What I'm reading...

[michaelsnyder]

If anyone has read these and want to engage in some discussion, have at it. If not, or these books sound dumb or whatever, just ignore me and go back to writing your masterpiece. That's way more important anyhow...

Currently listening to:
Hey Nostradamus (http://www.amazon.com/Hey-Nostradamus-Novel-Coupland-Douglas/dp/B000GG4I38/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208206416&sr=1-13) by Douglas Coupland

Currently reading:
The World According To Garp (http://www.amazon.com/World-According-Garp-Modern-Library/dp/0679603069/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208206460&sr=1-10) by John Irving
Where I'm Calling From: Selected Stories (http://www.amazon.com/Where-Im-Calling-Selected-Stories/dp/0679722319/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208206522&sr=1-1) by Raymond Carver

In the on deck circle:
Surprised By Hope (http://www.amazon.com/Surprised-Hope-Rethinking-Resurrection-Mission/dp/0061551821/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208206594&sr=1-1) by N. T. Wright

[Merry]

Hey, I've been meaning to get hold of 'Hey Nostradamus.' How is that coming along? I thought the reviews of it sounded pretty good.

[ProfessorAlan]

I am a big fan of Coupland, and thought "Hey Nostradamus" was an interesting one.

[michaelsnyder]

Cool, another Coupland fan!

And yeah, Merry, Hey Nostradamus is a fantastic book. I've read it once and listened to it twice. So this makes my third time listening in...the production on this audio book is outstanding, one of the best I've ever heard). So yeah, if it sounds interesting to you, then I'd say get a copy and dive in. Coupland is definitely not for everyone (and some of his books I don't really care for), but he's an amazing and gifted writer.

[righter1]

I'm between books now, but am thinking of making a run to the Christian bookstore near my work on Thursday or Friday for your book and a couple of Brandilyn Collins' for my trip out of town... :) I haven't read any of the books you mentioned. What genre's are they? (I typically only read mystery/suspense...)

[michaelsnyder]

Oh man, I'd be honored if you picked up my book and read it, Righter 1. (Even moreso if you actually like it!). Mine has elements of mystery and suspense (thus, the very cool Brandilyn Collins endorsement in the front!), but there's more humor and pathos than actual suspense.

As to the books I mentioned, I suppose they'd all fall into something like contemporary literary? They're all more 'serious' books (can you tell I have a really hard time with labels and genres and stuff?), which is odd because I typically find myself alternating between something literary and something a bit lighter.

Now that I think about it, I'm probably OD'ing on more serious lit right now because of my recent research...my next protagonist is going to be a stand-up comedian. So I've been blasting through more than a dozen non-fiction books about stand-up comics. The funny thing is, I think it will be a mostly serious book. The ironies just keep on comin'!

However, if anyone is interested in checking out John Irving, one of my all-time favorite books ever is A Prayer For Owen Meany. (There was a loosely adapted film several years ago called Simon Birch). Irving also penned Cider House Rules, which was also a rather popular film. (Still not sure if that helps 'classify' his writing however...?)

Again, thanks for your interest in Russell Fink too...I just hope they have it in stock when you get there. (They always have B. Collins books in stock! Not fair at all...). Now...back to the edits.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Currently I'm reading Mere Christianity by C.S Lewis and When Heaven Weeps by Ted Dekker. Both books are amazing for different reasons.

[ProfessorAlan]

Currently reading:
"Before I Wake" by Dee Henderson
"Leaper" by Geoffrey Wood
"Revenge of Innocents" by Nancy Taylor Rosenberg
"The Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield

Ready to start:
"The Two Towers" by JRR Tolkien
"If I am Missing or Dead" by Janine Latus

[Tarin]

Currently reading:

Post Captain by Patrick O'Brian
The Little, Brown Handbook by H. Ramsey Fowler
Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer by C.S. Lewis

@Prof: Are you enjoying Before I Wake? I read it last year and was disappointed. :(

[righter1]

Hey Michael!

