Rest easy. I am here to help.

Here are 12 selections that should cover just about anyone on you shopping list.

1) Do you have a friend or relative who is a big fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Or just likes pirates in general. Then you should have a copy of Pirate Haiku: Bilge Sucking Poems of Booty Grog and Wenches for Scurvy Sea Dogs. The book is full of hearty chuckles as it tells the life story of the fearless, but slightly incompetent scourge of the Seven Seas Captain One Leg Sterling. It is sure to bring a smile to the face of your pirate loving kin. In fact you can complete the ensemble with our Pirate themed “Got Rum?” t-shirt for your favorite scallywag. Sure to please!

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2) Those of you who regularly read my blog know that I’m a big advocate of using comic books to encourage kids to read. And you also may have read or heard about DC Comics and their decision to re-launch their entire universe of characters with new books.

That’s right. Starting over from scratch. None of the superheroes have met each other. They’ve collected all 52 of the 1^st Issues of each new comic in a gorgeous hardcover book. You have to admit, even if you disagree with the premise, it’s a way cool gift and it’s a great way to get your kid hooked on comics and by extension hooked on reading.

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3) Tired of signing the same old Christmas Carols around the tree this year? Don’t blame you. Jazz things up with It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Zombies: A Book of Zombie Christmas Carols. Christmas will never be the same. And while you’re at it, you may as well pick up Every Zombie Eats Somebody Sometime: A Book of Zombie Love Songs. That way your Valentine’s Day shopping will be done as well.

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4) If you love the movie Zombieland then I have to recommend our t-shirt two pack ALWAYS DOUBLE TAP and NUT UP OR SHUT UP. Remember all the shirts mentioned here are available in sizes up to 5XL and come in about two-dozen different color options. But they are printed on demand, so hurry.

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5) Here is a gift perfect for either the boy or girl middle grade reader. It’s Roland Smith’s I,Q series. And it’s a smartly written story about a boy name Q and his step-sister Angela, who get caught up in some very interesting international intrigue. Book 1 I,Q: Independence Hall is out in paperback. And book 2 I,Q: The White House is now available. You can look for book 3 in July.

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5) Speaking of smartly written books for young readers I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my Youngest Templar series. Starting with The Youngest Templar: Keeper of the Grail then the action continues in The Youngest Templar: Trail of Fate and reaches a stunning conclusion in The Youngest Templar: Orphan of Destiny. All three books are now available in paperback and make a great gift.

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6) If you have a student or aficionado of the American Civil War on your shopping list this year. Why not try out our “CIVIL WAR BUFF” t-shirts. We have a version of Robert E. Lee and a version of Ulysses S. Grant. These shirts are only available online.

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7) If you’ve got a wee little future Albert Pujols living in your house, try a copy of the funtastic alphabet book Baseball From A to Z: A Baseball Alphabet. Learning the alphabet has never been so much fun! Batter up!

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8 ) For grown-up readers and by that I mean adults. Adults. Not kids. Let me be clear, this is not a book for kids under the ages of 16. But my favorite holiday pick this year is When Elves Attack by Tim Dorsey. It’s non stop hilarity from page one. You’ll never look at the Christmas holidays the same way. Trust me. And it’s for adults. Did I mention that?

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9) Have you sent out your Christmas Cards yet? Me neither. But it’s not too late. And be the only one of your friends to send Zombie Christmas Cards. Really, you’ve got to try these.

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10) And speaking of sending cards, you don’t have to send them by Pony Express anymore, but you could still read about the Pony in the Wrangler Award winning OFF LIKE THE WIND! The First Ride of The Pony Express with stunning paintings by Layne Johnson this is book your young Pony rider will want to read again and again.

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11) Okay, if you’re going to break down and buy an e-reader this year. Why not pre-load it with a copy of the newest Spy Goddess novel Spy Goddess: The Spy Who Totally Had a Crush on Me? It can be found at smashwords.com in any format for any device. This book picks up right where Book 3 left off so don’t worry about the Manga editions. Like the ‘prequel’ to Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid it never happened. Are we clear? It never happened.

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12) And to round out your twelfth day of Christmas. You’ll want to pick up a copy of Jack And Jill Went Up To Kill: A Book Of Zombie Nursery Rhymes. Why? Because it’s the perfect stocking stuffer for all of you people who are watching The Walking Dead on AMC and not admitting it.

©2012 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Author writes first book SPY GODDESS: LIVE AND LET SHOP. Gets great reviews. A nomination from Mystery Writers of America for Best Young Adult Mystery. Fans rejoice.

