Books by Michael D. Young

Critique Circle: A good place for review

March 31st, 2010

One of the most important aspects of writing is getting enough varied viewpoints on your writing. It is nice to have your family and friends read your work, but there is always some doubt as to whether such people can be completely objective when they know you so well.

The internet is a wonderful tool to solve this problem, and my personal favorite recently has been Critique Circle. It is a simple interface that requires users to create an account and only allows them to get their work critiqued as they offer critques to others. (You get a certain number of credits each time you critique a story and then each story you want critiqued costs a certain number of credits.)

Writers can put up short stories, children’s stories, chapters from novels, or just about anything else you would like to have critiqued. Some readers can be brutally honest, though most try to be constructive. I have gained invaluable insight into my short stories, which have helped me improve them.

Click here to check out the site. http://www.critiquecircle.com/

The site is completely free to use and has some upgraded features for a small fee. I have gotten all of my use out of the site without having to pay anything.
Second Helping of Hashbrown Just as Tasty

March 27th, 2010

http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thecant-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1599553783&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifrI found the first book so quirky and fun that I decided to read the sequel right away. The series is a grade-schooler’s dream: crazy situations, funny dialogue, and a little bathroom humor thrown in for good measure. (Pretty tame though, in a day when children’s books can be called “Captain Underpants.”)

This time around Hashbrown is confronted with a rival student who has just come into a lot of money and is building a treehouse to eclipse his own. (The rival student is the “Mashimoto” from the title, in case you were wondering) The book does of a great job of building on the previous material and adding its own touches. In addition, it is quick and well-structured storytelling that I think even adults can enjoy.

If you haven’t already, give this series a read. I here there is a third helping in the works…
"Hashbrown" is a tasty treat

March 24th, 2010

http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thecant-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1599553031&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifrI had no idea what to expect from this one when I picked it up, only that the cover brought me back to those Saturdays of my youth watching cartoons. The book follows the exploits of “Hashbrown” and his fellow elementary school pals who all have descriptive nicknames. I found myself chuckling and smiling at the zany situations they found themselves in and was impressed with the author’s imaginative flair. In which other book does the character seek help from the elementary school mafia boss, or seek advice from a person trapped in a locker for seven years?

It is a quick, fun read rife with fifth-grade style humour, and I would recommend it. It looks like it is turning into a series. The second book is already out and I hear the author is making headway on a third book. I only hope someday that we get the zany cartoon version that my kids could watch on Saturday morning.
Review: The Sister Pact

March 18th, 2010

I have to say, I like suspense, but I’m not much of a romance reader. This book has liberal dashes of both, and although I’m not much for the romance, I liked the premise and the suspense. A woman in Logan finds her sister out cold and bleeding at the bottom of the stairs and suddenly finds out that she’s a suspect while two men, the detective and a client of her’s at the gym where she works, both vie for her attention.

It was a fun, fast suspense/romance. I liked that the author showed the characters using faith and family to solve their problems. I liked the characters, but I got a bit of reader whiplash as the main characters went from being enamored with each other to despising each other very quickly, back and forth. It may be that I just don’t understand romance. Still, it was very creative and interesting to read.
A Wonderful Ides of March

March 16th, 2010

I had a wonderful birthday this year and was blessed with a few unexpected presents in addition to the usual ones. First and foremost, I found out that our family is going to get a ‘sequel.’ (Sorry, the author in me thought it an appropriate term.) Yes, the little bundle of joy should arrive sometime in November. We bought our son a new “Big Bro” shirt and had him wear it all day as a way to break the news. It’s going to be hard to top that present in subsequent birthdays.

Secondly, I got my first review of “The Canticle Kingdom from a fellow author, Berin Stephens. You can read his review on his blog:
http://berinstephens.blogspot.com/2010/03/beware-ides-of-march-and-canticle.html

My wife is also great at giving gag gifts. She got me these set of knights (which happen to appropriately be from a German toymaker) that she says reminds her of the ones in my book. One of them even looks younger like Johann. Pretty amazing.
The Reviews are Rolling In!

March 14th, 2010

I got my first review back from a reader in Virginia:

I finished the book last night! Bravo! There are such intricacies of plot and the character development is just spectacular! You have a really spectacular mind to have been able to keep track of all the characters and their eccentricities. I think a sequel would be wonderful.

