Free eBooks for Young Adults

With the Christmas season here, it's time to promote, again, a site listing FREE eBooks for Young Adults. With the Christmas season upon us, I have noted that sales of e-Readers are up.  Way up.  As in, going through the roof.  Kindle, Nook, Kobo and others.  It appears that e-Readers are the gift of the season.  And with good reason. 

To load up those new e-Readers, it's necessary to find books.  Lots of books.  And it's good to know that there are many very good books available for free. This site, listing FREE Young Adult eBooks, is a good place to start.

Along with over 60 other books, my own books are free on the site, including Aiden's Arrival: Honor Before Gold, free with coupon KM53M, Robert's Ride, free with coupon FE33M, and Sons and Brothers in Seattle, free with coupon WU44G.  

The site is Free eBooks for Young Adults. Check it out.

My eBooks available in formats for Kindle, Nook, Kobo and others

As a reader, I think eBooks are great, and a variety of formats and e-Readers are available. I use Kindle for PC, Nook for PC, and Nook for android tablet. I also really like traveling with over 300 eBooks in my Blackberry­. Very handy on a plane or other tight space.

As an author, I'm ecstatic over what the eBook revolution has allowed me to do, in terms of selling and distributing to so many. I make my books available in all of the formats for Kindle, Nook, Kobo, smartphone­s or just reading on a PC, laptop or tablet.  Just click here to find my books at Smashwords.

eBooks? What's not to like?

December 12 marks 2 years since first books published as eBooks

What an amazing 2 years since my first eBooks were published!  A few hundred reads, then a few thousand, and now there’s over 16,000 copies of my books in the hands of readers.  Three of my books maintain a top 1% sales ranking at Barnes and Noble, and have been there for many months.  Playing the Baseball Card is the top-ranked fiction book when searching for baseball books at Barnes and Noble, and has held that position for six months.  

I'm currently completing some other books, including the Prince David series and others.  Look for a new book on January 1, 2012.

Right now, it’s time to celebrate!  For the next two weeks, I’m making all my books available, for free, to readers of my blog.  Coupon codes below valid until Dec. 24.  Enjoy!

• Playing the Baseball Card, currently free

• A Family Legacy: The Watson Works, currently free

• Sons and Brothers in Seattle, must use coupon code WU44G at checkout

• Playing the ‘Son’ Card, currently free

• Aiden’s Arrival: Honor Before Gold, must use coupon code KM53M at checkout

• Robert's Ride, must use coupon code FE33M at checkout

 

70th Anniversary of attack on Pearl Harbor

In a few hours, it will be exactly 70 years since the attack on Pearl Harbor.

This is a significant date in American and world history, and well worth my noting for important reasons.  Just looking at the reality of 70 years makes a person realize that there are now dramatically fewer living survivors of that day, December 7^th, 1941, when Pearl Harbor was attacked and the United States consequently went to war. For example, the Pearl Harbor Survivors’ Association, founded in 1958, will be disbanded at the end of this month because there are so few survivors left.

The War in Europe started more than two years prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor

Of course, for those in Europe, the Second World War started in September 1939, and many Americans quietly or more actively supported the allied effort.

For well over a year, I have been actively researching that interval of September 1939 to December 1941. The reason? Why else does an author do research? For a book, of course. Perhaps even a series of books.

Courage in Combat:Volume 1 – The Flying Fighters

This new fiction book, very much a departure from my previous efforts and current-day genre, will introduce some characters that I will follow from 1938 to 1941. In possible further books in the series, I hope and intend to follow the characters from 1941 right through to the end of the war in 1945, and perhaps beyond. The book(s), while fiction, will be based on historical fact, and I hope to introduce readers to some lesser known facts, situations, and locations that formed part of the overall fighting in WWII.  The book is intended for a Young Adult audience, and is initially about teenagers who signed up to be Air Force pilots.

Some of the characters will accurately portray Americans who traveled to Canada and to England, to join up with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Air Force in order to get into the war and fight. After the US went to war in December 1941, many of them returned home to join the US Army Air Corps, but many stayed with the RCAF and RAF until 1945.

