tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35597557353546117162024-02-18T22:03:43.625-08:00Christopher Mahoney's Onyx Sun BlogNews and Updates About My Debut Novel: The Incredible Origins of the Onyx SunAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14384334180702704276noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559755735354611716.post-58674103449527165812016-05-05T18:52:00.003-07:002016-05-05T18:53:08.141-07:00Blog MoveHello world!<br />
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I've moved this blog to a new home at <a href="http://www.christophermahoney.com/">http://www.christophermahoney.com</a></div>
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Come on by!</div>
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Kalamazoo!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14384334180702704276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559755735354611716.post-46630539003111890612015-09-17T00:01:00.004-07:002015-09-17T00:03:42.633-07:00Back at It!Well, it's been quite some time, since I've written here and even longer since I've written something substantial about my book. So, this is announcement is overdue.<br />
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<b>The Incredible Origins of the Onyx Sun is now available on online bookstores everywhere!</b><br />
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This includes Apple iBooks, Amazon Kindle Store, Barnes & Noble Nook, etc.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6exmKcXamHqUfD3lCCbGM5jlqykBHx7AnYeo8EGT2mak_Drs6ORdCeB3_KT_yQFSm8ItUjK2KIVY-2uSfq-9yNTrxeADYGptOiKDJiIYq2sWKYxSH4ofwzwC160aRJoCGHLPUTb_6jkU_/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-09-17+at+7.49.55+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6exmKcXamHqUfD3lCCbGM5jlqykBHx7AnYeo8EGT2mak_Drs6ORdCeB3_KT_yQFSm8ItUjK2KIVY-2uSfq-9yNTrxeADYGptOiKDJiIYq2sWKYxSH4ofwzwC160aRJoCGHLPUTb_6jkU_/s320/Screen+Shot+2015-09-17+at+7.49.55+AM.png" width="320" /></a>I'm very excited by this development. It's been over ten years since I wrote the first word in this space adventure. Since then, it's been a wild ride of self-publishing, winning some awards, having Publishers Weekly and the Midwest Book write great reviews, reading it to hundreds of kids, finding an agent, talking to publishers like Scholastic, Penguin, and Disney, and finally making the decision to "strike out on my own again" and publish the Onyx Sun online.<br />
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I got tired even writing all that.<br />
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So, I'll save a rant about self-publishing vs. traditional publishing for a future blog post. For now, I just want to relax and enjoy the freedom of being in control once again of my book's future.<br />
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Since my priority is to share my book broadly and have people enjoy it, I've set the price at $0.99. Enjoy!<br />
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Kalamazoo!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14384334180702704276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559755735354611716.post-32773144015425966472014-10-09T09:29:00.002-07:002014-10-09T09:31:17.840-07:00The Night Sky in Context<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0zlp1G51q4WhM09BQcteAvj7OHGVgRnXpL5CfO5TjKjiY9SMqtRBoUjAGG4ZwIp9Fp68yjdmzTv6M4aezMV1zTpxWscOMNmjJBlfAlPCRUO9C1YlCeetzXkmvWCa_NDWLuxaSyNSau_R/s1600/K309nOX.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0zlp1G51q4WhM09BQcteAvj7OHGVgRnXpL5CfO5TjKjiY9SMqtRBoUjAGG4ZwIp9Fp68yjdmzTv6M4aezMV1zTpxWscOMNmjJBlfAlPCRUO9C1YlCeetzXkmvWCa_NDWLuxaSyNSau_R/s1600/K309nOX.jpg" height="320" width="318" /></a>I just read <a href="http://www.ba-bamail.com//View.aspx?MemberId=835852&emailid=12288&source=mobile_share&">an amazing article</a> this morning that puts in context the sheer magnitude of the universe. There are billions of billions of stars in the night sky. As the article points out, even a "dark patch" in the night sky is a window to viewing thousands of galaxies.<br />
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This is one of the major reasons I wrote the Onyx Sun. There are literally infinite adventures awaiting our species out there.<br />
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One day.<br />
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Kalamazoo!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivAShNO4VkmkP3T7jCNwCBkFMKVKL_-ZGRCDX0k1gp8dw8f5VWkGpN07oeMU54cVxaK0_Ga04pwxe3r0Q1g3EhdzpyFosxCGE6BLXRMvAHylNgfPGA-VFrHVVlZfVKNkkNR0Qja95XHRsn/s1600/sig_cm_small.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivAShNO4VkmkP3T7jCNwCBkFMKVKL_-ZGRCDX0k1gp8dw8f5VWkGpN07oeMU54cVxaK0_Ga04pwxe3r0Q1g3EhdzpyFosxCGE6BLXRMvAHylNgfPGA-VFrHVVlZfVKNkkNR0Qja95XHRsn/s1600/sig_cm_small.gif" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14384334180702704276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559755735354611716.post-73881642337027707592014-05-02T14:00:00.004-07:002014-05-02T14:00:53.275-07:0011 Years Old!<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #003366; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0.25em 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px;">
<a href="http://christophermahoney.blogspot.com/2010/05/happy-birthday-aiden.html" style="color: #003366; display: block; text-decoration: none;">Happy Birthday Aiden!</a></h3>
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Eleven years old today. Amazing.<br />
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It's still weird to me you share a birthday with two of my best friends.<br />
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Kalamazoo & love,<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s1600-h/sig_cm_small.gif" style="color: #cc6600; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s200/sig_cm_small.gif" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269910926757387458" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); cursor: pointer; height: 44px; padding: 4px; width: 59px;" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559755735354611716.post-91385329842224821532013-05-02T07:21:00.002-07:002014-05-02T13:59:42.560-07:00Happy 10th Birthday Aiden!Happy 10th birthday my boy! Wow, can't believe it's been that long.
