Days That Seem to Never End

Hello Friends:

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.


As a note, I'd like to let you know that The Mahogany Door, the first of a series of fantasy-adventure books for young readers, will be released next Spring. Unseen circumstances have dictated a later release, but I believe the extra time we are going to put into the soundtrack and marketing will be well worth the wait.


In the next few months I'd like to show you some of the final chapter headings, the passages behind them, and why I wrote those passage - before unveiling the cover art at the beginning of the year. That might seem like a long time, but it's actually only three and half months away!


The passage that Lauren drew for Chapter 19 is as follows:


"A mysterious bang rang across the floor and JT woke from his mesmerized state. He walked out of the small inner room and the stone wall slid shut and JT was stopped in his tracks. He turned to face the bed, and all around him, was a very disturbing site.

On the stone walls surrounding the bed were counting marks. The lines were grouped by five with four marks vertical and one mark slashing across the others. After studying the groupings for a few moments, they appeared as though they were in uniformed rows and columns and seemed to have started from the top right corner across from where JT stood and dressed each of the three walls entirely. The neatly stacked groupings stopped to his left just above his ankle directly beside him. The last grouping of marks was only four vertical lines. As each collection of marks receded and labored down the walls, the lines became shakier, jagged, and deep. A sense of sorrow penetrated JT’s body. His heart sank and he felt powerless. He remembered Charlie stating in the great hall of the Triton pyramid that he had counted each day he had been in Bruinduer and in his bed chamber is where he had done the deed..."


" ‘Do you have any idea what it feels like to be totally alone?!’ Charlie screamed at the top of his voice toward his guests.."




The theme song for The Mahogany Door is called "All Alone." It's driven by the fact that in my personal life there was a time when I felt all alone, as if there were no one there to catch me if I fell. During that time, the days never seemed to end. One after the another, the morning sun and the monotonous bounce of life continued relentlessly. I never thought that I would be able to move forward. In fact, some of the time I felt as though I was taking steps backwards with my life. Depression set in and ripped not only my psyche apart, but also my body, physically. To this day, I have yet to recover fully as pain is a daily reminder of that awful time in my life. The last grouping of four lines in the passage represents the reminder that there would be at least one more day I'd have to face.

Slowly, with the help of my father and a release to the Holy Spirit, I was able to get the hands of time moving again. My life started with a new purpose and I moved to Wilmington, NC. There, sitting on the beach and through regular counseling sessions, I allowed myself to let go of a lot of anger. I found that I could love again and support myself without always relying on my parents. It was a tough but satisfying two years.

One of my assignments from my counselor was to write a journal. Instead, I started remembering the good days of being young and I tried to figure out where my life went wrong. Out of it all, I began to develop The Mahogany Door.

Writing didn't save my life. I believe the story God gave me did. I know it's not Shakespeare. Some may even think it's not very good. I don't mind. I'm not alone anymore.


Thanks for keeping up with me - you have no idea what it means.


Mark

Coming month or 2

Working hard on the soundtrack CD for The Mahogany Door. It's getting a little difficult, but I'm sure that goes with the territory in making quality music. Lauren and I approved the cover art sketch, and she's back working on it over the next few days. In the next month or two, look for a few unveilings of new music and the cover art (hopefully) - as well as an a special interview with Janeen Free-McKee, ELS, editor of The Mahogany Door.

Thanks so much!

Mark

Interview with Lauren Gallegos : Talented Illustrator

Lauren has been working so hard on the illustrations for The Mahogany Door, the first book in a trilogy of fantasy-adventure books for young readers, that I decided to ask her a few questions. I want all who may be interested in the book to have a chance to know her - just a little.

I could not have asked for a better illustrator. Her talent and imagination have made it a pleasure and an event to open new e-mails from her, telling me that she has completed a new drawing. Each one I open sends chills down my back to think that what she captured in an amazing illustration came from something that I wrote!

I felt it very important to let Lauren have free reign on what she has drawn for each chapter. Having a professional illustrator such as Lauren draw an image that sticks in her noggin after reading a passage was very important to me because she now knew EXACTLY what to draw and how it should look.

If I'd tried to tell Lauren what to draw, it would have made the process very difficult on her, especially since she would have been trying to draw something that I pictured. I'm sure it's very hard to try to guess what someone else might be creating in his or her, mind.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Ms. Lauren Gallegos:

Mark: When did you know you wanted to be an illustrator?

Lauren: Growing up, I always loved drawing and creating. In college I decided to take the Graphic Design route of creativity, considering my attention to detail and order. However, after taking an introduction to illustration course I realized how much I missed traditional drawing and was introduced to the world of children’s books. Thinking back to my childhood, I realized how much the books I read as a little girl had stayed with me throughout my life. They were an important part of my growth, my beliefs, and my behavior. The idea of telling a story with my art from which children would read and learn important life lessons gave me a way to make a mark in this world, and I couldn’t just ignore that calling.

Mark: How long have you been drawing professionally?

