What I Learned from Samwise, My Interview with Sean Astin FREE on Kindle (May 24th-May 27th)

I am excited to announce that my latest e-book, What I Learned from Samwise, My Interview with Sean Astin is scheduled to be available for free between May 24th and May 27th.  I hope you can check it out!

You may recognize Sean Astin first as that brave hobbit, Samwise Gamgee, from Peter Jackson's motion picture The Lord of the Rings, but there is a lot more to Sean than this brilliantly played role. This is a man for whom theater runs in his blood--hard to avoid when Patty Duke is your mother!

This e-book features my wide-ranging interview of Sean Astin from 2011. The interview touches on everything from his role as Sam and spiritual reflections to his thoughts on the much loved children's book he and his wife hope to bring to the big screen soon. (Lois Lowry's Number the Stars)

It also contains a review of Sean Astin's impressive book, "There and Back Again," as well as a short essay on Sean's newest project known as #Run3rd. What does he hope to accomplish with his newest endeavor?

The e-book concludes with a variety of links which may be helpful to the reader in learning more about this great actor/director.

A Note for Readers Concerning Future Interviews

Lunch with Emir (and John C) in 2008.

Begining almost exactly a year ago with Sean Astin's interview, I have endeavored to offer new interviews on a quarterly basis.  Recently, I thought I'd ask a distant friend of mine, Dr. Emir Shuford, about answering a few questions--only to learn that he passed away late last year.  


This is probably as a good a time as any, then, to suspend all further blog interviews for the time being.  I'll likely return to them after the completion of my current novel.  As Frodo said," I feel thin; like too much butter spread over a piece of toast."  Time to pull back just a bit!

Taking a Stand Against the Bystander Mentality

We're all too familiar with those terrible cases of people turning a blind eye to desperate emergencies, not wanting to "get involved."  One particularly infamous example of this involved the murder of Kitty Genovese in New York on March 13, 1964.  Supposedly, as many as 38 people watched from their windows at this woman was raped and murdered.  (The murderer actually left and returned later to finish her off where she was lying by a locked door.)  Tragically, there are many other examples of this same sort of apathy to evil and pain.

Things only seem to be getting worse.  There's a tendency these days to live in isolation from others.  Like I pointed out in The Connection Illusion, electronic communication may indeed bring us closer to those who are physically removed from us, but it also moves us further away from those in our daily circle--family, friends, and co-workers.  It helps to create a bubble around us, separating us from those beside us on the journey, distracting us from those we love.

Don't let this false sense of separation move you to become a bystander when you're called upon to help.  While I don't always succeed at this, if someone needs my assistance, I try to do what's necessary.  If I witness something wrong, I am going to get involved.  If this places friendships or livelihood in jeopardy, so be it.

Recently, something particularly tragic happened to a relative which really brought this issue to my heart.  If you encounter someone in a seriously bad place, take a moment to get involved and put yourself out there to help the person.  If you fail to act, you may live to deeply regret your unwillingness to get involved.  I urge you not to care about what people may say or think.  Instead, do what's right.  

After all, you should do unto others as you would have them do to you.  The parable of the Good Samaritan is a strong reminder of what is expected of us as followers of Christ.  Are we doing all we can for those suffering around us, or are we living within that bubble of isolation?  Of course there are many ways to get more involved.  

Updated May 2017: A recent piece on church safety also touches upon the issue of fighting the bystander mentality and getting involved.  I invite you to read "Keeping Our Parishes Safe."  

Note that the section of this article that discussed Sean Astin's #Run3rd has been deleted; it's no longer relevant.

Blog Happenings & Interview Update

I've really enjoyed the opportunity to bring some fresh interviews to my blog over the last six months.  From Sean Astin and Lino Rulli to Raymond Arroyo and Donna Cori Gibson, I had a blast doing these interviews, and the positive reader feedback was greatly appreciated.  Opening a dialogue with such engaging people continues to be a rich experience indeed.


For the next year, or so, I will be curtailing the frequency of featured interviews from monthly to quarterly.  This should help me concentrate more on my upcoming book, Toupee Mice, as well as the new novel I'm writing--not to mention the ol' day job for the State of Oregon.  (Yes, I'm a busy guy...)

Speaking of the novel, here's a little photographic teaser for The Blood Cries Out.  Can you guess where I took this shot?






