Why Trump Won - It really should be no surprise

Note: This has nothing to do with policy. I am not defending any political party or candidate, but I am offering a reasonable explanation. I don't care to hear about your political persuasion.

We can look back to Ancient Greece for clues that Trump's victory was all but inevitable. In the days of Plato and Aristotle, a group of scholars called the Sophists opened private schools where they promised to teach people to be effective, persuasive communicators. They were masters of the art of Rhetoric, and taught that a speaker who used emotion, logic, and credibility would be very effective.

Looking at the election, Trump had a clear advantage over Hillary on emotion. His events were boisterous and the crowds were excited.

Hillary, with her experience, should have won on logic, but she got away from that and tried to focus on criticizing Trump. In doing so, she turned away from her strength in logic, while Trump focused on policy down the stretch. Another advantage for Trump.

Credibility was the most interesting. No one will deny that Trump has said crass, inappropriate things for years. However, the Democrats, in once arguing that "character didn't matter" in support of Bill Clinton and his actions, could not really argue too forcibly against Trump's words. Trump's campaign never let up on on Hilary's email scandal, and the criticism started to stick. Most polls showed that the clear majority of American believed that she was dishonest. So, this amounts to another advantage for Trump.

This gives Trump an advantage on emotion, logic, and credibility. Add to this the effectiveness of his slogan, which we all know, and it really should not be a surprise that Trump won.

In Ancient Greece, the Sophists were not always popular, but they did not care. They claimed, and proved, that they could take any side in any argument and win. They also said that they could convince any audience of the truth as they defined it.

Now, which candidate from the election does this sound like?

Moving forward with my writing and Anabar

It has been several years since I worked on my writing, but I am happy to be restarting this effort. I have revised my books Anabar's Run and Anabar Rises and have big plans for the coming year.

I made the most significant changes to Anabar's Run. The main change was to totally rewrite the beginning. I cut out roughly the first ten pages and started with an action scene when Anabar gets caught in an avalanche. I think this is a much better introduction to Anabar and his story.

I have also proofread both books and believe they are now much tighter and clearer. I enjoyed reviewing the books again and really think they are much better overall and that readers will enjoy them.

Another change will be to focus my marketing on Middle Grade readers. Maybe this comes from now teaching sixth grade English, but Anabar's story seems most suited to those readers. Twitter seems like the best social media resource for this, so I will try to reach people through it.

I also look forward to adding more to my Anabar Series Blog. The first thing will be to create a secret code with some clues and use it to occasionally post some messages from the book and other that I will create for readers. I have high hopes for my blog and think kids will really like it if they just check it out. Ultimately, I hope it leads to more sales, but I will be happy if kids just enjoy checking it out.

So there it is. A new start for Anabar and me! Finally, once I get the marketing effort going, I will start writing book three of the series, tentatively titled Anabar's Night. I plan to place some really difficult challenges in front of Anabar and look forward to seeing how he handles them.

Will Granger

What if our political leaders were characters from A Game of Thrones?

For the past several months, I have been reading and watching the books and televisions series "A Game of Thrones". I really like the series, and regard it as on par with The Lord of the Rings books and films.

I have started thinking how some of the Game of Thrones characters remind me of our political leaders:

Cersei Lannister - Definitely Hillary Clinton. Committed to her family regardless of their crimes and ruthless. Just not hot like the actress Lena Headey who plays the role.

Robert Baratheon - Almost a clone of Bill Clinton. Bigger than life, perhaps wise, but also careless and immoral. 

Ned Stark - I struggled with this one, but I think he resembles George W. Bush. Basically a good man with a troubled past. Also not wise enough to see how his enemies were plotting against him. Still, Bush, like Ned Stark, stayed loyal to his beliefs until the end.

Varys the Eunuch - David Axelrod. Sneaky,  not trustworthy, and unlikeable. It is not clear how either of them gained power.

The King's Guard - The U.S. media. Both are feared and supposedly loyal to their king - I'll get to him in a moment. 

Joffrey - Clearly the same as Obama. Petulant. spoiled, overrated. Loved for his title only. A figure his foes love to hate.

I'm still struggling with naming figures who resemble The Imp, Jon Snow, Arya, Rob, and some of the others. Please send me your suggestions.

Pope Francis asks for day of prayer and fasting for peace in Syria

9/7/2013 - The situation in Syria seems impossible. On one side, Assad is a dictator willing to have his people suffer so he can stay in power. On the other side are the rebels, but they may be allied with Al Qaeda. We cannot support them. So what do we do?
We simply cannot allow these groups to use chemical weapons. They cause the most horrible suffering, and the people in Syria have suffered enough. We can't just sit back and let this continue. The U.S. has the military capability to stop this. Another problem is that both Assad and the rebels are reported to have used chemical weapons. So what do we do here?
This really is an impossible situation with no clear answers. In fact, this is beyond our ability to come up with a solution. We must turn to God. Pope Francis recognizes the difficulties in Syria and has asked that today, Sept. 7, 2013 be a day of fasting and prayer throughout the world.

Please join in praying for peace in Syria.

