Friday, March 3, 2023

The Reality-based Young Adult fiction of Wilson James, author (a blog post written by A.I.)

Who is Wil James, and what are his young adult novels about? A guest blog post, written by A.I.

Wilson James is an author of young adult novels. He has published several books including "Sons and Brothers in Seattle", "Aiden's Arrival-Honor Before Gold", "Robert's Ride", "Playing the Son Card", "Playing the Baseball Card", "Zac and the Reluctant Prince: Book 1 of the Prince David series", and others. Wil's novels are filled with life lessons that aim to inspire and encourage young readers.

In his books, Wil focuses on themes such as courage, family, friendship, and the importance of doing what is right. He wants to help young adults to see that they have the power to make a positive impact on the world around them, and that they should never be afraid to stand up for what they believe in.

The author's rationale for writing these novels is to inspire and encourage young adults to be the best they can be. He believes that stories can have a powerful impact on people's lives, and that by sharing positive messages through his writing, he can help young people to see the world in a new and more positive light.

Wil is currently working on new books that continue to explore the themes of bravery, family, and friendship. His goal is to help young adults to find the courage and confidence they need to succeed in life and make a positive impact on the world.

So, I hope this guest post has piqued your interest. I have written the types of stories I would have wanted to read when I was young, and while they are fiction, all of them are based on some real life incident or story. 

You can find my eBook titles at my author's page on Smashwords. I hope you discover! Happy Reading,

Wil


Thursday, March 2, 2023

1 Week ONLY - my eBooks for FREE - during Smashwords' Read-an-eBook-Week SALE


Read my eBooks for FREE 1 week SALE 5-11 March 2023

Starting tomorrow, Sunday 5th March, it's Smashwords' annual Read-an-eBook-Week sale. As I've done in previous years, i'm offerring this opportunity to discover my 7 Young Adult Reality-Based Fiction titles, for free.  

Of course, it's not just my books, but thousands of others, from March 5-11, only. This is a chance to get my 7 books, along with books from many other great authors, free or at a discount so you can get right to reading.

From this link, you can chose your preferred category of reading, and options, here: https://www.smashwords.com/shelves/promos/1018/free/medium 

My 7 Young Adult titles are FREE in this 1-week sale, look them here:  smashwords.com/profile/view/W

I usually look for new titles myself during this 1-week sale. It's a great chance to build a library for future reading, and discover new authors, as well. 

Happy reading!

Wil

Wednesday, November 30, 2022

A Dream to Create: the Reality-based fiction of Wilson James, author

I want to share what I was thinking when I had the idea that I could write what I've come to call, 'the Reality-based fiction of Wilson James, author,' intended for Young Adults and others. So, I have created a small poster that really speaks to how I have felt about creating my works of Young Adult fiction. It rather goes with the saying that, "Dream as though you're going to live forever. Live every day as though it's going to be your last."

So, what I would say, as a corollary, is, "If you have a dream to create, then do it. Now. Don't wait."


In some ways, I feel like a had a dream to write, and I have lived that dream. If you have a dream, then do all you can to make it come true.

Thanks for dropping by my blog, and
Happy Reading.

Wil

Friday, July 1, 2022

The Books of Wilson James, author -- The Author's View of What and Why

It's been a while since I published anything new, and I still have hopes to do more, especially as I have some ideas for sequels, and new books. Even as I sometimes wonder if I did the right thing, in the end I'm still glad that I wrote and shared my stories.

My writing
I started writing some years ago and made the decision to publish back in 2009. I suppose, initially, my impetus was to use fiction to change non-fiction events. I saw things happening, in the world, and I wondered what might have been. How might the event have turned out differently? It was, in a sense, my attempt to insert my own “if only” or “what if?”

Generally, as a rule, my fictional view of events turned out to have a happier ending, and that thinking pervades throughout my books. Of course, there are tragedies, as well, but overall the story endings conclude on a positive note. That is, of course, how I hope life would always be. Fiction is whatever we want to make it. In our fictional world, we can do anything we want.

