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Welcome to the September Blog Hop! Celebrate the beginning of fall with me and my blogger friends by hopping around, visiting our sites, and entering our contests! There are no limits - you can enter the contest on every blog. With over 40 blogs participating, that's over 40 prizes you could win. Just click on the links below to move on to the next blog. On my blog, you can win one of two prizes. I'm giving away one for readers and one for authors. Readers can win a signed copy of "The Canticle Kingdom"Writers can win a free first three chapter's critique from me. Would you like to win this prize? Enter on the widget below. In your comment, please let me know which of the prizes you are interested in. (Book, critique or both)| 1. Tristi Pinkston, LDS Author2. Joyce DiPastena3. I Am A Reader, Not A Writer4. Mandi Slack5. Michael D. Young6. Six Mixed Reviews7. Pam Williams8. Laurie Lewis9. Kristy Tate10. Marilyn Yarbrough11. Stacy Coles12. Kristie Ballard13. Lynn Parsons14. Pushing Past the Pounds15. Sheila Staley16. cindy Hogan | 17. Jamie Thompson18. Jaclyn Weist19. Cathy Witbeck20. Secret Sisters Mysteries21. Tamera Westhoff22. Tina Scott23. Lynnea Mortensen24. Danyelle Ferguson aka Queen of the Clan25. Jeanette A. Fratto26. Bonnie Harris27. Meliss
20 Comments on , last added: 9/24/2011
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By: Michael Young,
on 9/19/2011
Blog: The Canticle (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: Media Content, Transformers, Star Wars, What If, Michael D Young, Add a tag
 As a follow-up to my post a few weeks ago, I thought I’dgive an example of what I mean about objectionable content in the media. I have to admit that I find it hard to go tothe movies these days without being bombarded by stuff I just don’t want to seeand hear, and I don’t think I’m alone.  One series of movies in recent years in which I wasdisappointment because of the content was Transformers. For a series based onchildren’s toys, it was sure full of sexually charged content. Then if youthink of many movies which are considered classics, you will see that they havevery little swearing, sexual content or graphic violence. My favorite example is Star Wars, in whichall of these things are present very little. (Unless you consider ‘scruffy-lookingnerf herder’ offensive)It got me thinking: what if Star Wars had been made todayand Michael Bay, the director of Transformers had been at the helm? I’m certainthere would be some changes. Here aresome I came up with: All the Imperials, especially Darth Vader, woulddevelop a potty mouth, each trying to top each other. · The ewoks would talk in over-the-topstereotypical racial dialects. (which the director would deny) · The phrase “Who’s your daddy?” would becomeDarth Vader’s new catch phrase. · Princess Leia would wear her Jabba’s palaceoutfit all the time, even on Hoth.
3 Comments on Move Over George Lucas..., last added: 9/19/2011
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By: Michael Young,
on 9/15/2011
Blog: The Canticle (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: giveways, Michael D Young, rafflecopter, blog tools, Add a tag
Today I’m posting about an online resource that I think willgo big, especially for bloggers. It has many applications for authors, but alsofor anyone who wants to attract people to their blog. I’m talking about Rafflecopter. I ran a giveaway using it a few weeks ago,and I’ll never go back. The first great thing about it is its versatility. You canuse it on blogs made with both Blogger and Wordpress, and can even use it onFacebook using an iFrame app. It provides your visitors one click options for them to earnraffle entries. Want them to follow your Facebook page? One click. Want them tofollow you on Twitter? One click. Want them to Recite the alphabet backwardswhile standing on their heads? One click marks the task as done. You can customize your raffle with as many oras few options as you wish, and can have different tasks marked as mandatoryand each task can be worth a different number of entries. Not only does it let people enter your giveaway, but itkeeps track of who does, and automatically makes the giveaway open during aspecific timeframe. When the clock runs out, it shuts down and allows you topush the button to randomly select a winner from all those who entered. In summary, it takes all of the stress out of running agiveaway. Everything is completely organized and fair, and it simplifieseverything for your readers. Unfortunately, you have to be invited right now in order tobe allowed to use it. (I’m sure it will eventually open up to the generalpublic) You can put on the waiting listto get on board at http://www.rafflecopter.com/. They send out new invites every day, so headto their homepage and get your name on the list. With all the extra time you save, you’ll have moretime to focus on writing your blog. 
