The thoughts of Wilson James, author.

Free eBooks for Young Adults

2012-02-11T23:30:00.000-08:00

When I started my first blog, The Thoughts of Wilson James, author, at the end of 2009, I wasn't sure what I'd write in my blog, just that I needed to have some additional online presence for my eBooks at Smashwords, and elsewhere. I'd read that it was a marketing necessity, and considered that it would be a good idea. So, I got started. I've blogged about many things, but a recurring theme has been pieces about successful, courageous, tenacious, and determined young people and point out that they inspire me to write some of my Young Adult fiction. In turn, some reviewers have said that my fiction is 'very inspiring.'

In any event, I've enjoyed being able to reach out with this blog, and now, after 101 posts, the number of views is approaching 5,000. I'm pleased with that.

Over a year ago, I got going with Twitter, @WilJames_author, and I've had a lot of fun with that, in addition to noting an uptick in visits to my blog and a slight increase in sales and downloads attributable to my almost 1,000 tweets.

In January 2010, I started another blog, entitled Free eBooks for Young Adults, with occasional assistance from another Smashwords author. I've listed over 80 free eBooks, and the number of views for that blog is now over 5,000. I'm really pleased with that, and I hope the blog has helped many readers find books by my fellow YA authors. There are many, many good reads for Young Adults out there, and lots are available free. I will continue to search them out, and take them to my other blog, Free eBooks for Young Adults.

Happy Reading,

Wil

How to find the books of Wilson James, author

2012-02-02T23:30:00.000-08:00

I am often asked, “How do I find your books?” I respond bysuggesting Smashwords, or Barnes and Noble, or Kobo, or the Sony eBook store,or perhaps Apple’s iBookstore, or maybe even Amazon (so far only for certain ofmy print books). It’s sometimes a little difficult to explain, especially tothose who are new at this whole eBooks and eReader thing. So, to make it easier for me, this isespecially for all of you.

What I’m going to do is lay out the links for how to findthose books, to make it easier to answer the question: How to find the books ofWilson James, author?

Smashwords – six of my eBooks are available here, in multipleformats including for Kindle

Barnes & Noble – six of my eBooks are available here (3are top 1% sales rank), for the Nook

Apple iBookstore – six of my eBooks are available here, for theiPad

Kobo – six of my eBooks are available here, in ePub format

Sony eBookstore – six of my eBooks are available here

Amazon – some of my print books are now available, with selected eBooks to be available by March 2012

Lulu.com – some of my print books are available here

Goodreads – where to find book ratings, including some of my books

Love the book, hate the title. Find another one.

2012-01-29T10:00:00.000-08:00

I responded to a @HuffPostBooks piece, written by RandySusan Meyers, about finding book titles that work. The information on Huffington Post was veryhelpful and interesting, and I thought I’d share my response on this blog.

I had a title change just over a year ago, when my sixth YAfiction title "Aiden's Arrival: Honor Before Gold" gained the threeextra words. It was likely a good idea, but at least it kept my originalworking title of Aiden's Arrival.

Now, I've just been going through this title problemagain. I received unasked-for feedbackon a title for a book to be published in March. The refrain, "Love the book, hate the title. Find anotherone," sounds just like what I heard. At first, I resisted. Strongly. Very strongly.

The working title for my new YA fiction book was importantto me, as it identified the book better as the first of a series. With one book completed and the second offour nearly written, I was certain that "Prince David, Book 1: Enter theHeir" was right. However, after agreat deal of discussion and convincing on the part of my editing team, Ifinally agreed that "Zac and the Reluctant Prince (Book 1 of the PrinceDavid series)" was a better choice. The outcome of that choice remains to be seen, of course, and I amgradually coming to terms with the new title. After living with the working title for so long, learning to like thenew one will take some time.

I think the lesson here is that it often takes a detachedexpert view to help us authors see the faults in our books, our titles, and ourcovers. We need to accept the suggestions, see the light, and accept what will helpour books reach the most readers. In theend, though, we'll never know until we see how it does (or doesn't).

Laura Dekker, 16-year old sailor, completes round-the-world journey

2012-01-21T23:15:00.000-08:00

I have often written, in this blog, of empowering kids, and of real-life success stories of young people. Often, I've compared those real-life stories to some of myfiction stories, to talk about what young people are capable of. Occasionally,but fortunately not often, a reviewer of one of my books will complain that thecharacters are too young, and could not possibly do what I've had them doing. Of course, I vehemently say that young people are way more capable thanmost of the adults around them think, and I write that into my books.

Now, I celebrateanother real-life story. Laura Dekker, a 16-year old Dutch/New Zealander(and there's a story behind that), has completed a round-the-world sailing journey.

Laura maintained a blog, in which she vividly describes herexperiences at sea. She also describesher battles with the child protection authorities back in Holland, and abouthow those battles have left her with nightmares far worse than anything sheanything she experienced battling the oceans of the world in Guppy, her 38-footsailboat.

So, today, I cheer her success, and I’ll close by sharing with youthe entry I left on her guestbook:

Laura: You haveshown, a very real way, what young people are capable of. As a sailor, Iapplaud your extraordinary achievement. As an author of Young Adultfiction, I celebrate your perseverance, determination, tenacity and courage. Astory better than anything I could write. My sincere congratulations.

Protest for SOPA

2012-01-17T23:59:00.000-08:00

Wilson James' answer to Why I Write

2012-01-01T01:00:00.000-08:00

My books have been called inspiring. I'd like to think they are also empowering. But, why do I write them? I first wrote the words below exactly 2 years ago, and I've come back to revisit that blog post because of a piece in HuffPostBooks about why famous authors write.

In December 2009, I wrote: "I've had in my mind that I wanted and needed to write about my writing, so now I start. It is almost a year since I first published a book, and it's been an amazing ride. It was a big decision to start to publish, but I’m glad I made the choice. I will never forget the emotion that I felt the first time I held a printed copy of a book that I wrote. Since then, I’ve worked to get a number of my other books published.

In the past year, I have felt an even more astounding range of emotions as I consider that hundreds (now over 16,000 - Dec 2011) people have taken the trouble to purchase or download my stories. I suppose that humbled, excited, nervous, scared, thrilled and apprehensive are all emotions that have crossed my mind.

I got started writing simply because I wanted to get the stories from my head to a more permanent method of storage. Ever since I was a kid, I've had a bunch of story ideas rattling around in my head, but there they stayed. I experimented with writing a bit, and slowly did more and more, but it was about three years ago that I finally started writing in earnest. Sometimes, the ideas just pour out onto the computer screen, and at other times I can go weeks without writing anything new.

However it happens, I really enjoy the writing. I like creating characters and bringing them to life on the page. More importantly, I write for myself. 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.”

There is one other quote about writing that I like, and by Paul Theroux. “Fiction gives us a second chance that life denies us.”

