Hi, Gang ...
I'm sitting here holding my book. My book!
Our book! The Sacred Cipher. Right here in my hands.
Andrea's Book! She got the first one out of the box.
Tears ... a knot at the crook of my throat ... a deep, fantasy-land breath. A knowing smile ... a shiver of the shoulders ... the longing glance of a lover.
Like giving birth, I guess. Without the pain.
This is Miranda's book. Dawn's book. Cat's book ... all the great folks at Kregel. Rachelle's book, too ... my agent.
I wrote them a note, including: "God is good. But He also uses good people to do His work. Thank you for helping us give birth. Thank you for an emotion I can't put words to. Brother of Joy ... Sister of Awe ... Son of Grace. Thank you for making this moment possible. My life ... our lives ... will never be the same again."
Sounds all muushhy, doesn't it? Well, guys, I really gotta say, this is an indescribable moment. I got home late tonight after a meeting at church. Walked in the door around 10:00 and Andrea, my wife, is shooting pictures like it's Christmas morning. I think I sprung every muscle in my shoulders lugging the 35-pound boxes out of one of those go-to-the-grocery-carts.
Slicing the box open, knowing what was inside, yet ... still ... shock and awe when the box is open and there, four square, is this thing that you created ... no, that God created through you. It's a part of you, but it lives on its own. Has a life of its own. And is staring back at you.
I don't know. I just keep coming back to giving birth. A gift from God with your name on it. Wow.
Well, there probably won't be much sleeping in this apartment tonight.
Thanks to you all for walking with us through this exciting time. It's been a remarkable journey.
And, hey, you too can hold one of these little beauties in your very own hands. Can you say Barnes & Noble? ChristianBook.com? Amazon? C'mon, you can say it. I know you can.
And, if any of you are in the vicinity of the Spring Lounge in NYC ... Spring Street at Mulberry Street, just off Little Italy ... tomorrow night (Friday), come on over for a little celebration. I'll let you buy me a Guiness.
Wow ... this is so cool. Wanted you to share this night with us.
Warmest Regards,
Terry
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Big News Hits Home
Okay, in the last month I got a job as Vice President of the National Organization on Disability here in NYC, our daughter got a graduate assistantship that will cover all her expenses for an MPA at Pace University and my wife, Andrea, got a job as a nanny – her dream job – for a lovely little boy and family and she can walk to their house.
But, I gotta be honest. The most exciting news might be this.
Barnes & Noble has put in an order for The Sacred Cipher.
(Pause)
Okay, if you were like me, you were whooping … jumping up and down … pounding on any solid surface you could find … scaring the neighbors … and causing dogs to bark up and down your street.
I mean, I’m only a little bit excited … like heart attack, brain freeze, catatonic crazy excited, know what I mean?
Here’s the deal – Barnes & Noble has agreed to promote The Sacred Cipher in its largest stores around the country with “a table-placement in the main aisle” from August 11th to August 24th. They put in an order for 1,500 books. The Sacred Cipher is scheduled to be released by Kregel Publications on July 31.
What does that all mean?
Well, 1,500 books would be one-third of the originally projected initial press run. If initial demand for the book is strong, perhaps the press run will now be increased.
More importantly, the largest book-selling chain in the nation will not only be stocking The Sacred Cipher in its largest stores, but it will also give it a prominent promotional position in the store. “Table placement” means a display of some sort, usually a bunch of your books attractively arranged on a table surface with other similar novels. Not simply stuffed onto a shelf with only the book’s spine showing.
Cat Hoort, my marketing rep at Kregel Publications, and Rachelle Gardner, my agent, both said the same thing. “VERY exciting… this doesn’t happen very often.”
I have an old friend who worked for Zondervan, one of the largest Christian publishing companies in the country, and her take on this was similarly psyched. “It's almost like a trial for the book and if it does well you will see the sales through Barnes and Noble sky rocket.”
So, my faithful readers, we are racing down the homestretch to launch day – July 31 – and the momentum is already building.
What to do?
Well, remember what I wrote last month about BUZZ. Call your local Barnes & Noble, or drop in. Ask if they will be one of the B&N stores stocking The Sacred Cipher. If not, why not! Go to another local book store. Ask, “Will you carry The Sacred Cipher? I know Barnes & Noble will.”
You can still pre-order from Amazon.com or Christian Book Distributors (CBD.com). The book-selling industry watches Amazon sales closely.
Or, you can engage in some cyber conversation about the book. Below are some websites where you might find readers of similar interest.
