Northwest Community Church Hunts Monsters

Spent the weekend with Northwest Community Church Youth Group speaking at their Winter Camp retreat.  The topic was Jesus Christ Monster Hunter.

What can I say about it?

Hmm...

GOD SHOUTED.

That's the best way I can think of to explain it.  I have worked with a lot of churchy people, but this group... man.  They really know what it means to lay it all down and pick up whatever Jesus offers.  We laughed, we shared, we cried, we hurt, we healed, we offered up the deep dark fears and monsters of our lives and vowed before God to help each other smack 'em down.  Even me.  That's right.  They even pulled me into it.

Our Saturday Night Smash circle-n-prayer time went over three hours.  We smashed the heck out of some Monster cans, lifted each other up in prayer and praise, lived out loud, laughed out loud, sang and sobbed.  If you've never let God work you over like that, it's a rush.  Seek it out.  We were a family engaged in what God wants families to do - help each other out.

HUGE kudos to the Michael Moody, Erin and Elisa Peabody and all the other leaders who helped make this thing go.  There was a lot of faith and many years behind it.

HUGER kudos to the kids who bared their souls, lifted their hands and wore their hearts on their sleeves to get past the lies the world is selling - that we're alone and unloved and helpless.  We hunted some monsters that night, that's for darn sure.  Jesus Christ... thank you.  Couldn't have done it without you.

Remember, folks, as you set out from this day - build a monster hunting team.  Share your life with others, build each other up, watch each other's backs.  And above all, know your Savior, the Master Hunter.  Do you want the Chuck Norris Jesus or the Stevie Wonder Jesus?  Know him, follow him, sell out to him. 

Those monsters will never stand a chance again.

Keynoting at Wapato School District's Dinner and a Book

Thank You Wapato SD!

Huge thanks to the folks at Wapato School District in Central Washington for having me speak at their first Dinner and a Book family event!  It was a great dinner, great audience and great show.  Some fabulous young readers helped out and shared their amazing reading adventures afterward.  I ran through a small portion of the usual high-energy school assembly "Write Makes Might" and got to wear the Arnold Schwarzenneger barbarian wig, which is one of my personal favorites (see picture below).

If you're wondering what I look like with hair, this is it.  Well, at least if you're wondering what I look like with really long black nasty hair.  I do a bit about "the Word Warrior" and the power of words with an Arnold Schwarzenneger accent, just in case you're wondering.  I usually talk like that for about 3 days afterwards.  It's addicting.  So is wearing the full armor:

Giant thanks to all the kids of Wapato School District and to Mike Balmelli for getting me involved.  Go Wapato!

Book 3 "Parts" Now Available on Kickstarter!

It's official - the "Parts" Kickstarter has launched!  Get on board NOW for below-retail prices, autographed copies, cool series-related merchandise, opportunities to get your ideas into the story and a chance to be in the book!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/chrisweedin/parts-graveyard-shift-book-3

But hurry - campaign ends Nov 16th!  Early adopter specials are going fast...

BOOYAH!

UPDATES!  VIDEO FUN!

Here's a couple funnies for y'all while the Kickstarter cruises along.  The first is a fan interview with Steve, who's tricked out this amazing black hemi as his official monster busting ride.  The second is the official Parts promo video outtakes real.  If you want to laugh AT me and not WITH me, check it out. 

Steve's Monster Hunting Car Interview


Parts Outtakes - the Funny Kind

"Parts" (Graveyard Shift Book 3) Cover Reveal!

It's here!

Feast your eyes on the uber cool, retro Hollywood, campy 1950's B-movie classic horror flick book cover for "Parts:  Graveyard Shift, the Adventures of Carson Dudley Book 3"!

Big props, kudos and mighty grats to longtime artist and friend Chris Caprile for his tireless work, vision and stamina in putting up with my frequent suggestions and nit-pickings.  He does a fabulous job and, as usual, really captured exactly what was in my brain.  Which, all by itself, is a pretty scary thought.  Thanks, brother!

The book will have this same old-school, mad science, creepy feeling, like those cliffhanger horror movies of the 1950's.  Hey, it's even in black and white!  So soak up the nostalgic monster fever of this classic cover and get ready for the Kickstarter release of "Parts" this Friday, October 17th!

Just for fun, I also included some of the earlier prototypes and drafts of various versions of the cover so you can see the evolution of the art... including my initial high quality pencil sketch on a memo pad in the Starbucks where we were meeting.  Totally classy.  So take a walk down the page and see how all the wonder and creation happens.  Challenge yourself to see if you can pick out the subtle (and not-so-subtle) changes between each of the versions.