Author writes second book SPY GODDESS: TO HAWAII, WITH LOVE. More great reviews. More fan rejoicing.

Author writes third book SPY GODDESS: THE SPY WHO TOTALLY HAD A CRUSH ON ME and…the publisher says “Sorry no more Spy Goddess novels.”

Ouch.

We try a couple of Manga versions of Spy Goddess to see if that will work. It doesn’t. And I get angry letters from readers who ‘hate’ manga and actually ‘curse’ me for turning their beloved novels into ‘cartoons’.

So the manuscript sits there lonely on my hard drive, yearning to breathe free. Fans continue to email and send letters. Actual hand-written letters, asking me when the next book will be out. And all I can tell them is there won’t be another book.

Except now there is. While all of this time passed, these things like I-Pads and Nooks and Kindles and Kobo’s and Lions and Tigers and Bears started cropping up all over the place. And I started thinking, I bet if I could put SPY GODDESS: THE SPY WHO TOTALLY HAD A CRUSH ON ME out as an ebook, people would buy it. So will they? Time will tell. But if you’ve been waiting for more adventures of Rachel Buchanan and Mr. Kim and Blackthorn Academy this new book picks up right where SPY GODDESS: TO HAWAII, WITH LOVE left off. For all intents and purposes the Manga never happened. Never. Happened.

I’m considering this as an experiment. If it works, then more Spy Goddess books could follow. I hope you’ll pick up…err…download a copy (I’ll never get used to saying that) and let me know what you think.

And tell all your friends!

Your authorness!

Michael P. Spradlin

PS For those of you who don’t have an e-reader, fear not, follow this link and you can download a PDF that you read on a computer!

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/98104

©2012 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

That’s not how it works in Justice League #1 The New 52.

As previously mentioned, DC Comics is starting over. They are taking 52 of their most popular characters and ‘rebooting them’ completely. No connections to each other. No familiarity. We’re talking going all the way back to:

“Hi, I’m Green Lantern, and you are?”
“Batman?”
“Nice to meet you Batman.”
“Uh huh.”

If you have read comics for a while it takes a little getting used to. But I have to admit, at least in Justice League #1 it works. You get caught up in the story. Green Lantern arrives in Gotham City to save the world from a space alien. Batman not so politely says Gotham City is my town. GL is all “how can that be when you don’t even have superpowers? And beside Green Lantern’s are responsible for this whole sector of space” so he says to Batman “That kind of makes me the boss of you.” And Batman is all “Like that’ll happen.”

Good writing captures us and invests us in the characters, whether it’s in a novel or a comic book. And Justice League #1 is a well-written comic book. And without giving away any spoilers the best part of the book is the end, when the Green Lantern and Batman finally make peace and decide they need to head to Metropolis to check out this Superman guy. The way it’s brought to a close is fun. It could have been a cheap tactic, but they invested in the idea and made it work.

Fun. Well-written. Interesting. For $3.99 you might be able to get your reluctant reader hooked on a comic series.

I’d also recommend Green Arrow #1 and Action Comics #1, which reboots Superman’s origin story. For older kids Detective Comics #1 (Which is for older kids only because it re-launches the epic struggle between Batman and Joker but is very violent and the art is a little graphic for young readers).

I’ll admit, which DC announced this initiative I was skeptical. But so far the stories and the writing are winning me over. Forcing something on a reluctant reader almost never works. So maybe you make a quick trip to the comic shop and leave a few of them ‘lying around’. The next thing you know, they’re asking you to take them to the comic shop every Wednesday. (Wednesday’s are new comics days). Or you make a deal with your reluctant reader. Sure. You can have a Green Lantern t-shirt, or an Iron Man lunchbox, but first you’ve got to read one of the comics. Try as many different tactics as you can. Reading is just too important.

And more importantly, if you want your reluctant reader to start reading comics, they just might try it if they see you reading them. And if you haven’t read them in years and don’t know where the stories are or where the characters are at in their lives, well DC has given you a chance to jump in at a new beginning for all of their biggest names. If your reluctant reader gets hooked, there are lots more stories to come. And the next thing you know they’re reading George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones or maybe even,  The Youngest Templar: Keeper of The Grail.

I’m just sayin…

Your authorness

This blog has been brought to you by NERDTASTIC DESIGNS, the official sponsor of michaelspradlin.com/blog

Visit www.nerdtasticdesigns.com

Neat. Nerdy. Nerdtastic

©2012 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

DC Comics the home of Superman, Batman, The Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and my personal favorite Green Arrow, has announced their ‘NEW 52″ initiative.

