Books by Michael D. Young

Learning from 9/11

September 12th, 2011

Yesterday was a solemn day for me, full of muchintrospection. I had the privilege of performing in a 9/11 special with theMormon Tabernacle Choir and Tom Brokaw. A wonderful experience.

It’s hardto believe, but I was just heading to one of my high school classes during myjunior year of high school. Since then, I’ve become a husband, a father, acollege graduate and a published author. But I still feel the effects of thatday.

When hearing all the stories of people who were impacted by9/11 it made me think about how I can apply what they have taught me as awriter. I heard people say so many times that watching the news coverage was‘like watching a movie’. As writers, we are meant to mimic and comment onreality, and we can learn things, even from tragedy.

Here are some of mythoughts:

1. There is real evil in the world—people who willconvince themselves through twisted logic that hurting and killing others isjustified. That is the model of a trueantagonist.

2. There are real heroes in the world—people whowill put their own comfort and safety in front of others. They lay down their lives to save others.That is the model of a true protagonist.

3. People may be beaten down and lose many things,but can pick themselves up again, can rebuild, and can still findhappiness. That is a model of the humancondition. In real life that is how alot of stories go, not all happiness, not all sadness, but somewhere in betweenwith hope for the future.

My heart goes out to all those who lost someone on thatterrible day. I hope that our country and that each one of us can take a secondto remember how those events made us feel and that we can recommit to being ourbest selves.

Photo by Christopher Paulin

Writing Update:

Another great writing week! I’m up to 14,000 words in Simon Says and 10,300 in the second book of The Last Archangel series.(Still not sure what the title is going to be on that. I’d welcome somesuggestions) I’m turning in a short story to a Christmas anthology this weekcalled “Checkin’ It Twice”. In this story, Santa has to reevaluate his stanceabout his traditional lists.

I’ve got a very busy week coming up doing a major concertwith the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, but I hope to still get some good writingtime in.
1st Challenge for Platform Campaigners

September 8th, 2011

As part of the 1st Challenge for the Platform Campaigners. Here is how the challenge read:

Write a short story/flash fiction story in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, including a poem. Begin the story with the words, “The door swung open” These four words will be included in the word count.

If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional), use the same beginning words and end with the words: “the door swung shut.” (also included in the word count)

For those who want an even greater challenge, make your story 200 words EXACTLY!

Here’s my story. Enjoy! (NOTE: I accidently left off the first part when I first posted this. Here is the full version)

Thedoor swung open admitting three knights into the wizard’s chambers. At thestart of a long journey, the three knights gathered to be given a gift by thecastle wizard. The wizard laid threedifferent-colored boxes on a table in front of him and pointed to each in turn.“You may each choose one box to aid you on your journey,” said the wizard. “Thefirst box is strength, the second cunning and the third compassion.”

Oneknight snatched up the first box and bounded out the door, “Surely strength ismost important on a long road.”

Thenext night, ran to the table and snatched the second box. “Surely cunning willuphold me long after strength fails.”

Thefinal knight took the box of compassion, and thanking the wizard, took hisleave of the castle.

Onhis way, the knight of compassion came across the knight of strength,hopelessly caught in a hidden snare. At great risk to himself, he freed theother knight from the trap.

Fartherdown the road, they found the knight of cunning, encircled by ruthless bandits.Together, his companions chased the bandits away.

Rejoicing,they set off together, never again to walk apart.
Depicting Immorality vs. Amorality

September 5th, 2011

Happy Labor Day everyone. Many of us might have a day off, but there’s nothing that says you can’t still make it a good writing day.

I came across this great article in the Deseret News not to long ago, and I’d like to share a snippet from it with all of you. It concerns the difference between depicting Immorality in the media vs. depicting Amorality. It was written by Linda and Richard Eyre and though it is specifically talking about movies, I think what they says applies to literature as well.

