable-js”&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;.

Prelude to NaNoWriMo

October 11th, 2011

It’s that time again! It’s a month that I look forward to every year, where I can jointhousands of others across the globe in rapidly racking up the word count onour newest novels. For the uninitiated, National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMofor short) is a challenge to write 50,000 words (or the length of a shortnovel) between November 1^st and midnight on November 30^th.That translates to about 1,666 words every day, which is no small feat.

I have participated for the last two years, and both years I‘won’, which means that I was able to reach 50,000 words before thedeadline. The first year, I wrote thefirst draft of a sequel to “The Canticle Kingdom” called “The Frozen Globe”,which should still be on the horizon. For my second year, I wrote most of the anovel called “Starspire” which I finished in another 20 days to round it out atabout 80,000. It’s my personal record at50 days from zero to novel.

This year, I’m going to do the reverse of last year. By the end of October, I should have about30,000 words towards the as yet unnamed sequel to “The Last Archangel”. DuringNaNoWriMo, I will write the rest of the 50,000 words to finish the first draftof the novel by the end of November. I’mvery excited about it.

You may ask if with such speed you see a drop inquality. The great thing about NaNoWriMois that you are allowed and even encouraged to do extensive planningbeforehand. Some authors are pure “discoverywriters” and just want to see where the story takes them. Though I do this to a point, I find that withNaNoWriMo, it is “plan or perish”. If you are going to write that many words ina single month, you need to have an ideawhere you are headed or you might find yourself 50,000 words richer, but in thewrong direction.

So, hop on board! Visit http://www.nanowrimo.org tosign up and take part. In the comments,let me know what you are planning to write.
Guest Post: Who Did What When?

October 6th, 2011

Today I’ve got a guest post by author Jo Ramsey. Thanks for contributing Jo!

I’ve askedmyself that question a number of times—about my own books. That’s one of theproblems you contend with when you decide to write a series.

I currently havetwo young adult series available, Reality Shift and The Dark Lines (bothpublished by Jupiter Gardens Press, http://www.jupitergardens.com).I’m currently, at an editor’s request, planning a third series forFeatherweight Press, and just submitted a novel to Featherweight that I suspectwill become a series.

That’s a lot ofseries, and the only one that was intended to be one was Reality Shift. Theothers just kind of happened.

Writing a seriestakes a lot of work, and only some of that work is actually writing thestories. The rest is all about organization. I’ve been amazed by how manyseemingly minor details in my books have turned out to be necessary for futurebooks—and how often I’ve forgotten to write those seemingly minor details downbecause, well, they were too minor. Like the name of one of my main character’sbrothers, who I thought would only appear in one book but who returned in alater one, by which time I’d completely forgotten his name.

For each of myseries, I now have a binder. The binder can be kind of fun to put together,because I get to decorate the covers, which gives me an excuse to procrastinatewriting. The Dark Lines and Reality Shift share a binder because there is somecross-over between the two series, including some shared characters, and thebinder is divided into sections. I’m not quite organized enough to furtherdivide things into character information, plot notes, and so on, although Iknow several authors who do that. I just keep notes from each book in the orderof the books, so that with each subsequent book I can look back. I plan to dothe same with the other two series, though I’m not quite at the point yet ofhaving much information.

When I reviseeach book, I jot down anything that looks like information I might need at somepoint. Even if I don’t think that character will reappear, or that I’ll need toknow what day of the week Jonah forgot his homework, I write it down. If Idon’t, it’s a pretty safe bet I will need to know. I type up my notes, justbecause I think it makes the information look prettier, and put it in thebinder.

I have atimeline, detailing what month and year each story takes place in and the majorevents of that story. In Reality Shift, a large portion of each book takesplace during Jonah’s and Shanna’s school days, so I developed school schedulesfor each of them and have those in the binder. I have each main character’sphysical and emotional description, and if I describe a secondary character Iinclude that description as well. Sometimes I have to flip through the binder afew times to find what I’m looking for, but at least I have the information allin one place instead of having to reread each book to find it.