Essentially, they are taking all of their characters from the The Atom to Zatanna and start over with their stories. Every hero will have a new #1 issue. Superman and Batman haven’t met yet. The Flash is just getting his super speed. Who knows what’s going to happen with Wonder Woman.

It’s a tremendous risk for DC. On the one hand they risk alienating their fans who have been reading these stories and following these characters for decades. On the other hand, they’re hoping the idea of a brand new start across the DC Universe will attract readers who want to jump in but don’t want to enter in the middle of a story. Some fans are howling! What? No Superman married to Lois Lane? How dare they? Others will no doubt jump back into comics with the chance to return to a favorite character and see where this new direction takes them.

Long time readers of this blog know I strongly advocate using the power of pop culture to entice kids to read. And the comic based movies we’re seeing are no doubt driving more folks including kids to the comic store. And that’s a good thing. And while this is a big risk for DC Comics, it’s a great opportunity for parents, teachers and librarians to get kids to try something new. There is nothing kids like more than being a part of something new. Reading books like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson become a collective experience. Something they can share with their peers.

My advice is to hit your local comic shop and take advantage of this opportunity. Try a few of these new books on your reluctant reader. Ask them what they think of Superman’s new costume? Get a discussion going. And like me, if you fondly remember going to the drugstore to pick up the new issue of Superman and the latest Richie Rich, you just might remember how much you enjoyed reading comics as a kid.

How cool would that be?

Keep reading!

Your Authorness

©2012 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

For most parents it’s the hap-happiest season of all. Teachers are preparing their lesson plans and librarians are pouring over reading lists and getting everything ready for their hordes of students to return.

But it’s also Back-To-School time for authors as I and many of my fellow authors start up a new year of school visits. If you write children’s books, appearing at schools and talking to young readers about the importance of reading and writing and books is one of the great side benefits of the job. Writing tends to be a solitary occupation and you spend a lot of time in your own head. (I know…scary!) Having a chance to get out of your office and talk to students and hopefully offering them even a spoonful of inspiration is a tremendous side benefit of being a writer.

Almost all of my author friends make school visits. Some spend the entire school year on the road traveling from one town to the next. Others do only a handful, keeping their eyes instead on the always-approaching deadline.

Having done this for a while now, and having talked with many of my writer friends who have been doing school visits for a much longer time. I’ve come up with a list of hints, tips and tricks that you can use to make your Author visit a tremendous experience for your school, the author, and most importantly your students.

1. The Honorarium

Most authors require an honorarium for school visits. Some who have only published a book or two, ask for modest amounts, some award-winning authors and illustrators command much higher figures. This speaker’s fee is often the greatest obstacle to schools hosting an author event. Budgets are tight for schools and libraries; there is no question about that.

But what must be understood is that the vast majority of writers, especially in children’s books, are not able to make a living from solely from their writing. It is sad but true. Not every author is a major-bestseller living comfortably off his or her royalties. Most of us work another job. To schedule a school visit we usually have to take a day or more off from that job. If we’re traveling to another state, it’s usually three days out of our schedule to make an appearance. (Understand this is only a fact not a complaint).

Yet if a school is creative there are many ways to help defray the cost of the honorarium, at least in part, if not fully and make the visit a break even day. Here are several suggestions

A. Have An Organized, Pro-Active Book Sale Before The Author Arrives.

And by organized I mean, don’t just send a photocopied note home with the kids telling parents the author will visit in a month. Appoint a chairperson of the pre-order campaign. Get your PTO’s or PTA’s involved. Send home multiple copies of the order form with your students. The more times it’s sent, the better chance it has to get out of the backpack and into the hands of the parents. Make sure the information is posted on the schools website and in school newsletters. Put up posters in the hallways. Make a display in the school library or the office. Post notices of the impending visit at your local public library. Talk to other schools in your district about sharing the costs. Get your local media involved and list the event online with local newspapers, TV and radio stations.

If you work with a local bookseller, most will offer schools a discount for author visits. If you’re creative, focused and organized at selling enough books, you can pay for or greatly defray the cost of the honorarium and are that much closer to a great author event.

B. Look For Partners In Your Community To Help Defray The Costs

As I already mentioned a local and energetic bookseller can help. But there are other sources of funding in your community you may not have thought of.

