Writers are asked all the time ‘what inspired you to write this book?’ Into the Killing Seas, my newest novel, is told through the eyes of a young boy who, along with his brother, stows away about the USS Indianapolis. Almost two days out of port, the ship was sunk by a Japanese submarine.

Two torpedoes tore the ship nearly in half. It sank so quickly only 900 of the 1200 man crew were able to abandon ship. Most of them were burned and wounded. They floated in the ocean nearly five days before they were spotted and rescued. They survived exposure, dehydration, starvation, and relentless heat and rolling seas. And they had the great misfortune to sink in some of the most heavily shark infested waters on earth.

Scientists have called it the worst human-shark encounter in history. Of the 900 men who made it off the ship, only 317 were pulled from the water. It was the worse disaster at seas in US Naval history. It was, by any definition, a horrific event.

What inspired me to write Into the Killing Seas? First, like any writer, my primary goal is to tell the best story I possibly can. And in the case of the Indianapolis disaster, to introduce young readers to an important historic event through historical fiction.

There is a lot of action and tragedy in Into the Killing Seas. Booklist called it “grim and vivid.” And it is very difficult to ‘sanitize’ a shark attack. Which brings me to the inspiration question. Why write about such a horrible event, a war, death and destruction? Especially in a book for children?

It’s my own opinion, but I believe young readers deserve honesty and truth, just as much as adult readers. Writing a book like Into the Killing Seas gives readers a glimpse of a true event that was beyond horrible. And the horribleness is the point. My goal in writing historical fiction for young readers is to try and give them an understanding that war and the things that go with are awful. It is not a movie or a video game. It is at times both the best and worst of humanity. There is no reset button. Sometimes men and women fight and die. And in my opinion, I think it’s important that young readers learn that reality.

And that’s my question. Does giving kids a glimpse of the reality of war, or the truth of history provide them with a valuable lesson? We have a tendency these days to want to protect our children from the harshness of life. But life is not always kind. Does opening their eyes to events like the Crusades or World War II make them better prepared to understand the world as they become adults? I’d love to know what you think about using historical fiction to introduce young readers to history. 

Original article: The USS Indianapolis and Writing About History for Kids

©2015 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Dear Readers,

This week is the annual Banned Books Week, sponsored by the Association of American Publishers, the American Library Association and many other organizations. As you may know, as a writer, I welcome all opinions and all incarnations of free speech. For our democracy to work, everyone has to have a voice. Even morons like racists, homophobes, religious fanatics and idiots who say that Alan Trammels doesn’t belong in the Baseball Hall-Of-Fame. It has to be this way. Either everyone has free speech and  freedom of expression or no one does. Picking and choosing who gets to speak leads to totalitarianism. That’s bad. And that’s why I support the ALA in their efforts to stamp out censorship.

Generally, when I find some idiots like the Westboro Baptist Church or people who speak out in support of white chocolate and even advocating using it in recipes, my first rule is to ignore them. Moronic people are looking for an audience. More, they are looking to cause controversy. If they can get your dander up, they’ve won. Which is why I have a “Don’t listen to idiots policy.” White chocolate. Please. It’s not chocolate, it’s an abomination. But hey, whatever floats your mousse.

Yet as a writer, I’m torn. Except for a weird guy from Germany, many years ago, who sent me a 12,000 word screed on why the Knights Templar were the reason for every evil in the world, none of my books have ever been remotely challenged or banned. As far as I know. And while I would protest vigorously if anyone challenged or banned one of my books, I would kind of appreciate the attention. You know why. Because when something is deemed forbidden, it makes it a little more attractive to us. Especially young readers, which is most of my audience.

Believe me. Writing is hard. It takes time, practice and a lot of luck and perseverance to build an audience. Getting one of your books banned makes it a lot easier. Paraphrasing Mark Twain “the banning of one book will insure the sale of 100 of its mates.”

So you can see my dilemma.

For my own work, based on what I perceive to be the greatest benefit to me (and let’s face it, I look at most problems in the world through one prism: how is it going to effect me?) I need to be banned and censored. I’ve given it a lot of thought and decided it’s the right decision.

If you are a teacher, librarian or parent, I’m asking you to challenge one of my books and demand it be removed from your school or public library. Or both. You should protest in front of your local bookstore. In fact, you should go into said bookstore, buy all my books and burn them. Ask your friends and relatives to do the same in their town. Let’s start a movement.

To help get you started, I’ll even tell you why some of my books should be censored.

1. Blood Riders has illicit sex outside of marriage and lots of violence and carnage.

2. Pirate Haiku talks a lot about wenches and rum. Wenches and rum = bad.

3. Killer Species is all about genetic engineering. Need I go any further? Seriously?

4. Spy Goddess has a really mouthy heroine who steals a car and breaks rules.

5. The Youngest Templar has violence, a mysterious secret society and horses.

6. Zombies. Enough said.

7. The Monster Alphabet is scary for small children (not really but you could make a case for a really small child).

8. Off Like The Wind and Daniel Boone’s Great Escape are all about the conquering of the American West and the displacement of Native Americans. (Not really, but they were there when some of that stuff happened).

I really think this is enough to get you started. If you consider yourself a fan, please take it a step further and get my books banned.

I ask for so little. Let’s do this!

Your authorness,

Michael P. Spradlin

Original article: Eight Ways To Get You Started In Getting My Books Banned!

©2014 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

It’s the hap-happiest season of all!

No I’m not talking about Christmas, I’m talking about Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. It’s must see TV!

Will researching my new novel INTO THE KILLING SEAS I needed to learn about shark behavior. INTO THE KILLING SEAS tells the story of two boys, Patrick and Teddy O’Donnell who stow away on the U.S.S. Indianapolis during World War II. They are trying to get back to the Philippines to find their parents who sent them away before the Japanese invaded Guam. Stuck on Guam during the war, the boys are snuck aboard the ship—which just happens to be headed to the Philippines—by Benny Poindexter, a tough but tenderhearted Marine who is sympathetic to their plight. When the ship is sunk by a Japanese sub, Patrick, Teddy and Benny must survive relentless shark attacks.

Look for INTO THE KILLING SEAS at your Scholastic Book Fair in January 2015 and in bookstores July 2015.

The U.S.S. Indianapolis had a crew of nearly 1200 men. 300 perished when the torpedoes struck the ship. About 600 crewmen abandoned ship and made it into the water, most of them without life jackets or life rafts. Many of them were wounded or dying. And they were now trying to survive in some of the most shark infested waters in the pacific. After four days in the water only 317 men ultimately survived the ordeal.

Writing the book required a great deal of research about shark behavior. Luckily I was able to make contact with Dr. Sonny Berger of the Bimini SharkLab and one of the world’s foremost authorities on sharks. And through his generosity, I learned a great number of things we’ve come to believe about sharks simply aren’t true. Here are five interesting facts.

1. Sharks cannot smell blood in the water from miles away.

There is no hard evidence that human blood is more attractive to sharks than ordinary fish blood. Sharks do not have a particularly acute sense of smell. Salmon and catfish have a much better sense of smell than sharks. Sharks are attracted to sound and their acoustical receptors work for hundreds of meters. When the Indianapolis exploded it sent out sound waves that drew sharks from miles around.

2. Sharks are not swimming and eating ‘machines’.

Contrary to myth, sharks are not constantly feeding. Most Lemon sharks for example feed only every three days on average. Larger species eat even less frequently and most sharks eat 2-3% of their body weight before they stop feeding.

3. Certain species of sharks including Mako and White sharks are warm blooded.

Cold blooded species tend to feed during the day when the temperature of the water increases. Warm blooded sharks will feed whenever suitable prey presents itself.

4. Sharks are not territorial.

Sharks do not fend off other sharks from a feeding area or food supply. In fact they are by and large social animals, although they do have a personal space.

5. Your best bet in fending off a shark attack is to poke at its eyes or gills.

Don’t punch or kick the nose like we’ve heard. You’ll only make the shark mad. And besides shark skin is covered with sharp teeth like dermal denticles that will only cut and scrape your hands or feet causing you to bleed.

Enjoy Shark Week and watch for my book INTO THE KILLING SEAS in 2015!