Here is the problem: We are failing to distinguish betweensomething that depicts immorality and something that depicts amorality.Immorality means the breaking or violation of moral codes, of religiouscommandments and often of basic decency. Immorality, where it is accuratelyportrayed, complete with consequences, is a good literary device and anessential part of most stories. Scripture is filled with accurate,consequence-included depictions of immorality.

Amorality is something very different. It is theignoring of moral questions altogether. It is the complete disregard and thefailure to even acknowledge the question of right and wrong. It portrays thingsas “normal” even when they are not, and it ignores consequences orpretends they do not exist.

Whether dealing with issues of honesty, sexualmorality or character in general, attempts to portray real mistakes orcharacter flaws or any kind of indiscretion or bad judgment or moral violationaccurately and honestly can be great elements of movies or of any form ofstorytelling, particularly when those portrayals are done with discretion andtaste.

You can view the entire article here:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700171774/PG-13-movies-are-getting-worse.html

This gave me serious food for thought. I think to have a good book, you need to depict someone or something showing immoral behavior. Without a villain, most stories fall flat. You probably even need to even show most of your characters doing things that are wrong. The clincher is that as a good writer, you need to depict truth. If your characters mess up, it is your duty to depict realistic consequences. Even if you are writing fantasy or science fiction, readers still expect realistic consequences.

I believe that depicting amorality is not only bad writing, but a dangerous precedent to set. Especially when writing fiction targeted at teens and young people, I feel the responsibly not to depict amorality. If you are what you eat, to some degree you are also what you read, watch, or otherwise consume. I will not be the purveyor of moral junk food.

What are your thoughts on the matter? How do you see the difference between depicting immorality and amorality?

Writing Update:

I had a wonderful writing week. I submitted my latest work “The Lost Barge” to an interested publisher and I’m crossing my fingers. I wrote over 15,000 words, spread out between my two works in progress, one of which is the sequel to The Last Archangel and the other I would still like to keep under wraps for a bit. I’m hoping for another great writing week.

For a chance to win the Last Archangel, there is a giveaway on the Fire and Ice blog:

http://fireandicephoto.blogspot.com/2011/09/last-archangel-book-giveaway.html
Winners All Around

September 1st, 2011

First thing’s first: a big thank you to all those who participated in the Awesome August Blog Hop. There were many entries, but the lucky winner is: Donna Smith! She will receive a signed copy of “The Canticle Kingdom”.

I’d also like to announce the winner of the Angel Trivia Contest. Congratulations to Alyssa Ranee Clark! She will get to help me name a character in the second installment of “The Last Archangel”, which I am currently writing.

I’ve got other great links to share. The first is an interview on B.K. Bostick’s blog. Go read it here: http://bkbostick.blogspot.com/2011/09/interview-with-author-michael-young.html

The second is a feature on Lorhainne Eckhart’s blog where I talk about archangels. You can go read it here: http://lorhainneeckhart.blogspot.com/ (The blog says that it might have adult content when you click on it. I can’t speak for the rest of the blog, but my post is squeaky clean.)
Third Platform Campaigners Crusade

August 30th, 2011

I had this marketing/networking activity recommended to me recently. There’s still one day to sign up. Find more about it and sign up at the following link:
http://rachaelharrie.blogspot.com/2011/08/and-so-campaign-begins-plus-campaigner.html

Also don’t forget, there’s still time to enter the Awesome August Blog Hop on the post below to win a copy of “The Canticle Kingdom”.

Awesome August Blog Hop

August 29th, 2011

Welcome to the Awesome August Blog Hop, where bloggers from all over the Internet have come together to throw a summertime party!

Every blog on this hop is offering a fun prize, and entering is quick and easy. Simply follow the instructions on each blog, leave a comment, and bop right along to the next blog. You can win multiple times, so be sure to check out all the participating blogs!

On my blog, you can win a signed copy of THE CANTICLE KINGDOM. Also tune in on Thursday when I announce the winner of the Angel Trivia Contest.

To enter:

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This blog hop runs through Wednesday night at midnight, so be sure to enter before then! The winner will be notified by e-mail.

