Pitch Wars Bio. (Otherwise known as the post with the lame title)

So, I’ve submitted my novel to #PitchWars, a contest for writers in which they get a mentor to help them with their novel. You pick four mentors and submit your query and first five to them. Scary! Someone started the trend of writing bios for the people submitting. Because all of us have spent so long looking at the same darn things for our mentor choices.  No, really, we have. Dannie Morin has begun compiling these things here. I figured I’d jump on the #PitchWars bio bandwagon. Cause if there’s anything this contest needs, it’s more me!

I mean, I’m interesting.

Right?

I decided to just do bullet points and only include totally random stuff that wouldn’t really help anyone pick me.

Why?

Because.

But seriously, if you want to know more about me, just ask. I’m an open book. Seriously. I mean, who else would share some of the crap I have?

No one in their right mind, probably.

Without further ado, I present… ME!

– I was a singer in two bands. The first was in early high school. We called ourselves Incarrion. Like, in carrion (as in dead meat). We were hella deep back then. The second was after college. I’m still proud of the work I did in The Evening Telegram. We were an eclectic mix of Experimental, Metal, and Alternative. We never played many gigs, but wrote some awful to awesome tunes. If you must have evidence, go here.

-Even though I was in a band, reading musical tablature is nearly impossible for me. I took piano, voice, guitar, and saxophone lessons as a kid. I can bang around with all of them. Like, literally the only think I can do is make random sounds.

-My musical taste is super-eclectic. You can most often find me listening to Morrissey or The National, but I still listen to some Metal, Country, and a bunch of other stuff.

-Even though my taste is eclectic, you won’t find me listening to much Rap or Pop. I guess I’m just a Luddite.

-I don’t have any of my early writings. I threw them all out in a fit of depression at the end of college.

-I’m happily whipped by my wife. That’s not to say that she’s always the boss. I’d just rather give her what she wants. It usually means I get what I want, too.

-My first kiss wasn’t until college. I guess that’s kinda pathetic, but I was in love with a girl all the way through high school. That would’ve been a great thing… if she was interested in me. Which she wasn’t.

-That said, I was the first guy in my grade to have a girlfriend. Yeah, I peaked at first grade. It was all downhill for a while after that.

-Before I had my idea for my novel, I was working on a piece of fanfiction about The Walking Dead.

-I used to read this book and dream about building a kick-ass tree fort.

-My dog is the BOMB!

(I mean, how do you refuse that face?)

Empire’s First Chapter

I wanted to post the new version of the first chapter here. I am very excited with where it has gone. It is a long way from the first version. I’ve entered a few contests to get help with my query. I will be posting it here once I have more faith in it.

🙂

Empire, Nevada

by F.M. Anderson

Chapter 1

 

January 12, 2011

Population 322

 

 Before Dad told me the secret, the biggest unknown in my life was what starting high school would be like the next year. I knew I’d get a little more freedom, a driver’s license, maybe even an honest-to-God girlfriend. All that was gone after I learned the secret. My life became a snow globe that someone had shaken into a blizzard. The image was cloudy.

I was shocked to see how large the gathering was when I reached the last truck parked in front of the factory the night of the meeting. Before that day, the parking lot had been a pleasantly calming oasis where the hum of truck engines blended with idle chatter from the miners and office workers going about their business. That night, even the small trees that bordered the lot seemed to be shaking with anticipation.

The tiny Michellette office wasn’t much to look at. Its tin walls were painted an ugly yellowish tan – a revolting color someone would only buy if it was priced so low they were practically giving it away. A fine coating of gypsum powder covered everything, giving it a milky haze which was being kicked up into a lazily hovering dust by all the shuffling feet. It merged with the cigarette smoke wafting from the crowd, giving the air a dense, almost stifling scent.

Since there was no grandiose facade to show off, Michellette Mining, the company that owned most of our town, built the stage near the offices’ one pathetic distinguishing feature – a door made of metal and glass with brown age spots and a few peeling stickers plastered on it.

