Showing posts with label kids can do anything. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kids can do anything. Show all posts

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Looking for Free eBooks for Young Adults?


Looking for Free eBooks for Young Adults? In January 2010, I started another blog, entitled Free eBooks for Young Adults, with occasional assistance from another Smashwords author.  I've listed over 130 free eBooks, and the number of views for that blog is now over 20,000.   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 list them on my other blog, Free eBooks for Young Adults.

Happy Reading, 

Wil

Friday, March 2, 2012

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.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Free eBooks for Young Adults

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.  (UPDATE: Feb. 23rd...now over 6,000.) 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

Saturday, January 21, 2012

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


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 my fiction 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 the characters 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 than most of the adults around them think, and I write that into my books.

Now, I celebrate another 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 her experiences at sea.  She also describes her battles with the child protection authorities back in Holland, and about how those battles have left her with nightmares far worse than anything she anything she experienced battling the oceans of the world in Guppy, her 38-foot sailboat.

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

Laura: You have shown, a very real way, what young people are capable of.  As a sailor, I applaud your extraordinary achievement.  As an author of Young Adult fiction, I celebrate your perseverance, determination, tenacity and courage. A story better than anything I could write.  My sincere congratulations.



Tuesday, January 11, 2011

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

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