I hope I will be able to bring that dramatic period of history to life for my readers.

An excerpt of the book can be found on this website.  At this time, I do not have a planned release date for the first book in the series, Courage in Combat: Volume 1 – The Flying Fighters, but given the significance of today’s date, I wanted to write about the book, post the short excerpt, and comment about the 70^th Anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Wil

Prince David, Book 2: High Adventure (the NaNoWriMo novel for 2011)

I've been very actively engaged in writing the second book of the Prince David series, as part of NaNoWriMo for 2011.  The first two-thirds of the month went quite well.  I wrote a lot, I became one of seven writers profiled on The Huffington Post, and I believed I was on track to hit the 50,000 word goal by November 30.  

However, things don't always go according to plan.  For the last ten days of November, I had to travel unexpectedly for work, and although I managed a good 90 minutes of writing on the first plane, it went downhill after that.  The travel and work have been just too intense, and I simply have not been able to get my mind in the right creative mode to write.  

This book, Prince David, Book 2: High Adventure, is an important book for me, as it is the first time I've actually worked at a sequel.  In this case, this is a sequel to Prince David, Book 1: Enter the Heir.  I have even planned a series and have written the final 6,000 words of Book 5.  In any event, I want to make sure I get Book 2 right, and I'm not about to write words just to achieve the NaNoWriMo goal of 50,000 words.  In fact, Book 2 is about 75% written, and I will complete it, but at a slightly slower pace.  With some extra time looking to be available in the next month, I hope to complete the initial draft of the book by the end of December.

By the way, Prince David, Book 1: Enter the Heir, is being edited, and I hope to publish it early in 2012.

Thanks for reading,

Wil

NaNoWriMo + me + 6 authors = HuffPost Books story

I had not intended to write another post during this National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).  However, there have been some comments by the other six authors who share in the spotlight of the HuffPost story about writing for NaNoWriMo, and I wanted to recognize their words and highlight the importance of their opinions.  In particular, I’d like to mention the words of the youngest of us seven writers, 11-year-old Connor, who writes about wanting to actually finish writing a book for once.

I have the utmost respect for anyone who undertakes the challenge of creating a novel and who finds the time to write.  I feel very fortunate that I’ve been able enjoy the process and experience of writing over the last few years.  Sure, I wish I could devote even more time to writing, but I think that wish would apply to most writers. 

I wholeheartedly agree with Connor’s statement that it’s not the 50,000 words that matters; what matters is to actually finish writing a book. 

It’s not enough just to write.  Whatever we write must mean something, at least to ourselves.  This NaNoWriMo should not be just about producing 50,000 words, but instead should be about using this opportunity of writing fellowship to really create something to be proud of.  We should all be grateful to those who complete a work and to those who try.  It is only by encouraging writers and other creative artists that our lives are enriched by the fruits of their labor.  I say ‘well done, to all those taking part in NaNoWriMo,’ and ‘thank you’ to those who appreciate their work.

Finally, I will close this post by thanking those who have taken the time to look at this blog, and express my appreciation to those who have read my books.  Knowing that my books have been found by so many is at once a humbling feeling and an exciting experience.

Happy reading, and happy writing,

Wil  

A Novel in a Month? Yes, says Huff Post: Me and NaNoWriMo

Who actually writes a Novel in a Month?  Well, according to Huff Post, I do.

So, I will now admit that I’m trying to write a Novel in a Month.  Okay, actually, I’m one of seven writers profiled on The Huffington Post about writing a 50,000 word Novel in a Month, so I guess the secret is out.

Why, you ask?  What’s my personal motivation?  Hmmm…

I really need to get moving on the second book of my Prince David series.  It's about a contemporary young prince who, with the help of a small group of boys and girls, confounds the adults around him, deals with a dysfunctional family, helps others, and gets involved in challenging and diverse adventures around the world.   The first book, Prince David, Book 1: Enter the Heir is done and being edited, and the second book of the five-book series awaits.  