Rows of folding metal chairs were lined up behind a black podium. A cluster of microphones with the names of all the local news outlets mushroomed around the podium. Film crews had placed huge round lights on the back of the parking lot, bathing everything in harsh white light.

The crowd was full of men in trucker hats and women bundled up in winter coats. They huddled together in scattered groups, whispering nervously to each other. Cigarette butts dotted the parking lot like stinking, smoldering snow. You could feel the frayed nerves as everyone huddled to keep warm.

Everyone was anticipating the announcement. It was all they talked about in the weeks after it was announced. People took turns guessing what the meeting was about. Some thought we’d be saved and a new owner would be announced. Other, more practical people saw the writing on the wall. They figured if the economic recession could take down banks worth billions, our broke-ass town didn’t stand a chance.

I tried finding James and Slim, my two best friends, but moving through the mob was like wading through a murky river. By the time I spotted them near the back of the lot, the search had taken far too long and I saw my dad eyeing the crowd for me. I’d be in trouble if I made him go searching for me, so I waded back toward the stage.

I climbed the steps. It felt like being on the wrong end of a firing squad. Overly-primped jerks in black and gray suits were everywhere. I’d never even seen most of them before. It was probably the first time they’d stepped foot in Empire, even though they had its fate in their hands. All the local Michellette representatives sat there beside their families. Dad said it was to show solidarity with the town; I figured it just made a prettier picture for the cameras. It felt like everyone was staring at us. To tell you the truth, they probably were.

I was horrified when I saw the seat Dad saved for me. I had to sit right behind the podium, which meant I couldn’t hide from the crowd. I sat right as the meeting started. One of the ‘suits’ walked behind the podium and said, “I want to start off by thanking everybody for being here. I know it’s a bit chilly, but we wanted to show off the great facilities we have in Empire. We couldn’t be prouder of this division.” His voice was raspy, like he was a few-packs-a-day smoker.

I was a bit relieved to discover I was blocked by each speaker as they came up to the podium. Dad probably put me there on purpose; he was embarrassed of my appearance and wanted me present, but not especially visible. He didn’t want to world staring at his fat son, but did want credit from his bosses for having what little remained of his family there.

I thought, Here it goes.

“Sadly, I am here today to announce the closure of our operations in Empire.”

The suit kept droning on, but I tuned him out I watch as the once hopeful faces in the crowd hung lower with each word spoken. I’d worried about tearing up during the meeting the night before, but now it was actually happening, I felt oddly hollow; like someone scooped out my soul.

Once the first suit was done, others got up; each taking turns offering platitudes about how much they appreciated our hard work over the years, and how sorry they were to be delivering such bad news. They all claimed that Michellette would do what they could to “ease your transitions by helping you find new jobs and new homes.” But it was bullshit. They were just happy to get in front of the press. You could tell by the bounce in their steps and the calm grins they kept flashing at the cameras. I watched as everyone started asking themselves the same questions that had been plaguing me for weeks.

What do I do now? Where will I go? How do I move on?

Things were winding down when my father stood up to give the speech he’d been preparing for the last week. As soon as he opened his mouth to speak, a red truck swerved into the parking lot and lopsided stop behind one of the news vans. A group of stoned-drunk miners poured out of it, stumbling into the crowd still holding their drinks.

They pushed through the crowd. Carl Bates was right in front. He wore a crazed expression, like a wild animal. His daughter Trish used to be one of my best friends. We’d stopped hanging out by middle school, but I’d heard stories about his drinking. He’d turned into a bit of a local nuisance since getting fired.

My dad stepped forward to confront him. Everyone stopped to watch. An uneasy silence filled the air as my father spoke quietly. I couldn’t hear a single word Dad said, but Mr. Bates made sure everyone could hear his response.

“What do you think I’m doin, Simpkins?” he screamed. “I’m here to tell these bastards how it is. They think they can just roll over us and keep on going, like we’re some critter they can drive over and just keep on goin? Well, I’ll show ‘em what happens when the roadkill gets revenge. I’ll show ‘em! You just watch!”

