NEWS | Next Novel ... A Little Clue

Albeit at least a year early, a little clue about the upcoming novel! Happy Monday!

Thank you, readers! You are loved!

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

Today's Playlist: One Night Alone by Prince

NEWS | Comic Con and Novel Update

Had a great time at Comic Con St. Louis earlier this month! Such a great panel discussion and audience members who asked thought-provoking questions. I had the privilege of joining two other panel members, New York Times bestselling author Zac Brewer (of the YA Vladimir Tod series) and author Shawntelle Madison. I was the only panel member who doesn't write about blood or vampires. ;-) I learned some good things from them.

Speaking of those panel members, be sure to check out Zac Brewer's latest YA novel, The Blood Between Us, from HarperCollins. It hits shelves next week, May 3. Here are the book details for those who want to check out more: https://t.co/RJYkHzPFo1

On the new novel front, I set my minimum length at 75,000 words, which is probably about 285 book pages. Working steadily on the first draft early mornings, and am thrilled to say I'm past the 1/3 mark! That said, I think the book will end up in the 300-350 page range. I anticipate finishing this first draft in the August/September time frame. (Remember, I work a full-time career in addition to this!) Would love to tell you the premise, but if you've read my past posts, you'll know I have this weird paranoia, where I'm afraid if I talk about it, it won't get finished.

Another book idea hit me this weekend, and the ideas have been flowing with that. So excited. This puts about 3-4 ideas in the pipeline. It's been years since I've had that scenario. Thankful for brighter days and an unlocked imagination. (There's another one finished. Hopefully some news by early next year.)

Thank you, readers, for your messages, encouragement, reading, prayers, and so forth. I don't take those for granted. Take care, and God bless. Hope you have an awesome spring!

Never give up!

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

Today's Playlist:
Cece Winans by Cece Winans

The Changing Season by Steven Manchester

For those looking for a new read, new novel by #1 bestselling author Steven Manchester releases tomorrow. Had the privilege of reading the manuscript last year and realized we have similar voices! So here's my blurb:

The Changing Season is an engaging tale that traces the end of one's innocence. Steven Manchester captures the richness of human emotion with keen, tender precision. Highly recommended.

https://t.co/mfH7em646E

Time to order my actual final hard copy now. 😀

Never give up!
John Herrick
johnherrick.net
johnherricknet.blogspot.com
facebook.com/johnherrickbooks
@johnherrick

Today's Playlist:
Different Lifestyles by Bebe & Cece Winans
Amanda Marshall (self-titled)

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

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

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

Happy Holidays, New Review

To my readers out there, may you have the happiest of holidays! To those celebrating Christmas like me, may the joy of Christ meet you where you are. To those celebrating Hanukkuh, may the true, prophetic meaning of the shamash servant candle unfold in your lives. And a happy new year to all.

For the first time in my life, my family--the nuclear unit of it--will be separated this year. Crazy to think about it. We've been blessed to spend so many Christmases together, a blessing with which many families had to part ways years ago. But we'll hunker down and keep it more intimate this year!

Looking forward to a new year filled with fresh opportunities. I'm plugging away on blog tour preparations this week, which will occur around the February 10 release of Between These Walls. Speaking of that new novel, a new advance review has just appeared from a Christian blogger. You can find it here: http://tinyurl.com/mg88646

With each crack at a novel, if you give it your best, you can sense yourself grow as a writer. I believe Between These Walls is my strongest work to date. I'm so excited to share it with you!

What are your holiday plans? May you find joy, peace and prosperity in the days and year ahead.

Never give up!

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

Today's Playlist:
First Christmas by Bebe and Cece Winans
The Andy Williams Christmas Album by Andy Williams

Between These Walls Press Release and Facebook Like Page

For bloggers, media or anyone else seeking the official press release for Between These Walls, here is the full URL to the PDF on my website: http://www.johnherrick.net/news/BetweenTheseWalls-PressRelease.pdf

Here's the Like-able page for the book on Facebook for those interested: http://tinyurl.com/k8ykrn3

Never give up!

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

Today's Playlist: Number One Hits by Tim McGraw

Why I Wrote Between These Walls

Many readers will wonder why I chose to write Between These Walls. As an author, I believe you need to follow your heart and do what God plants in you to do. Several factors came into play. Perhaps the simplest way to shed light on the why-behind-the-what is to use the Author's Note from the opening pages of the new novel. I've provided the full text below.

More book details—including that Author's Note—at my website.

Love you all. Thanks for reading and for the kind words!

***
Author's Note — Between These Walls

Readers ask why I choose particular storylines for my novels. Many stories are worth telling, but I’ve discovered the best stories result from characters who come to me when I’m not looking for them.

Such was the case with Hunter Carlisle and Between These Walls.

