Santa Claus, fact or fiction?

Want to know the truth about the jolly man in red? How he started his life as an elf, founded a colony in the Arctic Circle, saved some lives along the way, and brought joy to the world? Find out in Rick Daley’s spectacular new book, THE MAN IN THE CINDER CLOUDS. We’ve got Rick with us here today, answering a few questions:

Bane: In TMITCC, you masterfully interweave three different histories – a clandestine research mission to the Arctic Circle that unearths a mysterious tome; Kris Kringle’s exile from his homeland and perilous expedition to prove human virtue; and an account from long-forgotten Oldenton about a pair of children who thwart their nefarious uncle while embodying the Christmas spirit. As with all second revision history, there’s some interpretation required. TMITCC exudes mystery, charm, flare. It all seems too good to be true, and I wonder, are there any parts in it where you went a bit James Frey on us?

RD: Nope.  Unless The Muse was lying to me… 

Putting it all together was kind of like piecing together a puzzle: I had Kris Kringle’s history with elves, the people he visited the first Christmas, and all those Christmas traditions, from Christmas trees, stockings, and lumps of coal to jingle bells, the North Pole, and flying reindeer.  It was almost like a Sudoku…put one piece in the wrong spot and the whole puzzle fails.   But there was one solution underlying it all. 

Somehow the pieces snapped together, but to be honest, I have no idea how this story came out of me.  Sometimes I was racking my brain trying to untangle plot complexities, word choice, and character motivation, but all the best parts just flowed from within. 

Take, for example, the part where Kris meets the reindeer.  I knew that it would happen, but never really knew how it would happen until it actually did, and honestly right before the reindeer appeared I thought I had written myself into a corner…but then Donder and Blitzen stepped through the trees and rescued me (and then went on to rescue…well, you know). 

Bane: In this book, you discuss how Kris Kringle was raised by elves, but not wholly accepted by many of them because of his human blood. When getting inside Kris’s head, did you draw on your own experiences? Was there a time in your life when you weren’t accepted for your human blood?

RD: Or do you mean, “Was there ever a time when I was accepted for my human blood?” ;-)

I’ve always lived a little on the fringe.  I probably tapped into my own life experiences (what writer doesn’t?), and also tapped into the universal feeling of alienation that we all seem to touch on at some point in our younger lives (teenage angst, anyone?), but ultimately I was just following the story.  

Because of his childhood Kris doesn’t fully belong to either world—human or Elf—so his emotional conflict is a natural part of who he is, and sorting that out became his primary motivation and is what sets the whole story in motion.

I like that aspect of Kris’ character.  It’s something we can all relate to.  The conflicts he faces make him more tangible…more real.  In most other stories about Santa he’s cool and jolly, and he brings presents and of course everybody loves him, but he exists on such a different plane that it’s tough to connect with him on an emotional level.  I needed to bridge that gap. 

Bane: Have you heard from Kris or any of the elves since their story went public? Or are they still playing the ‘we don’t exist’ game, hiding away in their Arctic glen?

RD: I could tell you, but then neither of us would ever get another Christmas present. 

Bane: Recently, you mentioned that you're prepping RUDY TOOT-TOOT for the world (with plenty of beans, I imagine). I read an earlier incarnation several months back and it was hilarious, so I can’t wait to see him fully flatulent, so to speak. Is Rudy a re-envisioned history, too, something from personal experience…?

RD: Rudy was originally inspired by my first son, when he was about two or three years old.  He farted, and I said, “Who are you, Rudy Toot-Toot?”

He asked, “Who’s Rudy Toot-Toot?” and I didn’t really know, the name had just popped into my head, so I had to make him up on the spot: “He’s a little boy who was born on a bean farm.”

The story came out piece by piece.  Normally I’m an outliner when I write, but Rudy was totally written by the seat of my pants.  (Pants that had the backside blown out by a massive…well, you know.)

Bane: Are there any tidbits you can provide to whet our appetite (that doesn’t quite sound right, does it)?

RD: Don’t worry, it’s not scratch-n-sniff.  Rudy has a special power, almost like a super-hero: he can fart.  I know what you’re thinking…There’s nothing special about farting.  But trust me, Rudy’s story is special. 

Rudy is trying to learn how to control his “powers” and having a hard time doing it.  After one monstrous emission scares all the customers away from the family bean market and the bank threatens to take away their home, it’s up to Rudy to find a clever way to use his talents to lure the customers back.

Recently I’ve been visiting schools and reading TMITCC and Rudy Toot-Toot to kids.  Their reaction has consistently included my favorite two-word expression: “Read more!”

Rudy has them laughing hysterically on page one, every time…and he holds their attention throughout.

Rudy Toot-Toot is first in a trilogy; I’m planning to release the second story in fall 2012 (the first book is slated for a spring release, exact date TBD).  There’s also a sequel to The Man in the Cinder Clouds in the works.  I won’t give any true spoilers, but I will say that the reindeer will feature more prominently, especially one reindeer who wasn’t born yet on Kris Kringle’s first Christmas…plus a whole sleigh-load of other surprises.