Your authorness!

Michael P. Spradlin

Original article: 5 Things You Might Not Know About Sharks! Just In Time For Shark Week!

©2014 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Writing a book is messy. There are lots of blind alleys, false starts and horrible cliches in your early drafts. (You see what I did there?) One of the biggest distractions to getting your book finished is what we writerly types call ‘research’. Research is vital to your work. It makes your writing stronger and more immediate to the reader.

It can also be a great way of dodging your deadlines. Your editor can’t to mad at you for being late with your manuscript if you are ‘actively engaged in research that will only serve to make the book stronger.’

At least that’s what you tell them. Especially if you have a very short attention span like me and you tend to find out odd or interesting things that draw you in. The next thing you know hours have gone by and you’re reading about some tangential detail that is never going to make it into your book.

Like the fact that Julia Child was a spy during World War II and developed a recipe for shark repellant. 

It’s true. I discovered this little nugget while researching sharks for my new book Into The Killing Seas (coming out next summer from Scholastic, just sayin’) The woman who single handedly changed the American view on cooking worked for the OSS. The Office of Strategic Services was the early version of today’s Central Intelligence Agency. Julia started out as a typist, and eventually worked her way up to a research assistant for OSS Director William ‘Wild Bill’ Donovan.

During the course of her duties, Mrs. Child became directly involved in Navy research into shark repellants. The Navy was reluctant to admit to the public that their personnel were falling victim to shark attacks and sought out a way to prevent them. Enter Julia Child and a large bathtubs.

According to several sources Julia reported that she tried many different combinations of ingredients before settling on a combination of black dye and copper acetate that was put into a water soluble wax packet. Her early efforts were mixed up in a bathtub with a big wooden paddle. Her final substance was largely ineffective in repelling sharks but as with most things developed by the government it continued to be issued to American servicemen until the Vietnam war.

And that is what happens when you’re writing a book. You think you’re going one way and you go another. Research. It’s been causing writers to miss deadlines since Shakespeare. At least, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Original article: Julia Child Was A Spy…And Other Things You Learn Researching Novels.

©2014 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

So the weather outside is frightful. But a new Killer Species book is so delightful. Especially when it’s the next book in the Killer Species series, Out For Blood. And its in flapping its way to bookstores everywhere on February 25th! What strange and evil critter has the devilish Dr. Catalyst cooked up this time?

I’ll tell you!

Each time Dr. Catalyst has tried to introduce a genetically altered creature to save the environment, he has only created more problems. Now he is out to show the world what happens when an invasive species arrives and threatens another native of the local ecosystem. Only this time the species being threatened is man.

Dr. Catalyst has decided to give everyone a glimpse of what happens when an invasive species threatens human beings. He has genetically engineered a creature he refers to as a “Blood Jackets,” a particularly deadly combination of Vampire Bat and Bald Faced Hornet. When the Blood Jackets are released into the wild near Florida City they reign havoc on the civilian population.

One again Calvin and Emmet must race to find a way to stop Dr. Catalyst. And this time Dr. Catalyst is turning the tables. He is coming after Emmet and Calvin directly. And he won’t stop until he gets them. And in the middle of action, Calvin mysteriously disappears. Has he fallen into Dr. Catalyst’s clutches, or is he on the trail of a clue that might lead to real identity of the mad scientist?

You’ll find out when you pick up your copy of Killer Species: Out For Blood. It’s on sale February 25, 2014. And you can pre-order a copy of Killer Species: Ultimate Attack! book four in the series! It will be on sale June 24, 2014 everywhere that books are sold. 

And while you’re at the bookstore, you can also pick up a copy of I,Q: The Windy City co-written with my buddy Roland Smith. Q and Angela have just barely escaped another disastrous encounter with the ghost cell in San Antonio, Texas. Now as the Match tour makes its next stop in Chicago. And as the game of cat and mouse continues, Q and Angela determine there is a traitor in their midst. And if they can’t find out who it is, Boone, Croc and the rest of the S.O.S team could face certain death. Pick up your copy today!

Your authorness,

Michael P. Spradlin

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Original article: The Buzz on Killer Species: Out For Blood!

©2014 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Dear Readers

If you received a new Ebook reader for Christmas and are wondering what books you should download to fill it up, do not worry! I am here to help! There is no need to get a book from James Patterson of Stephen King. I’ve got something for everyone!

Click on the links to get all of my books in Ebook editions. Fill up that new Kindle or Nook with the latest and greatest from me, Michael P. Spradlin your authorness. If you got an Ipad for Christmas, some of my books are in the IBooks store. But you can also use the Kindle or Nook App!

Happy Reading!

Books for Kids (Ages Ten and up)

The Killer Species Series

Killer Species #1: Menace From The Deep

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble Nook

Killer Species #2 Feeding Frenzy

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble Nook

And Pre-Order Killer Species #3: Out For Blood on sale February 25, 2014!

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble Nook

The Youngest Templar Series

Book One: Keeper Of The Grail

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble Nook

Book Two: Trail Of Fate

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble Nook

Book Three: Orphan Of Destiny

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble Nook

The I,Q Series

Book One: Independence Hall by Roland Smith

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble Nook

Book Two: The White House by Roland Smit

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble Nook

Book Three: Kitty Hawk by Roland Smith

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble Nook

Book Four: The Alamo by Roland Smith & Michael P. Spradlin

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble Nook

Pre-Order I,Q: The Windy City by Roland Smith & Michael P. Spradlin Coming In January 2014!

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble Nook

The Spy Goddess Series

Book One: Live and Let Shop!

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble Nook

Book Two: To Hawaii, With Love

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble Nook

Books For Adults

Blood Riders

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble Nook

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Zombies: The Book Of Zombie Christmas

Carols

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble Nook

Every Zombie Eats Somebody Sometime: A Book Of Zombie Love Songs

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble Nook

Jack And Jill Went Up To Kill: A Book Of Zombie Nursery Rhymes

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble Nook

Pirate Haiku: Bilge Sucking Poems of Booty Grog And Wenches

For Scurvy Sea Dogs

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble Nook

Original article: Michael P. Spradlin Helps You Fill Up Your New Nook, Kindle or IPad With His Books!

©2014 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

My very first novel was the intended start of a series. It was called Spy Goddess: Live and Let Shop. It got good reviews. It got an Edgar nomination from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Young Adult mystery. A second book, Spy Goddess: To Hawaii, With Love was published. More good reviews.

A third book was written. I called it Spy Goddess: The Spy Who Totally Had A Crush On Me. I waited for the original publisher to call with an offer for the next book. You see it was supposed to be a series. But they decided not to continue the series. Or else they had a very different definition of series than I did. I think I heard ‘series’ and they heard ‘sequel’. Anyway, they never published any more books. So they are dead to me.

Then a funny thing happened. I started getting fan mail. People started writing to the publisher. They didn’t care. But more fan mail came. And more. And it still comes to this day. Every week I get emails and letters from young readers wanting to know when I will ‘make the next Spy Goddess’ book. Well, unfortunately I   don’t get to control that.

But I am pleased to announce that both Spy Goddess: Live And Let Shop and Spy Goddess: To Hawaii, With Love are now available in spiffy new eBook editions from Open Road Integrated Media. Find your favorite eBook seller and order your copies now. (Stay tuned for details on how to get a print edition on demand soon!)

And sign up for my newsletter! Because in April, Open Road will be publishing Spy Goddess: The Spy Who Totally Had A Crush On Me. The third book that I self-published (I figur

ed what the heck, it was already written). It’s updated, and has a new epilogue. (So it’s almost like a whole new book! Kidding! I kid! It’s what I do. But there IS a new epilogue).

Keep Reading!

Your authorness,

Michael P. Spradlin

Original article: Spy Goddess! Back To The Future!

©2014 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

8:00pm. Joss! Back on TV! Let us pause a moment and give thanks. Okay. We’re done. Avenger’s actions figures in the very first scene! And J. August Richcards—Gunn from Angel—is the first actor to appear on screen. I’M SOLD ALREADY!

8:03pm. Could J. August Richards’ character be Luke Cage? Power Man? I might faint here.

