Your New York Times Best Seller Authorness here! (I never get tired off the sound of that!) Here with a few little tidbits to make your holidays a little smoother and more fun! Just one of the many services we provide here at Team Spradlin HQ.

But first, have you entered my contest yet? No? WHY NOT? It’s so simple. In fact you’re half way there. All you need to do is read one of my blog posts and post a comment. Comments such as “Hi!” “Did I win the contest?” and “Does this comment qualify?” all work. That’s all you need to do to win valuable prizes! So what are you waiting for. It’s a contest in advance of my my new picture book Baseball from A to Z, which is coming this spring, so don’t swing and miss!

IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE ZOMBIES: A Book Of Zombie Christmas Carols is #21 on the New York Times Best Seller List! Its third week on the list! And it’s getting all kinds of great publicity including holiday roundups in The New York Daily News, The Baltimore Sun Book Blog, and LA Weekly.com. And this week, I made a visit to New York City to visit the FANGORIA Radio studio on Sirius/XM. Here’s a picture of me in my official Radio Guy Earphones. It was a great night and special thanks to Kelly, Kateri, Rebecca and Aaron for rocking out on the carols. It was great fun talking to a national radio audience about the book.

So as you’re finishing up your holiday shopping, here is my annual MICHAEL SPRADLIN, NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLING AUTHOR, HELPS YOU CHOOSE WHICH OF HIS BOOKS WOULD BE PERFECT FOR THOSE EASY AND HARD TO BUY FOR INDIVIDUALS ON YOUR LIST list. I do what I can to help.

Boys Ages 10 and up.

The Youngest Templar Series–This is perfect for boys who like action-adventure novels like Ranger’s Apprentice or the Percy Jackson Novels.

Boys and Girls 14 and up.

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Zombies–This book is rated T For Teen. More than two dozen slightly twisted and definitely upside Christmas Carols with macabre art by Jeff Weigel.

Girls 10 and up

The Spy Goddess Series–Available in reasonably priced paperback editions. Full of action, intrigue and suspense. And humor. And action. And humor.

Boys and Girls ages 4-8.

Daniel Boone’s Great Escape–Daniel Boone is running for his life, literally as he escapes from Shawnee captivity. Young readers will enjoy this thrilling true story!

Texas Rangers: Legendary Lawmen–Young readers will enjoy exploring the Wild West as it was tamed by some of the toughest lawmen around.

And don’t forget, Baseball from A to Z and Off Like the Wind: The First Ride of The Pony Express will be on sale in the New Year, so gift cards or Coupons for a book will make a nice surprise for a young reader once the holidays are over.

That’s all for now. Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Your New York Times Best Selling Authorness

©2010 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Just a quick note on a couple of things.

I’ll be hitting the road again tomorrow, stopping first at the Texas Library Association Meeting in Houston, Texas. So if you’re one of my Texas Librarian friends, please come by one of my signings at the show. I’ll be there on April 2, from 9-10 am at the Penguin Booth #1405 autographing copies of THE YOUNGEST TEMPLAR: Keeper of the Grail. From 10-10:30am, I’ll be at the Walker Booth #1907 signing copies of TEXAS RANGERS: Legendary Lawmen along with illustrator Roxie Munro! So come on by.

On Friday I’ll be headed to the Big D for a signing at the “Dreamin’ in Dallas” event sponsored by the Dallas RWA chapter and then on Saturday at Legacy Books in Plano for more merriment. Check out my events page for all the details.

Also, as all of you know, I’m a big fan of comics and graphic novels and I’ve discovered a great new comics blog. www.speakingofcomics.com I urge you to check it out. You might even find a few reviews there by yours truly, under my secret identity of course.

We’ve also sold rights to The Youngest Templar to France and we have offers coming in from several more territories. That’s always exciting!

And in the biggest news, we’ve just completed a deal on a new novel with Penguin called THE RAVEN’S SHADOW. I don’t want to give away too much but let’s just say it’s a paranormal historical adventure story featuring three teenagers in 1825 Washington DC. Their names are Charlie, Ed and Abraham. You might know them better as Charles Darwin, Edgar Allan Poe and Abraham Lincoln. In the nation’s capital to witness the Inauguration of President John Quincy Adams, the three discover a mysterious count from Transylvania has arrived on the shores of America. And he is determined to bring the young country to its knees.

That’s all I’m sayin’

Your authorness.

©2010 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Things are progressing nicely on The Youngest Templar: Trail of Fate, the next book in The Youngest Templar Trilogy. I’ve just gone through the copy edits and over at http://www.theyoungesttemplar.com/ we’ll shortly be launching a countdown calendar for the October 29, 2009 on sale date. Also, if you’re a Facebook user, please sign up to be a fan.

Our School Library Journal review of The Youngest Templar: Keeper of the Grail has arrived and they call it a “fast paced historical adventure…” and an “exciting story.”