Some authors useindex card files. Some use computer programs. I know of one author who has awall-sized marker board and keeps track of her series on that. If you write aseries, however you choose to organize, organization is vital.

Jo Ramsey’s latest young adult urban fantasyrelease is When Darkness Falls, booktwo in her series The Dark Lines. Find out more about Jo and her books on herwebsite, www.joramsey.com.
Career Fair: Why Write?

October 4th, 2011
In presenting to a group of Utah high school students this week, I’m letting them know what it takes to be a writer and why its a great thing to go into. I could probably talk all day on the subject, but sadly, I was only given 30 minutes. As for the why, I narrowed it down to six.
You are limited only by your imagination.

It can be done almost anywhere and worked into a busy life.

It can bless the lives of others.

It can be a good source of income.

It’s fun to do and to share.

You don’t need a specific degree or license to do it. (Though it does require a lot of effort)
There are many other reasons. What are some of your reasons? What motivated you to start writing and what motivates you to keep writing?

For me, it all started with an overactive imagination. It was as if I just got to a point where it couldn’t all stay in my head anymore. I read so much growing up that I really wanted to try to make my own contribution. It has been disheartening at times, but for me all it takes is just one person telling me that they loved something that I have written to overcome all the rejections and critics that are part of writing life.

I’d love to hear all of your stories! Please comment below.

Writing Update: After knocking out that huge German translation project, I got back to the projects that are dearer to my heart. I’m up to 28,071 in Simon Says, my contemporary family drama, and up to 16,513 in my sequel to The Last Archangel. Xandir finds himself in Rome facing a demon who wants to be the second person to fiddle while the city burns.
Review: The Unwilling by C. David Belt

September 29th, 2011

Today I would like to introduce you to debut author C. David Belt. He has just come out with his first novel, “The Unwilling: Children of Lilith Volume 1”.

Now, I’ve got to admit, I’m not usually a fan of vampire books, but I was surprised by this one. I really feel that David did something different with them. In speaking with him, he’s been working on this series long before those such as Stephanie Meyer made their mark on the Vampire world. Here is the synopsis to give you a better idea:

In all the 6,000 years that the Children of Lilith have walked among us, there has never been an unwilling vampire . . . until now.

Carl Morgan has lost everything. His wife and children were killed in a senseless accident. Then he witnesses the murder of his sister at the hands of a beautiful and mysterious woman named Rebecca. When the police cannot locate the killer, Carl takes matters into his own hands. But his search for justice costs him everything he holds dear.

Carl is unknowingly transformed into the world’s first and only unwilling vampire. He is cut off from the light, damned to an eternity of darkness, barred from heaven and any hope of a reunion with his family.

Moira MacDonald, a repentant vampire, has roamed the earth alone for centuries seeking redemption. The very existence of an unwilling vampire, something she thought impossible, changes everything. Has she finally found a path to redemption . . . and an end to her loneliness?

Carl and Moira discover that Rebecca’s vampire Master, Michael, plans to unleash a plague of vampires on the city. Can Carl and Moira stop the slaughter of countless innocents?

Now here are my thoughts:

The Unwilling is a great new take on vampires that comes as a breath of fresh air among many such stories. The characters are immediately likable and the story grand, stretching over the centuries though still managing to feel relevant to today. The action and the emotions feel real and the journey that the two main characters make towards redemption and towards each other was an exhilarating ride. A satisfying reading experience that made me thirsty for another installment.

The Unwilling is now available in eBook format from Smashwords.com or Amazon.com, but will be coming in paperback format from Parables Publishing. You can read more about David and his work at the official site: http://unwillingchild.home.comcast.net/~unwillingchild/.
September Blog Hop Winners

September 26th, 2011

Giveaway Winners: Congratulations to Leigh Ann Gregorie and Mary Reiss! They have won signed copies of “The Canticle Kingdom”. (Yes, I decided to choose two winners due to the number of entries.