I also know, alas, that life does not turn out that way. I have, in my writing, tried to base my stories on some reality. I can say that all of my characters are based on real people, young or old, and their actions are based on real accomplishments.

The books
The various books encompass a variety of activities, events, and characters. They all stand on their own. In many cases, I have had ideas for sequels, but other new stories always seemed to get in the way, and none of the sequels have been finished.

The common themes of the stories are those of courage, accomplishment, tenacity, faith, love and mutual support. The stories tell of those who persevere against unusual or unreasonable odds, but almost always with the strength of family and friends. It is that ideal, that we can accomplish things together and achieve goals, that I would hope readers take away from the books.

For the future
The books have reached tens of thousands of readers, and it is my hope they will reach many more. I also hope that they will have some kind of positive impact on some who may read them, and perhaps give a few readers strength by giving examples of how things could be. More than anything, though, I would wish the stories are read and enjoyed, in the current day and long after I am gone.

Life is complicated
As we go through this life, we sometimes take moments to thing about our lives -- how we live, and how we deal with the world around us. Certainly, I have done so. And, yes, the characters in my books have done so. Perhaps, then, it is appropriate to conclude this post with this thought: "We cannot change many of the things around us, in our lives; but we can change the way we feel about those things."

Many thanks, and
Happy reading.

Wil

Saturday, June 18, 2022

On Fathers' Day, the ask: What kind of a Father?

 A Reprise of my most-read Fathers' Day Essay


As a person, I have observed many examples of ‘fathers’ and regrettably more bad than good. It's complicated, of course, as is so much of human existance. But, in the end, I believe a good father does the best he can - but also strives to learn and improve. If I have regrets in this life, it might include that I was not as good a father as I wish to have been. I hope that I am improving. I hope I am becoming more like the best of the fictional fathers I have created. 

As an author, I have often created characters in a father role.  In certain of my books, the father is described after his death. In Playing the Baseball Card, the protagonist describes his father as a man who ‘made sure that his children were the most important part of his life.

In Aiden’s Arrival: Honor Before Gold, a now-grown son describes a man who assumed a father’s role by marrying a women with two young children.  “None of us; my mother, my sister, my nephew, my niece; were related to our father and grandfather by blood, but that didn’t matter to him.  He showed us, by his example, that family is about loving people, and caring about people, and living together in a supportive way.  Not always in harmony, but always caring about your family more than anything else.  He lived that kind of life, and today we carry on with that legacy.

In Zac and the Reluctant Prince, Book 1 of the Prince David series, the father is described this way:  “The example of his life teaches us the lessons of responsibility, obligation, commitment, dedication, loyalty, patriotism and also compassion.  In his life, he strove to be the best son he could be, the best husband he could be, the best father he could be, the best officer he could be, and the best man he could be.

If you know your father, what do you think of him? If you knew your father, how do you remember him?

I believe a real father is one who looks into the eyes of his children, and says to them, “My life improved the day you came into my life, and my life gets better every day that you are still in my life.”  I also believe a real father is the kind of role model I’ve described in the excerpts from my books, above. 

If you have the chance to be a father, or if you are a father, how do you want to be remembered? 

To all fathers, everywhere, Happy Fathers’ Day.

... Wil ...

Monday, June 14, 2021

My "Father's Day" essay -- to all fathers everywhere, "Happy Father's Day" on June 21, 2021

A Reprise of my most-read Fathers' Day Essay - What Kind of Father?


As a person, I have observed many examples of ‘fathers’ and regrettably more bad than good.  On a positive note, a few years ago I was particularly struck by two pieces related to fatherhood, one by LZGranderson at cnn.com, and the other by Dominic Utton at the Mail Online.

As an author, I have often created characters in a father role.  In certain of my books, the father is described after his death. In Playing the Baseball Card, the protagonist describes his father as a man who ‘made sure that his children were the most important part of his life.

