Dan Weatherington's Blog

Maybe Befitting a Sunday

2012-03-04T07:39:00.000-05:00

Twice this week I've written about inspiration. As I have said, my inspirational selections are usually playing as I write. Sometimes I'll write something and about the same time I write it I'll hear a high point of one of my selections. I'll get a chill when the two combine just knowing what I heard is great and what I have written is right. It's a good feeling.
This is one of my favorites.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4BWhvIlFVE&feature=autoplay&list=FLy3iLpCCjwx-enwcVph_2kg&lf=mh_lolz&playnext=2
Have a great day,
Dan

Maybe Yes, Maybe No

2012-03-02T06:12:00.000-05:00

Not everyone feels the same as I do about the Susan Boyle tape on Youtube and I can understand, but to say it's two years old and everyone knows... come on.
Every year twelve versions of "Scrooge" are shown and Charles Dickens wrote that over a hundred and fifty years ago and virtually everyone knows it, but who doesn't feel a warm inspiration when they see it no matter how many times it's been replayed.
If age is a factor, then I guess the King James Bible should have been thrown out a long time ago. It's almost five hundred years old. Gosh, how could that possibly inspire anyone? And, what about the story of Robin Hood and King Arthur? Both of those legends are older than the King James Bible. I guess they're well past their time too.
Of course, I don't agree. Most mornings I'm sitting at the computer doing something and most times my "Favorites" are playing. Most, like the Susan Boyle video are inspiring, at least to me. Today, I'm going to give you something I feel is also inspiring and I hear playing softly in the background right now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcmfCXwAFs4
Have a great day,
Dan

One Of the Most Inspirational Videos

2012-02-27T10:24:00.000-05:00

Sure you've heard of it. You may have even seen it. But, have you really ever watched it? Every moment of this video shows how one, insignificant person can be more. Turn up your speakers and watch every second and every face, especially the judges. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSrAJsWvEIc&list=FLy3iLpCCjwx-enwcVph_2kg&feature=mh_lolz
Have a great day,
Dan

Soon

2011-12-21T09:31:00.000-05:00

One of the worst parts of being goal oriented is... setting goals. It's time to do it for next year. Last year I wanted to lose weight by Christmas... I did it. I wanted to have written ten books by Christmas... I did it. Next year it will probably be a repeat of last year. I need to lose more weight and I would really like to write five books next year. Both these things are readily achievable.
I am in love with my character in the Thrill Seekers. Lynn is strong, determined, smart and unbelievably good looking. But, as the Professor pointed out, in the Thrill Seekers, Lynn didn't make a mistake. She may be all the things I listed, and she is, but she's not perfect.
In The Thrill Seekers Return, my next book, Lynn will have to make a mistake or two... maybe. We'll see.
Merry Christmas to everyone and all of us, me and my characters, wish you the best.
Dan

We Make Mistakes

2011-11-06T07:08:00.000-05:00

We all make mistakes and I certainly make plenty, but one of my first was to do something I too often blame others for... not realizing that things do change. When I was reviewing my royalty statements for my books, I noticed something unusual. The majority of my royalty income was from downloaded books, either the Amazon Kindle or for the Apple viewer or a half-dozen other online publishers. It hasn't been that long ago that I swore to never use this kind of format. I like the feel of printed books. I like the weight. I love the smell. But funny thing, the people at the Harris Teeter grocery store only know the smell of money and they don't care if it's printed in the mint or it comes electronically from my debit card. Yes, time for me to learn a lesson. I can blow out the candle on my memorial for the printed book and move into the twenty-first century.
Have a great day,
Dan
Dan
http://danweatherington.blogspot.com
http://danweatherington.com

The Thrill Seekers Complete

2011-10-28T02:39:00.000-04:00

The Thrill Seekers is now on Amazon in print and Kindle form and ironically, at least to me, is that most of my sales are Kindle editions. For so long I wouldn't consider the digital form, but the times they are a changing. I hope the Logans are as popular with readers as they are with me, because I love writing about them and their exploits.
Have a good one,
Dan

Today... A New Corner

2011-10-24T04:22:00.000-04:00

Today, we turn a new corner. The Thrill Seekers, my latest book, appears on Amazon.com for the first time. Right now it's in Kindle form but should be up in print form by the end of the week.
I absolutely loved everything about this book. I fell in love with the main character, Lynn Logan. I love her husband. I adore their lifestyle and even loved the cover. The follow-up, Thrill Seekers Return, will even be better. I can foresee several books in the series and sincerely hope my readers enjoy the book as much as I did writing it.
Thanks,
Dan

Is it a habit? I don't know.