Still think about you daily. This is still one of my
favorite pictures of us (probably both working on our next books!)<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559755735354611716.post-78458375889509514862012-05-02T12:51:00.000-07:002014-08-27T12:47:41.884-07:00<br />
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<a href="http://christophermahoney.blogspot.com/2010/05/happy-birthday-aiden.html" style="color: #003366; display: block; text-decoration: none;">Happy Birthday Aiden!</a></h3>
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Wow, nine years old today. Happy birthday buddy!<br />
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You're always on my mind.<br />
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Kalamazoo!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559755735354611716.post-77907063611690969922011-10-02T11:08:00.000-07:002011-10-02T11:08:24.041-07:00Sonoma County Book Festival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had a great day last weekend exhibiting at the Sonoma County Book Festival. First of all, it was warm, which being from San Francisco is a very acceptable change. Next, I was pleasantly surprised by how many people there were and how open they were to hearing about the exhibitors' wares.<br />
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About 40 people stopped by my booth. By the end of the day, I think I had explained my book so many times I could have done it in my sleep.<br />
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The few moments where there wasn't a visitor, I spent my time talking with my boothmate, Ezra Barany, who is the most light-hearted and friendly person I've met recently. At the end of the day, we exchanged books. So I picked up a copy of <a href="http://www.thetorahcodes.com/">The Torah Codes</a> ("a Jewish DaVinci Code") which I look forward to reading. I also met a woman named Margaret Murray, who has written an existential story called <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6448691-sundagger-net">Sundagger.net</a>. I haven't started it yet, but I'm looking forward to reading more!<br />
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Of course, no great book festival would be complete without a visit at the end to a local brewery. So my wife Kim and I slid over Russian River Brewing Company, where a beer and pizza bites put a cap on a great day! <br />
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Kalamazoo!<br />
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ChristopherUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0Santa Rosa, CA, USA38.4404674 -122.714431438.3409719 -122.87235989999999 38.539962900000006 -122.5565029tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559755735354611716.post-25880020836299466832011-09-09T06:39:00.000-07:002012-02-18T17:51:12.628-08:00Exhibiting at the Sonoma County Book Festival!It's been a while since I posted as I've been pretty busy traveling abroad for work and just plain working (not to mention dodging hurricanes in the Outer Banks for a friend's wedding last week and training for my third triathlon.)<br />
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So, I'm excited to finally have something new and book-related to post. I'll be attending and exhibiting at the <b><a href="http://www.socobookfest.org/">Sonoma County Book Festival</a></b> on September 24, 2011 in Santa Rosa, CA.<br />
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If you're in the area, I'll have a booth at the event and will be offering signed hardcovers of <i><a href="http://onyxsun.com/">The Incredible Origins of the Onyx Sun</a></i>. Come by and say hi. It's my brother's birthday that day too, which is a funny coincidence, and I'll be offering a 30% discount to mark the day.<br />
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In other book news, <a href="http://www.midwestbookreview.com/cbw/jun_11.htm">The Midwest Book Review</a> gave my first book a nice review, saying it is "<b>a fun entry into a brand new youth science fiction
series, highly recommended!</b>" although I wish they would have recognized it is more of an adventure novel set in space than true sci-fi. But that's a small point to quibble over. Thanks for the kind words MBR!<br />
<a 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" 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width="130" /></a><br />
I also offered a free giveaway of my final paperback advance review copies <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5985124-the-incredible-origins-of-the-onyx-sun">on Goodreads.com</a>. Although I only listed 150 books, I got over <b>1,100</b> requests! That was pretty exciting. I hope those who won them enjoy them as they are a rarefied version of my book now. I originally printed over 1,000 of them, gave about 700 away to kids, schools, and industry press and now only have about 50 left after the latest giveaway. If you were one of the winners, keep sending me your emails as feedback is key to me evolving the Onyx Sun series!<br />
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Lastly, since we're on the topic of the <i>series</i>, I have gotten a number of inquiries over the last few months about Book 2: <i><a href="http://onyxsun.com/comingsoon.html">The Wicked Adversaries of the Onyx Sun</a>. </i>Yes, I am working on it. I've got about 70 pages written so far and continue to chip away at it a few pages at a time. I did take a brief break to write a different novel - another book for younger readers but geared more firmly toward the YA crowd. Now that is done and out to agents for consideration, I am back to working on the Onyx Sun Book 2, while I promote Book 1.<br />
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Thanks again to all you who have supported me, sent letters from your children or students, or bought a book. I am much encouraged by all your positive support, words, and feedback.<br />
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Kalamazoo!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s1600-h/sig_cm_small.gif"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269910926757387458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s200/sig_cm_small.gif" style="height: 44px; width: 59px;" /></a><br />
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ChristopherUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0San Francisco, CA 94109, USA37.7929789 -122.421242437.7678834 -122.4607244 37.8180744 -122.38176039999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559755735354611716.post-69250239118504557152011-06-16T11:15:00.000-07:002011-10-02T11:16:29.673-07:00Midwest Book Review Covers the Onyx Sun!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzzD08fN9gA7h25KHMMoJ6j2BIWwmlZAIeXrmjHinOKbwQX1UJgD48TAKgjk1IwVnAo1CZ1eYf14fIKpiBy-52DFNZEJLXMDhL4-T_jZz_cST6s79Spt8UYcy5MAOToz9bo3zcGwMm3U/s1600/midwest-book-review.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzzD08fN9gA7h25KHMMoJ6j2BIWwmlZAIeXrmjHinOKbwQX1UJgD48TAKgjk1IwVnAo1CZ1eYf14fIKpiBy-52DFNZEJLXMDhL4-T_jZz_cST6s79Spt8UYcy5MAOToz9bo3zcGwMm3U/s1600/midwest-book-review.gif" /></a></div>
I just found out about another nice review from a well-known industry publication, The Midwest Book Review. MBR covers mainly independent books like mine. So even though The Incredible Origins of the Onyx Sun is right on target for the kinds of books they look for, I wondered for a while after I submitted my novel if they'd cover it.<br />
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Thankfully, a few months later I did a random Google search and found out they had! Here's what they had to say:<br />
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<b>The Incredible Origins of the Onyx Sun</b><br />
Christopher Mahoney<br />
Privately Published<br />
9780979520259, $19.95, www.onyxsun.com<br />
<br />
Being one of the youngest astronauts ever sounds cool, until the inevitable evil buts its head into
the picture. "The Incredible Origins of the Onyx Sun" follows Zack Goodspeed as he embraces his
wildest dreams becoming part of a new generation of space explorers. But there may be trouble in
his voyage to the moon, and it's up to Zack to act fast before his first mission turns into a disaster.
