R. Scott Boyer's Blog, page 10
April 11, 2019
Deleted Scene #4: Connecting With Your Intuition
Seven rows, four aisles, and countless tombs later, Bobby and his friends came to a mausoleum with only a thin layer of patina. Jinx read the inscription across the top of the entrance: “Nicholaus Von Hemet, Headmaster, 1952 to 1973.”
“That should cover the time your grandfather was here,” said Trevor, testing the thick marble door and finding it unlocked but stuck. Jacob and Bobby helped, and together they pried it open until they could all squeeze through.
Inside the sepulcher, the air was dry and surprisingly fresh. In the center of the chamber sat an enormous marble sarcophagus inlaid with pale green jade so translucent that it looked like sea glass. All along the edges of the room, cabinets and shelves held books, clothes, and other personal items. A coin collection rested on velvet cushions inside a glass display case next to an assortment of quartz crystals.
“These must be his personal possessions,” said Lily.
Trevor said, “It makes sense that a headmaster would be buried with all of his possessions easily accessible. He probably worked on some of the most advanced techniques of his time. The current academics would want access to his material should the need ever arise.”
“I bet what we’re looking for is one of his personal items,” said Bobby.
“Well I am certainly not prying open the coffin to see if it’s in there,” said Jacob.
“There’s a lot of stuff in this room,” said Lily, perusing the display cases. “What about using the Chronenberg Technique again now that we’re inside?”
Jinx pointed at the sarcophagus. “We’ll never get a directional reading with that jade sitting in the middle of the room.”
“Ok then, genius, what do you suggest?” said Jacob.
“Looks like we’re going to have to search the old fashion way.”
Silently, they split up and began checking the shelves. Occasionally, one of them came across something interesting, like the old Headmaster’s college diploma and class ring from his life before the academy, but none of it meant anything to Bobby or the others, and so they kept searching.
After an hour, Trevor set down the stack of paperwork he’d been examining and took a seat on the dais surrounding the coffin. “I hate to say it but I agree with Jacob. It could take days to look through all this stuff.”
“I have an idea that might help,” said Lily, jumping up from the floor where she’d been skimming a book on beetle entomology. “Bobby – remember how Master Jong is always telling you to follow your intuition? We can use that to guide us.”
“I know what you’re getting at,” broke in Jinx. “Clever, very clever.”
“Well don’t keep us all in suspense,” said Trevor.
“Intuition is really just a heightened form of instinct. Something that people sense when they’re open-minded,” explained Jinx. “And instinct is the strongest and most primitive way to connect to the Oneness of the universe. It involves reacting to subtle changes in the energy around you; as opposed to sending anima outward, like with the Chronenberg Technique. So we can use it without interference from the jade. Brilliant.”
March 17, 2019
DELETED SCENE – The Search Continues
Enjoy this third deleted scene from Bobby Ether and the Jade Academy. .. learn more about Bobby and his friends Lily, Jinx, Trevor and Jacob as they search for secrets deep within the bowels of the Jade Academy. Stay tuned for the next installment soon!
“I have an idea,” said Bobby, pointing to the archway above the door. “Can anyone read that writing?”
“I can,” said Jinx. “Roughly translated, it says: ‘Herein lays Xiao Feng, Twenty Second Headmaster of the Monastery of Crystal Jade.”
“And the markings at the end, those are roman numerals, right?”
“Yes. 1096-1139.”
Jacob scoffed. “Ok, so it’s the tomb of some really old guy who used to run the place. How does that help?”
“I think it’s safe to assume that whatever we’re looking for is from my grandfather’s time, right? So if we can rule out all this ancient stuff—”
“–Then we only have to search the recent tombs,” said Trevor, giving Bobby a big slap on the back. “Bobby, I could kiss you.”
“That’s a great idea,” said Jinx. “Err, not the kissing part. I mean the part about checking the dates on the tombs. We can split up and search for something recent; like forty or fifty years old.”
“I don’t like the idea of splitting up again,” said Lily.
“I agree,” said Bobby with a sidelong glance at Jacob and his purple bruise. “We go as a group.
“Look for lighter colored stone,” offered Trevor. “Granite darkens with age due to oxidization, so the newer ones shouldn’t be as dark.” When he noticed everyone looking at him, he said: “What? I know stuff too!”
Bobby couldn’t help but smile as they set off down the first row. Lily chatted excitedly with Trevor. Jinx raced from one mausoleum to the next. Even Jacob seemed to be enjoying himself, frowning less and whistling softly as they made their way from one structure to the next. Bobby just hoped it would last. Something in his gut told him they were close and, whatever it was they found would change things forever.