Lauren: I have been doing freelance illustration for almost two years after spending most of my college years mainly focusing on developing my drawing skills and learning how to survive the business side of illustration. Although I am still quite new to the field, I feel I have had some great opportunities to learn from veterans in the field who have been generous enough to pass on their wisdom. I’m still waiting for that big Publishing House to let me know they want to publish my book, but until then, I am willing to take on projects I haven’t done before so I can be challenged, grow, gain experience, and find my niche.

Mark: What was your first professional job in illustration?

Lauren: While I was in college I was blessed to have the opportunity to do an internship at Piggy Toes Press/Intervisual Books, a small children’s book publisher in Santa Monica, California. (Most publishing houses are located on the east coast; there are very few in California) When my internship was done I was offered a job as their freelance illustrator. I couldn’t believe it! While I was there I learned a lot about the publishing industry, the process that goes into making a children’s book, and I was able to develop my storytelling skills with professional, smart people who could point me in the right direction. I am so thankful for the time I had there to learn and grow.

Mark: Many illustrators take on multiple projects to get experience, jobs, and credentials. I'm sure that there are many projects, though, that you may turn down because of one reason or another. What made you to decide to take on the Mahogany Door?

Lauren: Every offer to work on a children’s book project is enticing, but I have learned to approach these offers with caution, especially when there are so many people who want to get into publishing without doing their homework or having any understanding of what it takes to make a quality book. I decided to take on “The Mahogany Door” because it seems like a book with the potential to last. The book also has a certain feel to it that fits the kind of art I love to create -- the feeling of adventure, mystery, and drama. The characters drew me in and I wanted to make drawings that would draw in the readers even more.

Mark: So Lauren - what gave you the inspiration to draw Michael on the throne for Chapter 17?

Lauren: Michael is a character that grabbed my attention from the start. I wonder about his motivations and what’s going on in his mind. He must have a lot of internal struggles, and we see some of his emotions come out throughout the book. It’s quite a journey. I wanted to explore him a little more for this book and encourage the readers to ponder Michael a little more by showing some of his big or significant moments throughout the story. I thought the image of Michael on the throne was a good opportunity to expose some of Michael’s hidden motivations. His actions effect all the other characters and events that take place. That’s a lot of influence for one character to have!

Mark: Can you expand on the process you use to draw an illustration?

Lauren: Most of my illustrations are inspired or based on some kind of text that I have read, or song or story I have heard, or maybe even another image I have seen. I always try to incorporate some kind of symbolism within my illustrations that might seem normal and insignificant, but a lot of thought goes into what I put in my drawings. For “The Mahogany Door,” I read through the book, taking note of important moments, emotional moments, thoughtful moments, and tried to make images that either helped build the mystery of that chapter, or emphasize a significant event, or show an important moment to encourage the reader to pay close attention. Once I have sketched out the main idea of the drawing, I’ll revise it, clean it up, and make adjustments to be sure everything is proportional and makes visual sense. Then I make a value study so I know where light and shadows go. If the image is in color, I will do a few color studies as well. Once all of those parts make sense and fit together nicely, I can make my final drawing.

Mark (shameless promotion): All things being equal - and the book becomes a success - are you looking forward to drawing for the next book in the series?

Lauren: I’m very excited! I want to explore more of the characters and see the things that motivate them. The style of the book and my art seem to fit together quite comfortably, so it’s really fun for me to create images that go along with the text. I’m excited to see what happens with this book. My hope is that there will be such a demand for the next book that we can start working on it right away!

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You can find Lauren Gallegos on the web at www.LaurenGallegos.com and on Facebook.

To see a few drawings for "The Mahogany Door" go to Lauren's blog @ http://artbylauren.blogspot.com/

The following is the before to final drawing for Chapter 17. It depicts Michael's introduction to Kali and JT as King of Godwin, First from Eden.
Notice the size of Michael's crown, as it is much too large for his head. This represents the fact that what Michael has taken on, in becoming a king, might be too big a task for him to handle. It is my experience that, sometimes, we have leaders in our own world who try to take on way too big of a job without weighing the consequence.



It's the attention to detail that Lauren brought to these illustrations that take the writing and the story to a whole different level!

Complete Abridged Summary: The Mahogany Door

The Mahogany Door, the first book in a series of fantasy-adventure books for young readers, begins on a beach where an old man, sitting on a little wooden crate, tells a decades’ old tale to a dedicated band of listeners no more than twelve years old.

The old man’s narrative begins with a troubled young man named Michael Peterson having a reoccurring nightmare. His nightmare is about an old spirit guide named Billy who is beckoning him to reunite with his childhood friends and return to their hometown to complete the adventure they started many years ago. And in doing so,they will make right the wrongdoings from their past lives. Unable to shake the visions, Michael writes a letter to a childhood friend named Kali Logan, explaining that he must find their mutual friend, JT Davis, so they can all return to Warhead Dale, a large, old chalet once owned by JT’s grandfather that sits on the coast of the small, cobblestone covered town of Athens Eden.