PS.  I hope you can drop by my new author page!

Bring Tristan Home for Christmas!

In case you missed all the excitement, I hope you'll take a moment to check out my children's book, Tristan's Travels!  With the current special on priority shipping, it couldn't be a better time to bring this book home for Christmas.


What are they saying about Tristan's Travels?  Here is a short sampling of reviews and feedback...




"With a Disney-like quality of imagination, adventure, and insight, Karl Erickson weaves his allegory on friendship and faith in this delightful tale..."

Fr. Tim Mockaits


"It reminds me of the work of A.A. Milne in its delightfully simple humor, of Beatrix Potter in its simply delightful depiction of anthropomorphous beasts, of Kenneth Grahame in its debt to literary tradition..."

Joseph Pearce




"For anyone who has lived in Astoria, Oregon--for anyone who has watched animals read--for anyone who has or hasn't wanted an adventure, Karl Erickson's beautifully illustrated, lovingly written fable about the life and particularity of a seagull named Tristan is a worthwhile journey."

Sean Astin


"Inspired by Saint Francis of Assisi and the writings of C.S. Lewis Erickson's narrative is one of pure delight. It's imaginative, action-packed adventure of faith and friendship will enchant readers of all ages."

Gail Welborn



"Tristan’s Travels weaves a theme of grace into a tale of animals trying to surmount an impossible distance to help someone they love. It is a tale that has deeper themes and Catholic undertones without shoving them down the reader’s throat. This is the sort of book I imagine myself — and my children — rereading many times, enjoying some new pearl and all the old laughs again each time."

Sarah Reinhard




Links:


Video Trailer


Tristan's Travels at Rafka Press  (discounted priority shipping currently available)*

* The customer will need to change the shipping method from Standard Domestic to Priority.  

After they “Add to cart” and

“Check out” and select

“Don’t have a PayPal account” (or they can “Check out with PayPal”) and

“Review and Continue”

Then they’ll be able to change the shipping method to Priority. 

Breaking Book News... for a sneak peek at the artwork for our upcoming book Toupee Mice, please visit my new author page on Facebook!

A Writing Tip or Two

Hope you enjoyed Friday's interview!  More surprises on the way, so "stay tuned," as they say.


Shortly after getting back from the Blue Mountains, it was time to put down the work on my mystery novel and start revising a children's book I wrote almost a decade ago.  (Once the publication time nears, I'll share more details.)  I thought I'd share several practical techniques with which the aspiring/perspiring writer may wish to experiment.


First, reading aloud is a great way to check general readability as well as the flow of the narrative.  Does it sound choppy or smooth, forced or natural?  Unless your aiming for a technical or academic audience, this technique works just as well with a children's book (intended to be read aloud) as with an adult mystery or fantasy.  In other words, it doesn't need to be a "read aloud" kind of book for this technique to prove helpful.  It's also helpful at times to have someone close to you read it aloud to you.  This let's the writer be even more ruthless in his slicing of the text.  Of course, reading it aloud to family and friends can also be useful--especially when the kids start giggling (at the right spots).


Second, try selecting and writing down the first three words of each consecutive sentence for two to three of your paragraphs.  When finished, glance down the columns to easily identify repeated sentence patterns. Sometimes this can also be used as confirmation to your auditory test of the material: does it read well?


Third, every author knows a phrase--e.g. passive verb constructions--or words that he has to avoid using too frequently.  (The perfect example of this kind of thing is a PE teacher in high school who mysteriously was selected to teach health.  His favorite word in the 1980s was basically.  On one of the more boring class days, I recall making a mark on my notebook every time he used it throughout the day's class.  I think he must have said that word close to fifty times by the end of the day; I began to really hate that word.  Oh, I think impacted was another favorite of his.  Moving on from the Ferris Bueller era...)  If you're a smart user of Apple products, use your Pages word search function to search for those dangerous words or phrases.  If you are sadly stuck with a Microsoft product, you'll just need to toss it and buy an iMac--and iWork's Pages software!  :)  Seriously, though, a repeated phrase or word in a book is just as annoying as a yawning teacher who's saying the same words aloud over and over; it drives the reader crazy.


