Understand Ron Paul’s Freign Policy

Posted by Jaime Buckley on Dec 31, 2011 in Jaime Journal, Point of View | 0 comments

For those who think they understand the powerful strength of Ron Paul’s position is on our national defense and our bad choices in foreign policy, watch this powerful, POWERFUL commercial. I promise….you’ll understand in less than 3 minutes.

Parenting Tip: Give Your Kids That Fighting Chance!

Posted by Jaime Buckley on Dec 2, 2011 in Jaime Journal, Parenting | 0 comments

Don’t make that mistake with your children. We often forget that life is not the same for everyone: our capacities vary, as do our experiences and the lessons we learn. As parents, we have the PRIVILEGE AND HONOR to wade the battle against this world in behalf of our offspring to give them a head start. To take that extra blow that would fell the best of us.

No human was designed to live life alone. Yes, they’ll make mistakes and choose paths other than the ones you point out for them. It frustrates you, I understand. Truth is: they’re most likely following the example you set with your own parents. Consider it poetic payback. Take a breath and remember: they’re WORTH it!!!

Today I say:
Ok world, you want to step on me? That’s fine, I can take it. Just know that when you pick on my kids, they won’t stand alone. Not only do I have their back…you gave me a hammer and taught me how to hit back.

Dedicated to my kids. I love you & dad’s coming home today =)

…now go out there and raise a better generation.

Safe and Sound

Posted by Jaime Buckley on Oct 19, 2011 in Jaime Journal | 0 comments

Thank Goodness Life is Hard!

We couldn’t have done this without help. The moving, the moving….did I mention the moving?

Thank you all for the help you gave during this stressful moment in our lives. We are safe and sound within the home of my dearest friend, who welcomed us with open arms. That’s saying a lot when his lovely house in being invaded by 10 kids, 2 adults and Grandpa. We have 2 lovely bedrooms upstairs and we’re together, safe and warm. We’re grateful.

A friend also helped me get a freelance writing job (thank you Tim and Sarah), which will help as the next Wanted Hero book is written. Evan and Leilani are still up north, Leilani working to pay off her car by next week and Evan, bless his heart, sleeping on Uncle Bob’s floor to watch over his sister while they are away from me. Love those kids. Evan has had the support of the Board Game Designers Guild of Utah while he works on his Trench Wars game, with game shops already setting up demo nights through my brother Jordan (thanks BRO!).

What has touched my heart the most, however, is the love of this community down here. It didn’t hit me until after we arrived that many of our dearest friends had moved this far south over the past 18 years. In just 3 days we have bumped into many familiar faces, smiling and grinning, and arms wrapping around us, telling us how much we have been missed. Wow. What a blessing. Even as I write this, an old friend of Kathi’s rang the doorbell for the first visit in nearly a decade!

So what’s the next step in this new adventure? Well, the focus is always the Wanted Hero story, while working any job I can find to pay back those who have helped us…then onto finding another home. It all balances on the story catching on and selling, which includes the games based on the stories. It’s our future. We know it takes time and so we endure and work as diligently as we can, praying for the best while being ever-so-grateful for the mercy of others.

Oh…and one other thing.

I know you’re having a difficult time as well…but don’t give up.

You know who you are. Yes,…you.
Life has hit all of us and I know you’re struggling just like us, though in your own way.

Don’t give up. It may be hard, it may be painful and you might not know what to do…but don’t give up! Have faith, have courage and take that next step. Be grateful for everything, good and bad (as crazy as that may sound) and I promise you that all will work for your good.

Remember that you’re loved. You may not feel it, but you are. Even if it’s only by me.
Don’t give up.

Talk to you soon.
-Jaime

On to a new challenge

Posted by Jaime Buckley on Oct 4, 2011 in Family, WANTED HERO | 2 comments

Thank you all for the lovely words, the kind offers and prayers. It’s helped a great deal, but it looks like the forces at work have other plans for this family and we are having to say goodbye to our home. We get to see what it’s like to sleep together in two bedrooms on the floor, until we can change our circumstances. Thirteen of us.

…that also includes an aged Grandfather.

This is going to be interesting.

Some of you have asked how the book sales are going and I appreciate that question. Even received an email an hour ago from David Farland asking how the sales were going. Here’s what I told him:

Book sales are slow to none right now. People are leery of first time authors and self-published ones especially, but we continue to contact book bloggers and send out eBooks for reviews and the input/reviews we’re getting back are pretty good. Only sold a few hundred at most so far, about 100 of those being by my own hand (physical copies I bought, then resold). I’m new to this, but getting a forced education.

