Website Created for JOURNEYS of the ASTROPATH

http://astropaths.blogspot.com/ as been established to generate a purchasing page and also a page dedicated to the discussion of and development of the Journeys of the Astropath series. On this site I would like to encourage lots of feedback and ideas concerning the characters and story which is currently under development. HAVE AN INFLUENCE! Your comments or ideas could find there way into this novel series. Come take a look at the site, buy the book, read it, and then write some of your ideas to help me create this series.

Click on the title and be taken to the Journeys of the Astropath web page.

$25 RELEASE DEAL get THOSE WHO HEAR and ECHO POOL just $25

$25 if you still haven't gotten your copy of ECHO POOL and you are ordering THOSE WHO HEAR, this deal will save you $4. Shipping is the most expensive part of our cost on these books, so if you would like both of them we can put them in one envelope and ship them at a reduced price. 2 books and shipping to any place on the planet for just $25. Or if you already have ECHO POOL and you have more than one young adult in your family order 2 copies of THOSE WHO HEAR for just $25. Simply be sure, when you make your payment, to let us know which combination you would like. Thanks for your support.

Those Who Hear abailable at Bangkok Book House

The release of THOSE WHO HEAR is official. Click on the title and leap to Bangkok Book House for direct ordering. The Journeys of the Astopaths has begun! I am excited to announce that we have finally, as it seems we worked on this project for such a long time, that we are in print and available now. Book stores in Asia will have this title soon, but somewhat randomly. If you really want to get a hold of it right away your best bet would be to order from Bangkok Book House direct.

I'll probably get a payment gateway set up on siminoe.com soon. If you have a favorite book store, REQUEST it, DEMAND it, and help me get it ROLLING!

THOSE WHO HEAR RELEASES FEB. 13

This is almost the cover -- but the color will be different so you'll have to wait a few days.

February 13th is our scheduled release date, although technically the book will not be available in book stores for a few days after this. If anyone is chomping at the bit to get a hold of THOSE WHO HEAR, my fantasy novel, click the title above and place a direct order with Bangkok Book House. The price here in Bangkok is 350 baht and from what I understand shipping in the metro area is very inexpensive. This book is not a serious piece of literature, its a fun action adventure story that launches a series called the Journeys of the Astropaths. In all we have scheduled and I am working on 5 total books. Of course lets wait and see what the reaction to the first one is before we jump the gun.
The opening book is the guide to all of the books to come in that it introduces Cody Gallas and his special powers. If you are a fan of magic, adventure, or simply love books that offer you a chance to root for the underdog, Those Who Hear should be an addition to your book shelf.

FOOD

The best part of living in Thailand for me is without a doubt the food. I'm not sure if there is any limit to to variety, because each province brags a slightly different variation on all of the standard dishes while also having some which are completely theirs.. As a farang, but one from Western United States, I love my food HOT. One mildly annoying thing is that because of the English who live here and perhaps the Germans, Thais have the idea that anyone who is white can not eat SPICEY food. Nothing could be further from the truth of course. For me, if I'm not sweating bullets and chewing on leaves to relieve the heat, it's not hot enough!

What is really amazing about Thai food as well, is the price. If you eat on the street a standard meal will cost only about $1.00 well $1.60 now that the BUSH ECONOMY has killed the dollar. But, even for nice patio or sort of posh neighborhood places you won't pay more than about $6.00 for great food and atmosphere.

Honestly if I had to pay a lot more Thai food would be a bargain because they have so much to chose from and all of it is tasty. I personally enjoy noodle dishes for the most part, but of course they have rice dishes as well.

Journeys of the Astropaths

These were the rejected covers for Those Who Hear.

A writing project that I have been enjoying working on for the past year is about to finally come to print. The series of books that I have proposed to my publisher, Bangkok Book House, is called Journeys of the Astropaths. It details the life and times of Cody Gallas who has had a childhood marred by tragedy, but finds during these troubles that he has an amazing innate ability. The magic of the series is an anomaly that certain people are born with, a very rare group, which allows their brains to develop at a highly advanced state. They are called astropaths because they have the ability to travel with the use of their mind, communicate telepathically, and read the thoughts of the humans around them. They do have a vulnerability in that while they are traveling outside of their body to anywhere in the world, the body they leave behind is completely defenseless.
So it all will begin on FEBRUARY 13th and I am very excited to enter the world of Young Adult or Fantasy writing. It is such a different project from Echo Pool that I must admit I have no idea what people will say about it. I hope the teens enjoy it and that adults get a few kicks as well.
I will not give away what the cover will look like, but instead will show three of the rejected covers for the book. The publisher has final say in these matters, but Bangkok Book House is very open to the writers helping to design covers and help with the over all image of the books they publish.

COMING SOON is a NEW BLOG DEDICATED TO THE ASTROPATH SERIES, click on the title above and you can see where it will be and the early design.

Bandara Resorts

Recently my old friend Aoi got in touch with me asking if I'd like to do some writing for an up and coming resort and spa company. I wasn't sure I could really help in any way, but after meeting with the managment team of BANDARA and getting a tour of their Bangkok location, I really got a nice sense for what this company is looking to do and thought it would be fun to help out. This project for me will be just copy writing, and honestly that's about all I would have time for, but it will give me a chance to watch first hand a business which is about to double its locations and really make itself known in the Asian market. Right now they have 3 locations in Thailand, but soon they are looking at foreign markets in Asia for their expansion. This really will be fun for me. Please check out their lovely website, and if you have some time visit one of their resorts. From all accounts their best location is on the island of Samui, one of Thailands quickest developing islands. http://www.bandararesort.com/main_html.html

Sad News

Photo taken from flickr.

