Interview with Dinosaur George Blasing Part Two

My first post of 2014. Either I've been lazy or I was saving the first post for something good. Let's go with the second one and say Happy New Year!

Some exciting things have happened since last we spoke with our friend Dinosaur George.

The biggest of those is the debut of Dinosaur George Media and its first publication:

Dinosaur George and the Paleonauts

Episode One: Raptor Island

This exciting middle-grade reader is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle.

Order your exclusive autographed copy directly from Dinosaur George at this link:

Dinosaur George Store

With that out of the way, on to what you've been waiting for! This is part two of the highly popular interview with Dinosaur George Blasing - the man, myth and legend. (read part one HERE)

MM: Welcome back to the sequel! Last time, we talked about our young reader picture book, Ask DG (which you can get in Paperback or Kindle). This time, we are going to discuss the new middle-grade chapter book series: Dinosaur George and the Paleonauts. Readers can find out more about the book by reading the synopsis at the end of this interview. What I want to know is do you have anything specific you want to say to your readers in your writing and speaking events?

DG: The most important thing I can tell you is that you should read as many books about paleontology as possible. We all have favorite books, but if you just read the same book over and over, you’ll only learn what is in that book. If you read a lot of different books, then you’ll be much more knowledgeable about the study of prehistoric life. And the more you read, the more you learn. And that is what makes science so much fun!

MM: That's one of the things I like about Paleonauts. It is a great adventure story with plenty of your trademark humor, but also it is educational. There is even a section at the back of the book called "Paleofacts" which gives interesting details about the dinosaurs in the story. And trust me, they are not your common Hollywood dinos. It takes someone with a real knowledge and passion for the subject to incorporate unique and accurate details like these. I understand that the concept for this story has been on your "To Do" list for five years or more. You've had plenty of time to think about the story. In creating your adventure, what do you think makes a good story?

DG: To me, a good story is one that makes you never want to put the book down. I love stories that make you excited, happy, or sometimes a little scared. But most importantly, a good story must have a hero who is kind, and treats people with respect. I like stories that have bad guys, or villains, as long as they get what they deserve in the end. I also think a story has to have some humor. When you read something that makes you laugh out loud, THAT is a good story!

MM: I absolutely agree. A truly good story should elicit a range of emotions, not simply tension or humor. I am particularly pleased with our results on Paleonauts. We managed to create a fun adventure, put the characters in a little danger and even some comic relief. I think a lot of young people will have a hard time putting this one down. Part of the pleasure for me working with you is that we share a lot of common values. It seemed to come easy for us to put those morals and lessons into the story without standing on a soap box (except for right now). I think most of our values are instilled on us when we are young. I don't think we have to go quite all the way back to the Mesozoic, but can you tell us about your life growing up? For example, did they have electricity? Ha, ha, ha!

DG: Too funny! Yes, we had electricity in the 19...[coughs - rest of year is inaudible]. I was born at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. But we moved when I was very young, so I don’t remember very much about it. We lived in a small city in Maryland and I can remember going to the Smithsonian Institute all the time. But we moved to a farm near the city of Hondo Texas and I started the 2nd grade there. Almost all of my childhood memories were growing up on the farm. We had cows, chickens, pigs, horses, goats, geese, sheep, turkeys, and many other animals. We even had a pet owl, raccoon and opossum at one time. I had a very fun and wonderful childhood. I spent hundreds of hours looking for Indian artifacts, studying the animals, fishing and, of course, hunting for fossils.

MM: It sounds like your time on the farm had a big influence on the man you have become. Judging from your social media presence, it appears that your family was a major part of that and you seem to be very close. What do they think of your work?

DG: My parents, and brothers and sisters are very supportive of what I do. I know they are proud of how I’ve dedicated my life to teaching children. Because I travel a lot, I don’t get to see my family as often as I wish I could. But when I do see them, they all want to know where I have traveled, and what new discoveries I have made. It’s kind of funny to hear them call me “Dinosaur George” instead of just “George”.

MM: Look at all the space we've filled up already. It seems when we get together, we never run out of things to say. With so much hot air between, we should enter a hot air balloon race! I want to end this section of the interview with a thought and a question. One of our goals with the Paleonauts series is to make paleo-education fun for our readers. One can hope and dream that our story can be life-changing, but my question is: what are some books that were life-changing for you?