A bit discouraging sometimes, but I get over it and keep pushing every day. My time is coming. Just have to keep going.

The difference between me and most newbies (I’m assuming this here) is the circumstances. When we attended a writers class, Kathi and I heard a lot of ‘wouldn’t it be nice if‘…or ‘if I ever get‘…whereas I’m looking at this as ‘I will and must make this happen to feed my children’. We had a good measure of success with the comics–so I know this works. It’s not a belief or a hope…I know this stuff works. It’s a matter of time.

My challenge keeps coming back to doing this on a prayer. We saved pennies (literally) to get the 2 proof copies of Prelude. Then I sold a proof to a fan to pay for the first set of 25 books (he bought it for $135). I sold the books signed for $10 each, then bought 50 on the next round. It’s been tough and slow…but it works.

It’s also keeping us humble, but we’re learning. And hey–it DID help me buy some diapers once! LOL

So where is this all going to lead? I’m not really sure, but I’m excited to get there. I’ve spent 42 years preparing for this.

If you haven’t read Prelude to a Hero, Demoni Vankil or seen our new website, please do. Tell a friend. I think you’ll enjoy the story.

…and wish us luck!!

Let’s Pray for a Miracle

Posted by Jaime Buckley on Sep 21, 2011 in Jaime Journal | 3 comments

Everyone I know is being confronted with financial challenges. Some have rolled with the blows better than others, but the fact is, something is happening in the world and there’s talk about God preparing a people for what’s coming.

Please pray for us to keep our home.

You might not believe in God, or perhaps you believe in a greater power or even another version of God–it doesn’t really matter…most people I know have admitted that something is happening that they’ve never experienced before. They are feeling guided. Directed. Prompted.

Because things have been so challenging, I felt to fast and pray myself. I’m not good at fasting. In fact, I haven’t successfully fasted for a full day in nearly 15 years–or so my wife tells me (and she’s probably right). And yet for some reason, I was able to fast without food or water for three solid days without a problem.

What was I fasting for? Help, guidance, direction and if possible, a stronger resolve and spirit to endure what my family has been experiencing.During the three days, I felt something wonderful: a calm, loving embrace that whispered ‘I’ve got you. I’ve got you.’

Many of you know that I had a wonderful job in 2010, but in November it dried up. Haven’t had work since then and each time I tried to apply for work, the doors shut in my face. Skills that earned tens of thousands a month are now unwanted. One after another, like domino’s, every door shut, and after months, the discouragement was almost too much. I turned to dedicated prayer and the only answer I got was ‘write‘. After all these years of wanting to write WANTED:HERO and now, when I’m broke, have 11 children and no prospects, you want me to WRITE!???

‘Yes.‘

Ok. So I wrote ‘Prelude to a Hero‘. We’ve sold some of the books, not nearly as many as I would like, and it still continues to grow slowly–but you can’t expect the public to attach themselves to a new author with only one book. Not realistically, anyway. Bills piled up, naturally, and yet so long as I was writing we were blessed with incredible financial miracles—angels around the country who felt ‘prompted’ to help us. What was more amazing, was each time it turned out to be the EXACT amounts we needed! To the penny!! So I kept writing.

After some time I got scared and started looking for work again. Door after door were slammed in my face once more. Why? I went back to prayer to ask. ‘Write‘ was the only answer. REALLY!?? WRITE?? …again? **sigh**…ok. So we just completed another book Hobin Luckyfeller’s Fieldguide: Demoni Vankil. I’m putting it in eBook form and getting it ready for the printers as I write this. But we have a new challenge:

On the 1st of October, we lose our home.

Our landlord, bless his heart, has worked with us through every tough circumstance and has done all he can. He’s done MORE than he can. I have to catch some rent up before the first and I don’t know how to get it.

So I’m wondering if any of you need the same kind of help? Would you be willing to unite with my family in prayer and ask for help? Pray for something to happen, whether that’s work, good fortune, assistance….anything that can come our way and help both our families. Yours and mine.

…I know for a fact that miracles can happen, and when you’re united with others…it’s more likely to happen.

So please: Pray for us as we pray for you.

God Bless,
Jaime Buckley

WOOT! WOOT! Wanted Hero website is getting a tummy tuck!

Posted by Jaime Buckley on Sep 7, 2011 in WANTED HERO | 0 comments

With the next novel progressing nicely and Höbins first book about to surface, we wanted to take the main website and give it a little overdue love.

..ok, major surgery is more accurate.

WANTED:HERO started as a comic book and has progressed into so much more. Enough so, that some readers were getting confused when they came to our site. The fonts, the comic books for sale, the cartoon artwork, etc., instead of a focus on the new novels and the full impact of Wendell’s story.

