This is how much I love my wife!

(Cleaning bathroom)

Anika's Odyssey

Well, the pirate game didn't work out. Sorry. So instead, we uploaded a classic that I'm sure you'll find entertaining.

   The name of the game is Anika's Odyssey, and it was designed by Trickysheep productions. I'm not a big gamer, but I can honestly say that this game grabbed and kept my attention. Not only did I find the game extremely fun, but I was also amazed at the beautiful artwork. The designers clearly put a lot of effort into making the game.

   Anika's Odyssey is a magical adventure deep into a lush and enchanted land. Break away from reality to enter a mystical world inspired by Aotearoa, New Zealand, as you meet the curious spirits and exotic creatures that inhabit this wondrous wilderness.

    Anika's Odyssey is an enchanting point-and-click adventure game, full of surprises and charm. Help Anika explore her colorful landscape as she journeys to reclaim her beloved friend.

   The game was nominated 3rd best adventure game in 2007.

   I hope you enjoy! (To play Anika's Odyssey, click on the picture below.)

Interview- Jesse Wilson, author of "The Night the Moon Ate my Room!"

Jesse is the author of The Night the Moon Ate my Room!, an exciting new children's book that is designed for young readers to experience the joy of self-discovery, valuable life lessons, and the adventure of turning their greatest dreams into reality. I recently invited Jesse to do an interview for my blog. Enjoy!



1. Tell me about your book. How did you come up with that (story, angle, idea)?

Answer: I've been performing theater for nearly my entire life, and a number of years ago I began branching out into the "solo performance" form. Writing a show and a book that could both entertain and education children, was a departure from the rest of the body of work that I've created in the past, and that decision opened up a very big door of newfound creativity for me.

2. How did you get interested in writing children's books?

Answer: I've always loved children's books, even when I was an angry, rebellious teenager doing angry, rebellious "teenagery-things." Deep down, I think I've always wanted to write children's books. They're what I feel most connected in terms of what I read. I grew up exposed to great children's books. They were intimately connected to my childhood. They have my mother's voice in them. Finally, when I became a professional teacher, I realized that not only was I interested in really diving in and writing children's books, but I saw how large of a need there was to write them, and share them, for kids. The funny thing is, I still never think of children's books as books necessarily for children. The best children's books are universal, applicable to everyone, no matter what age.

3. What kind of research did you do for this book?

Answer: During the last few years, I've spent a large amount of time working closely with elementary students on the nature of fear and dreams in writing performing workshops and the classroom environment. I'm fascinated with what happens to students when their dreams are threatened because of stage fright, comparison to others, peer pressure, bullying, etc and I'm also equally fascinated when students "go through the fire" to find their dreams again.

4. What's a typical working day like for you? When and where do you write? Do you set a daily writing goal?

Answer: I spend the majority of my day teaching kids, on an elementary, junior high, and high school level. I gave up the idea of a structured writing life years ago, and find that as long as I can put in a good five hours a week wherever and whenever I can get it, then anything beyond that is a bonus.

5. What is the hardest part of writing for you?

Answer: Fatigue.

6. What’s the best thing about being an author?

Answer: I love the secretive feeling of walking around in the world, knowing that something right at the edge of my fingertips is about to be carved out and given to the world.

7. What are you working on now?

Answer: Promoting both the children's book and the show of "The Night the Moon Ate My Room!" as well as my other solo show and book for high school and colleges, "Face the City."

8. What advice would you give aspiring writers?

Answer: Shock yourself. Move yourself. Look deeper. Do it with one hundred percent commitment to the truth. Ditch cleverness.

9. Do you have any favorite authors or favorite books?

Answer: Many. One my favorite children's books is Maurice Sendak's "Outside Over There," and for young adults Salinger's "The Catcher In the Rye." Both books underscore the celebration of aloneness like no other books I've read.