8:05pm. I Always thought Buffy and Angel had some of the best fight scenes on any TV show. This one with Agent Ward is very good. Always use a kitchen drawer when you punch someone in the head.

8:07pm. Colbie Smulders in her cat suit. I’M SOLD ALREADY!

8:10pm. Whedonesque dialogue. God I’ve missed you.

8:11pm. Agent Coulson! He’s back! Alive! And the Rising Tide? What is the Rising Tide? I don’t know. But I don’t care. Agent Coulson is alive! I’m still waiting for him to taze Iron Man.

8:13pm. Shepard Book! It’s a Whedon reuninon!

8:15pm. There’s a secret about how Agent Coulson came back to life after The Avengers! How Joss? How? WHAT IS THE SECRET, DARN YOU

We now pause for a commercial break.

8:18pm. Skye. Who is she? And how did Agent Ward score almost as high as Black Widow on his combat scores? Nobody puts Black Widow in a box.

8:20pm. “This where they actually make the red tape.” Ha! Did I mention how much I missed you Joss?

8:21pm. Big-ass S.H.I.E.L.D plane. Not enough awww in Awesome.

8:22pm. Tech geeks. Every show like this has to have someone to invent technology that is impossible to invent and talk about it in a way that it is impossible to understand.

8:23pm. “Don’t touch Lola.” Just don’t.

8:25pm. The Rising Tide is apparently a girl in a beat up van.

8:30pm. I don’t J. August Richards character is Luke Cage. Dang it. That would have been more awesome than the really big, cool plane.

8:33pm. to 8:37pm. Interrogation and then cool flying gadgets.

8:38pm. Truth serum. Very fast acting truth serum. Very funny.

8:39pm. J. August Richards is definitely not Luke Cage. That would have been so cool. Maybe there’ll be a movie.

8:40pm. So the woman J. August Richards saved at the beginning of the show is bad. She’s been giving him something to make him look like Luke Cage, Power Man. I hate her for getting my hopes up.

8:41pm. Those pesky aliens and their technology

8:42pm. Extremis. From Iron Man Three. Agent Coulson figured it out because he’s level seven. Also because he’s a badass. The entire Marvel Universe in a one-hour weekly show. I might literally pass out.

8:44pm. Don’t tell Agent Coulson “It can’t be done!” He might taze you. Or throw a sack of flour at your head.

8:46pm. Obligatory people flying everywhere at Union Station. Not flying like Iron man. Flying through the air because the guy who is not Power Man is throwing them around.

You can get your very own S.H.I.E.L.D. T-shirt!

8:48pm. Agent Mei is not just in charge of red tape. She’s a secret agent red-tape making ninja.

8:52pm. Agent Coulson explains everything and recruits the Rising Tide hacker to be the plucky outsider.

8: 58pm. Her name is LOLA! She was a showgirl!

8:59pm I’M TOTALLY SOLD!

Original article: Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. My Running Diary Of The First Episode. Because That’s How I Roll.

©2014 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

With apologies to Sir-Mix-A-Lot ‘I like Banned Books and I cannot lie.’ This week is Banned Books week. And as I do every year, I’m here to give you my annual take on censorship, banning books, and to also ask you why, why, why none of you people will ban one of my books. What’s up with that? I know that sounds like a contradiction. Let me explain.

There is no time. Let me sum up.

I believe in freedom of speech. I would gladly die for that freedom. Freedom of speech is a hard concept for people to comprehend. Even those who live in this country and enjoy its benefits. It means exactly that: speak freely. Unless what you are saying directly endangers someone’s life (the “yelling ‘fire’ in a crowded theater” example we all learned in civics class) you have the freedom to speak out on any issue.

But for freedom of speech to work it has to be truly free. Where we run into problems in this country is that some don’t understand this freedom applies to everyone. Every. One. And that means bigots, racists, homophobes, and fans of One Direction. They get to spew whatever crap comes out of their mouth without fear of being hauled off to prison or being muzzled or stifled.

The great flip side is that freedom is a wonderful concept that works both ways. Because I have the freedom to call those people morons. And even better, I have the right, one that I exercise with more and more frequency, to ignore them. But I don’t advocate censoring them. In fact, I don’t want any person, government or agency censoring anyone.

Why?

Because I don’t want anyone censoring me.

That’s how it works. For there to be true freedom it must mean freedom for all. Even the stupid and idiotic. The flat earthers. The religious zealots. Even the people who seek to ban and remove books from libraries and schools. Whether you or I agree with them or not. Everyone has the right to be heard, and to express their concerns. It must be this way.

Unfortunately, we live in a media driven world of shouting. If you watch the ‘news’ you’ll see everyone yelling at every one else. Right vs. Left. Red vs. Blue. Each side thinking the only solution is to silence the other. But it doesn’t work this way. Our freedom of speech has given us big giant blowhards like Rush Limbaugh and Bill Maher. But you have the freedom to do what I do. Ignore them both. I have the right to wish that all the shouters would just go somewhere else and shut their cake holes.

It doesn’t mean I don’t participate in our democracy. It doesn’t mean I don’t have convictions or values. It doesn’t mean I don’t stand up and speak out and let my voice be heard on important issues. But I wish we lived in a more polite society. I choose not to shout my beliefs from the mountaintop.

In college, I took a Political Science course on the U.S. Constitution and learned about ‘expressed and implied’ rights. Expressed rights are those written down as law. Implied rights are those our courts say the law grants us, even if they are not written down. In my opinion, the most important right in the Constitution is one that is implied. It is the right to be left alone. To not be bothered. To proceed through life without being hassled by anyone. And that includes the right to read whatever books you would like.

So my advice is this. Stand up against censorship. Disagree vigorously with those who would ban and censor books, but do it respectfully and politely. If you are a parent, you should have control over what books your children have access too. You should have control over everything your child has access too. That’s a parent’s job. No argument from me.

But you should not have control over the books other parents choose to allow their children to read and enjoy. If you’re uncomfortable with a book, worried about the age appropriateness or whatever, then tell your child you don’t think they’re ready for it. You’ll let them read it when they’re older. But please don’t try to prohibit others from reading it. Maybe their child is at a different level emotionally or intellectually than yours.

The irony in all of this is that those who chose to ban books often achieve the opposite result. Much like ‘shouting’ about other issues, we only bring attention to the ignorant and profane. When someone spouts racial epithets or bigoted statements, try letting them drown in the silence of their own ignorance. Giving them attention only strengthens their voice. Who will these people speak to if no one is listening? You do not solve disagreements by shouting louder.

You change the world by winning hearts and minds. By actions and words. By careful, conscientious, well-reasoned, fact based and thoughtful arguments.

Banned Books provide us with a perfect example of this phenomenon. When a booked is banned or challenged, it becomes an irresistible forbidden fruit. It’s sales usually rise. People want to see what all the fuss is about. As Mark Twain once said in a ‘thank you’ letter to a library that had removed one of his books from its shelves (and I’m paraphrasing) “One banned book insures the sale of one hundred of it’s mates.”

Which brings me to my books. Please ignore everything I just said and ban them. My books are dangerous. Subversive. Some of them have swear words. And those are the children’s books. (Okay, technically, ‘arse’ is not a swear word but it’s right there in The Youngest Templar). Heck, in Killer Species, one of the characters almost uses the word ‘crap’ in a sentence. He only gets to the ‘cr…’ part, but still. If I were you, I would go to the local bookstore and buy every single copy of one of my books and burn them. Seriously. All of them.

Just let me know where. I’ll bring hotdogs.

Your Authorness

Original article: It’s Banned Books Week! You Can Help! By Banning Mine!

©2014 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Today is Friday the 13^th. Not only that it’s also 2013. Numerologists everywhere are passing out from the tension. Many people of the superstitious sort consider Friday the 13^th to be unlucky. There are people who wear good luck charms all day and some who go so far as to refuse to leave home, lest something unlucky happen to them.

But many don’t know that one legend of the origin of Friday the 13^th as unlucky comes from the persecution of the Knights   Templar in the 14^th Century. On Friday, October 13^th, 1307, King Philip IV of France, in league with Pope Clement V ordered  all Templars to be rounded up and thrown in prison. The Knights were accused of numerous crimes including heresy and treason. For two hundred years the Knights Templar had been the most dominant force in Christendom, but after their defeat at the Siege of Acre and the loss of the Holy Land, their influence began to wane.