An Anti-DaVinci Code Site:
Amy Welborn – author … Catholic issues
http://www.amywelborn.com/
http://blog.beliefnet.com/viamedia/
A Pro-DaVinci Code Site:
Dan Brown’s bookstore on Amazon … there is a customer discussion section
http://www.amazon.com/Dan-Brown/e/B000AP9DSU
Dan Brown’s UK fan club site
http://www.danbrownofficial.co.uk/
Barnes and Noble “Book Clubs” Chat Room
http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/bn/
Barnes and Noble’s Community Blog “Unabashedly Bookish”
http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Unabashedly-Bookish/bg-p/UnabashedlyBookish
There are different book clubs reading specific books – fiction; mystery; religion & spirituality
Barnes and Noble Community Room for chat
Very active … lots of topics … user info says all views are welcome
http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/bn/board?board.id=CR
Facebook groups:
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?q=jason+bourne+vs+jack+bauer&k=200000010
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?q=davinci+code&k=200000010
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?q=indiana+jones&k=200000010
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?q=robert+ludlum&k=200000010
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?q=dan+brown&k=200000010
A Jason Bourne blog that appears fairly current – not overly active
http://en.wordpress.com/tag/jason-bourne/
The Book Club Forum … UK … same kinds of chat
http://bookclubforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?p=244228
Joel Rosenberg
http://www.joelrosenberg.com
Lastly, I’ve come across some websites of people called “influencers”. These are, primarily, other authors or “book types” who have active blogs or websites and who are regularly involved in book reviews and/or author interviews. For instance, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance (CFBA.org) will be hosting a ‘blog tour’ for The Sacred Cipher from August 14th through August 17th.
I’ll list a lot of these “influencer” sites in the next newsletter.
And if you can’t remember the plot, here’s a short reminder:
History's greatest secret could be tomorrow's greatest threat More historically and biblically accurate than The DaVinci Code and just as adventurous as an Indiana Jones movie, The Sacred Cipher combines action and mystery to draw readers into a world of ancient secrets and international escapades. When an ancient scroll appears in a secret room of the Bowery Mission in New York City, Tom Bohannon is both stunned and intrigued. The enigma of the scroll's contents will send Bohannon and his team ricocheting around the world, drawing the heat of both Jewish and Muslim militaries, and bringing the Middle East to the brink of nuclear war in this heart-pounding adventure of historical proportions. The Sacred Cipher is a riveting, fact-based tale of mystery and suspense.
But, I gotta be honest. The most exciting news might be this.
Barnes & Noble has put in an order for The Sacred Cipher.
(Pause)
Okay, if you were like me, you were whooping … jumping up and down … pounding on any solid surface you could find … scaring the neighbors … and causing dogs to bark up and down your street.
I mean, I’m only a little bit excited … like heart attack, brain freeze, catatonic crazy excited, know what I mean?
Here’s the deal – Barnes & Noble has agreed to promote The Sacred Cipher in its largest stores around the country with “a table-placement in the main aisle” from August 11th to August 24th. They put in an order for 1,500 books. The Sacred Cipher is scheduled to be released by Kregel Publications on July 31.
What does that all mean?
Well, 1,500 books would be one-third of the originally projected initial press run. If initial demand for the book is strong, perhaps the press run will now be increased.
More importantly, the largest book-selling chain in the nation will not only be stocking The Sacred Cipher in its largest stores, but it will also give it a prominent promotional position in the store. “Table placement” means a display of some sort, usually a bunch of your books attractively arranged on a table surface with other similar novels. Not simply stuffed onto a shelf with only the book’s spine showing.
Cat Hoort, my marketing rep at Kregel Publications, and Rachelle Gardner, my agent, both said the same thing. “VERY exciting… this doesn’t happen very often.”
I have an old friend who worked for Zondervan, one of the largest Christian publishing companies in the country, and her take on this was similarly psyched. “It's almost like a trial for the book and if it does well you will see the sales through Barnes and Noble sky rocket.”
So, my faithful readers, we are racing down the homestretch to launch day – July 31 – and the momentum is already building.
What to do?
Well, remember what I wrote last month about BUZZ. Call your local Barnes & Noble, or drop in. Ask if they will be one of the B&N stores stocking The Sacred Cipher. If not, why not! Go to another local book store. Ask, “Will you carry The Sacred Cipher? I know Barnes & Noble will.”
You can still pre-order from Amazon.com or Christian Book Distributors (CBD.com). The book-selling industry watches Amazon sales closely.
Or, you can engage in some cyber conversation about the book. Below are some websites where you might find readers of similar interest.