On the 1st of January I received and posted on this blog a very touching story from Michelle Hanson about her husband's battle with cancer. The article has gotten a lot of attention and people have asked about Dan her husband. Sadly I received this email over the weekend and the inevitable has happened far too soon. But at least they had their wedding together and this must have been the one thing he was hanging on for. Her email follows:

Dearest Jonathon,

It is with a heavy heart that I write you today. My Dan passed away last night, free of pain, surrounded by love, and with peace, with my arms around him. On the 19th of January we danced, we ate cake, we celebrated with our friends and family, and yes, "we made it to our night." On Sunday morning we left our honeymoon suite and Dan said, "I just want to be home in our bed." So, that is where we went...hand in hand. There is nothing that I can say to convey what is truly happening at this time, I'm filled with such emotion and anxiety and I fear that this hole will never be filled again...

Cancer is brutal, but Dan was full of grace, laughter, love and kindness...that is something that cancer can never take from you. He is missed...I wish you could have met him, you would have become fast friends, how I will ever survive this is unknown.

LoveStrong ALWAYS, and protect those that you lOVE.

Michelle Hansen

As I told her, he was a lucky man to have had her during this fight. God bless and may he rest in peace.

Temple of Dance a Satit Kaset School Play

The winner of the camp play competition was this story of martial arts mixed with dance. It is amazing they put this together during a 3 day camp trip. Impressive although a bit raw. Good job guys!

Forwarded Photos and why they are so terrible

Lots of people like to send me cute photos of animals. I believe these are intended to cheer me up or make me feel a sense of temporary glee. I do appreciate this. Of course this photo only reminds me of just how isolated I feel at times. I mean look deep into this Kittie's eyes, this little fur ball is getting ready to slap one of these fuzzy brushes, none of which accept him or love him or share his ideas about film, but with three of these bristling one legged automatons confronting him, he just can't figure out which one deserves the claws first. I feel this way when I am in a crowd here in Bangkok being jostled and shoved, elbowed and poked.
I feel you my feline friend, my soul mate of soloness. We are truly alone among the brushes! Brushes bent on fluffing away our very essence and originality and leaving it their prickly stead, a sameness--uniformness--homaginizedness, that I dread more than death, more than a needle in my eye, or a ruptured spleen.
Thanks photo forwarder you truly have gotten my mind off of my problems with your little glimpse of joy.

Echo Pool the school play

We went to school camp this year outside of Bangkok at a place called Brookside. It was a lot of fun. One of the most popular nights of the camp was our annual play night and this year the theme was that students had to create a play using music and dance to help tell the story. Some of my students put together a piece honoring my book ECHO POOL.

By the real novel by clicking on the title above.

THOSE WHO HEAR

It has been a very long weekend. I singed a contract with Bangkok Book House to publish THOSE WHO HEAR back in late October. We are currently in the editing process. This novel is nothing like ECHO POOL, for better or worse. This piece is a bit of fantasy written in a YA style. I still believe that adults may enjoy this, but in truth it is written with the teenager in mind. This book is the first in a series called Journeys of the Astropaths that I have been developing. I am nervous beyond anything I have ever felt in my writing before, because with Echo Pool I knew what it was -- a literary effort, a book for my father, a book for those who have lost someone in their life to cancer, a book for visitors of Thailand. But fantasy? This is really a far cry from my normal style of writing.

I am also excited! If this book could develop a following, I have outlines for 5 additional books in the series. I am midway through writing the second book and the plan is for Bangkok Book House to publish the second book by August or September. Yikes more work!

So for the past three days I have done nothing but read the comments and proofing marks of the publisher's editor. I am exhausted, still shaking from all the coffee: Mochas, Cappuccinos, Americanas, and even a few street ice coffees. But I think I have completed the final draft and should be able to get it back to the publisher today or tomorrow.

How many times can I read through this manuscript? Well it's short really, 279 pages, and I just keep going through it for one last look and I usually find one more mistake or unclear line. It does get a bit maddening after a while.

I think I'll put up a few pages of this new story once we have a publishing date.

Satit Kaset International Student Film Awards

Well since coming to Satit Kaset International I have had a small influence on the school's English department. I think, in general, it is my laziness that makes me want to bend things into a shape that I can better work with and do well with. Just like my teaching in the US, I have focused my theoretical concepts, such as teaching theme, metaphor, irony, and the development of dramatic narrative by using film. The young people today have been raised on movies and with this background I find I can access, reach, and teach them. So when Austin Bush, a former teacher here, wanted to begin a film contest for one of his classes, I took this idea and ran with it for the entire school.
This year is our fourth annual student film contest which we call in honor of Austin Bush, the AUSTINS. It is a film festival that has not only improved in the participation of it from a one class assignment to a grades 9-12 open competition, but the quality of English spoken in the films, the style of direction, the acting (maybe Speedy is helping us out there) and especially the creativity of the films has been developing.
This little video will be boring unless your one of the students who gets their name called for an award, but I thought I'd put it up just to give them a few more seconds of FAME!
Next year will be the 5Th annual Austins and it is going to be BIGGER than EVER and already a few of the groups are tinkering with script ideas and organizing their teams. Who knows, maybe someday one of our students will elect not to go to business school like their parents want them to and they may opt to run away to California and attend FILM SCHOOL. That would probably get me fired, but I'd take it as a little personal victory.