10. What question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

Answer:"If you could go back in time to any day in history what would it be?" Years ago, I might've answered "listening to the premier of Beethoven's 9th" or "when Van Gogh cut off his ear," but now I think I'd say I'd go back to the happiest day of my father's childhood because I'm pretty sure my dreams (or delusions) are so much tied in with his, and I think it would give me so much more insight into my own dreams(or delusions) which is a major theme in the next novel that's currently being edited.

11. If you were writing a book about your life, what would the title be?

Answer: Everything I write, even if its made up, is really about my life! A teacher I once worked with said it perfectly: "You can't escape your story." Maybe that would be the title!

 

 

 

 

About Jesse Wilson:

 

A life-long involvement with theatre and film as both performer and writer began early, growing up in Hollywood, CA, where he performed in plays, TV shows and commercials. A graduate of the LA High School for the Performing Arts, Jesse traveled east to attain a BFA for theatre in the prestigious Juilliard School. Remaining in New York, and later Philadelphia, he developed material for his one-man shows, performed throughout the region. His most recent production, “Face the City,” written for high school and college audiences, combines visual and animation projections in a multimedia presentation of the artist's journey to find themselves in the "real world." “The Night the Moon Ate My Room!” written and performed with music for young audiences to experience self-discovery, is created with the support of The Kennedy Center’s Imagination Celebration and Pikes Peak Library District. Jesse teaches theatre and music at Academy for Advanced & Creative Learning, and The Colorado Springs Conservatory.

 

 

About "The Night the Moon Ate my Room!":

 

The moon was bright and full that night, bigger than I could ever even remember it.
Maybe because it was moving towards me...

After giving the worst violin recital of his life, and being laughed at by the entire school, the boy vows to never play music again. Later that night, when the moon swallows up his bedroom, it shares the secrets of being a true artist, helping the boy re-claim his self-confidence, overcome the pitfalls of perfectionism, and believe in his own dream.

Each of the five stories in The Night the Moon Ate My Room! is designed for young readers to experience the joy of self-discovery, valuable life lessons, and the adventure of turning their greatest dreams into reality.

"In lyrical prose Jesse Wilson explores fundamental childhood issues: overcoming adversity, discovering your courage, and the power of dreams."

   -Laurel Schmidt, author of Seven Times Smarter: 50 Activities, Games, and Projects to Develop the Seven Intelligences of Your Child.

 

 

To learn more about Jesse, and to purchase his new book, visit his website: http://jessewilsonproductions.com/

 

New review!

"Upon starting this book I found it to be a magical adventure of bravery, intelligence and team work. The characters are life like and seem to come out of the pages. The story is very well written and imaginative. The Land of Everafter Draws you in and doesn't want to let you go. In My opinion 'Reign of the Night Creatures' is a must read for all young readers." -Melissa Steele, avid reader

(Not Official Book Cover)

Book Trailer- Reign of the Night Creatures

Please visit the official "Coming Soon" book trailer for my upcoming book. Don't forget to like/comment/share! (Click on picture below to access the video on YouTube)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIkWZSx0EuQ

Interesting and unique ways to market your book online

With the release of my new book just around the corner, I have been on the lookout for interesting and unique ways to market my book and to start a buzz. Here is a list of websites that I have stumbled across during my search. Perhaps you, too, can use these tools to your advantage.

   Think your book has what it takes to be a Reader's Favorite Award Winner? Also a great source to obtain quality book reviews/critiques. http://readersfavorite.com/

   Interested in conducting a virtual book tour? This site is awesome! http://www.shindigevents.com/#

   Want to start an online raffle to get people excited about your book? http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/instructions-tweetlink/

   This seems to be a good source to obtain book reviews. Small organization, but growing.  http://www.getbookreviews.com/services.html

   Market your book through Goodreads. Organize a book giveaway to generate pre-launch buzz. http://www.goodreads.com/author/program

   Looking to host, or to be featured on, a book tour? This website links authors with bloggers. http://www.blogtour.org/

BONUS:

   This new website allows you to easily upload and store files online. Great for sending large files on e-mail. http://www.ge.tt/


I hope this list helps you to discover new ways to market your book(s). If you know of any other great websites, please share in the comment section below!

