Book Tour Report

 

When 150 people came to my book release party, I knew the book tour was going to be amazing. Thank you all so much for your support. I have the best friends and family. Getting to see you all made everything worth it.

 

Okay, the official Western leg of the tour started the day after the book release party. I went to four states (Nevada, California, Arizona, and Nevada), visited 14 cities, about 14 schools, one library, did a bunch of book signings, (around 8 signings, not including the schools) and logged over 3,500 miles in my car.

 

I spoke to around 2,500 people, making approximately 30 speeches/presentations. It all went well, and overall, the audiences were great. The best thing was seeing my friends and family. I met young cousins I hadn't ever seen before, saw cousins, aunts and uncles that I hadn't seen in 14-22 years. I also hung out with great friends. They are people I consider my second families. Seeing all of them was the highlight of the tour. Getting to hang out with the kids and be part of their lives was priceless. Meeting Anna, Bradley, Mya, Lacey Rose, Chara, and Ariel was the best.

 

Not many things went wrong. One of the glitches was that I ran out of posters and bookmarks in Sacramento, but I just sent out 11 boxes of promo material to all the places I promised material to. I think all the promo stuff has helped and will continue to help the sales. The art sells the book.

 

The report from the publisher is this: the entire first printing is sold out. More orders have gone in and they're printing more books. Life is good. Sales have been fabulous. I wish I had more books with me personally, and I've had to turn people away and direct them online or to my book signing on June 6 at the Sugarhouse Barnes and Noble from 7-9 PM.

 

I had such a great time on the tour. I have faith in the youth of America. They are so bright and fun to talk with.

 

I want to thank everyone who supported me during the tour. Without you, it wouldn't have been possible.

 

And for those of you who have already read The Golden Cord, thank you very much. I really appreciate your encouragement and I'll get book two out there as soon as I can. It's written, I just have to rewrite it a little.

If you've read the book and liked it, please post a review on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com. Reviews help a lot.

But the most important thing to do is: tell your friends about the novel. Word of mouth is the best promotion that can be done. Call your library and ask them to order some copies as well.

 

People keep asking: when will they make it into a movie? If you want it to be made into a movie, tell your friends to buy a book! I'm at the back of the line now, but with a lot of sales you never know what might happen . . .

 

Amazon.com has a few copies if you'd like to read the reviews or order a book.

 

Thank you again and please stay in touch.

 

Best wishes,

 

Paul Genesse, Author of The Golden Cord

www.paulgenesse.com

Clayton Middle School

 

I went to Clayton Middle School today and spoke to a couple of 7th grade classes. My friend Stephenie's daughter, Valerie, goes to school there and I wanted to see her. I spoke in Mr. Lambson's class to a total of around 60 kids in two separate sessions. They were a good group and I had fun chatting with them, especially Valerie's group. Mr. Lambson is a really good guy.

Val's class was basically the last group of kids that I was going to talk with on this phase of the tour. It felt good to be there and see them. I heard afterward that the kids were surprised at how funny (and smart) that I was. I definitely do a little stand-up comedy routine when I speak to the kids. Today was the cap to the tour and I feel a lot more comfortable now, then I did when I started.

I loved seeing Valerie. She's a great girl with so much potential. When she was little, I really loved her. During the last few years I haven't spent much time with her, but back then I wished I had a daughter just like her.

All in all, Clayton Middle School was a great way to end this phase of the tour.

Paul Genesse, Author of The Golden Cord

www.paulgenesse.com

ConDuit Convention

 

 

Author, Michael Stackpole at the ConDuit convention in Salt Lake City

 

 

I drove back to Salt Lake to attend the ConDuit sci-fi and fantasy convention. Above is a picture of Mike Stackpole, one of my writing teachers and the author guest of honor at the convention. This pic is during his main address on May 24. He is so smart and I love his energy. I write using the Stackpole method and he is one of the most important writing teachers in my own development. His Secrets writing CD's are invaluable. Check out his web site at www.stormwolf.com. Mike is the reason I went drove back to Salt Lake. I was not disappointed. Mike is the man. My hero and my friend. I've been fortunate to hang out with him several times over the past six years.

 

So, I was on a panel with Mike on Sunday and that went very well. Also on the panel was Robert "Bob" Defendi, a cool guy and a great game writer. Saturday, I was on a panel with Brandon Sanderson, Brook and Julia West, and Nathan Shumante. I was only on two panels this year and at first I was dubious, but it worked out perfect.

 

Sunday, I went to lunch with Mike Stackpole and got to hear his advice about my novel series. Having him one on one and giving me advice for an hour was awesome. I respect him so much and his Dragon Crown War Cycle is one of my favorite series ever. Please read Dark Glory War and then continue with the rest, you'll love them.

 

ConDuit was great and it was good to see my friends. I could have stayed on the road longer, but coming home, seeing my wife, seeing Mike, and all my local friends, especially Patrick Tracy, was wonderful.

