I’m almost fully recovered from hernia surgery. I knew I had one
obvious spot but my surgeon thought the other side might need fixing, too. We
had agreed on laparoscopic surgery in
order not to have another big opening like I had for a burst appendix in
October.
Surgery was on Monday, March 30, and it took 3 ½ hours. That’s
because, once inside, there were four hernia patches that needed repair. So I
got worked over pretty well. And with all the smaller incisions, to make
openings for the robot’s several instrument and camera needs, I look more like
the loser in a knife fight. The surgery was out-patient and went well. I did have pain for
several days, but it was manageable. Couldn’t sit at the computer very long, so
work had to stop.
Then, on April 8, I had my surgeon
follow up office visit. He said I was progressing well and cleared me to get back
to all normal activity by today.
Since we had such powerful
storms in Northern Illinois a couple of days ago, I went out yesterday to clear
lots of broken, downed branches.
And I’[m able to return to
looking after our granddaughter Olivia a few days each week
Today It's back to work on
book #5 in the Sam Cooper Adventure Series. Six books are planned and those will
start coming out in July from Elk Lake Publishing. New covers, details, and
other information will follow on this blog as the projects develop.
In 2001, I made a conscious decision to write adventures & mysteries for children. My target was middle grade
readers. Why? It’s that stage in life when they are still kids while, at the
same time, they can’t wait to be all grown up.
The down side to this age is it also is a time when children,
especially boys, begin falling away from reading in favor of video games, TV,
videos, computers, and other electronic devices. So how could my books make a
difference at this critical time of development?
I grew up hating to read. We didn’t have much in the way of electronics
back then, but I’d rather be doing almost anything besides reading as a child. I
guess that’s part of the reason why I followed a life of audiovisual production
including TV commercials, corporate videos, dramatic and documentary films,
music videos, video concerts, and many more. How does this impact me as a
potential author for kids?
The books I write tend to be crammed with humor, action, adventure,
mystery, lots of dialog, and not much in the way of boring details or
descriptions. Many adults have responded by telling me my books were the key in
turning children in their care from struggling, reluctant readers into avid
readers. Why has this been?
My style of writing brings the same visual elements and
heart-pounding action and adventure from my film and video projects onto the
pages of my books. But it hasn’t come easily.
The first publisher released 6 of my books. Not long after,
the company went bankrupt. Suddenly I found myself starting out all over again.
A second publisher experienced the bankruptcy of their distribution company,
virtually stopping this publisher in its tracks. A third publisher, just this
year, decided to stop publishing altogether, returning rights to the books they
had published back to the authors.
Today, I have contracts for a number of books. Several of these will
be released starting this coming July. Others are slated for publishing by an
education publisher, including instructional materials, for use in the classroom.
Most of my books will be readily available in print and as e-books.
Please return to this blog to keep up with developments.
Soon I’ll begin revealing the covers for a number of the books scheduled for
release in the coming months.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me directly
at mander8813@aol.com
This blog has been nominated for Blog of The Month at the popular Book Fun
Magazine. Please take a minute to vote for it now. See the voting boxes on the
Home page, lower right hand column of http://www.bookfun.org where you see this
picture.
New covers are being developed for the Sam Cooper Adventure Series and a
4th title will soon be released with the original three books at Elk Lake
Publishing.
Work continues on covers and the book interiors for the first four books in
the Accidental Adventure Series.
Plans call for six books in each series.
Editing on all the new books is ongoing at the publisher now along with
additional writing here for these two exciting action and adventure books for
middle grade readers.
A contract has been signed to publish six books at Elk lake Publishing. The publisher will re-release the first three books in the Sam Cooper Adventure Series:
1. Lost Island Smugglers
2. Captain Jack's Treasure
&
3. River Rampage
This is being done because the original publisher has decided to cease operating in publishing. Under the Elk Lake banner, each book will get a new look on its cover.
Then, three more books are planned for the series. The manuscript has already been delivered for book #4. Books #5 and #6 have not been determined yet.