"The Incredible Origins of the Onyx Sun" is a fun entry into a brand new youth science fiction
series, highly recommended.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.midwestbookreview.com/cbw/jun_11.htm#Fantasy/SciFi">http://www.midwestbookreview.com/cbw/jun_11.htm#Fantasy/SciFi</a><br />
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Kalamazoo!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s1600-h/sig_cm_small.gif"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269910926757387458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s200/sig_cm_small.gif" style="height: 44px; width: 59px;" /></a><br />
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ChristopherUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559755735354611716.post-73094148874957899142011-05-02T12:52:00.000-07:002012-05-03T12:52:46.844-07:00<br />
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<a href="http://christophermahoney.blogspot.com/2010/05/happy-birthday-aiden.html" style="color: #003366; display: block; text-decoration: none;">Happy Birthday Aiden!</a></h3>
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The big eight today! You're becoming quite a little man.<br /><br />Kalamazoo!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s1600-h/sig_cm_small.gif" style="color: #cc6600; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269910926757387458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s200/sig_cm_small.gif" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-image: initial; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; cursor: pointer; height: 44px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 4px; width: 59px;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559755735354611716.post-84879946945795513582010-05-28T04:43:00.000-07:002010-05-28T06:51:45.567-07:00Publisher's Weekly Glows About the Onyx Sun!One of the great benefits of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=br_lf_m_1000507401_pglink_2?ie=UTF8&plgroup=7&docId=1000507401&plpage=2">making it to the semifinals</a> of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/abna">Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards contest</a> is that your manuscript gets attention from some serious industry players. This is both nerve-wracking and exciting as you learn that Penguin editors and Publisher's Weekly will be reading your whole story.<br /><br />So, it was with a tremendous amount of relief when I read the following from Publisher's Weekly about my book:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"This space adventure yarn has the right stuff. Zack Goodspeed’s unusual grandfather, Professor Goodspeed, is an adorable nutty genius who lives next door and whose garage has been transformed into a laboratory where he’s invented, among other things, a small black cube called the Onyx Sun, which is “a source of unlimited power.” One night, soon after he has shown Zack the Onyx Sun, the professor disappears into the woods. Zack and his neighbor, Angelina “Max” Maximillian, follow him and discover a tree that opens up to an elevator that leads to the center of the earth, where the Onyx Pioneer, an enormous spaceship invented by his grandfather and powered by the Onyx Sun, is docked in preparation for its colonization mission to the moon. Zack and Max stowaway on the ship and quickly discover that the evil Dr. Machvel plans to steal the Onyx Sun and use its power for destruction. Together with their new friend, Sanjay, they work to foil Dr. Machvel’s quest for domination. The fast-paced novel keeps the reader engaged throughout. The main characters are nicely done, the plot is exciting, and there’s a clear jumping off point for a sequel, which young sci-fi fans would surely look forward to."</span><br /><br />Exciting to see a respected member of the writing community enjoy my book. It feels validating after four years and almost a thousand hours of work.<br /><br />Now, if I could just find an agent and a publisher...<br /><br />Kalamazoo!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s1600-h/sig_cm_small.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 59px; height: 44px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s200/sig_cm_small.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269910926757387458" border="0" /></a><br /><br />ChristopherUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559755735354611716.post-77174300155981362612010-05-25T06:19:00.000-07:002010-05-28T06:42:43.266-07:00Onyx Sun Reaches Semifinals of Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9ucE0fjJpQnm6Z38Q9jWN1HRxBPN9fblwczrhQtUQbjeb80Q1cAkyrFcohCHduGi5HWu-HjvsGNOjlWFknFTzDd381Li3jMAauSfNu3mKtBgW79lUikeba_7eVt-uYynUavQYcO9s50/s1600/abna_logo-200-thumb-200x200-57464.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 121px; height: 121px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9ucE0fjJpQnm6Z38Q9jWN1HRxBPN9fblwczrhQtUQbjeb80Q1cAkyrFcohCHduGi5HWu-HjvsGNOjlWFknFTzDd381Li3jMAauSfNu3mKtBgW79lUikeba_7eVt-uYynUavQYcO9s50/s200/abna_logo-200-thumb-200x200-57464.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476315040202036578" border="0" /></a>I can announce this now that I know where I stand.<br /><br />After months of watching my book climb from a general submission, to making the first cut, to being a quarterfinalist, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=br_lf_m_1000507401_pglink_2?ie=UTF8&plgroup=7&docId=1000507401&plpage=2">to finally reaching the semifinals</a>, I at last know where I stand.<br /><br />It is with mixed emotions I learned today that Amazon has selected the finalists for their <a href="http://www.amazon.com/abna">2010 Breakthrough Novel Awards</a>. And although the first Onyx Sun book made it from a field of 5,000 entrants to only 50 Semifinalists, it will not be proceeding to the finals.<br /><br />I'm very proud of my book, especially considering it is my first. To reach the top 1% of submissions is an achievement beyond what I expected. But I have to admit, as much as I tried not to, I was already visualizing flying to Seattle for the finals.<br /><br />Ah well. My thanks goes out to Amazon for running such an amazing contest, Publisher's Weekly for their upbeat and positive review, and to the members of the community for reading and voting on my submission.<br /><br />Kalamazoo!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s1600-h/sig_cm_small.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 59px; height: 44px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s200/sig_cm_small.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269910926757387458" border="0" /></a><br /><br />ChristopherUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559755735354611716.post-57536700290760540122010-05-23T19:06:00.000-07:002010-05-28T06:18:50.482-07:00Onyx Sun Wins a Writer's Digest Honorable Mention!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7nJG5pgk3fC5It6psctGGlwxHtENykbAzSxOSqdu3BmSul6XAs9yUbmW4WQIaURl6zwVo-8QaBYBYh7a0e_FHtkY-3K91xovgA_U19orwkFmgUdRaxzfMOYZi_HP5LJqQKVXHBqav9_Y/s1600/Writers_Digest_Award.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 156px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7nJG5pgk3fC5It6psctGGlwxHtENykbAzSxOSqdu3BmSul6XAs9yUbmW4WQIaURl6zwVo-8QaBYBYh7a0e_FHtkY-3K91xovgA_U19orwkFmgUdRaxzfMOYZi_HP5LJqQKVXHBqav9_Y/s200/Writers_Digest_Award.