Yet they still held enormous power and great amounts of wealth. Pope Clement sought to merge the Knights Templar with the Knights Hospitaller another powerful order at the time. Neither group found such a merger ideal. And despite the loss of the Holy Land, the Templars were still a part of of everyday life in the Middle Ages. Their houses, churches and farms dotted the countryside throughout Europe. It provided employment for thousands of people. They started an international banking system that allowed nobles to deposit funds and valuables for safekeeping. And in what ultimately led to their downfall, they occasionally helped finance wars.

Philip IV borrowed enormous sums of money to finance a war with England. A poor king and an even worse military commander, Philip was easily defeated. He saw a way of both currying favor with the Pope and eliminating his huge debt. On that fateful day of Friday, October 13, 1307 he ordered all Templars arrested and their property seized. The Grandmaster of the order, Jacques DeMolay was thrown in prison along with several other high-ranking members of the order.

Their ‘trial’ was a farce. The Templars were charged with heresy, worshiping false idols and other crimes against the church. Many of them were tortured until they ‘confessed’ to their crimes. Refusing to capitulate, Jacques DeMolay would not confess and Philip ordered him burned at the stake. In 2007 the Vatican issued a proclamation declaring the Templars innocent of their alleged crimes.

The Knights Templar, which had dominated medieval life for two centuries, was no more. Unfortunately for Philip, the Templars had learned of his planned treachery before hand. Many of them escaped and their vast stores of treasure were hidden from the King’s soldiers.

Another legend that has also persisted is that Jacques DeMolay, the last Grandmaster of the Order, cursed both Philip IV and Pope Clement V, as he died. Whether or not you believe in curses, both Philip and Clement died within months of DeMolay’s death.

My Youngest Templar trilogy, Keeper of the Grail, Trail of Fate and Orphan of Destiny is set in the world of the Knights Templar. With legends and myths surrounding both their origin and their demise, they make irresistible fodder for a novelist. The Youngest Templar trilogy follows the story of Tristan, an orphan who becomes the squire to Sir Thomas Leux a Templar Knight, as he travels from England to the Holy Land and must undertake a secret and deadly mission.

Friday the 13^th. Sounds like a good day to start reading!

Your authorness,
Michael P. Spradlin

Be sure to like my The Youngest Templar page on Facebook

And like my author page on Facebook

Follow me on twitter @MSpradlinAuthor

Original article: Friday The 13th and The Knights Templar

©2014 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Dear Readers,

Big news for Killer Species: Menace From The Deep!

Are you heading out see Percy Jackson Sea of Monsters at the movie theater this weekend? If you are planning to see it at Showcase Cinemas and you’re a member of the Showcase Cinema Popcorn Club, then you could win a free copy of Killer Species: Menace From the Deep!  Showcase Cinemas will be giving away books at all of their locations while supplies last. Quantities may vary at each location but 2500 copies total will be given away this weekend! Don’t miss out!

Visit the Percy Jackson and the Olympians Website!

Like Killer Species on Facebook!

Follow me on twitter!

Like my author page on Facebook!

Follow me on Google+

And don’t forget to reserve your copy of Book 2 in the KILLER SPECIES series KILLER SPECIES: Feeding Frenzy!

We’ll see you at the movies!

Your authorness!

Original article: Percy Jackson Sea of Monsters and Killer Species Free Book Giveaway!

©2013 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Dear Reader peeps,

It’s hard to believe it’s already August. I mean I know it happens every year. An August. But still. How did that happen?

It doesn’t matter.

What does matter is that you’ll soon be going back to school. And at school you’ll soon be having your Scholastic Book Fair. And at your Scholastic Book Fair you’ll find the next book in the Killer Species series, KILLER SPECIES: Feeding Frenzy will be featured at your school’s fair. And it will be available in bookstores everywhere October 29!

In KILLER SPECIES: Feeding Frenzy time has passed since anyone’s heard from Dr. Catalyst. Emmet and Calvin have even begun to think that the crazed scientist might be gone for good. But then, on a snorkeling trip off the Florida coast, one of their friends is nearly drowned by an underwater monster with endless rows of razor-sharp teeth. No one is quite sure what they saw. Was it a moray eel? A giant barracuda? There’s only one thing Emmet knows for certain. Dr. Catalyst is back. And this time, he’s out for revenge.

If you missed KILLER SPECIES: Menace From The Deep you can pick up a copy at any bookstore. So be sure to keep watch for KILLER SPECIES: Feeding Frenzy. 

Also, speaking of scary critters, another great book at your Scholastic Book Fair this fall is CHUPACABRA by New York Times Bestselling Author Roland Smith. It is the next installment in his Cryptid Hunters series. A mysterious creature, a missing girl, and danger at every turn . . .

CHUPACABRA, the riveting sequel to TENTACLES and CRYPTID HUNTERS, reunites Marty and his unusual uncle, cryptozoologist Travis Wolfe, as they search the world for Wolfe’s daughter, Grace. Grace has been kidnapped by her grandfather, the ruthless and dangerous Noah Blackwood, who has also stolen the two dinosaur hatchlings Wolfe was raising in secrecy. Now, with word that the mysterious creature known as Chupacabra has been sighted again, Wolfe is torn between his obsession with finding cryptids and his desperate need to rescue his daughter. With trouble at every turn and a dangerous journey ahead, will Marty and Wolfe come face-to-face with the mythic monster? Even more frightening, will they reach Grace before it’s too late?

Don’t forget that Roland Smith and I are teaming up to co-write the next adventure in his thrilling I,Q Series. Our first collaboration I,Q: The Alamo is shipping to bookstores now. So make sure you pre-order a copy from your favorite bookstore!

There you go! A whole year’s worth of exciting new book news! Read on!

Your authorness,

Michael P. Spradlin

Original article: KILLER SPECIES: Feeding Frenzy…It’s swimming your way soon!

©2013 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Those of you who have read my books, my blog, or follow me on Facebook or Twitter, have probably come to the realization that I have a pretty wacky sense of humor. It’s true. I believe that unless you have a serious medical issue, happiness is a choice. I choose to look at life through a lens of the absurd. I choose humor as my coping mechanism. That’s how I roll. And let’s face. Life is funny.

And as I age and my children have grown into young adults I find myself very nostalgic for, what for me, was a very special time of year. I’m not talking about the holidays or birthdays, which are no doubt important and enjoyable. I’m talking about shopping for Back To School supplies. Or as the very funny Staples commercial from a few years ago called it: The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year.

You see, I love a good office supply. A tape dispenser. The smell of new notebooks full of college ruled lined paper. And my never ending quest for the perfect pen. I loved taking my kids shopping for school supplies. I miss it. So much that my now college age daughter allows me to visit the campus bookstore with her when we drop her off for the fall semester. She shares my office supply love.

So I thought in my never ending quest to provide you with services beyond just reading what I hope are enjoyable books, I would provide you with my picks for ten great Back To School supplies you can pick up for your little, medium or young adult sized students. And don’t bother to thank me. It’s my pleasure. (Plus you’ll find that some of them fit in with the themes of some of my books. This was not intentional).

1. Zombie Pencil Case

Everybody needs a pencil case. Where else will you keep your pencils? Think outside the pencil case this year and go with the zombie theme. You won’t be sorry. You can buy it here.

2. Zombie Gel Pens. Yep. You heard me. Zombie Gel pens. They can be purchased here.

3. Remember that you need to have a raincoat. You can’t go to school if it’s raining without a raincoat. So it might as well be a really cool pirate raincoat. Which you can buy here.

4. Your student will need notebooks. Avengers notebooks will remind them to take notes and do their homework. Nuff said. Set of two can be bought here.

5. Once school starts there will be sleep overs. So you’ll need a Batman sleeping bag. Batman will keep the messing around at sleepovers to a minimum.

6. Your K-2 students will be working on learning the alphabet. The Monster Alphabet will teach your children well. It’s my list. I get to put my books on it if I want.