Please read this statement by Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Bishop Richard E. Pates

The pope gives us freedom with Jesus

In Jesus of Nazareth - From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration written by Pope Benedict, he discusses the idea of freedom in regards to belief in Jesus. The Pope mentions that Jesus brought "universality" to this world.

I love this because I believe it shows that Jesus expressed that God loves everyone on earth, and that His message of love is for all of us. This is different from our modern messages about people, which seem to focus so much on our differences.

The Pope adds that, "The vehicle for this universalization is the new family, whose only admission requirement is communion with Jesus, communion with God's will."

This is such a simple, positive message. Jesus, through his words of peace and love, welcomes all people. No one is exempt. Everyone can join Him. What a difference from the words we hear so much today in politics and religion.

I hope you will join me in this conversation.

Words from a Pope

I have been reading Jesus of Nazareth written by Pope Benedict XVI, Joseph Ratzinger, a challenging, but enlightening read. The first of three books on the life of Jesus, this series is worth the time to read for any Catholic or anyone else interested in learning about Jesus.

In the coming weeks, I would like to focus on a few key lines from the book. In Chapter 4 on "The Sermon on the Mount", the Pope discusses a book titled A Rabbi Talks with Jesus, written by Rabbi Jacob Neusner. The Pope mentions how Rabbi Neusner considers about the different beliefs of Jews and Christians, but adds that Neusner does this with reverence and respect.
The Pope writes, "This dialogue is conducted with great honesty. It highlights the differences in all their sharpness, but it also takes place in great love."

This is really important for us all to think about. Sure, we humans will always have our differences, but we don't have to fight over them. I think Pope Benedict was exactly right in highlighting this point here.

What do you think?




  

iAi Featured Partner of the month: Benjamin X. Wretlind, author of Sketches from the Spanish Mustang

Sketches from the Spanish Mustang by Benjamin X. Wretlind

This month, I am really pleased to post about this excellent book from one of my partners at independent Authors international (iAi.)

 

There are dreams of fire, blood, twisted metal and faint, dying cries carried on the wind.

The Artist sits at a table in a casino in Cripple Creek, Colorado. She is broken, alone, and she is waiting. She's waiting for redemption, waiting for a chance to prove she can really see through someone else's eyes. As she waits, she sketches those around her, those who keep secrets buried deep.

All people have secrets, and some of them are every bit as dark as the Artist's own. There is the immigrant looking for fortune and finding death along the way. There is the woman running for her life, desperate to hide in a small town that is, for its own sake, trying to live again. There is the angry man, jilted by his now dead wife, looking for revenge. There is the veteran who can't remember, the woman about to lose her mother, and the drunk who doesn't want to be what people see on the outside. There are more people, everywhere, and all of them have secrets.

Written as a series of interconnected vignettes, each person's story is both intriguing and magical. As the mystery of the woman's sketches unfolds, life unravels with it.  This is the Artist's gift--to uncover the hidden in life.  Yet gifts can be curses, and curses can be secret.

Remembering is penance.

Great Reading with the Next Big Thing Blog Hop

My Friend Scott Bury a really excellent writer, journalist and editor, and founder of the exiting new organization independent Authors international  has tagged me for The Next Big Thing blog hop. Scott was originally tagged by travel writer and blogger Autumn Birt, and I am trying help get some notoriety for several great Indie authors I know.

The idea behind the Next Big Thing is to answer a set list of questions about your work in progress, then tag five more authors to do the same thing.

So, here are my answers for My Next Big Thing:

What is the working title of your book?

Anabar's Night

Where did the idea come from for the book?

It is the third book in my series about Anabar. The first two books were Anabar's Run and Anabar Rises. Anabar is a young man who is humble and really nothing special. He does dream of leaving to see what the world is like outside his isolated valley home. Along the way he encounters adventures and adversity, and amazing success, but ultimately decides to risk thing to try to bring peace to his land.

What genre does your book fall under?

Action/Adventure for middle grade readers.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

For Anabar, Chandler Riggs from "The Walking Dead" television series. He does a great job of playing a strong character who may not fit the typical physical stereotype of a fiction hero.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

When forced to defend his family agaisnt his enemy, young Anabar's biggest battle is trying to save his humanity.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Most likely, I will self-publish Anabar's Night, but I would definitely consider an offer from  traditional publisher.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

I do not know yet as I am just gettng started. I typically write more in the summer, so I plan to finish it by next August.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

The Ranger's Apprentice series, except that Anabar has no magical abilities. He becomes a hero through his strenghth and determination.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

I wanted to tell the story of how anyone can do something great. It does not take wealth, or royal blood, or special powers.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

I think readers will enjoy seeing how Anabar struggles with maintaining his basic goodness as a person. He will have no choice but to act harshly in order to save and protect his family, and it will be difficult for him remain the same person.

Here are the authors I have tagged for The Next Big Thing blog hop:

Michelle Isenhoff
Mike Poeltl
Timothy Davis
Susanna Leonard Hill
Cheryl Carpinello

Featured iAi Partner this Month: Elise Stokes, author of Cassidy Jones and the Secret Formula

Read Cassidy Jones and the Secret Formula and book #2 of the series, cassidy Jones and the Vulcan's Gift. Available by Elise Stokes at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other booksellers.