DG: There are two books that have had a very big impact on my life. One of them was titled Dinosaurs and more Dinosaurs. It was written in 1965 and it was the first dinosaur book I ever read. I can remember how much I wished the pages would come to life so that I could see a living dinosaur. I checked that book out at our school library so many times, I almost had it memorized. The second book that really changed my life was called Dinosaur Heresies. It was written by one of my favorite paleontologist Dr. Robert Bakker. This book changed the way I looked at dinosaurs. When I was young I thought dinosaurs were nothing more than giant lizards. But “Dinosaur Heresies” demonstrated that dinosaurs were more like birds, and were much faster and smarter than we thought.

There is still plenty more from Dinosaur George.

Subscribe to my blog by so you don't miss Part Three.

Up at that top left, you can "Follow by Email".

About the book: 

Dinosaur George’s uncle is missing! 

Professor Stone was the world’s leading paleontologist. At least, until the day he disappeared. Now George is searching for him. 
No one knows where Professor Stone is, but that’s not the only problem. They don’t know when he is either. Thanks to Dr. Morgan’s invention, the professor is lost in time. 
To save his uncle, George joins a team of scientists and explorers. Armed with hi-tech gadgets, they will travel 65 million years into the past. Only history knows what they will discover. 

Will George be the first human to see a living dinosaur? 

Will he find his uncle before it’s too late? 

Episode One: Raptor Island takes George to the Late Cretaceous of Southern Asia. It’s his first real chance to try out his amazing equipment and hopefully find a clue to Professor Stone’s whereabouts. But something is waiting on the island. 

In a story packed with humor and excitement, experience the past like never before. Learn about dinosaurs and all of the latest theories of their existence. Don’t miss the PaleoFacts at the end of each episode with all the dino-details.

In the next post, we will have some more information on the Paleonauts artist, Gabe Bush.

Until then, find us on Facebook:

Dinosaur George

Mark Miller Author

Gabe Bush Illustrator

      

What's the Secret?

My friend and fellow JLB Creatives team member, Jean E. Lane, has a delightful book called Lill and Mewe and the Secrets of Mars. Well, I got a chance to read it after a rave review from my 12 year old daughter - she said it was a must read. I wanted to share my thoughts with my own short review.

Charming in its simplicity, yet surprisingly complex. There is a lot going on with this fun little story. The author has some big ideas and writes for her target audience. The secrets of Mars are revealed with a civilization hidden beneath the surface of the red planet. The focus of the story is on Lill, her younger brother and their insatiable curiosity. The story ends piquing my curiosity and leaves me ready for the sequel. Like a good series should, this first book comes to a satisfying end, but leaves the reader with a few questions. This story is perfect for middle grade and some young readers, especially if they are interested in fun and science!

About the book: When Lill, a young Martian girl, receives a telescope for her birthday and locates planet Earth, she and her water cat, Mewe, "borrow" a new space craft called the Whisper 5 and travel to Earth, where they meet a girl named Lily. Back on Mars, Lill looks for her brother Merak, who, also on a mission, has lost contact when his warp drive safety failed and may have left the galaxy. Lill later learns Merak was rescued, but by whom? As Lill watches Mewe's swim race at Frogscry River, where she competes with the other water cats, Lill discovers a glowing orb in the wall of a cave. The orb holds the thoughts of Martians who have died hundreds of years ago, along with ancient wisdom. What will she learn from the orb? Will she find Merak? What are the secrets of the history of Mars? Follow the exciting adventures of Lill and Mewe as they seek answers in a world of advanced computers, androids and artificial intelligence.

About the author: Jean E. Lane is originally from Youngstown, Ohio. She now lives in Orlando, FL with her husband Kenneth, their energetic dog Prancer, and two curious cats: Muffy and Abby.

She has worked most of her life in logistics, financial accounting, and purchasing. Her true interest lies in the almost believable aliens of the classic science fiction stories she enjoyed growing up.

Skygazing is a hobby which led her write her first children's novel, Lill and Mewe and the Secrets of Mars, the first of the Lill and Mewe series.

She uses math, science, discovery, learning, humor, and adventure in her books. But don't be scared...the math and science are great for kids ages 8 -12. Adults appreciate the content being that her writing style is highly entertaining while delivering facts so their children so they can learn while having fun.

You can get the paperback here:

http://amzn.to/18jns12

Guest Post: Kate Tenbeth on the Indie Revolution

UK author Kate Tenbeth wants to share her journey becoming an independently published author.

Before we jump into her post, you can see her books here: http://goo.gl/Leszz
The reason I mention this first is that Burly & Grum and the Secret City will be FREE on August 29th & 30th. Of course, you don't have to wait until then. Why not buy all three for your Kindle now, hmm?

Kate says, "Come on, join the Revolution!