• Your local public library. Many libraries get grants and funding for special events. Many libraries get grants and funding for special events. Most authors are willing to speak at a school during the day and a library event in the evening. Your local library can help you publicize the visit, sell more books and again, defray the cost of the honorarium.
• Approach local service clubs like the Kiwanis and Rotary Club for donations toward the author visit. Most clubs are willing to pitch in a few hundred dollars for an event like this. And you can also offer the author as ‘programming’ for the club. Most clubs have weekly or monthly meetings and they are always looking for speakers. If you schedule the visit around the club meeting you can offer the author as a guest speaker. And don’t forget these clubs are made up of Parents, Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles who would love to purchase an autographed book for the child in their life. Another sales opportunity!
• Look for potential grant money at your city, state or county level. Offer the author visit as a fundraiser for your local literacy group. There are many organizations out there that offer grant money for ‘educational purposes’. Last year I made a school visit to Missouri where a county organization had not only funded the honorarium and travel expenses, they also purchased a book for each student in the 6-8th grades and a classroom set of all my books for each teacher! It was all funded by a local county organization whose mission is to promote reading and literacy.

2. Prepare Your Students For The Author’s Visit

This is especially important for the non Rick Riordan’s and Jeff Kinney’s among us. There is nothing more deflating for an author to visit a school and find none of the students read or are familiar with your books. Believe me it happens. If you have an interest in a particular author, make sure at least some of your best students have read at least one of his or her books. It makes the Q&A sessions go so much better!

3. Visit The Author’s Website

Many authors have a wealth of content on their sites to help make your job easier. For example, I have PDFs of customizable event posters and order forms so each school can create their own individual materials. My website also outlines the different type of presentations I do, from ‘writing workshops’ to ‘hands on history’. Discuss with the author before the visit 
what you think might most appeal to your students, or help meet the curriculum needs of your school. Most authors are flexible and can tailor a presentation in a lot of different ways to make it more meaningful to your students and educators.

4. Remember It’s All About Fun

An author visit is something your students should look forward too. With the proper preparation, and yes, a little bit of extra work, you can give your students an experience they’ll remember for a long time, maybe forever. And you might even connect that reluctant reader with an author who will turn them into a lifetime reader.

Isn’t that’s what it’s all about?

(Check my website for some links to some other articles on hosting a great author event!)

Like this post? Please share it, via one of the links below.

Your authorness,

Michael P. Spradlin

©2012 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

This week we welcome author Debra Ginsberg. Her newest book The Neighbors are Watching was just released this week from Crown Publishers. We first became a fan of Debra’s work by reading her book Waiting about her experiences waiting tables, one of the most universal jobs out there. Visit Debra at her website where you can see the really cool trailer for The Neighbors are Watching. Thanks for joining us this week, Debra.

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.

Neither the Green Arrow or Hawkeye are what could be considered major characters in the Marvel or DC Universes. As I’m always saying, anyone can be a Superman or Spiderman fan but it takes real dedication to favor the Red Tornado or Nightwing. And for a long time the only place where I could find the Green Arrow or Hawkeye was when they teamed up with another more popular character or they went to the Justice League (Green Arrow) or Avengers (Hawkeye) meetings. In those cases my two favorite archers might get off a wise crack or two and that would be it.

I was thrilled, when I found that Marvel had started a new four issue series called Hawkeye: Blindspot. And when I read it, I was even more thrilled, not just because it’s a great story, but it’s also a great introduction for young readers to learn about a member of the Avengers. And remember how I’ve said that we have an opportunity to use the power of popular culture to inspire kids to read? Hawkeye: Blindspot is a great place to start because next summer we’ll see him in the Avengers Movie in theatre’s everywhere and Hawkeye will have a major role. Reading Blindspot will give your young reader an introduction to Hawkeye and his role in the Avenger universe as well a summary of his life story and how he became a hero and an Avenger whom Captain America himself said “might be the very best of us.” (Also, if you’ve seen the Thor movie, you’ve already seen a cameo by Jeremy Renner who will star as Hawkeye in the Avengers movie).

So here are four reasons why you should try out Hawkeye: Blindspot on your reluctant reader.

1) It tells Hawkeye’s story, so you need not have read anything about him before you read Blindspot

2) It’s a great story filled with action and a great premise. Hawkeye is the worlds greatest archer. But on a mission he is injured and is losing his vision. Not a good thing if you’re an archer.

3) A villain from Hawkeye’s pasts shows up and Hawkeye, like all heroes and despite his handicap, most find a way to stop this evil person from wreaking havoc on the innocent.

4) As mentioned next summer The Avengers will be the biggest movie events of the summer. Hawkeye will help your young reader get up to speed on what is sure to be a fantastic movie event. And who knows. They just might want to read more!

And that’s the point of it all, isn’t it!