Dad started talking again, holding both palms up like he was an offensive lineman. Police officers on the outskirts of the crowd started walking toward the stage. Right about the time I noticed them, Mr. Bates did, too. He took down the rest of his drink in one big gulp, a smile spreading across his face, then turned back to the stage and made an abrupt flinging motion.

I watched the glass flying through the air, rocketing towards me.

The realization that the glass was going to hit me square in the face came too late. I tried ducking, but only managed tilting my head enough for my forehead to take most of the blow.

The next thing I knew, everything went blank.

What’s the hardest part of writing a novel?

What’s the hardest part of writing a novel?

Nope, it’s not forcing yourself to sit down and write every day. It isn’t having to think of plot developments, characterizations, or world building. It even isn’t editing. (Actually, I was surprised to find editing the most rewarding part of writing a book.)

So, what IS the hardest part about writing a novel?

Writing the damn query!

If you want to sell your book to an agent (who then sells it to a publisher), you have to write one of these God forsaken things. In it, you are asked to sell your book AND yourself… in less than a freaking page.

It’s a nightmare.

I’ve totally lost count of how many drafts I’ve written. I’ve gone to places like The Absolute Write Watercooler (an invaluable tool for writers of any ilk). I’ve asked for help from my beta readers. I’m about to the point of going to a mystic to see if she can conjure me one from the ether.

My elevator pitch I give anyone who asks me about my book in person is- “In 2011, Empire, Nevada was closed by the mining company that owned it. They announced the closure in January, but stayed open till June so kids could finish the school year. By the end of the year, only 15 students remained. The character I’ve created, Paul Simpkins, is one of them. After this, he tries rebuilding his life. He does a crappy job, and ends up running back to Empire with his good friends. There, the poop hits the fan, and Paul has to finally break out of his shell and start to move forward with his life again.”

Or some variation of this.

I guess the problem with my book is that Paul just wants to be a normal kid. He doesn’t want to be caught up in all the crap that keeps happening to him.

Hey, it’s a freaking coming of age story!

I’m going to get some help soon. Michelle Hauck is going to post the current version I’ve been sending out over on her blog sometime. I’ll post my new synopsis there when it’s up. Hopefully, they can help me salvage this hot mess.

In closing, I want to leave you with some awesome news: Five of the students I teach are, at this very moment, reading my novel! I find myself both excited and nervous. These are the first people to read it that are actually in the age range I’m aiming for. So far, I’ve had great readers that have been immensely helpful, but this feels like a real test of my material.

My only concern is them being afraid of being critical. I am their teacher. Still, I’ve told them to be as brutal as they feel. I’d rather get punched in the gut now. Later is way too late.

When Is A Book Done?

I’ve been squeezing as much time as I can out of my busy day to work on Empire. The beginning is as perfect as I can make it. The rest is too.

That’s not to say I’m not still tinkering. I don’t know if I could ever call a book done. I have a feeling (if I end up selling it) my agent and editor will have to pry it out of my hands. I’m at that point where things feel balanced. I have new CPs, but it’s all down to little details that could hurt the pace/overall story just as much as they could help it. I’ve worked on some additional things to add at the end, but don’t know that I want to make the ending longer than it already is.

Does everything have to be answered in a book? I know life isn’t like that.

You do get the see the most important stuff play out. To me, the book is all about Paul. Sure, it’d be nice to see these scenes, but it isn’t necessary.

Maybe it is. I truly don’t know.

I’m at the point where I want someone who really knows what they’re doing to say, “Hey, I love this, but work on this.” Until then, I’m afraid to add extra scenes.

I’ve gotten an R&R from one agent already. I’ve also sent out queries to a few others. I have faith in the story. It could be something special.

I can’t wait to share this book with you all!

Long Time, No Post!

I’ve been bad. At least, I’ve been bad at updating this site.

I spent every second I had this summer re-writing Empire. I’m extremely happy with it now. It’s not quite perfect, but it’s getting closer.

Part of the issue I’m having is structural. I have to introduce a lot at the beginning. Not because I love exposition– I actually am not a fan of novels that take a long time to get going– but out of necessity. I’m a bit stuck, because all of the pieces I have need to be there.