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476309087419217554" border="0" /></a><br />I got this news a couple of months ago, but since I am getting back into blogging, I thought I'd include it since it is exciting news...<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >The Incredible Origins of the Onyx Sun </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >has won an Honorable Mention in the 17th Annual Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards!</span><br /><br />I sent a copy of my hardcover book, complete with the final artwork and exclusive Epilogue, to Writer's Digest almost a year ago. Of the hundreds of submissions, only three books were selected in the Middle-Grade/Young Adult category for Honorable Mentions.<br /><br />I couldn't be more excited!<br /><br />You will see the announcement of the award in the March/April 2010 issue or you can <a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/article/self_pub_youngadult17/">check it out online here</a>. I've also included a scan of the page with my book on it in this post.<br /><br />Kalamazoo!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s1600-h/sig_cm_small.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 59px; height: 44px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s200/sig_cm_small.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269910926757387458" border="0" /></a><br /><br />ChristopherUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559755735354611716.post-39998420254291315372010-05-22T05:41:00.000-07:002010-05-28T05:53:18.006-07:00New Onyx Sun Web SiteWhat better way to commemorate my recent writing contest success, which I will announce in a day or two, than to launch a new web site too!<br /><br />The new version of the onyxsun.com web site is finally live! I've wanted to update it for a while as the last version had a few distinct flaws. The new site:<br /><ul><li>Loads faster</li><li>Has the navigation more accessibly located at the top</li><li>Takes up less screen space "before the fold" so people can see the content below the splashy graphics without having to scroll<br /></li><li>Has a highlight box on the right for recent announcements</li><li>Integrates more Feedburner services so I can provide dynamic information easier, like updates from my blog!</li></ul>I built web sites like this one for the last fourteen years (since 1996! yikes!), and I always like to watch how sites evolve. At the end of each iteration, I always remember being happy with the end product. Yet, as I learn the site's flaws and architect a new iteration, I look back and wonder how I could possibly have been happy with the previous version. I guess innovation is a ceaseless process like that!<br /><br />Anyway, here are some screengrabs of each version from v1 on the top to the most recent on the bottom. You can also visit the new real deal online of course at <a href="http://www.onyxsun.com/">www.onyxsun.com</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN_x9gVVPMhOjmmJJNA-2v825fDyB759j_p7yw4R5U_Joma_C3mo78E3kdkui52XAOe7rN_XAOVpOXO6hBwmJDgcCU59KFsGSVOXryDrdVXrskCH8xxjZ3pMCQMJk2ItkH7NJvbaG2hsY/s1600/website_v1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN_x9gVVPMhOjmmJJNA-2v825fDyB759j_p7yw4R5U_Joma_C3mo78E3kdkui52XAOe7rN_XAOVpOXO6hBwmJDgcCU59KFsGSVOXryDrdVXrskCH8xxjZ3pMCQMJk2ItkH7NJvbaG2hsY/s200/website_v1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476302147540776594" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMF7L-G1qkgvnbIPJHBoF1kIw_a5pR2xMOzpSQEnq2AhMQ9Cvo2bHVAOu5Ql2bCF_75pmw9yu92jZuzfDO1mNIT6qW0u4ZIaklVnn13qEsk0Ay3kVzOlb2egq5X5EdpQ5SeOak7Di_i6o/s1600/website_v2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMF7L-G1qkgvnbIPJHBoF1kIw_a5pR2xMOzpSQEnq2AhMQ9Cvo2bHVAOu5Ql2bCF_75pmw9yu92jZuzfDO1mNIT6qW0u4ZIaklVnn13qEsk0Ay3kVzOlb2egq5X5EdpQ5SeOak7Di_i6o/s200/website_v2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476302289905309554" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJb2ntdGB8McycuOkswlM4iYvKZTHxnL1Tjkoi01hPFIT7_xauqNPgboCjxO6uERJ3wJSYxI7CzlKy-RAm3Ph5xz-7oBrRO-UppKAgJGbdPohvXdP7d3gpO73LP2grN7pZ7CiOOdI91k/s1600/website_v3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJb2ntdGB8McycuOkswlM4iYvKZTHxnL1Tjkoi01hPFIT7_xauqNPgboCjxO6uERJ3wJSYxI7CzlKy-RAm3Ph5xz-7oBrRO-UppKAgJGbdPohvXdP7d3gpO73LP2grN7pZ7CiOOdI91k/s200/website_v3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476302373392940674" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxvnKMTPuWothZ9WvHxkApYv3z_nL7hUN2HJjUDVza71EJ6opAsGvoQdyECfLEsaE9FAl0AhkESS9m5is2TQ32GV_3Md94N5ejEBbL88ECSpfivp8NcvfQ__5qggg2CYm7uEfJkTJBWEw/s1600/website_v4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxvnKMTPuWothZ9WvHxkApYv3z_nL7hUN2HJjUDVza71EJ6opAsGvoQdyECfLEsaE9FAl0AhkESS9m5is2TQ32GV_3Md94N5ejEBbL88ECSpfivp8NcvfQ__5qggg2CYm7uEfJkTJBWEw/s200/website_v4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476302429637180562" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Kalamazoo!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s1600-h/sig_cm_small.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 59px; height: 44px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s200/sig_cm_small.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269910926757387458" border="0" /></a><br /><br />ChristopherUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559755735354611716.post-18804794801565938442010-05-20T05:11:00.000-07:002010-05-28T05:40:52.001-07:00I'm Back!It's been a looooong time since I updated my blog, but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy working away on the Onyx Sun when I can. I have and because of that, there is quite a lot to update you on.<br /><br />Basically, I went silent over a year ago - ironically right around the time my book was finally published - since I joined Sony PlayStation and found myself quite busy helping to get a new business unit off the ground. That didn't leave much time, even on the nights or weekends, after 60+ hour weeks to work on my book. Even when I had the time, I was exhausted and needed to recharge.<br /><br />So, I held off on promoting my book, preferring instead to submit the book to a couple of contests. Those submissions didn't take too much time and were tasks I could punch out from the couch while watching SportCenter.<br /><br />I'm glad I did do at least that because it earned my book and Honorable Mention in a Writer's Digest contest, praise from Publisher's Weekly, and a spot in the semifinals of Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Awards, where I was one of 50 people who advanced through a field of 5,000.<br /><br />I'll cover each of these in a separate post, but for now, I just wanted to say: I'm back!<br /><br />Kalamazoo!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s1600-h/sig_cm_small.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 59px; height: 44px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s200/sig_cm_small.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269910926757387458" border="0" /></a><br /><br />ChristopherUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559755735354611716.post-80327363408366139682010-05-02T19:09:00.000-07:002010-05-28T05:39:38.945-07:00Happy Birthday Aiden!Wow, seven years old today. Happy birthday buddy! You're always in my thoughts.<br /><br />Kalamazoo!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s1600-h/sig_cm_small.