The bewitching hour is almost here and with it, this month's contest to win Frostie the Deadman, Zackary Richards' YA haunting novel with a dash of moral thrown in, is coming to a close.  I hope you have enjoyed getting to know Mr. Richards, our local author of the month and are anxiously awaiting the drawing on Thursday to win a signed copy of his book.

Before I get to the very last, all important "Question of the Day" of this month, and this year, I would like to share some of Richards' advice for would-be authors.

In my interview of Richards, he shared the key to his award winning success.

Q: What have you found to be an invaluable tool in your writing process?

Richards: I advise anyone serious about writing to join a writers group. Although writers are generally introverts and uncomfortable in crowds, having strangers review your work with a unbiased eye can be an immense help to improving your craft. I joined the Glens Falls writers group slightly before Frostie was published and the Albany Fiction writer group shortly afterwards. Constructive criticism helps us discover the flaws in our work and helps overcome the fear that any changes will likely ruin it.

Q:  What should every writer of Young Adult Fiction remember?

Richards: You have to be able to remember what it was like being a Young Adult and to take the time to learn how today's kid's talk and what they are into. Never talk down to them and never preach. Kids learn from example not from some wind-bag waxing philosophical.

Q: What special responsibility does a YA writer have to their audience?

Richards: . . . I never realized the incredible responsibility YA authors have to their readers until I went on the Frostie the Deadman book tour. Over and over kids came up to me and told me that they knew these guys (my characters Josh and Winks) and now understood how important it was to be a good friend and to be brave even when things are at their scariest. It was then I realized I wasn't just entertaining kids, I was programming them. You can write whatever you want in an adult novel because adults have their own opinions but kids, they BELIEVE what they read so the YA author must be very careful about what he/she puts in a book.    

Lastly, 

Q: Do you have any other advice for future authors on writing, editing, publishing and marketing?

Richards: Tons! All of which will be featured in my upcoming video tutorial 'How To Get Your Book Published' (please pardon the shameless self-promotion).

That's okay, Mr. Richards'-we don't mind a little "shameless self-promotion."  After all, our goal is to create community and help promote our local authors!

You can watch for that on Mr. Richards' own blog site at http://zackaryrichards.blogspot.com/

__________________

Well, that's it folks!  The day after tomorrow is the drawing for the book.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Richards for being our local author of the month and for donating a copy of Frostie the Deadman for the prize and a copy for the library so that we can add it to our stacks.  We appreciate you very much!

Here's your last chance to be entered into the contest:

Question of the Day:
Are you staying at home, handing out candy or are you going out trick-or-treating?

Happy Halloween everyone! 

coming in November . . .

A Special Friends and Words Gift Guide

The last time we met on the blog, I described the fear factor in Zackary Richards' YA novel Frostie the Deadman.  But there is more to the story. 

 Behind the mask of Frostie's chilling tale exists the inspiration and a moral.

Without giving too much of Frostie away, 

(because after all I really want you to enjoy the book if you win it,  borrow it from the library once we catalog it, or support Mr. Richards by purchasing a copy of your very own), 

in addition to the characters of Lucas and Walks, there exists another element of the story that is crucial.

     In the mid 1940's, fictional Adirondack town of Sparks experienced one of those winters that we Upstate New Yorker's know all too well-the kind that keeps even the bravest children inside.  To chase the winter blues away the town people hold a snowman building contest, with a $10 cash prize and a free meal at the local restaurant, "which at the time was considered quite generous (Chapter 2, 2nd page)." 

     Just how generous?  I did some research on Dave Manuel's Inflation Calculator (http://www.davemanuel.com/inflation-calculator.php) and apparently Richards was correct.  $10 in 1945 would be like $128.21 today and since everyone knows you can't go out to a nice restaurant for less than $25/person plus tax and tip, minus beverages, that was indeed a nice prize!  

     By the way, that our $10.00 today would have only been about 78 cents.  Wow!  But I digress.

Back to Frostie . . .

So fast forward some years and the people of Spark's are trying to think of a way to attract tourists and since the snowman contest was fun, they decide to build their tourism around building and displaying the best of the best snowmen and arranging them on the lake in the form of a huge marching band.  Apparently it worked because 30 years later, Spark's is famous for this frozen wonder.

_________________

     How Richards tells the story is that one day his two daughters made this fantastic looking snowman and they couldn't wait until Daddy got home to show off their "creation," but by the time he got home it was way to dark to venture way out back of their Glens Falls home.  