7. Your student will probably have to do a book report. KILLER SPECIES: Menace From The Deep is perfect for a book report. It has issues like the environment, invasive species, and big scary critters. Like I said. Perfect.

8. Your student will also need pencils. Nothing beats the Dixon Ticonderoga #2 pencil. Many other pencils have tried and failed. It is the Ferrari of pencils.

9. The lunch box. Or as they are called now lunch tote. Very important. So many choices. I think you’re going to want the Iron Man Lunch Tote. It’s just a guess.

10. The backpack. Also important. Think outside the backpack. Go with the Zombie Silhouette Backpack. It’s cool. No one else will have one. And it matches your pencil case.

Remember. Back To School school supply shopping is fun. And now I have made it easy. Enjoy!

Your authorness

Original article: Back To School Shopping…Help Me, Help You!

©2013 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Today the newest incarnation of one of the most enduring figures in American popular culture gallops into theaters as Disney’s The Lone Ranger hits the big screen. What began as a popular radio drama on a Detroit radio station in 1933 will get a new big budget introduction to millions of new fans. And The Lone Ranger endures. Hi-Yo Silver!

But in the 1920s and 1930s the Texas Rangers had their own ‘Lone Ranger’ who prowled the Texas-Mexico border and the mean streets and back alleys of the Texas oil boomtowns. His name was Manual T. Gonzaullus. The Texas criminal element of that era gave him the nickname ‘El Lobo Solo’ the lone wolf. He became one of the Texas Rangers’ most legendary lawmen.

Gonzaullus was born in Cadiz, Spain. At age 20, he became a Major in the Mexican Army. He immigrated to the United States and joined the Texas Rangers in 1920. It didn’t take long for Gonzaullus to establish his reputation as El Lobo Solo. Texas was in the midst of an oil boom. Towns were literally springing up overnight all over the state wherever oil was discovered. With the money flowing as fast as the oil along came thieves, smugglers, gamblers and drug runners.

If ever there were a ranger to typify the unofficial Texas Rangers motto of ‘One riot, One Ranger,’ it was Gonzaullus. He preferred working cases in these border and oil boomtowns alone. Fearless and relentless, the Lone Wolf rode into town. Only his fiery steed was an automobile and not a white horse. As soon as he arrived somewhere, Gonzaullus started filling up the local jail. He often made so many arrests, he overwhelmed the local court system. When prisoners could no longer be packed into the jail he would secure a length of chain to the flagpole in front of the courthouse. Each new prisoner was handcuffed to the chain until a judge could arraign him. Gonzaullus called the chain his ‘trot line’ (a fishing term) and it worked not only to secure prisoners but as a deterrent. When bad men saw the chain in front of the courthouse, with dozens of men hooked to it, many of them chose to flee. His reputation as a legendary lawmen was well known. It was easier to get out of town.

In the 1933 Gonzaullus was fired from his post by the corrupt Governor Ma Ferguson administration. In 1935 the Texas Legislature created an independent Department of Public Safety and made the Rangers part of it. Gonzaullus was appointed Superintendent of the DPS Intelligence Bureau and created a crime lab that became second only to the FBI’s lab in Quantico, Virginia. He insisted the department begin using modern crime solving techniques like ballistics and finger printing.

But sitting at a desk made El Lobo Solo antsy and he soon as to return to the field. He was appointed Captain of Company B of the Texas Rangers where he served until he retired in 1951. Gonzaullus was one of the founders of the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame and Museum. He died in Dallas in 1977 at the age of 85.

Read more about the real Texas Rangers in my book The Texas Rangers: Legendary Lawmen. Illustrated by Roxie Munro

Original article: The Real Lone Ranger…Manual T. Gonzaullus

©2013 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

It’s just a few more weeks until The Lone Ranger movie gallops into theaters. Based on the fictional exploits of John Reid, a Texas Ranger who survived an ambush by the evil Cavendish gang, the movie is looking to be one of Summer 2013 biggest blockbusters.

But in truth, the real history of the Texas Rangers is much more exciting than any movie. And you can read all about the Texas Rangers history in my book Texas Rangers: Legendary Lawmen, illustrated by Roxie Munro. 

His legal name was William Alexander Anderson Wallace. But standing at 6’ 2” tall and weighing over 240 pounds, with enormous feet, he earned the nickname ‘Bigfoot’ Wallace. And there is perhaps no other Texas Ranger that touched as much of their celebrated history as this famous Ranger Captain.

Born in Lexington, Kentucky Wallace learned of his brother’s death during the Battle of Goliad. He decided to head to Texas, to seek ‘revenge on the Mexicans’ for his brother’s demise. By the time he arrived the war with Mexico was over. But Wallace was attracted to the independent spirit of the ‘Texians’ and stayed on.

During his years in Texas, Wallace was part of some of the most famous moments in Texas Ranger history. He served in the Texas Army including during the Mexican War. Wallace’s biggest claim to fame may have been surviving the famous ‘Black Bean’ incident during the Mier expedition. Taken prisoner by the Mexican Army, the commander decided ten of the one hundred plus prisoners would be executed. A large jar was filled with beans, a single bean for each of the prisoners. Ten black beans were added to the jar. Those drawing the black bean would be shot. Wallace always said he figured his odds were better if he ‘dug deep’ in the jar. So he worked his hand to the bottom of the jar and his fingers emerged clutching a white bean. He survived the execution and his years in the Mexican prison.

When Wallace returned to Texas, he left the Army and joined the Texas Rangers. Wallace served under John Coffee Hays and took part in some of the most famous engagements in Texas Ranger history. When the Civil War started in 1861, Wallace stayed in Texas to help guard the frontier against Native American incursions. Wallace was against secession for Texas, but did not believe he could fight against his own people. Staying in Texas to guard the frontier was his compromise.

Wallace lived until 1899. The state of Texas, in gratitude for his service, gave him land for a small farm along the Medina River. Wallace is buried in the Texas State Cemetery.

Read about Bigfoot Wallace and other famous Texas Rangers in my book Texas Rangers: Legendary Lawmen, illustrated by Roxie Munro. 

Original article: A Legendary Lawman: Texas Ranger Captain Bigfoot Wallace

©2013 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

It’s no secret to regular readers of this blog that I love comics. I read them all the time as a kid. Batman, Superman, Green Arrow, Spider-Man, Nova, The Fantastic Four, and the X-Men. I was particularly fond of books like The Avengers, The Justice League, Teen Titans and The Legion of Superheroes because you got a big dose of superheroes in one story. But as The Green Arrow stole my Robin Hood wanna be heart in the DC Universe, when in came to Marvel Comics, my favorite was always Captain America. 

Yep. Cap. The shield slinger. When it came to truth, justice and the American Way, Captain America was the Marvel version of Superman. He was unfailingly good. Other heroes derided him for his morals, his honor, and his sense of right and wrong. He shrugged it off. To Cap, there was a right way and a wrong way to do things. You protect the weak and innocent. You root out evil. You stand up to the corrupt. You lead by example, not by hollow words. And no one led better than Cap.

I often wonder why I found Captain America comics so compelling. I think it has a lot to do with the era I grew up in. Captain America was a vestige of World War II, the greatest generation. For someone who didn’t grow up in the 1960′s and 70′s it is hard to understand the impact of World War II  on America during those years. My father was a veteran. Nearly every adult male his age that I knew in my hometown was a veteran. Not all of them, my father included, served in combat. But they shared an experience and stood up for something. And they did it without complaint, without question. They served their country. But you have to understand what the word ‘generation’ means as it is applied here. Nearly every able bodied man in the nation, between the ages of 17 and 26 during the years 1940-1046 served in the War. Millions upon millions of men.

In the 60′s and 70′s America was changing. Things were no longer as black or white as they were during the World War II era. Back then we knew who our enemies were and we not afraid to confront them. But in the 60′s and 70′s sometimes our enemies were among us. There’s a line I love from the movie Three Days of The Condor, when the great  actor John Houseman, who is playing a CIA officer, is asked by a subordinate if he ‘misses the action of the World War II years’. He replies “No. I miss the clarity.”

