Book Giveaway: The Vault by Boyd Morrison

Author Boyd Morrison, who recently released "The Vault," started out self-publishing his thrillers. He's now represented, but more on that later.

I've heard from several area authors on the topic of self-publishing. It seems to self-publish a book - that is to pay for the printing and all other associated costs yourself and try to sell it on your own - is increasingly an achievable stepping stone to securing a publisher for future works.

Jim Maust of Trappe recently self-published "From the Driver's Seat"- a memoir about his career as a bus operator for local operator Perkiomen Motorcoach LLC (view my blog about his book here) - and has found success in selling the book to his peers. He hopes to list the book for sale on Amazon.com in the near future.

Katie McVay of Pottstown is moving ahead with plans to publish her first novel "The City of Lost Secrets" as an e-book - a publishing option she says is less costly than a print book. She is currently having her novel formatted for Kindle and other e-readers.She also recently published a short story for sale on Amazon.com for a mere 99 cents. For more information, check out Katie's insightful blog here.

Some other originally self-published works of note, according to Wikipedia, are:

• "The Celestine Prophecy" by James Redfield
• "The Joy of Cooking" by Irma Rombauer
• "What Color is Your Parachute?" by Richard Nelson Bolles
• "Poems in Prose" by Oscar Wilde
• "Chicken Soup for the Soul" by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen

Boyd Morrison started out as a "self-publishing phenomenon," according to his now publisher Touchstone Hardcover/Simon & Schuster. Morrison recently released his latest thriller, "The Vault: A Novel" (Touchstone Hardcover/Simon & Schuster, July 5, 2011, $24.99, 448 pp.). I have a copy of that novel to give away to one lucky reader (see details below).


Unable to find a publisher for his novels, Boyd marketed "The Ark" (May 2010), the story of industrial engineer Tyler Locke’s quest to uncover Noah’s Ark to readers through Amazon’s Kindle program and his own website. His books, according to his publisher, became a word-of-mouth Internet sensation, with over 7,500 copies sold in 3 months. Shortly thereafter, Boyd was signed by Touchstone Books, a division of Simon & Schuster for a multi-book deal. "The Ark" became a national bestseller.


The publisher describes Morrison's new book, "The Vault," as a continuation of Tyler Locke's adventures:

Former combat engineer Tyler Locke races against time to unearth the truth about the fabled touch of King Midas. Locke's routine commute on a Washington State ferry is interrupted by a chilling anonymous call: his father has been kidnapped, and a truck bomb is set to detonate on board in 20 minutes. When Tyler reaches the bomb on the boat's car deck, he's stunned to find classical languages expert Stacy Benedict waiting for him. She's received the same threat, and her sister has also been taken. In order to disarm the bomb, Tyler and Stacy must work together to solve an engineering puzzle — a puzzle written in ancient Greek.

But preventing the explosion is only the first step; they soon learn the entire setup is a test created by a ruthless criminal who forces them to go on a seemingly impossible mission: uncover the legendary lost riches of King Midas. Tyler and Stacy have just five days to track down the gold.

Armed with an ancient manuscript penned by brilliant Greek inventor Archimedes, they begin a quest to unravel a 2,000-year-old mystery whose answer is hidden within the workings of a cryptic artifact: the Antikythera Mechanism, a device designed by Archimedes himself. To save their loved ones and prevent their captors from recovering a treasure that will finance unspeakable devastation, the two scramble to Italy, Germany, Greece, and finally to the streets of New York City in a race against the clock to find the truth behind the story of King Midas.


About the author:

Boyd Morrison (pictured at left) has a PhD in industrial engineering from Virginia Tech and was formerly employed by NASA, Microsoft’s Xbox Games Group, and Thomson-RCA. In 2003, he fulfilled a lifelong dream and became a Jeopardy! Champion. He is also a professional actor who has appeared in commercials, stage plays, and films. Boyd resides with his wife an 10-year-old son in Seattle. To learn more, visit his website.

Boyd Morrison is currently on tour in support of "The Vault," but his tour schedule does not bring him to the Philly area. You can catch him at the storied (yes, I went there) Tattered Cover Bookstore in downtown Denver, CO., on Monday, August 8, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Other upcoming stops include Milwaukee, Houston and St. Louis.

If you'd like to win my review copy of "The Vault," courtesy of Touchstone Hardcover/Simon & Schuster, email me with your mailing address at mkaras@pottsmerc.com or simply post the information in a comment below.

Trappe bus operator pens travel memoir

Trappe resident Jim Maust recently self-published "From the Driver's Seat: The Real World of Motorcoach Touring According to Storyteller Jim Maust" (266 pp., $19.95 at select area bookstores), a book "loaded with fascinating, authentic and sometimes humorous stories of motorcoach travel from the viewpoint of the driver’s seat."