I really like the characters I've created, and I've got a lot of action already planned for the remaining four books, but now I need to sort out what will be in Prince David, Book 2: High Adventure.  I've been slow to work on the planning of the series so far, and being part of this NaNoWriMo will force me to get moving on this and get it done!  I know I can do it if I just keep going and don’t get distracted.  If you want to track my word count, there’s a link on the left side of the page, or click here.

How helpful is NaNoWriMo?

First off, the long title is National Novel Writing Month. As to the usefulness of NaNoWriMo?  Apparently many writers across America and around the world want try it, and many succeed.  It’s a good way of setting out time to make the writing happen, and there is a lot of support among writers, on the NaNoWriMo site and other places such as #NaNoWriMo on Twitter.  In fact, over the last few years, many very good books have been written in a short time, according to the Huff Post story that includes me.  Some have been best sellers.  

As for me, back in 2008, before I started publishing any of my work, I tried out NaNoWriMo for the first time.  The result, after a great deal of editing and worry, is A Family Legacy: The Watson Works.  It now sits in a sales rank of the top 1% at Barnes and Noble.

Will I make it?

Will I make the 50,000 words of NaNoWriMo this year?  I'll update this blog at the end of  this month.  In the meantime, follow the progress of National Novel Writing Month at Huff Post, or my tweets, or track my word count by clicking here.

Oh, Baseball!

Even with the World Series having been won by St. Louis and the Major League Baseball season officially over for this year, I didn't want my own personal baseball season to end.  

The 2011 version of the fall classic was an exciting series, to be sure, particularly the eleven innings of game six.  This year, I was off in a far-flung part of the world and could not watch any of the games, so I listened on ESPN radio.  Thanks to the great announcing and hearing the roar of the crowds along with the muted inaudible words of the ballpark announcer, I could picture the game action in my mind.  Not at all hard to do.

I grew up watching and playing baseball, as do so many kids in America, parts of Canada and a few other places in the world.  Just looking at where the many very good international players at the Little League World Series come from gives you a good idea where they play baseball.  Growing up, I saw some fantastic baseball, much of it played by young people.  I saw some incredibly skilled kids playing some amazing baseball.  Some of them were the inspiration for my main character in Playing the Baseball Card.  I regret I was not very coordinated myself, and became more of a spectator, but that has never stopped me from grabbing my glove and enjoying a pick-up game from time to time, as a kid or as an adult.

For me, today, the best way to watch baseball is at a minor league park, or at a high school, or a neighborhood field, where I can be right next to the action to hear it all as well as see it.  The drama of baseball is amazing, either at a local little league game or in the major leagues.  The more you know about the players and what’s going on behind the scenes, the more you get out of each game.  There’s a story behind every single pitch, and every swing of the bat.

So, given my love of baseball, I often have a hard time when the official season is done.  This year was no exception.  So, I watched a baseball movie, The Final Season, about small-town high school baseball in Iowa.  The DVD cover has a reviewer from Seattle's KIRO TV calling it, “Friday night lights meets the Field of Dreams.”  I agree. It is a great story, and a terrific movie, and I enjoyed it.

Then, I re-read my own book, Playing the Baseball Card.  (You can find it right here, in multiple formats, at Smashwords, for free.)  I enjoyed reading it once more, although I again picked out a bit of word usage I didn’t like.  I’ll have to send the book for spring training before next season, to update and edit it a bit.  

I also looked for other baseball fiction.  In looking for ‘Baseball’ on Barnes and Noble, I discovered that my book, Playing the Baseball Card, is the top-ranked fiction book when sorting by best sellers using the search word ‘baseball,’ behind four non-fiction books.

However, I did find a lot more Baseball fiction further down the list, and some of the books look very good.  I read one called, High Heat, by Carl Deuker, and I liked it.  I sometimes refer to reading fiction for Young Adults as ‘checking out the competitors’ to see what other YA authors are writing.  But, that’s the nice thing about reading.  You don’t have to stop at one book.  You can read many more, as long as you have the time, of course. 

Now, a few days after the celebration of the World Series victory in St. Louis, I will now admit my own personal baseball season is finally over.  The best thing is, however, that it’ll start again next year.  I can’t wait.

In the meantime, happy reading.