An Anti-DaVinci Code Site:
Amy Welborn – author … Catholic issues
http://www.amywelborn.com/
http://blog.beliefnet.com/viamedia/
A Pro-DaVinci Code Site:
Dan Brown’s bookstore on Amazon … there is a customer discussion section
http://www.amazon.com/Dan-Brown/e/B000AP9DSU
Dan Brown’s UK fan club site
http://www.danbrownofficial.co.uk/
Barnes and Noble “Book Clubs” Chat Room
http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/bn/
Barnes and Noble’s Community Blog “Unabashedly Bookish”
http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Unabashedly-Bookish/bg-p/UnabashedlyBookish
There are different book clubs reading specific books – fiction; mystery; religion & spirituality
Barnes and Noble Community Room for chat
Very active … lots of topics … user info says all views are welcome
http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/bn/board?board.id=CR
Facebook groups:
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?q=jason+bourne+vs+jack+bauer&k=200000010
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?q=davinci+code&k=200000010
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?q=indiana+jones&k=200000010
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?q=robert+ludlum&k=200000010
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?q=dan+brown&k=200000010
A Jason Bourne blog that appears fairly current – not overly active
http://en.wordpress.com/tag/jason-bourne/
The Book Club Forum … UK … same kinds of chat
http://bookclubforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?p=244228
Joel Rosenberg
http://www.joelrosenberg.com
Lastly, I’ve come across some websites of people called “influencers”. These are, primarily, other authors or “book types” who have active blogs or websites and who are regularly involved in book reviews and/or author interviews. For instance, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance (CFBA.org) will be hosting a ‘blog tour’ for The Sacred Cipher from August 14th through August 17th.
I’ll list a lot of these “influencer” sites in the next newsletter.
And if you can’t remember the plot, here’s a short reminder:
History's greatest secret could be tomorrow's greatest threat More historically and biblically accurate than The DaVinci Code and just as adventurous as an Indiana Jones movie, The Sacred Cipher combines action and mystery to draw readers into a world of ancient secrets and international escapades. When an ancient scroll appears in a secret room of the Bowery Mission in New York City, Tom Bohannon is both stunned and intrigued. The enigma of the scroll's contents will send Bohannon and his team ricocheting around the world, drawing the heat of both Jewish and Muslim militaries, and bringing the Middle East to the brink of nuclear war in this heart-pounding adventure of historical proportions. The Sacred Cipher is a riveting, fact-based tale of mystery and suspense.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
So Close to Home
So, now I won't wonder so much about fantastic fiction plots and whether they are 'plausible'.
Last night, around 11, my daughter walked into our living room.
"Dude ... did you see the news? These guys tried to blow up a synagogue in Riverdale!"
Seeing as how we live in Riverdale, she got my attention.
Seeing as how we had lunch a few blocks from where the bomb was planted, it really got my attention.
Four men from Newburgh, NY ... a couple of hours upstate ... were arrested last night for attempting domestic terrorism, attempting to detonate car bombs in front of a synagogue and a Jewish center here in the sleepy, suburbs-like far northwest corner of the Bronx - a green oasis of large homes and quiet streets called Riverdale.
The men, reportedly four Black Muslims who were determined to wage jihad on America, had been under surveillance for months after contacting an FBI/NYPD informant. The informant recorded their conversations, even videotaped the men making their plans. Then the informant set up transactions where the men purchased inert C-4 plastic explosive from Federal agents and also purchased inoperable surface-to-air Stinger missles. Their plan included trying to shoot down military aircraft during takeoff and landing at Stewart Air Base in Newburgh.
The suspects were arrested Wednesday night, shortly after planting a mock explosive device in the trunk of a car outside the Riverdale Temple and two mock bombs in the backseat of a car outside the Jewish Center, authorities said.
The Riverdale Temple is at 237th Street and Independence in Riverdale. My daughter and I enjoyed a lunch 'date' at the Blue Cafe, 235th Street and Johnson, on Wednesday afternoon, less than four blocks away.
The plot of my new novel, The Sacred Cipher, which will be released on July 31, involves a 'normal' guy who inadvertently falls into a series of events that make him the target of terrorists, endanger his family and lead him into an international firestorm that could trigger nuclear war in the Mideast. Sounds like a good story, right? But stretches the limits of plausibility, right?
Well, how whacked is it to think there may be guys who are planting plastic explosives in a car to blow up the church around the corner from your house?
This is one crazy world ... seems to be a world often devoid of peace.
Thank God, there is a God, whose name is love ... and peace.
Last night, around 11, my daughter walked into our living room.
"Dude ... did you see the news? These guys tried to blow up a synagogue in Riverdale!"