CSH

What Right Looks Like

Just found out that I will be one of the stars in an Army "What Right Looks Like" commercial. The project is headed by LTG Hertling. We will begin shooting the commercial tomorrow. Look for the commercial on your local AFN channel!

Tour of Germany

I have been stationed in Germany now for 1 1/2 years. On weekends when the Army does not have me busy, my wife and I like to get out and travel. Here are some of the pictures that we have taken over the past 18 months.

Sights like this are very common in Bavaria.

Castle ruins in Ramstein.

Typical German meal of Weiner Schnitzel, fries and a side salad.

Cathedral in Regensberg.

Inside a cave.

Posing with a performing street band.

Summer afternoon.

Castle in Heidelburg.

Another view.

Snowy alps in Garmisch.

A bridge outside of Heidelburg.

Many of the houses are painted like this.

 People who have been here will agree that Germany is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Its rich history and fascinating people draw you in the moment you arrive in country.

Contest winner!

A few weeks ago I blogged about Darin Steele, the 2012 "Draw a Mythological Creature" contest winner. (Scroll down to find the original post.) This is a picture of me giving him his award. As you can see, he is all smiles.

   Darin is a member of the Everafter Fan Club. You, too, can join the club HERE.

Notes on "The Thousand-Year Voyage"

I would like to clear some things up concerning my novel "The Thousand-Year Voyage." I feel this is necessary both because I do not want misunderstandings to hinder my reputation, and also because I believe I owe it to you, the reader.

Those of you who have been following my writing for a while know that I published a novel back in 2009 called "The Thousand-Year Voyage." (Innovo Publishing, 2009) It is a very controversial novel in the sense that it attacks many aspects of society. From the very beginning, the lead character (whose name goes unannounced) has something against people in general. He embarks on a mission to discover why people have evil tendencies, and what can be done about it. He becomes a self-proclaimed preacher, spreading his beliefs throughout the world and gaining a huge following. The book is written from the perspective of this man, and so at times it feels as though he is trying to convert even the reader! He eventually ends up leading an army of people and angels in a bloody battle against Satan and his demons.

   Apart from the controversial (and, at times, preachy) nature of the book, the book is written with a very unique style of writing that I feel like I need to explain. The Thousand-Year Voyage contains a number of mistakes, this I know. There are a few errors with punctuation, a few misused words and some sentences could have been written better. I am well aware of these errors, my publisher and I was aware of them before we agreed to publish the book. At the time I thought the reasoning behind these "mistakes" would be obvious. However, I am learning that some readers do not pay close attention to what I mention in the Forward part of the book, and are writing me asking me if I am aware of the errors in the book. One obvious error that has been pointed out a number of times is in the title. On the book, the title reads "The Thousand Year Voyage." It SHOULD read "The Thousand-Year Voyage." The fact is that I intended for the title to read like it does because it is all part of the story. The same with MOST of the errors in the book--they are all part of the story!

   Let me explain myself. In the beginning of the story we learn that a mysterious book has been discovered by an elderly gentleman. The book--which we learn has traveled through time from the far future--was written, in great haste, by an ordinary young man whose only reason for writing the book was to convey to the world the amazing events that he witnessed. He was not so concerned with errors, and he sure as heck didn't have an editor sitting there with him reviewing his work! The book that the elderly gentleman discoveres at the beginning of the story came straight from the writer. Therefore, to maintain MY book's authenticity, I have left the book just as he wrote it--errors with punctuation, misused words and unusual sentence flow.

I realize that my decision to purposefully publish a book that contains errors in it may seem to most people to be foolish...or just plain weird. The truth is that I wanted to create something unique for the literary world; something off the wall and strange. A bold move for a first book, yes. All I know is that I do not regret my decision. I only ask that you please try to have an open mind when reading my book "The Thousand-Year Voyage." After all, that IS the message behind the book.