3 Comments on Take flight with Rafflecopter, last added: 9/16/2011
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By: Michael Young,
on 9/12/2011
Blog: The Canticle (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: Writing Advice, 9/11, Michael D Young, Add a tag
 Yesterday was a solemn day for me, full of muchintrospection. I had the privilege of performing in a 9/11 special with theMormon Tabernacle Choir and Tom Brokaw. A wonderful experience. It’s hardto believe, but I was just heading to one of my high school classes during myjunior year of high school. Since then, I’ve become a husband, a father, acollege graduate and a published author. But I still feel the effects of thatday. When hearing all the stories of people who were impacted by9/11 it made me think about how I can apply what they have taught me as awriter. I heard people say so many times that watching the news coverage was‘like watching a movie’. As writers, we are meant to mimic and comment onreality, and we can learn things, even from tragedy. Here are some of mythoughts: 1. There is real evil in the world—people who willconvince themselves through twisted logic that hurting and killing others isjustified. That is the model of a trueantagonist. 2. There are real heroes in the world—people whowill put their own comfort and safety in front of others. They lay down their lives to save others.That is the model of a true protagonist. 3. People may be beaten down and lose many things,but can pick themselves up again, can rebuild, and can still findhappiness. That is a model of the humancondition. In real life that is how alot of stories go, not all happiness, not all sadness, but somewhere in betweenwith hope for the future. My heart goes out to all those who lost someone on thatterrible day. I hope that our country and that each one of us can take a secondto remember how those events made us feel and that we can recommit to being ourbest selves. Photo by Christopher Pa
5 Comments on Learning from 9/11, last added: 9/15/2011
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By: Michael Young,
on 9/5/2011
Blog: The Canticle (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: Fire and Ice, YA Literature, Michael D Young, Immorality vs Amorality, Linda and Richard Eyre, Young Adult Fiction, Add a tag
Happy Labor Day everyone. Many of us might have a day off, but there's nothing that says you can't still make it a good writing day.
I came across this great article in the Deseret News not to long ago, and I'd like to share a snippet from it with all of you. It concerns the difference between depicting Immorality in the media vs. depicting Amorality. It was written by Linda and Richard Eyre and though it is specifically talking about movies, I think what they says applies to literature as well. Here is the problem: We are failing to distinguish betweensomething that depicts immorality and something that depicts amorality.Immorality means the breaking or violation of moral codes, of religiouscommandments and often of basic decency. Immorality, where it is accuratelyportrayed, complete with consequences, is a good literary device and anessential part of most stories. Scripture is filled with accurate,consequence-included depictions of immorality. Amorality is something very different. It is theignoring of moral questions altogether. It is the complete disregard and thefailure to even acknowledge the question of right and wrong. It portrays thingsas "normal" even when they are not, and it ignores consequences orpretends they do not exist. Whether dealing with issues of honesty, sexualmorality or character in general, attempts to portray real mistakes orcharacter flaws or any kind of indiscretion or bad judgment or moral violationaccurately and honestly can be great elements of movies or of any form ofstorytelling, particularly when those portrayals are done with discretion andtaste.
3 Comments on Depicting Immorality vs. Amorality, last added: 9/8/2011
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By: Michael Young,
on 9/1/2011
Blog: The Canticle (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: Contest, winners, The Canticle Kingdom, The Last Archangel, Michael D Young, B.K. Bostick, Lorhainne Eckhart, Add a tag
First thing’s first: a big thank you to all those who participated in the Awesome August Blog Hop. There were many entries, but the lucky winner is: Donna Smith! She will receive a signed copy of “The Canticle Kingdom”.   The second is a feature on Lorhainne Eckhart’s blog where I talk about archangels. You can go read it here: http://lorhainneeckhart.blogspot.com/ (The blog says that it might have adult content when you click on it. I can't speak for the rest of the blog, but my post is squeaky clean.) 