     A couple of days went by before he had the chance to make the trek.  By that time, as is typical of Upstate NY winter days, the temperature had fluctuated in a wide range of highs and lows and the magnificent creature was no more.  What stood before Richards was a distorted pile of snow and ice that was no longer handsome and noble, but "grotesque and evil." 

At that very moment, Frosty the Snowman was gone forever, but Frostie the Deadman took on a life of his own in Richards' mind.

     But I can assure you that "grotesque and evil" doesn't have a long life either and Richards' cleverly weaves an endearing story about how two young boys overcome the evil through the power of friendship and develops into an important moral with an anti-bullying message.

     I can't tell you anymore.  Well, I could, but I won't.  It just wouldn't be fair.  You really should read the book.  I promise you'll love it! Plus, remember-it's guaranteed! 

Next time . . . Mr. Richards' shares advice for budding authors.

Until then . . .

Remember . . .

                                     (Figment.com, retrieved 10/24/12)

The Zackary Richards Guarantee

"It was almost midnight.  The air was cold and crisp and white billowy clouds sailed across the wintry sky.  The giant evergreens of the Adirondack Mountains swayed gently in the breeze, their icy branches sparkling under the light of the full moon.  The air was thick with the smell of pine, birch and cedar.  The sky was covered with stars."

And so Zackary Richards' tale of Frostie the Deadman begins.  The opening descriptive paragraph seems more appropriate for a nice, peaceful, tale of winter hopes and dreams than what Richards unfolds in his first YA novel.

But in the midst of this midwinter's night dream scene, something is lurking in the shadows that is about to disrupt all the snowy white goodness.

Richards continues to lure his readers into this sense of false security, yet quickly begins to mix clever adjectives in with the snow white goodness.

"In the valley below, the wind skipped across the frozen lake like a playful child and danced with the cheery-faced snowmen that had been placed upon its surface . . Snow devils twirled around fence posts . . . In the distance a coy-dog howled."

So far, so good, but do you notice the tone subtly changing?

And just you wait!  Things are about to change from a Hallmark Christmas Card to the Night of the Living Dead real soon!

"Under the light of the full moon, he saw Lucas staring down.  His teeth were clenched and saliva dangled from his chin.  His eyes were wild, like that of a rabid animal. Walks was lost in the moment, lost in the passion.  He raised the club to deliver the final, fatal blow."

Yikes!

Who is this Lucas?  Why is Walks hunting him down?  What has happened to change the picturesque, fictional winter town of Sparks, NY? 

Well, I could tell you, but that would ruin the whole story for you, and since I really want you to read Richard's book, then I recommend that you pick yourself up a copy of Frostie the Deadman to find the answers!  Or you could wait and try to win the copy that we're giving away this month, or wait to borrow it from the library, but you might want to read about the Zackary Richards Guarantee.

Amazon has print copies available, but the Kindle copies are a great deal at $3.99! And here's even better news that might seem too good to be true:  Richards' guarantees that you will love any of his books that if you do not truly love them, he will refund the purchase of the downloaded book within 30 days with receipt!  

Can you believe that?

How many authors do you know would do that?

When I asked Richards about this odd practice he said,  "I have thrown out far more books than I have read. Primarily because the author forgot that it is his/her responsibility to entertain the reader. To often they get so impressed with their own artistry, they forget they are on the clock. I know times are tough and money's tight so if you don't like my book or if its simply not your thing, I'll refund your money. This way my readers will see I'm on the up and up and perhaps recommend me to someone he/she feels would enjoy my work."

Impressive!

Well, I have read the first three chapters so far, and love it and recommend it to all you lovers of Young Adult Fiction-especially for Halloween.  You won't be disappointed!  Richards' guarantees it!

This week libraries all over the U.S. are celebrating a very special event and I would almost guarantee that most of you have probably never heard of it!

It's Teen Read Week.

Teen Read Week is sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association which is a real mouthful to say, so it's commonly known in library circles as YALSA.  YALSA's goal for this week is to get teens to read for the fun of it.

Not because it's been assigned by a teacher or their parents are making them read a book, but for the sheer pleasure in reading a book or magazine of their choice for no other reason than to be entertained.

To some teens, who are more inclined to read hours of their friends rants and raves on Facebook and Twitter or choose to spend their entertainment hours on video games, television, sports and movies, the notion that they can read for fun is SCARY!

YALSA knows this, so they built this year's Teen Read Week around that very theme:

I have to admit that I was thrilled when I saw the theme on YALSA's website. It's very rare that things line up perfectly!  