In March 2011 I went to a writers’ meeting in my local library. It seemed no different to any of the other meetings I’d attended; I got out my notebook, made myself a coffee and chatted to friends, little suspecting that by the end of the meeting my perspective on life, on writing, would be changed forever. 

Our guest speaker that day was a young indie author called Penelope Fletcher, who was there to talk to us about self-publishing. She spoke clearly and simply about the process and how much she loved it. I remember thinking with absolute clarity, ‘I can do that’. So, I did. Self-publishing has, quite literally, been a huge turning point in my life and I’d like to tell you just how I went from feeling bruised and battered by the whole publishing process, to feeling like this:

Prior to hearing Penelope speak I had no idea what was going on in the publishing world, I was completely unaware of the revolution that was taking place and was still sending off manuscripts to agents and publishers and then sitting and waiting patiently, knowing my place, for their replies. Now, 18 months later, the immense power that agents and publishers once held over the fate of writers no longer exists and indie authors are a force to be reckoned with. Frankly, I count myself extremely lucky to have been a very small part of this revolution and for me the transformation has opened doors I didn’t even know existed.

If you’re hesitating about whether or not to self-publish, let me highlight some of the very positive aspects:

1.    Self-publishing doesn’t actually have to cost you a penny - you can publish your book for free so you literally have nothing to lose by putting your book out there.

2.    There are no rejection slips! Yay! I’ll say that again – there are no rejection slips!

3.    You learn so much, it’s brilliant, exciting, wonderful! 18 months ago I didn’t even know what a kindle was. Now? I have 3 books published in both e-reader and print format, I run a website, a Facebook page, write a blog and I tweet. I’ve learnt about marketing, how to edit and present a book, I’ve even made a trailer and I’m about to create audio books.

4.    You get to meet and talk to people who are on the same wavelength as you. I used to think I was a little odd and, indeed, it could be that perhaps the jury is still out on that one, but it is wonderful to talk to other people about storylines involving groblins, time travel, fairies, talking bears, etc. as if it’s the most normal thing in the world.

5.    The whole process gives you hope – there is always that chance your book will take off. I was told I’d never be published. Can I just say a quick hello to Kitty Bullard from Great Minds Think Aloud Independent Publishing? Hi Kitty – thanks for signing me up!

6.    It gives you confidence. I had so many doubts about my writing ability but over the last 18 months I’ve had some great reviews and over 140,000 of my books have been downloaded.  My writing can’t be that bad!

7.    It restores your faith in human nature. There are avid readers out there who love new authors, who want to encourage you. Let them see what you can do, don’t hide away!

I work full time and have a long commute into London, I help support my son who is now at University, I look after my father who lives locally and has Alzheimer’s. I’m not Superwoman, I’m an ordinary mum who has found something that gives me passion, and I’ll let you in on a secret - there is no Big Secret about how you go from feeling unsure and lacking in confidence to feeling great about your writing, it’s really very simple – just go ahead and self-publish. Dig out that book that’s lurking hidden in your computer, go on sites like Amazon, Smashwords, etc., read their instructions on how to upload your book and then do it. Yes, it takes concentration and effort, but when you read your own words on your Kindle, or hold the printed version in your hand for the first time, you will feel incredibly proud of your achievement.  So, to those of you who are hesitating - don’t - just take the plunge, be brave, hold your head high and be part of the indie revolution!

Good luck!"

You can find Kate at the following links:

Website: http://www.burlyandgrum.com

Email: kate@burlyandgrum.com

Blog: http://www.burlyandgrum.blogspot.com

How to be a Thief

On the planet Kaskaya, becoming a thief is a skilled and honorable achievement. In the newest release of my Christian Sci-Fantasy, Sons of the King, the middle son sets his sights on that difficult task. Co-written with my 9 year old daughter, it is available now from Trestle Press for ONLY 99 Cents right here: http://goo.gl/zzTfX

Sons of the King

Episode Four

The Thieves' Village

What would an outer-space fantasy be without a few rogues and thieves? As Olivia and I outlined the story, it was important to her to show the members of the Thieves' League as positive, helpful people. Since the thieves are first introduced as kids in Episode Three, we wanted them to be playful. Once Dig gets to their village in the mountains, he finds them to be a little frightening and mysterious. His opinion changes over the next five years as he grows and trains with them.

It has been a while since the last episode of Sons of the King. With that in mind, anybody that purchases Episode Four: The Thieves Village can email me or comment on my blog to get Episode One: Fallen Idols for FREE. You can get Episode Four here: http://goo.gl/zzTfX

Please be sure to check out the fan page on Facebook too: http://www.facebook.com/Mysstira

Olivia Strikes Again

That's right. Episode 3 is here. Like I said before, Olivia has such a great voice as an author. As I encourage her to explore and develop it, it might take a little longer to get these stories done. With her imagination and charm, I think it is worth the wait.