Not to digress too much from my original revision and review theme, but remember one of the cardinal rules of writing: write what you know.  This has been very helpful to me in the writing process.  In fact, I tend to imagine the setting or environment of my story to be like a character in and of itself.  Not to put a plug in...but, if you look at Tristan's Travels, you'll see that there is a sense in which the ocean and the north Oregon Coast setting is like a mischievous character.  


Even taking photos or a short video of an important place can be helpful to you later in recalling the look, feel, and sounds of a particular setting.  Another good technique is carrying a small notebook with you for jotting notes when doing research trips.  If you choose to write about places and things you know little or nothing about, you will come across as someone who is not serious about his craft.


An aspriring writer recently inquired about some good books to read to become a stronger writer.  Everyone seems to want a shortcut, but, besides practicing writing as often as possible, I  really think READING the classics is one of the best things any writer can do to sharpen his skills.  In Sean Astin's book There and Back Again, he mentions Christopher Lee's practice of re-reading J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings on a continual basis as an actor because of its powerful epic qualities of myth and story.  When I'm actively writing, I also tend to crave good fiction like a thirsty person longs for cold water.  It's a kind of mental exercise that's helpful in training yourself how to write "right."  


That's not to say there aren't some great books on writing, too.  Two fine suggestions focusing on the art and mechanics of writing would be Eats, Shoots, & Leaves as well as Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird, Some Instructions on Writing and Life.  Although I'm not a particular fan of Stephen King, he's also written some excellent essays on the writing process. 


Well, I think I've thoroughly over-written this topic for today.  Sorry...  If you have other writing questions, feel free to pass them along.  I may choose to write (less) on them in the future. 


(Update)  If you want to check your dependence upon passive voice, try searching your manuscript for "ing" to pinpoint problem areas.  This, combined with other techniques, can stengthen the narrative.

A Short Review of Sean Astin's "There and Back Again" (and book giveway details)

Before diving into this review, I should make a few personal disclosures.  Sean Astin has been one of my favorite actors for a very long time. His performance in  Lord of the Rings as the hobbit Sam Gamgee was a heroic interpretation of a challenging and often misunderstood character.  As J.R.R. Tolkien has always been one of my most loved authors (I still enjoy re-reading the LTR books.), Sean's absolutely masterful nailing of this character as a performer made a huge impression.  Last, but not least, his gracious review of my children's book, Tristan's Travels, was deeply appreciated.  


I wanted to also briefly announce that my interview of Sean Astin will be shared on this blog on Friday evening.  If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Number the Stars, all you need to do is (publicly) follow the blog.  (The book selection is to celebrate Sean's current movie project.)  If new followers come along in the journey, I will donate one copy of the book to a randomly-selected follower.  (I'm sorry, but I need to exclude immediate family and immediate friends.)  Depending on the numbers of new followers, we also may include one copy of Tristan's Travels to a second person. 


The description of There and Back Again: An Actor's Tale that most often comes to mind is open and honest.  Sean Astin, star in movies from Goonies to Lord of the Rings and Rudy, holds virtually nothing back, as he bares his soul to the reader.  It's written in a very conversational tone, which is really a remarkable achievement for a book of this type.  I don't usually care for books by actors, but this is clearly a book by a strong writer, one who understands how to tell a story.  


The narrative is often punctuated by perfectly-timed flashbacks on earlier points in his career or personal life that illustrate the chapter's present focus.  When done incorrectly, flashbacks are an interruption and a distraction to the reader.  Sean's flashbacks, however, strengthen the narrative as a whole, painting a more complete picture of the performer and his journey.


Of course, as a huge Lord of the Rings fan, the insights into the filming, production of the movies, and other cast members such as Elijah Wood is a fascinating journey in and of itself.  In fact, I'd go on to say that the arduous and painful process of making those three movies exemplifies what it means to be on one's own personal journey.  Do we sit back and allow ourselves to be satisfied with who and what we are and have done, or do we try to improve ourselves and accomplish greater things?  The book really is an inspirational work.  While Sean's account can be heartbreakingly honest, it really is a story of a man's maturing and growing as a husband, father, and world class performer.  I look forward to reading and watching more from this writer, performer, and director.




As a final aside, I even briefly alluded to Frodo and Sam in one of my favorite articles: "Mysterious Tools," published by America, the National Catholic Weekly.

*Enjoyed reading this?  For the more Sean Astin information, please see my new e-book!