Proposal for

‘Twelve Minutes to Hell’

by Timothy Hutchinson

1773 Garden Lane , Saint Paul , MN 55110 - (651) 775-2192 - thehutchinsons AT gmail - com

BOOK OVERVIEW

Tim Hutchinson’s memoir, 'Twelve Minutes to Hell,' addresses the problem of youth violence and

provides a proven solution in a unique, straightforward and highly effective manner.

'Twelve Minutes to Hell’ is the personal memoir of a man whose youth was harsh and whose prospects in life seemed grim beyond hope. Hutchinson existed as a creature of darkness. An abused child in a working-class neighborhood, surrounded by bullies and punks, Hutchinson concluded that survival meant becoming a cold, heartless person.

During the course of his youth, Hutchinson worshipped Satan, sold narcotics, tried to kill several people, joined a gang, sold runaway girls to a pimp, knew members of the KKK, and nearly attacked his own high school with an assault rifle. In his twenties he continued to waste years of his life in a grim cycle of violence and crime. He even shared a room with a man who turned out to be a serial killer. 

‘Twelve Minutes to Hell’ depicts all the rage and hate that consumed him, and all the violence that surrounded him. It is a story of redemption and hope. It shows how he turned his life around, survived – and ultimately thrived.

Hutchinson has now made a good life for himself and his family, far beyond what he could have dreamed of in his youth. He did so by applying important life lessons taught to him by his mentor. This mentor was a man who endured an extended encounter with Adolph Hitler, and survived the horrors of imprisonment and torture in a Nazi concentration camp.

Hutchinson now teaches his life lessons at schools across the United States . He has been credited with preventing four school shootings, and stopping over 50 teen suicides. The lessons described in “Twelve Minutes to Hell’ can change a reader’s life, forever. This includes lives that might seem hopeless now. ‘Twelve Minutes to Hell’ shows how to turn negative influences into positive forces that can last a lifetime – just as the author did for himself.

In ‘Twelve Minutes to Hell’ teens and young adults find real answers and real hope

 ‘Twelve Minutes to Hell’ is such an intense and telling story that it has even shocked some hard-core criminal’s reality. Many now live their lives by Tim’s example.

This book can show teens and young adults everywhere how to:

►Live a productive life free of violence

►Get off the wrong life path and turn things around NOW

►Start making better decisions about the future immediately  

Teen violence is increasing

Every year in America , over 17,000 violent crimes are committed at high schools alone. Many of these crimes involve knives and guns, and include rape, robbery, and even murder. The number of lesser crimes committed each year is estimated at over 110,000, and that's at high schools alone. Add in the number of crimes committed away from school, and the total amount of teen violence in this country is staggering. Statistics show youth crime is at epidemic levels, and getting bigger and more terrifying each year.

According to the FBI, over the last 15 years;

• Simple Assault: UP 98%
• Aggravated Assault: UP 64%
• Carrying a Weapon: UP 50%
• Murder: UP 39%
• Robbery: UP 37%

Every school day in America , 160,000 students stay home from school for fear of being bullied; every day 100,000 guns are carried to schools in America ; and every day 16 young people surrender to hopelessness and commit suicide.

A challenge we face in America

How do we reach teens before they start choosing paths that lead them to ruin? They need to know that there are other answers, and that making better choices today can leave them with much better options in the future. It's easier to prepare for the future now, than to look back later with regrets.

'Twelve Minutes to Hell’ was written to show how poor decisions can shatter all hopes and dreams for a productive, fulfilling life. Kids can easily walk the same path that Hutchinson did, and in the blink of an eye they can destroy their future. 

This memoir reads like a fable conceived by Quentin Tarantino and Tony Soprano - and yet every word is true. The story is gripping and the message is impossible to ignore.

'Twelve Minutes to Hell’ is not only a book for young people who have taken the wrong fork in the road. It is also for those still on the straight-and-narrow. Any young adult armed with Hutchinson 's story will have plenty of good reasons to say "No" when temptation rears its ugly head.

He brings the characters of his youth to life with a grim reality that can only come from someone who lived life on the wrong side of society - constantly living one step away from death and prison.