I just called the Life Way store near my work to see if they have your book so I can go get it at lunch. They have 1 copy. I think it has my name on it. :p

[michaelsnyder]

Very cool...and thanks for letting me know!!! It's been a bit of a struggle, in that Lifeway hasn't picked up the book yet for nat'l distribution. It's doing well at B&H, Books-A-Million, cbd.com, and amazon. But Borders (where I'm doing a book signing!) and Lifeway have been slow to pull the trigger.

So...#1 THANK YOU for buying/reading my book. I hope you find a thing or two to like about it. And #2...thanks for the Lifeway feedback as well. Every little sale helps make a more compelling argument for them to place a larger stocking order. So you just bumped William G. off the top spot for Favorite Person of the Day Award (but he's still in a close second!)

[Merry]

This might be a good time to remind people...when you read a book by someone who posts here, you might want to head over to Amazon and leave some kind of review. That could become a very helpful tradition for us all. Even if it's something short, (like, try writing a review while watching 16 male 4th graders,) it's still a positive comment

[michaelsnyder]

And this is the PERFECT time for me to say thanks to Merry for the very cool review at amazon today!!! Thank you, made my day...seriously.

[Merry]

No problem, man. Hope you get many more.

[ProfessorAlan]

@Prof: Are you enjoying Before I Wake? I read it last year and was disappointed. :(

My teenager and I are reading it rogether. Eh. It's OK so far, maybe 20% through.

[righter1]

Michael,

Just have to say I started reading your book yesterday... I'd intended to save it for a road trip this weekend, but it was slow at work, and I needed something to keep me occupied. I got to the part about the laced doggy biscuits last night before bed and was thoroughly in stitches. :) Very different reading from what I'm used to (as a primarily ABA reader, not CBA.) !thumbsup!

[michaelsnyder]

Righter1...Wow, thank you...big time! I'm glad you found at least a little something to like about Russell and his pals. And I'm thrilled you let me know. You made my morning!

Mike

[righter1]

Righter1...Wow, thank you...big time! I'm glad you found at least a little something to like about Russell and his pals. And I'm thrilled you let me know. You made my morning!

Mike

:D Glad I could give you a boost...

It occurred to me this morning after you posted this that this is the first time I've ever been in contact with the author of a book I'm enjoying while I'm reading it for the first time. Hmm. Kind of a new experience for me. :cool:

[michaelsnyder]

Hah! Imagine how weird (but very, very cool) it is for me! This has been a rather surreal process to talk to folks that are reading or have read my book. As the author, it's this huge deal...all the writing and submitting, hoping and dreaming, and the WAITING...then it releases and it's another round of fun (and stress)...

But to the reader, it's simply another book in the queue. It's all very strange and very cool. I even did a conference call with a book club and am planning another. That adds another interesting twist on things too.

Either way, thanks again. I'm honored that you (and others) are taking the time to give it a read. And obviously, if you want to discuss or ask or argue or dis any parts, have at it! Might be fun.

Mike

[VLSmith]

Mike,

I'm late compared to everyone else, but I just finished your book...I loved it! I loved Russell's voice, the characters, everything. So sad that Sonny died. The flipping pages told me when he would die so I anticipated it, but still. Great job! I posted a review on Amazon for you. I'm going to go over to Andy M.'s web site and tell him how good it was, too. I'm looking forward to the next one on December.

[michaelsnyder]

Valerie...

Wow...HUGE thank you's from me to you. Your amazon review was outstanding, really and truly made my week. I simply love that you loved my book. In the end, that's what it's really all about...resonating with one or two (or a few million?) thoughtful people. Seriously, thanks for taking the time to read it and let me know what you thought.

Mike

[MGalloway]

Currently listening to (on audiobook CDs): "Quiet Strength" by Tony Dungy (with Nathan Whitaker). It's quite good so far.