But probably the biggest news on the horizon is that it is now less than two weeks until New York Comic Con! I can’t wait. I’ll be speaking and signing on Sunday so please check out the schedule on my events page. If you live in the New York area, you have to check out the con. It’s fairly cheap to get in, and you can see panels with some of your favorite writers, sneak peeks of some of your favorite television shows and movies and just generally have a blast.

Things are also progressing well on the foreign front for The Youngest Templar. We’re getting more interest in from other countries and it’s now on sale in several more countries including Finland and Sweden. Here is a look at the Finnish cover.

There is a lot going on in 2009 and I’ve finally updated my events page. So please take a look and if your going to be near any of these places, please come by and say hello.

Peace,

Out.

PS Also here is a picture that shows a slow day in Lapeer, Michigan for my December Book Signing at the Book Shelf. Mom always said someday I’d have my name in lights.

©2010 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Nothing is ever going to be perfect, but I have adopted a philosophy that always seems to help me through the bad times. And that is whenever there is a recession or a downturn or some other negative event, I refuse to participate! That’s right. When things are bad there can also be times of tremendous opportunity. For example we just refinanced our house and saved a ton of money each month. Because the housing industry is in such turmoil lenders are begging for good customers. We had banks tripping over themselves to get our loan. As the old saying goes, sometimes when a door closes, a window will open. Opportunity out of chaos.

It’s hard and it’s scary during times like these, and I’m no stranger to them myself. I’ve been without work, heavily in debt, with no health insurance and a family to support. But you make it through. You keep your head down and push on. Then one day you look around and things aren’t so bad anymore.

I just want to say as we head into the new year to keep your head up. Keep smiling. Refuse to participate in the bad times. This too shall pass. Also, buy more books! At the very least reading will allow you to escape from your troubles for a few hours!

In a prime example of burying the lead, and on a more relative note, as you can see from the headline I HAVE FINISHED BOOK 2 IN THE YOUNGEST TEMPLAR TRILOGY. Done. Finito. It is called The Youngest Templar: Trail of Fate and will be published in September of 2009. I will also tell you that the cover for the book, which I can’t reveal yet, will be knocking the socks off of all you. So stay tuned for a reveal and sneak peak excerpt coming up soon.

The Youngest Templar: Keeper of the Grail appears to be selling well. I’ve heard from the German folks that it’s a big best-seller in Germany this year. It’s hard for me to imagine but it’s exciting nonetheless. Book One has also garnered some great reviews including this one at www.templarhistory.com. Check it out.

Also, speaking of Templar History, as many of you know I’m a big fan of the comic book both as a literary and an art form. If you want to read a fascinating comic on the history of the Templars, I highly recommend Outremer by Stephen Dafoe. It’s available here. It’s first rate and a great introduction to the Templar origins.

Be sure to keep an eye on my events page also as I begin posting my 2009 appearances. I’ll be attending New York Comic Con again this year and have the great good fortune to be speaking on two different panels. I’ll also be attending IRA in Phoenix in February and the Texas Library Association in Houston in April.

Many thanks for all of your support in 2008! I’m excited and looking forward to 2009.

Have a safe and Happy Holiday!

Your authorness,

Mike

©2010 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Paul Boehmer is the reader. An American born actor, but one who does an impeccable English accent. He has appeared in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager and Enterprise. Not many actors can claim that distinction. And I’m willing to bet he’s probably the only actor to appear in all of those shows AND The Good German and The Thomas Crown Affair. I invite you to click on the “LISTEN” link on the home page, underneath the cover. You’ll get a free three minute sample.

I hope you’ll pick up a copy of the audio version of THE YOUNGEST TEMPLAR. It’s a really well done production if I don’t say so myself.

More great reviews and accolades for the book continue to roll in. Award winning author Tracie Zimmer had this to say about THE YOUNGEST TEMPLAR:

I just read THE YOUNGEST TEMPLAR and I have to tell you that it is a rollicking historical fiction adventure story that you will not be able to put down…If you have, know, or work with a reluctant reader (especially boys, but it will appeal to girls too) then go buy them this book. You know, like NOW!

In addition to writing award-winning books, Tracie is also a reading teacher, so I was especially gratified to get her comments regarding ‘reluctant readers’. Getting kids enthused about reading is one of the best parts of this job!

I’ll be on the road a lot in the next few weeks making appearances and meeting readers. Check out my events page for a schedule. Last week I was in South Dakota for the South Dakota Festival of Books. Another great time at a great event with some of the friendliest people I’ve ever encountered in my travels!

Happy reading!

©2010 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Tomorrow it’s finally here! The Youngest Templar: Keeper of the Grail is on sale everywhere books are sold! I’m so excited. And I just can’t hide it. I’m about to lose control and I think I like it.

This is what my day was like.

7:32 Get up

7:33 Check Amazon rankings for The Youngest Templar. Rejoice that it is #17 on their list of the top 100 Medieval Books for Children. Does that make me a best-seller? I need a ruling.

7:34 Check rankings on other websites.

7:38 Check Amazon rankings.

7:45-10:11 Refresh Amazon page continuously.

11:00-3pm Lunch

3:01 Check Amazon rankings.