4. This Property is Condemned
5. Coming Soon
6. Coming Soon
In addition, we are developing another series at Elk Lake Publishing. This one is called The Accidental Adventures of Kurt Benson and His Friends, Riley and Jordan. Three manuscripts have been delivered to the publisher so far.
1. Funny Money Mystery
2. The Cat Burglars
3. The Secret of Grandmother's Grandfather Clock.
Three more books are planned for this series. And the manuscript is nearly ready for book #4. Books #5 and #6 have not been determined yet.
4. Summer Camp Troubles
5. Coming Soon
6. Coming Soon
Here's a video for The Accidental Adventures series.
Be sure to check back for future developments.
Thank you!
Max Elliot Anderson
Author of middle grade action-adventrues and mysteries.
The publisher for the Sam Cooper Adventure Series
has decided to close up shop. Our original agreement called for six books.
Three were published: Lost
Island Smugglers, Captain Jack’s
Treasure, and River Rampage. A
manuscript for the fourth book in the series, This Property is Condemned, was submitted but not published.
I’m happy to report that a new publisher is planning to
re-publish the first three books and then complete the six book series. Expect
a more formal announcement on that soon.
Book Trailers for this Series
Lost Island Smuggglers
Captain Jack's Treausre
River Rampage
This Property is Condemned Info
This Property is Condemned
Is it true what they say about the old Remmington Mansion? Did someobody really die in the basement of that scary place? This Property is Condemned will be the 4th book in the Sam Cooper Adventure Series.
In this story, Sam, Tony, and Tyler discover a house that's falling apart. Local developers have sinister plans to tear the place down.
But wait a minute. Didn't the boys just see a curtain move in one of the front windows? All they've ever heard is the place is abandoned; maybe even haunted.
Sam and his friends decide to find out the truth. This Property is Condemned Get ready for the next Sam Cooper Adventure / Mystery, coming soon from children's author Max Elliot Anderson.
Why not read the first 3 books now, so you'll be ready when book #4 is published?
Book # 1 - Lost Island Smugglers Book # 2 - Captain Jack's Treasure Book # 3 - River Rampage Coming Soon! Book # 4 - This Property is Condemned
As we mark President Ronald Reagan's 104th birthday on February 6, I'm transported back to a day during the fall of 1990. At that time I had the unique opportunity to spend much of a day with him as he visited his boyhood home in Dixon, Illinois. This turned out to be the last time he would visit there.
The original video is now housed at the Reagan Presidential Library in California. The following pictures were shot off of my TV screen from a VHS copy of the original material so the quality is diminished.
Along with the rest of the video crew, we were given Secret Service clearance for the day and shadowed him where ever he went.
We began at the river where, as a lifeguard, he saved many lives. There he skipped stones on the river and talked about his experiences. We walked up to the thirdfloor gym where he had played basketball. Mr. Reagan took a few shots from the free-throw line.
We covered him with video cameras as crowds pushed toward him and made the Secret Service people nervous. For most of the day I was never more than inches or a few feet from one of the greatest men I believe this country has ever had as its leader.
A group of schoolchildren recited the Pledge of Allegiance as he stood out in front of the house. He went to the garage in the back of the house and then on to the statute of himself.
Mr. Reagan spoke to a full house that had gathered in the high school gym. There he was presented with a letter jacket. He proceeded to the football field and threw passes to some of the team.
The most unique experience came when we traveled to the actual house. There we set up for the only video interview that he gave that day. I was able to ask him a number of personal questions about growing up in that house.
After the interview, President Reagan was kind enough to send me a personal letter of thanks.
How were the Christmas and New Year’s holidays for you? We
had a great time at the Anderson House. With granddaughters who are 2 ½ and 3
years old. Christmas was especially fun this time.
During the school year, I normally keep the 2 ½ year old,
Olivia, at least 10 days per month since our daughter is a teacher. So I was
provided with a substantial break while school was out. This open time was used
to complete the first draft of a 61,000 word manuscript for middle grade
readers. It’s a murder mystery, complete with courtroom drama, which will be
somewhat of a departure from most of the adventure-mystery books I’ve written
in the past. The length is significantly longer than any of my published books,
too.