Now that you’ve entered my contest, come meet all my other blog friends and see what fun things they are offering!

Awesome August Blog Hop Participants

1. Tristi Pinkston, LDS Author
2. Karen Hoover
3. Michael Young
4. Kristy Tate
5. cindy Hogan
6. Julie Bellon
7. Margot Hovley
8. Laurie Lewis
9. Mandi Slack
10. Melanie Jacobson
11. Joyce DiPastena
12. Renae Mackley

13. Debbi Weitzell
14. Donna Hatch
15. Carolyn Frank
16. Marsha Ward
17. Stacy Coles
18. Bonnie Harris
19. Danyelle Ferguson aka Queen of the Clan
20. Diony George
21. Lisa Asanuma
22. Susan Dayley
23. Christine Bryant @ Day Dreamer
24. Stephanie Humphreys

25. Ranee` Clark
26. Tamera Westhoff
27. I Am A Reader, Not A Writer
28. Heather Justesen
29. Rebecca Talley
30. Jennifer Hurst
31. Aimee Brown
32. Cheryl Christensen
33. Rachelle Christensen
34. Imaginary Reads
35. Andrea Pearson

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

Writing Update for this Week:
I’m getting my latest work “The Lost Barge” ready to go out the door and getting in some time on both a new project and the sequel to THE LAST ARCHANGEL.

Special Post: Blog Tour: Huber Hill and the Dead Man’s Treasure by B.K. Bostick

August 28th, 2011

Today on my blog, I have author B.K. Bostick, on tour with his upcoming release Huber Hill and the Dead Man’s Treasure.

1.       What inspired you to write fiction? I taught 4th and 5th grades for several years. I’d read what I saw my kids reading- Harry Potter, Fablehaven, Leven Thumps, Goosebumps, Roald Dahl, etc. I think reading and re-reading those books reignited my imaginative spark that’d gone during college 🙂 I imagined how cool it would be if I could influence reluctant readers, especially boys, to pick up a book in place of the game controller. I decided to write a fiction book that I would’ve enjoyed as a fifth grader and something I hoped kids would enjoy today as well.

2.       Which other artists have influenced you? I love Jerry Spinelli’s books- his characters are so vulnerable and real. I was also influenced by Brian Jacques, Gary Paulsen, Louis Sachar, and Neil Gaiman. Of course, J.K. Rowling is a master of children’s literature.

3.       Did you have to do any sort of research for you book? If so, describe what you did. I used a lot of local folklore to paint the back story. My grandpa would always tell me stories about Spaniards coming to the Western U.S. to mine gold from the Rockies. He’d show me books, maps, and relate tales of epic battles between local Indians and the foreign invaders. I read Footprints in the Wilderness (a very rare book that my grandpa passed on to me after he died) and Lost Gold of the Uintah. I didn’t use the same locations or stories, but they helped me create my own.

4.       Where did the idea for this book come from? When my grandpa passed away, I inherited a box of his belongings. Inside were some of his personal effects and these letters about his search for lost Spanish gold. I read them and got excited. My friends and I ventured into the mountains to follow in his footsteps. Needless to say, we didn’t find gold, but those memories of camping out and hiking through the wilderness with friends are some of the best I have- real treasures! A few years later in college, I started thinking up the story of Huber Hill and the Dead Man’s Treasure. A few more years after that, I actually started to write it.

5.       What sorts of things do you wish you saw more in books? I really like historical fiction. As a teacher, I found a dearth of that particular genre and would like to see more books like Johnny Tremain and Across Five Aprils.

6.       What are you working on now? What are your plans for your future writing? I am working on Huber Hill and the Brotherhood of Coronado which will be released October, 2012. I’m not sure what my future plans are for writing. I definitely have a passion for it, but it’s difficult to do while balancing life and work. I suppose as long as people want to read what I write, I’ll keep doing it.

7.      What advice would you give aspiring writers? The biggest trap I fell into at the beginning (and still do at times) is using the verb, “feel” or “felt.” A reader should know what the character feels without the writer having to tell them.