Some of the unforgettable characters readers will meet include:

• Father Satan: At one time this demonic figure was the only person Hutchinson could turn to for help.

• Mr. S: An older man who convinced Hutchinson to seduce young girls into prostitution.

• Vodka: An arms merchant willing to sell guns to teens, no matter what they intended to use them for.

• Don: Roommate and convicted serial killer, now serving a life sentence without parole.

• Lustig: A wise man who endured an extended encounter with Adolph Hitler, and ultimately survived the horrors of a concentration camp in Nazi Germany.

APPROACH

'Twelve Minutes to Hell’ is an 85,000-word book written in an informative, yet entertaining style. Although primarily for teens and young adults, this book is for people of all ages who enjoy a captivating story. The pace is fast-forward and the intensity is high-impact. This keeps the reader hanging onto every word, while taking an amazing ride with plenty of twists and turns.

This memoir shows clearly how devastating violence can be for the young. It is brutally honest and impossible to put down, from the first chapter to the last page. Through this book, teens and young adults can find a reward far greater, and longer lasting, than any cheap thrill available on the street.

This is the true story of a troubled youth who had a very lucky encounter with an intriguing man named Lustig. This man endured the horrors of Nazi Germany and, having miraculously survived, came to America to build a better life. This man gave Tim the mentoring he desperately needed, and that mentoring changed everything... forever.

THE AUTHOR TODAY

Tim is now a speaker who visits K-12 schools, juvenile detention centers, and youth groups. He has also been a consultant with the U.S. Department of Justice, MTV, and the Sharon Osbourne Show. Tim is devoted to showing teens, teachers and parents how to stop violence, drug abuse, and bullying. This work has prevented four school shootings and stopped over fifty teen suicides. Tim is also an EMT credited with saving two lives. He is also a co-founder of a non-profit organization that helps thousands in Africa each year. His daughter is the youngest person in America to receive the Medal of Valor.

“I am wiser today for having lived through experiences that no one should have to live through. In 'Twelve Minutes to Hell’, I show the negative and positive sides of my life, and clearly show how readers can escape the tangled web of hate and violence, and how to live a happy and productive life. My book can make a profound difference in their lives. I wrote it straight from the heart.

--Tim Hutchinson

INTENDED READERSHIP

The intended readership for ‘Twelve Minutes to Hell’ is teens, young adults, and parents. The book should also be interesting for readers of all ages who just enjoy an amazing story. This story is also suitable for national talk shows.

'Twelve Minutes to Hell’ shares some features in common with very successful books such as the following: 

• A Boy Called It and The Lost Boy, both by Dave Pelzer
• They Cage the Animals at Night by Jennings Michael Burch
• A Girl Called Boy by Belinda Hurmence

These books have shown that there is a tremendous market for true stories about real lives. 'Twelve Minutes to Hell’ stands out from these others books, because it not only tells a captivating story, but clearly shows what steps the author took, based on his own experience, to save himself from despair.

INTENDED PURCHASERS

The primary purchasers of 'Twelve Minutes to Hell’ will be parents who want it for their teens. Other purchasers include schools, teachers, libraries, and youth counselors. Teens are also intended buyers, and young adults searching for a better way of life. The combined number of potential readers could easily number in the millions

In America alone there are over 50,000 middle schools and high schools – and every one of them could clearly benefit from adding this book to their library.

There are also thousands of organizations who have regular contact with teens and young adults, including the following.

• Special Education departments
• school book clubs
• youth groups
• juvenile detention centers
• youth ministries
• therapists
• teen boot camps
• specialty boarding schools
• military schools.

PROMOTION PLAN

Publishing houses have marketing departments and marketing plans, but I feel that a book of this importance warrants some investment on the part of the author. Therefore I am prepared to match the publishers marketing budget up to $10,000. I am also prepared to invest a sizeable amount of time and energy working hand-in-hand with the publisher to find promotional opportunities.

I have the energy, motivation and passion to promote this book tirelessly, and I am committed to doing a minimum of five promotional activities per day. These may include the following.

• endorsements
• public speaking
• book signings and bookstore relations
• radio and television
• online and WebsiteManagers.net
• newspapers and magazines
• libraries / schools
• corporate sales
• associations, trade shows, conferences
• catalog sales
• syndication

Below I describe some of these activities.