Also congratulations to Debbie Davis who has won a three-chapter manuscript critique. I’m excited to see her work. If you did not win this time around, don’t worry. I’ll do another blog hope near the end of October with more chances to win. Thank you to you all for entering and I hope that you will continue to visit my blog. I’ll try to make it as interesting as possible!

Writing Update: I’ve been doing a crazy project that fell in my lap this week. A local law firm has tasked me with translating about 40 pages of German legal documents into English. If you’ve ever studied legal documents, you know how complex they can be. German legal documents take this even a step further. They love huge compound words that translate to five or six words when translated. Working on this has taken up most of my usual writing time this week, so sadly, I did not make much progress on anything.

The commission for this work, however, will be a large help to my family. I’ll just commit to work twice as hard this week in order to make progress on my works in progress. In the coming weeks, I’m going to introduce you all to the works I’m going to be submitting soon so you can get a better idea of what I’m working on.

Looking for Bookclubs: I’m looking for book clubs who are interesting in reading one or both of my books in their book club. If you live around Salt Lake City, I’d love to come visit in person, but if you live anywhere else, I’d love to participate through Skype. Leave me a comment if you are interested, or send me an email at thecanticlekingdom@gmail.com

September Blog Hop

September 22nd, 2011

Welcome to the September Blog Hop! Celebrate the beginning of fall with me and my blogger friends by hopping around, visiting our sites, and entering our contests! There are no limits – you can enter the contest on every blog. With over 40 blogs participating, that’s over 40 prizes you could win. Just click on the links below to move on to the next blog. On my blog, you can win one of two prizes. I’m giving away one for readers and one for authors. Readers can win a signed copy of “The Canticle Kingdom”Writers can win a free first three chapter’s critique from me. Would you like to win this prize? Enter on the widget below. In your comment, please let me know which of the prizes you are interested in. (Book, critique or both)

RafflecopterSettings = { raffleID: ‘ZGM1OTRjYmFhNjUwNGM1OWE3ZTQxMmE4NzQ5MTc3OjM=’};You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway.That’s it! You are now entered. The contest ends on Saturday night, September 24th, at midnight MST, and the winner will be contacted shortly thereafter. Please either leave your e-mail address in the comment trail or make sure it’s visible through your profile so I can contact you to tell you that you’re the lucky winner. Now go visit my other friends …

September Blog Hop Participants

1. Tristi Pinkston, LDS Author2. Joyce DiPastena3. I Am A Reader, Not A Writer4. Mandi Slack5. Michael D. Young6. Six Mixed Reviews7. Pam Williams8. Laurie Lewis9. Kristy Tate10. Marilyn Yarbrough11. Stacy Coles12. Kristie Ballard13. Lynn Parsons14. Pushing Past the Pounds15. Sheila Staley16. cindy Hogan

17. Jamie Thompson18. Jaclyn Weist19. Cathy Witbeck20. Secret Sisters Mysteries21. Tamera Westhoff22. Tina Scott23. Lynnea Mortensen24. Danyelle Ferguson aka Queen of the Clan25. Jeanette A. Fratto26. Bonnie Harris27. Melissa Lemon28. Mary Ann Dennis29. Stephanie Black30. Jane Still31. Janice 32. Laura Bastian

33. Tamara Bordon34. Betsy Love35. Maria Hoagland36. Amber Robertson37. Debbie Davis38. 39. Christy Monson40. Carolyn Frank41. Rebecca Birkin42. Melissa Cunningham43. Emily L. Moir44. Ronda Hinrichsen45. Lisa Asanuma46. Joan Sowards47. Jordan McCollum48. Diane Stringam Tolley

Learn more about September Blog Hop here.Get The Code

Move Over George Lucas…

September 19th, 2011

As a follow-up to my post a few weeks ago, I thought I’dgive an example of what I mean about objectionable content in the media. I have to admit that I find it hard to go tothe movies these days without being bombarded by stuff I just don’t want to seeand hear, and I don’t think I’m alone.