8.       Where can readers find more about you and your books? www.deadmanstreaure.com, www.facebook.com/bkbostickauthorpage

9.       Anything else you’d like to add? Please check out the fundraiser I’m doing for my amazing, twelve year old neighbor Alyssa. All profits from pre orders and book sales during the first two weeks of launch will be donated to her family- www.treasureforalyssa.com

Thanks B.K. and good luck launching your book! You can watch a book trailer by clicking on the following link:

Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nA7so1a5Eg&feature=related
New Features and Book Review: The Hidden Sun by J. Lloyd Morgan

August 25th, 2011

New Features on my Blog
Now that I have a few more followers, I wanted to add a little more structure to how my blog posts run. I’m going to try going to the twice a week posting schedule, once on Mondays and once on Thursdays. On Mondays, I will run a personal post about writing trends, the craft of writing, etc. On Mondays, I will also give an update on what I’m working on that week. On Thursday, I will run a feature, such as a book post, a website review, etc. If something really great happens in between, I’ll post about then whenever.

I’d like to start off this schedule with a book review of “The Hidden Sun” by J. Lloyd Morgan.
(Note: I’m trying out a new review format. My reviews will have two sections: What I Liked as a Reader and What I Learned as a Writer. For the first part, I’ll put on my reader’s hat (a nice casual panama hat) and give a traditional review about what I thought of the book. In the second section, I’ll put on my writer’s hat (a dapper top hat) and will talk about what I noticed either good and/or bad that we all can learn from.

What I Liked as a Reader

The first thing that impressed me about “The Hidden Sun” was that it walks a path that few books these days do: it has a medieval setting, but does not rely on fantastical elements to tell the story. “The Hidden Story” is a wonderful story of political intrigue and family legacy. I genuinely cared about the characters and the action kept me hooked on the story.

The reader might find the names a little difficult, but the author has provided a helpful pronunciation guide at the beginning to help you out. When reading, be sure to keep the characters straight as the story sometimes jumps around quickly from one character’s story to another.

One thing I noticed about the names was the theme of sunlight throughout the book, which is reflected both in the actual weather and in the names of the characters. I can’t say much about the names without giving the plot away, but I feel that this was elegantly done and added both depth and beauty to the story.

“The Hidden Sun” was just released in its second edition, with a beautiful new cover. It will be continued with “The Waxing Moon”, another exciting installment in the story.

What I Learned as a Writer

Sometimes the best way to draw the reader in is to do something a bit unexpected. When I saw the medieval setting, I thought “Where’s the wizard?” and “There are bound to be some elves showing up any time now.” Instead, it read a lot more like historical fiction, which I also really love, and instead focused on the political intrigue and family legacy. That resulted in a satisfying read.

You can order the book by following this link: (Make sure that you get the book with the new cover that matches the one at the beginning of this post. That’s the newest edition.) http://stores.handcartsinthevalleybookstore.com/-strse-1304/The-Hidden-Sun-by/Detail.bok

You can also visit Jason online at: http://jlloydmorgan.com/
Final Angel Trivia:

August 22nd, 2011

The last question was: What is the name of the “Angell” that designed the Salt Lake City Temple as well as many other buildings in Salt Lake City?

The correct answer was given by Tanya Parker Mills: Truman, from the architect’s full name of Truman O. Angell.

The final question is: In which Biblical book does it record a donkey seeing an angel and then temporarily getting the power of speech?

Hint: It is in one of the books that are considered “the books of Moses”.

Join me later this week as I review too books and talk about what I learned as a writer by reading them.
Angel Trivia 4

August 20th, 2011

The question yesterday was: Which book of the Bible mentions angels the most

The Answer: Revelation

No takers on this one. Try the next one on for size:

What is the name of the “angell” that designed the LDS Salt Lake City Temple, as well as many other buildings in Salt Lake City?

Hint: His initals are T.O.A.

Just one more question on Monday! Not to late to step in and answer.