Wil

Playing the Baseball Card, a short novel by Wilson James

You are almost 14 years old. Your mother died six years ago, and you help look after your younger brother while you father works. 

Your father is a pitcher for a minor league baseball team, and he is trying to make it into the major leagues. Just when it seems that things are looking better, tragedy strikes again. Now, it’s all up to you. You have your own dreams, and you desperately care about your small family. Will you be able to make it work? Just how much is a young teenage kid capable of doing, anyway?

Playing the Baseball Card is the story of Devin Robinson, the kid who dreams of pitching for the San Francisco Giants.  Find out how Devin and his younger brother, Jordan, made it though their early years, and how Devin tries to make his mark in a world of adults.  Find out how Devin's fierce determination to protect his remaining little family of two leads to adventure and achievement that he never thought possible.  Find out how Devin plays the Baseball Card.

This is a story for baseball fans and anyone else who wants to read about personal courage and determination.

Barnes and Noble sales results are amazing!

Thousands are finding my books at Barnes and Noble.  Led by Playing the Baseball Card, with 9 reviews and 31 ratings averaging 4 stars, I can report that I am amazed, astonished, and awed by the numbers of my books reaching the hands of readers through Barnes and Noble (B&N.com).  B&N has now distributed well over 30% of all the many thousands of my books in the hands of readers.  I got my latest numbers just yesterday, and as I had one of my characters saying recently, "Wow.  Just, wow."  

Playing the Baseball Card is my top book on B&N, but A Family Legacy: The Watson Works and Playing the 'Son' Card are also doing very well.  In fact, all three of those books are well into the top 1% sales rank at B&N.  Absolutely extraordinary.  I am truly awed by these kinds of numbers, and more motivated than ever to keep on writing.


Thanks for reading,
Wil

Five Big Trends in Book Publishing

I have embraced eBooks, for almost two years, as a way to get my books into the hands of as many readers as possible.  I have used Smashwords as the way to publish my books as multi-format eBooks.  The rules of the publishing game are changing, and the founder of Smashwords (Mark Coker) put together a Slide Show (below), that he recently presented to the Central Coast Writers Conference.  

He calls this "Five Big Trends that Will Rock the Future of Publishing."  They are:

1.  Reading is Moving to Screens

2.  Bookselling moving to the Web

3.  The Rise of Self-Publishing 

4.  Content Explosion

5.  eBook prices to decline

Here is Mark Coker's slideshow:

Five Big Trends that Will Rock the Future of Publishing

View more presentations from Smashwords, Inc.

There are places where good people abound - A positive experience for some on 9-11

On this tenth anniversary day where we remember 9-11, I was very surprised and pleased to read a story of passengers of diverted jets landing in Gander, Newfoundland in Atlantic Canada.  It is a very moving piece about the generosity and just plain goodness of people; the locals from Gander and area who rushed to assist the stranded passengers.  Gander airport received 38 of the total of 239 jetliners diverted to Canada as a result of the closing of US airspace.  Most of the diverted flights went to larger cities in Atlantic Canada, or other locations across Canada all the way to Whitehorse, Yukon. 

What made Gander different was that it is such a small town.  In fact the diverted planes doubled the town’s population in only one hour.  What is also different is the way that it changed the lives of thousands of those stranded passengers, in a very positive way.  Today, many of them feel more willing to help those around them, or take a chance on someone they might have dismissed out of hand before.  Pretty much all of them have fond memories of the time they spent with the people of Gander and area.  That is truly a testament to those residents, and proof positive that people can be good if only given a chance.

The story of those stranded passengers and those who helped them is a ‘must read,’ and I commend it to you. 

Wil

Wilson James, the author: explained

I sometimes feel the need to explain myself, a bit, as a writer.  As in, why do I write?  Or, where did the ideas for my stories come from? 

Not easy questions to answer, really.  I suppose it was, initially, because I heard of some event, or tragedy, and I wished it had turned out differently.  In my mind, I wanted to change the way it turned out.  In real life, that cannot be done, of course.  But, in fiction, all things are possible.  As Paul Theroux says, “Fiction gives us a second chance that life denies us.” In my writing, I can create anything I want, and give it a happy ending, and mostly I do that.  Along the way, there may be tragedy, or hurtful events, but I try to create success and triumph in the end.