Sons of the King

Episode 3

The Creator's Ark

In Sons of the King, they have created a fantasy world with a touch of science fiction. In the land of Mysstira on the planet Kaskaya, a great King has three sons. When a mysterious visitor falls from the sky, their world is changed forever. The sons of the King will soon face their destiny.

Episode Three tells of the oldest son Taro’s journey to the hidden Creator’s Ark. He plans to dedicate his life to honor the Creator of the planet Kaskaya and the universe. At the same time middle brother Diggold heads in the opposite direction in search of adventure and escape. Which leaves the youngest of the three, Fallon, almost like a prisoner in the Dome.


This story begins to explore the theology of Mysstira. The beliefs of the people are important to the growth of the characters. Similar to Buddhist Monks or Star Wars Jedi, the Mysstirans have a religious warrior class called the Arktu. They practice non-violence and rely on their Creator for strength.


Please check it out for only 99 cents! http://goo.gl/XVclH

How Can You Say No?

Look at this face. Do you think she has me wrapped around her precious little finger?

You bet she does!

And the result was this:

Sons of the King - Chapter One: Fallen Idols

So, she came to me with all of these ideas about a story. She wanted adventure in mystical lands. She wanted heroes and monsters. Most of all, I think she wanted to spend some time with her Pop.

I am fortunate enough to be a part of a special and talented group of people known as Trestle Press. Where else could a writer present a story co-written by his 8 year old daughter and have it published? I can not express my gratitude enough to Giovanni and all of Trestle Press for this opportunity.

The story, you ask? The story is high fantasy and it takes place on the world of Kaskaya. The planet bears a strong resemblance to our own medieval past. Except they developed technology with electricity and not gunpowder. Their warriors use swords and computers.

I am not at a loss for ideas. Still, to see what springs out of her head amazes me. She is primarily responsible for the creative content. No name, no place is put on paper without Olivia's approval. Mostly, I think I am there to work the keyboard and turn a phrase. For a third grader, though, she has a way with words herself.

For ONLY 99 Cents, you can't say "NO" to a beautiful little girl? Get the story HERE or click on the picture above.

Don't forget, I have four children. I want everyone to know how proud I am of Zak. He is amazing with computers and helped me with the fantastic cover design. Ashlin is my math whiz and Liam is a junior paleontologist. It is for all four of them that I keep writing. They are my inspiration. It makes it that much sweeter that I can share a by-line with Olivia.

Happy Birthday Olivia!

Something for the Kid in You

Trestle Press is bringing my new Young Reader series to eBooks soon! Here's what Small World Global Protection Agency is all about:

This new series is aimed at Young Readers anywhere from 3^rd to 6^th grade and will be available only in eBook from Trestle Press. The monthly short stories will be reminiscent of the adventure serials of the 1940’s with a contemporary setting. Each episode will feature two ten-year-olds, Josh and Madison, as they secretly work for the high-tech, international Global Protection Agency to keep the world safe. The short stories will come in a two-part “cliffhanger” style and expose readers to interesting facts and details of the countries Josh and Madison visit. At the end of each two-part story, there will also be Points to Ponder: five questions or discussion starters to keep parents involved with their young readers!

Miller is the author of The Empyrical Tales fantasy adventure series. Book I: The Fourth Queen and Book II: The Lost Queen are available now from Comfort Publishing and Book III: The Secret Queen is coming Spring 2012. From Trestle Press, Miller heads the spiritual anthology MarkMiller’s One and has worked with Giovanni Gelati in the Author’s Lab collaboration A Prince in Trenton, Seriously? Miller has also written the adaptation of the faith-based movie Daniel’s Lot, available from Trestle Press as well. He is a father of four with a background in elementary education and film.

Be ready for Issue #001-A: New Kids on the Rock!

Review: The Nightmarys by Dan Poblocki

I thoroughly enjoyed The Nightmarys by Dan Poblocki.

While not exactly a sequel, this book far exceeds its predecessor, The Stone Child. The author manages to create a more intriguing story set on a richer canvas with deeper, more realized characters.

This is intended to be a middle-grade or young adult story, but it kept my attention throughout. I even related to the emotions and thoughts of the main character, Timothy July. Timothy is well-rounded and the reader is able to connect with him. The added element of Timothy’s brother being a soldier wounded in the Middle East made this character more than a simple cardboard cutout going through the steps of solving a mystery.

