EDITOR'S NOTE

A-men to that. Waking up--what a concept. Thought I'd give it a try one day, and it actually worked. Amazing the things one can achieve when their eyes are opened to the illusion. I had sleep walked through many years of my life, especially during my teen years, and law school of course, and I'm the first one to appreciate the fact neither debacle killed me during my slumber.

But eventually the reality becomes too overwhelming. One begins to recognize the deep seeded desire to accomplish something of value during their lifetime. He or she realizes that they must eventually end the dream and begin to act. And trust me when I say this--it's all in the action, and the attitude attributed thereto. Our future accomplishments all stand on the emotionality and feelings that we project from our deepest selves as we put our highest energies into our actions. Acting with reckless love and compassion and tolerance for all living things at all times--mixed with a heavy dose of recognition of our interconnectedness with all living things--can become a totally mind-blowing habit if one allows it to be. And the feeling it generates for oneself is indescribable, as you can tell from my description, or lack thereof.


 

COALITION AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE

It's been a very busy month since last we met. Things started off with a bang when I spoke about troubled youth and violence and compassion to a wonderful gathering of high-vibrating people at the Coalition Against Gun Violence's 13^th Anniversary Celebration this past April 19^th, at Santa Barbara's elegant Mar Monte Hotel.


 

The organization has a tremendous support base in their drive to eliminate gun violence on a local as well as an international level. The event was attended by many movers-and-shakers from the California social movement. Future California Senator Hanna-Beth Jackson wrote a wonderful introductory speech on my behalf (she used to be my lawyer-boss when I was just a little law clerk), while California Assemblyman Pedro Nava introduced keynote speaker and fellow Assemblyman Kevin de Leon. The discussions about social change were terrific as well as inspiring.

You can read more about my involvement with the event in an article written by Chris Meagher in the Santa Barbara Independent.


 

STOLEN BOY WINS AGAIN

I then took off to Las Vegas where the weather was in the 80's, about twelve degrees cooler than I'd left in Ventura, and I taught a writing seminar at the Public Safety Writers Association writing conference. I spoke about the Yin and Yang of writing and how it can be used to help transform consciousness for both writer and reader. The conference was terrific, and Stolen Boy won First Place in the Best Novel competition, so it actually appeared as though I had a clue as to what I was talking about. This is Stolen Boy's second top fiction award this year with, hopefully, more yet to come.

 

When I returned home, I found out that Stolen Boy had again scored by being selected as one of only two national finalists for best Fiction by the prestigious Indie Excellence Awards. This brand new contest was the brainchild of publisher and book marketing expert Ellen Reid, and was designed to recognize the new ideas and new approaches being contributed to the book marketplace by independent and self-published authors. This is much the same as the premise behind Indie films that have become such a force in reshaping the film industry.


 

AND AN IPPY...

Then, just as I send this newsletter to press, the biggest fish yet lands in my bottomless net: the 2008 Independent Publisher Book Awards. Stolen Boy has now been selected as one of only three regional semifinalists for the prestigious gold medal award.

The award is offered by Independent Publisher magazine, an online journal with the latest in book marketing strategies and techniques, plus the best of new indie titles, industry news, and insider information about writing, publishing and promoting independently published books.

The regional "IPPYs" were designed to spotlight the best regional titles from around North America. Over 600 entries were received from across the U.S. and Canada. Books were judged alongside books for and about their regions only, based on their quality and regional significance. As an entry in the West-Pacific region, Stolen Boy competed against top entries from California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, and Alaska.

This year's awards announcement event in Los Angeles during BookExpo is set for Friday, May 30th, with the presentation ceremony from 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. and reception following from 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m, at City Club on Bunker Hill (54th Floor), in the Wells Fargo Building at 333 S. Grand Avenue, downtown Los Angeles. If you have any interest in joining me, I'd be honored.


 

TRAVAILS OF JESSE JAMES HOLLYWOOD

The California Supreme Court just handed down an amazing decision in the Jesse James Hollywood case. In essence the lower Appellate Court's decision was reversed and it now appears the prosecutor's work with me on the film Alpha Dog and my book will go unpunished. Gerald Franklyn of the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's office has stated that Ron Zonen most probably will not go back. Which means that I'll be facing the new prosecutor when the trial court takes jurisdiction back on the case and we have to talk about this subpoena he left at my office with my name on it.

The truth is I'm happy that no one will be punished as a result of my work with Mr. Zonen. I'm also quite happy for the Markowitz family in that they will now be allowed to move forward in their lives. Jeff and Susan have almost had to live in a cocoon of silence during the case--their son was murdered in August of 2000--and they look forward to the day they can actually talk about what they've been feeling.

