THE SCULPTURED ROCKS in Hebron, NH and Illustrator Ken Hornbeck

Sculptured Rocks, swimming hole: Hebron, NH

As a kid, I always loved a book cover that combined the various themes read within its pages. The fun part was looking at the cover and wondering what the various images had to do with each other.
When collaborating with Ken Hornbeck, illustrator for all my novels (Except THE PROMISE OF LIVING), he instantly understood my desires. 

For example, in THE SCULPTURED ROCKS, not only does the main character Dan go to the Rocks, a local swimming hole (the picture is above), but also deals with a haunted house and being on a baseball Little League Team. I wanted to incorporate all three major themes and Ken did this terrifically. In the cover you can see the house, the rocks and the baseball diamond. 

The big bonus is if you closely enough, well, can YOU find the ghost?

All my novels are available on Smashwords and on Amazon.

I love New Hampshire

I love New Hampshire. All my novels are set there and even to this day, the state gives me such pleasure. I really enjoy, as a writer, finding a setting I resonate with and have a heart connection so that my characters feel just as home there as I do.

Peace,
J. Lee Graham

Review for ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD

The first review for my recently published ALL THE TIME IN THE WORD. I found this on Amazon. Mahalo! 

"One book at a time I've awaited with great anticipation J Lee Graham's Andy Mackpeace trilogy, always with the expectation that I'll be riveted by this writer's imagination. All the Time in the World, this third book in the trilogy, left me spell bound. As I read chapter by chapter my excitement for the story grew and as I neared the end of the book I found myself in despair. I was left wanting more.
I thought the historical elements were well thought out and the relationships between the characters of today and yesteryear complex yet not confusing. I personally neither approve nor enjoy "preachy" tales, for instance, those that summon the audience through a pounding upon the head, to accept modernity's anti-prejudice mores. This book did not disappoint. On the contrary, I found the friendship between the teen-aged main characters, Roger who is African and Native American and Andy Macpeace who is Caucasian, to be natural and invested but not free of tension, as "differences" tend to generate.
I'm thrilled to recommend J Lee Graham's Andy Mackpeace trilogy for young readers, and especially All the Time in the World."

ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD

The cover art to my new Andy Mackpeace time travel book, ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD is here! It was designed by Ken Hornbeck. The book comes out very soon; I'll keep you posted. 

ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD

For those of you following my Andy Mackpeace time travel series: IN THE NICK OF TIME and THE TIME OF HIS LIFE, the third book is coming out in October. It is called ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD; I'm very excited about this one. 
Andy is now 14 and travels to Montana to visit his best friend Roger and smuggles an incense stick in his luggage. Roger has a special intention and wants to use the stick to get an artifact from the past. 
It's exciting to see the characters grow, not only in age, but in wisdom and experience. I had a blast writing this latest installment.

A touching Review

Thank you to BhamGhostwriter for a touching review on my YA coming of age novel THE PROMISE OF LIVING. 
This is on my Amazon page for the novel. 

Quite possibly the saddest HEA gay novel I've ever read

By BhamGhostwriter on August 11, 2013

Format: Kindle Edition Amazon Verified Purchase

With its vague metaphysical motif leading the way in some respects, I was truly finding myself totally absorbed in this extremely well-written and otherwise quite realistic coming-of-age novel. Having read the Amazon editorial piece and the extant reviews (one of which mentioned the HEA ending referenced in MY review title), I thought I knew exactly where the story was going and with whom I would be traveling as the plot proceeded in that direction. Then, just past the novel's halfway point and totally out of the blue, the author figuratively - but savagely - kicked me in the gut and stabbed me in the heart. Down for the count, I turned off the Kindle and let it rest on my pounding chest. Jeez! After making a real investment in how I thought this would turn out, I was left completely bereft of that emotional investment; I decided I couldn't finish reading the book. I poured myself a glass of Merlot to calm my nerves and my hurting heart.

A few minutes later however, I felt that by picking up the book again - in the way readers' minds sometimes work - I could thereby take the grieving Ryan into my arms and hold him. He needed someone; he needed me (since I had been through what he was going through). Or, perhaps more likely, I needed him; I needed to continue holding onto him (since I had been through what he was going through). Still, even with such rationales, did it ever hurt.

Please don't get me wrong. I'm glad I decided to finish the book. And though it seemed, somehow, a little rushed and a bit like some literary afterthought, the conclusion provided a fitting and believable HEA. And I appreciated that even though it didn't - at least for me - bring comfort enough to make up for what had gone before. I honestly think the story line could have continued apace, resolving whatever needed to be resolved (the murder, Ryan's future and the question of his sexuality, the "problem" of his visions, Ryan's feelings for Dave) without having to force - midway through - the inclusion of a horridly sad turn of events.

This is one of those rare books which I found myself loving even as I felt totally let down by how it all came to be. Take from this what you will.

