Let’s Pray for a Miracle
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!
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
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
Share Tweet Read MoreWhy Do I Have To Answer The Phone?
When I tuned on my cell phone this morning, something very common happened: I had voice mails…telling me I was wrong not to have answered their calls.
Now, I have a habit: as soon as I start working I turn off my phone. I give the house phone to the children or Kathi and ignore everything until I’m done working. I take a break at 1pm to let my mind rest–sometimes to answer emails, sketch, or maybe make a phone call…but only if I feel its critical. Anything else I leave until my work is done.
So my mind pondered as I listened to the voices of annoyed people…declaring how essential it was for me to realize how important their time was.
…but what about my time?
Do I harass people when they don’t answer my calls? Nope. ...and it doesn’t matter who they are. I simply believe they’re busy and have a very good reason for not answering…and I’ll most likely learn WHY they didn’t answer my call when they DO get back to me. So what would possess a person to believe they have a right to interrupt my time? They certainly don’t know what I’m doing at any given moment…yet they demand my attention. What’s worse is–they demand I make them my priority.
Seems a bit pompous to me. In fact, I would label that flat out asinine, wouldn’t you?
Just because the phone rings, doesn’t mean I’m honor bound to answer it. So next time you call me, know that I love you and I will get back to you…but once my personal organized list brings your name to the top.
…we now return you to your regularly scheduled program… Read MoreHunger Games ticked me off…
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Just finished this book and I was very impressed. It took me almost 4 days to get through to chapter 5 until it grabbed me and didn’t let go. I don’t know why, but I kept taking nibbles of it, like the food Katniss rations out in the Games.
Not quite sure if I wanted to commit to the adventure.
I have not felt such hatred in many years from a book. It was unsettling, but there’s no other way to describe my feelings of the government in this world. The very presence of the games and how they are used had me hoping mad and disgusted without measure.
The pacing is incredible, the timing is near perfect and the characters are unforgettable. Looking forward to getting my hands on the next book.
…and hopefully the downfall of the government.
*Hunger Games fan art by Briarthorn
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