Seeing as how we live in Riverdale, she got my attention.
Seeing as how we had lunch a few blocks from where the bomb was planted, it really got my attention.
Four men from Newburgh, NY ... a couple of hours upstate ... were arrested last night for attempting domestic terrorism, attempting to detonate car bombs in front of a synagogue and a Jewish center here in the sleepy, suburbs-like far northwest corner of the Bronx - a green oasis of large homes and quiet streets called Riverdale.
The men, reportedly four Black Muslims who were determined to wage jihad on America, had been under surveillance for months after contacting an FBI/NYPD informant. The informant recorded their conversations, even videotaped the men making their plans. Then the informant set up transactions where the men purchased inert C-4 plastic explosive from Federal agents and also purchased inoperable surface-to-air Stinger missles. Their plan included trying to shoot down military aircraft during takeoff and landing at Stewart Air Base in Newburgh.
The suspects were arrested Wednesday night, shortly after planting a mock explosive device in the trunk of a car outside the Riverdale Temple and two mock bombs in the backseat of a car outside the Jewish Center, authorities said.
The Riverdale Temple is at 237th Street and Independence in Riverdale. My daughter and I enjoyed a lunch 'date' at the Blue Cafe, 235th Street and Johnson, on Wednesday afternoon, less than four blocks away.
The plot of my new novel, The Sacred Cipher, which will be released on July 31, involves a 'normal' guy who inadvertently falls into a series of events that make him the target of terrorists, endanger his family and lead him into an international firestorm that could trigger nuclear war in the Mideast. Sounds like a good story, right? But stretches the limits of plausibility, right?
Well, how whacked is it to think there may be guys who are planting plastic explosives in a car to blow up the church around the corner from your house?
This is one crazy world ... seems to be a world often devoid of peace.
Thank God, there is a God, whose name is love ... and peace.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Eye-to-eye in the Middle East?
Not surprisingly, Monday’s meeting between President Barak Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu needs to be assessed more in light of what was not said in their joint statement than in what was reported.
Obama and Netanyahu said they agreed on the critical need to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons. "We don't see closely on this, we see exactly eye to eye on this," Netanyahu said in a joint news conference with Obama at the White House.
Eye-to-eye does not necessarily mean heart-to-heart.
Netanyahu wanted Obama to give the Iranians a three month deadline to come to the table for serious talks on their burgeoning nuclear development program. Clearly, the Israelis are getting tired of Iran’s ingenuous assertions that their nuclear enrichment program is aimed at developing power plants.
On Newsweek’s web site, Dan Ephron reported (http://www.newsweek.com/id/198252) the American government is concerned that a firm deadline would damage its attempts to repair 30 years of tension with Tehran and that it wants to assure the US can arrange meaningful negotiations with the one man who can make binding decisions in Iran - Grand Ayatollah Ali Khameini.
Obama and Netanyahu are not the only government leaders with differing views on how to best deal with the Iranians. A Senate Foreign Relations Committee report issued earlier this month, Iran: Where We Are Today, states that some U.S. government officials favor strict deadlines while others believe they would amount to a "recipe for failure."
As if to underscore the tenuous and problematic nature of the talks, the Israeli Embassy in Washington was evacuated at the same time that Netanyahu and Obama were meeting—the result of a bomb scare.
What kind of scare would erupt in the Middle East – and around the world – if Iran developed another kind of bomb … a nuclear bomb? How close is a nuclear confrontation in the Middle East?
Sounds like part of the plot for The Sacred Cipher – coming to a bookstore near you on July 31st.
Obama and Netanyahu said they agreed on the critical need to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons. "We don't see closely on this, we see exactly eye to eye on this," Netanyahu said in a joint news conference with Obama at the White House.
Eye-to-eye does not necessarily mean heart-to-heart.
Netanyahu wanted Obama to give the Iranians a three month deadline to come to the table for serious talks on their burgeoning nuclear development program. Clearly, the Israelis are getting tired of Iran’s ingenuous assertions that their nuclear enrichment program is aimed at developing power plants.
On Newsweek’s web site, Dan Ephron reported (http://www.newsweek.com/id/198252) the American government is concerned that a firm deadline would damage its attempts to repair 30 years of tension with Tehran and that it wants to assure the US can arrange meaningful negotiations with the one man who can make binding decisions in Iran - Grand Ayatollah Ali Khameini.
Obama and Netanyahu are not the only government leaders with differing views on how to best deal with the Iranians. A Senate Foreign Relations Committee report issued earlier this month, Iran: Where We Are Today, states that some U.S. government officials favor strict deadlines while others believe they would amount to a "recipe for failure."