 

I met a great artist as well, Jessica Douglas, www.mistressofspam.deviantart.com. Check out her stuff. Wow.

Another writer to watch is Aleta Clegg. She's written an entire 11 book space opera series. She's close to getting published and I'll be there to see it happen.

 

Best wishes,

 

Paul Genesse, Author of The Golden Cord

www.paulgenesse.com

 

ConDuit was fun.

Legacy Prep School

 

I visited a great school in North Salt Lake today, Legacy Prep. The son of my friend, Jennifer Jensen, and her niece go to school there. I loved meeting Hunter and Shania. They are great kids and I've heard such good things about them from Jennifer. I work with Jennifer at the hospital. Jen is a great nurse and an even better friend. Both of the kids have a very good energy about them, and I can see why Jen loves them both so much.

I also enjoyed meeting Mrs. Dawn Christensen, Hunter and Shania's teacher. Mrs. Christensen was very nice and all of the students were very friendly. I had a fabulous time speaking to them. I first spoke to a large group of students, three classes, and we had a fun time. They had great questions and I really enjoyed interacting with them. Also, Jennifer was able to attend the speech, and I loved seeing her there.

The other teachers were also very friendly and fun to chat with. After the large assembly, the kids and I took a break, then two classes came back together and we did a mini writing workshop. It was so much fun to teach the students about writing fiction. The teachers got into it as well, and we had so much fun. We made up a funny story as a group project. The tale came out really well and the kids were so smart. They had such good ideas and when we were done, the story was awesome.

I was able to chat with a few of the students after the workshop and hope to see them again, perhaps at my book signing at the Barnes and Noble in Sugarhouse on June 6, from 7-9 PM. I love speaking with smart kids and the kids at Legacy Prep are amazing.

 

Paul Genesse, Author of The Golden Cord

www.paulgenesse.com

My TV Interview

 

Here's the link to my TV interview on Fox News, channel five in Las Vegas.  It's been posted on YouTube and is about 4:30 minutes.

 

 

Link to the TV Interview

 

or find it below

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDEKJZaAp9E

Las Vegas--My First TV Appearance

Vegas was awesome. I was on the channel 5 TV news. The Fox news channel that I grew up watching had me on their morning show and interviewed me for 3 minutes. It was great and went so well. As soon as I have the clip, I'll post it here. I was interviewed by Dave Hall, who went to my high school, Beatty High and graduated two years ahead of me. He was and is a cool guy. They were teasing him about his hair cut in high school. Yep, he had a mullet. I admit, I had one too in 9th grade, but I had no idea it was a mullet. It was just the style of the day.

Anyway, the interview went well and then I was off to Bob Miller Middle School. I spoke to a couple of classes and we had a great time. The librarian there, Scott Hensley, is the coolest. He's the techno librarian and his library is so wired. Scott actually gave the kids four copies of my book to keep. I got to meet the kids and sign their books. That was fun. The students once again showed me how intelligent they were and I enjoyed their questions very much.

Then I went to lunch with a very good guy and his wife. John and Linda Hanks. Linda , a librarian, brought me out to Bob Miller Middle School and John wanted to meet me. He's done a lot in his life and now he's interested in writing. He's got a great story to tell and plan on watching his career unfold.

Then I was off to my old elementary school, George E. Harris Elementary on Sandhill Road. I went there from first to fourth grade. See my next post for all the details . . .

Paul Genesse, Author of The Golden Cord

www.paulgenesse.com

Las Vegas Barnes and Noble Book Signing

 

Hello,

 

My book signing at the Summerlin Barnes and Noble (on Charleston and Fort Apache) went really well. I made it there a little after four and met the Community Relations Manager (CRM), Amy Gulliot. I loved meeting her and she was great to work with. I'll definitely sign there again. There are still a few signed copies available there, if you live in Vegas and want one.

 

I had a set up in the back, in the "cookbook" section. At first, I was a little worried about being in the back of the store in cookbooks, but it was great. A dozen chairs had been set up and that turned out to be the best thing. A bunch of people came and were able to sit down in front of my table and hang out for a couple of hours. If I had been in the front of the store I would have sold a few more books, but the people who came to the signing wouldn't have been able to sit and rest. They would have just got their book signed and left the store. This way they could hang out and get to know me, or visit with me. Getting to chat with people and really hang out was so perfect. Amy had it right, I just wish that there was room in the fantasy section to do the signing.

 

I met so many cool people. Some of them came because of the TV interview, some from the schools I visited that day, and many others were friends and family from my past. I loved seeing my family and my second families. My mom and John came, plus Richard and Carol Stephen, Fran and Alan Stratton, Dee Crawford, Skylar Stephens, and lots of other great people.

 

I met a couple of kids who really impressed me. There was one who was already a great writer and he was only nine! I read one of his short stories right there on the spot. Wow. Then there were some amazing kids from the schools I spoke at. I am so inspired by the kids I meet.