[righter1]

Michael,

I finished your book on Monday morning. I enjoyed it, but some of the holes you left open are driving me nuts! If I asked the questions here, though, they'd be spoilers for those that haven't read it. (I guess I've spent too much of my life reading mysteries where all the loose ends are tied up.) Does this mean you're leaving things open for a possible sequel? Overall, I really enjoyed the book, just those little questions are driving me nuts. At times, I was reading it while we were driving on Sunday, and I'd start laughing so hard, my husband, who was driving, would give me dirty looks, especially when he was on the phone. :) I may even have a pagan friend who wants to read it because I've raved about how funny it is! (I'm hoping certain sections of the book may inspire her to explore God a bit more--you probably know which sections I'm talking about!)

[christianbkworm]

Hey Michael. I'm still on the waiting list at the library for your book. After reading everything here, I can't wait to get hold of it and read and review it for my site!

Blessings,

Lisa

[michaelsnyder]

Righter 1,

Wow, what a very, VERY cool message to get this morning! Thank you times ten.

Originally, I was adamant that I did not want to do a sequel. My second novel has an entirely different cast of characters. But now I have an idea for Russell and his pals several years down the road. So I've been kicking it around with my editor.

As to any questions you have...PLEASE feel free to email me. However...I may not even know the answers. It's really amazing (and quite entertaining too) to discuss the book with readers. Inevitably, the conclusions they've drawn as to what happens after The End are different than mine.

I will freely admit I'm not crazy about tying up every loose end. I think I like to ask more questions than answer them. But by no means do I want to frustrate readers either! So there's a balance I'll need to strike as I learn how to do all this better.

Either way, Thank You for reading the book and Thank You again for letting me know you liked it. It's a bigger deal than you know!

Mike

[michaelsnyder]

Another thought...IF (and I'm not presupposing anything here) anyone is ever interested in scheduling a chat about the book (and trust me...it needs to be an equal opportunity chat, not a lecture by me!!!!), just let me know. I've done a couple of these and it's fun for people who've read the book to ask questions without the fear of spoilers...and inevitably, I learn something too!

[righter1]

Righter 1,

Wow, what a very, VERY cool message to get this morning! Thank you times ten.

Originally, I was adamant that I did not want to do a sequel. My second novel has an entirely different cast of characters. But now I have an idea for Russell and his pals several years down the road. So I've been kicking it around with my editor.

As to any questions you have...PLEASE feel free to email me. However...I may not even know the answers. It's really amazing (and quite entertaining too) to discuss the book with readers. Inevitably, the conclusions they've drawn as to what happens after The End are different than mine.

I will freely admit I'm not crazy about tying up every loose end. I think I like to ask more questions than answer them. But by no means do I want to frustrate readers either! So there's a balance I'll need to strike as I learn how to do all this better.

Either way, Thank You for reading the book and Thank You again for letting me know you liked it. It's a bigger deal than you know!

Mike

Hmmm... I'd guess a sequel a few years down the road could potentially answer some of my questions... I'll PM you later when I get a chance to ask the couple of questions that are bugging me... when I remember the 2nd one. I can only remember one right now.

[VLSmith]

Mike,

I think it would be great if you hosted a thread of Q & A about your book. Forewarn people not to enter if they don't want to see any spoilers! But I'd also love to pick your brain about your creative process. I've never had the opportunity to talk to a real live author. Well, not even any dead ones for that matter. :p I thought about emailing you with some of my questions, but I didn't want to pester you.

[michaelsnyder]

My deadline for book 2 is tomorrow. Then my lovely wife and awesome kiddos are going to Virginia to visit family (sans computer!!!). So sometime next week would be great. I don't claim to be too smart or have a lot answers. But talking about books and creativity and stuff is always a ton of fun.

And for the record, I'm definitely alive. Jury is still out on the 'real' part!

Thanks, Valerie et al...

[VLSmith]

Next week sounds good. Have fun on your trip!