I recently interviewed by phone the 11-year veteran of driving bus tours for Perkiomen Motorcoach of Pennsburg. The driver-turned-novelist said he's pleased with the result of nearly five years of work.

"I'm happy with it. I'm pleasantly surprised by the response I'm getting," Maust said.

Over the years, Maust has compiled lots of memories - both good and bad - from his experiences behind the wheel. What started out as a diary of sorts for his five grandchildren turned into a much bigger labor of love that Maust said he very much enjoyed creating.

"It's pretty common in this industry ... Everybody says 'You ought to write a book!'" Maust said. Not everyone follows through, but Maust did. He had the book printed at Mastof Press in Morgantown.

When he first looked into it he found the last similar book on the topic had been published 20 years ago. "I thought it was time to update what's happening in this world," Maust said.

Maust said his stories naturally fell into certain categories, which he organized into chapters, he said.

He begins the book with a chapter on wildlife, noting instances on his travels during which he's observed a Bald Eagle, rainbows, and "even a beaver dam in the middle of I-84 that would otherwise go unnoticed," Maust said. "I also once got to see a waterbomber putting out a fire."

When asked where in the U.S. his job takes him, Maust replied "Oh, everywhere. I do a lot of mission trips to place like South Dakota and western Ontario."

He devotes an entire chapter to the topic of border crossings, and recalled one in particular that was extremely memorable:

"I was crossing into Canada at the Thousand Islands about three weeks after 9-11. It was tense," he recalled. The passengers had been briefed not to offer any information not asked for at the border. Then Maust's coach was stopped along with about a dozen other vehicles. He watched as an officer beelined for the bus. Maust opened the door for him to come aboard, which the officer did, and then proceeded to ask the passengers in a stern voice: "Does anybody have a henweigh to declare?"

The question was met with dead silence as passengers looked around nervously and said nothing. Once again, the officer repeated his question. "Does anybody have a henweigh to declare?" The question met with more silence from the uneasy travelers.

"Someone finally asked 'What's a henweigh?" Maust recalled. The Canadian officer smiled and replied, Maust wrote, ""Oh, about three of four pounds.' With that he turned, descended the steps and walked back to his office. We sat there flabbergasted. The ice was broken. First there was a ripple of laughter and then a good guffaw!"

"I think he just wanted to cut the tension," Maust added.

Another chapter, called Get out of my Bed, has to do with bedbugs. There's also a chapter showcasing Pennsylvania, one devoted to snow issues, a comical one about lavatory issues, and one that includes Frequently Asked Questions, such as "Do you drive in the snow?"

Included in the book are several color and some black-and-white photos that illustrate some of Maust's tales.

Of his stories, Maust said: "The stories are not in any particular order. Some are funny, some are serious; they all happen where the rubber meets the road while driving over our highways. The trips that make a memory are ones where something unusual happens."

To date, Maust estimates he's sold more than 100 copies - mainly to other tour bus operators. "A lot of the buyers will be other drivers and people who've toured with us," he said.

Maust added, "It's just a fun read. I've been told 'It's like being on one of the trips with you."

Maust dedicated the book to his brother, who died at age 59.

About the author:

Maust grew up in rural Lancaster County, where he learned to drive farm equipment early on. His yen for travel was nurtured by his father’s work on the Pennsylvania Railroad, allowing the young family a free pass on the rails. By age 10 he was driving the family’s ’32 Ford sedan in the back alley of the small town where they lived. He credits his mother for teaching him safe and skillful driving habits.He acquired a private pilot’s license at age 23. His Goldwing motorcycle is his favorite mode of leisure travel for him and his wife.

Jim, and his wife, Millie, have two daughters and five grandchildren. He spent 13 years in the insurance business; then transitioned into a 25 year season of pastoral ministry. He earned a master's degree in divinity and a doctorate in ministry.

Maust has resided in Trappe for 20 years, the last 11 of which he has been a professional tour bus operator with Perkiomen Motorcoach (Pennsburg).

Buy the book:

"From the Drivers' Seat is available for purchase for $19.95 locally at Towne Book Center & Cafe, Collegeville; Souderton Bookstore; and Hackman's Bookstore, Whitehall. He hopes to have the book for sale on Amazon.com in short order.

Visit Maust's "From the Driver's Seat" Facebook page to learn more about the book and upcoming book-related events or to say hello.

Win the book:

Maust has donated a copy of "From the Driver's Seat" to this blog. If you are interested in winning that copy, comment here or send me an e-mail (please include your mailing address) at mkaras@pottsmerc.com