Monday Interview Series: The Emperor

Today I'm going to be speaking with the Emperor from Hans Christian Andersen's story, The Emperor's New Clothes. This should be exciting. I always wanted to know how he could be taken in by those two dishonest tailors.

Greg:  It's a pleasure to have you here this week, Emperor. Er, um, uh, did you forget something, perhaps, my lord?

Emperor:  Hmm, what? What are you talking about, my good man? Forget something? Me? Well of course I haven't forgotten anything.

Greg:  Really? Because I think you very well may have.

Emperor:  I most certainly have not. Why do you ask?

Greg:  Well it's just that...forgive me if I seem rude, but, well. You're in your underwear.

Emperor:  Am I? Am I really? Or are you too dimwitted to see these fine clothes? The tailors said that those who are unfit for their positions, or simply stupid would not be able to see the thread that these clothes are made from. It's too bad for you, really. You seemed so nice and not stupid at all, but there you are. You can't see them, so it must be so.

In fact, these clothes are so comfortable, that it hardly seems like I'm wearing anything at all. I think I should have some underwear made to go with them.

Greg:  No!!! I mean, how can you be so sure that the tailors were telling you the truth? After all, that little boy in the crowd could see that you did not have any clothes on.

I Like Summer Giveaway

It's been a while since our last giveaway, so I think it's time we had another--don't you? So, without further ado, I'd like to introduce the

I Like Summer Giveaway

Those who enter will be eligible to win a prize pack that includes:

5 Signed Deliverers bookmarks

A signed copy of The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel

A $25 Amazon Gift Card

The giveaway will run from July 15 to July 31, so make sure you enter to be a part of it!

Here's what you need to do to enter to win:

1. Like The Deliverers paperback edition on Amazon, and you'll get 3 points

2. Like The Deliverers Kindle edition on Amazon, and you'll get 3 points

3. Like The Deliverers Facebook Page, and you'll get 2 points

4. Follow The Deliverers Blog, and you'll get 2 points

5. Fill out the Rafflecopter entry below. *

*If Rafflecopter does not appear below, click HERE to enter.

Best of luck to everyone

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Writer's Week #27: Sticking to the Goal

The writing of the new book continued this week. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to keep up the pace. I had set a goal of 2,000 words a week on The Deliverers 2, and for a while there I thought that I wasn't going to make it. Thankfully, I was able to write just under 2,100 words, thanks to some inspiration on Thursday evening.

All in all, I'm pretty satisfied with the new book, so far. I'm still not sure how I'm going to get there, although I'm pretty sure about where I'll eventually wind up. I've reached 32,000 words, in 37 chapters and 148 pages.

So I'm still chugging along. Each week brings a new challenge to overcome in the struggle to write. When I do write, I can write a lot fairly quickly. Unless I get stuck.

Right now, I'm in a fertile period, which makes me wish I had a whole week off in a mountain cabin. I'd get the rest of the first draft finished and be into rewrites. But, that's not going to happen. Oh well, it's nice to know that I'm close enough to finishing that it's at least conceivable. 


There's nothing much to report on the marketing front. Sales of The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel have hit a summer skid, but I'm really not that concerned. I'm too busy working on the next one. Oh yes, and I had a flash of inspiration for the third book. I have no real plot idea yet, but I think this is going to be a great theme. We'll see. 


The other bit of news concerns this blog. I'm on a crusade to reach at least 100 followers by the end of July. Right now, I'm at 93. If you're a follower, thank you. If you're not, there's a Join This Site button to the left of this post. If you've got a Google account, please follow. Oh, and don't forget to tell your friends! 


The goal for next week is the same--write at least 2,000 words and come up with interesting things to write about on the blog. Once again I'll let you know how I did next week.

My Favorite Books: Just In Time for the King's Birthday

Today I'm writing about a book that's close to my heart. I don't know much about what it's about. Until today I couldn't remember the author, the illustrator, or even the title. However,Just In Time for the King's Birthday is a book that I will always think of with fondness--even if I don't remember much of it.