Whether many people will like what I write, I don’t know, but I will continue writing what I want to write, for myself."

In April 2011, I posted these words: "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 for almost a year.

Free eBooks for Young Adults

2011-12-22T20:00:00.000-08:00

With the Christmas season here, it's time topromote, 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 andothers. It appears that e-Readers are the gift of the season. Andwith 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

2011-12-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

What an amazing 2 years since my first eBooks werepublished! A few hundredreads, then a few thousand, and now there’s over 16,000 copies of my books in the hands ofreaders. Three of my books maintaina top 1% sales ranking at Barnes and Noble, and have been there for many months. Playing the Baseball Card is thetop-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 mybooks 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

2011-12-07T01:00:00.000-08:00

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

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

The War in Europe started more than two years prior tothe 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 havebeen actively researching that interval of September 1939 to December 1941. Thereason? Why else does an author do research? For a book, of course. Perhapseven a series of books.

Courage in Combat:Volume 1 – The Flying Fighters

This new fiction book, verymuch a departure from my previous efforts and current-day genre, will introduce somecharacters that I will follow from 1938 to 1941. In possible further books inthe series, I hope and intend to follow the characters from 1941 right throughto 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 somelesser known facts, situations, and locations that formed part of the overallfighting 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 willaccurately portray Americans who traveled to Canadaand to England,to join up with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Air Force in orderto get into the war and fight. After the

went to war in December 1941,many of them returned home to join the US Army Air Corps, but many stayed withthe RCAF and RAF until 1945.

I hope I will be able tobring 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 havea planned release date for the first book in the series, Courage in Combat: Volume 1 – The Flying Fighters, but given the significance oftoday’s date, I wanted to write about the book, post the short excerpt, and comment about the 70^thAnniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Wil

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

2011-11-27T01:00:00.000-08:00

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

2011-11-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

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

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

I wholeheartedly agree with Connor’s statement that it’s notthe 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, atleast to ourselves. This NaNoWriMoshould not be just about producing 50,000 words, but instead should be aboutusing this opportunity of writing fellowship to really create something to beproud of. We should all be grateful tothose who complete a work and to those who try. It is only by encouraging writers and other creative artists that ourlives are enriched by the fruits of their labor. I say ‘well done, to all those taking part inNaNoWriMo,’ and ‘thank you’ to those who appreciate their work.

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

Happy reading, and happy writing,

Wil

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

2011-11-06T10:55:00.000-08:00

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 aMonth. Okay, actually, I’m one of seven writers profiled on The Huffington Post about writing a 50,000 word Novel in aMonth, so I guess the secret is out.

Why, you ask? What’smy 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-bookseries awaits.

I really like the characters I've created, and I've got a lot of actionalready planned for the remaining four books, but now I need to sort out whatwill be in Prince David, Book 2: High Adventure. I've been slow to work on the planning of the series so far, and beingpart 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’tget distracted. If you want to track myword 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 andaround 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 beenwritten in a short time, according to the Huff Post story that includes me. Some have been bestsellers.

As for me, back in 2008, beforeI started publishing any of my work, I tried out NaNoWriMo for the firsttime. The result, after a great deal ofediting and worry, is A Family Legacy: The Watson Works. It now sits in a sales rank of the top 1% atBarnes 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!

2011-11-01T11:01:00.000-07:00

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

The 2011 version of the fall classic was an exciting series, to be sure, particularly the eleven inningsof game six. This year, I was off in afar-flung part of the world and could not watch any of the games, so I listenedon ESPN radio. Thanks to the greatannouncing and hearing the roar of the crowds along with the muted inaudiblewords of the ballpark announcer, I could picture the game action in mymind. Not at all hard to do.

I grew up watching and playing baseball, as do so many kidsin America, parts of Canada and a few other places in the world. Just looking at where the many very good internationalplayers at the Little League World Series come from gives you a good idea wherethey play baseball. Growing up, I sawsome fantastic baseball, much of it played by young people. I saw some incredibly skilled kids playingsome amazing baseball. Some of them werethe 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 myglove 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 minorleague park, or at a high school, or a neighborhood field, where I can be rightnext to the action to hear it all as well as see it. The drama of baseball is amazing, either at alocal little league game or in the major leagues. The more you know about the players andwhat’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 whenthe official season is done. This yearwas no exception. So, I watched a baseballmovie, The Final Season, about small-town high school baseball inIowa. The DVD cover has a reviewer fromSeattle's KIRO TV calling it, “Friday nightlights meets the Field of Dreams.” I agree. It is a great story, and aterrific 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 abit of word usage I didn’t like. I’llhave to send the book for spring training before next season, to update andedit it a bit.

I also looked for otherbaseball 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 fournon-fiction books.

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

Now, a few days after the celebration of the World Seriesvictory in St. Louis, I will now admit my own personal baseball season isfinally 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

2011-11-01T11:00:00.001-07:00

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!

2011-10-10T23:15:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

On this tenth anniversary day where we remember 9-11, I wasvery surprised and pleased to read a story of passengers of diverted jetslanding in Gander, Newfoundland in Atlantic Canada. It is a very moving piece about thegenerosity and just plain goodness of people; the locals from Gander and areawho 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 largercities in Atlantic Canada, or other locations across Canada all the way toWhitehorse, Yukon.

What made Gander different was that it is such a smalltown. In fact the diverted planesdoubled the town’s population in only one hour. What is also different is the way that it changed the lives of thousandsof those stranded passengers, in a very positive way. Today, many of them feel more willing to helpthose around them, or take a chance on someone they might have dismissed out ofhand before. Pretty much all of themhave 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 thatpeople can be good if only given a chance.

The story of those strandedpassengers and those who helped them is a ‘must read,’ and I commend it toyou.

Wil

Wilson James, the author: explained

2011-09-01T11:00:00.000-07:00

Isometimes 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 comefrom?

Noteasy questions to answer, really. Isuppose it was, initially, because I heard of some event, or tragedy, and I wishedit had turned out differently. In mymind, 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, “Fictiongives us a second chance that life denies us.” In my writing, I cancreate anything I want, and give it a happy ending, and mostly I do that. Along the way, there may be tragedy, orhurtful events, but I try to create success and triumph in the end.

Istarted 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, andthen continue the previous one. Now, Ifind that I may have as many as four manuscripts on the go, and it’s achallenge to complete one to the end.

But, in truth, I have foundthat I really enjoy writing. When Iwrite, I imagine that I’m in the scene, or watching the action, and I want todescribe it as fully as I can. What’smore, 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 JesseStuart's quote, “Write something to suit yourself and many peoplewill like it; write something to suit everybody and scarcely anyone will carefor it.”

