Beyond the Page...

Just this morning I finished a book that has paved new ground in literary history. The book is Personal Effects: Dark Arts by J.C. Hutchins and Jordan Weisman. I've been a fan of J.C.'s work for some time as he successfully podcast a wonderful action/adventure/thriller trilogy called 7th Son, which he completed in 2007.

Personal Effects is the first "dead-tree edition" of one of J.C.'s works. Based on a concept by Jordan Weisman, it is an excellent novel. If supernatural thrillers are your thing, then this book is for you.

What really sets this apart is the experience away from the page. Yep, there's an experience to be had here separate from the book. The book has a built-in envelope that contains several items, or personal effects. These include authentic looking plastic ID and credit cards, birth certificates, death certificates, photos, and more. (If you want to see the items, J.C. has several "unboxing" videos on his site.) Many of these items are directly referenced in the text, but they can also contain clues that you can use elsewhere.

Elsewhere? Phone numbers are sprinkled throughout the book and personal effects, including the cell phone number for the main character right on the cover. These are real phone numbers, with recordings from the characters. During the course the book pin numbers are referenced, and you can use these to listen to voice mail messages that add more depth to the story between the covers.

Likewise, there are websites for you to explore. Some come from the novel itself, others from the personal effects. For example I took an e-mail address from one of the included personal effects and went to the website for that domain, then used information from the novel to hack in and read hidden documents.

I'm not usually much of a puzzle guy, but I really enjoyed searching the websites and voice mails for clues and information kept secret by characters and organizations from the book. In fact, even though I've finished the book I'm still planning on doing some more digging because I know I haven't found everything. There are a few of the included documents that still have a story to tell. Even though I've finished the novel, I don't want the experience to end.

But when all is said and done, it's a book, right? Even on its own it is a great read. I tend to use the term "critical mass" to describe when a book reaches the point where I can't put it down until I finish it. Not every book achieves this level of interest, but Personal Effects did. In fact the only reason I didn't finish it before bed last night was because I was literally so tired I was unable to keep my eyes open. But the first thing I did this morning was to finish the book.

If you want to check out J.C.'s writing without spending a dime, he is currently podcasting Personal Effects: Sword of Blood, a novella that takes place days before the events in the novel. Same characters, same settings, but a story totally unrelated to the main events in Dark Art.

So as you can tell I heartily recommend Personal Effects: Dark Art, and I encourage you to buy a copy. You'll be helping out a new novelist, and get yourself a great read. In addition to everything I mentioned above, it is a beautiful package, with interesting artwork throughout the book. With all the extras included, the $24.95 list price is quite a deal.

And remember the name J.C. Hutchins. The first book in the 7th Son trilogy will be published in the fall of 2009. You'll want to grab a copy of that, too.

Vacation Musings

I just got back from a wonderful five day trip to Phoenix. While the wife and I were there we saw some unusual plant life and other amazing things, both man-made and natural. About midway throughout trip we attended a spring training baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians, since the latter team's spring home was about a half hour away from where we were staying.

It was a beautiful, sunny day without a breath of wind. The temperature gauge said mid-80's, but it felt like the 70's to our Michigan trained senses. Our seats were directly behind home plate only 26 rows up. We had a fabulous view of the game, and were protected from the sun by the shadow of the press box.

At one point I was sitting there shelling and eating peanuts, with frequent sips from my Landshark Lager, and I was struck with how utterly happy and relaxed I felt. It was a marvelous feeling. I had no concerns or worries on my mind, I was just enjoying the moment. At that point in time I was truly on vacation.

I thought about that revelation as I watched the game progress. I take at least one vacation every year, and I always enjoy my time away. But it has been years since I've had the feeling of utter happiness that struck me at that ball game. As I munched I thought how sad it was that our lives were structured so that moments such as these are in the minority rather than the majority.

Who decided that work and toil should take the lion's share of our lives, leaving slim pickings for relaxation and enjoyment? It seemed to me we had messed it all up. We'd gotten it backwards. Wouldn't the world be a better place if we could all feel what I was? I thought so.

I have no grand plan for righting this wrong. I am not likely to become independently wealthy so I can be on permanent vacation, nor do I propose another system of government to make that happen. None of the political structures that have been used throughout history have succeeded in providing such a lifestyle for everyone. I'm also not really a believer in perfect utopias.

I have no answers here, just a memory of a perfect moment and a desire to experience it again. Soon.

Maturity Knocks

Today is my birthday. At approximately 5:30am on this date in 1963 I was brought into this world, no doubt kicking and screaming. And if you can do the math in your head you already know how old I am. Today I am 46. I pass on the mantle of having my age match speed limit signs to my wife and I move on.

Usually this would not be considered a milestone birthday. It doesn't end with a zero or a five. You can't go to the store and buy "You're 46!" birthday cards. But in many ways this is more of a milestone for me than turning 45 was.

I am closer to 50 than I am to 40. I am now closer to 90 than I am to the day I was born. I am on three maintenance medications, including one for cholesterol and another for blood pressure. Indeed, I should be well on my way to becoming a stately, and dare I say seasoned, middle-age man. In short, Maturity is knocking.

I've been dodging Maturity for a long time. I have acted like I'm 12 most of the time, and have not sat around reading Homer or Shakespeare. I've been more likely to play a video games than read a newspaper. I've had lightsabre fights with my nephews, and enjoyed every one of them. I've had a ball playing laser tag, even though it always showed me how out of shape I was.

Lately, though, I haven't been playing video games so much. My lightsabre broke a couple of years back and I have not replaced it. And recently I actually started reading a book about the origins of civilization.

Now that I'm on the downward slope to 50, maybe it's time to open the door and let Maturity in. Maybe I should put away my Beanie Baby named Gizmo, and get rid of my silly pirate costume. Maybe I should let my mind calcify along with my arteries and become a set-in-my-ways, crotchety old man. Maybe I should.

However, after careful consideration, I have decided that I have this to say to Maturity...


All of that might sound just fine for someone else, but it just doesn't sound like me. So I'm gonna play with the Captain Teague action figure that came with my new copy of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. I'm gonna be overjoyed that I also got the 20th anniversary edition of Tron for my birthday. I'm gonna wear my Indiana Jones hat and fantasize about finding lost cities. I'm gonna use "gonna" instead of "going to"! So there!

And now if you'll excuse me, I have a play-date with a friend to play video games on his Xbox 360.

Coming Soon...

I know it has been a while since I've posted anything here, so I thought I would give you an update. I have been preparing over the last several weeks to release my novella Borrowed Time as a free, serialized podiobook. Weekly episodes of my reading of this work will soon be available on the web, or can be downloaded to a MP3 player such as a Zune or an iPod.

You can keep abreast of this project at http://www.penslinger.com/. I have a teaser promo posted there now. Give it a listen to hear a taste of what is to come.

I am hoping that episodes of Borrowed Time will start appearing on the website in April. Stay tuned for more updates and remember...

In the race for the future, time has no boundries!