 

The signing was a big success and afterward I got to hang out with Amy for a while and chat about writing. She's a writer herself and loves a lot of the same books that I do. Meeting her was great and I hope to see her again someday soon.

 

Finally, I dragged my sorry butt out of the store and headed for Cedar City around 7 PM. I had to be in Salt Lake City the next day and wanted to get on the road. I would have loved to stay again in Vegas, but I had to get going. That night I had to stop in St. George, an hour from Cedar City. I was too tired to continue on. I made it safely and life was good.

 

Vegas was so memorable and I look forward to visiting again someday.

 

Paul Genesse, Author of The Golden Cord

www.paulgenesse.com

George E. Harris Elementary School

GO TIGERS!!

There is something magical that happens when you go back to your old elementary school. You remember what it was like to be a little kid again . . .

I went to George E. Harris from first to fourth grade back in the early 1980's. I loved that school and once a Tiger, always a Tiger! My teachers were amazing and taught me so much. Then I moved away in fourth grade. I still remember my favorite teachers, Mrs. Holman, Mrs. Gonatovich, and Mrs. Brabham. They were the best.

Leaving George E. Harris was a sad time in my life and going back for the first time since 1983 was very special. I was welcomed by the great staff. Jill Moe, the Literacy Specialist is an exceptional person and she had been my main contact there as I set up the visit. It was great to finally meet her. Also, Henry Rodda, the principal, made me feel right at home. Jill and Henry, plus the vice principal, Heather Lenz, and the office staff, Ms. Pina and Mrs. Gutierrez were all great. I met others, but I can't remember their names. The teachers at the school were also very welcoming and I felt so comfortable.

When I arrived in the school office I shared that the school song had been running through my head all day and for weeks before I arrived at the school. Of course, I had to sing the words that I remembered and we had a great laugh. Principal Henry Rodda and Jill Moe were lots of fun.

Jill had already read, The Golden Cord and really liked it. She said some very nice things about the book when she introduced me to the kids. Also, Ms. Pina, who works in the office, read the book and really liked it as well. I was very humbled by their praise and I wish I could have spoken with them longer.

Then it was on to the main event. I spoke to two groups in the same auditorium where I had performed in plays, and listened to countless assemblies. George E. Harris was so great, partially because they gave out lots of awards. I clearly remember getting Good Citizen Awards and correcting the old principals pronunciation of my name.

So, the first assembly was a bunch of younger kids, second and third graders. They were great and I shared my story with them about growing up in Vegas and going to the school where they went now. It was awesome and I got choked up during my speech, barely keeping it together a couple of times. The first speech went so well and I absolutely loved meeting the kids and the staff. It was a very magical moment and those kids got to hear things that no one else on the tour got to hear. The speech was from the heart and I hope I had a lot of impact on the kids. I encouraged them to do the right thing and hopefully they will. I hope they will learn from my experiences and I think going back was a way for me to heal the wounds of my childhood. But I think that being the short kid and getting picked on made me stronger. If all of that hadn't happened, I would not be the person I am today.

The second assembly was fourth and some fifth graders. They were a tougher bunch, but it went pretty well. I was surprised at how many of them didn't seem interested in reading books. In the end, it worked out great though. I connected with the kids and really liked most of them. There's always a few kids that act up, but I made peace with one kid who had been rude during the speech. I felt bad about reacting to his comments, and embarrassing him. In the end, we made up and it was fine. I think we both learned a lesson there. Hopefully, he will learn respect and I learned how to better handle a smart-ass in the crowd.

I also had one surprise, as I ran into the little sister of one of my high school classmates. I met Lorrie Isom, little sister of my high school mates, Robert and Richard Isom. It was so funny to see her at my old school. She was a cute little kid back then, but I still remembered her and she remembered me. Her dad was my teacher at Beatty High School. I guess it really is a small world.

After the assemblies, school got out and I met lots of kids and teachers. It was a lot of fun and I wish I could have stayed longer and hung out. I signed autographs and spoke with the kids and staff. Finally, the principal (Henry), vice principal (Heather), and Jill Moe had to get me going. I had a book signing to attend at 4:00 at the Barnes and Noble across town and it was already 3:30.

They put me in my car and basically said: "Go down that road, very fast!" I wished I could have stayed longer, but I headed for my signing and made it at 4:05. I really loved meeting the staff and the kids. I think the current students of George E. Harris are in such good hands. When I went there years ago, the school was the best in Vegas, and it still is the best public school. They get really high scores in reading, the highest in Vegas, and I'm so proud of all they've accomplished and all they've achieved.

I hope I helped them. I wanted to give back to the school that gave so much to me.

Best wishes and Go Tigers!

Paul Genesse, Author of The Golden Cord

www.paulgenesse.com

Phoenix Schools

Me reading The Golden Cord, (only page one) at Diamond Canyon School in Anthem, Arizona.

I spoke to over a hundred kids there and they were a great crowd.