So, Iwrite, and I find it gives me a feeling of great satisfaction. I also find that I am truly humbled thatmany, many thousands of copies of my books are in the hands of readers. I am simply amazed and downright overwhelmedthat people have taken the trouble to purchase or download my stories, throughsites such as Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and others. Honestly, although it has taken me some timeto accept, I love the idea that I can share my stories with others, and I hopeto 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.

Inthe meantime, thanks for reading my books and this blog, and thanks forallowing me to share my works with you.

Wil

Who is Wilson James, author?

2011-08-08T23:23:00.000-07:00

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?

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

2011-07-01T01:01:00.000-07:00

How to get started reading eBooks... for free

As the summer starts, many of us will find time to do somereading, whether on the boat, or in the RV, or in a tent, or at home. The timing is right, then, to provide alittle practical assistance. The firstquestion to ask is what kind of device you plan to use. You can find eBooks formatted forsmartphones, for tablet PCs, for the Nook®, the Kindle®, and for other genericand proprietary eReaders. You can alsofind good software for reading right on your desktop PC, notebook PC, or netbookPC. 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.

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

2011-06-21T10:22:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-01T23:55:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-29T06:55:00.000-07:00

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

Ryan Redman - Rescue at the Cliff: a brave, courageous very young teen

2011-05-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

Rescue at the cliffs: A very young teen saves a life

I have often written in this blog about how so many young people prove capable of acts beyond their years. As readers of my books will know, I also put many of my young fiction characters into similar situations.

This blog post is dedicated to another young person, a not-at-all-big 13-year-old named Ryan Redman, who clambered down a 30-foot cliff, jumped into the ocean, and swam out to rescue an older lady in trouble. He got her to safety, then climbed back up the cliff to arrange for help to be called, and then climbed back down the cliff to help comfort the woman until help arrived. Oh, and by the way, the cliff face was wet because it had been raining.

The rescue took place a few days ago in southwest England, and the complete story is detailed in London’s Daily Mail. As one of the persons commenting on the story notes, this boy showed braveness, selflessness, maturity, compassion, kindness and guts beyond compare.

Ryan Redman is a great example of what young people can do. I base all of the young fictional characters in my books on real young people such as Ryan; those I knew as a young person myself, or those young people whom I have had the good fortune to meet in my life, or those whose stories are told in the media. Even so, I still get an occasional book review stating that I have put my fictional characters into a situation that might be a little beyond belief as far as their age is concerned. Every now and then, I will respond to those reviews with another example of what real young people can accomplish. Ryan’s rescue is just another example of a young person who has done something truly amazing, and I am truly humbled.

Wil

Smashwords eBooks hits TWO Billions words on Friday 6th May 2011

2011-05-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

SMASHWORDS hits 2,000,000,000 (that’s TWO BILLION) words on Friday, 6^th May 2011. Over 300,000 words are mine, and there’s more to come. Crunching the numbers, I expect to see 50,000 titles available at Smashwords.com before the end of May.

When I first decided to publish multiple-format eBooks with Smashwords back in December of 2009, the total number of words had not yet reached 400 million, and from under 8,000 titles.

In early April of 2010, I was able to tweet that Smashwords had hit 10,000 titles and the number of downloads of my books was into the thousands. That was just barely four months since I started making some of my books available on Smashwords.

Smashwords hit ½ billion words on April 14^th 2010, and one billion words on October 22^nd 2010, so the torrent of words flowing to Smashwords is definitely picking up, rather dramatically.

So, why hook my eBook wagon to the Smashwords cart? Simply put, my books are now in the hands of many, many thousands of readers, through direct availability on Smashwords.com as well as through Barnes and Noble (I have 2 books in the top 1% with Playing the Baseball Card leading the way), Sony, Apple, and Kobo. Making my Young Adult fiction titles available as eBooks on Smashwords (and retail partners) has made them much more accessible and more discoverable by my readers. Given that eBook sales now exceed mass-market paperbook sales, I am more certain than ever that I made the right choice more than two years ago.

Two years from now? Smashwords at ten billion words, in 250,000 titles? Two or three more of my books available at Smashwords? Hmmm… let’s see.

For now, have a look at an eBook today, and

Happy Reading.

Wil

What Can Kids Do? You'd be surprised! Just look around...

2011-05-01T01:00:00.000-07:00

A Family Legacy: The Watson Works ........ made it into the second round of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award... with some very youthful characters. What can kids do, anyway? You would be surprised. The old adage about "truth being stranger than fiction" is very true when it comes to the young characters in A Family Legacy: The Watson Works. The characters, as young as they are, are taken from real-life young people, and they are far more capable then most people will realize.

The adults might be surprised, but the kids won't be. If you give them half a chance, kids will astound the adults around them with what they're capable of.

One of the reactions I get from my books is something like: 'Yes, but your character is awfully young to do what you've got them doing.' That reaction is usually muted and subtle, as in: 'Well, I like the story, but...'

So, I tell those adults who have read my stories that I've based my youthful characters on real kids. Maybe kids I know today, or kids I grew up with, or, just perhaps, a tiny bit out of my own past. I also find, much more frequently than I expect, news stories about youthful characters, real ones, who are doing amazing things at young ages.

I have started to Tweet about those young people, when I spot a story that supports my point of view.

A 10-year-old who wrote a book to help other kids deal with their feelings when dealing with a personal tragedy. A 12-year-old running his own company (okay... I posted about him). A 13-year-old baseball player in the Baseball Hall of Fame (yes, I posted about her, too). The 13-year-old who climbed Mount Everest. 14, 15, and 16-year-olds sailing around the world. 14 and 15-year-olds who survive 50 days lost at sea drifting in an open 12-foot boat. A 16-year-old hero who risks his life to save a 10-year-old boy from a partially frozen, rapidly flowing river. The list goes on.

Ask any young person, and many of them will tell you what they could do, if only given a chance, if only the adults in their lives would let them and support them. The next question is: Do the adults support them? Or, perhaps, do the adults say something like, 'Oh, you'll have to wait to do that' or 'You really think you're ready for that?'

So, what's your point of view on this? Do you think I'm exaggerating? Do you think my youthful characters are doing too much, or am I feeding back what is really happening?

I absolutely and firmly believe my youthful characters are fully capable of the feats, successes and actions that I've put into my stories. I believe it because I know it. I hope you agree. If you don't, then I welcome the challenge. Do you agree?

Wil

Who is Wilson James, author?

2011-04-18T23:10:00.000-07:00

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

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?

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.

My Book Montage

2011-04-14T23:00:00.000-07:00

These are my book titles...

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Free eBooks for Young Adults

2011-03-28T01:00:00.000-07:00

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

Tsunami waves hit West Coast - close to home

2011-03-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

Tsunami hits the West Coast – close to home

Tsunami waves have hit the West Coast. While I was not directly affected, there are nearby bays and harbors where there has been major damage. Close to home, there are docks destroyed at Crescent City. The NY Times also ran a story on the damage to Crescent City.

