2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver and Whistler

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

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

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

new site promoting FREE YA eBooks

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

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

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...

“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