ENDORSEMENTS

I have already solicited and received endorsements for PR. Some of these endorsements may be suitable for back-cover quotes. Here are some examples.

"My daughter, Rachel Scott, was the first student murdered at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. The book 'Twelve Minutes to Hell’ by Tim Hutchinson is a book every parent and student should read. It is the compelling, dramatic story of a man who found his solution through genuine personal faith. This is what carried us through the pain we suffered when Rachel was killed"
-- Darrell Scott

“If I would have been able to read this book beforehand, I wouldn't have shot those people. It would have helped me to learn from someone whose life was more screwed up than mine, and was able to turn it around.”
-- Charles Andrew Williams
Mr. Williams is currently serving a 50 year to life sentence in a California prison. Williams went on a six- minute shooting spree on March 5, 2001, killing 2 students and wounding 13 others.

"Great - easy to read and captivating!! I was able to relate to many of your feelings as you experienced them and expressed them. In my own life journey of going to juvenile custody at age 8 - living on the streets at age 10 - - gang banging - drug dealing - ending with a 20 year drug addiction and 21 years in prison before I was able to overcome and find redemption. Your book would have helped me tremendously...in the Special Handing Unit in a maximum security penitentiary - your words struck a cord in my very soul!!"
-- Serge LeClerc
Mr. LeCerc was once called "The Most Dangerous Criminal in Canada " by the Canadian Royal Mounted Police

"Tim Hutchinson’s story is very inspiring for me … I read this book as a concerned father and also as a police officer currently working in a public high school. In this book, Tim tells his story of being bullied and the horrible life changing road that he was on in his early years. The big difference in this story is that Tim takes the next step and digs into the "why?" and "how do we change the conditions?" for today's youth. I have seen Tim in his interactions with people and I believe he is an amazing person with an even more amazing message that needs to be heard by everybody."

-- Chris Goodreau
Police officer in Burnsville , MN

"This is a great book; it helped me learn that even if times are so unbelievably hard just to hold on and that in the end it could turn out great. I have never read a book with so much bravery and courage that the author had. I couldn't put down this book almost the whole time I was reading it! It helped me overcome some problems I have in my life and made me want to just hold on to the hope that I have left. I have a much more determined perspective in life after reading 'Twelve Minutes to Hell’!”

--Shadai Schwartz
Ms. Schwartz is a survivor of the Columbine High School disaster.

"I must applaud Tim for his courage to write this book. It was brutally honest and very thought provoking. I want to purchase copies of this book to share with fellow co-workers. Our agency's mission is to help prevent violence. This book would help all of us. Thank you to Tim for his help in breaking the chain of violence. I am sure this book will help many teenagers in the coming years."

-- Sue Serley
Ms. Serley is a member of Community Action Counsel.

"Having made some choices that were not so productive, I found myself in prison - a direct result of living life similar to what Hutchinson described - trying to deal with the stigma for what I had done. I could relate to virtually everything that the author had been through ... Hutchinson not only tells his life story, he takes you on an emotional roller coaster … and lets you know that there is hope for those who have seen the "bottom" in life. I could not put the book down once I started reading it. If you want something that isn't full of fluff, read this book because it is real life." 

-- A. Lawton 
Omaha , NE

"A MUST READ FOR ALL EDUCATORS!!! Hutchinson 's book is a must read for all educators who work with middle and high school teens. It was impossible to put down until the last page was read. He shows a true life story of triumph over tragedy. When asked why I am in education, my usual response is to make the difference in a child's life. Imagine if we could use this book in schools, especially with our 'at risk kids'! How much more real life lessons can you ask for!! As a society, this is what could rescue so many kids from an empty life on the streets."

--Jennifer S.
K-12 licensed Principal
Saint Paul, MN 

I will continue to gather quotations by writing to a wide assortment of individuals, seeking blurbs, endorsements, and comments, especially from celebrities and other famous people.

To further the collection of endorsements and quotable passages such as these, I intend to do the following.