And in the meantime, hug a mad scientist.  They're people too.

My original sketch on hotel memo pad.  Looking at this now, I'm not sure why I even pay Caprile.  I R GUD DRAWR!

An early pencil sketch by Chris.  Caprile, that is.

An approved and nearly finalized sketch with the ink wash added.

Almost finished!  Full color and book title info added, but still a few tweaks to go.  See if you can spot 'em below...

 

Tada!!! The final (or at least really really close) cover!

Inklings Author Fair

Now this is the stuff I absolutely LOVE!!  Getting up close and personal with the most important part of any author's life:  the READERS!  Check out some of the fun at the Inklings Author Fair in Yakima, WA.  This group ROCKED!

Here's me just chillin' with the bat before the action starts.  Little did I suspect the amazing day I was about to have.  It's just like Carson's days before all the madness, chaos and scary violence!  Without, of course, the scary violence.  Otherwise it was totally like one of his days.

The AMAZING Carson Dudley work ID tag shirt with hand drawn pic of the Parts promo cover, courtesy of James Dart and daughter Jessica.

This is Adam.  I HOPE he's a vampire.  Oh, sure, he's holding that cross, but you know, to my credit, I can't really SEE it from where I'm standing.

Meet Mrs. O.!  I like to say it "Mrs. OH!!"  She's a 5th grade teacher from the Wenatchee area and she's READY TO ROCK!  All I can say is, your class is pretty lucky.  AND safe!  :)

Hmm... I don't like the way Abigail is looking at me.  I'm hoping we're teaming up against the forces of darkness, but judging from the way she's eying my bald head with that bat I'm not entirely convinced we're on the same side.  Oh well.  You want your partners to be cautious, right?

Ryan is amazing... great taste in authors ;) and an aspiring artist!  Check out his rendition of the Chris Caprile cover.  Watch out, Cap!  You've got competition...

Gotta love these socks on T.J.'s little guy.  They're the OFFICIAL Frankenstein's monster socks, in honor of the upcoming book 3 "Parts" for the Graveyard Shift Series, in which mad science runs amok.  Or, maybe, he just likes 'em.  You be the judge!

Last but definitely NOT least... look out Buffy, here comes "Jade the Vampire Slayer"!  Whoa.  This chick knows her vampire hunting.  I feel safer already.  :)  Go Jade!!  I'm right behind you!!

"Parts" 24/7 Slogan Contest Winner!

HUGE thanks to everyone who submitted slogans for this contest!  We had 18 creative, insightful, crazy, hilarious, brutal and often delightfully ludicrous slogans to pick from, and brother it was tough - they were all fabulous.  But the Parts Kickstarter Planning Team got down to it last night and picked a winner... hey, we had to, we can't use 'em all!

Drum roll please...

CONGRATULATIONS JAMES DART!!  

James is the proud winner of the 24/7 Slogan Contest for Parts, Book 3 in the Graveyard Shift, the Adventures of Carson Dudley series!!  Here's the winning slogan:

"Fast service for those on the run!"

His tongue-in-cheek slogan will earn him a special place in the book's acknowledgements and will be slathered across all the 24/7 products soon to be featured in the Kickstarter Launch of Parts (October 17th, 2014), all available as backer reward!  The slogan will also see some play in the novel itself, as part of a minor plot line, and will most likely drop off the lips of Carson and some of the other characters.  Way to go, James!

If you didn't win it, don't fret... not only will there be MORE contests and creative opportunities to get involved with Parts, but some of the slogans were so good, they just might be cropping up in the book anyway.

I DO love to BITE into a good slogan...

24/7 Slogan Contest!

Calling all creative people with too much time on their hands who want to be in a book...

Here's your first chance to leave your mark on "Parts", book 3 in the series Graveyard Shift, the Adventures of Carson Dudley!

Everyone remember the 24/7 Mini-Mart?  Well... it needs a SLOGAN!  And that slogan will be IN THE BOOK!  Plus, it'll be slathered over all the merchandise we're cranking out for the upcoming Kickstarter campaign.  And you'll probably get some recognition online, in social media, in the book credits and be made famous worldwide as someone who can think of good slogans.  Sweet!

So whip out your creative-and-clever-hat and serve me up something I can use.  Slogans should be one sentence and need to be both funny and tongue-in-cheek references to the Graveyard Shift series.  Something like "Come on in for your next bite!" works well.  Remember, it's a catch phrase for a mini-mart AND a monster-whacking hideout.  Let the creative dogs of war loose and go for it.

You can leave your entries here in the comments or post them on my Facebook author's Page.

Good luck!