A triple tragic event like this, the Japan earthquake, the threat of radiation from the nuclear power plant, and the tsunami, tends to change one’s focus as it reminds us how perilous and tenuous life can be. My thoughts are about all those whose lives have changed or been lost in the last few days.

Wil

Read an eBook Week - many Free including mine...

2011-03-05T23:11:00.000-08:00

Read an eBook Week is March 6 - 12, 2011. My books are Free at Smashwords, and so are many others. If you want to build up a library, have a look at Smashwords or other Read an eBook Week supporters. It's certainly worth a very good look! Why don't you start with my books?

You can do anything even if you are a kid...

2011-03-01T01:00:00.000-08:00

“You can do anything even if you are a kid.” Those words were used in a review of PLAYING THE BASEBALL CARD on Barnes and Noble. The reviewer went on to call it a “Great book,” and “Very inspiring.”

It is all about empowering youth.

Yes, you can do anything, even if you are a kid. Those words really do describe much of my writing, and I’m pleased the Barnes and Noble reviewer saw that in one of my books. It really is all about empowering kids. Many kids will tell you they can do more than society lets them do, and they want to do more. Of course, society protects young people from themselves, and doesn’t allow things such as medical decisions and driving until certain ages, drinking until even older, and requires all kinds of safety protection for younger people. These age-related safeguards are understandable.

In a perfect society, kids would also be protected from tragedy, and from abusive adults including relatives. However, we do not live in a perfect society, and often kids have to try and protect themselves. Alas, many kids, especially younger kids, often don’t have the means or ability to protect themselves.

In some of my stories, kids have taken steps to keep themselves away from danger and dangerous situations. Some of these kids have also taken steps to find a way to support themselves and find a way out of repressive, regressive, aggressive, violent and even lethal circumstances.

The message I try to impart is that people of any age, especially including kids, can do a lot more than they think they can. Young people often surprise themselves, and those around them, with what they are capable of doing.

There is one other message that I hope my books convey, and that is the idea of supportive friends and family. I know, with absolute certainty, that we can all do more if we have supportive friends, and supportive families, even if those families are related by chance and not by blood.

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.

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.

Thanks for reading,

Wil

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award - book of Wilson James through first round

2011-02-25T22:31:00.000-08:00

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award – book of Wilson James through first round

What a great experience! It certainly made my day!

I got an email reminding me to check, so I opened the PDF with the list of authors and books that made it through the first round of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award for 2011. I scanned down the list, and let out a little cheer. My entry made it through the first round!

With so incredibly many books out there, any author loves a little recognition for the product of many long hours (days, weeks, months, years) of work. In my case, I’m doing a modest little celebration that one of my books made it through the first round of ABNA for 2011.

Wil

2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver and Whistler

2011-02-16T11:00:00.000-08:00

The 2010 Winter Olympic Games were held in Vancouver and Whistler one year ago.

AIDEN’S ARRIVAL: HONOR BEFORE GOLD, a young adult fiction eBook set in and around the Games, is available for Nook® at Barnes and Noble.com. It is also available at Kobo.com, at the Sony® ebookstore, Apple® ebookstore, and Smashwords, where it is free until Feb. 28^th (coupon code PP74C).

As the one-year anniversary of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games continues, I carry on marking the events that Aiden experienced in the young adult fiction story AIDEN’S ARRIVAL: HONOR BEFORE GOLD.

Of course, most of Aiden’s experiences in the book occurred before the actual start of the Games, but the start of the Games meant a lot to Aiden and his desire to honor the legacy he had been given. In the narrative of AIDEN’S ARRIVAL: HONOR BEFORE GOLD, we follow Aiden through events before the Games; first in Vancouver, then travel to Europe and skiing the Alps, and finally a return to Vancouver and Whistler and his intense practicing for the role he has been given during the Games. One of the most difficult tasks was Aiden’s duty to be a forerunner for the Men’s Downhill on the Dave Murray course at Whistler.

One more thing; Aiden is not sure who he really is. He thinks he had a life before, and he has some memories that really set him to wonder, but he’s not certain. There are clues as to what the real story is, but each reader may have to decide for themselves if those memories are the reality of a previous life, or just Aiden’s vivid dreams.

If you want to read a tale of adventure, family, honor, courage and daring exploits all wrapped up in a YA fiction novel set in the worlds of international travel and competition in aquatics and skiing, then this is the book for you. If you want to solve the mystery of dreams vs. reality, then you’ll like this tale. This is truly a book for young adults and for everyone who appreciates what family and friends can accomplish if they work together.

In my own way of honoring the legacy of the Games, AIDEN’S ARRIVAL: HONOR BEFORE GOLD is free for the duration of the anniversary of the Games, by using code PP74C at Smashwords.

Happy Reading,

Wil

Opening Ceremony of the Vancouver Winter Games, February 12, 2010

2011-02-12T01:11:00.000-08:00

One year ago the Winter Games were opened in a spectacular Opening Ceremony in Vancouver, the first such winter games ceremony held in an indoor stadium.

As I watched the ceremony, I had already written most of AIDEN’S ARRIVAL: HONOR BEFORE GOLD. The Winter Games of Vancouver and Whistler are the main backdrop for the book, although it includes some travel to Europe, as well.

It is somehow very fitting that most of the story in AIDEN'S ARRIVAL: HONOR BEFORE GOLD takes place prior to the opening ceremony of the games. The story has Aiden and the other boys and girls taking on honorary roles as ‘Faces of the Games.’ One of Aiden’s main tasks is to perform as a forerunner for the Men’s Downhill, and he works very hard to prepare for that role. The Men’s Downhill is scheduled very early in the Games, so immediately after the opening ceremony, he and others are on a bus back up to Whistler.

How did Aiden prepare for his role in the Games? How did he get there in the first place? Oh, and how does he do in his role as a forerunner on the day of the Men’s Downhill?

You will have to read the book to find out, and for readers of this blog, I am making the book free, for the one-year anniversary duration of the Games (that is, until 2-28-2011), by simply entering Coupon Code PP74C at Smashwords.

AIDEN'S ARRIVAL: HONOR BEFORE GOLD...Dreams of another life; or reality? Aiden struggles to honor the legacy of his very young physical self, while dealing with memories of a tragedy that seem impossible to reconcile. At the same time, Aiden has been thrust into a public role in the Winter Games with extraordinary expectations for any boy his age. What challenges must Aiden confront? Can Aiden find the courage to meet this reality?

If you’ve never been to Whistler, you’ll like this short video called miniature Whistler, and you’ll see why Aiden liked Whistler so much. Want to know still more about Whistler?