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 59px; height: 44px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s200/sig_cm_small.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269910926757387458" border="0" /></a><br /><br />ChristopherUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559755735354611716.post-54463671959403560882009-05-02T18:10:00.000-07:002009-05-19T22:22:39.806-07:00Now On Sale! Onyx Sun Book 1Finally!<br /><br />After several years of <a href="http://christophermahoney.blogspot.com/2005/05/first-word-for-aiden.html">writing</a>, editing, searching for agents, <a href="http://christophermahoney.blogspot.com/2006/08/first-rejection.html">not getting agents</a>, looking for publishers, getting rejected by publishers, deciding to self-publish, <a href="http://christophermahoney.blogspot.com/2006/02/artistic-process-begins.html">designing the artwork with Rudy</a>, editing the manuscript, <a href="http://christophermahoney.blogspot.com/2007/11/advance-review-copies-are-here.html">publishing advance review copies</a>, <a href="http://christophermahoney.blogspot.com/2009/02/great-review-from-amazons-1-reviewer.html">getting a great review from the #1 reviewer on Amazon</a>, <a href="http://christophermahoney.blogspot.com/2009/03/53-new-fan-letters.html">reading in classes</a>, <a href="http://christophermahoney.blogspot.com/2008/11/some-great-letters-from-recent-fans.html">having kids tell me how much they love the book</a>, <a href="http://christophermahoney.blogspot.com/2008/07/are-we-there-yet-revised-book-launch.html">editing the book again</a>, working with typesetters, <a href="http://christophermahoney.blogspot.com/2008/12/my-letter-back-to-my-recent-new-fans.html">corresponding with young fans of the book</a>, sending the book to the printer, and then waiting...<br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;">...my book, </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:180%;" >The Incredible Origins of the Onyx Sun</span><span style="font-size:180%;">, is </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >finally </span><span style="font-size:180%;">done and available for sale to the general public!</span><br /><br />If you've ever been a fan, read one of the advance review copies, like helping struggling authors, or are dying to get your hands on what one reader called his "favorite book after Lord of the Rings" (true quote), please head on over to <a href="http://www.onyxsun.com/" target="onyxsun">www.onyxsun.com</a> where you can securely use PayPal to purchase a copy! You can also order it <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Incredible-Origins-Onyx-Sun/dp/0979520258/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top" target="new">on Amazon</a>, but people who order directly from onyxsun.com get 10% off a copy personally signed by yours truly. Plus, I only get $1 per book from Amazon, while I make a good deal more from orders direct from my site.<br /><br />The final hardcover is very exciting because it has:<br /><ul><li>36 original illustrations - one at the top of every chapter!<br /></li><li>Printed endpages with schematics of the Onyx Pioneer on the front and the Citadel Spire on the back</li><li>An exclusive epilogue, not available on the Advance Review Copies</li><li>A completely new first chapter</li><li>A unique launch code to give readers access to an online copy of the text where they can edit the entire book and share edits with friends!<br /></li></ul>Thanks to everyone who has helped make this a reality!<br /><br />Kalamazoo!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s1600-h/sig_cm_small.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 59px; height: 44px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s200/sig_cm_small.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269910926757387458" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Christopher<br /><br />P.S. - Happy birthday Aiden! You inspired this book many years ago buddy!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559755735354611716.post-42132949683571822232009-03-02T13:17:00.000-08:002009-03-02T13:52:18.946-08:0053 New Fan LettersOn February 9th, I did my first school reading at Redding Elementary in San Francisco. It was funny going into it, because I was a little nervous. I've done dozens of speaking engagements in seven different countries for my real job, some in front of hundreds of people, but the prospect of speaking to twenty kids in my own town about my book somehow got me more jumpy. I guess when speaking to adults, I generally know what to expect, but it's been about twenty years since I've been in a classroom speaking to Fifth Graders.<br /><br />After all the build-up though, the day seemed to go really well. I spoke with three classes, and each really seemed to enjoy my talk. I described what inspired me to write my book, how long it took, what skills I learned in school that helped, and finished with a reading of the Prologue. Throughout the process, I showed the students pictures of my book as it evolved from manuscript, to 2,500 edits, to advance review copy, to final book. I also showed them how the artwork in the book evolved from drafts to finished material. The students at Redding were very engaging and asked great questions.<br /><br />My favorite part was at the end of the second and third classes. At the end of the second, right when I finished my reading, one of the girls in the back of the class pushed her chair back, threw her arms in the air, and exclaimed, "THAT WAS SO SWEET!" It made me laugh because her reaction was so genuine. At the end of the third class, one boy raised his hand and waved it in the air frantically until I called on him. Then he said, "Mr. Mahoney, that is the BEST book I have ever read!" Hahaha. What great kids. They kept me smiling and helped stoke the excitement I feel finally being on the "speaking circuit".<br /><br />A couple of weeks later, I returned home to find a package stuffed in my mailbox from one of the classes. In it was a wire-bound book of 53 letters from the kids. This gesture was so touching and while I'd love to display all of the wonderful letters, I had to select just a few that I could fit here.<br /><br />To Mr. Toy's class: thank you! You are a wonderful, insightful, and genuinely intelligent class. I appreciate your letters!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiOaka4xG1krBzz1fTExbkYB4Yv1POr1hYuWBFZil0qrLexc_bHXLf3juSu-tTcMr8RCQvlBQ3_CoeA0kR6uPQBt29ftFF4NwcnJ-v8V0H2_XW9VRNY1X9hPRFZO5ufJAKcwPVn4kQpy8/s1600-h/IMG.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 151px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiOaka4xG1krBzz1fTExbkYB4Yv1POr1hYuWBFZil0qrLexc_bHXLf3juSu-tTcMr8RCQvlBQ3_CoeA0kR6uPQBt29ftFF4NwcnJ-v8V0H2_XW9VRNY1X9hPRFZO5ufJAKcwPVn4kQpy8/s200/IMG.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308706396290114322" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGyInScRafsHLv06v5ubtjMrl6SIRzcBpgzZxM3jQX-8GOMdshmnkOhuQtJg1MDmmq-AbDMVm0Xu3MWY-LbDWxpicqe8QrQoSzuON9sIyT8DsrCgN-5VhyphenhyphenPJf9hyphenhyphenYn9Bw3jR3u_flLlrc/s1600-h/IMG_0001.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 145px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGyInScRafsHLv06v5ubtjMrl6SIRzcBpgzZxM3jQX-8GOMdshmnkOhuQtJg1MDmmq-AbDMVm0Xu3MWY-LbDWxpicqe8QrQoSzuON9sIyT8DsrCgN-5VhyphenhyphenPJf9hyphenhyphenYn9Bw3jR3u_flLlrc/s200/IMG_0001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308706505850500018" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY0R9j5b0A9Ji9WYOnZlv4qYkmdZYsfSBAql3QQwZLpmod46ogx9DFBFLS8dxrppWGm7Kmx3si-ZJvQ1-arpGWi8dX-24d9ntCAYyUm7w7mTGt_gyxHsajyhHJYGTfBIiCpIKj23pcpcU/s1600-h/IMG_0002.