Seven rows, four aisles, and countless tombs later, Bobby and his friends came to a mausoleum with only a thin layer of patina. Jinx read the inscription across the top of the entrance: “Nicholaus Von Hemet, Headmaster, 1952 to 1973.”
“That should cover the time your grandfather was here,” said Trevor, testing the thick marble door and finding it unlocked but stuck. Jacob and Bobby helped, and together they pried it open until they could all squeeze through.
Inside the sepulcher, the air was dry and surprisingly fresh. In the center of the chamber sat an enormous marble sarcophagus inlaid with pale green jade so translucent that it looked like sea glass. All along the edges of the room, cabinets and shelves held books, clothes, and other personal items. A coin collection rested on velvet cushions inside a glass display case next to an assortment of quartz crystals.
“These must be his personal possessions,” said Lily.
Trevor said, “It makes sense that a headmaster would be buried with all of his possessions easily accessible. He probably worked on some of the most advanced techniques of his time. The current academics would want access to his material should the need ever arise.”
“I bet what we’re looking for is one of his personal items,” said Bobby.
“Well I am certainly not prying open the coffin to see if it’s in there,” said Jacob.
“There’s a lot of stuff in this room,” said Lily, perusing the display cases. “What about using the Chronenberg Technique again now that we’re inside?”
Jinx pointed at the sarcophagus. “We’ll never get a directional reading with that jade sitting in the middle of the room.”
“Ok then, genius, what do you suggest?” said Jacob.
“Looks like we’re going to have to search the old fashion way.”
February 24, 2019
Deleted Scene: Within the Crypts
Enjoy this second deleted scene from Bobby Ether and the Jade Academy. .. and stay tuned for the next installment soon!
The stairwell was steep and narrow, with steps so worn they had to brace against the walls to avoid slipping. They descended in single file, emerging before a squat, grey structure. Bobby walked over for a closer look. “My god, it’s a mausoleum,” he said softly.
Jacob opened the shutter of his lantern to reveal row upon row of shadowy crypts. “Ancient tombs within a giant underground cavern?” he said. “Even I think that’s creepy.”
“There must be hundreds of them. Checking them all could take forever,” said Bobby.
“That’s ok. We can just use the Chronenberg Technique again, right?” said Lily. “Now that we’re close, it shouldn’t be too hard to find what we’re looking for.”
“I don’t think so,” said Jinx, pointing to a row of glossy decorations running along the inner edge of the recessed door.
“What is it?” said Lily.
“Jade,” said Jacob, kneeling down next to the doorframe and gently rubbing one of the stones with his fingers.
“Yes, but do you know what it means?” asked Jinx.
Trevor answered for him. “It means that the Chronenberg Technique can’t help us anymore.”
“That’s right,” said Jinx.
“I don’t understand,” said Bobby. “Why does the presence of jade make any difference?”
“It has something to do with jade’s special properties, right?” asked Lily.
“That’s right,” said Jinx. “In ancient Chinese civilization, they believed that jade contained magical properties; specifically, the ability to preserve the body. The wealthiest aristocrats and noblemen were buried in suits made from hundreds of jade tiles woven together with metal wire or silk.”
“Get to the point” said Jacob.
“The reality,” said Jinx, “is that jade does have special properties, albeit not magical. Jade absorbs anima; acting like a sponge, or vessel, for any spiritual energy directed towards it.’
“Hence the belief in its magical properties,” said Lily excited. “It literally helps retain the spirit of the deceased person after they die.”
“Exactly,” said Jinx. “Methods which use spiritual energy, such as the Chronenberg Technique, are unable to penetrate the interiors of these buildings since the jade will just absorb whatever you throw at it. Looks like we’re gonna have to search from here on in the old fashioned way.”
“Well that’s just fantastic,” said Jacob. “There could be hundreds of mausoleums down here.”
February 14, 2019
Deleted Scene: Enter the Crypts If You Dare
[image error]Enjoy this deleted scene from Bobby Ether and the Jade Academy. .. and stay tuned for the next installment soon!
Five levels down, the archives looked like nothing Bobby and his friends had seen on their previous visits. A vast hall with thick support pillars held items seemingly too large to fit on the shelves or hallways of the upper levels. Directly in front of them sat an ancient chariot with Roman sword and shield leaning up against the side. Beside it stood a stagecoach straight out of an old Western movie.
