All 7 YA Novels of Wilson James, author - Free for a limited time!

Lots of Free eBooks during July - best time of year for 'browsing' eBooks!

FREE EBOOKS (July 1st - 31st )

The month of July is pretty much the best month of 2017 to find Free eBooks for Young Adults (and any other eBooks, including books under the Coming of Age genre). That's because Smashwords is holding their annual Summer / Winter sale (the winter part is for those 'down under').  

Many authors have joined this sale, so there is a great selection and it's a great opportunity to fill up your reading device.  Smashwords' eBooks are available in all formats, for Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Android app for Tab or smartphone; and thousands of books are on sale at Smashwords.  But, this is a limited time offer, and it ends on July 31st, (11:59 pm, 23.59 PDT (07:00 GMT Aug 1st) so don't delay.

INTERNATIONAL - NO WORRIES ABOUT REGIONS

And one more thing... on Smashwords, there's no worry about region, or country, or location when you get these books for free.  Unlike Amazon, or Apple, or most of the others, you 'purchase' these free Smashwords books anywhere. 

I really want to share my work, and so I have added all seven of my YA Novels to this sale, and have priced them all Free! So, please enjoy your summer (or winter), and happy reading.

Wil

Father's Day 2018 - some thoughts about fathers... real and fictional

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To all fathers, everywhere, Happy Fathers’ Day.

... Wil ...

Royalty for real - A Sapphire Jubilee. Royalty as fiction - my "Prince David" series of books for any young person or adult who has ever wondered where they fit into this world or how they could make an impact

Today is an anniversary never before seen in British History. For the first time, ever, a monarch celebrates a "Sapphire Jubilee." Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne 65 years ago, on Feb. 6th, 1952. It is likely my grandparents and great-grandparents took note of the day. In the preceding 65 years, there had been 5 British monarchs: Victoria (1836-1901), Edward VII (1901-1910), George V (1910-1936), Edward VIII (1936), and George VI (1936-1952). It is truly incredible that 65 years have passed with only one. 

I had not intended to create a post, but have decided I cannot let this day pass without my recognition and comment. I do this because the British royalty is the fictional setting for my "Prince David" series of Young Adult novels, staring Zac Bolitho as the protagonist, and Prince David as his key friend and sidekick. As I state in the introduction to Book 1, this is a book providing inspiration for building lasting friendships, caring about family, seeking adventure, and overcoming the challenges we all face in life. 

This is a book, and a series of books, for any young person or adult who has ever wondered where they fit into this world or how they could make an impact.

the PRINCE DAVID series:

Zac and the Reluctant Prince, Book 1 of the Prince David series...  A contemporary story about keeping friendships, seeking adventure, overcoming challenges, and making history. This novel is set in the real-life world of modern day royalty.  Published in March 2012, the eBook is now available here.

Zac and the Prince's High Adventure, Book 2 of the Prince David series... The story of Zac, his family, and Prince David continues in Book 2, profiling Prince David's continuing adventures and increasing public attention.  Still being completed.  Expected release before the end of 2017, in recognition of the year of the real-life Sapphire Jubilee of the Queen.

Prince David, Book 3: Zac and the Prince's High Impact - outline complete, but subject to change

Prince David, Book 4: A Profile in Courage - being written

I've enjoyed writing the books, and I hope some will appreciate the story and my fictional view of what might take place in the coming years.

Happy Reading, 

Wil

My books plus hundreds of others - Smashwords' July SALE

FREE EBOOKS (ends July 31st )

The month of July is pretty much the best month of 2015 to find Free eBooks for Young Adults (and any other eBooks, including books under the Coming of Age genre). That's because Smashwords is holding their annual Summer / Winter sale (the winter part is for those 'down under').  

Many authors have joined this sale, so there is a great selection and it's a great opportunity to fill up your reading device.  Smashwords' eBooks are available in all formats, for Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Android app for Tab or smartphone; and thousands of books are on sale at Smashwords.  But, this is a limited time offer, and it ends on July 31st, (11:59 pm, 23.59 PDT (07:00 GMT Aug 1st) so don't delay.

