Friday, February 13, 2009

I've Moved to Typepad

Please find me at To Elysia and Back Again.

As I have grown from being an author to a talk radio host--and now for more than one program--I have developed what I unofficially dub "The Blog Monster." I've discovered that I have way too many blogs in way too many spaces, and since I'm about to being yet another radio show on movies in my local area, I've got to consolidate--or I'll go insane trying to post everything to the right website. (Wait... "I'll GO insane" indicates it has not already happened yet. Hmmm.) I've also discovered that if I consolidate, I'll make it a "one stop shop" meaning people won't get confused as to how to find me.

Anyway, since this blog is simply a cut and paste blog of my personal blog on Typepad, To Elysia and Back Again, I've decided that it will be best if I shut this one down. My reasoning for this is twofold:

  • Blogger doesn't use regular html code, meaning every time I upload my Typepad blog here, it takes me an extra 15 minutes to massage everything in order for it to work.
  • I get Google web alerts for my Typepad blog, but none for my Blogger blog, meaning Typepad is more powerful when it comes to getting Google to notice me. (Oh, and I don't have to use a Technorati code converter in Typepad, which I stopped doing on blogger about a year ago because it took too long.)

This blog posting will be the last posting on this particular blog. I invite you to visit my official To Elysia and Back Again blog, and check out my photo albums there, which are kind of funny!

For those of you who subscribe to this particular blog, please click here to subscribe to my To Elysia and Back Again blog, which is the exact same content as what I post here.

This Week’s Final Cut In Movies show (02/13/09): Push

On this week’s show, I'll be discussing why Push only made $10 million its opening weekend, how I actually agree with Rotton Tomatoes this time, why leadership skills are important when writing a screenplay and directing a movie, and other science fiction & fantasy news.

The show will air from 2:00-3:00am & pm and re-air throughout the week at the same times on http://www.adastraradio.com/. To listen to tonight's show:

Missed Saturday's edition of The Final Cut? Don’t worry, you can catch the re-runs each day from 2:00-3:00am & pm at www.adastraradio.com, or you can download the podcast at M. B. Weston's Podcasts site or by following this link on iTunes.

Be sure to check out my new To Elysia and Back Again podcast every Tuesday! Click here for more information.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Podcast: The Second Birth of Davian the Great - Part 2

This is my second podcast in "The Second Birth of Davian the Great" series.

Did you ever wonder how and when Davian came to believe in Ianoda and the Runes' Book of Prophecy and Book of Ezzer? I'll be telling you the story, which takes place over 200 years before The Elysian Chronicles: A Prophecy Forgotten when Davian goes to RSO training, in this podcast!

I'll also be adding a little twist by comparing the story of Davian to the Biblical story of King Nebuchadnezzar in the book of Daniel.

This particular podcast covers Daniel 2, and I'll be discussing the subject of Discovering Truth.

To download "The Second Birth of Davian the Great: Part 2", click here.

If you missed the earlier podcasts in the series, click on the links below:

If you are wondering what the To Elysia and Back Again podcast is all about, click here to download a brief, 4 minute introduction.

Monday, February 09, 2009

Listen to Chapter 8 of The Elysian Chronicles: A Prophecy Forgotten!

Hear A Prophecy Forgotten the way I intended it to be read!

As all of us wait for Out of the Shadows: Book II of the Elysian Chronicles, I've decideed to entertain you with a few podcasts (i.e. a FREE downloadable audio versions of my novel in mp3 format so you can listen to it on your computer, your iPod, or burn a CD) of A Prophecy Forgotten: Book I of the Elysian Chronicles. For those of you who cannot afford A Prophecy Forgotten, this is a good way to test it out for free. I will continue posting new chapters every few weeks, so please continue to check the blog.

Click to read my latest installment: "Chapter Eight: December 22nd."

Also, if you missed previous chapters, please click on the links below:

Be sure to check out my new To Elysia and Back Again podcast every Tuesday! Click here for more information.

Saturday, February 07, 2009

Check Out the Map of Elysia on the Elysian Chronicles Website!


Wandering Sage has included a map of Elysia in the trade paperback version of A Prophecy Forgotten. (The limited edition does not have this map.) I decided to post the map on The Elysian Chronicles website so those of you with the hardcover and limited edition can view it, too.


Click here to view the map, and then click "Click here to view a map of Elysia."