What I don’t want is a book where people say, “It gets amazing half way through.” And that’s where it is now.

It’s not that the beginning is bad. I still think it’s good. I think working on mixing character info with dialog will help (I got that one thanks to an astute reader), but there are some things I need fresh eyes on- from someone that will make it through the whole book to see why things are where they are.

That’s one of the big reasons why I want an editorial agent. I simply don’t have the extra funds right now to pay for editing. I don’t need line edits for grammar- I need structural plot notes.

I’ve gone ahead and queried a few agents. I actually got a full request from my first query ever… but also got a rejection based upon that full (the rejection was actually a great read- very complimentary. It’ll make me a better writer). I am pretty sure that agent didn’t get through the whole book– which isn’t her fault. It’s mine!

If people feel like the beginning of a novel is work, a lot will tune out.

That’s the rub with my manuscript, and it’s a problem I don’t quite know how to fix on my own.

I’m going to look for more critique partners and keep looking at things myself. I’m confident in everything from the middle to the end. But the opening chapters are the MOST important.

I hope to find someone who has the desire to help me get this novel up to where it could be. Because it could be absolutely amazing, not just pretty good.

I hate saying that. It sounds egotistical. But it’s true. I’m not an overly confident person. If anything, I’m more likely to think bad things about myself- but this novel is already more than I would have ever thought I’d be capable of producing.

Forging ahead, loving this writing experience!

Empire Entered Into Write On Con’s Pitch Contest.

It has taken a number of attempts at getting something together to send out when looking for an agent. The salesman type writing just isn’t my bag. But, I am finally getting toward something I think will work well.

Paul Simpkins and his close-knit group of friends have run away to return to the hometown they love, but have been forced to move away from. What they find is worse than they ever could have expected. They knew it would be a ghost town, but would have preferred to have been met by actual ghosts, rather than the abandoned husk of a once thriving, if small community.

As they spend a night camping outside the outskirts of town, Paul is awoken by the smell of smoke. He rises from the tent he stole from his absentee father to discover the town being eaten by flames and one of his friends missing. He runs into town hoping to save it, only to get trapped inside a burning building while trying to save the town’s sole inhabitant- a single employee left behind to guard the town.

We are then taken back in time and are shown what has led to Paul’s reckless behavior, and how a whole town of EMPIRE, NEVADA could be closed and its residents forced to move.

I still need to work on it a lot and it is short due to the restrictions of the contest, but it is a world better than where I began.

Empire is really coming along well. I am still doing a lot of edits, and probably will be until someone rips it out of my hands to print it.

My biggest surprise has been just how much I love editing. Seeing the wording improve and characters clarified and given more life is a thrill!

Anyway, please check out the link to Write On Con below. This was a great experience that I suggest any writer take part in. Just reading all of the pitches and suggestions will help out out a ton.

I also recommend the forums on http://absolutewrite.com

Not only is there a great community of writers willing to help there, but there is a treasure trove of information that any writer will find invaluable.

I will try to get posting here more. Teaching is still taking a lot of my time, but summer is on the way!

One last update– I am currently plotting and developing novel #2!

http://writeoncon.com/forum/showthread.php?11254-Glick-25-EMPIRE-NEVADA

My Petition to the White House for a ‘One Computer Per Student’ Policy

If you checked out my “About Me” section, then you know I teach middle school. I am passionate about eduction. I have wanted to create a petition to the White House asking for all schools to be provided with a computer for each student they have for a long time. I finally did it tonight!

I don’t necessarily think all kids should have a computer to take home with them. Seeing how quickly kids can beat up a computer in the classroom lets me know that sending them home might be a recipe for disaster. Still, I would love to have a classroom set that I could pull out on a daily basis.

It makes me sad to think that I cannot guarantee the use of computers in my classroom. I am lucky to be at a great school that has just gone though a technology refresh, but even with these new computers and laptops, it is still more than a pain than it should be for me to get my kids hands on a keyboard.

