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Submit your review for Minion on Amazon Now – November 1. The submission of your review will enter you into a drawing to win 4 AMC movie tickets. Winner will be announced November 5 via Facebook and Twitter. How to Enter: -To enter contest you must complete ALL of the following by 12:00 Midnight November 1, 2012 1) Post your review of Minion on Amazon.com http://t.co/uLnPUuOn 2) Post the URL from your book review on Amazon to Facebook Minion pagehttp://tinyurl.com/bs2hkl6 3) “Like” the Facebook Minion page Rules: -Review should be a minimum of 30 words -Reviews do not need to be favorable to be entered. We appreciate and respect all opinions good or bad. - All submissions become the property of Minion and may be shared for future use on website, blogs, etc. -All entries will be placed into a drawing and winner will be selected at random. -Winner will be announced November 5, 2012 via Facebook and Twitter. -Winner will receive (4) AMC Movie Tickets sent to their address provided upon contact via Facebook and Twitter. http://www.facebook.com/events/449254531779501/

Thousand Island

In countless trades, study is paramount for any degree of success. To excel in a chosen field, it is assumed that much time will be spent inspecting the work of predecessors and scholars. But for those investing their lives to pioneer original ideas, procedures, expressions, inventions – is there an amount of research that is detrimental to originality. 

I often hear, and agree with to an extent, that in order to acquire a career in writing, you need to read a lot. Indisputable, it may appear, but is there an argument against? I musician once said to me, “When I am writing music, I don’t listen to music. If I listen to music while I write, there ends up being obvious references to other artists’ work in my work.” I sympathize wholeheartedly. 

Absolute creation is nonexistent, agreed? We gather our inspiration, our processes, and our plaster from others and we use our own dissected emotions to create “originality”. But no genuine artist plans to trace the work of others. You can take each in entry in Bob Dylan’s collection and compare it to other folk songs previously written. You can compare Hunger Games to a dozen other stories. These things just happen. As much expression as there is in our era, there are going to be similarities.

So how do you avoid tracing and create original works? Shut off the radio? Put down the book? Turn of the boob tube? Sink into some hole with pen and pad? 

Or do you pick your references strategically? If you know what is coming out of your head is going to be derivative in some shape or form, do you plot your own acceptance of works and wall off everything else that tries to wedge itself into your eyes and ears? Dedicating yourself to spectating specific forms of expression while trying to create your own, just maybe the answer we need in a time where there are SO many ideas, arts, stories, being jammed into our souls. 

In short, when you step up to the “salad bar of inspiration”, perhaps find a mixture that will simply nurture your original idea.

Putting a Face to a Name - The Making of Minion:The Shudagon Trilogy

As more and more readers are finishing Minion: Book 1 of The Shudagon Trilogy, I have been asked several questions like: "Whats the second one about?", "Who are your favorite writers?", "How long did it take you to come up with such an epic idea?"
They are all good questions, but one of the most exciting questions is: "If this book transferred in to film, who would you cast?"

Grace Archer: Emma Watson




I think if you added 2 years of age to Emma, she would be golden. Hopefully she can lose the British accent and let her hair grow back out, but aside from the perfect match physically, I feel she would offer the amount of desperation, compassion, and control that Grace Archer has.

Deacon Gregory James - Jamie Foxx



Jamie is an all around sensational actor. From Any Given Sunday, to the Soloist, to Ray, to Collateral - he has really offered a convincing image with some challenging roles roles. Deacon James is the keeper of the knowledge. He is the only believer of a truly farfetched theory that he must somehow convince others of its validity. It won't be easy, but Jamie can do it.

Donar Gamule - Dolph Lundgren



Who doesn't love Masters of the Universe? Donar is a Russian, no B.S, hard as steel, calm, brutal human being. I don't think I need to say anything else. Dolph, its yours buddy. Just don't step on me.

FUN FACT: This would be the 2nd movie with Minion in the title that Dolph has been in. True story.

Lance Goodard - Regan Adair



I had the luxury of watching Regan perform with the Dallas Theater Center. His presence is undeniable on stage. Even between lines, I would keep him in the corner of my eye, preparing for him to explode in my face. Very bold, confident actor with strength in his voice and face. Lance spends his time in this story convincing himself and his audience of violently radical ideals. We are gonna need some firepower. Regan is the guy, no doubt

Ospi Gamule - Jackie Earle Haley



Picture Jackie Earl balding, no legs (one prosthetic), climbing along cave walls. whispering in the dark, sneaking from behind, moving like a ballerina, ending countless innocent lives and building underground visual art with the remains of the dead. Sounds like horror to me.

Kayden Archer - Gerard Butler




Transformation will be imperative to exhibit. Kayden Archer will have to quickly turn from a simple man of medicine to a divine flooded with hate. An actor will not only have to convince an audience that these supernatural events could very well happen, but that Kayden Archer has given up on his dreams, family, and career to become a vigilante. I've seen several sides to Gerard Butler. I've seen grace, progression, compassion, despair, regret, brutality, and pure hatred. He's gonna need it all to do Kayden Archer justice.

Q&A with Illustrator Dusty Moore

From the Noodle to the Page
The Making of Minion: The Shudagon Trilogy

I find visual art to be my main influence. With story telling through literature, unless poetic, the foundation is laid allowing for boundaries. In visual art, the mind is free to roam and interpret however the mind allows. For Minion, I wanted to include illustrations that could prepare the reader's mind in a way that would break down the prefabricated filters that may exist. Its no secret, the story is pretty over-the-top and any ingredient that I could add to the chaos, will only make for a more epic experience.