 

 

I really loved Phoenix. I arrived on May 20, my wife's birthday. She flew down from Salt Lake and we had a lovely dinner with family and Tam's good friend, Nazneen. It was lovely and The Cheesecake Factory was wonderful. I hadn't seen Tam in a little while and it was good to get together.

 

The next day I embarked upon my most audacious feat yet, speaking at four different schools in one day. I went to a great school called Desert Mountain in the morning, 9:30, and spoke to a bunch of amazing kids (they were 6th and 7th graders). They were a great crowd and the librarian there, Jan, was really nice. A different woman introduced me, I believe her name was Joanne, (I apologize, but I can't quite remember her name). Anyway, she had bought my book the night before and read 125 pages straight through. She loved the book and it was great to get such positive feedback from an educator and avid reader.

 

The speech went very well and afterward I met Virgel Cain, the illustrious Community Relations Manager at the Happy Valley Barnes and Noble in Phoenix. He set up all four school visits for me. I am so impressed with Virgel. He cares so much about the kids in the schools and has dedicated his life to making their lives better. Not only did he adopt a troubled child, but he serves on many boards that helps kids, and does all he can to improve things for the kids in the Phoenix area. He's one of the people who should hold public office. Meeting Virgel was a great highlight for me. I love meeting new people, but he's one of those people who really cares and I love that. Virgel was kind enough to escort me to the schools and was so very helpful at all times. I'm so glad that I met him.

 

The second school was called Paseo Hills and I met Gail Salameh, a wonderful librarian. I spoke to a younger crowd, 4th and 5th graders, around 100 of them. They were so much fun and we had a great time interacting. They had such excellent questions and were so smart! One of the boys picked up on the idea that Olympus Mons on Mars was somehow related to my inspiration for the plateaus in my book. I was very impressed.

 

The third school, Diamond Canyon was a lot of fun. I spoke to a big group in their gym, of mostly 6th and 7th graders. The speech went well and the kids once again showed me how brilliant they are. I loved meeting them and Mrs. Mercer, the librarian was very nice. She had me sign a brick on the wall in their library. That was cool. I signed it with the gold marker I have. I was able to speak with a few of the students afterwards, and they were so nice. I have been treated so kindly by the people I've met. I love that I've connected with so many of them. I want them to be inspired by my speeches and be passionate about whatever it is that they want to do.

 

The fourth school, New River, was late in the day. We had one glitch, as the 6th grade award ceremony went long and instead of them being in the library at 2:30, they arrived at 3:00. I had 15 minutes to speak to one class. They were great, but it was rushed and not my normal presentation. It went well, though. Virgel and I thought it worked out just fine. The librarian, Ms. Krentz was really great as well.

 

The marathon school visit tour was over and I went to dinner with friends and their kids. I got to hang out with Jordan Stephens, Natalie Kobinski, my in-laws, and my wife Tam. It was great.

 

Then it was off to the book signing at the Happy Valley Barnes and Noble. Virgel did a great job setting it up and we sold lots of books. I signed a bunch of copies of the extra books. So, they Happy Valley Barnes and Noble will have copies available for a while.

2501 W Happy Valley Rd
Phoenix, AZ 85085
(623) 780-3300

I think we would have done even better at the signing, but that day was graduation day for lots of kids in the schools. Next time, I'm going to visit Phoenix earlier in the year. All in all, it went really well and loved meeting the students. They were great.

 

The whole day was great, but the best thing was getting to hang out with my friends, Natalie, Jordan, Deanie, seeing Tam, and meeting lots of new friends at the schools and the book signing. I met some really great people, but the most memorable was Virgel Cain. The Phoenix area is truly blessed to have that man.

 

Best wishes,

 

Paul Genesse, Author of The Golden Cord

Whitney High School

Hello,

Today was a great day. I spoke at Whitney High School in Cerritos, California--which is in the L.A. area. It was wonderful. The students there are very smart and the school was rated the best in California numerous times. The teachers and kids are top notch.

I was greeted so warmly by Ms. Denise Saudedo, a very smart woman who is the school's counselor. She's also a flamenco dancer and is living the message I brought: find what you're passionate about and do it. For me, it's writing and being a nurse.

I loved speaking with the kids and spoke to four separate groups, three large groups and one small one. They were all very sharp and I was very impressed with their maturity and character. Several of the students hung out with me during their lunch time and that was a lot of fun, as I read them the first few pages of The Golden Cord and we chatted.

I really enjoyed meeting Crystal and several of the other students. Leia C. just emailed me another question she had I wrote her back. If any of you out there have a question, ask me through email or on my blog. I'd be happy to get in touch when I have a moment. I managed to escape the L.A. area and am now in Riverside for tonight.

So, the cool thing about today was meeting all the great kids. Andrew (a student ambassador) and Ms. Saucedo met me when I arrived and the whole visit was extremely rewarding. I hope to return someday to that wonderful school and hope the students enjoyed my message. I really loved sharing my journey with them and hope they share theirs with me someday.