Early in 2011, I had almost wrapped up the first draft of my third novel. One afternoon, when I went for a walk, a character arose within me: a middle-school kid who was a Christian but harbored an attraction to the same gender. I pondered facets of this character’s circumstances as I walked. His fears, his feelings of guilt, the hits to his self-esteem—everything about his struggle grabbed my heart.

At that point, I wouldn’t have had the courage to write a book about him. But when characters arise from within, I believe it is God’s way of telling me individuals share the character’s struggle and need a book written for them right now. A novel about homosexuality, however, would test the boundaries of my comfort zone. Though I hate to admit it, I worried about what others might think. So I tucked the idea, safe and silent, in the back of my brain.

But as the ancient prophet Jonah discovered, you can’t hide from God. He’ll find you.

One year later, the concept remained unexplored—until a feature story caught my attention on the television news. The nationally syndicated story revolved around the plight of a high school student on the verge of suicide. This student, about fifteen years old, had endured a continual onslaught of bullying.

The bullying occurred for one reason: The kid was gay.

After enduring all the emotional damage he could handle, this kid reached his breaking point. Desperate and exhausted, wrought with pain, he posted a video online. Too hurt to speak—I imagine the bullying included poking fun at the way he spoke—the kid had written his words in black marker on sheets of paper. So here sat a blond-haired kid who looked like an average high school freshman, wiping tears from his eyes, making a desperate plea for somebody to hear him, for someone to care … for someone to offer him hope.

My heart broke for him. I know nothing about that student. The reporter didn’t mention his name. She didn’t mention his city or state. I don’t even know if he’s still alive. But I couldn’t erase the sight from my memory.

Anger arose in me. My immediate gut response was, Never again. Not on my watch. Not if I can help it.

Allow me to explain: A close family member of mine ended his life at sixteen years old. I was thirteen at the time. If you’ve never experienced such an event, trust me when I say it changes you forever. It changes your perception of life and people. From that point on, you view life with the awareness that many people appear happy but live in pain. You look into some people’s eyes and wonder if their happiness is a charade. You wonder which individuals feel they don’t matter. While others might assume few individuals consider suicide, you know better.

As I pondered the news story about that high school student, I thought, Nobody that age should know what it’s like to feel that kind of pain.

Never again. Not on my watch.

At that point, I knew I needed to pursue the book topic and pursue it immediately. So my third novel, still in its first draft, returned to the back burner, where it has resided off and on for eight years. I began work on my fourth novel, Between These Walls, which you now hold in your hands.

My novels aren’t geared toward the Young Adult genre, and I wanted to make the book accessible to as many individuals as possible. So I took my initial character idea—the middle-school kid—and doubled his age, which brought him into early adulthood. To capture the struggles and vulnerability of his teenage years, I could weave some of his memories into the fabric of the story.

I don’t have quantitative data to back up my hunch, but I’ve long believed more people deal with same-sex attraction than we assume. I believe many simply hide it well or have a simultaneous attraction to the opposite gender, which enables them to live a “typical” life without raising suspicions. Therefore, I constructed Hunter as a character who finds himself attracted to both genders—technically, a bisexual male—with a stronger attraction toward males. This characteristic would allow him to remain in hiding for years. In fact, I chose the name Hunter to call to mind a hunter-gatherer image, the classic male stereotype—and the last place we might expect to find a gay male. His name symbolizes his attributes and interests, yet belies his deepest secret.

Regardless of whether the reader has experienced Hunter’s battles, I attempted to tell his story in such a manner that the reader can find points of commonality with him. So, as a reader, you might not have experienced homosexual feelings, but you might hold another secret that torments you. A dark secret you never want revealed. You might relate to Hunter’s fears or guilt. In that respect, perhaps Hunter’s story is your story, too.

Between These Walls is not a political statement or a judgment of church bodies. It is not an attempt to interpret Scripture or resolve an argument. My purpose was to put the reader into the shoes of one character, to experience his emotions and inner fire—a story behind the story.

As you read this novel, I hope you know you are loved.

***

For the media:  Publicity campaign begins November 18. Publicist: Maryglenn McCombs, Nashville, TN.

Never give up!

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

Today's Playlist: "He Knows My Name" by Francesca Battistelli

Between These Walls - Book Description Unveiled

After keeping Between These Walls on lockdown for three years, I'm excited to unveil its official description. The new novel hits retail outlets on February 10, 2015:

***

Hunter is a Christian. Hunter is the man next door.

Hunter Carlisle is gay.

At 26 years old, Hunter Carlisle has a successful sales career, a devoted girlfriend, and rock-solid faith. He also guards a secret torment: an attraction to other men. When a career plunge causes muscle tension, Hunter seeks relief through Gabe Hellman, a handsome massage therapist. What begins as friendship takes a sudden turn and forces the two friends to reconsider the boundaries of attraction. Along the road to self-discovery, Hunter’s secret is exposed to the community. Now Hunter must face the demons of his past and confront his long-held fears about reputation, sexual identity, and matters of soul.

A story of faith, fire and restoration, Between These Walls braves the crossroads of love and religion to question who we are and who we will become.