If you’ve never seen what makes up a Men’s Downhill ski racing course, you’ll like this NY Times interactive view of the Dave Murray Men’s Downhill at Whistler, rated as one of the best (and toughest) courses in the world.

Happy Reading,

Wil

eBook software - eReaders: Nook for PC, Kindle for PC, and others

2011-02-02T02:00:00.000-08:00

Images showMobipocket Reader on laptop screen

This is a great way to read!

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

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.

Good luck with your reading, and

Enjoy,

Wil

new site promoting FREE YA eBooks

2011-01-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

A new site, listing FREE Young Adult eBooks, is promoting my books. I have added coupons to make all my books free on the site.

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.

8th grader and CEO

2011-01-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

Another example of a young person doing more than most adults will ever do. The real story: Robert Nay, an 8th grader from UTAH, is CEO of Nay Games, and he designed Bubble Ball, the #1 game app at iTunes, with over 2 millions downloads.

This is a very similar story to my YA fiction book, Sons and Brothers in Seattle, where Cameron Connors is CEO of a software company at age 13.

To those who have doubted my stories of young people who do things at early ages, this is yet another example of real life young people doing things at early ages. Read more on my December 1st previous post on this subject.

Wil

Smashwords ships SONS and BROTHERS in SEATTLE to Amazon

2011-01-16T13:00:00.000-08:00

Yes! Amazon will now list my eBook SONS and BROTHERS in SEATTLE. The eBook version for the Kindle will now join my print version of SONS and BROTHERS in SEATTLE which has been available on Amazon for over a year.

I am really excited and pleased by this. Smashwords has been working to make this happen, and it's finally starting. The first shipment of Smashwords books to Amazon took place on January 14th, and I was really pleased to see my eBook SONS and BROTHERS in SEATTLE part of that first group. It normally takes about two weeks for the books to appear, so I will be watching!

Happy Reading,

Wil

You can do anything even if you are a kid...

2011-01-11T11:00:00.000-08:00

It is all about empowering youth.

Thanks for reading,

Wil

AIDEN'S ARRIVAL: HONOR BEFORE GOLD

2011-01-04T07:00:00.000-08:00

So, the book is really out. AIDEN'S ARRIVAL: HONOR BEFORE GOLD has hit the stands, or the shelves, or cyberspace... where ever print and eBooks go. The book launch is under way with a very special price: YOU SET THE PRICE on Smashwords is a very limited time offer, so don't wait!

AIDEN'S ARRIVAL: HONOR BEFORE GOLD

You wake up. You’re on a plane. But the body you’re in does not appear to be yours. They call you Aiden, even though you think that’s not your name. Are theses dreams of another life? Is it reality? You struggle to honor the legacy of your very young physical self, while dealing with the memories of a tragedy that seems impossible to reconcile.

The next hours and days are confusing as you try to figure out how this works, and how long it’s likely to last. At the same time, you have to decide if you should tell anyone and have them doubt your sanity, or just keep quiet. In the meantime, you have to adapt and use the body you have, even if you meet up with people you think knew before.

You also discover you have just stepped into a public role in the Winter Games that thrusts you into a journey and series of exploits beyond anything you could have thought possible, and expectations beyond normal for a boy Aiden's age. Will you continue to be Aiden, or will the real Aiden arrive?

AIDEN’S ARRIVAL: HONOR BEFORE GOLD is an adventure novel set in the worlds of downhill skiing, aquatics, and international competition. AIDEN’S ARRIVAL: HONOR BEFORE GOLD is also a story of love, family, and courage.

AIDEN'S ARRIVAL arrives with special introductory price - limited time offer

2011-01-01T11:01:00.000-08:00

AIDEN'S ARRIVAL arrives, and is now available as multi-format eBook at Smashwords. Special introductory "Set you own" price is for a very limited time only. Read the book, and find out how well Aiden does on the Men's Downhill course at Whistler.

What would you do, if this was you?

You wake up. You’re on a plane. But the body you’re in does not appear to be yours. They are calling you Aiden, but that’s not your name. The next hours and days are confusing as you try to figure out how this works, and how long it’s likely to last. At the same time, you have to decide if you should tell anyone and have them doubt your sanity, or just keep quiet. In the meantime, you have to adapt and use the body you have, even if you meet up with people you knew before.

You also discover you have just stepped into a public role at the Winter Games that thrusts you into a journey and series of exploits beyond anything you could have thought possible. Will you continue to be Aiden, or will the real Aiden arrive? How will you or Aiden do on the Dave Murray Downhill course at Whistler?

“Aiden’s Arrival” is an adventure novel set in the worlds of downhill skiing, aquatics, and international competition. “Aiden’s Arrival” is also a story of love, family, and courage with a twist incorporating the great question: Can we come back as someone else? Do we all, or just in rare circumstances? And; if we do come back, how might it work?

Happy Reading,

Wil

Great review and top 1% at B&N.com - Playing the Baseball Card

2010-12-30T01:00:00.000-08:00

Great timing, and great review. First off, Playing the Baseball Card is now well into the top 1% at Barnes and Noble (B&N.com). Review calls it very inspiring, a great book.

Now only 2 days until Aiden's Arrival arrives. In the meantime, have a good look at the Dave Murray Downhill at this New York Times interactive show. It really gives a great sense of the course.

Happy Reading,

Wil

Aiden's Arrival arrives in 3 days - right now read great article about Whistler's Dave Murray Downhill course

2010-12-28T18:00:00.000-08:00

Aiden's Arrival arrives in only 3 days, on January 1, 2011. It will be available as a multi-format eBook on Smashwords, and as a print book on Lulu.com. The first four chapters are still available on this blog.

In the meantime, you can read this great Seattle Times article by Ron Judd, about the Dave Murray Downhill course at Whistler. The article was one of a series about the 2010 Olympic Games, and was published on February 12, 2010. The article mentions the crazy Canucks of the late 1970s and early 1980s, including Steve Podborski, Ken Read, Dave Irwin, and Dave Murray. The article also includes an interview with 2010 Canadian Ski Team member Julia Murray, Olympic torch bearer at Whistler in the lead up to the Games, and daughter of the late Dave Murray.

Happy Reading,

Wil

Prices for eBooks too high in comparison with print Books

2010-12-19T01:00:00.000-08:00

As an author, I have become much more aware of the extraordinarily high prices that some retailers are charging for eBooks. Both as an author and as a reader myself, I am not happy about the high prices!