Thanks so much! A very gracious response. I am about two-thirds of a way through writing the sequel and I’m very happy with how its turning out. With any luck, it might also be on the horizon.

Please let me know what you think! I would love to hear from my readers.
H.A.R.O.

March 10th, 2010

Life is fully of acronyms. If you are a writer, this might be a good one to get familiar with. It stands for Help a Report Out, which is a site located at http://helpareporter.com/.

You can sign up there for an email list that will send you queries from dozens for reporters every day who need help with material on a variety of topics. I have found that I cannot help most of them, but there are some ones that I can. I have been able to get interviewed several times and published in magazines, online, and in books just for sharing my opinion. They always ask about you and will often publish a little blurb about you, in which you can mention that you are an author. Free publicity!

I just found out that I’m going to be inluded in an article in U.S. News and World Report. And best of all…it’s free!
Lift the Lid Scavenger Hunt Contest

March 9th, 2010

Get Your Name in My Next Book!

Enter the Lift the Lid Scavenger Hunt

Step 1: Get your hands on a copy of “The Canticle Kingdom.”

Step 2: Visit www.writermike.com to find the questions.

Step 3: Read “The Canticle Kingdom” and answer the questions based on what you read.

Step 4: Be the first to answer all of the questions correctly to win!

Begin the Hunt Today!

Scavenger Hunt

1.       Where does the Many-Named-One get his names?

2.       A famous German scientist is portrayed by one of the characters. Name the scientist and the character and what clues you have to support this.

3.       A famous German political figure is portrayed by one of the characters. Name the figure and the character and what clues you have to support this.

4.       A famous knight from German literature is portrayed by one of the characters. Name the knight and the character and what clues you have to support this.

5.       A famous demon from German literature is portrayed by one of the characters. Name the demon and the character and what clues you have to support this.

6.       A famous German musician is portrayed by one of the characters. Name the musician and the character and what clues you have to support this.

7.       Idar-Oberstein is an actual German city with a famous export and a famous church. What is that famous export and why was the church built into the side of the mountain (die Felsenkirche) built according to legend?

8.       In the first few chapters, Brigitta starts speaking in German to Johann. What does she say to him?

9.       There is a German inscription on the music that Johann finds at the beginning of the story. What does it mean?

10.   What does the word “Canticle” mean?
Busy Weekend

March 6th, 2010

Two exciting things going this weekend.

First: I have two book signings at Barnes and Noble stores.

Murray B&N, 12pm – 1:45pm. Also catch authors Frank Richardson and Rachelle J. Christensen. There will be a drawing for prizes every half hour.

South Towne Mall, B&N, 2pm – 4pm

Second, I’m singing for the first time in “Music and the Spoken Word”, a weekly inspirational broadcast from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It’s the longest running broadcast of its kind with over 70 years of uninterrupted broadcasting. It runs from 9:30 – 10:00 am MST and can be seen or heard on a variety of TV and radio stations. To find one near you, visit www.musicandthespokenword.org.
Cleon Skousen’s Previously Unreleased Book

March 2nd, 2010

If you like food for thought, then this previously unleased book is a feast. The manuscript was finished before he passed away a few years back with the instruction that his family publish it “when the time is right.” The book releases in April 2010 through Valor Publishing. You can preorder it now at a 10% discount: http://www.valorpublishinggroup.com/Books/cleansing-of-america.php

The book deals with the future destiny of America as taught in the scriptures and the words of modern prophets. It deals extensively topics such as the gathering of Israel, the establishment of Zion, and the Law Concecreation. Importantly, it not only deals with future events, but also discourses on what we can do to perpare for them.

I found the book extremely facinating and read it in three sittings. I liked the fact that it provided all the references at the end of each chapter and included discussion questions at the end of each chapter, because I think many of the topics discuss lend themselves to intense discussion. I agree with his family in saying that this truly is the time for us to think about the events discussed in this book and what we can do to prepare. It provides food for thought about how far our country has strayed from the intentions of the those who wrote the Constitution, a topic which I think is on many people’s minds.

What a treat to have this final work from Dr. Skousen. These ideas are so vital at a time like this.