3:02-3:04 Work on revisions of Book 2

3:05-7:58 Check Amazon rankings.

As you can see I have had a very hectic day

I’ve been busily guest blogging and being interviewed on a variety of websites today. So here are some links:                                                  Chris Moore & Mike Spradlin

Go to www.chrismoore.com and click on his blog to see a hilarious interview that the world’s funniest author guy did with me.

Tomorrow visit www.elizabethboyle.com for an interview about The Youngest Templar. You can also win a signed first edition of SPY GODDESS: Live and Let Shop.

Visit www.bookclubgirl.com for a guest blog I wrote on why boys need book club love too! You can also win a signed first edition of SPY GODDESS: Live and Let Shop.

So that’s it for now. See  you in the bookstores!                                           

Your authorness

©2010 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

So I’ve known how lucky I am kidswise, but then my birthday rolls around and both my kids just rock me.

First, my son and I attended San Diego Comic-Con together this summer. We had a blast. We found our people. We bought stupid t-shirts. We saw stuff you won’t see anywhere else. It was special for me because my son is an adult now, living on his own in another state. Time together is rare, and the fact we were together doing something we both love just made the weekend that much better.

So he sends me my birthday gift and I open it up and what do I find? That he’s taken hours and hours of his time and put together a Comic Con scrapbook. All of the giveaways, the bumper-stickers and other paraphernalia put together in a memory book for me. I’m not ashamed to say I cried. It was one of the best birthday gifts he’s ever given me.

Then my sixteen year old daughter cooks up a scheme. She takes a cover image of my newest book The Youngest Templar: Keeper of the Grail. (On sale September 18, wherever books are sold, I’m just sayin’) and has about 15 t-shirts made up. She gives them out to all of her friends and they will all be wearing them to school on Thursday, the official on sale day. What a kid. They all show up at my house wearing the t-shirts to pose for pictures. Only my daughter could pull this off. That’s all I could really say over and over. When I wasn’t busy crying buckets. What a kid. Only she could pull this off.

(in the photo above on the right you can see the gang, back row left to right, Lesia, Bristol, Ana, Gabe, Kayla, my daughter, and Jackie. I believe the children are our future).

Whenever I mention to my wife how our kids are always surprising me with something like this, she just smiles and says: “apple meet tree”. Wise woman.

More Templar news…

The countdown continues. Don’t forget that I’ll be guest blogging at www.bookclubgirl.com tomorrow. New York Times Best-selling Author Elizabeth Boyle will post an interview with me at her site on Thursday September 18th www.elizabethboyle.com

Also my local paper, The Flint Journal will run an interview in the Wednesday September 17, 2008 edition but it’s already posted on their website so you can read it here.

Now back to trying to breathe normally.

Your authorness.

©2010 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

I’m on pins and needles. Thursday, September 18th THE YOUNGEST TEMPLAR: Keeper of the Grail will finally go on sale! I’ll be doing a lot in the next couple of weeks to publicize and promote it. However, if you’re a regular reader of this blog, you’ve probably already ordered your copies. So right now, all you need do is order more copies for friends and family, settle in with a warm cup of joe, and read THE YOUNGEST TEMPLAR. After that, I’m sure you’re next move will be to log onto all the Internet book review sites and give it five star reviews!

I’m just sayin’

Speaking of reviews, one of my favorite websites www.templarhistory.com is run by author Stephen Dafoe who wrote many of the books I used in researching THE YOUNGEST TEMPLAR. He is currently reading my novel, and he’s going to post a full review soon, but in the meantime he had this to say to me in an email about what he’d read so far: THE YOUNGEST TEMPLAR is “better written than most Templar fiction and more accurate than most Templar nonfiction.” Needless to say I was thrilled! If you’re interested in anything having to do with the Knights Templar I would definitely check out his website and his newest beautiful book, NOBLY BORN: An Illustrated History of the Knights Templar.

Keep checking back to this space for updates this week. On Wednesday, September 17th I’ll be guest blogging at www.bookclubgirl.com and on September 18th, my friend and fellow author Christopher Moore will be posting his hilarious interview of me at www.chrismoore.com or if you’re a myspace user, www.myspace.com/theauthorguy. Also, if you haven’t visited www.theyoungesttemplar.com for more exciting details about the book, what are you waiting for?

I’ve also added a whole slew of new events to the events page!

Hope to see you somewhere out there! And thanks again for your continued support.

My best,

Your authorness.

©2010 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

As I write this post I’m in a hotel room in San Diego with a really balky Internet connection so this won’t be a long one. I’m off tomorrow for more business related travel but next week I plan to fill you in on my trip to San Diego Comic Con International this past weekend. I had the great pleasure to speak on a panel at the Con with some other fantastic writers including my bud Chris Moore and it was a blast. In fact I have two words to describe the convention. In. Sane.

So there will be more on that later. Meanwhile I hope you’ll check out TheYoungestTemplar.com and have a wonderful day!

I’m just sayin’

Your authorness.

©2010 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.