Introducing Independent Writers International

I have had the great privilege to join Independent Writers International, an exciting new force in publish. Please see our website to learn about our outstanding authors and  to learn about our effort to change the publishing industry.

Here is the text from our press release:

Authors’ cooperative venture changes the publishing world — again

iAi to be a symbol of quality and professionalism in publishing

A group of writers, marketers and designers unaffiliated with publishers have banded together to create their own publishing model, “Independent Authors International (iAi).”

The new organization, whose members hail from across the U.S. and around the world, aims to support and legitimize the independent author movement, and bring new voices to readers throughout the world.

“Recently developed technologies like e-readers and print-on-demand make it now possible for individual writers to publish books without the resources of a large commercial publishing enterprise,” says iAi spokesperson, Scott Bury.

“The iAi co-operative will help professional authors by bringing together the skills and services that a commercial publisher offers, while leaving the authors in control of their work, at a fraction of the cost, and with a much more responsive and personal touch.”

The iAi's goal is to help its members produce quality, professional works recognized by literary agents, publishers, booksellers, and readers. The group is a democratic, cooperative organization controlled by its members.

Membership is granted by invitation of existing members. The group vets prospective members to ensure they meet the professional writing, editing, and marketing standards of the iAi.

To receive the services of the organization, members must contribute their editing, production, or marketing skills to other members.

Anabar's Run now 99 cents!

I have decided to lower the price for my middle grade novel(ebook version) Anabar's Run to 99 cents. I'm following the lead of wildly successful author Joe Konrath, who recently dropped the price of his books to 99 cents to stimulate more sales.
I am also continuing with my promise to donate one half of my 2012 sales to The Relief Bus, an organization that provides food and clothing to the homeless in New York City. Please continue to help me in this effort and spread the word through Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and other online sources.
Anabar's run is an action/adventure story suited for children ages 8 - 12. It has excitement and a likable main character, Anabar, who has no magical powers, wealth, or royal blood. I want my young readers to see that anyone can be successful. In the end, my Anabar series contains a strong message of peace, which I think is important for young people to hear. You can learn more about Anabar and my second novel, Anabar Rises, at my Anabar Series Blog, an exciting, fun site for my readers.
Finally, I want to remind my readers that they can now buy Anabar's Run in paperback. This is major new development in my writing career

New Hand-Drawn Maps and Photos on My Anabar Series Blog

I have just added two hand-drawn maps and some photographs on my Anabar Series Blog. If you have never seen it, please take a look. Better yet, have a kid look at the blog. My books Anabar's Run and Anabar Rises are best suited for kids aged 8 - 12, and I designed the blog to be a safe, fun site for them to learn more about the books. So far, the blog has maps, photos, excerpts, posters, journal entries, and poetry. It is all original and add to the experience of reading Anabar's Run and Anabar Rises.

Anabar's Run Now in Paperback!

Anabar's Run is now available in paperback as well as an ebook. I used Amazon's Create Space program to convert my first novel Anabar's Run into a paperback. I am hoping readers will enjoy reading the book in this format.
Please also check out my fun Anabar Series Blog where I have lots of original features for my readers. I have new hand-drawn maps and photographs, journal entries, poems, and other details from the books. I am very proud of my blog, and feel that it is really unique.
Finally, please help me help the homeless by purchasing Anabar's Run as either a paperback or ebook. I'm donating one half of my profits from 2012 to support the Relief Bus, a wonderful organization that helps people in the New York City area. Please check out this post where I have a link to an interview with Angel, a very special friend I met in the Bronx in March.

Will Granger featured on Indie Saturday page on Randomize Me Blog

I am excited to announce that I am currently being featured on the excellent Randomize Me blog Indie Saturday page. Thanks to Hope for inviting me to talk about my books Anabar's Run and Anabar Rises. I was happy to have the chance to talk about my effort to raise support for the Relief Bus, an organization doing great things for the homeless in New York City. The blog post also includes an excerpt from Anabar's Run.

In the piece, I also talk about my short horror stories featured on my Bad Dreams from Will Granger blog.

Finally, I talk about a bit about one of the most exciting things going on in my writing career. It involves a new organization called Independent Writers International (iAi). I'll sending out a press release soon and posting a great deal of information about the organization. I really believe iAi will soon be a force in the publishing world.

Please check out my feature on the Randomize Me Blog. I hope you will be a regular visitor there and enjoy the book and music reviews and even find some freebies.

Anabar's Run Now Available on Bibliocracy.com

Thanks to the great people at Bibliocracy.com for offering Anabar's Run for sale. I am always excited when my books become available at through another ebook vendor, especially a great source like Bibliocracy.com.
Bibliocracy.com's vision is to "create a unique literary community where authors and artists can promote their work and where readers will discover new talent," and they are offering many great new books from new authors. 
They also provide word processing, cover art, and job search services. Whether you are a reader, writer or artist, you can't go wrong by checking out Bibliocracy.com