THE PROMISE OF LIVING REVIEW!

Many thanks to Mrs. Condit Reads Books blog for reviewing my YA coming of age novel, THE PROMISE OF LIVING. I was very moved. 
Here it is: 

Posted by Pattycake on June 29, 2013

“Ryan took a breath. “You have a code of honor, Dad, about what it means to be a man and even though I must have grown up watching it, I never even noticed it until this year. I think about that a lot. How valuable that is, and how much I admire that in you.”
GENRE: M/M, coming of age, YA
RATING: 4 Sweet Peas!

BLURB: THE PROMISE OF LIVING is a heart-rending coming of age novel of sixteen-year-old Ryan Colton and his quest for his own authenticity. Ryan’s mother died when he was young, and he and his father carve out a tenuous but trusting relationship. Ryan works on Lee Hemmer’s farm with his best friend Dave in Wilson’s Ferry, New Hampshire, a stifling, small town where, in 1975, everyone, it seems, has something to hide. Ryan has a mysterious series of premonitions and visions that reveal the darker secrets of the townspeople. His gift becomes overwhelming when he visions a murky murder at the high school and cannot prevent its occurrence. Ryan seeks the help of a Boston transfer student and a famous psychic to not only focus his gifts to solve the murder but to finally accept his own personal feelings for Dave. Ryan struggles with his own power of being different in the world and knows that the true resolution lies within him.

TRISH’S OPINION: J. Lee Graham has written a powerful and moving coming-of’age story in The Promise of Living. The blurb lays out the bare bones of the story, but you really need to read this wonderful tale to really appreciate the rich feast laid out by the author. Ryan Colton and his best friend Dave Calderwood are your typical teens growing up in your typical small town until events start to happen that shake them and the rest of the town to their very core. Suicide,murder, feelings that don’t fit what small town society decrees to be normal, and other deep secrets are brought out into the light of day, and things will never be the same again.

This is a brilliantly character driven story with a plot that starts out with a smooth flow, then grabs ahold of you and doesn’t let go until the very end. The characters are solid, credible, and face the same triumphs and tragedies that shape the lives of people in the real world. The backstory is rich with details that lay a solid foundation for the storyline without too much trivia. The writing style of the author is eloquently precise, crisp, clear, and so wonderfully down-to-earth. There is no real sex in the story, but it doesn’t detract ftom the book at all. The author displays a solid and well-researched knowledge of what life was like in that time and place with no jarring errors. There are bittersweet moments when tragedy strikes some of the secondary characters, but the book itself has a HEA ending. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this beautiful book and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a fascinating coming-of-age tale.

Another fan's response!

A great response to IN THE NICK OF TIME from a reader on Goodreads.com. Made me smile. Thank you reader!

"Thanks so much goodreads for this book I won! It was fantastic. My only complaint was it was a bit short for me at 100 pages and I wanted it to last a bit longer but it was truly great. You could read this in one sitting easily because it's that interesting. Andy Mackpeace, a 13 year old boy is upset when his eccentric grandmother passes away. While going through her stuff he finds magical incense sticks that when lit takes him to another time period. He travels to the 18th century to Boston and then soon after his return he then with his two best friends goes to the 19 century to Georgia. Soon they realize they do not have the incense stick to get them back home. Together they use their 21 century knowledge to get them back home. Friendships are tested through this journey and a young boy comes into his own while facing some of the most horrific historical moments of America's past. Really loved this book and want to read the sequel now!"

Yes, the sequel, THE TIME OF HIS LIFE is available in book form from Createspace or Amazon (Kindle too), and the various e-versions are on Smashwords.com 

Indie Stores on the Decline?

A great article from Raleigh, North Carolina regarding the fate of our beloved Indie Stores. I love them.  The article focuses primarily on its Quail Ridge Books and Music Store and the age old fight for Independent book stores and how important it is to patronize them.

Sadly, not all indie stores will carry my books (due to their being self-published), but most of them will put my books on the shelf for a commission. That's fine with me! 

Support your local businesses and avoid the big box. More money from Local Businesses goes back into the community compared to Corporate Chains... Think about that.. 

Peace, 
J. Lee Graham

Q&A with Jamie Deacon

I had a great time being interviewed by Jamie Deacon from England about my YA novel THE PROMISE OF LIVING. You can read the entire interview here.
You can read her review of the novel on her blog as well as read an excerpt from the book. You can also sign up for a free give away for THE PROMISE OF LIVING too. 

Book Review for THE PROMISE OF LIVING

Thank you Jamie Deacon for a terrific review of THE PROMISE OF LIVING. Jamie has a blog entitled "Boys on the Brink" where YA gay novels are discussed and celebrated! 