Friday, February 06, 2009

This Week’s Final Cut In Movies show (02/07/09): The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

On this week’s show, I'll be discussing The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, reasons you may not want to snore in a theater when you're sitting next to someone who hosts a radio talk show on movies, why the Academy is full of idiots, and just how much Button was like Forest Gump--no joke!

The show will air from 2:00-3:00am & pm and re-air throughout the week at the same times on http://www.adastraradio.com/. To listen to tonight's show:

Missed Saturday's edition of The Final Cut? Don’t worry, you can catch the re-runs each day from 2:00-3:00am & pm at http://www.adastraradio.com/, or you can download the podcast at M. B. Weston's Podcasts site or by following this link on iTunes.

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Podcast: The Second Birth of Davian the Great - Part 1

This is it! The inaugural posting of the To Elysia and Back Again podcast.

This first series of podcasts is called "The Second Birth of Davian the Great." Did you ever wonder how and when Davian came to believe in Ianoda and the Runes' Book of Prophecy and Book of Ezzer? I'll be telling you the story, which takes place over 200 years before The Elysian Chronicles: A Prophecy Forgotten when Davian goes to RSO training, in this podcast!

I'll also be adding a little twist by comparing the story of Davian to the Biblical story of King Nebuchadnezzar in the book of Daniel.

This particular podcast covers Daniel 1:1-20, and I'll be discussing the subject of seeking God.

To download "The Second Birth of Davian the Great: Part 1", click here.

It's, um, kind of long, but a good portion of it is a story--kind of like listening to an audio book.

If you missed my last blog and are wondering what the To Elysia and Back Again podcast is all about, click here to download a brief, 4 minute introduction.

M. B. Weston’s Events for the Week: 02/02/09 to 02/08/09

Here are my author and radio events this week:

Monday, February 02, 2009

Introducing the To Elysia and Back Again podcast!

I'm beginning a weekly podcast called To Elysia and Back Again! (I know, I know, I could have gotten more creative on the name, but it is what it is.) The idea for this podcast idea has been something that has been on my mind for a few years now, and I'm finally getting it started.

My reasons for starting this podcast are simple. Beyond writing, beyond teaching others about writing, beyond discussing movies, and even beyond my love of fantasy and science fiction, my love is for God and Jesus Christ. This is what drives me and everything I do. I want to share this part of me with people, and I want people to know God the way I do.

I also have a love for telling stories, and I’ve discovered something about people as I watch their reactions to stories. I think all of us want to be part of a story. We’re searching for some kind of significance in this world, and I think in our heart of hearts, we know that there is a story out there somewhere that is bigger than ourselves. I hope to help unlock some of that story with this podcast.

I’ve also found that its easiest to explain a concept using a story, and you’ll find me telling a lot of stories in this podcast—especially stories in a series, so make sure you listen to the whole series.

The To Elysia and Back Again podcast is totally separate from The Elysian Chronicles, although I may use some Elysian Chronicles stories to illustrate a few points. (Heck, when I used to teach Sunday school, I used Harry Potter, Batman Begins, and the Pirates of the Caribbean to illustrate my points.) During this podcast, I will explore God, Jesus Christ, and the Bible from a number of different perspectives. Some weeks we will be diving into a certain passage of scripture and examining it. Some weeks, we’ll be looking at God from a more topical approach, and some weeks we’ll be looking at God from a logical, philosophical, apologetic perspective.

You don’t have to be a Christian to listen, in fact, I welcome people of all faiths to listen to this podcast. I’m hoping the stories I tell will be entertaining enough.

If you're interested in listening, you can click here for a brief 4 minute introduction (in which I say some of the same things that I've written here).

A few matters of bookkeeping:

  • I will try to upload a new podcast each Tuesday. (The key word here is "try.")
  • I will be keeping a listing of all the To Elysia and Back Again podcasts on my "Download To Elysia and Back Again Podcasts" page. (Click here, or find it under the Pages section on the top left of the To Elysia and Back Again blog.) This page is in the beginning stages of organization right now. Trust me, it will get better.
  • I'm waiting for iTunes to approve me, and I will let you know the moment I am officially on iTunes.
  • My first podcast is on the next blog (see just above this one), and it's about Davian!

I want to encourage each of you that there is hope in this world. There is a fantastic, amazing story out there, beyond you, beyond me, and beyond any story any author could ever tell. You can be a part of this story. I’m not the one who can provide you with hope or with meaning, but I can share my hope with you, which is why I invite all of you will join me on my journey To Elysia and Back Again.