Your authorness,

Michael Spradlin

©2012 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Lately, I’ve been on a crusade to encourage kids to read more comics. I’ve also been trying to inspire teachers, librarians and parents to let kids read more comics. I think we now have a tremendous opportunity with Hollywood cranky out so many movies based on comics and graphic novels, to use this medium as a tool to help reluctant readers, especially boys, get hooked on reading.

If you’re a parent who loved comics as a kid, why not start reading them again ? After all kids pay more attention to what you do, than what you say. Rediscover the love of Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, Wonder Woman or Supergirl that you had as a kid. If  you start reading comics, I’ll bet your kids will too. And I’ll be willing to bet, once they start reading comics, they’ll start reading other things. Like, you know, books. Take them to a comic shop and let them look around. Tell them they can’t have an action figure, but they can have a comic book! (You can come back later and get them the action figure!) Note: If your community doesn’t have a comic shop, there are a ton of online comic sellers, so let your child browse their selection and find one they like.

I really believe we have a golden opportunity now to use the power of popular culture to inspire our kids to read more. And don’t just take my word for it. There is a ton of research showing that comics are a great way to get reluctant readers hooked on reading. Here is just one article.

And to encourage more kids, parents, teachers and librarians I’m going to do my part by reviewing comics on a regular basis. And trying to give you some of my recommendations of what I think you or your young reader might like. I think it’s a worthwhile experiment. Trust me. Reading comics as a kid, made me want to read other things. And I know a lot of my writer friends say the same thing.

So to kick things off, this week, I’m recommending FLASHPOINT #1. In brief, the original Flash, Barry Allan was killed a long time ago and replaced by the original Kid Flash, Wally West. But now Barry Allan is back from the dead. And as usual, when someone comes back from the dead, things have a tendency to go wrong. Way wrong. Like Universe altering wrong. And this story is a suspenseful page-turner as ‘back from the dead Barry’ is trying to figure out what the heck is going on and why the world is upside down. Things really get weird when Barry discovers that all of a sudden the world he knew is completely changed. There is no Superman. There is no Justice League. There is a Batman, but he is not the Batman you think he is. Intrigued? I was. And I think you will be. Flashpoint #1 is on sale now and I believe this is a good way for you and your child to connect over a book. It might not be a traditional book, but remember this:

Reading is reading.

More later

Your authorness

©2012 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

How many times have you uttered a phrase or quip and said “That ought to be on a t-shirt!” Personally I know I’ve said it at least 3,678 times in my lifetime. Trust me. I keep track of these things. And since illustrator Jeff Weigel and I have started collaborating on our Zombie books, we’ve found a lot of the designs and phrases from our books cry out for a t-shirt.

And that’s where Nerdtastic Designs comes in. We’ve created a little spin-off company that creates t-shirts from some of the best illustrations from our books. Plus a few others that we’ve come up with along the way that we just think are darn funny. 

So, take a moment to check out all of our designs including our newest, the Mt. Rushmore “Zombie Nation” design and of course our extremely popular Civil War Buff designs. All of them are unique, fun and quirky. The perfect gift for that hard to buy for unique fun, quirky person that you need to buy a gift for. You know who I’m talking about.

The best part is, you can take your favorite design, and with our print on demand technology you can have a t-shirt in just about any size and with over dozens of colors to choose from! It’s like Build-A-Bear only with t-shirts!

Watch for a Nerdtastic Designs Website soon but in the meantime:

Visit our shop today!

Be a friend on Facebook

Tell all your friends!

Your Authorness

Michael P. Spradlin

Also don’t forget we have Zombie themed Christmas Cards too! Visit www.zombie-cards.com for details!

©2012 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

So without  further ado:

Know a dad who is a history lover? Social studies teacher? Reads big, thick biographies of obscure Civil War generals? If so they need a ‘Civil War Buff’ t-shirt. Available in a design with General Grant or General Lee.

How about a Dad who has a really great sense of humor? Or has visited the Arctic Circle and seen two polar bears in the wild? In that case, the ‘Bi-Polar’ t-shirt is for them!

Does Dad like Pirates? Has he already been to see Pirates of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides seven times? If so, he needs a ‘Got Rum?’ t-shirt. (And okay, he should really have a copy of Pirate Haiku, also. Sorry. Can’t help myself).

Is the Dad on your list into computers? Then he needs a ‘Spambot’ t-shirt.

And if you know a Dad who loves horror movies and zombies, who thinks George Romero should be elected President then check out one of our zombie themed t-shirts! My personal favorite is ‘Always Double Tap’.

There you have it! A gift for any and every Dad!

You’re welcome!

Your Authorness,

Michael P. Spradlin

©2012 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.