Part of the Review: 

The Promise of Living certainly isn’t a novel for the faint-hearted. It has more than its fair share of harrowing moments, and one twist in particular shocked me so much that I had to put the book down for a while before going back to it. For all the grimness, however, there are some tender scenes, and overall I found it incredibly inspirational.

In defiance of the tough hand fate deals him, Ryan somehow comes through his ordeal, not only stronger, but the kind of young man any parent would be proud of.

If you enjoy novels that combine the clairvoyant with harsh reality, and which don’t shy away from the more disturbing aspects of life, you may well want to give this one a go.

To read the full review, please click here! 
http://blogcritics.org/books/article/book-review-the-promise-of-living/

TIME TRAVEL MART and my novels

I contacted the Time Travel Mart in Los Angeles and donated my two novels to their Library. Both IN THE NICK OF TIME and THE TIME OF HIS LIFE are in the post and on their way. I love supporting Literacy!

Time Travel Mart

Recently, I saw that children's author Mac Barnett is the founder of Time Travel Mart (1714 W. Sunset Blvd, Echo Park, Ca. 90026). It is part of 826 LA, a non-profit writing and tutoring center for Middle Grades and Young Adults.

I loved the idea: it's a convenience store for time travelers. Their slogan reads: "Whenever you are, we're already then."

I hope to be able to send the Center both copies of my novels: IN THE NICK OF TIME and THE TIME OF HIS LIFE to 'help' future time travelers with their journeys.

Mac Barnett, by the way, will be in Decatur, GA soon at The Little Shop of Stories.

Kudos to Mac!

More Wrinkles

The book, A WRINKLE IN TIME, written in 1962, seems very ahead of its time. Apparently, L'Engle had studied the quantum physics connected to Einstein, Max Planck and Werner Heisenberg while she lived in rural Connecticut after leaving a life on the Broadway Stage. The readings inspired the novel and all the others after it.

I found one quote from the book which I loved:

"We look not at the things which are what you would call seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal. but the things which are not seen are eternal."

Some great blogs for Readers.

I found a great new blog: http://wordsmithonia.blogspot.com/ devoted to books and characters and great book reviews as well. Mostly children's books too, I might add, YA and MG.

There is also another blog online devoted mainly to Time Travel novels, and I like her enthusiasm and excitement when she discusses them. Try http://timetraveltimestwo.wordpress.com/

Thank you!

J. Lee Graham

New Upload Opportunities for IN THE NICK OF TIME!

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/117044

IN THE NICK OF TIME, the first of the time travel books about Andy Mackpeace, is now available to upload for the various electronic devices. Amazon can get you into your Kindle, but now you can use Smashwords for Nook, etc. It's a great website and the price of the book is the same as for Kindle.

I'm working on getting the second book THE TIME OF HIS LIFE also ready for the other uploads. Right now, that is available on Kindle too.

Of course, the paper versions of both novels are always available.

Peace,

J. Lee Graham

Another terrific comment from a fan. Mahalo!

‎"I am pleased to support this project. These books are compelling and heartfelt with a strong message of strength, caliber and dignity. A valuable asset for young people. I want to see more books from this author!"

This was a comment submitted by one donor to my Kickstarter project. Thank you Adam!

My novels IN THE NICK OF TIME and THE TIME OF HIS LIFE are both now available on Kindle and Amazon.com

The characters from IN THE NICK OF TIME

Sometimes it's fun and important to imagine the characters as so completely real, they begin to talk back to you. Often, people will say to me, "Andy is my 'favorite' character", and others will say, "No, Roger," or "No, Miranda!"

While Andy is the main character and the focus of the novel, it seems that readers too glean some sense of identity from Andy's friends. For me, when creating them, I loved thinking about them in real time: What do they eat? What do they wear? How do they walk? What makes them angry? What makes them sad? The list goes on and on.

Whenever I get a role in a play, the same process occurs. Who is this new character? How does he walk? How does he hide his embarrassment? How does he show his happiness? What is his favorite food, song, movie, book? It is a blast using the clues from the script to decipher the character.

Much of that theatrical 'training' becomes the same foundation for creating characters. A great shout out to Ken Hornbeck and Peter A. Carey for some of those theatrical juicy tidbits!

Another fan and her comment!

A great new quote from a recent fan for IN THE NICK OF TIME. She writes:

"J. Lee Graham has such a gift at portraying the teenage emotions and thoughts and telling a really good story."

Thank you Sofia!

A wonderful Comment

A fan of IN THE NICK OF TIME from a town in Washington State emailed me this wonderful comment:

Jeff Graham's gift for creating vital, dynamic and sympathetic characters draws the reader in from the very first page. His stories weave, spin and turn in creative, unexpected ways that call one to contemplate new ways of looking at the world, all the while pointing to what is meaningful and important, authentic and real to our tender human condition. His writings are compelling to readers of young age, and to older readers who are young at heart.