Please take a second to follow the link below, sign up for the site, and sign my petition. I need to get 150 signatures to even show up on the main site, so every signature help!

http://wh.gov/EaC7

How to Try to Write a Novel

No, this isn’t a blog post on the ins and outs of writing a novel and publishing it. This is, however, a post on preparing yourself to attempt writing a novel and setting yourself up with a story you can actually write about until completing. I will post more on the process of writing and publishing as I complete the necessary steps, but those will come in time. Full disclosure- I am not an authority on writing. I do teach Literature to middle school students and I have written both professionally and unprofessionally. I am far from the perfect writer, and the first tip I would give you is to stop trying to be the perfect writer.

More than likely you will reach a point in writing your novel in which you look back at what you have written and see all the bits that are complete and utter crap. Stop worrying about this! As I progress in the editing process, I am amazed to find the ways I can improve things that were once crap into truly beautiful writing. I also have some sections that are just OK. Hopefully I can find a way to make the whole text sing, but I have read numerous books by authors with a million times the skill I possess that have weak sections in their works. If you try to make the whole thing perfect, you will probably drive yourself nuts. Keep going back until you get is as well-written as you can possibly make it. Just don’t expect that perfect prose to spill out the very first time you type a bit of explication into your word processor.

The second tip I can provide is to write as many story treatments as possible. I have a nice collection of over twenty story ideas- many of which will probably never see the light of day. Some are as simple as a title or short description of a concept. One of my notes simply says, “Planet Orphan”. I know what that means and where that story could possibly go, but things change as you work on them. Let me show you an example of one of my awful story ideas that I won’t delete, but is way far back in my list of potential follow-up works.

Struggling journalist stops to help handicapped homeless vet while pursuing a bs story he hates. Begins talking to him, asking his story. Gives up and bitches about his job. Homeless guy starts to tell him story. He writes a very popular article about it. Gets to be more in demand. The whole story ends up being a lie.

How about this nugget of poop?

Suicidal

Benny tries to commit suicide using his bumbling father’s pills. He lives, then has to suffer the humiliation of everyone knowing he tried to off himself.

He did it because a girl he had a crush on for years has drama, his friends lives are screwed up, and he doesn’t have the motivation to do well in school despite the pressure his parents put on him.

He tries again by jumping off the school roof. He survives. Learns stuff.

More than likely neither of these are going to see the light of day. Still, the inspiration hit and maybe it will on these concepts again. But, seriously, learns stuff? If your best idea for a source of conflict is that the guy needs to learn stuff, please don’t work on the story more until you know what that stuff is!

My next tip is to flesh out a small section or sample chapter of your potential ideas. Try to write in the voice and tone of what you want the story to be. If it starts to drastically change as you write it, then you might want to sit down and work on an outline or more complete story treatment.

Here is one that I really like and want to return to one day.

Stella grasped out for Remmy’s hand, but his hand was slippery from holding the heavy leather bag she felt his fingers slipping from her own. She tried to grip tighter, but the change squeezed his hand farther down her grip instead. She looked at the city below. People were walking, talking, eating, and just plain  loitering about, oblivious to the deadly struggle taking place fifteen stories above.

She looked back to him and their eyes met. His neck was strained red and that vein she used to make such fun of him about stuck out even farther than she had ever seen it before. She’d have to rib him good about that one once they got back to the commune, she was thinking to herself as she reached down to grab him with the other hand.

Their situation was bad, yes, but not as bad as chasing two bulls away from the cows when they were in heat. It also wasn’t as bad as the bandits that had come to loot the year before. They had guns, while the commune only had their old wooden farming equipment. That had required brains and luck. This situation only required on thing.

“Remmy, DROP THE STUPID BAG!” she screamed at him.

He had to take a deep breath before he could speak because the pull of his legs expanded his body so much that his diaphragm was being pressed on.

“No!” was all he could manage to spit out even after all that.

“Remmy, quit being a putz and drop it! It isn’t that important. We can get more stuff and still get back before dark!”