2011-10-20T07:04:00.000-04:00

I was asked if I did any special things when I write. The answer is yes. When I write, there is music playing on the computer. The volume is low, if you're over ten feet away, you probably couldn't even hear it. I have varied tastes, but my favorite is Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. I guess because it reminds me of Manhattan and Broadway, my favorite city and my favorite place to go. After that, the music is a hodge-podge of Peter Paul and Mary, Petula Clark and Ferante and Teicher playing Broadway show themes.
Yes, there is a definite theme to all this. I have told my wife that if any of my books ever catch on I will be moving to New York and I would love to take her with me. But, book sales are a lottery and the chances of one paying off enough to pay for a million dollar a year lifestyle in Manhattan is slim. But... until then, I can be happy banging on this keyboard listening to Gershwin.
I hope to be able to tell you later this week that my latest, The Thrill Seekers is on Amazon.com.
Have a good one,
Dan

The Thrill Seekers

2011-10-14T06:19:00.000-04:00

The Thrill Seekers has been proof read. Today, I get to begin the grunt work of writing a book. I will have to compare every word of the proofread manuscript with my original and make changes. You would think that in this modern world proofreading would be unnecessary. You would think all you had to do was to hit spellcheck. It doesn't work that way. This wonderful machine that can add every number in the New York phone book in less that a hundredth of a second is still too stupid to know the difference between 'here' and 'hear' or my favorite, the difference between 'its' and 'it's'. Yes, the lowly human still has to do those things. But, my proofreader, who is usually my wife, makes comments like 'you need to add more sex here' and 'too much sex... makes her look cheap." At that point, I have to figure out the difference. Why can't this computer do that???

Just a Teaser

2011-09-28T07:01:00.000-04:00

Baron Fielding was exactly on time for his date with Lynn. He arrived in the bar at exactly nine o’clock. And, Lynn had become the master of making an entrance. The combination of her face, body, killer legs and short designer dress left no head unturned as she entered the room. She began smiling at Fielding from across the room and he made several quick glances to assure himself that people were watching Lynn smiling at him. The man’s ego was insatiable, and Lynn knew exactly how to pull every cord.

No, this is from Thrill Seekers - The Return and is still a long while out. But, just thought I's put out a taste.

Do have a Great Day

Dan

The Return Cover

2011-09-21T04:57:00.000-04:00

It's a ways out, I don't expect to need it for a couple of months, but I like to go ahead and create the cover for my books before the actual texts are done. Does it inspire me? Maybe. Does it help me stay in focus? Definitely. I believe you'll like this newest cover. Like I say, it will help keep me in focus as the Logan's take off in their private jet for new adventures.
Have a great day...
Dan

New Beginnings

2011-09-19T06:19:00.000-04:00

It's not unusual for writers to fall in love with books and the characters in them. I have fallen in love with the Logans, Lynn and David. Lynn and David Logan are two wealthy thirty-somethings who find the meaning of life and of love traveling the world helping people who can't help themselves when confronted by the evils of other people. They have money, they have time, they have connections. The thing they most have is a real concern for people.
I have finished The Thrill Seekers and am currently polishing it. It should go to the publisher by the end of this week and be on Amazon before the end of the month.
This morning I began The Thrill Seekers II - The Return. I really hope to have this one completed before the end of the year. We'll see. But, I do love these characters and that does make writing easier... and faster. It was nothing to sit down with the Logans in The Thrill Seekers and bang out two or three thousand words in one sitting and, even then, not want to get up.
Let you know how it's going later.
Dan