Bane: Thanks to Rick for taking the time out of his schedule. Thank him even more by buying a copy of THE MAN IN THE CINDER CLOUDS for you, your kids, and/or your friends and their kids. As Christmas approaches, what better way to celebrate than finally, once-and-for-all, discovering the truth about Santa Claus? 

RD: Thanks for having me. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight!

 A little more about Rick and his awesome book:

The Man in the Cinder Clouds

By Rick Daley

A young boy and his scientist father made an incredible discovery at the North Pole—an ancient book embedded deep within an ice core.  Even more incredible is the story the book tells: the long-lost history of Santa Claus you never knew…and will never forget. 

This origins-of-Santa story is a great holiday read for the whole family.  Its mix of action, humor, and Christmas spirit keeps younger readers turning the pages, but The Man in the Cinder Clouds is not just a kids’ book. 

As one Amazon.com reviewer puts it, “THE MAN IN THE CINDER CLOUDS is one of those middle grade books that the grown-ups get sucked into along with their kids. You think you bought if for your young reader but after you browse chapter one you just sort of... can't stop.”

This story-within-a-story reveals the origins of our most familiar Christmas traditions: from Christmas trees, stockings, and lumps of coal to jingle bells, the North Pole, and flying reindeer.  Highly original and thoroughly entertaining, The Man in the Cinder Clouds will show you how Kris Kringle came to be known as Santa Claus.  It wasn’t easy.

About the Author

Rick Daley has been writing professionally for over 15 years.  His experience includes marketing copy for print and web, press releases, business proposals, training and technical manuals, and whitepapers.  His essays, ranging from family life during the holidays to his first skydiving experience, have been featured in The Columbus Dispatch. 

Rick lives in Lewis Center, Ohio with his wife and two sons (and a neurotic schnauzer).      

Fun with Wordles

I'm in the home stretch of my current WIP and decided to go ahead and wordle my 73k to see if I can divine anything:

WIP Wordle

Kissing Dragons Wordle

I compared my 73k of WIP vs. my 88k of KD in its current form. Appears that I use many of the same helper/beat words. In KD, you know there are lots of dragons (see, it says so with my big red dragon, and my big red dragons -- I also have green and blue dragons in case you were wondering, and one Baby, who can kick some serious ass :). Melissa's my main character, but since it's 1st POV, I wouldn't expect her to be too big; James, mr. cute boy, is her love interest, and takes up a nice chunk of screen (yay).

Interestingly, my main love interest in WIP does not. Also written in 1st (past compared to present for KD), Marcus's (MC) LI is Cynthea. Brianne, Sir, and Killian are Marcus's crewmates, however, and play pivotal roles in the story (both in terms of plot and character), so I'm not too worried (and I could attribute this to the fact that my MC is a boy and boy's don't think about girls as much as girls think about boys -- or as much in general :)... I could, but it would be a lie... Between all the asteroids and explosions and war, it's hard for anybody to find time to reminisce on the finer things in life.)

Ultimately, I'm not sure if there's anything too deep I can glean from these, but I sure do like looking at them (and wanting and knowing and something and heads and eyes).

On Steve Jobs and Cult Status

Tune in to the airwaves and sometimes it seems as if God has died. Visionary, Innovator, the Edison of our time, someone who will be remembered for generations. Steve Jobs was a brilliant man who led an extraordinary life.

Edison, he was not. On an intellectual level, there's no doubt Jobs was up there in the pantheon of greats, but from a historical perspective, I don't see it.

Two gens from now when Apple's a completely different beast (if around at all), electricity will still be flowing through the grid. Jobs's impact on the current cultural paradigm was second to none, but he was a facilitator of historical progression, not a generator. He never invented a product (besides perhaps the first Windows style interface for a computer), he just improved upon them by making them sleek and accessible (which is a tremendously laudable feat in and of itself). And, perhaps above all else, he made technology fun (which in some ways could be dangerous because it might saturate our dependence on tech too fast).

Some of the current idol worship comes from the immediate closeness to his untimely end and the fact that he passed when his company was almost the largest (by Wall Street standards) in the world (second only to Exxon). A man at the top of his game with humble beginnings and an interesting path.

But it also comes from the machine that is Apple. Since the company's meteoric rise in the early 2000s I've wondered what makes them so iconic, inspiring religious loyalty in many of their fans. Some think it's the quality of the product*,but other companies out there with quality products have sunk pretty fast (e.g., Netscape); others believe it's the monopoly that is iTunes (especially in terms of apps; this one's got some of my vote), the 'I'm cooler than you mentality' (a bit of my vote, too), and/or the mysterious allure about what the heck's going on behind their Cupertino doors (formerly at the forefront, a man of mystery himself). Or is it something else, that certain undefinable je ne sais quoi?

I don't know. It's interesting how these dynamics evolve, and also a bit scary (in a general sort of way; in terms of zealotry, following Apple or Steve Jobs is probably one of the best ways to go).

Thoughts?

* The wife and I have collectively owned a shuffle, two nanos, and an itouch. Except for one nano, each of the products crapped out within two years. Software, however, has been flawless (if annoying with all those darn update demands).