In Aiden’s Arrival: Honor Before Gold, a now-grown son describes a man who assumed a father’s role by marrying a women with two young children.  “None of us; my mother, my sister, my nephew, my niece; were related to our father and grandfather by blood, but that didn’t matter to him.  He showed us, by his example, that family is about loving people, and caring about people, and living together in a supportive way.  Not always in harmony, but always caring about your family more than anything else.  He lived that kind of life, and today we carry on with that legacy.

In Zac and the Reluctant Prince, Book 1 of the Prince David series, the father is described this way:  “The example of his life teaches us the lessons of responsibility, obligation, commitment, dedication, loyalty, patriotism and also compassion.  In his life, he strove to be the best son he could be, the best husband he could be, the best father he could be, the best officer he could be, and the best man he could be.

If you know your father, what do you think of him? If you knew your father, how do you remember him?

I believe a real father is one who looks into the eyes of his children, and says to them, “My life improved the day you came into my life, and my life gets better every day that you are still in my life.”  I also believe a real father is the kind of role model I’ve described in the excerpts from my books, above. 

If you have the chance to be a father, or if you are a father, how do you want to be remembered? 

To all fathers, everywhere, Happy Fathers’ Day.

... Wil ...

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Life Lessons, Leadership, and making mistakes

 

Leadership is Action, not a position. 

This key phrase is one of the key tenets of my practice of leadership in various positions over the years. Other parts of what I call the secret code of Leadership are: Humanity, Empathy, Communicate about Expectations, Match the style of Leadership to the Team and to the Situation. Of course, there are libraries full of books about leadership (and management), but my secret code has worked for me. 

Life Lessons, Leadership, and life's mistakes

Today, I had the great opportunity to talk to a very interesting group of university students, mostly about Life Lessons, Leadership, and also about making mistakes. I spelled out some of the really bad, and 'maybe not so bad' mistakes I've made in my life -- and how I think making those mistakes made me a better leader and a better person. Part of making mistakes, I believe, is not becoming 'so down' on yourself that you stop respecting yourself and who you are (or, to put another way, getting 'so down' on yourself that you stop liking yourself). I think it's important to put life's mistakes into the right context and learn from them.

Getting is right almost always starts with getting it wrong.  Unless we put ourselves or someone else into danger, the only bad thing about making mistakes is failing to try again.  And again.  And again.  And as many times as it takes to get it right.

That process, of trying it over and over until it works, has been my mantra in life, and in writing.  How many times have we said, or heard, ‘we learn from our mistakes,’ or perhaps, if we’re lucky, ‘we learn from the mistakes of others.’ 

In life, I've seen many people who claim that they won't try something because they can't do it right. Sadly, they end up not doing something that might have brought them joy, or fulfillment,  or a feeling of achievement, or the belief that they might have made an impact, or, perhaps, a sense of peace. 

As a writer, I often read, to see what others are writing.  I read what is selling and I read what is getting good reviews.  I also read what is new, or does not have good reviews, or what might not be selling, yet.  I read what appeals to me.  This is how I learn from others’ mistakes, and successes.

As I writer, I look at my own work.  I put my work out there.  I see which of my books sell, and which of them earn good reviews.  This is how I learn from my own mistakes, and possibly, from my own successes.

Getting it right, as an author, can be a long process.  It almost certainly very unlikely that the first novel we write is going to be a great success.  Almost any author will tell you that they did a lot of writing before they ended up with a work that they were happy with, or that sold well, or that got good reviews.  But, the key is to keep trying.  That means to keep writing.

In my case, I write because I want to write. I write because I need to write. I write what I want to write.  I write for myself.  But; I share my writing in the hope that some will like it, and perhaps, the hope that I might somehow tell a story that will have an impact.  

I should also mention that I wish I could do more writing, as I have more stories to tell -- a number of just-started and partially finished stories that I need to write. Someday, when my primary profession allows me some spare time, I will get back to doing more writing, and making more mistakes.

I hope that I will always remember and realize that it’s okay to get it wrong, if I keep trying to get it right.

Wil