In order to pursue marketing ideas for my own books, I frequently review various retailers’ sites. I have noticed, with the increasingly popularity of eBooks, that more online retailers are establishing good online shopping opportunities for eBooks. Certainly Smashwords, my primary online retailer, is pursuing business relationships with an ever increasing number of very good retailers, currently including Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Sony, Apple and others. That is all good.

eBooks priced higher than print Books

What is bothering me is the prices being set for eBooks. It is frequently almost as much as the price for a print Book. In fact, I recently saw some new release eBooks priced at higher than the hardcover print Books! I was shocked and stunned. I simply cannot understand how a retailer can charge more for an eBook, that requires only the cost of miniscule space on a server, versus the cost of printing, shipping and storing a hardcover print Book. How can that possibly make sense? How can a retailer possibly justify charging more for an eBook than the same title in a print Book?

High prices negatively affect reviews and ratings

One of the things that has bothered me most was seeing reviews and ratings for some books actually being affected by the very high prices for eBooks. A rating and review should be based on the content of the book, including perhaps how well it is written, and how imaginative the plot line is, and other considerations related to the writing. In one case I saw online recently, a very good book was being badly down-rated because of pricing issues. Imagine the poor author having his very good work hit with bad ratings because of the retailer’s and/or publisher’s greed.

In my humble opinion, the price of eBooks should reflect the minimal cost of production compared to the higher costs involved in print Books. Of course, an author should gets compensation for his or her hard work, but eBooks need to be cheaper than print Books.

What do you think? Do you agree?

I don’t know what we can do about these terrible pricing practices at this point, but we can certainly start talking about it.

Join me, and comment.

Wil

What has Smashwords done for me? What can Smashwords do for authors?

2010-12-10T21:24:00.000-08:00

Smashwords: Smashwords Author Brian S. Pratt to Earn over $100,000 in 2011

This is a Smashwords Blog interview with Brian S. Pratt, a very successful author publishing on Smashwords.

I personally certainly don't expect that kind of success, but even a small part of that would be nice. I can say, however, that many thousands of my books have been downloaded through my publishing on Smashwords.

Happy Reading,

Wil

69th Anniversary of attack on Pearl Harbor

2010-12-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

I am posting this almost exactly to the hour of the 69^th Anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Just looking at the reality of 69 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. Of course, for those in Europe, the Second World War started in September 1939, and many Americans actively or more quietly supported the allied effort.

I have recently 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.

The Courage of Combat: Volume 1 – The Flying Fighters

This new fiction book, very much a departure from my previous efforts and 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.

Some of the characters will include 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.

The planned release date for the first book in the series, The Courage of Combat: Volume 1 – The Flying Fighters, will be December 7^th, 2011. Of course, that date will also be very significant; the 70^th Anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Happy Reading,

Wil

What can kids do? You'd be surprised!

2010-12-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

The adults might be surprised, but the kids won't be. If you give them half a chance, kids will astound the adults around them with what they're capable of.

I have started to Tweet about those young people, when I spot a story that supports my point of view.

A 10-year-old who wrote a book to help other kids deal with their feelings when dealing with a personal tragedy. A 12-year-old running his own company (okay... I posted about him). A 13-year-old baseball player in the Baseball Hall of Fame (yes, I posted about her, too). The 13-year-old who climbed Mount Everest. 14, 15, and 16-year-olds sailing around the world. 14 and 15-year-olds who survive 50 days lost at sea drifting in an open 12-foot boat. A 16-year-old hero who risks his life to save a 10-year-old boy from a partially frozen, rapidly flowing river. The list goes on.

So, what's your point of view on this? Do you think I'm exaggerating? Do you think my youthful characters are doing too much, or am I feeding back what is really happening?

Wil

What about this "Smashwords?"

2010-11-22T09:33:00.000-08:00

Smashwords is the secret to my success, or at least the secret to my books being read. I have posted about Smashwords a lot over the last year, since I first published with Smashwords on 12/12/2009. In that time, my books have been downloaded/purchased many thousands of times.

Smashords is the reason. Smashwords is the answer to authors who ask: How can I get my books out there?

How does this happen? Here's a Smashwords presentation, by the founder, Mark Coker. Have a look at this Smashwords slideshow (below), and,

Happy Reading.

Wil

Introduction to Smashwords - Ebook Publishing and Distribution Made Easy
View more presentations from Smashwords, Inc..

12-year-olds running their own companies

2010-11-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

Yup, that's right. 12-year-olds running their own companies.

In real life, have a look at the CNN story about a 21-year-old hi-tech CEO who started running his first company when he was just 12.

Another 12-year-old running his own company is Cameron Connors, the hero of my fiction story SONS and BROTHERS in SEATTLE. Cameron also becomes CEO of a large hi-tech company at a young age.

Interesting.

Now FREE for a very limited time: fiction title SONS and BROTHERS in SEATTLE at Smashwords is FREE by entering coupon code AQ88L at the checkout.

Happy Reading,

Wil

National Author's Day

2010-11-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

Oh, no. This is an oops. I missed "National Author's Day" on November 1st. Actually, it's a great idea, and it started over 80 years ago, when it was adopted by the General Federation of Women’s Clubs. In 1949 the US Department of Commerce awarded the observance a place on its list of special days, making it official.

Resolution
“By celebrating an Authors’ Day as a nation, we would not only show patriotism, loyalty, and appreciation of the men and women who have made American literature possible, but would also encourage and inspire others to give of themselves in making a better America…”

So, a belated happy Author's Day. I think I feel inspired to carry on writing.

Wil

Aiden's Arrival

2010-11-01T01:11:00.000-07:00

Here it is! As promised, the first four chapters of AIDEN'S ARRIVAL are now posted as a sneak preview. The book will be published on Smashwords near the end of December.

Please have a look, and enjoy. As always, feedback is welcome.

Wil

ONE Billion Words for Smashwords - in more than 22,000 eBooks

2010-10-22T22:00:00.000-07:00

Smashwords, the leading eBook distributor, has hit 1,000,000,000 words, in more than 22,000 eBooks by almost 10,000 authors. It was just April this year when Smashwords hit 500 million, and the speed at which the Billion word mark has been hit surprised even Smashword's founder Mark Coker, with the originally predicted date near the end of 2010.

My five... soon to be six... books are just a small part of the Smashwords numbers, but all the attention drawn to Smashwords has helped me. Thanks to Smashwords, my YA Book A Family Legacy: THE WATSON WORKS hit the top 1% sales rank at BarnesandNoble.com, but my other titles have also done extremely well. There have been many thousands of downloads and sales of my books, and the numbers continue to increase. Look for my newest book, AIDEN'S ARRIVAL, on Smashwords, late in December.

All in all, I'm very happy with my own success, and very pleased for Smashwords!

Wil

AIDEN'S ARRIVAL - new release in December

2010-10-01T01:00:00.000-07:00

I'm working towards getting Aiden's Arrival ready for release by the end of the year. The story has the Winter Games as a backdrop, and I hope that it will be released about the time people start thinking about skiing this winter. The way things are going, it might just be released on Smashwords just about the time Smashwords hits the one-billion word mark.

I plan to post the first four chapters on this blog around the end of October, so stay tuned!