As if to underscore the tenuous and problematic nature of the talks, the Israeli Embassy in Washington was evacuated at the same time that Netanyahu and Obama were meeting—the result of a bomb scare.
What kind of scare would erupt in the Middle East – and around the world – if Iran developed another kind of bomb … a nuclear bomb? How close is a nuclear confrontation in the Middle East?
Sounds like part of the plot for The Sacred Cipher – coming to a bookstore near you on July 31st.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Terry's May Newsletter
Hi,Thank God it's Spring!
While we’re eagerly awaiting the release of The Sacred Cipher – still slated for July 31st – there’s an awful lot of real news pouring out of Israel and the Middle East.
Israel’s new Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, will be in Washington this week for a series of meetings with American officials, including a critical one with President Obama. The global importance of these meetings does not center on Israel’s position regarding a Palestinian state, but rather on our government’s willingness to fully understand Israel’s inevitable conflict with a nuclear Iran.
Two weeks ago, Vice President Biden told the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Washington that “Israel has to work for a two-state solution” with the Palestinians. General James Jones, the President’s national security advisor, wired a European leader that “The new administration will convince Israel to compromise on the Palestinian question. We will not push Israel under the wheels of a bus, but we will be more forceful toward Israel than we have been under Bush.”
At the same time, Prime Minister Netanyahu travelled to Egypt to meet with President Hosni Mubark and made s surprise visit to Amman, Jordan to meet with King Abdullah II – both meetings aimed not at resolving the thorny Palestinian question but rather at building upon growing determination among Arab leaders to prevent Iran from going nuclear.
Author Joel Rosenberg (The Last Jihad; The Ezekiel Option; The Copper Scroll) was interviewed on CBN News last week. Rosenberg, a communications strategist for Netanyahu in 2000, said on his blog (http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/) the new Prime Minister “understands that the current Iranian leadership are members of an apocalyptic, genocidal death cult who believe it is their Allah-given mission to destroy Israel and the U.S. and end Judeo-Christian civilization as we know it.”
There appears to exist a fundamental political and philosophical fracture between the US and Israel on what is the most crucial problem facing those in the Middle East. It is into just such a critical geo-political cauldron that The Sacred Cipher’s story is launched.
Stay tuned!
About 75 days and counting before the release of The Sacred Cipher. And I could use your help.
First, if you plan to purchase The Sacred Cipher, one strategy would be to either pre-order, or wait until launch date, and order from Amazon.com. Sales on Amazon are watched closely by people in the book-selling industry and a sales spike on Amazon gets a good bit of industry buzz going.
Another strategy would be to go to your local bookstore and ask if they will be stocking The Sacred Cipher when it is released. If a couple of people in your town/neighborhood/area could visit the same bookstore, they would take notice.
A third strategy to help build the all-important BUZZ for the book would be to engage in some cyber conversation about the book. Below are some websites where you might find readers of similar interest.
An Anti-DaVinci Code Site:Amy Welborn – author … Catholic issues
http://www.amywelborn.com/http://blog.beliefnet.com/viamedia/
A Pro-DaVinci Code Site:Dan Brown’s bookstore on Amazon … there is a customer discussion section
http://www.amazon.com/Dan-Brown/e/B000AP9DSU
Dan Brown’s UK fan club site
http://www.danbrownofficial.co.uk/
Barnes and Noble “Book Clubs” Chat Room
http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/bn/
Barnes and Noble’s Community Blog “Unabashedly Bookish”
http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Unabashedly-Bookish/bg-p/UnabashedlyBookish
There are different book clubs reading specific books – fiction; mystery; religion & spirituality
Barnes and Noble Community Room for chat Very active … lots of topics … user info says all views are welcome
http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/bn/board?board.id=CR
Facebook groups:
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?q=jason+bourne+vs+jack+bauer&k=200000010
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?q=davinci+code&k=200000010
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?q=indiana+jones&k=200000010
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?q=robert+ludlum&k=200000010
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?q=dan+brown&k=200000010A
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?q=davinci+code&k=200000010
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?q=indiana+jones&k=200000010
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?q=robert+ludlum&k=200000010
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?q=dan+brown&k=200000010
A Jason Bourne blog that appears fairly current – not overly active
http://en.wordpress.com/tag/jason-bourne/
The Book Club Forum … UK … same kinds of chat
http://bookclubforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?p=244228
Joel Rosenberg
http://www.joelrosenberg.com/
And if you can’t remember the plot, here’s a short reminder:
History's greatest secret could be tomorrow's greatest threat More historically and biblically accurate than The DaVinci Code and just as adventurous as an Indiana Jones movie, The Sacred Cipher combines action and mystery to draw readers into a world of ancient secrets and international escapades. When an ancient scroll appears in a secret room of the Bowery Mission in New York City, Tom Bohannon is both stunned and intrigued. The enigma of the scroll's contents will send Bohannon and his team ricocheting around the world, drawing the heat of both Jewish and Muslim militaries, and bringing the Middle East to the brink of nuclear war in this heart-pounding adventure of historical proportions. The Sacred Cipher is a riveting, fact-based tale of mystery and suspense.