Through he grapevine, I heard one of my co-workers was an artist and currently working on a comic book. I approached Dusty Moore with my desire to have illustrations in a novel I was producing. I threw him a copy. After a short time, he got back to me with a few questions. "What is going on in your head?" he asked.



Justin: What is it about art that maintains your interest?

Dusty: Hell, how do I sum this up? In a word I would say "creativity" then I would throw in "freedom" and then...."growth."
I can take this back pretty far.... like when I was 3or 4 I was glued to early Warner Bros. cartoons and I'm still inspired by them. My father was buying me The Savage Sword of Conan, Mad, and Cracked Magazine in the early eighties when I was 10 and they were a major influence; I still read them today. I'd say the comics were my first introduction to art, and specifically fantasy art; where anything you can dream up is possible whether it's written word, ink on paper, actors working their magic or the various combinations thereof. I was always doodling G.I.Joe and skateboarders and anything I could come up with.
Looking back on that I realize the value in the freedom to do it yourself with no authoritative judge limiting your insight during the process. The ability to take a piece of cloth, some pigments from the earth and bring a painting into being that you alone made... good or bad. For me the creative process is where the rush takes place. Pushing an idea right into the corner of your choosing, developing to your little hearts desire (or deadline's desire). And I have to mention my constant need to learn. Whether I've conquered a particular technique or am just beginning to tinker with it, improvement and personal evolution are very important. These are some of the things that keep me interested in art.
But I gotta throw in that I am seeking creative collaboration more and more. So what may be developing here is a sense of community between artists where exploration is encouraged, growth is mandatory, and egos are minimal. Where people work together with whatever they can bring to the bar, where they make something fulfilling to explore, finish out, and then move on to the next project.

Justin: What turned you on to the project?

Dusty: Really it was just another creator asking me if I was interested in making something new. You hadn't even seen my work but you were interested regardless. And then, when I was reading the book and creating visual images in my mind I was very impressed with your imagination. I like reading authors like Mike Mignola, Clive Barker, Robert E. Howard, Lovecraft, and Herbert to name a few and the style and pace of Minion kept me wanting to read more. I was in after I read the Prologue and first chapter.

Justin: Can you pinpoint an influence or inspiration for each of the illustrations?

Dusty: For the Minion series of drawings I deliberately chose a few of my favorite artists to pay tribute. They have provided me tons of inspiration. So, the first three drawings of the book are directly related to some of my favorite works. The last drawing, though, of Minion, is my own and your creation.
For Zepar, I was inspired by Andreas Vesalius, the 16th century anatomist and his publication De Humani Corporis Fabrica (this is my subtle nod to Ospi, a pivitol character in Minion). In this book lay illustrations from artists who had worked under the famed painter Titian. Many of which are of grossly flayed human corpses that were displayed and used for anatomical study. Vesalius himself flayed the corpses, the artists only illustrated them. A bit like you and myself if you will....

Moloch.... this is a character resonates in my imagination. He is a truly demonic and twisted individual. I wanted to illustrate his moment just before the sacrifice... and the comic artist Simon Bisley was the main inspiration for my drawing. And after you looked at my rough sketches you mentioned the old man from poltergeist. Then I combined Captain Howdy from The Exorcist with old man Poltergeist and the scene was set. Gotta love collaboration.
Glasya-Labolas...... this was the most challenging drawing. Justin, your description to me was something kinda like this......."i want it to be a person or something that's got so much evil inside that IT RIPS ITSELF IN TWO......." So I ran with that. I researched my favorite Italian sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini and "quickly" came up with the monstrosity that lives on Minion's pages.

Justin: What do you think is in store for the rest of the Minion series?

Obviously there are two more books coming out. And I have heard you utter the words "graphic novel.".........So I'd say, whatever ol' Treece has got in his noggin has got to manifest itself somehow.....I just hope I have the chance to illustrate it.


More on the making of Minion later.....

Get your copy here: MINION

From the Noodle to the Paper: The Making of Minion: The Shudagon Trilogy

Yesterday was a pivotal point in my life. I released the first edition to a novel trilogy that I have been working on, either physically or mentally, for nearly 5 years. It seems like such a long time, given that I've met authors that write books in two months. What can I say? I have a pace.

The idea started when I was writing another novel (Return, a modern romantic adventure). If I remember correctly, I wanted to make a vigilante with inhuman abilities, but have those abilities manifest themselves by spiritual means, rather than have an alien offer powers or make up a biological experiment in some science lab. Like many do during times of exploration, I went to The Bible for answers, and answers I did receive.

But I needed a title. I was almost like I couldn't actually sit down and write this massive story line out until I had a name for it. I took an old Nine Inch Nail track and called the story "The Collector". I was never happy with the label, but at least it got me in the chair.

Outlines after outlines after outlines. I knew how the story started and how it ended. But everything in between was scattered about in my mind and wrangling these thoughts was enormously trying. I tried just going for it and hoping the pages would make sense. No bueno. I spent hours in my cabin at sea trying to fit the pieces together. All the while, the voice in my head (I call him Phillip) was saying to me, "Your title sucks".

And Phillip was right. It took one night with Jack Daniels, a Thesaurus, an amazing, beautiful, vocalist girlfriend, and a MacBook Pro to pinpoint the perfect title. We dissected the story down to what was most important - the lead character. We then called him out for who he is: a servant, a slave, a errand boy. Dr. Kayden Archer is MINION.

Having that title put my butt in the seat.

More on the making of Minion - The Shudagon Trilogy soon...

Get your copy here:

Minion @ Amazon.com