Wil

Smashwords hits 20,000 Titles

2010-09-20T01:00:00.000-07:00

Back in March and April, I posted about Smashwords success, and how that success was helping me. Well, Smashwords has hit 20,000 titles, double what they had less than six months ago. The success of Smashwords it still helping me, as my downloads/sales have doubled just since April. With Smashwords' help, I've most one of my titles into the top 1% of sales at BarnesandNoble.com, and two of my other titles are in the top 5%.

I currently have 5 titles available at Smashwords, and I intend to increase that to 6 titles by the end of the year, when I release my newest book. Just about that time, I expect Smashwords will hit the one-billion words mark. Yes, that's 1,000,000,000.

Things are looking good!

Wil

Looking up on Barnes&Noble.com

2010-09-09T21:00:00.000-07:00

A Family Legacy: THE WATSON WORKS is moving up to the top 1% in sales rank at Barnes and Noble.com.

Incredible. Amazing. Awesome. Wonderful.

In other words, it's great to see that book doing so well. It almost makes me want to keep writing... in fact, I am. Stay tuned for news about a new release before the end of the year.

Wil

All summer at top 2%

2010-08-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

It's the end of the month, and guess what? A Family Legacy: THE WATSON WORKS has spent the summer in the top 2% sales rank at Barnes and Noble.com. Have to say I'm really happy about that. Oh; and by the way, it's still FREE in multiple eBook formats at Smashwords, where it has been on the TOP TEN page for YA fiction downloads for SIX MONTHS.

A couple of other very positive stats: Playing the Baseball Card has continued to stay in the top 2% and Playing the 'Son' Card is keeping will above the 5% mark at Barnes and Noble.com

Happy reading, Wil

Truth vs. Fiction in Baseball

2010-08-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

I just ran across a story on CNN about a 13-year-old little league pitcher and her incredible pitching of two perfect games. She is being recognized by the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, NY and has donated one of perfect-game jerseys.

My fiction version of a 13-year-old pitcher is detailed in the pages of Playing the Baseball Card. This eBook is has been holding a top 2% sales rank at B&N.com for more than a month now, but is still free at Smashwords. Earlier this month, I completed an author’s reading of the entire story (over a few days), and I’m just as happy with the story line today as when I wrote it. I think the audience liked it, too.

Happy reading,

Wil

Still top 2% at Barnes and Noble.com + other listings

2010-08-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

Playing the Baseball Card is now my top book at BarnesandNoble.com, but Playing the 'Son' Card and A Family Legacy: THE WATSON WORKS are close behind, and all three have continued to stay in the TOP 2% of best sellers.

My books are also available at Apple's iBookstore, Sony books, Kobo, Smashwords, and now at Diesel eBooks. One of my books, Sons and Brothers in Seattle, is also available at Amazon.com and the others will soon join that title.

All in all, pretty good availability and not bad sales results, either. I am still working on sequels and new titles, so more titles will be added to my lists.

Happy reading,

Wil

Top 2% sales rank at Barnes and Noble.com - "A Family Legacy: THE WATSON WORKS"

2010-07-22T02:00:00.000-07:00

I was very recently pleased to see "Playing the 'Son' Card" hit the top 5% sales rank at B&N.com but this is even better; now "A Family Legacy: THE WATSON WORKS" is well into the top 2% Sales Rank at Barnes and Noble.com.

For the last four months, "A Family Legacy: THE WATSON WORKS" has consistently stayed in the top ten for downloads at Smashwords young adult fiction, but I am extraordinarily happy to see the latest figures from Barnes and Noble. I sincerely hope it is being enjoyed.

Wil

PLAYING THE 'SON' CARD hits Top 5% at Barnes and Noble.com

2010-07-07T01:00:00.000-07:00

Top 5% at Barnes and Noble.com! That's the sales rank for PLAYING THE 'SON' CARD. I was very pleased to see that rank when I reviewed my 'barnesandnoble.com' listings. The book is free right now on Smashwords, so it's easy to have a look. Don't forget the great sale on now at Smashwords, until the end of July.

Happy Reading,

Wil

Great eBook SALE at Smashwords...

2010-07-01T11:00:00.000-07:00

Smashwords is at it again: A SALE for a whole month, starting July 1st. A few months ago, in March, they helped to sponsor "Read an eBook Week," and during that sale, my books hit all kinds of high numbers for daily downloads (and sales). I am really excited about this latest SALE.

Here's what Smashwords has to say about their latest SALE: Here in the Northern hemisphere, it's mid-summer. Readers everywhere are loading up their e-reading devices for summer beach reading and vacations. But what about the good people South of the equator, who are now in the middle of winter? They deserve to curl up in front of the fireplace and enjoy a good read too! Therefore, we're kicking off the second annual Smashwords Summer/Winter Promotion!

Sale eBooks will receive placement within a special sale catalog within the native Smashwords stores on Stanza on the iPhone/iPod Touch, and on Aldiko for Android phones. These popular e-reading apps used by millions of readers to sample, discover and purchase eBooks. Smashwords will also promote the event on the Smashwords blog.

There will be a lot of really good books to chose from, including mine, of course, so...

Happy Reading,

Wil

Word Cloud of Story Descriptions

2010-06-10T01:00:00.000-07:00

I decided to post something a little different. This is a word cloud of the story descriptions of my five fiction titles available as eBooks and in print:

SONS and BROTHERS in SEATTLE, A Family Legacy: THE WATSON WORKS, PLAYING THE 'SON' CARD, PLAYING THE BASEBALL CARD, and ROBERT'S RIDE.

Celebrating 2 more weeks at #1 for "SONS and BROTHERS in SEATTLE"

2010-05-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

As we start the Memorial Day weekend, I'm celebrating 2 more weeks at #1 on the Fiction-Drama best sellers list at Smashwords for SONS and BROTHERS in SEATTLE. This book has been holding in the top number one or number two spot since late March.

This is my special Smashwords second edition, with bonus chapters from the sequel, Sons and Brothers Sail into Danger. The success of this book (and my four others) at Smashwords is the reason I can say that there have been thousands of downloads/sales of my fiction titles.

I'm offering this eBook for FREE for the Memorial Day weekend. Just enter TC77W at the Smashwords checkout (actually good thru 6/6/10).

The 'star' of SONS and BROTHERS in SEATTLE, Cameron Connors, is a young father trying to deal with a mother who likes the idea of children, but otherwise appears not to like her own. Cameron has managed to get his own two young sons away from his mother, but now he needs to rescue Brendan, his younger brother.

As Cameron has learned over the years, his mother can be quite two-faced, and heaven help anyone who crosses Mrs. Rachael Connors. Cameron and his mother are currently in a state of cease-fire, but that could change dramatically based on what Cameron has planned for the next few weeks in order to challenge his parents for custody of Brendan.

