613 Media — Telling the Story

OH MY GOSH!

OH MY GOSH!

The equivalent population of a third world country was all around us today! I have never, and I mean NEVER seen so many people crowded into one location and that includes an ill fated Fourth of July I spent at the Magic Kingdom. I’m talking about the Book Expo America.

OH MY GOSH!

I am so tired I can hardly lift my foot. And, we only lasted from 9 AM until 330 PM. And, in that period of time we only saw maybe, maybe, MAYBE one third of the exhibits. Somewhere, there is a rain forest completed denuded to supply all the paper for all the books we saw today!

We drove downtown through a huge construction site and into the shadow of the Staples Center where the L.A. Whatevertheirnameis basketball team won last night to move on to the NBA title game. And, we walked down some stairs and then up some stairs and into total complete bedlam.

Let me just say that the official “Survivor’s Guide” to the BEA that was given out free of charge only protected me for the first thirty minutes. We went straight to the West Hall which would occupy most of the Magic Kingdom and it represents only a fifth of the exhibits. We went there to get William Demski’s autograph. While there, we saw Brooke Shields signing autographs and at least forty best selling authors whose names I have seen on the bookshelves many times. Tomorrow I am going to try and get autographs, in person, from Richard Crais (mystery writer), William Shatner (obese ex-Starfleet Captain), and my writing idol, Ray Bradbury. I get to meet them in person. And, have my picture taken! And get a book for free autographed by them to me!

Okay, that’s not why I’m here. I’m here to promote the release of my second book in the Jonathan Steel series, “The 12th Demon: Vampyre Majick”. I have uploaded some pictures to my web gallery, http://gallery.mac.com/bhennigan/100077 , and you can check it out. Tomorrow I will be signing books from 330 to 4 PM Pacific Daylight Time and then we will head out for Anaheim again to spend the night at a hotel closer to the airport. After our ill fated one hour drive last night to go just 7 miles, I will not risk spending another night in Los Angeles just because of the bad traffic.

Let me state this uncategorically. Reading books is not a dead art. If what we saw today, row after row after row after row of book publishers both big name and independent is any indication, we don’t have to worry about the future of reading.

Was there one weird thing I saw? At least one. We stopped at this booth that sells shoe insoles for the weary walker. And, after walking probably close to 47 miles today (I may be exaggerating slightly) I see why the insoles are popular. But these insoles have this fluid in them and when you step down on them, the fluid rolls from one end of your foot to another. It’s like walking on a water filled balloon. Sherry loved it. I hated it. In my book, only Jesus walked on water. I’m more like Peter. I sank so I took them out and gave them to Sherry for her other shoes.

Eating was an interesting endeavor. We had to wait in line for almost thirty minutes to get a hot dog, nachos, and a small salad because that was all there was to eat. And, we had to sit on the floor just off the main walkway and risk getting trampled. I felt like the blind beggar in the marketplace. “Who sinned that this man should have to eat wimpy salad on the floor?” I don’t have an answer for that except to say that there were many “beggars” along the floor and in between each beggar was a pile of discarded books you could shuffle through, or lay your head on, or use as scribble pads, or as a table. That’s one thing about the BEA. You can get free books! Not just a couple. Not just a dozen. No, if you had the space, you could walk away with an entire library of books! We nabbed well over twenty in the short time we covered only one fourth of the main hallway. Now, some of them are pure garbage. But, some are gems.

Okay, tomorrow, I’ll be signing books and showing the latest webisode “Vampyre Majick” produced by Perennialmedia. We’ll be posting it soon on www.12thdemon.com so you can check it out, too.

I’ll update you tomorrow.

Bruce

Sherry and I are strangers in a strange land.

If you are from the Los Angeles area, forgive me. You would find yourself similarly out of place in the deep South. For instance, this evening (Thursday) just one day before the start of the Book Expo America, Sherry and I drove from Anaheim to downtown Los Angeles.

Anaheim is where Disneyland and California Adventure await the anxious magic seeker. We arrived on Saturday and stayed at the Paradise Pier Hotel just across the street from the parks. We spent over five days exploring the area and enjoying Walt Disney’s original dream parks.

From Anaheim it is 23 miles to downtown Los Angeles and it took us 30 minutes to make the drive down Interstate 5. But, just two hours later at 5 P.M. it would takes us an hour to drive just 7 miles through Hollywood to Universal Studios City Walk to eat at Bubba Gump’s Shrimp Restaurant.

Now, to understand this you have to visualize ten lanes of traffic, five on each side. Then, you have to visualize every square foot covered by a vehicle moving about 2 miles per hour with an occasional motorcycle weaving in and out of the almost stationary cars. I will NEVER complain about Bert Kouns or Youree Drive again! This was just unbelievable.

Then, after we ate, it took another 30 minutes to drive the 7 miles back through Hollywood to our hotel. And, people who live in LA do this every day. One wonders how they handle the stress. We found out when a car that moved with us through the traffic was playing opera so loud it vibrated OUR windows. And, the women who was driving this car was not only singing at the top of her lungs but she was directing the orchestra as she sang.

So, tomorrow, we begin our appearance at the Book Expo America. Before I arrived I had no idea what the BEA was. I still have my doubts. But, in today’s USA Today there were some articles about all the celebrities who will be at the BEA pitching their books. And, just as there are dozens of Oscar parties, there are dozens of BEA parties! I found out that the man formerly known as Prince is having the biggest party Saturday night. I was not invited. And Alec Baldwin is having a party Friday night. I was not invited. As I checked the rest of the celebrity parties, I realized with much chagrin, that I was not invited. Sherry and I decide we would have our own party on the patio outside our room tomorrow night. We will play the rain and thunder CD we sleep to and pass out what’s left of our Ritz Crackers and Cheese Whiz. I doubt any celebrities will appear.

So, check in tomorrow for pictures and moment by moment accounts of what happens on the first day of the BEA.

Exciting things are happening!

“The 12th Demon: Vampyre Majick” received its first review and was rated Excellent. You can check out the link to the review at www.12thdemon.com.

I’m leaving Saturday, May 24 for Los Angeles. Sherry and I will be attending the biggest, hugest, most mind boggling book exposition in the world, Book Expo American. Just to give you an idea, over 962 authors will be signing autographs. Such authors as Ray Bradbury will be waiting to sign your book! Now, I’m not up with the likes of these guys but I will having my own book signing for “The 12th Demon” on Saturday, May 31 from 3 to 330 PDT so say a little prayer for me. I’ve discovered that all kinds of literary agents, foreign rights agents, movie agents will be wandering around looking for the next best seller. I would love to see “The 13th Demon” and “The 12th Demon” made into a movie.

At BEA I will also have the opportunity to make lots of contacts not only in the publishing world, but in the media world in general. And, I am having a conversation with someone tomorrow that might change the course of my future in writing! Be in prayer!

Chris Lyon and Luke Lee just completed shooting the webisode for “The 12th Demon”. Perennial Media (www.perennialmedia.com) will produce the short film to be posted on my website. I’m hoping we can have it finished in time for my book signing. Who knows, Warner Bros. may soon be calling Chris and Luke to come to Hollywood!!

Put on your calendar June 7, 2008. Saturday from 2 to 4 PM I will be holding my first book signing for “The 12th Demon: Vampyre Majick” at Barnes & Noble on Youree Dr. I will be giving away the newest “12th Demon” tee shirts and caps as well as bookmarks. A limited quantity of the 13th demon shirts and caps will be available and if you are in the first 25 to show up, you get your choice!

I’ll post some entries from Los Angeles so keep in touch.