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 151px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY0R9j5b0A9Ji9WYOnZlv4qYkmdZYsfSBAql3QQwZLpmod46ogx9DFBFLS8dxrppWGm7Kmx3si-ZJvQ1-arpGWi8dX-24d9ntCAYyUm7w7mTGt_gyxHsajyhHJYGTfBIiCpIKj23pcpcU/s200/IMG_0002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308707070582608898" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrD-RxHcwmgocY4TjQ960sYI-ftZ7rFuUT-UuyWiPUNqSX8dsz7J-PL6CYoXuk1xBRAODw24Abrv_RxSdVVH9BDNFJS9eZ-EPIjyaRkJzbfCnqeOXG_EUdx3avlcTlKH6_Kx-Xqgvqm8s/s1600-h/IMG_0003.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 136px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrD-RxHcwmgocY4TjQ960sYI-ftZ7rFuUT-UuyWiPUNqSX8dsz7J-PL6CYoXuk1xBRAODw24Abrv_RxSdVVH9BDNFJS9eZ-EPIjyaRkJzbfCnqeOXG_EUdx3avlcTlKH6_Kx-Xqgvqm8s/s200/IMG_0003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308707075300830626" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8hwSOM7DHEjftieRPvqK-pqcJ2zyWpein2TEKOEIgi5VI2RvR1YXea3yb3_a3iyGA6YFJiQmbsBG7T83XvjP3dpwZXcjxn4VA81Rzp3dmyGJYEgbn_rji4iwJ7rvUEtOnu_cZuYoL08/s1600-h/IMG_0005.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 142px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8hwSOM7DHEjftieRPvqK-pqcJ2zyWpein2TEKOEIgi5VI2RvR1YXea3yb3_a3iyGA6YFJiQmbsBG7T83XvjP3dpwZXcjxn4VA81Rzp3dmyGJYEgbn_rji4iwJ7rvUEtOnu_cZuYoL08/s200/IMG_0005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308707088571804466" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGUKaS8FtGxqu-0ESVk2-OK0wLwRmaH0TsyiVv9Y_WgBRXVTPNwgmHRsns-lGowtZk3k_xtklh04wv-vZTR-jmxYLSZF5J5upOM2ChE0aT2xUvDLIJic3S7nmRxh0Kzs6qu2E5wiHXL8I/s1600-h/IMG_0004.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 151px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGUKaS8FtGxqu-0ESVk2-OK0wLwRmaH0TsyiVv9Y_WgBRXVTPNwgmHRsns-lGowtZk3k_xtklh04wv-vZTR-jmxYLSZF5J5upOM2ChE0aT2xUvDLIJic3S7nmRxh0Kzs6qu2E5wiHXL8I/s200/IMG_0004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308707079002440434" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuZFj6YwdDN3TwejcET4hg7buLwn347iz1w1ehod9pTpXWCEvPIAJV1FM9oed4aLPiCjN71XgjxNp-5uvnd4e00bq1QS9V19lW3ddgM_Ak0IeHIHpaQPNGqv6G-19byS7QkRHVYeDdGQY/s1600-h/IMG_0006.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuZFj6YwdDN3TwejcET4hg7buLwn347iz1w1ehod9pTpXWCEvPIAJV1FM9oed4aLPiCjN71XgjxNp-5uvnd4e00bq1QS9V19lW3ddgM_Ak0IeHIHpaQPNGqv6G-19byS7QkRHVYeDdGQY/s200/IMG_0006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308707098835154642" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />Kalamazoo!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s1600-h/sig_cm_small.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 59px; height: 44px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s200/sig_cm_small.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269910926757387458" border="0" /></a><br /><br />ChristopherUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559755735354611716.post-8867137349426329012009-02-02T09:49:00.000-08:002009-02-03T21:11:36.168-08:00Great Review from Amazon's #1 Reviewer!More good news on advance reviews of my book. Harriet Klausner, the #1 Reviewer on Amazon (using the former ranking system, which has recently changed) has given <span style="font-style: italic;">The Incredible Origins of the Onyx Sun</span> a glowing review!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">An excellent middle school science fiction thriller starring an intriguing hero! The story line is action-packed and filled with twists. Zack is a terrific role model as he and his grandfather encourage children to see each day as a fun, puzzle-filled adventure. Young adults will enjoy flying to the Moon, controlling giant robots, and saving the Earth alongside Zack and his exciting friends.</span><br /><div style="text-align: right;">- Harriet Klausner<br /></div><br />It's exciting to see she enjoyed it, as well as <a href="http://christophermahoney.blogspot.com/2008/11/some-great-letters-from-recent-fans.html">other recent early reviewers</a>.<br /><br />On the final book publication date front: I have narrowed it down to two publishers and am negotiating between them. The company I want to go with is about $1,000 more expensive. So, I am exploring my options with the second company while trying to get the first to give me a more competitive quote. Should not be long now until I can commit to a final launch date!<br /><br />Kalamazoo!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s1600-h/sig_cm_small.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 59px; height: 44px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s200/sig_cm_small.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269910926757387458" border="0" /></a><br /><br />ChristopherUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559755735354611716.post-6931060217882639792009-01-10T08:38:00.000-08:002010-05-27T20:02:29.906-07:00Book Launch UpdateJust a quick update: I have gotten bids from three printers on how much it will cost and how long it will take to print the final version of The Incredible Origins of the Onyx Sun. I am going to review them this week, negotiate in a few points, then select a final printer.<br /><br />Once that is done, I will - finally - have a firm date for my book launch! Will post more information as soon as I have it.<br /><br />Kalamazoo!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s1600-h/sig_cm_small.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 59px; height: 44px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s200/sig_cm_small.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269910926757387458" border="0" /></a><br /><br />ChristopherUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559755735354611716.post-38206384200336993612009-01-09T11:07:00.000-08:002009-01-10T08:38:20.978-08:00More News from Young Onyx Sun FansI thought this would be fun to share: the 4th grade class that wrote to me about how much they liked my book continues to share their thoughts with their community.<br /><br />You can read more here: <a href="http://www.rhnet.org/popup_info.cfm?story=2730">http://www.rhnet.org/popup_info.cfm?story=2730</a><br /><br />Thanks again Mr. Titus and class for letting people know how much you enjoyed my book!<br /><br />Kalamazoo!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s1600-h/sig_cm_small.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 59px; height: 44px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s200/sig_cm_small.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269910926757387458" border="0" /></a><br /><br />ChristopherUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559755735354611716.post-36894629824455117172008-12-12T08:25:00.001-08:002008-12-12T08:45:32.861-08:00DONE!As of right now, I have finished all the edits on my book. I have forwarded the comments to my typesetter who has already updated the proof and sent a draft back to me. This draft had a couple of errors, but the typesetter seems to be able to turn things pretty quickly.<br /><br />Soooooo...<br /><br />...I am almost at the point where I can announce and lock-down a firm book launch date.