Best wishes,

Paul Genesse, Author of The Golden Cord
www.paulgenesse.com

Antioch Library

Hello,

I did an event at the Antioch Public Library on Saturday, May 16. It was great. The staff were fabulous. Greta, Kathy, Todd and several others made me feel right at home.

I did a little presentation, a reading, then signed books at the "Pizza with Paul" after party. We had such a fun time. I really enjoyed meeting the teens who came. They were so smart! and I loved seeing old friends and family. I'd list them all here, but I'm afraid I'd forget someone. Seeing my aunt Darlene and getting to hang out with her was awesome. Then my aunt Marlene came in as well, which blew me away. I haven't seen her in like 22 years. Having my mom there was great too. I have an amazing mom. My friend, MarLeiece came as well, which was unexpected. I loved seeing her. All in all, it was a wonderful experience.

I'll have to add to this post later, as I'm too tired to continue.

The main point is this: I love my family and the people of Antioch are number one in my book!

Love you all,

Paul Genesse, Author of The Golden Cord

Arcade Fundamental Middle School

Arcadian Anarchy!

Well, my visit to Aracde Fundamental Middle School in Sacramento was one to remember. I gave two speeches to the kids. The first one was to the eighth graders and some sixth graders. About 300 of them, I think. It was Friday afternoon, it was hot and the kids were going crazy--from the heat--not me. Okay, it was a little me.

Anyway, I received a rock star welcome and the kids were loud. REALLY LOUD! They stayed loud the whole time, despite requests from me and the teachers to quiet down. The speech went well and I really liked the crowd. I enjoyed talking with some of the cool kids in the front row: DeShawn and two cool girls--you know who you are--who I teased by telling the crowd that they were looking for dates for the dance that night and that the boys still had time to grow a pair of (cencored) and ask them out. I sure hope DeShawn makes it as singer. He seems to be a kid with big dreams and I hope all of the kids will follow theirs.

The speech went well, despite the loud crowd and I hope they got a lot out of it. I sure did. I'm always learning when I give speeches.

The second speech was harder to give. The 300 7th graders were even louder and crazier. They were talking and murmuring during the speech and students who were asking questions couldn't be heard. They would not quiet down, until a teacher named Mr. Strange, chewed on them and asked them to chill out. I could not handle them on my own.

It was a Friday, and they wanted out of there, but it was pretty rude. I've received email from a student who apologized for the incident. The student was very nice. Their initials are D.R. and I appreciate them very much.

Then I went to the book signing at the Borders Express. I met Susan, the assistant manager and loved her. The signing went well, I sold out of all the copies of The Golden Cord, and signed copies of Fellowship Fantastic to be sold later. I met some cool guys and gals during the signing. It was great and my cousin Joanna V. was with me lending support the entire time. I just love her and her husband, Ed. He's a neat guy.

My Sacrament trip was wonderful because I got to meet some great kids at the school, and some excellent teachers and the best librarian: Sandy Sowa. I'm very impressed with her.

The really cool thing was that I got to hang out with my long lost cousins, who came to dinner at Joanna's. It was so special to meet them all.

Life is good and the book is selling really well nationwide. The online stores have more copies now!

Best wishes to you all.

Paul Genesse, Author of The Golden Cord





They quieted down and it went pretty well.

Wild Foxes, Librarians, and Really Tall Trees

I had no idea that two of my biggest fans would want me to sign their foreheads at my book signing today. I just couldn't do it, but I did sign their arms. The signature will be seen for quite some time, I believe, as it was permanent ink . . . (grin)

I was very flattered and one of them gave me an extremely cool fan letter. Both of the young girls go to Miller Creek Middle School. They were funny and very pretty, and of course had the endearing giggle that girls of that age often have. If I was a 13 year old boy they would definitely be on my list to ask out on a date. (Yes, that's a hint to the guys at Miller Creek. Both of them are ones to watch). However, I'm married and not interested in jail anytime soon.

Now, above you'll see a picture of me with the coolest librarian in the entire universe. You'll have to ask the two girls for the funny pictures they took with me.

Her name is Eddie van Rossum Daum, say it like Ed-eee. She stayed up late last night making thank you cards for me. Then all the kids signed them and wrote me notes. The cards are hand made and of a quality that is second to none. She did artwork and lots of amazing stamping on all the cards. I'm going to keep them forever in a scrap book. The cards were so wonderful. I'm so thankful to Eddie and the kids of Miller Creek. So, the book festival (at Miller Creek Middle School) went really well. Tons of kids and their parents dropped by and said hello. I sold a ton of books and I have only a few left now. It's a good problem to have, but I have so many other school visits to do. All the sales information that I have is showing that the book is doing really well. It's apparently on backorder at the publishers because of the demand, but you can still get it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.com. All the copies the publisher had have shipped out and more orders are coming in, but they can't keep up. Yep, life is good.