“What the heck is all this stuff?” said Bobby, his voice echoing in the cavernous hall.
“The academics have always sought to understand the strength of other cultures. They must have recreated these things from books, stories and interaction with the outside world,” said Trevor.
“Why would they do that?” asked Lily.
“It’s likely the academics either feared or respected these cultures at the time and wanted to know as much about them as possible.”
“It’s also possible,” said Jinx, eying the chariot, “that some of these may have been seized from visitors to keep the monastery a secret after it went into seclusion. Some of these items were probably taken apart, brought up the mountain piece by piece and then reassembled.”
“That’s so cool,” said Trevor. “This place is like an underground Bermuda Triangle.”
“I think it’s creepy,” said Lily, with an involuntary shudder.
“Well, yeah, I didn’t say it’s not creepy too,” agreed Trevor quickly.
“Well, this is the only entrance to this level,” said Jinx. “So we’re going to have to walk through all this stuff to get to the back.”
Trevor and Jacob took the lead, carving a path between the various obstacles, both wood and metal, ancient and modern. Bobby’s mouth fell open as a Sherman tank materialized out of the darkness. It was followed by a gigantic B-29 bomber with a picture of a long legged woman reclining over the name ‘Velva Jean.’
They huddled close together as they passed a Viking longship, complete with oars and three masts rigged with rectangular sails, and stared in wonder at a massive steam powered locomotive with three boxcars and caboose. After what seemed like hours, the menagerie of vessels ended and the group found themselves facing a solid wall.
“That’s strange,” said Jinx. “By my calculations, we still have a ways to go.”
“Over here,” said Bobby, shining a light on a narrow opening recessed in the wall.
“It appears to be a stairwell,” said Lily.
Jinx stared in disbelief. “But the archives don’t have another level.”
“I hate to break it to you,” said Jacob, placing a hand on his shoulder, “but it looks like you don’t know everything after all.”
February 1, 2019
January 5, 2019
Book Arrival
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The first copies of the new book arrived just a few minutes ago and I absolutely love them! After years of hard work, this leg of the journey is finally over. The cover is beautiful. The story is done. Now I move on to marketing and reviews prior to release. These are ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies), which will go out to reviewers prior to the book’s official release on April 24th. In the meantime, the book is available for pre-order on Amazon Kindle / Paperback / Hardcover
November 28, 2018
Cover Poll Results
The results from the Cover Poll held by Koehler Books are in. The cover is now decided. The front will feature the monastery/pagoda, while the back of the book will feature the monk in the mist.
Front Cover:
Full Wrap: [image error]
Release Date
I am thrilled to announce that the release date for Bobby Ether and the Jade Academy has been set for March 24, 2019. The book is going to be available for pre-order in the next week or two. Visit my website at RScottBoyer.com and sign up for the newsletter to get updates about when the book is available.
November 17, 2018
Cover Poll
After starting with six options, the cover for Bobby Ether and the Jade Academy has been narrowed to just two. Check out the two designs and vote for whichever one you prefer! 
August 16, 2018
Welcome to My New Author Site!
Now that my author site, RScottBoyer.com, has been completely redesigned, I want to take a moment to introduce some of the cool new features.
First, in anticipation of the re-release of my first book, Bobby Ether and the Academy, I’ve revamped the look and feel of the site to match the series. Designed to be dark and mysterious, the visual centerpiece of the site is the slideshow at the top of the main page. Here you will see various images from the book, accompanied by quotes and taglines handpicked by me to draw you into the story. Some of the images have more than one caption, so be sure to watch the entire slideshow to see them all. Also – there’s more content below, including a testimonial slider, so be sure to scroll down.
Next, and perhaps most importantly, there is a newsletter sign-up option located in the upper right corner of the home page, as well as on the bottom of most pages. I plan to provide lots of updates about the book’s release in the coming months. Signing up for the newsletter is the quickest and easiest way to stay informed about upcoming events, including the cover poll which will be conducted on the Koehler Books website, free book giveaways, public speaking events, interviews, and lots of other exciting announcements.
Lastly, I’ve created a special “Behind the Scenes” section. This is perhaps my favorite part of the entire site. It’s where I’ll be sharing tons of content from the creation of the book, including direct excerpts from the book, and character biographies I used to help craft my characters. There’s also a fun section with deleted scenes–stuff that I loved to write but that didn’t make the final draft. There’s even a portion that talks about my Inspiration for writing the series. For all of you who ever wondered what makes a guy with a regular job and background in business decide to write YA adventure novels… that’s where you’ll find your answer 