One series of movies in recent years in which I wasdisappointment because of the content was Transformers. For a series based onchildren’s toys, it was sure full of sexually charged content. Then if youthink of many movies which are considered classics, you will see that they havevery little swearing, sexual content or graphic violence. My favorite example is Star Wars, in whichall of these things are present very little. (Unless you consider ‘scruffy-lookingnerf herder’ offensive)

It got me thinking: what if Star Wars had been made todayand Michael Bay, the director of Transformers had been at the helm? I’m certainthere would be some changes. Here aresome I came up with:

All the Imperials, especially Darth Vader, woulddevelop a potty mouth, each trying to top each other.

·        The ewoks would talk in over-the-topstereotypical racial dialects. (which the director would deny)

·        The phrase “Who’s your daddy?” would becomeDarth Vader’s new catch phrase.

·        Princess Leia would wear her Jabba’s palaceoutfit all the time, even on Hoth.

·        The fading death of a Jedi would be replaced bya bloody “mortal combat” style death.

·        Han Solo would become the king of innuendo. Landowould become a close second.

And the movie would be ruined. Star Wars doesn’t shy away from toughissues. People are betrayed, fight, anddie horrible deaths, but it is also handled tactfully. The story, the characters,and the dialogue stand on their own without having to use gimmicks to get theaudience’s attention. I guess seeing R2-D2 turning into transformers would bepretty cool though.

What are your thoughts? How else might Star Wars bedifferent? What other great movie couldhave been ruined this way?

Writing Update: Despitemany hours spent in rehearsal and performance for the Berlioz Requiem, I wasstill able to get some significant writing done.

I’m up to 20,236 words in Simon Says, and just over 12,000words in the second Last Archangel Book. I decided to embark on a newnon-fiction title this week that has to deal with running a small church choir,especially those in LDS congregations. I’ve done this several times myself andI really wish someone would have given me a book to let me know what was goingon.

I’m also preparing to submit a parable to the Parables forToday contest which ends October 1^st. You can win prize money and publication in aprinted anthology. View the websitehere: http://www.parablesfortoday.com.

Myparable has to do with a TV star who uses dishonest methods to try to get hisTV series renewed for another season, but then realizes that he has his prioritiesall out whack. Here’s hoping!

Transformers picture by Nicolas Genin
Take flight with Rafflecopter

September 15th, 2011

Today I’m posting about an online resource that I think willgo big, especially for bloggers. It has many applications for authors, but alsofor anyone who wants to attract people to their blog. I’m talking about Rafflecopter. I ran a giveaway using it a few weeks ago,and I’ll never go back.

The first great thing about it is its versatility. You canuse it on blogs made with both Blogger and WordPress, and can even use it onFacebook using an iFrame app.

It provides your visitors one click options for them to earnraffle entries. Want them to follow your Facebook page? One click. Want them tofollow you on Twitter? One click. Want them to Recite the alphabet backwardswhile standing on their heads? One click marks the task as done. You can customize your raffle with as many oras few options as you wish, and can have different tasks marked as mandatoryand each task can be worth a different number of entries.

Not only does it let people enter your giveaway, but itkeeps track of who does, and automatically makes the giveaway open during aspecific timeframe. When the clock runs out, it shuts down and allows you topush the button to randomly select a winner from all those who entered.

In summary, it takes all of the stress out of running agiveaway. Everything is completely organized and fair, and it simplifieseverything for your readers.

Unfortunately, you have to be invited right now in order tobe allowed to use it. (I’m sure it will eventually open up to the generalpublic) You can put on the waiting listto get on board at http://www.rafflecopter.com/. They send out new invites every day, so headto their homepage and get your name on the list. With all the extra time you save, you’ll have moretime to focus on writing your blog.