   In spite of the controversy and mixed feelings that my novel produces, it still has managed to receive rave reviews from creditable sources:

"...Has all the hallmarks of successful fiction, it draws and keeps the reader's attention, and is thought provoking during and after reading."
-Tony Murrell, Wordsru

"It is full of irony, wisdom and humor, wonderfully written. I really enjoyed it, at times laughed out loud at its subtle humor. Good story and positive morals."
-Jon Huer, author and Professor of Sociology

"The Thousand Year Voyage is a fictional story of an unassuming man who embarks on an inspiring and thought-provoking journey, revealing that all things are possible through faith in God..."

-Bart Dahmer, Innovo Publishing

"This is a literary tale reminiscent of H.G. Wells, C.S. Lewis or Isaac Asimov at times. As such, plenty of attention is given to surroundings, character motivation and thought."

-Brian Reaves, author, Stolen Lives

   AND it has maintained a 4.5 star rating on Amazon.com.

   To learn more about one of the most unique books that you will ever read, visit THIS LINK.

  

   Thanks for reading,

   Casey Sean Harmon

Liam Phillip Harmon

Dear son,

I know that one day you will grow curious and look back at some of your father's old blog posts just to see if he wrote anything about you while you were still in your mother's womb. Well, this post is for you, my son. You may be seven years old when you read this, you may be thirty-seven, but what I have to say will never change. Today, as I sit here typing this, your mother is almost 30 weeks pregnant with you. That means that you will be born sometime within the next two months. Your mother and I both have never been so excited about anything! I just want to say that you are a blessing to us. I know that there will be times when you are older when you and I will have our disagreements. We may not always see eye-to-eye about things; this is normal. But just remember that, through it all, I love you. And if ever I slip and fall and I do something to hurt your feelings, I ask that you please forgive me, just as I will forgive you. I understand that life can be tough, and I speak from experience when I say that growing up and finding yourself is one of the hardest things a person will ever go through. But remember that I will always be there for you. Even when my job places a thousand miles between us, you and the rest of my family will always be in my heart. No matter what. I am, and forever will be, proud to be your father. So as you read this, wherever you find yourself in life, never forget these words: I love you, son.

Love, Your dad

Fan-made book cover (Not official)

Not bad, huh?

Google+

Just started a Google+ account. You should join! https://plus.google.com/106785314447830556922?hl=en#106785314447830556922/posts

Book Production Update (Illustrations)

I have spent the last few hours with my editor going over interior illustration and cover design ideas for my book. Exciting stuff! Can't wait to see the finished products! Also, the first step in the developmental editing stage should be done by the end of the month!

Young Writers

It warms my heart to see young people writing. This may sound strange coming from a 24 year old. (Many would argue that I, myself, am young; the truth is that I feel much older than what I really am!) There are so many distractions out there, so many things that a young person could be doing instead of writing. According to a recent study conducted by Harris Interactive, "The average child age 8 to 12 plays 13 hours of video games per week, while teens ages 13 to 18 play 14 hours of video games per week." That's two hours a day! And according to Huston and Wright, University of Kansas, "Children spend more time watching television than in any other activity except sleep." It is estimated that the average kid spends 4 hours a day watching television. If you combine the hours spend playing computer games with the hours spent watching t.v., you're looking at 6 hours a day! On top of school, meals, homework, chores (for some of us) and all the other things that MUST happen in a day, that leaves zero time left over for anything else. What happened to playing in the woods, building tree houses and having pinecone battles? These are things that inspire creativity and improve social skills and physical health, and yet it is rare nowadays to find a young person doing these things! All I'm saying is that I know how hard it is to stay focused on the important things. Believe me, there are times when I would rather spend all of my free time watching television or playing Super Mario Bros. (Yep, it's my favorite.) But I have to remind myself that I have a mission, and that mission is to write X amount of words a day. So I just want to say that I tilt my hat to you young people out there who, in spite of the distractions, find the time and the motivation to write.

References:

http://www.diyfather.com/content/interesting-statistics-about-video-games

http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/facts/mediafacts.asp

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