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By: Michael Young,
on 8/30/2011
Blog: The Canticle (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: Marketing, Campaign, The Canticle Kingdom, Michael D Young, Add a tag
I had this marketing/networking activity recommended to me recently. There's still one day to sign up. Find more about it and sign up at the following link: 
11 Comments on Third Platform Campaigners Crusade, last added: 9/2/2011
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By: Michael Young,
on 8/25/2011
Blog: The Canticle (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: Book review, Fantasy, New features, Michael D Young, The Hidden Sun, J Lloyd Morgan, Add a tag
 New Features on my Blog Now that I have a few more followers, I wanted to add a little more structure to how my blog posts run. I'm going to try going to the twice a week posting schedule, once on Mondays and once on Thursdays. On Mondays, I will run a personal post about writing trends, the craft of writing, etc. On Mondays, I will also give an update on what I'm working on that week. On Thursday, I will run a feature, such as a book post, a website review, etc. If something really great happens in between, I'll post about then whenever. I'd like to start off this schedule with a book review of "The Hidden Sun" by J. Lloyd Morgan. (Note: I'm trying out a new review format. My reviews will have two sections: What I Liked as a Reader and What I Learned as a Writer. For the first part, I'll put on my reader's hat (a nice casual panama hat) and give a traditional review about what I thought of the book. In the second section, I'll put on my writer's hat (a dapper top hat) and will talk about what I noticed either good and/or bad that we all can learn from.  The first thing that impressed me about “The Hidden Sun” was that it walks a path that few books these days do: it has a medieval setting, but does not rely on fantastical elements to tell the story. “The Hidden Story” is a wonderful story of political intrigue and family legacy. I genuinely cared about the characters and the action kept me hooked on the story. The reader might find the names a little difficult, but the author has provided a helpful pronunciation guide at the beginning to help you out. When reading, be sure to keep the characters straight as the story sometimes jumps around quickly from one character’s story to another. One thing I noticed about the names was the theme of sunlight throughout the book, which is reflected both in the actual weather and in the names of the characters. I can’t say much about the names without giving the plot away, but I feel that this was elegantly done and added both depth and beauty to the story. “The Hidden Sun” was just released in its second edition, with a beautiful new cover. It will be continued with “The Waxing Moon”, another exciting installment in the story.  What I Learned as a Writer Sometimes the best way to draw the reader in is to do something a bit unexpected. When I saw the medieval setting, I thought “Where’s the wizard?” and “There are bound to be some elves showing up any time now.” Instead, it read a lot more like his
2 Comments on New Features and Book Review: The Hidden Sun by J. Lloyd Morgan, last added: 8/26/2011
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By: Michael Young,
on 8/22/2011
Blog: The Canticle (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: The Last Archangel, Michael D Young, books about angels, Angel trivia, Add a tag
The last question was: What is the name of the "Angell" that designed the Salt Lake City Temple as well as many other buildings in Salt Lake City? The correct answer was given by Tanya Parker Mills: Truman, from the architect's full name of Truman O. Angell. The final question is: In which Biblical book does it record a donkey seeing an angel and then temporarily getting the power of speech? Hint: It is in one of the books that are considered "the books of Moses". Join me later this week as I review too books and talk about what I learned as a writer by reading them. 
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I like Fallen Angels in stories and I'm also a huge fan of science fiction. So why not combine the two? Fallen Angels are actually behind *such and such* secret organization in the future and they're controlling the world? I don't know. There's a reason I read instead of write.
It would be interesting to see how a perfect world is not so perfect.
How about where people and talking animals work together to save the world?
Something that would include paranormal creatures in a futuristic world with something new like different adaptions for each paranormal....I'm a reader not a writer lol...
Omg, I so cannot answer this question, haha. I have a million and two ideas, but they're already on their way to the page. Hmmm, something I do want to see more of, though, is mermaids or underwater worlds. Also really interested in the relationships between kids with powers and their parents. Too many times, the parents are left out of the loop in favor of a more adventurous story. It might be interesting for a parent to need to conform their guidelines to the child's advanced abilities.
Goodness... I have no idea. I like dystopian novels.
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I would like to see something with the devil and a sexy female angel
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That's hard.
I would say there's a lot of really great classics out there, just begging to be updated, or fantasized. So many great myths, and fairy tales, and I feel like there's a lot of untapped gold there. :)
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How about a world that consists entirely of animals where humans have never ever existed. They don't necessarily walk on all fours like animals in our world or anything like that....
Ashley A
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Anything about angels, vampires, werewolves.
I've always been a sucker for either dystopian societies or post apocalyptic fiction. I'd love to see what you could do with either of those themes.