And I think that’s why I loved Captain America. All around me the world I knew was changing. As the world always changes. But Captain America was a constant. Standing up for his country. Doing what needed to be done. And always foiling that pesky Red Skull in his attempts to resurrect the Third Reich. Captain America stood for something. The best in us. Maybe not what America always was, but what it should be, and sometimes he failed but he never stopped trying. Sometimes Cap even went up against those in charge. He lived his fictional life by the Mark Twain maxim of ‘love your country all the time and your government when it deserves it.’

I knew then and I know now that the comics were a little corny. A little jingoistic. Maybe even a tad simplistic. But Captain America was a hero. He was my hero.

And he always will be,

Your Authorness

Original article: Why Captain America Is My Favorite Avenger…

©2013 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

“In the early days of the western United States, a masked man and an Indian rode the plains, searching for truth and justice. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear, when from out of the past come the thundering hoof beats of the great horse Silver! The Lone Ranger rides again!” The Announcer’s introduction to the original The Lone Ranger radio broadcast.

Contrary to what many moviegoers will come to believe this summer, Johnny Depp did not invent the Lone Ranger. The exploits of the Texas Rangers have been fodder for radio and television shows, books and movies for generations. A reputation for relentless pursuit of criminals and capturing some of the most deadly bad men in Texas history was already well established.

In fact, there is an apocryphal tale that during World War I, Kaiser Wilhelm the Chancellor of Germany, received a report that the United States was ‘sending in the Rangers’ to do battle with his forces along the Western Front. Apparently the Kaiser grew agitated and fearful until he was convinced that it was U.S. Army Rangers and not the Texas Rangers who were joining the fight. Of course the Army Rangers caused the Kaiser enough problems on their own, but it goes to show the power of a reputation.

In 1933 that reputation traveled from Texas to Detroit, Michigan and the legendary lawmen gave writer Fran Stryker the inspiration for his character of The Lone Ranger. Stryker worked at Detroit radio station WXYZ and in the Golden Age of radio, had already created numerous successful shows. But when he came up with the idea of the masked lawman, little did he know that he had created a character and a legend that would far outlive him.

The show became an almost instant hit on radio. Though it was aimed at children, over fifty percent of its audience was adults. The show was picked up by a major network and broadcast around the country, not just in Detroit. This made it an even bigger hit and brought the legend of the Texas Rangers to even more people. Voiced by several actors, most notably Brace Beemer, the masked lawmen became a pop culture phenomenon.

  And like most movie or television productions the radio show got a lot of things wrong. Most glaring was the character     of Tonto, the Lone Ranger’s partner or as it was phrased on the radio show his ‘faithful Indian companion.’ Tonto was identified as a member of the Potawatomi tribe. Unfortunately, the Potawatomi are native to Michigan and the Great Lakes area, not Texas. In the local tribal languages “Tonto” means ‘wild one’ but in Spanish, Tonto means ‘dumb’ or ‘stupid’ so the characters name was changed to “Toro” (which means bull) in Spanish broadcasts. Many Native Americans also found Tonto’s stilted Pidgin English style of speaking to be insulting.

But in other ways creator Stryker was far more sensitive to minorities than many other shows from the era could claim. Native Americans were never portrayed as the enemy. Though the real Texas Rangers fought many battles with local tribes like the Comanche and Kiowa, the Lone Ranger focused on criminals for the most part. In some episodes he did go up against foreign agents from other, always unnamed countries to avoid cultural stereotypes. And the thieves and murders chased down by the Lone Ranger and Tonto (both on the radio and later in the television show) were never shown to have benefited from their crimes. They gained no wealth, power or influence and if they did, the Lone Ranger made sure it was not long lived. In short, like his real life counterparts, the Lone Ranger made sure that crime didn’t pay.

Next Time—Texas Ranger Captain Bigfoot Wallace.

Purchase a copy of The Texas Rangers: Legendary Lawmen here.

Original article: How The Texas Rangers Inspired A Radio Show That Became A Phenomenon…

©2013 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Though they were composed entirely of citizen volunteers, the earliest Ranger companies were organized as quasi-military units. The number of men in each unit could vary depending on how many were mustered in at any given time. But regardless of the number, most units were commonly referred to as companies. A Captain commanded each company.

John Coffee Hays was born in Tennessee in 1817. He father fought with Andrew Jackson and Sam Houston in the war of 1812. Hays immigrated to Texas in 1836 in time to take part in the Texas Revolution. Joining up with other volunteers he served under another famous Texan, Erastus ‘Deaf’ Smith. Hays distinguished himself in his military service and after the surrender of General Santa Ana, he served in various assignments for the Texas Republic, each time with distinction.

Hays stood just over five feet nine inches tall, and by all contemporary accounts was considered mild mannered and even tempered. However, his comrades also described him as ‘absolutely fearless’ in battle and a brilliant tactician. Along with other famous Rangers like Samuel Walker, John ‘Rip’ Ford and Ben McCulloch, Hays helped fashion the fledgling Texas Rangers service into an organized, regimented and effective fighting force.

But in the short time Hays lived in Texas, his reputation perhaps took no greater leap than during his involvement at the ‘Battle of Enchanted Rock.’ Hays and his Rangers were assigned to protect a survey company near present day Fredericksburg, Texas. Unexpectedly attacked by Comanche’s and cut off from his command, Hays took cover in a small depression atop ‘Enchanted Rock.’

Enchanted Rock was a place that held mystery and reverence to the Native Americans of the area. Some thought it was a haunted place to be avoided. Others thought it was a spiritual and mystical location. Whatever it was to the Comanche, it soon became nothing more than a source of frustration. Try as they might, they could not dislodge Hays from his perch. Each time they crept closer, Hays, a crack shot, scattered them with gunfire. For more than three hours the war party attempted to capture or kill Hays but he and his rifle refused to cooperate. Finally, his Ranger company managed to regroup and drive off the Comanche war party.

From that moment, most of the Indian tribes in Texas assumed that Hays was protected by mystical powers. That reputation served him well in his further dealings with area tribal leaders. It also contributed to his legend among the men of the Texas Rangers who served under him.

Hays only lived in Texas for thirteen years, later moving on to San Francisco and the Southwest. But “Captain Jack” became one of the first in a long line of the legendary lawmen, Texas Ranger Captains who brought fame to the ‘men who wear the star.’

To learn more about the Texas Ranger read The Texas Rangers: Legendary Lawmen. Order a copy here.

Original article: The Texas Rangers: Legendary Lawmen And Their Famous Captains…

©2013 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

With the upcoming summer blockbuster movie, The Lone Ranger, starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer, the history of this popular
character will no doubt receive extensive media coverage. The origin story is fairly well known. The Lone Ranger began as a radio drama on a Detroit radio station in 1933. It was conceived and written by writer Fran Striker who was responsible for many popular radio dramas, including The Green Hornet.

But as I learned in researching my picture book, Texas Rangers: Legendary Lawmen, the real stories of the Texas Rangers are far more exciting than anything a writer, actor or movie producer could conceive. The Texas Rangers helped bring law and order to a vast frontier. It’s no wonder they provided ample fodder for fiction.

After becoming a near overnight sensation on radio, The Lone Ranger became one of the most popular radio shows of    all time. But it took the advent of television in the 1950’s to really bring The Lone Ranger to its pop cultural zenith. The television show aired from 1949 to 1957 and made a star of Clayton Moore who played the masked lawman (except for one season when he sat out during a contract dispute and was replaced by actor John Hart). Jay Silverheels starred as Tonto, billed in those days of near complete lack of a social conscience as the Lone Ranger’s ‘faithful Indian companion’. (And how interesting is it that Depp has chosen to play Tonto in the film, not the masked lawman?) It was the ABC television networks first big hit of the 1950’s. It also led to two theatrical movie releases.

The Texas Rangers and their legendary exploits were fertile a ground for a variety of storytellers. There were many more popular incarnations of the men and women who wore the star, both on radio and television.