INTERNATIONAL - NO WORRIES ABOUT REGIONS

And one more thing... on Smashwords, there's no worry about region, or country, or location when you get these books for free.  Unlike Amazon, or Apple, or most of the others, you 'purchase' these free Smashwords books anywhere. 

Of course, I've added my 7 eBooks to this sale, so they're all free until July 31, only.

Happy Reading,

Wil

My Father's Day essay - what kind of a Father?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To all fathers, everywhere, Happy Fathers’ Day.

*This essay was originally posted for Father's Day 2012. It has proven to be the most-viewed of my blog posts of all time, and so I re-post it again this year to honor the memory of those who filled a father-like role in my life: my dad and my granddad.  

Wil

My Father's Day essay and thoughts

I wrote this piece last year, on Father's Day.  It has proven to be, by far, the most popular single post I've ever written.  I'd like to repeat it now, for Father's Day 2013, and add one note.  Too many of us, myself included, have not taken advantage of the opportunity to have good (or even any) relationships with their fathers.  I now wish, a number of years after my father's passing, that I knew him better, and that I worked harder on a relationship.  Alas, I did not.  Do you still have that chance?

And, now, my Father's Day essay reprise (from 2012)...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To all fathers, everywhere, Happy Fathers’ Day.

Wil

My Fathers' Day Essay - What Kind of Father?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To all fathers, everywhere, Happy Fathers’ Day.

Zac and Prince David's word cloud

Zac and the Reluctant Prince, Book 1 of the Prince David series, free for a very limited time, until 4/4/12.  Follow the link to Smashwords and enter coupon code CB33E at checkout.  (The word cloud is taken from the book's short and long descriptions.)

Zac and the Reluctant Prince, Book 1 of the Prince David series, FREE for a short time

The brand new Young Adult fiction title Zac and the Reluctant Prince, Book 1 of the Prince David series is now available in multiple eBooks formats on Smashwords.  It is FREE for readers of this blog, but only until 4/4/12!  Simply enter the coupon code CB33E at the Smashwords checkout.

Zac and the Reluctant Prince, Book 1 of the Prince David series, introduces David and the Bolithos, an unlikely but effective combination of young men and women who desire to do right, but who also want to be normal teenagers.  Is that even remotely possible?  Will they find the courage to succeed in spite of being nervous and scared of what lies ahead?

     David has unexpectedly become the royal heir. David has also become an orphan. Those two overwhelming problems confront teenager Zach and his family, who simply want to protect David and help the younger boy deal with his destiny.  A contemporary story about keeping friendships, seeking adventure, overcoming challenges and making history.

Zac and the Reluctant Prince, Book 1 of the Prince David series

It's here! Yes! The brand new Young Adult fiction title Zac and the Reluctant Prince, Book 1 of the Prince David series is now available in multiple eBooks formats on Smashwords.  This is my first new book in more than a year, and I'm very happy with it. It will be available for Free during Read an eBook Week, March 4-11, on Smashwords.

Zac and the Reluctant Prince, Book 1 of the Prince David series, introduces David and the Bolithos, an unlikely but effective combination of young men and women who desire to do right, but who also want to be normal teenagers.  Is that even remotely possible?  Will they find the courage to succeed in spite of being nervous and scared of what lies ahead?

     David has unexpectedly become the royal heir. David has also become an orphan. Those two overwhelming problems confront teenager Zach and his family, who simply want to protect David and help the younger boy deal with his destiny.  A contemporary story about keeping friendships, seeking adventure, overcoming challenges and making history.

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

I responded to a @HuffPostBooks piece, written by Randy Susan Meyers, about finding book titles that work.  The information on Huffington Post was very helpful 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 YA fiction title "Aiden's Arrival: Honor Before Gold" gained the three extra words. It was likely a good idea, but at least it kept my original working title of Aiden's Arrival.

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

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

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