I started slow, with one story, and then two.  I’d get another started, only to find I had a new idea.  I’d try to get the next book started, and then continue the previous one.  Now, I find that I may have as many as four manuscripts on the go, and it’s a challenge to complete one to the end. 

But, in truth, I have found that I really enjoy writing.  When I write, I imagine that I’m in the scene, or watching the action, and I want to describe it as fully as I can.  What’s more, I can change the scene, or the dialogue, or the action, as much as I want.  Most importantly, I write for myself.  I write what I want to read.  I like Jesse Stuart's quote, “Write something to suit yourself and many people will like it; write something to suit everybody and scarcely anyone will care for it.”

So, I write, and I find it gives me a feeling of great satisfaction.  I also find that I am truly humbled that many, many thousands of copies of my books are in the hands of readers.  I am simply amazed and downright overwhelmed that people have taken the trouble to purchase or download my stories, through sites such as Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and others.   Honestly, although it has taken me some time to accept, I love the idea that I can share my stories with others, and I hope to continue doing exactly that.  In fact, I have two books nearing completion now, and I’ll advise further, on this blog, as they get ready for ready for release.

In the meantime, thanks for reading my books and this blog, and thanks for allowing me to share my works with you.

Wil  

Who is Wilson James, author?

Who is Wilson James, author?  Here's a short version:

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and currently living on the coast in northern California. Have worked in, on, and around the water, and love to travel. I claim to be a sailor in addition to identifying myself as an author of adult and young adult fiction. 

My stories mostly target Young Adults, and describe adventures about family, loyalty, honor, tenacity and courage with various backdrops including sailing, aquatics, downhill skiing, international competition, and success at young ages, set in Europe and North America.

My books are about empowering youth.  

• “If my stories help young people, by giving examples of kids persevering in difficult situations, then I will be very satisfied. 
• If my stories help young people overcome their own challenges, and perhaps find some inspiration, then I will be happy. 
• If my stories help young people find the tenacity and courage to succeed in their own lives, then I will be very pleased. 
• If my stories help achieve some better understanding among friends and families, then I will consider myself fulfilled.” 

The ultimate reward for writing?  

“If even one young person finds some example in one of my books that he or she can use in their own life, then I will consider that every moment I spent writing those books was the best possible way to spend that time.”

Some of my successes in Young Adult fiction writing are:

• A FAMILY LEGACY: THE WATSON WORKS -  made it into the second round of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.  A reviewer called it "Vivid Storytelling, Well Written," and said "I want to read more."  
• PLAYING THE BASEBALL CARD - reviewed as a "Great Book, Very Inspiring" and "Seriously Good Writing," and well into the top 1% at Barnes and Noble.

How to get started reading eBooks... for free

How to get started reading eBooks... for free

As the summer starts, many of us will find time to do some reading, whether on the boat, or in the RV, or in a tent, or at home.  The timing is right, then, to provide a little practical assistance.  The first question to ask is what kind of device you plan to use.  You can find eBooks formatted for smartphones, for tablet PCs, for the Nook®, the Kindle®, and for other generic and proprietary eReaders.  You can also find good software for reading right on your desktop PC, notebook PC, or netbook PC.  If you're new to this eBook thing and you just want to try it out and see what's available, start by using eReader software for your laptop.  

Update 5/5/12: 

I've started using fbreader for android for my tablet, and it's a great app, but there's also versions for PC / laptop.  It's stable, good software, and it's free.  It will read mobi (Kindle) files as well as ePub (Nook/Kobo) files.  I highly recommend it.

Images showMobipocket Reader on laptop screen

This is a great way to read!

With the increasing number of eBooks, the question is: how do we read our eBooks? Many people are buying a Kindle®, or a Nook®, or other similar e-readers. Many people are reading on their PDA, or smart-phone. Still others are starting to use their iPad®, and Apple is introducing their new iBookstore (including 6 of my books - thanks to Smashwords) to promote that. Those are all good ways to read eBooks, but there is still another option that is overlooked.