• It's October-a month known for spooky, scary stories
• It's Teen Read Week
• YALSA's theme is spooky and fun
• I found an author that writes spooky, fun Young Adult novels

See what I mean-all the pieces of the puzzle fit perfectly for this month and I'm so excited to present Zackary Richards' and his YA books!

Tomorrow, I will give you a sneak preview of Richards' Frostie the Deadman and how the idea was born.  

Dare to come back!

Until then, remember . . .

Encourage a teen to head on over to the library and read for the fun of it!

    The Greatest Fear in Writing

      From the beginning of this blog, I have felt honored and privileged to be able to chat with each of the local people who have succeeded in becoming a published authors.

     They each had a dream and felt that they had something creative to share with the rest of us.  They put a piece of themselves "out there" for the world to see, read and judge.

     Each of the authors that I have had the pleasure of getting to know this year and sharing with all of you, have given wonderful advice that could help a budding author.  They have even shared some difficulties that they had along the way.

     Yet, I would also imagine that each of them saw the risk that people might not like what they had to say in their books, and they were brave enough to go ahead with their dream anyway.
   

     I am sure that for every one of the Jason Foster's, Cano Davy's, Dorothy Stacy's and Rod Riesel's in this world, there are several others who think that the risk outweighs the pursuit of the dream.   

Because deep down, to know that publishing a book also means to know that you will be judged.

And that can be very, very frightening.

__________________________

The author that I am chatting with this month knows all about this fear, yet his is lessened by the fact that he is an award winning author.

Mr. Zackary Richards, of the Glens Falls area, has published several books, including two YA (Young Adult) titles, one of which is award winning.

I look forward to sharing Mr. Richard's thoughts about the fear of writing, advice for anyone dreaming of becoming a published author and the bone chilling tales  his YA titles, Frostie the Deadman and High Moon Falls with you this month.

Come back soon, if you dare! 

 Until then . . .

Remember

"The things I want to know are in books; my best friend is the man who'll get me a book I ain't read." 
Abraham Lincoln
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/book.html#v4hhQUTmsDI88WZz.99 

The day has finally come.  The day that many of you have eagerly awaited.  The day has come to reveal the winner of Rod Riesel's debut book Sleeping Dogs Lie.

Before I draw the name, I wanted to share with you some of Rod's thoughts about life in Herkimer, writing and such.

• As for life in Herkimer, Rod thinks that the people are the best thing about the area:

         "I would have to say that my favorite thing about Herkimer would be the   
          small town atmosphere. I like that while my wife and I are on a walk  
          someone always drives by who beeps and waves. I like that every time I 
          run to the store for something, what should have taken 15 minutes takes a 
          half hour, because I always run into someone I know." 

I know that feeling well, don't you?

• Rod's other passion in life (besides his wife, family and writing): Running.

        "I also enjoy running. I have run the last eleven Boilermakers in a row. My 
         wife and I run about six or seven area races a year including Herkimer’s 
         Dare Run and the ARC Heart and Sole Run."

• Rod's appreciation for the "creative process":

        "I have always been fascinated by the creative process. I was always amazed at how someone could just sit down and write a book or a song, or paint a picture, or write a poem. Like a lot of people, writing a book is something I always said I would like to do, but never really thought I would. Even toward the end of writing this book I was still in the mindset that only friends and family would probably ever read it. It wasn’t until I had finished the rough draft and had given it to a few people to read that I finally started thinking, ok, maybe this could go somewhere."

Yes, Rod . . . it has gone somewhere, for now you are officially a published author!  We congratulate you on your debut and look forward to the second book in the Dan Coast Series, due out next Spring!


That, my friends, concludes September's featured author profile.  I sincerely hope that you make every effort to attend Rod's book signing event at Frank J. Basloe Library on Tuesday, October 9 from 5-7pm for the official unveiling of Sleeping Dogs Lie.  

For more information about the book and events Rod has planned, please "like" Sleeping Dogs Lie on Facebook.

And now . . . the winner of a signed copy of Rod's book, who won by answering questions of the day on Frank J. Basloe Library's Facebook page is . . .

Congratulations to this month's winner and thank you to all who participated in answering the questions of the day!  

In honor of Banned Books Week, I am taking this week off from the Meet a Local Author, but will return on Columbus Day with a new author and new questions for chances to win!

Until then . . .

“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to 

suit me.” 

― C.S. Lewis