Okay, so at the signing, my friend, Lorrie Rey--the Volunteer of the Year at her son Parker's school--was named my official public relations manager for all of Marin county and the city of San Francisco. (wink)

Lorrie is amazing. She helps her younger son's school so much and they are lucky to have her. Having her in my corner helped so much. Her sister, Jackie, was also there and provided her bubbly enthusiasm and support the entire time. Yes, fellas, she's single. I'll get you in touch, just drop me a line with a real picture, income (as shown on your 2007 income tax form), job history, vital statistics from 2008--height, weight only, your contact information, and why you want to be her new boyfriend. All submissions must be under 200 words, single spaced in Times New Roman.

Keep in mind that Jackie is: foxy, funny, has a BMW, has Chinese ancestry, and is a blast to have dinner with. Her photo is above. She's the one sitting with me. Her brother, Glenn is sitting with Lorrie on the other side of the table. Glenn is such a great friend and provided security (though he did let the two young girls slip by for some reason?). Anyway, he acted as my driver and book carrier during the entire visit here. To him, I am forever grateful. I am so blessed to have friends like him.


All kidding aside, my friends in the Lee family have been amazing. Glenn took me on a hike up on mount Tamalpais today and then we went into the Muir Woods. The redwoods were impressive the the view from the mountain was spectacular. We hung out with Helen, a volunteer at the West Point Inn and enjoyed the view of the entire Bay Area. It was hot, but it was a clear day and I loved it.

Tomorrow, Sacramento and a book signing at the Sunset Mall at the Borders Express in Citrus Heights from 4-6.

See you later,

Paul Genesse, Author of The Golden Cord

Miller Creek Middle School

I visited Miller Creek Middle School in San Rafael, (Marin County) today. It was amazing. It's the school of a cool kid, Spenser Rey, who is the nephew of my buddy Glenn. I was accompanied by Glenn, Jackie (Spenser's aunt), and Lorrie--Spenser's mom. We had so much fun and I spoke to an assembly of three full classes in the gym. That went so well and the teachers were great, and the students were so bright. They asked such excellent questions and were a fabulous crowd. It was definitely the best speech that I've ever made to the kids. I'm learning and things are going well. The main point was that you are going to get knocked down, and you just have to get back up again.

Then I went to speak to Mr. Stein's English class. What brilliant and beautiful kids. They were 7th graders and I was so impressed with them. Mr. Sten is a great teacher as well. They have it very good. It's too bad that he's moving to Poland soon, but he has to heed his calling and go. A point I made to them was that we all have something inside of us that we want to do, and if we don't do it, we hurt our spirit. Mr. Stein is following his calling and I'm following mine.

After Mr. Stein's class I spoke to another assembly in the gym. I was daunted at making the same speech again and trying to recapture the magic, but it went really well. The kids and teachers were wonderful and it was awesome.

Then I was interviewd by the most amazing kid, aside from Spenser, at Miller Creek. Her name is Shannon Reed. She has already written a 250 page novel, and she just turned fourteen, I think. Anyway, Shannon interviewed me for the I-Panther pod cast show that her school has. She is an extremely brilliant girl and I see a lot of promise in her. She's about 20 years ahead of me, because when I was 14 I could never have written a book like she has.

So, the interview went well and I left the school feeling wonderful. Jackie, Glenn, and Lorrie were there to support me in the gym speeches and I was so thankful for their presence. I am truly blessed with wonderful friends.

I'll be at Miller Creek at their book fair doing a signing on Thursday, May 15 from 6-8 PM. Mrs. Van Rossun Daum (spelling?) is the librarian and she helped me so much during my speeches, introducing me and escorting me around. What a cool lady.

Miller Creek was such an amazing experience. I can't wait to go back soon for the book signing.

Bye for now,

Paul Genesse, Author of The Golden Cord

Borderlands Books

Hello There,

After my visit to Miller Creek Middle School I went with my friends, Glenn and Jackie and we went into San Francisco. We goofed around and then met up with Lily and Cary for a while and had lunch at the Sea Lion Cafe on Pier 39. That was so fun. The sea lions were cool to watch while we ate.

Then I met up with Shaun Duke, a cool guy who came all the way from Santa Cruz, taking buses, trains and even a donky! to get into San Fran to be at my book signing. We got to have some tea, Lily and I had tea with him, and we spoke about all sorts of things. I found out that Shaun had cancer and beat it. He's healthy now and is a very well adjusted guy. Lily's good friend has the same kind of cancer and I think the whole reason Shaun came to the city was to have that conversation with Lily. I believe in fate and this meeting happened for a reason.

It was great meeting Shaun and I gave him an autographed copy of The Golden Cord at the signing later. Then we went to my book signing together at Borderlands Books. I got to meet Kerrie (spelling?) who works at the store, and also met up with Jude, the manager, and Alan, the owner. I love Jude and Alan. They are great and we met in Salt Lake at the World Horror Con in March.

