The Green Arrow protected "Star City" the loosely disguised Seattle.

I’m here on business, attending Emerald City Comic Con. Me and William Shatner will both be there. That’s right. Captain. Kirk. It starts tomorrow and runs through Sunday. If you’re in the area, you should come. Looks like lots of great programming. But being in the Emerald City, got me thinking about, of all things, Detroit. Because when I got to the rental car aisle at SeaTac I was given a Chrysler 200. The car Eminem has now made famous with his highly watched, internet sensation Super Bowl commercial. If you haven’t seen the commercial yet, watch it and come back. I’ll wait.

Needless to say, being from Michigan, I had a very visceral reaction to the ad. And I had intended to blog about it when it happened but it created such a fire storm of coverage that it appeared everything had been said. So I let it slide. Not too mention, I have a zillion deadlines and editors who are about to leave the ‘polite inquiry as to the status of your manuscript’ stage to, “dude, on my desk, tomorrow!” stage before long. Blog posts tend to get pushed aside when you have editors peeking in your window and violating your personal protection orders.

My reaction to the ad. I was blown away. And I was reminded of it driving the car today. We can argue about bailouts and whether car companies are ‘too big to fail’. And I’m a self-professed, born to late, curmudgeon who tends to

This ain't no Emerald City, dude.

think life was a lot easier and better in many ways forty years ago.  But also I feel like we’re losing something really valuable in this country. We don’t make things any more. And for a fleeting moment, this ad captured the essence of Detroit. A place where things are made. Yes, a city with tremendous problems, many of them self-inflicted, but a city once called by the New York Times in the early 1900′s the “Paris of the Midwest”. With that single two minute ad, Detroit and Michigan got some much needed positive buzz. The hottest fires make the hardest steel.

We have so much in Detroit that nobody knows about because of our ‘if it bleeds, it leads” news culture. We have a beautiful riverwalk. Great ethnic neighborhoods with fabulous restaurants like Greektown, Corktown and Mexican Town. We’ve got a long way to go. But we’ve come so far. We put America on wheels. We were the Arsenal of Democracy. And yes it’s a ‘what have you done for me lately” world. But we’re not just high unemployment and failing schools. We’re a world class art museum. The Fox Theatre. Hockeytown.

If you want to start a fist fight with me, tell me Detroit doesn’t make good cars. Go drive a Chrysler 200 and see for yourself. Twenty five years ago, you might have had an argument.

The elegantly appointed Fox Theater. A one of a kind venue.

Not any more. That dog won’t hunt. 

I guess sometimes it takes you being in another place, to appreciate the place you live. I’m a Michigangsta and I ain’t going anywhere else. Not California. Not Florida. Not the Emerald City.

This is the Motor City. This is what we do.

Peace. Out.

Your authorness.

©2012 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

When did you know that you first wanted to be a writer?

I’ve always wanted to be a writer. In fact, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t. I must have started thinking about how I could get published when I was still in the womb.

–

What book or writer/artist do you feel influenced you the most?

That is really a tough question because there are so many. My earliest influences of the joy of storytelling were definitely the Brothers Grimm and Lewis Carroll. Those were the first books I read and they delight influence me still.

–

What book or books are you currently reading or have recently read that you’d recommend to others?

Rock ‘n roll biographies are my main guilty pleasure, reading-wise, so I was very excited to read Life, the new Keith Richards memoir. I just finished reading it and it was terrific – truly a cut above the rest. I highly recommend it!

–

If you could offer one piece of advice to aspiring writers, what would it be?

Don’t do it for the money! On a related note; don’t quit your day job. But ultimately, if you must write; meaning, if it truly calls you, then there’s nothing for it – you must do it. And if you must do it, then READ – as much as you can.

–

Can you share with us your next project or any information about the next book you’re working on?

I am currently at work on another novel – again in the area of psychological suspense – but there are other ideas brewing too.

©2012 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

First, that Hollywood can’t come up with anything new. Everything has to be remade or my new least favorite buzzword (replacing synergy) ‘rebooted.’ But then I think, maybe a concept like a special police squad in Hawaii, chasing down bad guys, with today’s special effects and production values might not be such a bad thing. And of course, once I heard Grace Park was cast in the new version, I was sold. More on that later, but for now, here is my running diary of the premiere of the new Hawaii 5-0.

10:06 Excellent sequence to open the show. Lots of action, stuff blowing up (if you’re a frequent visitor to this web site, you know how I feel about that)

10:07 Great move. They kept the original theme song. One of the great TV theme songs of all time, Hawaii 5-0. I even heard they brought in some of the original musicians to rerecord the score in a digital studio.  Smart move.

10:08 Never have been a big Alex O’Loughlin Fan. Everywhere I hear thousands of woman taking my name in vain. Blaming me for the cancellation of his previous shows, Moonlight and Three Rivers.

10:10 GEEK ALERT! GEEK ALERT! I just realized a double Joss Whedon connection in this show! James Marsters who played Spike on Buffy, The Vampire Slayer, is the bad guy in this episode. Daniel Dae Kim, one of the regulars, also played a recurring role on Angel

10:11 Also, Jean Smart is playing the governor. Another good move. She played the crazy President’s wife in 24. I have a feeling early on, that the show could benefit from more of her on the screen. If she’s only going to be in the pilot, I think that makes the show weaker.

10:18 Commercials remind why I like to watch television shows when the entire season is available on DVD. Yet I’m afraid if I like a show, and don’t watch it ‘same night’, it will get cancelled. I am reasonably sure there is scientific evidence to back this up. But I do not have it on me at the moment.

10:20 Twenty-minutes in and still no Grace Park sighting. That is a major drawback as far as I’m concerned. It’s going to cost them at least one star in the review. If you have Grace Park in your show, you do not wait until, twenty minutes in to have her appear.

10:22 Instant conflict between McGarrett and Dano. Nice move, conflict is always good. Playing the rogue cop who has to earn the grudging respect of his new partner angle , can be interesting when it is well done. This looks well done.

10:26 Dano has already saved McGarrett.

10:27 Finally, the first Grace Park sighting!  (Important Disclaimer. In case you were wondering. Grace Park is the Official Emergency Back Up Wife of Michael Spradlin. And yes. My wife understands this. After all: Emergency!). And let me just say, I saw Grace Park in person at San Diego Comic Con this year, and was about to inform her of her status as my Official Emergency Back Up Wife, when I learned, quite unfortunately I might add, security guards at the San Diego Convention center ARE equipped with tasers. If you don’t know who Grace Park is, you might recognize her as Boomer on Battlestar Gallatica. And if you still don’t recognize her, got to Google Images and type in Grace Park. Go ahead, I’ll wait here.

10:29 You’re back. Told You.

10:45 The team comes together. It’s a good cast. A little too quick on the ‘making up’ between Dano and McGarrett. Will be interesting to see if the conflict surfaces again. And I would also highly recommend to the producers that they feature more Grace Park in each episode.

10:49 Hmm. Commercials, still considering waiting until the DVD comes out before watching another episode.

10:53 So far, Scott Caan as “Dano” is the best part of the show.  Aside from Grace Park I mean.

10:55 The first “Book ‘em, Dano.”

10:57 And of course the question, hanging on the lips of every one of the original 5-0 fans is: Will they bring back Wo Fat? They must. They simply must. What would Hawaii 5-0 be with out Wo Fat?

10:59 We’re all friends now.

So, did you watch it? What do you think? How does it compare to the original? Will you watch it again? I’d love to know.

©2012 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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

©2012 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.

©2012 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.

©2012 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

©2012 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!

©2012 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

©2012 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.

©2012 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.