Perhaps the most famous or at least best known to recent audiences is the TV show Walker, Texas Ranger, starring Chuck Norris. Norris, a 1980’s martial arts movie action hero, starred as Walker, a Texas Ranger who solved crimes and beat up bad guys with regularity during the
eight season run of the show. Not only was this Texas Ranger a master detective and unbeatable fighter, in certain episodes he was also able to
communicate telepathically with animals! In another, terrorists on the loose in a Texas high-rise hotel captured the Texas governor. Walker just ‘happened to know’ a local inventor working on an experimental jetpack. He was able to use the untested, never before flown jetpack to fly to the building’s rooftop and rescue the governor.

Despite Walker’s hardline stand against crime and corruption, Chuck Norris, in the eyes of some current Texas Rangers, did one unforgivable thing during the show’s run. He wore a black hat. Which is a big no-no. Ranger hats are white or pearl gray. Never black.

In the 1950’s, another radio drama Tales Of The Texas Rangers spun off into a television show. This show alternated between stories set in modern times with tales of the old west. One of the Texas Rangers most famous captains, Manuel T. “Lonewolf” Gonzaullas served as a technical advisor on the radio and TV show.

Novelists like Louis L’Amour have also turned to the Texas Rangers for inspiration. Texas Ranger Chick Bowdrie was one of L’Amour’s most popular characters and appeared in several of his books. Texas Ranger comic books and serializations were also popular in the mid-20^th century.

While all of these stories were fictional, many novelists, screenwriters or playwrights would be hard pressed to outdo the real stories of the Texas Rangers. Before you see the movie this summer, read about their real history in my book Texas Rangers: Legendary Lawmen. Order a copy here.

Next time we’ll talk about one of the first, and perhaps famous Texas Rangers captains, John Coffee Hays.

Original article: The Texas Rangers And Popular Culture

©2013 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

On July 3, 2013 The Lone Ranger will stampede into theaters nationwide. Millions of people will venture to their local cinema to check out the newest collaboration of Johnny Depp and mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer. And as usual, given the short life cycle of American popular culture, many of these moviegoers will not realize that The Lone Ranger is a pop icon that has existed for 80 years.

And furthermore, few will know the connection of The Lone Ranger to the real Texas Rangers. And by Texas Rangers I’m not referring to the baseball team. I’m referring to the Texas Rangers, founded by Stephen Austin in 1823. They were a group formed    originally as a citizen militia to ‘range’ the Texas frontier. Their purpose was to defend settlers against incursions by American Indians and bandits,

 The Texas Rangers have become one of the most preeminent law enforcement agencies in the world. It is a nearly two hundred year history full of brave men and women who have faced down desperados, survived and triumphed against overwhelming odds. They have been celebrated in movies, books and television shows for their heroic exploits.

Many of these fascinating stories are detailed in my picture book, The Texas Rangers: Legendary Lawmen, illustrated by the ever brilliant artist Roxie Munro. The book explores the history of the Rangers, some of their famous captains and stories of chasing desperados, delivering justice and encouraging criminals to ‘ply their trade elsewhere.’

Over the next few weeks, leading up to the release of The Lone Ranger, I’ll be blogging here about the history of the Texas Rangers, The Lone Ranger and his connection to Texas Ranger history. I also giving some details and insight into one of the great stories of the American west.

In the meantime you can visit the Texas Rangers: Legendary Lawmen book page here. And if you’re so inclined you can even order a copy here.

Then when the movie hits theaters in May, you can be the one to say ‘did you know…?’

Next up…The birth of two legends.

Original article: The Lone Ranger Rides Again…Right Out Of The History Books!

©2013 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Dear Readers,

There are monsters loose!

The first book in my new middle grade series, KILLER SPECIES: Menace From The Deep is arriving in your school’s Scholastic Book Fair this month! It will be on sale wherever books are sold in July. It’s now available for pre-order from your favorite bookseller.

KILLER SPECIES begins with a deranged environmentalist who releases a hybrid species of alligator into the wild. His goal is to create a super predator that will control the boa constrictor and python population which is destroying the fragile Everglades eco-system. But as always happens when man artificially interferes with nature, things go horribly awry.

Twelve year old Emmet Doyle is not in the best move when arrives in Florida City. His father is the esteemed Avian biologist Benton Doyle and he’s been called to Everglades National Park to help park superintendent Dr. Rosalita Geaux discover why alligators, birds and other animals are fleeing the park in record numbers. And also to help her determine the origin of a mysterious new animal found in the park. A specimen containing the DNA of two distinct species.

Emmet is working through some issues. His mother passed away a year ago. He has to leave his beloved home in Montana. With his dog Apollo in tow, he has to adjust to a new home, new school and new friends. And Dr. Geaux’s son Calvin is the most unique kid Emmet has ever met. He’s at home in the swamp, pilots and air-boat like a pro and has a super cool tree house in his backyard.

The environmentalist, who calls himself Dr. Catalyst, is a brilliant scientist in his own right. And he is determined to rid South Florida of invasive species by any means necessary. And when the authorities refuse to give in to his demands, he raises the stakes, kidnapping Dr. Doyle and holding him hostage. Emmet and Calvin must head into the Everglades to find his father.

Look for KILLER SPECIES: Menace From The Deep at your Scholastic Book Fair! Watch the video! Visit the Scholastic Book Talk! page. Like the KILLER SPECIES page on Facebook! And pre-order a copy today! And stop Dr. Catalyst from releasing more dangerous creatures.

Your authorness!

Michael P. Spradlin

©2013 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

You just went out and had a really nice meal at your favorite place to eat. It might be a local joint you’ve gone to for years. Maybe it’s an Italian or French bistro. It might be a chain or one of those local diners that’s been a legendary destination in your community for generations. Often you spread the word. Tell your friends about the great meal you enjoyed and recommend your friends go there to have the same fantastic experience. Maybe at the holidays you even buy a gift cards or certificates from your favorite restaurant and give them to friends or acquaintances. You go on facebook and Yelp! and other review sites and post a glowing review. Whatever you do, spreading the word and actually sending business to the place you love really helps their bottom line.

Do you do the same with the books you read?

Do you tell your friends about your favorite authors? Did you just happen to read a really terrific book and tell everyone you know? Are you as evangelical about your favorite authors as you are about your favorite restaurants and clothing stores or auto mechanics?

Some people who are avid readers do this automatically. They post reviews on online sites like goodreads and they talk about what they’re reading on facebook or twitter. These little mentions help those books and authors find new readers. But a lot of times, I’ve asked this question to people and the thought of ‘promoting’ a book they way they ‘promote’ their favorite restaurant never occurs to them. I think part of this is because the world of writing and publishing is somewhat of a mystery to people. Most think that once a writer is published they’ve ‘made it.’ And in a sense, they have. Getting published is a long and arduous process and ‘getting published’ is no small accomplishment. But once a book is published, to a very large degree whether that book succeeds or not, whether the author keeps getting published is really out their hands.

It’s in the hands of you, the readers.

What you have to understand is that an author is a lot like your favorite restaurant. If it doesn’t get visited, if no one eats there, if its customers don’t tell others about their own positive experiences, it’s probably not going to succeed.

Most people don’t think of the books they read as the output of a business, but an author is essentially a small businessperson. Most struggle with overhead, expenses and, given the amount of time between books, cash flow.They need ‘traffic’ in the form of readers to succeed.

So if you visit bookstores this holiday season, don’t think of all those books as tiny restaurants waiting for you to open their doors and taste the great ‘meal’ inside. And then do the things you do with any of your favorite businesses. In fact, here are five things you can do to help your favorite authors.

1. Create Readers

Start right in your own house. If you read a book you love, get your significant to read it. Or your children if its age appropriate. Have a family reading night. (You can watch your favorite TV shows later). The sad fact is, people are reading less. Kids are reading less. Kids do what they see their parents do. If you don’t treat reading as an important worthwhile activity, why should they? I’m not talking about reading for homework or school. I mean cutting time out of the day to read for the sheer joy of it. It’s exercise for your brain.

2. Buy Books As Gifts

Socks and gadgets are great gifts. But books are better. Give away books by your favorite authors to friends and family members. Maybe they won’t like it, maybe they will and they’ll give copies to more people. Either way you’ve helped your ‘small business’ author.

Over the years I have given away literally dozens of some of my favorite books. The Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger is a personal favorite. As is The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread by Don Robertson. And I’ve turned dozens of my friends onto the thrillers by James Rollins and T. Jefferson Parker by giving copies to friends and families.