I won’t reveal the title just yet, but I love the story as I’m
just finished with the first read-through for corrections and polishing. I don’t
edit as I write, or outline either, so often times a story is almost entirely new
to me when I read the completed draft for the first time. With its added
length, my agent hopes to interest a larger publishing house in this project.
Work on this one should wrap up in the next week or so.
Developments continue with an educational publisher who
plans to release 6 books in the months ahead. I don’t have a schedule for this
yet, and will post more information as the projects unfold. One thing I’ve
learned is that publishing can be a slow process. Things take time, and there’s
no reason to try to rush any aspect of that process.
The Accidental Adventures VIDEO
I’m also awaiting word on the new series, The Accidental Adventures of Kurt Benson and
his Friends Riley and Jordan. The first three manuscripts have been
delivered to Elk Lake Publishing. A fourth manuscript is in process. Release
dates have not been finalized as yet.
Three more titles are due from Comfort Publishing. But
again, there are no specific dates at this time. All three manuscripts have
been completed and delivered to the publisher.
So, I hope to have lots of good news to announce throughout
2015 and appreciate your continued interest in my action-adventures &
mysteries for young readers.
Please VOTE - My middle grade adventure & mystery book bolg is up for blog of the year at Book Fun Magazine. Look in the right margin and scroll down to my name and picture. http://www.bookfun.org/group/book-fun-magazine
Magazine centered around Reading Groups, giveaways, stories and testimonies. Launches in September. This group is for suggestions and comments for the magazine…
This interview originally appeared in Book Fun Magazine
How long have you been blogging, Max
My first post
was in January of 2007. At that time I’d had a few action-adventures and
mysteries published for young readers.
Why did you begin blogging?
Other writers talked about
how we needed to have blogs in order to connect with our readers. And this was
before social media had arrived. So, along with my website, I began blogging.
Posting on my blog allowed me to put out timely information without having to
wait for someone else to update my website. And it gave people an opportunity
to connect with me directly in a new way.
You grew up in and around
the film production business. Can you tell me more about that?
I had the great privilege
of growing up in a family where our dad wrote, produced, and directed dramatic
films. We lived in Wolf Lake, Michigan, at the time, not far from Muskegon. And
the studio was an old dance hall that had been renovated and moved to a
location close to our house. A dirt path was soon worn through the woods where
I could ride my bike, or, if a tire was flat, it was an easy run to the
building.
Pusing the dolly on the film, Without Onion
From a very young age, I
used to make my way to that studio and hang out in the shadows of the sets.
There I could watch the actors, listen to dialog and timing, notice the
setting, plot, and everything that went into making a film. Later I helped out
in the editing process where the film was cut together and music and sound
effects were added.
Looking lost while editing a film sequence
Working on another film production
At the age of eight, I was “struck
and killed” by a hit-and-run driver. But…since the film I was in was shot in
black and white, the blood that ran from my nose, mouth, and ear, came out of a
chocolate syrup bottle.
Later I sat with audiences
and watched some of the finished films. It was amazing to hear them laugh in
just the right spots, and cry when the story turned sad. Because of those
experiences I knew, from a very early age, that I wanted to work on films, too.
Has your film and video
experience helped in writing action adventures and Mysteries for middle grade
readers?
The 10 books currently published
I believe those early
experiences have everything to do with how I write today. My professional life
included the production of films, video programs, and television commercials
for over forty years. In that time, I was responsible for bringing all kinds of
stories to the screen. In the process, and without my knowing it, I’d been
storing countless impressions, in my subconscious, that would surface later as
I began writing.
I don’t write to an
outline. I do have the beginning, middle, and end in mind when I start, along
with who the main character is and what challenges he’ll be facing. From there
the story emerges in front of me as I write. And writing it feels like I’m
watching a feature film appear right before my eyes. Sometimes I’ll close my
eyes just to look at the setting and observe the characters in a scene.
Shooting the feature film, Pilgrim's Progress staring Liam Neeson in his first motion picture role.