• Subscribe to several online databases that list celebrity contact addresses. I will select a minimum of 100 well-known individuals, and send them an autographed copy of 'Twelve Minutes to Hell’ asking them for a quote. I will follow up by sending a thank-you note and enclosing a few postcards advertising the book. (One never knows where these will end up.)

• Help editors and publisher obtain reviews from major review sources, such as the Wall Street Journal and New York Times, by autographing books, writing personalized letters, hand-addressing envelopes, or anything else that might increase the probability of being reviewed.

PUBLIC SPEAKING

Every year I speak to approximately 50,000 – 75,000 students, teachers, and parents through student presentations at schools, evening community talks, and service training programs for teachers and counselors. The subjects I cover include the following.

• Preventing Violence
• Promoting Racial Tolerance
• Preventing Bullying
• Making Better Life Decisions

My public speaking plans are as follows.

• Before every venue I will contact local media (such as newspapers, TV, and radio stations) to alert them of the upcoming presentation of 'Twelve Minutes to Hell’. Prior to arriving in that city I will offer to speak at youth groups; adult education centers; libraries; civic groups; Rotary; Kiwanis; Lions club; synagogues; community centers, YMCA’s; PTA’s; Learning Annexes and will contact the Visitors Bureau to see if there are any other upcoming conferences in which I could speak at.
• Actively seek opportunities in any other venue that welcomes speakers, especially local and national conferences for professionals who work with youth.

• Join a Speakers Bureau to increase visibility and opportunities to market 'Twelve Minutes to Hell’. Examples of Speaker Bureaus are as follows.

·        National Speakers Association

·        Speaking.com

·        Jostens.com

·        BigSpeak.com

• Write an article about stopping bullying and other teen violence, and submit it to 1000 school newsletters. 'Twelve Minutes to Hell’ will be mentioned in the body of the article, and then again at bottom, where I will list my credentials.
• If traveling by plane, I will offer to have a book signing event in any airport shops that sell 'Twelve Minutes to Hell’.
• Volunteer to speak at libraries, bookstores (both chain stores and independents) and announce these presentations via internet and to several hundred librarians, adult education center directors, and booksellers via the Publishers Advocate newsletter.
• Design poster with a top-ten list on it (Example: Ten Things Every Student Should Know Before Graduation’) highlighting 'Twelve Minutes to Hell’ in several places. Work with editor / publisher for design approval. Mail 1,000 postcards to school counselors offering this poster for free.
• Develop a working plan to have book adopted by schools as required reading.  Contact state departments of education for insight into each state’s requirements, and convey this information to editors and publisher in order to decide on an action plan.
• Market directly to teachers at schools where I make presentations, and encourage them to make this book required reading.

BOOK SIGNINGS AND BOOKSTORE RELATIONS

I intend to offer each local and regional bookstore an author presentation and book signing. I will commit to arranging for and attending 30 book reading or signing events in the first three months after book is released and 75 within first six months.

The following are action items for this type of marketing.

• Arrange for a book signing event at a local bookstore by contacting the managers (if book store is a Barnes & Noble I will contact their Community Relations Manager). Encourage them to have extra copies on hand, and give them ideas on how to promote the event.
• Join Booksigners-Group.Use Yahoo.com and follow the steps used successfully by other authors to arrange and hold book signing events.
• Announce my itinerary to media contacts in the surrounding area and ABA ‘Bookselling This Week’.
• Ask anyone who purchases a copy of 'Twelve Minutes to Hell’ at a book signing event to post reviews online at Amazon.com and BN.com.
• Bookstore Relations: Work with both chain and independent booksellers to ensure a positive relationship. The aim is to encourage them to stock their stores with 'Twelve Minutes to Hell’ and give it favorable placement within each store.
• Have 500 postcards printed, with the book cover on one side. On the other side, place a brief, catchy description, several good quotes, ISBN, and publishing house name. Mail to independent bookstores informing them of the book’s availability.