The Thrill Seekers

2011-09-14T06:12:00.000-04:00

The framework has been laid. I finished! Well, not really. Now, the rewrite begins. Every chapter, every paragraph, every sentence will have to be looked at, judged and reworked. Things that I once liked will be deleted, other things will be added. At one time I despised this point. It was pure labor. Over time, it began to be my favorite part. Do I need this sentence? Do I need this paragraph? Is this word right? Is this word the best? Some would say this part is the difference between a good book and a great book.
It begins in about ten minutes, about how long it takes to fire-up the Mr. Coffee machine.
It has been said that I don't put enough sex in my books. Maybe it's true. Maybe I don't. But, I don't have one bit of desire to write a book that the Professor's ninety-three year old mother would be embarrassed to read (she reads them all), the Parson would be ashamed to have seen laying in his office or the Bishop's cat wouldn't want to nuzzle up to. This book may approach that point... I don't know. Here is a paragraph I love and can't wait to share:
"When they were children they played pirates on the shore of the Pamlico River, they attended school together, and they graduated together. They shared lunch in kindergarten, they held hands in the sixth grade, and the night they graduated they both lost their virginity at the exact same moment."
Racy...? Maybe not. But it is me.
Have a wonderful day,
Dan

Just an update.

2011-09-07T09:01:00.000-04:00

A couple of people have asked how my newest book, The Thrill Seekers, is coming and the answer is well, very well. I have about forty-five thousand words done and want to end with between fifty-five and sixty, so it won't be much longer. I had hoped for late this month, and that may still be reasonable. Of course, when you get into the rewriting and polishing, you never really know. Well see.
The Thrill Seekers is about a couple who are independently wealthy, are bored with buying things, traveling, houses and the normal accouterments of wealth. Even sky diving and scuba diving in the Bahamas are boring to them. On a trip across the Mexican desert, they encounter three drug lords at a cantina. Oh well, you'll find out the rest later.
Dan

The Thrill Seekers

2011-08-30T05:28:00.000-04:00

I'm about half-way through with my latest book, The Thrill Seekers which should be out by mid September. I am really excited about the book. At first, I wasn't sure about the title, but that is exactly what the two main characters are... they are Thrill Seekers.

For the longest time, I have disliked people whose limit to helping people is writing a check. My entire life I have been around such people. They write a stupid check, or cook a dinner for the poor one time a year and say "Aren't we wonderful. We are good people". The main characters in The Thrill Seekers, Lynn and David Logan, are a lot different than most. They actually go out and take on the forces, yes people, who use others. In the process, they themselves experience untold satisfaction.

I am also excited about the cover. It says exactly what I want the book to say.

This Week

2011-08-21T04:58:00.000-04:00

Those of you who have been following my work know I took the last week off. And, it was a fantastic week. My latest novel, Killing Martin Luther, came out on Amazon.com and is already doing well, which, in a way, surprises me. It appears most people have never heard of Martin Luther. When asked about my latest book I'll say it’s a novel about Martin Luther and, invariably, the person asking will comment about what Martin Luther did for his race or being a great American.
Here’s a hint... Martin Luther never heard of America. If it weren’t for Martin Luther, there’s a good possibility the entire Christian world would still be Roman Catholic. There would be no Presbyterians, there would be no Methodists, and there would be no Baptists.
The novel follows two priests with instructions to “handle” Luther. Luther’s actions are threatening a plot created by Emperor Constantine to save the Roman Empire. In the scheme, Constantine legalizes Christianity in trade for their growing treasury and within only a few decades, the elite of Rome go from the Centurions, Tribunes and Senators to the Priests, Bishops and Pope. The plot convinces all Europe that the fate of their eternal soul depends on their donations to the church. The plot turns the church into the greatest power the world has ever known... a continuation of the Roman Empire. And, the plot lasts for over eleven hundred years.
The book came out first on Smashwords.com and the first night three people looked at it and two people bought it. I couldn’t believe it. The measure will be what the book does on Amazon.com especially when it comes out for the Kindle. So far I’m pleased... very pleased.
Also, my web page, http://www.danweatherington.com is complete and includes all nine of my books. I have finally got it how I want and it has a new, clean look.

Happy Birthday

2011-07-20T01:44:00.000-04:00

Birthdays bode different ways for me. My brother died on his birthday, my father died on his birthday, and my grandfather died on his birthday, so, needless to say, I will tread lightly this day. But, my brother died when he was 8, my father died when he was 58, and my grandfather died when he was 68 and today, I have no "8" appearing anywhere, so there's a degree, be it small, of safety.