Michael finds JT only to discover that time and life experience has changed him. Not only has JT lost both of his parents, but he has also lost his memory, including those important memories of his childhood that the trio will need if they are going to retrace their steps through the Mahogany Door into the fantasy Vryheid world of Bruinduer.

Convinced the only way he will be able to find answers to his lost childhood memories, JT goes with Michael to reunite with Kali in Athens Eden, where they arrive at the neglected Warhead Dale. There they confront the spirit guide, Billy, in all of his unrecognizable glory.

The trio learns that Bruinduer is going to collapse due to their carelessness in not following the rules of the Vryheid world. They also find out that because of their recklessness, a long lost friend, Charlie Blackburn, who entered through the Mahogany Door with them on their incomplete journey, is still alive and has somehow taken control of Bruinduer away from Billy.

After following Michael through the Mahogany Door to complete the task from years passed, JT and Kali learn they have been betrayed by their conniving friend, and that he has teamed with Charlie in splitting Bruinduer into the two kingdoms of Godwin and Triton.

Things aren't quite as they seem in Bruinduer, and The Mahogany Door unfolds in a fantasy tale of tragedy, adventure, destiny, and hope.

Thoughts for the Day

Hello All-

Thanks to everyone who is joining the Facebook Fan page. It's wonderful to see old friends and new ones alike interested in my fantasy book trilogy, which begins with The Mahogany Door.

Today has been an interesting day, like so many.

I met with a printer, and had a wonderful talk and conversation. It's pretty cool to see what you've worked so hard on finally start to come together.

I guess my thought for today is about taking risks. Sometimes, it is a very nervous and exciting thing to take a risk, because you really never know how it's going to turn out.

But I do have to say one thing about taking risks. If you fail, you can never take away the fact that you put your heart on the line. But if you succeed, oh my, if you succeed.......

Thank you for taking this journey with me, and come back in the following weeks for more updates.

Follow me on Twitter if you'd like ....

Thanks again!

Mark

The Summary : Part 1

"I walked out onto a beach where I hadn’t set foot in forty-seven years."

The Mahogany Door begins on an unassuming beach where an old man sitting on a little wooden crate tells a decades’ old tale to a dedicated band of listeners no more than twelve years old.

The old man’s narrative begins with a troubled young man named Michael Peterson having a reoccurring nightmare about an old spirit guide named Billy who is beckoning him to reunite with his childhood friends and return to their hometown to complete the adventure they started many years ago, and in doing so, to make right the wrongdoings from their past lives. Unable to shake the visions, Michael writes a letter to a childhood friend named Kali Logan explaining that he must find their mutual friend, JT Davis, so they can all return to Warhead Dale, a large, old chalet once owned by JT’s grandfather, Old Capt. Luke Xavier Davis, that sits on the coast of the small, cobblestone covered town of Athens Eden.

Michael finds JT only to discover that time and life experience has changed him. Not only has JT lost both of his parents but he has also lost his memory, including those important memories of his childhood that the trio will need to retrace their steps through the Mahogany Door into the fantasy Vryheid world of Bruinduer.

Come back soon, for part 2... and learn about the renegade band of Egyptians called the Vryheid...

The Most Unfortunate word, Goodbye.

One of the themes of The Mahogany Door is the unfortunate evil of having to say Goodbye.

Whether it is saying goodbye to our loved ones embarking on a long trip, just leaving for the day, or in the most undesired time when they may depart your life forever, it is my belief that there is always a bit of our heart that is erased every time we must utter that most horrific word, "Goodbye".

There was a moment in my life when I had to say that word that changed me eternally, and that one second in time haunts me to this day, and I am sure that there are many times in your life when you had to say goodbye to the most loved in your life. Trust me, I know that it hurts.

The clip of the song on the fan page wall, called "Goodbyes", that you hear has an interesting story. At my most desperate time, I had a very hard time dealing with my loneliness as I had to say goodbye to a girl that means the world to me.

As I searched for a way to express what I felt, I came across my sister's notebook of poetry. I don't recommend scrounging around your sibling's room, but I turned to a poem called 'goodbyes', and as I read it, and tears flowed, I knew how to express my anger and sadness.

I took the words and put them to music.

After writing The Mahogany Door -- the first book in a trilogy of young reader fiction-fantasy-adventure books, it was then I realized that the theme of saying goodbye is littered among its pages. And even as tough as it may be to tell the ones you love goodbye, there will always be a memory to go back to. And even though that fleeting thought seems sad, just remember that when you first felt those memories you shared with that special someone, it was a very happy and special time.

The song is not complete, but somehow I just want to share the clip.

The young lady you hear singing is Katie Basden, a very talented and special young lady. Remember her name, because I can almost guarantee you'll hear her voice over the radio.

I still need to add some more background vocals, but in this clip, Jill, my wife, does an excellent job. Now all i need is for Anne to come over and finish the job.

I hope you enjoy the music clip, and as we continue on this journey of completing the fantasy book series, I hope we can get to know each other a little better, even if at some point we must say goodbye.

Find the facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/J-Mark-Boliek/148758373139

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