So for the next few weeks we have taken down the website to make the changes we felt were long overdue. A new logo (though the smiley face will remain…and you’ll understand why once the next novel is released), a new layout to make navigation easier and what you’re looking for a snap to find.

But there’s more:

We’re building a ‘mature’ look into the site to show the progression of the story, with watercolor paintings instead of black and white sketches. We feel the new look will appeal more to the young adult readers and create a better overall experience when you come to visit us.

In addition, we are working hard to include four new aspects of the site in particular, which will expand over time:

1) A new “WantedWiki”; An online encyclopedia based on the WANTED:HERO world. If you have a name, a plant, animal, race, form of magic (or magic spell) you want to know more about or understand, we’ll be putting it in there.
This should cut down on the blog entries and speed up the surfing between pages and purchasing books…

2) A newsletter signup form; We know many have wanted this feature for some time–to be told when a new book comes out, a new review or when the games and swag would be available (soon…). The process will be simple: you can share your email with us and when we make any announcement we deem of worth to our club, we’ll email you. You don’t have to worry about the daily blasts, hammering you about every day-to-day detail.

That would bore the crud out of us…so we promise not to bore you, first.

3) A Books & More section; This is where you’ll be able to purchase our books, the original comic books and a lot more. We are working with the Evolu, the Kutollum and even the Iskari and Gnomes to bring you products DIRECTLY FROM THE WANTED:HERO WORLD!

That’s right. Products hand made by the actual characters of the books will be made available to you through our site. This doesn’t include our games, T-Shirts and other delectable secrets we will add over time.

4) BE A HERO when you buy books and certain merchandise from our main site. There’s a need for Heroes in the world and now’s your chance. When you buy certain items from us, we will use half of the proceeds for helping others.

Right now, when you purchase any copy of Prelude to a Hero, in any form…we are donating half the proceeds to a Heart Transplant family to help them in their financial struggles with day-to-day survival. You can help! Just buy a book/eBook and tell a friend…

We will be looking for ways to help those who cannot help themselves…all you have to do is buy the same books/products at the same price and tell your friends! THAT’S IT…How cool is that!?!

As always, we want to interact with you and share the world of WANTED:HERO in all its forms…especially the main story of Wendell P. Dipmier, Chuck and Dax.

…so visit http://www.wantedhero.com.

Leave us your email and tell a friend.

Jaime Buckley
Creator of WANTED:HERO

Working as a family

Posted by Jaime Buckley on Sep 7, 2011 in Family | 0 comments

It’s been a while since I was able to make a post, mainly due to the stresses and rigors of everyday life–coupled with the deadlines (self-inflicted) to publish another book (or three) in the Wanted Hero series.

The experiences we have been having are worth noting, because I have seen a tremendous change in my family…especially the children. As challenges arise from our poverty, each of the children has stepped up in their capacity and assisted the family as a whole. From Evan and Leilani working jobs to keep diapers on the baby and gas in the car, to Jessica and Asia helping mom around the house with meals and laundry, to Nathan who has become my master gardener. Even the smallest ones, Jami on down find ways to come to mom’s rescue by keeping Wynnie smiling and laughing.

That has left dad freed to write with all his might, day in and day out and to focus on the primary bills of the household, which have become substantial.

It may not sound like much to you, but the point I’d like to make is: we have a certain level of harmony in our home.

Harmony that could not have been achieved unless we had been blessed enough to experience the opposite. To appreciate the food we eat every day because we have gone without for a time–always making sure the little ones had enough first. To be grateful for heat in all its forms, when we were forced to cook by firewood and take sponge baths with a bowl of warm water in the shower.

The funny thing is…no one ever remembered or complained about the TV, or the radio or the Internet being gone. Hmmm.

The great blessing I have seen as ‘dad’, is my family working together…as a family. Like they should: lovingly, patiently and with an eye focused on the body as a whole.

We were blessed to go camping this last weekend and to be with our extended family in the mountains. A new friend of ours was so kind as to pick us up, with our gear, drive us there and then come pick us up again a few days later. Just so we could have the experience and get away from the struggles of life for a moment. Thank you Ryan.

It was heaven. Everyone was happy, we worked together, we had rationed out our food and even brought some home. But when I asked the children what they liked the most about the whole trip, the answer was unanimous:

They liked that we were together.

So though life is providing greater challenges, I would suggest that you consider working more closely as a family.

…because when you do, those ‘challenges’ become blessings and experiences you’re not likely to trade for anything.

-Jaime Buckley