Thanks for all your support.
Terry
While we’re eagerly awaiting the release of The Sacred Cipher – still slated for July 31st – there’s an awful lot of real news pouring out of Israel and the Middle East.
Israel’s new Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, will be in Washington this week for a series of meetings with American officials, including a critical one with President Obama. The global importance of these meetings does not center on Israel’s position regarding a Palestinian state, but rather on our government’s willingness to fully understand Israel’s inevitable conflict with a nuclear Iran.
Two weeks ago, Vice President Biden told the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Washington that “Israel has to work for a two-state solution” with the Palestinians. General James Jones, the President’s national security advisor, wired a European leader that “The new administration will convince Israel to compromise on the Palestinian question. We will not push Israel under the wheels of a bus, but we will be more forceful toward Israel than we have been under Bush.”
At the same time, Prime Minister Netanyahu travelled to Egypt to meet with President Hosni Mubark and made s surprise visit to Amman, Jordan to meet with King Abdullah II – both meetings aimed not at resolving the thorny Palestinian question but rather at building upon growing determination among Arab leaders to prevent Iran from going nuclear.
Author Joel Rosenberg (The Last Jihad; The Ezekiel Option; The Copper Scroll) was interviewed on CBN News last week. Rosenberg, a communications strategist for Netanyahu in 2000, said on his blog (http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/) the new Prime Minister “understands that the current Iranian leadership are members of an apocalyptic, genocidal death cult who believe it is their Allah-given mission to destroy Israel and the U.S. and end Judeo-Christian civilization as we know it.”
There appears to exist a fundamental political and philosophical fracture between the US and Israel on what is the most crucial problem facing those in the Middle East. It is into just such a critical geo-political cauldron that The Sacred Cipher’s story is launched.
Stay tuned!
۩۩۩
About 75 days and counting before the release of The Sacred Cipher. And I could use your help.
First, if you plan to purchase The Sacred Cipher, one strategy would be to either pre-order, or wait until launch date, and order from Amazon.com. Sales on Amazon are watched closely by people in the book-selling industry and a sales spike on Amazon gets a good bit of industry buzz going.
Another strategy would be to go to your local bookstore and ask if they will be stocking The Sacred Cipher when it is released. If a couple of people in your town/neighborhood/area could visit the same bookstore, they would take notice.
A third strategy to help build the all-important BUZZ for the book would be to engage in some cyber conversation about the book. Below are some websites where you might find readers of similar interest.
An Anti-DaVinci Code Site:Amy Welborn – author … Catholic issues
http://www.amywelborn.com/http://blog.beliefnet.com/viamedia/
A Pro-DaVinci Code Site:Dan Brown’s bookstore on Amazon … there is a customer discussion section
http://www.amazon.com/Dan-Brown/e/B000AP9DSU
Dan Brown’s UK fan club site
http://www.danbrownofficial.co.uk/
Barnes and Noble “Book Clubs” Chat Room
http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/bn/
Barnes and Noble’s Community Blog “Unabashedly Bookish”
http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Unabashedly-Bookish/bg-p/UnabashedlyBookish
There are different book clubs reading specific books – fiction; mystery; religion & spirituality
Barnes and Noble Community Room for chat Very active … lots of topics … user info says all views are welcome
http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/bn/board?board.id=CR
Facebook groups:
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?q=jason+bourne+vs+jack+bauer&k=200000010
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?q=davinci+code&k=200000010
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?q=indiana+jones&k=200000010
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?q=robert+ludlum&k=200000010
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?q=dan+brown&k=200000010A
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?q=davinci+code&k=200000010
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?q=indiana+jones&k=200000010
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?q=robert+ludlum&k=200000010
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?q=dan+brown&k=200000010
A Jason Bourne blog that appears fairly current – not overly active
http://en.wordpress.com/tag/jason-bourne/
The Book Club Forum … UK … same kinds of chat
http://bookclubforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?p=244228
Joel Rosenberg
http://www.joelrosenberg.com/
And if you can’t remember the plot, here’s a short reminder:
History's greatest secret could be tomorrow's greatest threat More historically and biblically accurate than The DaVinci Code and just as adventurous as an Indiana Jones movie, The Sacred Cipher combines action and mystery to draw readers into a world of ancient secrets and international escapades. When an ancient scroll appears in a secret room of the Bowery Mission in New York City, Tom Bohannon is both stunned and intrigued. The enigma of the scroll's contents will send Bohannon and his team ricocheting around the world, drawing the heat of both Jewish and Muslim militaries, and bringing the Middle East to the brink of nuclear war in this heart-pounding adventure of historical proportions. The Sacred Cipher is a riveting, fact-based tale of mystery and suspense.