Even so, for me, birthdays have been a time to change. Today, I will leave Facebook. Why? Simply because I have never even liked Facebook. I have better things to do than to know that twenty or thirty "friends" who I have no idea who they are, are now "friends" with twenty or thirty other people I don't know. I learned long ago that a "friend" is much more than some name on a computer and I will never be able to measure anything, or at least anything worth having, by how many names appear on some list. Plus, I am simply not the googly-eyed eighteen year old that Facebook was contrived for.

And today, my web page will change. When http://www.danweatherington.com/ was first created, I had written two books. Now, that number is eight with two more in the works, a far cry from those first days. Of course, nothing will ever replace the first time I held real book with my name as author and the first time I saw my name on Amazon.com. It was... something second only to when my books appeared on Barnes & Noble.com. To me, Barnes & Noble was the ultimate. Their stores were clean, bright, and a shining example of what a book store should be. And, one day, my book and my name appeared on its web page. Yes, silly as it may sound. I wanted to cry.

Just as it appears that ebooks will replace the bound volume, this blog at http://danweatherington.blogspot.com/ may replace my web page. And, like I still cling to the printed book because I like the feel, the warmth and even the smell. I will cling to my first web page simply... because it was the first.

Have a great day, I will,

Dan

The Newest

2011-07-19T07:22:00.000-04:00

This morning, I put my newest book, The Vampire Vasquez, on Smashwords for ebook format and it should appear on Amazon.com by the end of the week.
Someone asked me what I knew about Vampires, the answer is simple, nothing, but as much as anyone else. Getting ready for this series, I have read numerous Vampire adventures and find them fascinating. Hope you do too.
Dan

The New Way

2011-07-09T09:06:00.000-04:00

One time, on one of my other blogs, I was concerned because I didn't have anything to say. On that blog, I had tried to write a new and fresh post every day. Then one day I couldn't think of anything new, much less fresh. I mentioned this to a friend of mine I call the Professor, I guess because he's a college instructor. His answer was good, if not great. A blog is like a book, sometimes you're just not in the mood to write. No, it's not writer's block... you're just not in the mood. There is no law that says it has to be done every day. There's no payment for what you do, no cost if you do nothing.

God's Love Letters to You by Larry Crabb

2011-06-21T07:11:00.002-04:00

  A kind and gentle book whose pages guide the reader to looking at the love of God in a newer light.
   I have just completed reviewing God's Love Letters to You by Larry Crabb and find it to be a kind and gentle book.
  God's Love Letters lacks the hardcore Christianity so often seen in such booklets. Instead of trying to pound some lesson into your brain, the book gently guides one into thought and reflection. Some of these books border on being too forceful, too overbearing. This book does not. The book allows the reader to imagine God's love and accept it. It doesn't give the impression we so often give our children when we say "it is so, because I say so".
   Each lesson, each letter, refers to a verse in the Bible and moves forward through the books. It doesn't touch all of the books, but uses selected verses that appear to follow a gentle flow. The letters are perfect for giving you something to ponder through the day and to say at the end of the day, "I really hadn't thought of that."

Would I Recommend the Book? Not for those who wear their Christianity on their sleeve, but for those who consider God an important part of their life and enjoy a few moments of daily reflection and thought, this book is excellent.

My copy was given free for review from Booksneeze.com and I appreciate the opportunity.

Welcome to My New Blog

2011-06-17T14:30:00.001-04:00

   Hi, and welcome to my new blog.
   Someone asked me how I can be working on so many projects at one time. Truthfully, I don't know. Right now, I am working on six new books. A lot, yes, but I'm not working on six books at a time. I'm working on six books, one at a time. I'm an early riser, usually about four am. Most of my work is done in the early morning, and tomorrow morning I may have a thought about say, one of the books, Medication, and I will sit down and write a paragraph, a page, who knows. One day last week I was inspired to work on The Prophet and I wrote twelve pages non-stop, but that doesn't happen often. Then, I'll move to another. Four or five hours later my day will be over. I try to finish before the View comes on.
   Afternoons are for queries, email and to tweak book promotion. I enjoy what I do in the morning and what I do in the afternoon, they're both challenging and fun. Bedtime is the most fun, that's when I get a chance to read someone else's work.Nothing is work as long as you enjoy it.