<br /><br />Steps I need to take to finalize a date:<br /><ol><li>Finalize the proof - Today</li><li>Receive final, print-quality proof - 12/16/2008</li><li>Get quotes & time estimates from printers - 12/19/2008</li><li>Negotiate print job with one printer - 12/22/2008</li><li>Get final print schedule - 12/30/2008</li><li>Announce book launch date - 12/30/2008</li><li>Print the book on time!<br /></li></ol>Exciting!<br /><br />Of course, this is far from all I have to do to produce the final book. Beyond those tasks, I have to:<br /><ul><li>Get reviews for the jacket art<br /></li><li>Edit the jacket art, including adding copy about me, the price, SKU, barcode, new artwork dimensions, and teaser copy</li><li>Make decisions about the paper stock, cover stock, and hardcover binding</li><li>Find a system for hidden randomly generated barcodes to work for the "Like this section?"</li><li>Develop the Create Your Own Story section on the Onyx Sun site (HUGE...at least two months work)</li><li>Update Amazon, Goodreads, and personal web site information with correct book data including final launch date.<br /></li></ul>Still, having this amount of work to finish doesn't dissuade me so much as excite me. Feels good to be making <span style="font-style: italic;">real</span> progress at last.<br /><br />Kalamazoo!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s1600-h/sig_cm_small.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 59px; height: 44px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s200/sig_cm_small.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269910926757387458" border="0" /></a><br /><br />ChristopherUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559755735354611716.post-26113071683321987442008-12-04T09:52:00.000-08:002008-12-04T10:04:52.022-08:00What's Taking So Long???A few people have asked me when my book is coming out, and what the heck is taking so long. While I have been pushing very hard to get my final book out quickly, I have been extremely picky the last few months with my edits. <a href="http://christophermahoney.blogspot.com/2008/07/are-we-there-yet-revised-book-launch.html">As noted previously</a>, I made 2,500 edits before I sent the "final" manuscript to the typesetter. Then, when I got the proof back, I felt compelled to re-read the book again and I am glad I did. I found twenty more grammatical errors.<br /><br />Yikes! :)<br /><br />Anyway, I know even professionally produced books have errors, but since I am self-publishing the Onyx Sun, and self-published books are generally frowned upon as "low-quality", I am being a *tad* obsessive about finding and eliminating any element of my book that makes it anything less than top notch.<br /><br />The good news, is I am VERY close. I have proofread 200 of the 314 pages and am able to do about 50 pages a day lately. Which means hopefully by the end of the week, I'll have this done.<br /><br />I don't want to commit to a date yet for the final book launch, because I have before, and I ended up breaking those promises. So, at this point, please know I am working as fast as possible, and I remain committed to developing a quality piece of fiction first and foremost, even if that means it takes a little longer.<br /><br />Thank you all for your patience! In the meantime, please check out some of the exciting new feedback I have been getting <a href="http://christophermahoney.blogspot.com/2008/11/some-great-letters-from-recent-fans.html">from early reviewers by mail</a> and <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2627131.The_Incredible_Origins_of_the_Onyx_Sun">on Goodreads.com</a>. The word is spreading!<br /><br />Kalamazoo!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s1600-h/sig_cm_small.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 59px; height: 44px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s200/sig_cm_small.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269910926757387458" border="0" /></a><br /><br />ChristopherUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559755735354611716.post-64393814477930477242008-12-02T19:32:00.000-08:002009-01-10T19:35:53.876-08:00My Letter Back to My Recent New FansSo, as noted in my previous entry, "<a href="http://christophermahoney.blogspot.com/2008/11/some-great-letters-from-recent-fans.html">Great Letters from Recent Fans</a>" I have gotten a bunch of letters from a 4th grade class in New York about my book. They were very considerate to write me and tell me what they thought of my book, and I thought I'd share with everyone here my appreciative response.<br /><br />Mr. Titus’ Class<br />Sherman Elementary School<br />50 Author’s Avenue<br />Henrietta, NY 14467<br /><br />Tuesday, December 2, 2008<br /><br /><br />Dear Mr. Titus and class,<br /><br />Wow! Thank you for your letters! I very much enjoyed reading your thoughts on my book, The Incredible Origins of the Onyx Sun. I enjoyed each of your letters and shared them with my friends and family. Everyone commented on how well written each letter is and how insightful your feedback is. As an author, nothing makes me happier than hearing from readers like you. Your feedback about what you like and don’t like gives me just the insight I need to perfect the final book and to write even better sequels!<br /><br />Many of you asked if the book will be made into a movie. I hope so one day! Between us, I always had George Clooney in mind when I wrote the Commander Chase character. Wouldn’t it be great to see him in an Onyx Sun movie! Professor Goodspeed, Zack, and the other characters were more a mixture of different people I know or characters I have read in other books. I even took a bit of Grandfather’s wackiness from Doctor Brown in the movie Back to the Future. Do you guys know that movie? That’s the funny thing about being an author: as you write, movies, books, and even real people you know find their way into your story. In some ways, Zack is actually me when I was about your age. I always wanted to find a spaceship hidden in my backyard. Who do you guy find interesting from books, or movies, or your own life? How would you put them in a story? What would those characters do? Would they be weird, or funny, or sad, or athletic? What unique traits would they have? The number one thing people like to read about are people that interest them. That’s why I was so happy you liked the strange, funny, adventurous characters I created!<br /><br />Several of you also mentioned that you enjoyed the Mech battles. Those were fun chapters for me to write. I’m not sure where I got the idea for gigantic robots, but I know a few video games I’ve played in the past had similar robots. I took that idea and changed it to make it unique and reflect ideas I had. It’s funny when you write that often you don’t know how things will turn out as you are writing. I generally have a broad outline beforehand, but often ideas pop onto the page as I am writing! That is a fun experience because then I surprise myself and get to live the adventure too as I am creating it!