Thanks for all your support.
Terry
Thursday, April 23, 2009
April Newsletter - Home Stretch
Finally looks like Spring, eh? Well, I’ve finally come up for air after a marathon season of editing for The Sacred Cipher.
Ever since I sent out the February Newsletter I’ve been under the gun with the editing process. At one stretch, I worked on the edits for the book every day for three weeks straight.
The result is that the book is better now than ever … and it’s still scheduled for a July 31 release date.
I was working with a dynamite editor at Kregel Publications, who really challenged me and my writing. The toughest challenge was in building more richly developed characters, and then strengthening each character’s motivation … why they were doing what they were doing. And then there were a gazillion different edits, fixes and rewrites of sections.
I just went through another week of work on the second round of edits. This time, a different editor reviewed the manuscript and found things we missed the previous round.
But it’s still the same story. The characters are just more real.
And now, the editing is DONE! Yeah! And the book has been sent off to the design department who will develop the inside design and layout of the pages. The book will go to press sometime in May or early June.
And be in your bookstores in July! If you want to get psyched, you can click on the trailer link below just to check out the 30 second trailer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-QiJHa78E0
But here’s what I need you to do. And there will be more about this next month.
Identify the person or persons in your life who operate in lots of different circles – who know lots of different people. Talk to that person about The Sacred Cipher. Tell them how great a book it’s going to be (there you’ll have to take a step of faith).
And … ask that person to talk to their friends about the book. That is the best way to get Buzz going, and Buzz sells books.
The second thing you can do … if you are inclined … would be to join fan clubs, chat rooms, blogs, facebook groups for things like The DaVinci Code, or Bourne Identity and other Bourne movies, or Indiana Jones, or something in that vein. And then talk it up about, “This great new book that’s about to come out. It’s a lot like The DaVinci Code (or ????) …” That’s another great way to help get the word out.
And, if you are wondering what to say about the book, send me an email (terrbrennan@gmail.com) and I'll send you the Synopsis so you can brush up on the content. Hey … you guys are going to love this story. It’s a great summer read.
Thanks for your interest … and all your help.
Catch you next month.
Ever since I sent out the February Newsletter I’ve been under the gun with the editing process. At one stretch, I worked on the edits for the book every day for three weeks straight.
The result is that the book is better now than ever … and it’s still scheduled for a July 31 release date.
I was working with a dynamite editor at Kregel Publications, who really challenged me and my writing. The toughest challenge was in building more richly developed characters, and then strengthening each character’s motivation … why they were doing what they were doing. And then there were a gazillion different edits, fixes and rewrites of sections.
I just went through another week of work on the second round of edits. This time, a different editor reviewed the manuscript and found things we missed the previous round.
But it’s still the same story. The characters are just more real.
And now, the editing is DONE! Yeah! And the book has been sent off to the design department who will develop the inside design and layout of the pages. The book will go to press sometime in May or early June.
And be in your bookstores in July! If you want to get psyched, you can click on the trailer link below just to check out the 30 second trailer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-QiJHa78E0
But here’s what I need you to do. And there will be more about this next month.
Identify the person or persons in your life who operate in lots of different circles – who know lots of different people. Talk to that person about The Sacred Cipher. Tell them how great a book it’s going to be (there you’ll have to take a step of faith).
And … ask that person to talk to their friends about the book. That is the best way to get Buzz going, and Buzz sells books.
The second thing you can do … if you are inclined … would be to join fan clubs, chat rooms, blogs, facebook groups for things like The DaVinci Code, or Bourne Identity and other Bourne movies, or Indiana Jones, or something in that vein. And then talk it up about, “This great new book that’s about to come out. It’s a lot like The DaVinci Code (or ????) …” That’s another great way to help get the word out.
And, if you are wondering what to say about the book, send me an email (terrbrennan@gmail.com) and I'll send you the Synopsis so you can brush up on the content. Hey … you guys are going to love this story. It’s a great summer read.