The signing/reading was on a Wednesday evening of a really hot day, so it wasn't well attended, but I met some new friends, and sold quite a few books, as Glenn and his gang: Cary, Lily, and Jackie were there and they bought books for their friends and family who couldn't make the signing/reading, but had told them to guy them books.

I aslo met a cool guy named, Mark, who serves in the Coast Guard. He was a neat fellow and I enjoyed meeting him.

I did a reading and actually read a whole chapter, (chapter 27), from The Golden Cord, then I read a little of The Pirate Witch, and a few pages of Almost Brothers. The reading went really well and that was fun for me.

Then we went out to dinner in SF and relaxed a bit. It was a long and wonderful day.

Best wishes,

Paul Genesse, Author of The Golden Cord

Mendive Middle School and more

Hello,

I had a fun time at Mendive Middle School in Sparks, Nevada. Sparks is the sister city of Reno and they are practically indistinguishable cities. Anyway, I went to my cousin Bradley Miller's school and spoke to his 8th grade class, along with his whole team, which was around 180 kids, I think.

Anyway, the kids were made to sit on a hard floor first thing in the morning and I had to win them over. 8th graders are a tough crowd, but after a while, they warmed up and it was great. My cousin, Diana, Bradley's mom, was there helping me cart my stuff around and she whispered: read the book. So, I did, and read page one of The Golden Cord. Once I did the reading it was great and they were into it. I really wanted to see Bradley and he's a really cool guy. His mom, Diane, is my favorite cousin and I just love her. She was so nice to me while I was in town and I really want to visit her and her family again.

After the assembly, I spoke to some kids in the class of Mrs. Thomas. She's an excellent teacher and a wonderful person. Her first class was amazing. They were the higher reader kids and we had wonderful time as I taught them how to write a killer story. That was so much fun and we had a great time telling the story of Logan, a kid in the class, who had really horrible things happen to him--in our story . . .

They were a great bunch.

The next class was excellent in it's own way. I hate giving the same exact talk twice in a row, so I took a different approach and we talked about what they liked to read and why it is so important to read what you like, whether it is BMX magazines, Rollingstone, Guitar World, or whatever you like. The point is to read the things you love and don't let anyone tell you that you have to read certain books.

They were a lot of fun and we created a story about one of the kids, Gabino, who was the shortest, but toughest soccer gangster in the whole school. His soccer gang was the best until a rival got all of Gabino's posse kicked out of school leaving him alone. Then, when Gabino was cornered by a big guy about to get beat up, Gabino used a soccer ball and kicked the ball into the big guy's nuts!! Go Gabiino! That was the happy ending. The tragic ending was much more grim and Gabino was killed in a drive by.

The school visit was fun and my cousin Diane was wonderful. Then we visited my aunt Toni's house and spoke with Tom, her husband, and aunt Toni. I relived old memories and saw the house that I spent so much time in when I was growing up. It was great.

The visit was then over and I made the trip from Reno/Sparks to the Bay Area. It took five hours and went really well. Crossing the Sierra Nevada mountains is fun.

I went to visit my buddy Glenn Lee's place of business and met him there. He and his family own Pet Club, www.petclubstores.com. They built the business from nothing and now they have nine stores in Northern California. They are an amazing family. I got to meet Glenn's family: Jackie, Tam, Ryan, Calvin, and of course Cary, who I went on some trips with. I also got to meet Mr. Lee, Glenn's dad. He's an inspiration, as he'd had a stroke, but he keeps on moving no matter what. I love old guys who won't give up and keep fighting. He's also very open minded and I think that is great.

We went out to dinner that night at Skates on the Bay, watched the sunet on the water and had a wonderful meal, courtesy of Mr. Lee. I got to know Jackie--Glenn's sister, and got to reconnect with Lily, Cary's girlfriend. It was a wonderful day, filled with friends and great experiences.

The best thing about this book tour is getting to see my old friends and family and make new friends. As I told Mr. Lee and his family at dinner, I believe that when we meet people, a golden cord forms between us, connecting us for the rest of time, in this life and the next.

Best wishes,

Paul Genesse, Author of The Golden Cord

Marvin Moss Elementary School Rocks!

Hello,


What a great day I just had. I spoke at my cousin Anna's school. The kids were excellent and I spoke to a large group, then taught a mini-writing class to Anna's class. They were so smart and creative. We had a blast. I think there are many excellent little writers in her class.

My favorite part of the whole day was getting to hang out and talk with Anna and her family--my favorite cousin Diane, her husband Chris, and their son, Bradly. I love them so much and they are a great family. I can't wait to get to know them more.

The best part of my book tour is getting to reconnect with old friends and family. My old friend Bonnie Peacock came by my book signing at the Barnes and Noble. We had a great chat and it was so awesome to see her! I sold lots of books today, about 32, and life is good.

This is just the start of my trip, but it's going so well.

Best wishes to all of you out there, and to all of you writers out there: get writing. Start with a great first line, create a cool character, be really mean to that character, then throw in even worse problems, and end with a twist.