***

More book details at my website.

Reading the description, many of you might understand while I kept the book under wraps for so long. As with a previous novel, From The Dead, I expect some readers will understand the book. For others, Between These Walls won't settle very well. But it's a book I believe God entrusted to me to write, and when that happens, you need to follow that direction. The Bible says, "The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in GOD protects you from that" (Proverbs 29:25 MSG).

That doesn't answer people's questions about why I chose to write this particular book. So next week, I'll post the Author's Note from Between These Walls. That text appears at the beginning of the book and explains the why behind the what. Stay tuned!

Thank you, readers, for waiting since 2012 for the new novel. I've made a lot of new friends along the way. Love you all.

Note for members of the media:  Publicity campaign begins November 18. Publicist:  Maryglenn McCombs, Nashville, TN.

Never give up!

John Herrick

johnherrick.net

johnherricknet.blogspot.com

facebook.com/JohnHerrickBooks

@JohnHerrick

Today's Playlist: Night Visions by Imagine Dragons

New Book Cover Unveiled

I'm so excited to unveil the book cover for my new novel, Between These Walls, which hits shelves on February 10, 2015:

Book details are forthcoming. For those who like to preorder books so they can receive them on the release date, retailers will begin offering that availability around November/December.

In the meantime, the nonfiction 8 Reasons Your Life Matters is available as a free e-book on Amazon and other retail sites.

Thanks for all the messages sent through my website. Knowing the books encourage you is an encouragement to me as well. Love you all!

Never give up!

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

Today's Playlist:  Night Visions by Imagine Dragons

Between These Walls - Street Date February 10

Here's the banner showing up on my Facebook page and other spots. Very excited!

At long last, I finally set up an honest-to-goodness, like-able Facebook page. Here's the full, non-tiny URL:  facebook.com/johnherrickbooks

Love you guys.

Never give up!

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

Blog Reviewers Wanted!

Hey there, bloggers! My next novel, Between These Walls, is scheduled to hit shelves early 2015. The tone and storyline will be along the lines of my first book, From The Dead, but the subject matter will be different. I need to keep the book's premise under wraps until down the road. But here's some general info: The main character is a Christian who struggles in a way Christians generally don't like to talk about. So it has a heavy faith element. It's mainstream fiction with potential Christian reader crossover, but it is NOT Christian fiction or an attempt to proselytize. As a mainstream novel, it does contain some adult content and profanity. So some Christians will enjoy the book, others will be angry. Probably the same goes for non-Christians!


Currently, I'm doing preliminary marketing research to locate book review bloggers. Word of mouth among that crowd spreads like wildfire!


If you're a book blogger and think you might be interested in reading and reviewing Between These Walls (based on the little I've told you!), feel free to get in touch with me directly.


You can get in touch through my website Contact form, my Facebook account, a reply to this post, or however you feel comfortable. We'll figure it out. I just don't want to post my personal email address online for the spammers. :-) Thanks so much! Looking forward to hearing from you. You're appreciated for the time you take to read and review these books and are NOT taken for granted.


Never give up!


John Herrick
johnherrick.net
johnherricknet.blogspot.com


Today's Playlist:  Astronaut by Kip Fox

NEWS | New Novel Title

Early Thursday morning, I finished the final revision for the latest novel! The manuscript is now done, done, DONE.

No better time to announce the novel's title:  Between These Walls.

Barring any unforeseen changes, the book is scheduled to hit shelves in winter 2015, around the February timeframe. Details will be released down the road, closer to the shelf date. As even my family can tell you, this manuscript—right down to its premise—has been on total lockdown. The concept came to me three years ago. I started developing the story a year later. That's how long the secret has remained intact, except for a couple of individuals who were key in its coming to life, of course. Once the story's premise comes forth, many people will understand why I've held it back.

I'm totally old school with how I track some things. I grab a napkin or paper, write a note, and it becomes my official log because I fail to take the time to organize it. If you want to know just how old-school this writer's mind works, here's a look at my ratty paper showing revision page progress:

Pretty sad, huh? It hit the trash can this morning. The photo above was BEFORE crumpling it up for the wastebasket. On second thought, maybe I should've auctioned it... ;-)

Meanwhile, what a thrill to hear from so many of you who have read 8 Reasons Your Life Matters! The e-book is on the verge of crossing the 100,000 downloads mark. Recently, a consultant decided to incorporate the paperback into her program package. Both were unexpected and amazing to see happen. It was just a little side project intended to perhaps encourage a few people out there.

What's new with you? I hope you're enjoying your summer.

Love you all. Have a wonderful weekend. Thanks for allowing my books into your lives. Feel free to message me on my website's Contact page. Feel free to friend me on Facebook—the icon is at the upper corner of my website.

Never give up!

John Herrick
johnherrick.net
johnherricknet.blogspot.com

Today's playlist:  August and Everything After by Counting Crows