Thanks for your interest … and all your help.
Catch you next month.
Friday, March 27, 2009
The Noble Tradition
If there has been one constant in all the writer's conferences I've attended, besides eating too much, it is that Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird - Some Instructions on Writing and Life, is always one of the most highly recommended books that starting writers "must have" in their generally unread collection of How To books.
It only took me four conferences to get to the book table early enough to snare a copy.
And this year I finally read it.
You should, too.
Bird provides so much fodder for comment I almost don't know where to start.
But I do.
How can a good Christian woman be so profane in her writing? Yikes!
How can a good Christian woman be so funny in her writing? Yikes!
How can ... well, you get it.
However, in between the yuks and the profanity is a garden of wisdom and solid counsel. Too much to cover. But here are some slices I loved from her chapter on Publication. (Other chapters include School Lunches, Jealousy, Broccoli, Radio Station KFKD and my favorite, Shitty First Drafts. Hey, they're not my chapter titles!)
After listing a litany of things that publication is not, Lamott allows herself to dance with the joy of being a published author.
"But the fact of publication is the acknowledgement from the community that you did your writing right. You acquire a rank that you never lose. Now you're a published writer, and you are in that rare position of getting to make a living, such as it is, doing what you love best. That knowledge does bring you a quiet joy."
Lamott is great at chronicling the pitfalls and false security of pursuing publication as the Holy Grail of your writing, but she also says this.
"But the truth is that there can be a great deal of satisfaction in being a writer, in being a person who gets some work done most days, and who has been published and acknowledged. I carry this around in my pocket, touch it a number of times a day to make sure it is still there. Even though so much of my writing time is stressful and disheartening, I carry a secret sense of accomplishment around with me, like a radium pack implanted near my heart that now leaches a quiet sense of relief through my system. But you pay through the nose for this."
Yes, the price is high. Deadly days of pounding out words and wondering if they make any sense ... if they will ever connect with another human being. It's a lonely work, full of self doubt that culminates in allowing people, most you've never met, skewer you and your work in public. Some fun, eh?
Lamott leaves us with some perspective.
"Being a writer is part of a noble tradition, as is being a musician - the last egalitarian and open associations. No matter what happens in terms of fame and fortune, dedication to writing is a marching-step forward from where you were before, when you didn't care about reaching out to the world, when you weren't hoping to contribute, when you were just standing there doing some job into which you had fallen."
Wow. Words like this make it all worth the price.
It only took me four conferences to get to the book table early enough to snare a copy.
And this year I finally read it.
You should, too.
Bird provides so much fodder for comment I almost don't know where to start.
But I do.
How can a good Christian woman be so profane in her writing? Yikes!
How can a good Christian woman be so funny in her writing? Yikes!
How can ... well, you get it.
However, in between the yuks and the profanity is a garden of wisdom and solid counsel. Too much to cover. But here are some slices I loved from her chapter on Publication. (Other chapters include School Lunches, Jealousy, Broccoli, Radio Station KFKD and my favorite, Shitty First Drafts. Hey, they're not my chapter titles!)
After listing a litany of things that publication is not, Lamott allows herself to dance with the joy of being a published author.
"But the fact of publication is the acknowledgement from the community that you did your writing right. You acquire a rank that you never lose. Now you're a published writer, and you are in that rare position of getting to make a living, such as it is, doing what you love best. That knowledge does bring you a quiet joy."
Lamott is great at chronicling the pitfalls and false security of pursuing publication as the Holy Grail of your writing, but she also says this.
"But the truth is that there can be a great deal of satisfaction in being a writer, in being a person who gets some work done most days, and who has been published and acknowledged. I carry this around in my pocket, touch it a number of times a day to make sure it is still there. Even though so much of my writing time is stressful and disheartening, I carry a secret sense of accomplishment around with me, like a radium pack implanted near my heart that now leaches a quiet sense of relief through my system. But you pay through the nose for this."
Yes, the price is high. Deadly days of pounding out words and wondering if they make any sense ... if they will ever connect with another human being. It's a lonely work, full of self doubt that culminates in allowing people, most you've never met, skewer you and your work in public. Some fun, eh?
Lamott leaves us with some perspective.
"Being a writer is part of a noble tradition, as is being a musician - the last egalitarian and open associations. No matter what happens in terms of fame and fortune, dedication to writing is a marching-step forward from where you were before, when you didn't care about reaching out to the world, when you weren't hoping to contribute, when you were just standing there doing some job into which you had fallen."
Wow. Words like this make it all worth the price.
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