You see, this is the first book that I ever read all on my own. I "read" many books before this, if you count looking at pictures and picking out some of the words, or if you count the ones that had been read to me. But, Just In Time for the King's Birthday, written by E.B. Chance and illustrated by Arline Meyer, was the first book that I read through all by myself without any help.

Why this is one of my favorite books.

As I said before, it's the first book I ever read on my own. This made such an impression on my that I remember it clearly over 40 years later. I also have a vivid memory of proudly marching out of my room to read (pretty dramatically I might add) the entire book aloud to my parents. I thought that this was quite a treat for them--the equivalent to appearing on America's Got Talent or something like that today.

It was a Scholastic book that I ordered at school--I loved ordering those books, just as my kids do today! There was no better feeling than coming in to school and seeing the big brown box on the teacher's desk. Right then all the kids knew she'd be handing out books. This particular book also came with a little record or the book. I thought that was cool.

What I didn't know when I first read it.

I had no idea about the world that I was about to enter. I had just cracked open the door to a land of a world of infinite imagination, knowledge and adventure. 

Here are some things that I either knew then and had forgotten, or that I never knew. The book is 31 pages long. On the flip side of the record is a little song called Over In the Meadow by Joe Raposo. He wrote songs for Sesame Street for years. Many of his songs you knew growing up, including Bein' Green and C is for Cookie. I also did not remember much about the book, as I said. 

I was able to find an audio copy of the book on the web, courtesy of Recordo Obscura. I took it and turned it into a video on Windows Movie Maker. As I listened to this for the first time in 40 years, it immediately brought me back to that moment. I am amazed how much of it was familiar, like it had been lurking around in my head just waiting to be drawn forth. Hmm, there's a book idea in there somewhere. The narrator is Robert Dryden. Anyway, here it is:

What's Christian Reading? Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban

Well, he's finally done it. I've been after Christian for ages to check out Harry Potter, but he kept saying no. I swear, that boy just will not do something if I suggest it. But, I was persistent--and crafty. The boy is just like me. You see, I waited a long time before I caved in and started reading the series. I think the fourth book had just come out when I read book number one.

Anyway, like I said, Christian absolutely refused to read them. Then, I had a brainstorm. On the evening of the fourth of July I suggested to Christian that we have a father & son movie night. I listed some videos that I knew he wouldn't want to watch. Then I said I'd surprise him, and put Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in. To my surprise, he didn't say anything, he just started watching. The next day, the kids went to the library, and Christian came back with three of the books.

Since then, he's been reading. He even squeezed a different book in between books 1 & 2. He's just finished book 3. He wanted to read book 5 after book 2. I stressed to him the importance of reading this series in order. Again, to my surprise he listened. He must really like these books! So, here's Christian's take on book 3, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J.K.Rowling.

Here's what Christian says the book is about.

"It is about a boy named Harry Potter who is going to school at Hogworts' School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.Sirius Black, a convict from the magical prison of Azkaban has escaped. He is believed to have killed 13 people with a single curse.

"Dementors, the really scary guards of Azkaban are guarding Hogworts because it is thought that Black might be heading to the school to kill Harry.Harry has many encounters with the Dementors, and develops a fear of them. The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lupin, teaches a Harry a spell to repel the Dementors.

"Harry and his friends, Ron and Hermoine, are wrapped up in another mystery that includes a hippogriff, a madman, and a race through time. I won't tell you what happens, but it's very exciting."

What did Christian like best about the book?

"I really like how they went back in time. That was a cool idea, and the author did a great job! I also liked how J.K. Rowling came up with innterestinng names for the wizard exams (O.W.L'.s and N.E.W.T.'s)."

Was there anything that Christian didn't like?

"I liked all of this book."

So, how did Christian rate Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J.K. Rowling?

Christian gives it five out of five flaming monkey heads.