REVIEW | Under the Dome by Stephen King

Just finished reading Under the Dome by Stephen King. If you're on Goodreads, you can find and friend me there! http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/134354893

Never give up!
John Herrick

Friends Forever

Thankful I still had this pic of Kim from 1st grade. We'd been buddies and neighbors since we were 5, met the day before kindergarten. But as adults, went far, far too many years without seeing each other. Before you know it, you don't have that chance anymore. She was a fighter and a slew of people's lives are better off because we got to know her. (And for some reason, she's the one I always think of when I hear a track from Genesis's Invisible Touch album.)

Love ya Kim. Wish I'd told you that a lot sooner.

1975-2015

She knew Jesus. Looking forward to seeing her again in heaven!

If you have an inkling to call a friend and grab a cup of coffee, don't let time get in the way. Don't put it off year after year. You might run out of time before you know it.

 Never give up!

John Herrick
johnherrick.net
johnherricknet.blogspot.com
facebook.com/JohnHerrickBooks
@johnherrick

Today's Playlist:  Invisible Touch by Genesis

Foreword Reviews Magazine - Between These Walls Review

So excited to let you know this! Between These Walls has received an excellent review in Foreword Reviews magazine, which is a national publication. While in Barnes and Noble the other day, I checked it out. The review begins on page 65 of the Summer 2015 issue. The issue just hit the shelves.

To check out the review online, here's a link:  https://www.forewordreviews.com/reviews/between-these-walls/

Thanks to all you readers and supporters out there! Love you much.

Never give up!

John Herrick
johnherrick.net
johnherricknet.blogspot.com
facebook.com/johnherrickbooks
@johnherrick

Today's Playlist:  Astronaut by Kip Fox

BLOG TOUR | Author Interview at Book Readers Heaven

Thanks, everyone, for checking out Between These Walls! Another blog tour stop to announce. It's an in-depth interview at Book Readers Heaven. Thanks to Glenda for the opportunity to chat and connect with her readers.

You can find that author interview here: http://tinyurl.com/ochlt78

Kinda cool, she took some of the songs I used as my personal mood-setters while planning and writing the book and interspersed them through the interview. If you're wondering how she identified those songs, like screenwriter Cameron Crowe, I tend to keep a journal of the music that's in my life as I write. As I plan a book, songs come to me that seem to capture the mood of the story or aspects of the characters. That list becomes my playlist for the months ahead.

I've posted my Between These Walls playlist on my website at http://tinyurl.com/on4z7ph.

Love you guys. Never give up!

John Herrick
johnherrick.net
johnherricknet.blogspot.com
facebook.com/JohnHerrickBooks
@johnherrick

Today's Playlist: Be Not Nobody by Vanessa Carlton

BLOG TOUR | Guest Post - Portland Book Review

Thanks for all your support with my new novel, Between These Walls. What a thrill to learn the book has been well received. Publishers Weekly wrote, "Herrick will make waves...with this tale."

And I'm thrilled to have you along for the blog tour! The latest stop is a guest post at the Portland Book Review. Are you a writer or creative individual and find yourself unable to move forward on your project? Or are you stuck in a job that doesn't make sense? My guest post shares some of the concepts I learned in the Information Technology world that turned out to be the keys I needed to complete my first book. I still use them today.

The post is titled "Nothing Goes to Waste: How a Noncreative Career Provided a Creative Framework." You can find it here: http://tinyurl.com/q8wu45d

Looking for more encouragement? You can download my nonfiction book 8 Reasons Your Life Matters for FREE at most retailers! All the details about Between These Walls, 8 Reasons, and the other books are at John Herrick online.

Thanks to the Portland Book Review for allowing me to stop by! The post will be syndicated later at the San Francisco Book Review.

Love you guys! I appreciate you.

Never give up!

John Herrick
johnherrick.net
johnherricknet.blogspot.com
facebook.com/JohnHerrickBooks
@JohnHerrick

Today's Playlist:  "Hero" by Family of the Year

BLOG TOUR | Character Interview with Hunter Carlisle

Want to get inside the mind of the main character in the new novel, Between These Walls? The latest blog tour stop features an interview with Hunter Carlisle. Thanks to Beyond the Books for letting me — oops, I mean Hunter ;-) — stop by for a chat!

You can find the interview here: http://tinyurl.com/qzgd2et

Thank you, readers, for spending time with the book. Love ya.

Never give up!

John Herrick
johnherrick.net
johnherricknet.blogspot.com
facebook.com/JohnHerrickBooks
@JohnHerrick

Today's Playlist: Films About Ghosts by Counting Crows

BLOG TOUR | Latest Stops

You're looking at a thankful author here! The initial buzz for my new novel, Between These Walls, looks positive. Meanwhile, the blog tour continues. The latest stops are linked below, including interviews and a guest post at The Writer's Life. They came in a flurry!

The Story Behind the Book
Examiner.com
Straight from the Author's Mouth
Blogger News
The Writer's Life (They requested an interesting post title for this guest post. They got it!)

Thanks for reading. You can grab your copy of Between These Walls in hard copy or e-book formats at Amazon, B&N, and the usual retailers. And if you haven't checked out my nonfiction book, 8 Reasons Your Life Matters, you can grab the e-book free at most retailers.