A great way to read eBooks is a way that has been in use for some time: a laptop (or desktop) computer. The really good news that there are really good software alternatives for using a laptop to read eBooks. Barnes & Noble® and Sony® have their own software to use with ‘ePub’ files. B&N has a Nook for PC. Amazon has Kindle software for PC. There are many other ways to get software to read ePub files.

If you’re still reading your books as PDF or similar files, there is a much better way.

From my perspective, after spending a lot of time looking for something I liked to use, one of the best choices for reading eBooks is software called “Mobipocket Reader®.” This turns your laptop into a really nice, big-screen e-reader. The price is right, too; it’s FREE. You can set the software to display full-screen, or part-screen. Any eBook can be displayed in many different fonts and sizes.

Both of the images above are from the Mobipocket reader.

This Mobipocket Reader requires ‘Mobi’ files, and the choice of eBooks titles in that format is huge and growing by the day. The Kindle® also uses Mobi files.

Most books on Smashwords, for instance, are available in multi-formats, and can therefore be read on a laptop with Mobipocket Reader software. Mobi files can be downloaded from many eBook retailers, including a store that comes with the software, but this Mobipocket Reader® will also convert PDF, Doc, and a number of other text file types into Mobi files so that the books can be read more easily.

So, what is my recommendation? Go get your FREE Mobipocket Reader software, get it set up on your laptop, and then look for eBook retailers that sell books in the Mobi format. As a start, I would recommend Smashwords, as they have over 30,000 titles available, and many of them are Free. It’s a really good way to get started reading eBooks.

If you want a really good book to get started with, I further recommend one of my books at Smashwords. Some are free. Try the software to see how it all works, and I think you’ll be pleased and impressed. I was, and I still am.

Good luck with your reading, and

Enjoy,

Wil

2 books reach new high rankings at Barnes & Noble

2 of my books, Playing the Baseball Card, and A Family Legacy: The Watson Works, have reached new high rankings at Barnes and Noble.  The two books have held a top 1% sales rank at B&N.com for some months now, but they are continuing to creep upwards in the sales rankings, and now both are in the top one-half of 1% for all books at B&N.  In fact, Playing the Baseball Card has been holding into the top 1/4 of 1% for a few weeks.  

In addition, a search of all "Baseball" books listed at B&N reveals that Playing the Baseball Card is the top-ranked fiction book (yes: number one) with a baseball theme, and is number four overall, behind non-fiction titles including biographies about Mickey Mantle and Shoeless Joe Jackson.

So, as we celebrate the first day of summer and I blog today about one of the games of summer, I'm extraordinary happy to see that some of my young adult fiction titles are doing so well.  Playing the Baseball Card is still free, for now, at Smashwords.  Have a look, and

Happy Reading,

Wil

Dear 11-, or 12-, or 15-year-old me

In my books aimed at Young Adults, I often put my characters in situations that would seem extraordinary, but all of the situations are possible and most are inspired by real-life events.  My characters are also inspired by real young people, and I have often said I hope the events in my stories will help some young people in their own lives.  I sometimes wish I had the benefit of these stories when I was younger.


I have also pondered, as I write, what kind of advice I'd give myself, if only I could go back and visit myself at a younger age.  I came across a video, posted on You Tube earlier this year, that I really like.  It's called "Dear 15-year-old me."  I truly think it's worth watching.


What advice would you give yourself?  And, what age would you target?

Free eBooks for Young Adults

I contribute to a new site, listing FREE Young Adult eBooks. The site is run by Smashwords authors, and is intended to primarily assist Smashwords authors.  Mark Coker recently mentioned the site in his Smashwords update.  The site is now getting more traffic than ever, and I really hope it helps all of us authors find more readers.

I have added coupons to make all my books free on the site, for a limited time:

• Aiden's Arrival: Honor Before Gold, free with coupon KM53M
• Robert's Ride, free with coupon FE33M
• Sons and Brothers in Seattle, free with coupon BF89M

The site is Free eBooks for Young Adults. Check it out, and

Happy Reading, 

Wil