The story itself had the tense supernatural mystery for which the author is known. Timothy July is assigned a special class project and is paired up with the new girl, Abigail, a loner. Their trip to the museum drops them into a decades old web of secrets. Soon the line between reality and terrible imagination becomes blurred as Timothy and Abigail struggle to find the truth. I liked that it was not a simple one, two, three easy-to-solve mystery. The characters had to work to discover the truth and that, to me, is always more satisfying.

There were also a few surprises that connected the world of The Nightmarys to The Stone Child. Also, the author appeared to put considerable effort into the mythology behind his plot. As in his first book, there is a lot going on with the supernatural elements that might be over the head of younger readers, but bringing my own background knowledge made it that much more enjoyable for me.

There are some genuinely frightening sequences that makes this story not for everyone. However, if you like to be scared, then The Nightmarys is definitely worth your time.

Mark Miller is the author of The Empyrical Tales fantasy adventure series from Comfort Publishing. Book 1: The Fourth Queen and Book 2: The Lost Queen are available now. Miller has also co-written A Prince in Trenton, Seriously? with Giovanni Gelati as part of Trestle Press's Author's Lab and is headlining the ongoing spiritual introspective series Mark Miller's One. He has a background in motion picture production and elementary education. Please visit www.MillerWords.com and follow his blog at EmpyricalTales.blogspot.com or find him on Facebook at Facebook.com/EmpyricalTales.

The Stone Child Review

Here's a first, I'm reviewing another author's book. Normally, I am working hard to get a reviewer to read my books. Then there's the whole "raising four kids" thing. Rarely do I have time for leisure reading. I literally have a stack of books waiting for me.

So my oldest daughter came home from school (yes, several months ago) carrying a book with the most intriguing cover. It was Dan Poblocki's The Stone Child. She read the thing in two days flat. She said it was the creepiest book she'd ever read and this is coming from an Official Member of the American Chillers Fan Club. After she finished, that cover kept calling to me. Mostly black with a hint of blue light surrounding the statue of a child. She holds out a book, beckoning the reader to peak inside. It wasn't until after I had a few chapters down that I noticed the creatures wrapped around her feet.

This cover pulled me in, much the same as the pendant pulls in the two different authors in the story. For a writer, I am one of the slowest readers you will meet. It took me more like two weeks to finish the book, as opposed to my daughter's two days.

Don't take that the wrong way though. I completely enjoyed The Stone Child. Basic plot: the outsider, Edgar Fennicks, moves to Gatesweed, an unfamiliar world. We get to know Eddie over the first couple chapters as he is set up to be the classic underdog. We get several hints that things are not right in this town and Eddie discovers an unusual book, hand-written in code, by his favorite author, who also happens to have vanished from this very town. The story begins moving once Eddie meets Harris, the son of the quaint, local bookstore owner. Eddie and Harris embark on a quest to unravel the code and hopefully find the missing author. With the help of another outsider, the quirky Maggie, the three junior detectives encounter a menagerie of creative monsters.The Woman in Black is the most effective as her vagaries torment both Eddie and the missing author whether they are awake or falling through a nightmare.

Things that worked for me: The suspense; The monsters; The Lilith mythology; The setting came alive and I could feel Poblocki's passion for the North Eastern countryside, especially when they went to pick apples; And a genuine mystery that the characters and the reader solve together.

Things that didn't work for me: Maggie's extremely simple solution to one of the key elements of the mystery (trying to avoid spoilers); Never knowing Eddie's parents' names - for some reason, this kept me from totally connecting with Eddie. He thought of them as Mom and Dad, but I wanted to see them as adults since I am an adult reader; Being an adult leads to the final thing that didn't work - the font, parts of the story are told from the missing author's hand-written work. While an immersing technique, my eyes are not as sharp as my ten year old daughter and on a few late nights, I had a little trouble with the cursive.

Overall, for being a scary story that bigger kids can read, I say 5-stars. It is a creepy fun read of Good VS Evil and kids VS monsters. To paraphrase Nathaniel Olmstead, "this story has a jolt or two, which is all anyone really needs to remember he's still alive."

Mark Miller is the author of The Empyrical Tales fantasy adventure series from Comfort Publishing. Book 1: The Fourth Queen and Book 2: The Lost Queen are available now.Miller has also co-written A Prince in Trenton, Seriously? with Giovanni Gelati as part of Trestle Press's Author's Lab and will be headlining the upcoming inspirational anthology, Mark Miller's One. He has a background in motion picture production and elementary education. Follow his blog at EmpyricalTales.blogspot.com or find him on Facebook at Facebook.com/EmpyricalTales.