3. Spread The Word

Tell people about your favorite books and authors. Review their books at online review sites. Post on their facebook pages. Follow your favorite authors on Twitter. Sign up to receive their newsletters. In today’s world, publishers want to know if an author has an ‘audience’ (I like to refer to my readers as customers) and becoming a follower, liking a page and suggesting their pages to your friends helps them grow their customer base.

4. Buy Your Books At Bookstores

Bookstores, physical bricks and mortar bookstores are vital to our book culture. Look, I get that we’re all busy. I understand the convenience of an ereader. But you can buy ebooks through the website of your local independent bookstore. The online browsing experience will never compare to the pouring over the tables and shelves of a bookshop. How many books and authors have you discovered this way. No matter how the technology improves the online browsing experience is still cumbersome and not as engaging to the senses.

Trust me. As a thirty year publishing industry veteran, if we don’t preserve actual physical bookstores all that will be left to read is a lot of self-published work, ‘celebrity’ memoirs and only the biggest bestsellers. Publishers need bookstores for new authors to find an audience and develop a following.

And take your kids with you when you go. Every bookstore has something for every kid.

5. Take Your Family To The Library

Like bookstores our libraries are facing an uncertain future. Budgets are being cut, funding is drying up, Visit your library and participate in their programs. Have a library ‘family night’. Make your local library a vital part of your community and encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same. And when you visit the library…take your kids.

You authorness,

Michael P. Spradlin

©2012 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Greetings readers!

During Banned Books Week, I’m pleased to announce a special guest blog (rap) by Sir Read-A-Lot.

It’s best sometimes to just let your guest blogger take it away. So take it away Sir Read-A-Lot

Oh. My. God.

Becky, look at her book

Ban This Book!

It’s so big

She looks like one of those readers

Who understands those readers?

Guys only talk to her because she looks like a total intellectual.

I mean her book.

It’s just so big.

I can’t believe it’s so thick.

It should be banned.

I mean, it’s gross.

Look, she’s just so smart.

And Ban This One Too While You're At it

I like banned books and I cannot lie

You other fellows can’t deny

That when a girl walks in readin’ Tolkein

And turns another page

Your bell’s rung.

Wanna read up tough

Cuz you notice that book was stuffed

Deep in the brains she’s showing

I’m hooked and I can’t stop knowing

Oh, baby I wanna read with ya

And get a library card

My homeboys tried to warn me

But that book you got

Make me so knowy

Ooh, page is smooth and thin

You say you wanna get in my head

Well read to me, read to me you ain’t that average girl see?

I’ve done read Dickens

An he ain’t no Slim Pickens

Good writers make you sweat,

get you goin like a turbo vette

I don’t like book banners

Saying these b00ks aren’t the thing

Take the average reader and ask that

And we readers gonna punch back

So Fellas (yeah) Fellas (yeah)

Has your girlfriend got the book? (heck yeah)

Well read it, read it, read it, read it, read that big fat book

Read Bannned Books

(Library place or bookstore booty)

I like’em thick and big

And when I’m throwin a gig

I just can’t help myself

My shelves so full I’m crammin’

One more book that’s jammin’

I wanna take books home

And UH, read all night and day.

And I am talkin bout ALL day

Cuz books are better than toys

I wannem real thick and juicy

So find that book in trouble

Make book banners rubble

Ban a book we gonna rumble

And you be taking a tumble

So I’m lookin’ at book shelves now

And I ain’t understandin’ how

You can have them narrow minds

Trying to take my book away

A word to the thick book banners

I’m gonna get in yer grille

And it won’t be no thrill

But I gotta be straight when I say I wanna –

Read til the break of dawn

This book’s got it goin on

A lot of wimps won’t like this tome

Well shut up and go home

But I’d rather read and say

Get a book that’s long and strong.

And I’m down to get the fiction on.

So ladies (yeah), Ladies (yeah)

Do you wanna read in my library? (yeah)

Then turn a page

Give a shout

Every reader’s got to shout

DON’T BAN BOOKS

(Library face with the bookstore booty)

Yeah baby

When it comes to readers

Dewey decimal ain’t got nothin to do with my selection

I know where to look

To get my book

So your girlfriend reads a Potter?

Could anything be hotter?

Mark Twain got a style that makes my head spun.

I go through books, like some kind of Attila, hun.

You can read Sci-Fi or Romance novels, but please don’t lose that book

Some banners wanna ban that hard book

And tell you that the book ain’t good

So they toss it and leave it

And I pull up quick to retrieve it

And I say that book is phat.

And I am down with that

Cuz you read books big and small and your brains are kickin

And I’m thinkin bout stickin

To the Jack and the beanstalk, zing

You aint it miss a thing

Toni Morrison, I can’t resist her

And I try not miss her

Some knucklehead tried to dis her

Cuz her books is on my list

You ain’t gonna stop me readin’ this

So pull up and get gone hick

Don’t ban no books in my town

Unless you wanna triple X throw down

Then ban a book and it’ll get hot,

Read Banned Books

Read Banned Books

Read Banned Books

©2012 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Hail Readers,

Let me be clear. I’m against censorship. I’m against banning books. In any form. But I also support free speech and that means, yes Freedom of Speech for morons. As long as what you say or express does not endanger public health or safety. Feel free to make an idiot of yourself. Don’t expect me to watch or approve, but knock yourself out.

So that means while I don’t like censorship or banning books, people have the right to speak up and try to get books banned. Everyone is entitled to their opinions. Even morons. Sensing a theme? For as long as books have existed people have tried to get them banned. And mostly failed. Because of this we have a very rich book culture. And in fact, it could be argued its kind of a good thing as Mark Twain did so famously that ‘banning a single book ensures the sale of 100 of its mates.’ I’m paraphrasing but that’s pretty close. So if you’re going to ban books, and again, bad, but if you are…

Sometimes life just works out. Starting October 1st it’s Banned Books Week. My new novel Blood Riders just went on sale this past Tuesday. Do you see where I’m going with this? New book. Just out. Right in time for Banned Books Week.

I’m asking someone out there, just one of you, no wait, 10,000 of you, to raise a ruckus. Call your library and demand Blood Riders be removed from the shelf. March in protest at your local bookstore until they refuse to sell copies. Get in touch with your local media and demand Blood Riders be cast out of your town, heck tell them all my books should be banned and I should go into hiding. Blood Riders is a paranormal. That’s right, I said a paranormal. Vampires. Guns. Violence. Horses. Trains. I don’t even know where to begin on how much this novel is corrupting American values. If it should fall into the wrong hands? Chaos.

So please do what you can. First order a copy of Blood Riders from your favorite bookseller. Then read it. Become so outraged that you go back to your bookstore, buy all the remaining copies and give them to all of your friends. Have your friends read Blood Riders. When they also become outraged, begin a campaign to get the book banned. Write to your Congressman. Email your Mayor. If someone asks why you want to ban Blood Riders don’t say anything. Instead buy them a copy and ask them to read it then join your banning campaign.

To sum up:

1. Visit your local bookseller and buy all their copies.

2. Give them to your friends and have a group reading.

3. Start a ‘Ban Blood Riders’ movement in your community.

4. Call your media, elected leaders and make a “Ban Blood Riders” Facebook page.

Together we can do this!

Thank you,
Your Authorness,

Michael P. Spradlin

P.S. While you are in stores buying all the copies of Blood Riders to keep them from corrupting America, you might as well buy all the copies of The Monster Alphabet, my new picture book. After all. It has monsters. We can’t have that.

©2012 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Greetings Readers!

It’s just a week from today that my first novel for adults Blood Riders goes on sale! How time flies. And speaking of time flying, you’re running out of it if you want to pre-order a copy and get free-shipping to get the book on it’s release day. In a fun twist of fate, my friend and fellow New York Times Best-selling author Suzanne Enoch has a new novel going on sale the same day! It’s called Rules To Catch A Devilish Duke. So Suzanne and I decided to interview each other about our   new books, and most important which is ‘better’ Star Wars or Star Trek? (Totally Star Trek!)

©2012 Michael Spradlin Blog. All Rights Reserved.