She was surprised to hear the plea in her voice. She knew it would be alright. It always was.

Just as that thought crossed her mind, she felt Remmy push the bag into her hand and let go.

She watched him fall.

Down he went.

Until.

He was gone.

She pulled herself back from the edge before he hit, but she heard the sounds of it and began to retch.

You may see more of this one in the future, but you may not. Why? This leads me to my third suggestion- Don’t try to write something with such a huge scale that it is unwieldy. Sure, you could try writing your five-book Harry Potterish series, but you have no guarantee that people will catch on to your magic sauce. An epic story is a major investment in a reader’s time. Try to limit your scope to something manageable. At least for your first novel.

I have a huge series based on the life of Alexander the Great and the library of Alexandria that I would love to write one day. But now isn’t the time. It’s too ambitious and nebulous at the moment, and I would rather wait until I have a (probably meager) following of readers before I even think of attempting it.

Now, that last one may not apply to you if that is where your inspiration is and if you have the dedication to see an epic story through. Still, a work with a limited amount of characters will make you more likely to actually write something you can finish and work on editing to perfection.

One of the hardest bits is actually getting yourself to do the damn writing, so set goals. If you have a two week vacation from work, then set a two or three chapter goal for that time period. The more you can find ways to force yourself to write, the more chances you have of actually getting something written. Telling yourself that you will do it one day is the procrastinator’s way to delay actually doing the damn writing.

Again, I am far from an expert. I will also probably end up publishing a novel that is a relatively minor blip in the annuls of writing history. It may even be completely ignored. Still, if I could empower anyone else to take some of these steps and at least attempt to write, then I have done a great thing.

Writing Empire, Nevada has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Some things changed a lot from when I started it. Some things disappeared completely. More will improve as I prepare to publish. I’m not saying you can write a first novel and earn millions of dollars off of it. As a matter of fact, my last piece of advice is to not expect to make a ton of money off of your writing. One of the things that truly scares me about self-publishing is that I don’t want to turn into a huckster spamming Twitter with links to my book. I am writing this because I have always wanted to write a novel. Everything else beyond that is icing on the cake. My initial goal is to make $2,000 off of Empire. Something tells me that is doable, but I refuse to let myself get any ego in all of this. There are much more talented writers than myself. I truly believe that I would be doing it wrong if I went into this expecting to retire from teaching and live in the lap of luxury. Besides, I love teaching and hope to find a way to both write and teach.

I hope these tips help you a bit. Please let me know if you have any tricks you use to write- Especially if you have managed to write your epic series and not let the scale of the endeavor have you puking in fear.

I will post more soon, but not so soon that it keeps me from actually getting the damn work done!

Bad News and Good News in the New Year.

Lets get the bad news over with first- Empire won’t be ready for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.

The good news? I’m giving myself time to make it the quality it deserves to be! I continue to be amazed at the improvements made as I work on it. I don’t want to submit something that isn’t truly a breakthrough novel. Empire will be, eventually.

I used to fear editing. I made such drastic changes that things began to warp into all the wrong shapes. I’m completely thrilled with the editing process I’m using with this work.

I always had a feeling my writing was more suited to novel-length works. Reading what I wrote this summer has confirmed that to me. I tend to be hyper detailed. I have to know a scene and character backwards and forwards- something that makes writing shorter works harder to create to my satisfaction.

There are a few scenes I want to rethink. The ending fourth of the work especially needs some scaffolding and resolution strengthening. Overall, the book is much better than I could have dreamed.

That said, the more I work on it, the more I realize it won’t be for everyone. I expect more than a few low scored reviews from people that don’t like how passive my main character is. I also think some people will find it a bit slow. I’m prepared for that, but it’s the story. I could try to make it more attractive to a mass audience, but I would have to change things that are important to me to do so. I will write more action-packed stories in the future, but that’s not this book.

As I read and edit, it also becomes clearer to me that this book is about fear. Not just regular fears- spiders, heights, clowns, etc- but fear of action. Fear of taking steps to change the things that make our lives harder. Fear of looking past the things we can’t change and to the (perhaps smaller, but still very important) things we can.