Borrowing a page from my
filmmaking days, I like to have props and pictures around the computer that suggest
elements in the story I’m writing. In addition, I’ll play mood appropriate
music and even sound effects to help set the tone. I prefer to write summer
stories when it’s hot outside and winter stories when the air is freezing.
Then, all I have to do is step outside to get in the proper mood.
What is the focus of your
blog?
At first I thought I should
write to kids, but there were some problems with doing that. Parents can be
pretty cautious when it comes to turning young children loose on the Internet,
and I completely agree with them. I realized early that, to get good books into
the hands of kids, I needed to speak to parents, grandparents, and other adults
in their lives. So that’s what I’ve been doing over the last several years. My
blog subjects range from personal experiences, production trips and locations,
important articles by others, and book introductions for other middle grade
authors. Anytime I have an article in magazines like Book Fun, or others, I post information about that along with a link. And each
time I have a new release, it gets a lot of attention on my blog.
Later I go back and do
other promotion for books of mine that have been out for a time. But in everything
that I put on my blog, the focus is on getting kids, especially boys, to read.
After all, where do we expect to find our adult readers of the future if we
aren’t grooming them when they’re young?
Why did you choose to focus
on books for boys?
My writing began in late
2001. At that time, there seemed to be plenty of material available for girls,
but not so much for boys. In addition, I grew up hating to read, even though my
dad was an author of over 70 books. I felt there had to be lots of boys out
there who didn’t like to read. We’d rather be doing things, or seeing how they
work; not reading about them in books. I thought if I could write the kinds of
books I would have enjoyed as a boy, maybe other boys and girls would like
reading them, too, and that’s exactly what I’ve found. What’s been fun is to
hear from kids, and their parent, how reading one of my books is like being in
an exciting movie. It kind of makes all my other work experiences come full
circle.
Who should be reading your
blog?
The information on my blog
would be helpful to teachers, librarians, parents, grandparents, children’s
workers, tutors, and kids. Over the course of a year, there’ll be something for
everyone. Most importantly, if anyone knows of a reluctant reader, like I was,
they should be checking out my blog, too.
What are some of the
subjects you've covered in your blog?
We’ve talked about
bullying, reluctant readers, other authors, current events, issues related to
education, and more. It’s a good place to keep connected with what’s important
to kids and reading.
What do you hope is the
take-away for readers of your blog?
I view my blog as a
conversation. Parents especially can get to know the heart of an author who is
attempting to reach out to children. I’m the dad to two grown children and now
have two little granddaughters. So I know some of the pressures and issues
related to raising children. We need to understand that reading is probably the
most important skill that will predict the success of a child in school and
later in life. Anyone coming to my blog will get that. But there are also
helpful suggestions, links to important articles and sites, along with
information on my new releases. An education company in Canada has contracted six books,
and the serialized
story concept that is emerging through Book Fun Magazine, and Elk Lake
Publishing, should keep my blog pretty active.
What's ahead for your
writing?
There are a number of
things I’d like to write, but I don’t want to get into that just now. And since
I wrote thirty-six middle grade manuscripts, almost non-stop over a period of
three years, there are still several of those that need to find publishing homes. I find
most of my time is spent in marketing, promotion, and writing a regular, monthly column. In addition, I’ll be continuing an ongoing series
with Elk Lake Publishing in the months ahead. It’s called, "The Accidental
Adventures of Kurt Benson and his friends, Riley and Jordan." The first
story, The Cat Burglars, will be
starting soon, is in six parts, and will be delivered primarily to electronic
reading devices. The next story, with the same characters, is Funny Money Mystery. So be sure to watch
for information on these in Book Fun Magazine.
The Accidental Adventures VIDEO
Thank you for taking time to do this interview.
I enjoyed
it, Bill. Nice to connect with you again.
Bill Myers has been writing children’s and teen books and speaking at schools for over 20 years. As a writer/director his work has won over 40 national and international awards including the C.S. Lewis Honor Award.
Using his extensive experience in dramatic film, video, and TV commercial production, Max Elliot Anderson brings that same heart-pounding, visual excitement to his middle grade adventures & mysteries for readers 8 and up
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