Author Richard Paul Evans visits San Rafael

By PATSY STODDARD Editor

Some excitement for reading and books was created recently at San Rafael Junior High as popular author Richard Paul Evans visited the school. He and his staff members are busy touring schools promoting his new book Michael Vey. This is a young adult book and several of the San Rafael students have already read it. Evans is the author of 25 books, four of which have been made into movies. He has recently finished lecturing and touring in New York and Arizona. Already he has had four movie offers for his latest book Michael Vey. The Michael Vey series will include seven books with the first one being published in August and shooting to the top of best seller lists.
Evans explained the main character of the book has the same syndrome he has, Tourette’s syndrome, and also his son Michael has the same syndrome. Some of the symptoms of this include ticks, the need to touch sharp objects and also the impulse to spit in the face of famous people. When Evans was visiting the White House he told himself he really needed to control that impulse, because it wouldn’t be good to spit on the President. He has met people from around the country with the same syndrome.
In the book, Michael Vey has special electrical powers and can shock people. Evans wrote the book in four months. The book has undergone a title change when Glenn Beck told Evans, he loved the book, but hated the title. Beck said this may be the best book Evans has written to date. This book seems different than others Evans is famous for, Evans described the book as being rather dark, but it is hopeful. Unlike some other popular young adult books out at this time. His publishers thought the book wouldn’t sell.
So Glenn Beck’s publishing house printed the books and all copies were sold out before the book was even printed. It came out on Aug. 9. In the book’s third day out it was in its sixth printing and number one on the New York Times best seller list.
Evans said, “This book is going to be big and you’re getting in on it at the ground level. Some day it will be a movie. This is the first assembly about Michael Vey and we’re doing it here in Ferron, Utah.”
Evans chose eight students from the audience that competed in a quiz game. They were separated into teams and asked questions to test their knowledge about the book Michael Vey. The contestants were quick on the buzzer and knew most of the answers to the Michael Vey questions.
Part two of the book will come out next August.
Evans encouraged the students to write. He said he gets the story down on paper and then revises it and revises it again and again before he ends up with a finished project. “Don’t expect it to be perfect the first time,” he told students.
Evans signed copies of his new book for students and community members and also signed many copies of his books that fans brought from home.
The preview information for Michael Vey: To everyone at Meridian High School, Michael Vey seems like an ordinary 14-year-old-he likes waffles and video games, hates homework and gets bullied at school. But Michael is anything but ordinary. He was born with special electrical powers.
When Michael’s best friends, Ostin Liss and cheerleader Taylor Ridley, make an accidental discovery, the trio learns that there are other children with electric powers and that someone, or something, is hunting them. After Michael’s mother is kidnapped, Michael will have to rely on his wits, powers and friends to combat the powerful Elgen and free his mother.
Evans encouraged students to read the book and follow his new series.