As I work through this very important year in my teaching career, I have to balance my paying job with my writing. Empire will be finished soon, but I want to do so in a manner which lets it be all it can be, while not ignoring my other responsibilities in life. I’m sad it won’t make this contest, but it wouldn’t win in the state it’s in right now.

I want this work to be the highest quality I can provide at my current ability level. That is way more important than meeting a date for a contest.

Check back for more updates.

Empire is getting edited for entry to the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award 2013 contest!

I know I haven’t posted here in a loooooonnnggg time. It’s pretty hard work trying to teach a new subject at a new school. Editing a novel on top of that was simply impossible for a while. This is my formal observation year, so teaching has to be priority number one.

The good news? Things have finally leveled off and Empire is coming along nicely! More than nicely, actually. I would have to say I am pretty darn proud of it so far.

I am working on getting it ready in time to try for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award for 2013. I highly doubt I will. I have to be ready for it to come out and be a total bust. I mean, the publishing world is crazy right now and I can’t afford to promote it like many authors do- I don’t have the money or the time. Hell- I don’t even have the time to edit these posts like I should. That time has to go to editing the book, or working on lesson plans, or grading, or taking care of my family… you get the idea.

I will share one part of what I am working on here, though. I have to prepare a “lead” to enter in the contest. That is a short summary of the story- like what you find on the back of a book. I have a few that are rough, but will post on the bottom of this.

The librarian at school is going to let me post my favorite ones in the library for students to vote on! I will be very interested to see what they say. They all seem very interested in the book, but I think that’s mainly because they like me a lot. Whatever! I’ll take it!

_____________________________________________

Have you ever tried to imagine what it would be like to lose your home, your friends, and everything you think you knew?

Paul Simpkins faces this reality after his hometown gets shut down by the mining company that owns it. He then has to move to a new town, try to make new friends, and try to not get killed by the bully that has hounded him his entire life.

Paul decides to run away after the girl he likes disappears and he faces a major embarrassment in front of the whole school. He gathers up his old crew of friends and they set out to save Empire, Nevada.

——-

Paul Simpkins thinks everything is going great. He has good friends, he loves his hometown, and he loves being a normal teenager- even if he can get a little awkward when he talks to girls. But then disaster strikes. The company that owns basically everything in his town announces they are halting all operations there, so Paul and all of his friends are going to have to move.

______

When his family moves to Reno, Paul finds himself friendless, unpopular, and unwanted at his new school. Even worse than that, Paul’s nemesis, Donnie Watson, has moved to Reno as well, and is making Paul’s life miserable. Even the smallest chance of a relationship with a real live girl isn’t enough to save Paul from a disastrous year.

After a major embarrassment, Paul decides to run away and reassemble his old group of friends to attempt to save Empire.

Will Paul be successful, or is he just a doomed as his hometown? Find out in Empire, Nevada.

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Economic collapse, mass eviction, and a once thriving city turned into a ghost town. This might all sound like something out of science fiction, but it was reality for the residents of Empire, Nevada in 2011.  Paul Simpkins is trying to come to grips with the realities of life in this tumultuous setting. He’s a chubby kid with a small, but tight-knit group of friends. He loves his hometown, but has to watch helplessly as almost everyone moves away. Except Donnie Watson, that is. A preternatural bully- Donnie has been the thorn in Paul’s side since they were infants. From name-calling to physical abuse- nothing vile is off-limits to this reprehensible character.

Things only get worse after Paul moves. Both his and Donnie’s fathers are lawyers for Michelette Mining, the company that owns Empire, and both families end up moving to Reno so that they can work at the company’s headquarters.

Even the small glimmer of a chance of a relationship with a real live girl isn’t enough to save Paul’s junior year of high school. After near-endless harassment, social seclusion, and one major embarrassment, Paul decides to reassemble his old crew of friends and run away to try to save Empire.

Can Paul resuscitate the corpse of the city he loves, or is Empire, Nevada doomed to be a ghost town forever? Find out in this absorbing new novel.