Never give up!

John Herrick
johnherrick.net
johnherricknet.blogspot.com
facebook.com/JohnHerrickBooks
@JohnHerrick

Today's Playlist:  Different Lifestyles by Bebe & Cece Winans

BLOG TOUR | The Dark Phantom - Interview

The Between These Walls blog tour is underway! Thanks to The Dark Phantom, where I had the privilege of stopping for an interview. You can find it here: http://tinyurl.com/ofqypha

Never give up!

John Herrick
johnherrick.net
johnherricknet.blogspot.com
facebook.com/JohnHerrickBooks
@JohnHerrick

Today's Playlist:  "God Only Knows" by the Beach Boys (Perhaps the most perfect song ever written!)

Between These Walls Release Day is Here - Sample Chapters

The big day has arrived! The new novel, Between These Walls, is available tomorrow, February 10.

Read sample chapters on my website. Or click below to jump to a chapter:

• Chapter 1 - Hunter Carlisle
• Chapter 2 - Hunter in Hiding / Hunter & Kara
• Chapter 20 - Hunter the Hypocrite / Hunter's Image of Hell

Anytime a book reaches the hands of the public, I'm ecstatic. But this book is special to me. I consider Between These Walls my strongest work to date. I invite you to meet my main character, Hunter Carlisle.

While the storyline and characters are different, this book meets my prior novel, From The Dead, where that story ended. Between These Walls carries the torch farther in terms of character development and depth. I've sensed growth in mechanics and boldness.

Between These Walls is available at all major retailers online, in physical and e-book forms. For those who buy in physical bookstores, each store determines which books it stocks on its shelves. If a store doesn't have it on the shelf, they can special order it for you.

Thanks for your cheers, love and support. Some of you I knew personally; others I met along the way as readers or cohorts. What a blessing to have you all along for the ride! I sure do appreciate you.

Never give up!

John Herrick
johnherrick.net
johnherricknet.blogspot.com
facebook.com/johnherrickbooks
@JohnHerrick

Today's Playlist:  Thrive by Casting Crowns

Friendship and Continuing the Story

When I was first out of college, I worked office jobs through a temp agency. It provided income until I landed my first full-time job. My first assignment involved processing registrations for a national convention.

I met my friend Heather at that assignment. Eighteen years later, she remains one of my closest friends.

For about six months, Heather and I worked together, just the two of us, in a conference room with a lakefront view. Two low-level employees with the best office in the building! Because we were together all day, every day, we chatted nonstop and grew close fast.

One day, Heather seemed downcast. I couldn’t cheer her up with dumb comments. So I tried something I knew would she couldn’t resist. Not with her forever-young personality.

I wrote the first sentence or two of a story. I don’t recall what the topic was, except that it was random. Because our desks sat ten feet apart and walking struck me as inefficient, I added another aspect to bring a grin to her face: I balled up the sheet of paper and tossed it her way.

“What’s this?” she asked, uncrumpling the ball it to find a story that begged her continuation. A grin crept across her face. I had her hooked.

That marked the first of many stories. From that point on, Heather was addicted. When least expected, a wad of paper would land on my desk. Heather had picked a random topic. Animals, fresh fruit, Elton John, Farmer MacGregor, a guy named Homer. Anything worked for us. She’d send me a sentence. I’d add a sentence or two, wad it up, and toss it back—usually aiming for her water glass. The process gave us a laugh, and it sparked our creativity as we tried to outwit each other. I’d threaten to kill off a character right when  love story was about to take shape, and she’d plead to keep him alive.

Fine, Heather. [*eye roll*] He can stay alive. ;-)

When we’d had our fill with each story, Heather crammed it into a folder she kept hidden in her desk drawer.

Last week, Heather was ill, and for whatever reason, she decided to sift through boxes in storage at her house.

From one box, she pulled out a folder—and discovered our old stories.

The next day, I received a message from Heather on my phone. The beginning of another story.

A hippo she named Joe. A koala I named Arlen. A massive tidal wave that carried Joe from his home in Asia all the way to the coast of Australia, where the two friends met. What caused the tidal wave? The hippo farted, of course. Don’t judge. It’s Heather’s and my world.

Never give up!

John Herrick

johnherrick.net

johnherricknet.blogspot.com

facebook.com/johnherrickbooks

@JohnHerrick

Today's Playlist: "Cool Kids" by Echosmith

The War for Late Night: When Leno Went Early and Television Went Crazy by Bill Carter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Great insight! I'd wondered for years why the Jay Leno/Conan O'Brien scenario unfolded the way it did, and why NBC announced five years in advance Leno's replacement date and successor. Five years is an eternity in television and so much can change. That said, I enjoy reading how these media people make decisions because we think a lot alike. A terrific read.

View all my reviews

Blog Interview - Brandi Breathes Books

Between These Walls blog tour coming soon! I'll release details down the road.

In the meantime, here's an interview with Brandi Breathes Books. Thanks for welcoming me (and the new novel) to your blog! http://tinyurl.com/ltdlv7c

Never give up!

John Herrick
johnherrick.net
johnherricknet.blogspot.com
facebook.com/johnherrickbooks
@JohnHerrick

Today's Playlist:  Storyline by Hunter Hayes