Best wishes,

Paul Genesse, Author of The Golden Cord
Book One of the Iron Dragon Series
www.paulgenesse.com

THERE WERE DRAGONS!

 

Paul Genesse, Megan C., Ashley P., and Meghan R.--they're my coworkers and came after their shift at the hospital to hang out at The Golden Cord book release party.

 

So, my huge book release party was awesome! Over 150 came to my home to hang out, see the fantasy art gallery in my basement, and pick up some books.  Lots of books! Piles of books!

I actually got a cramp in my hand from signing so many books! Now I'm worried I won't have enough books for my upcoming book tour. What good problems to have.

It was so wonderful to see my new and old friends. Also, my mom was there, and my great friend Natalie came from Phoenix to help run the party. Natalie, my mom, and my wife Tam did all the catering. They were amazing. I owe them big time!

I wish I could have spoken with everyone longer, but the line was so long to get books and time was running  fast.  I just loved seeing everyone. I had some great conversations with friends and the children of friends, and friends of friends . . . you get the idea.

 

I'm so excited to get to writing. All five books are written, but I need to edit and rewrite books two through five. I really want to get book two out there now. I wish it was coming out soon. Sigh.

 

Anyway, thank you all for coming, and for those who couldn't come, no worries, I'll see you soon, I hope. I'll be leaving for my book tour in the morning and I can't wait. If only I didn't need to sleep . . .

 

Best wishes to you all!! Thanks for making my book tour send off incredible.

 

Love,

 

Paul Genesse, Author of The Golden Cord

Book One of the Iron Dragon Series

My School Visit to Cook Elementary

Mrs. Judy Hooper                Cook Elementary School, Syracuse, UT

Media Specialist

 

I am so impressed with the 6th graders at Cook Elementary School. They are so smart and their teachers are sharp. I spoke to about 70 kids about reading and writing. It was so much fun and I'm so happy that Judy Hooper invited me to her school. What impressed me most about the kids was their intelligent questions. I loved their energy as well. They were excited and interested and just a fun crowd. There are some big time readers and writers among them as well. One girl's fame preceded her. Jayme has read practically every book in the library and is even writing stories at the age of 12. She asked me a question about writing and I heard myself in her. She's got the perfectionist thing going , like me, and isn't happy with her work once she finishes it. I feel the same way.

My message was to revise a little more and then let it go. Also to outline and to work on a good hook, and a good ending. The hook, or first line, is just so important. A snappy opening line is critical in page-turning fiction. The kids seemed to really like my reading as well. I read page one of The Golden Cord and they were into it.

Anyway, what a fabulous time I had with those kids and the staff. Judy was incredibly nice and I now remember how cool 6th graders are. That was a magical time for me and I read some amazing books at that age. I just hope the kids will love my own book. Time will tell.

Paul Genesse, Author and Editor www.paulgenesse.com

Where Paths Meet

 

 

It was standing room only at my presentation at the ULA/MPLA Library Conference in Salt Lake City on May 1. The room was packed and people were out in the hall and on the floor up front. My presentation was done with Ruth Hanson of Reading For the Future of Utah (RFFU) and we spoke about shaping young minds with genre fiction. It was great and I really loved the crowd. Hey, I have a thing for librarians. (smile and a wink)

My friend, Mary Anne Heider helped me get the gig and I'm so thankful to her. I'm also thankful to Ruth, a great lady with a vision for the future. The non-profit she runs is all about donating books to kids. Ruth is also putting together a free CD with short stories from Utah writers called the Utah Project. It'll be ready to go soon, I think, and will be downloadable from the RFFU web site at some point. Check it out when you can.

Anyway, librarians are just a great bunch and they love books, probably more than I do, which is saying a lot. I totally want to go to more library conferences. It really helped that Library Journal and VOYA Magazine gave my novel great reviews. The reviews were awesome and the librarians really supported me at my book signing. It felt wonderful to sell that many books. Sam Weller's, a fabulous bookstore in Salt Lake, handled my signing. Shari and Katherine are really nice people. Sam Weller's has some signed copies of The Golden Cord at their store if you want to pick one up.

Also, a bunch of librarians asked me to come and speak at their schools/libraries. I'm really looking forward to doing that I have so much excitement for books and reading and love talking with people about it, especially kids. More on that in the next post. If anyone wants me to come and speak at their school or library, just let me know and we'll set up a date. I come for free and give out posters and bookmarks to the kids. I share the same vision as Ruth, we need to get more kids reading again and I'll do what I can to help.

Reading opens the mind like nothing else. I could go on and on about why it's great, but I think my favorite reason is that you get to be friends with the coolest people. Frodo and Sam are personal friends of mine and will always be close to my heart. I just love Hobbits.

Best wishes to all of you out there! And happy reading!

 

Paul Genesse, Author and Editor

Author of The Golden Cord

Book One of the Iron Dragons Series