Will Cameron succeed in creating a new family of four, or will he lose? The stakes are high, and Cameron stands to lose custody of his own two sons if he is not careful. Follow the saga of Cameron as he struggles to do what he knows he must do, and what is right.

I review "Kendall's Storm" - great new book

2010-05-20T01:00:00.000-07:00

For only the second time, I am going to blog about a book that I did not write. I'd seen the book on Smashwords, and I finally found some time to read it.

It was a good thing I started reading this book on a Sunday morning, because once I started I could not stop. This narrative absolutely kept me riveted right to the end. Kendall’s Storm was truly a great read, even as it kept me on the edge of my seat and took me places I didn’t always want to go.

This book may be fiction, but it has a sincerity and ring of truth throughout. Through the characters’ eyes and personal experiences, one learns (again) just how badly we, as a society, treat our youngest and weakest members. Through the empathetic storytelling of Janet Muirhead Hill, we also experience a coming of age with the certainty that love, affection and attention can make a profound and positive difference in a child’s life.

This is a companion book to Kyleah's Tree, and I understand that the author is currently writing the third book in this series that will bring the two young protagonists together. I can't wait.

Kendall's Storm was a wonderful, thought-provoking, and intense book, and I sincerely recommend it.

Happy Reading,

Wil

New York Times says more authors doing what I'm doing

2010-05-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, the New York Times has confirmed that my method of publishing books is now more popular than ever. The NYT says more than three-quarters of a million books were published by 'microniche' publishers in 2009; by comparison, Random House published less than a third of that number.

I agree with the idea that using a microniche publisher, as I do, makes it possible and easy to get stories into print (and onto eReader screens). In fact, I use Lulu to get my books into print, and Smashwords to get my books onto screens. It's a great combination. I've now published eight fiction titles in the Adult Drama and Young Adult genres, and I was pleasantly shocked when one of my books spent some time at the top of the Smashwords best sellers list.

I write for myself and not necessarily to sell, but the notion that thousands of copies of my books are now in the hands of readers heartens me. I hope what I've written brings happiness to at least a few readers, but this could never happen in the old, traditional publishing model.

If you're interested, read the full New York Times article as it appeared in the Sunday Magazine on May 2, 2010.

Writing is now a grand adventure!

Wil

Kobo has new $149 eReader - and my books

2010-05-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

A new entrant on the eReader market is being made available by Kobo. It's now for sale in Canada at Chapters and Indigo and is expected to be available in the US, at Borders, as early as May, but maybe not until June.

The really good thing from my perspective, is that my fiction titles are available on Kobo Books, including my Free eBooks, so now my books will be conveniently available on one more new eReader. I was really pleased that my titles were available at Apple's iBookstore on the day of launch for the iPad.

Don't forget, there's still a good way to read books on your computer, with mobipocket reader. See my April 1st blog post for details.

So, lots of ways to read. Hope you enjoy,

Wil

What would you say to your younger self - if you could?

2010-04-24T11:00:00.000-07:00

I saw an interesting blog post by YA author Sarah Mlynowski. Her new novel, Gimme a Call, due out this week, is about a high school senior who accidentally drops her cell phone in a fountain. When she fishes it out, she discovers the only call she can make is to herself—as a high school freshman, at age 14.

Sarah went to twitter, and asked others what they would tell their younger selves if they had a magic phone. The responses are certainly interesting, and worth a look.

I responded with: Hey, 14-year-old self... That dream? Now a book http://bit.ly/AFL-TWW about a kid who made a difference! It's dedicated to you.

The book I'm referring to is A Family Legacy: THE WATSON WORKS (The eBook is now Free). That was my first published book, and the ideas and dreams that have followed are the inspiration for my other books. So... now you know.

Hope you read, and enjoy.

Wil

Boating (and other activities) on the British Columbia south coast

2010-04-20T01:00:00.000-07:00

Today, for the first time, I'm blogging about someone else's books. I'm doing so because I discovered a series of books, including Up the Strait, that Wayne J. Lutz has just released on Smashwords. They are a collection of books about boating, kayaking, other outdoor activities and living on the south coast of British Columbia.

This area, the Strait of Georgia and Desolation Sound and adjacent coastal BC and the Pacific Northwest, is one of the locations in my books, SONS and BROTHERS in SEATTLE, and the soon-to-be released sequel, SONS and BROTHERS Sail Into DANGER. It is an amazing part of the world for natural scenery, and it makes a great backdrop for the characters in my books. (The current Smashwords special second edition of SONS and BROTHERS in SEATTLE includes bonus chapters from the sequel.)

Wayne Lutz and his wife also keep a blog about their current activities on the south coast of BC, and it's certainly worth a look.

So, lots more to read,

Wil

Thousands of Downloads and Sales of the Books of Wilson James

2010-04-10T01:00:00.000-07:00

Thousands of downloads and sales of fiction titles by Wilson James. That’s an incredible statement to be able to make, and excited does not even begin to describe the emotions I feel about that reality. My five multi-format eBooks can be found at Smashwords, and are now also available for the iPad at the iBookstore. When I decided to make my books widely available less then four months ago, I could never have dreamed or imagined that they would be so well received, and I'm thrilled by that.

Two of my titles have made it to the top of the best sellers list for young adult fiction and one has made it to #1 on adult fiction in the drama genre. I’m amazed and humbled by that, and I’d like to share my work even more. Three of my titles are still FREE on Smashwords, one is ‘set-your-price,’ and I’m going to offer my #1 Best Seller FREE for a limited time. Here’s the lineup:

PLAYING THE ‘SON’ CARD – still free. (A 5-star rating, and top 15 on the most downloads list for YA fiction at Smashwords)

A Family Legacy: THE WATSON WORKS – still free. (At #8 on the most downloads list for YA fiction at Smashwords)

PLAYING THE BASEBALL CARD – still free. (In the top 5% on most downloads list for YA fiction at Smashwords)

ROBERT’S RIDE – ‘set-your-price’ from zero to any amount. (Made it to #1 on YA Best Seller list at Smashwords after only 6 weeks)

SONS and BROTHERS in SEATTLE. (Made it to #1 on YA Best Seller list and to #1 on adult fiction (drama) Best Seller list at Smashwords. Normally $4.99, but use code GV22M and GET IT FREE until April 30^th

Hope you have a look, and

Happy Reading,

Wil

Read my books on iPad? Find them in the iBookstore!

2010-04-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

Yes! My 5 books are available in Apple's new iBookstore for the iPad!

Obviously I'm pretty happy about that, and I should also mention that three of my books are Free at the iBookstore. Thanks to Smashwords for making this possible. Here is the Smashwords press release. (BTW, iPad and iBookstore are registered trademarks of Apple, Inc.)

Enjoy!

Wil