I also feel really sad about Jesse James Hollywood and his family. The United States Supreme Court has just recently reopened the door to death by injection. The killings will soon resume across the country. The California death penalty issues will soon be swept aside and buried by the conservatives sitting on the US and California Supreme Courts, and there will be few remaining laws in place to protect those who are sentenced to death. Of course, my question then becomes, What are we going to do about it? Eventually, I believe, we will tire of all the bloodshed as it begins to spill on our own communities. And then maybe we'll understand how it touches us personally. We might even begin to feel the energies of life and compassion overwhelming those of state-sponsored vengeance.

Jesse James Hollywood is a kid who made some very bad choices. And now he will probably die as a result of them. So will Ryan Hoyt, the convicted shooter, who had been severely abused and neglected as a child and who had never been arrested in his life before this case. And none of these deaths will make Nicholas Markowitz come back. Neither Hoyt's or Hollywood's state-sanctioned killings will make Nick's family any better off. Two more deaths will only tarnish Nicholas' name and harm our personal development as loving, compassionate human beings.


 

THIRD THURSDAYS

Thursday, May 15^th, 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.

We're getting to the nitty gritty as we head down the backstretch with our next to last session of our Third Thursdays seminar series at the Bank of Books at 748 E. Main Street, Ventura. "Getting into Print: Articles, Blogs, Letters, Critiques" will be our next topic for discussion. Thus far, our popular series has centered on the craft of writing and aspects of the self-publishing route. The focus will now shift to the third phase of the writing process: marketing.

Several authors attending Third Thursdays seminars have either completed manuscripts or are heading toward the completion stage. The key now will be how to promote those books, since the publisher will not be offering much in the way of help to the first-time writer. Getting a reader to buy the book is the trickiest part of the publishing process. And that's what we're going to talk about. Some of the different ways to build "The Buzz." Something my partner Patricia Kokinos and I have had a lot of success at.

On June 19th the topic of our last session will be "Jumping into Marketing, 1-2-3." For more information, please call 805.643-3154.


 

BOOK EXPO AMERICA

May 30^th through June 1^st

Come on down and visit me at the premiere book event in the country: Book Expo America. I'll be all over the place meeting all the players of the game, but I'll always be stopping back to sign Stolen Boy with Irwin Zucker's Book Publicists of Southern California, booth #4312.

I also plan on spending more than my share of time at the iUniverse and Foreword Magazine booths, where Stolen Boy will be a featured attraction. For more information check out www.bookexpoamerica.com or contact Irwin Zucker at 323.461 3921


 

THE NEXT TO LAST WORD

I want to thank all of you who have offered tremendous words and thoughts of support for my public positions against the death penalty and juveniles being tried as adults. Sometimes I think I've got to be out of my mind for what I'm doing. Trying to raise awareness to save two kids from dying. Two kids who were accused of kidnapping and killing a fifteen-year-old boy. Am I nuts? There are those who believe so. Some have even said as much to my face. Some who I care about very much. And yes, maybe I am nuts. But you know what? It's okay by me. I'm a lawyer. I've  been called much worse. And besides...

I got in a lot of trouble when I was a kid. When I was twenty one I got busted and I could have been tried and convicted for a felony, but someone bailed me out big-time. The case just "disappeared" because someone really cared about me--and my potential in life. They cared about what would become of my family if I became a convicted felon.

So I was free to one day attend law school and become a lawyer. And I remember one night not long after I got busted, I snuck into my father's bedroom, took his gun out of his overhead closet, walked out to the front deck of where I lived in the Hollywood Hills, raised the weapon to my temple, and tried to convince myself to use it. I was really depressed. And I was scared. Really scared. Too scared to end it all right then and there. Because there was a flicker of hope, and I could taste it, and that flicker of hope kept me going.

As with the court case, I had been given a reprieve, a second chance in life. And I took advantage of it. I'm doin' pretty well now. And I'm working with others who are in similar positions to what I was in when I was a kid growing up. And they're going to get another chance in life too. And that's what I pray will one day happen to Jesse James Hollywood and Ryan Hoyt--and any other condemned men out there: another chance to change and become their potential.

I again encourage you to join me in discussing these and other important social issues on my Weblog at www.StolenBoy.com.


 

THE LAST WORD

I recently received a letter printed by hand on pencil on three-holed white-lined paper, the kind we used to use when we were kids, that assured me of the fact that, at least as far as this young writer was concerned, it was a good thing I didn't pull that trigger:

"Dear Michael Mehas,

Hello. My name is Lara. I'm a 8^th grader. I have been very interested in your book Stolen Boy. After watching Alpha dog and hearing it was local and real, I was interested. Althought I am not done reading your book, it has taught me much more about the eent.

I was un-aware they thought about letting the kid go before he got the gun held to his head. If I was him I would be scared for my life, but believe my brother would save me. Even though it's a sad story, I must admit its my favorite book. You did an amazing job in writing the book with detail. It's great! I wish I was able to get my book autographed at Barns 'n' nobile, but I had been out of town."

From Lara

I invited Lara to my next book signing. And if her mother will let me I'm going to give Lara a big hug--and then sign her book. I hope you will come as well.

Peace and Blessings to all of you at all times...