<br /><br />A couple of you mentioned that I should put more pictures in the book. I agree! When the final version of my book comes out this February, it will have thirty-six original drawings: one for each chapter and a special, large picture of the Citadel Spire on the title page. The final book will also have an epilogue called The Dawn of War, which previews the action coming in the sequel. So far, I have only written seventy pages of the sequel, The Wicked Adversaries of the Onyx Sun, but I spend time each day working on it. For now, I have included in this letter a sneak preview of some of the pictures that will come out this winter with the final publication of my first book. The included pages are called “folios” since they are loose drafts of the final pages of my book. Right now, I am reviewing these folios and finalizing the images and text. Since many of you seemed to enjoy the Mech battles, Moon scenes, and struggles with Machvel, I picked folios that match your interest. You can see more on my web site at www.onyxsun.com.<br /><br />I notice your school is on Author’s Avenue. That seems like a quite a coincidence for a class that is clearly talented in reading and writing! I hope you enjoy the enclosed materials, and we can keep in touch about your future readings and writings. Thank you again for your wonderful letters.<br /><br />Kalamazoo!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s1600-h/sig_cm_small.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 59px; height: 44px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s200/sig_cm_small.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269910926757387458" border="0" /></a><br /><br />ChristopherUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559755735354611716.post-66576064910771929322008-11-20T10:30:00.000-08:002008-12-04T10:01:52.911-08:00Great Letters from Recent FansThis is just wicked, as Angelina would say.<br /><br />I got a package in the mail last week from a class of 4th Graders who had read my book. Apparently, one of my early reviewers forwarded my book to a friend who teaches this class. He read the entire book to his students over several sessions (impressive) and then had each write me with their thoughts.<br /><br />This is the most touching gesture yet from the growing list of people who have read and enjoyed <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.onyxsun.com/">The Incredible Origins of the Onyx Sun</a>. I especially loved the fact that they enjoyed the Mech battles and could see my book being made into a movie. One can hope!<br /><br />I have included a few of their letters below. To protect their privacy, I have blanked out some of their personal information.<br /><br />To the class of Sherman Elementary: if you read my blog, thank you, thank you, thank you!<br /><br />Kalamazoo!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s1600-h/sig_cm_small.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 59px; height: 44px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqh-hV_5BnWYJegclhHZC2zXHxThIBE2vrijLCC94EOPveWQgFpTl_zcJqZ4fHgRYGYyb7yycQ8l5nK0gOHlnEir8xfq1GH_w-WJqlfG5-nclqJAiYbv32cM4eEo9nuUQsDjiu_NeEaA/s200/sig_cm_small.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269910926757387458" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Christopher<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL5Z5Ku6Y5MC31MDFNE5aclc0RvvyvJyxkKBTHHZ1GrluNOoICTTdG16fbQg7jwCRVGrg-alk3J8bG4M2MCXQeqNfyPiWgljfZbFRi6DApph5hyDt9qQM-ClUIoiD968i_DXOYw53epJI/s1600-h/Teacher_Letter_1.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 154px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL5Z5Ku6Y5MC31MDFNE5aclc0RvvyvJyxkKBTHHZ1GrluNOoICTTdG16fbQg7jwCRVGrg-alk3J8bG4M2MCXQeqNfyPiWgljfZbFRi6DApph5hyDt9qQM-ClUIoiD968i_DXOYw53epJI/s200/Teacher_Letter_1.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275637883225511362" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAtvaaPtRIv41DSiH_wtON9g5ZgT0qINX_WTJPaz1izMej8HarArdYe4lk8h88ClFwmW0c_SJsCZ_Dg4WWmBEy7OMw_0VIj0Wm91jEjdA9OIs5Gb9OIKiIcFLAcWx9OuAIpNiBnfw8Wk/s1600-h/Teacher_Letter_2.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 154px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAtvaaPtRIv41DSiH_wtON9g5ZgT0qINX_WTJPaz1izMej8HarArdYe4lk8h88ClFwmW0c_SJsCZ_Dg4WWmBEy7OMw_0VIj0Wm91jEjdA9OIs5Gb9OIKiIcFLAcWx9OuAIpNiBnfw8Wk/s200/Teacher_Letter_2.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275637951390369490" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhklLdTe1TRLWIB3Si0GRxOcPVarjv5GdGJMCdAsrAqDmRWGBFicLokc0KZ1K7H8-y6o7iRrK36ovtjIAa4lwos_EKKPs0VvagrMzBCOFtXe2heO_2yKEaJeiTV5Iy_BGseJFUbFeAA6GY/s1600-h/Letter_Zachary.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 154px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhklLdTe1TRLWIB3Si0GRxOcPVarjv5GdGJMCdAsrAqDmRWGBFicLokc0KZ1K7H8-y6o7iRrK36ovtjIAa4lwos_EKKPs0VvagrMzBCOFtXe2heO_2yKEaJeiTV5Iy_BGseJFUbFeAA6GY/s200/Letter_Zachary.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275641006266279618" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9a7ZztKH2iMlfTZvunjfVzVkbTcSGaIAZLs22omOYwEn5lqdZMKGLVrEc8dO-hCfV7DvugTI9Z0kKQYCmlTrpuToNo2YTDY4bYMfBA3vI-F8un58V6kIbsfnOV2qmivuDm1OamVKN_fI/s1600-h/Letter_Rachel.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 154px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9a7ZztKH2iMlfTZvunjfVzVkbTcSGaIAZLs22omOYwEn5lqdZMKGLVrEc8dO-hCfV7DvugTI9Z0kKQYCmlTrpuToNo2YTDY4bYMfBA3vI-F8un58V6kIbsfnOV2qmivuDm1OamVKN_fI/s200/Letter_Rachel.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275641007437956738" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNAxvX1NtgDk_NiUOt1QqfAny_wplHgQSDXBtOyZEYBt_Xq8hjvjWSOhk6kmUl7uTsAA8ZHn5j_-QfzclXFrl2qwWvMuI0JarBVO-1MryKQtCeQ12vHbuz6dt3cWbOhLw_LOZWk98jH5o/s1600-h/Letter_Geovanny.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 154px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNAxvX1NtgDk_NiUOt1QqfAny_wplHgQSDXBtOyZEYBt_Xq8hjvjWSOhk6kmUl7uTsAA8ZHn5j_-QfzclXFrl2qwWvMuI0JarBVO-1MryKQtCeQ12vHbuz6dt3cWbOhLw_LOZWk98jH5o/s200/Letter_Geovanny.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275641003834462002" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxr6L8d4q1gOkLUxLEkGG48Zkg9e6ZkttoPs0lHO1MK0JIy-yaqaI_PM1Fy4o6wWYs5cT6amSsJ9P_FHFy4HzKH1L4EUWvoZIixwUWGOGB_GSPpnVV_IMnstAJpKMuwOyk6cOeH7SAcI/s1600-h/Letter_Emerson.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 154px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxr6L8d4q1gOkLUxLEkGG48Zkg9e6ZkttoPs0lHO1MK0JIy-yaqaI_PM1Fy4o6wWYs5cT6amSsJ9P_FHFy4HzKH1L4EUWvoZIixwUWGOGB_GSPpnVV_IMnstAJpKMuwOyk6cOeH7SAcI/s200/Letter_Emerson.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275640998534616674" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhPzPSLjrl479X5e6ajL37vL-4mY-eF-hBgQeuqFWLtwwc4J-5NRuXcotsGnvxkzjMr4Js8vJ86KLbdGPg8AIn58f4BLI1FjQzw2jRcQNR8HoFSLNOV2bi0sNXzaAXXhg0VyIFOxR5hY/s1600-h/Letter_Antonio.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 154px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhPzPSLjrl479X5e6ajL37vL-4mY-eF-hBgQeuqFWLtwwc4J-5NRuXcotsGnvxkzjMr4Js8vJ86KLbdGPg8AIn58f4BLI1FjQzw2jRcQNR8HoFSLNOV2bi0sNXzaAXXhg0VyIFOxR5hY/s200/Letter_Antonio.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275640996643665010" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeZkLhT4yOeWlyFkElxxw27O5Sfpja2E-0GfEZsQItFNDFQOoY0i0Ouceh9ngstG-VwPWM9m_HnZphGuCZpxX90zpHLckDBFzW8Srt43wMIqWrIGa9xqCOFXpnxn16nV-LFecfuT0kSvs/s1600-h/Letter_Aaron.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 154px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeZkLhT4yOeWlyFkElxxw27O5Sfpja2E-0GfEZsQItFNDFQOoY0i0Ouceh9ngstG-VwPWM9m_HnZphGuCZpxX90zpHLckDBFzW8Srt43wMIqWrIGa9xqCOFXpnxn16nV-LFecfuT0kSvs/s200/Letter_Aaron.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275640842684522530" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0