• Work with editor and publisher to see how I may assist in contacting chain book stores.
• Call bookstores within a 100-mile radius of my hometown ( Saint Paul , MN ) and persuade them to stock the book. If successful, expand outward another 100 miles each month.  
• Submit the book for a BookSense endorsement. Approach bookstores for inclusion into the BookSense special issue that lists the Teen “Top Ten.”
• Contact the book chains, independent bookstores (and all media contacts) every time the book receives any notoriety; higher ranking on Amazon, advance sale, mention in other media outlets (newspapers, TV, or magazines). Do the same when the book is adopted by a book club.
• Visit stores in cities and towns where I am speaking, introduce myself, and persuade them to put the book on the front counter or on a table. Will do this by offering to autograph copies and place stickers on the books that indicate it has been autographed by the author.

RADIO AND TELEVISION

Having been media trained and coached by two industry professionals, I am media friendly and have been on local and national television as well as over 260 radio stations.

For radio and TV (in addition to all other types of media) I will maintain an exclusive 1-800 number for them to contact me. This 1-800 number will be routed to my mobile phone, making me available whenever convenient for the media.

RADIO MARKETING

Since I have already been on over 260 radio stations talking about teen issues, I will contact those stations about being invited back to discuss the book.

To get booked on radio interviews (by telephone) across the country I will place an ad in Radio & TV Interview Report; Yearbook of Experts’, and Guestfinder.com – plus any other sources recommended by the editor / publisher.

I will contact bookstores in listening area two weeks before interview(s), offering to mention their bookstore on air if they order 25 or more books.

TELEVISION

The following are action items for promotion of the book via the television medium.

• Contact Television Talk Shows and Newsmagazine Shows (using contact info from Bradley Reports) that feature human interest stories by using a variety of professionally-written press releases. Follow up in a timely manner by phone, email, fax, or any other method necessary.
• Contact local media who reported on story of my daughters accident (story is included in 'Twelve Minutes to Hell’) and ask them to do a human-interest story.
• Regularly fax or email media with latest updates on the book, including newest blurbs, media mentions, and so forth. Maintain a database of media, and oversee the updates based on info provided them by myself or the publisher.
• Tape a show about teens for airing on a local public access channel. Offer it to other broadcast companies to air on their public access channels.

INTERNET MANAGEMENT AND PROMOTIONS

Because most teens, parents and schools have online access, the internet can play a large role in reaching the target readers, and help propel the book into bestseller status. Action items for this promotional medium are as follows.

• Hire WebsiteManagers.net to manage online presence;

a)      Manage my current websites: AmericanYouth.net; StopTheBullying.net; LifeCoachingForTeens.com.

b)      Promote book through search engines and assure high rankings on Google, Yahoo, MSN and other key search engines through effective keywords.

c)      Blog about 'Twelve Minutes to Hell’ on websites that talk about books.

d)      Remain active on message boards that deal with parenting, teen and young adult issues and promote book there.

e)      Produce and email newsletter geared towards teens, parents, schools, and youth groups. Will feature latest relevant news stories, and articles designed to improve teen’s lives, increase their success in school, and promote strong parent – teen relationships. Each newsletter will mention 'Twelve Minutes to Hell’ in several places, and include info on how reader can obtain a copy.

• Give book a premium listing on AuthorsDen.com which boasts 1.4 million visitors a month.
• Use the “90 Days to Amazon Bestseller” plan developed by Bob Bly (MyAmazonBestSeller.com).
• Obtain a list from Bookmarket.com of the top reviewers at Amazon.com. Will contact all of them to explain what 'Twelve Minutes to Hell’ is about, and why they might be interested in reviewing it. Offer to send a complimentary copy.
• Post press release online using online press release services at; PRweb.com, ExpertArticles.com, ExtraPR.com, EWorldWire.com, PRnewswire.com, and other similar sites.
• Submit similar articles online to Web-Source.net where article could be displayed on 2,000 + websites and over 10,000 email newsletters.
• Encourage the formation of a fan club.
• Subscribe to Google news using the following search terms; teens, parents, bully, bullying, violence and schools. These daily news alerts will help keep me informed of opportunities to contact a reporter to comment on their story.
• Monitor major news sites (CNN.com, FoxNews.com, and MSNBC.com) for similar opportunities.
• Tape an informative video about 'Twelve Minutes to Hell’ and post to YouTube.com, and promote it heavily to a variety of online communities; parenting, teens, educational.
• Sign up for journalist referrals at PRleads.com and HelpAReporter.com and forward all leads to myself for follow-up.
• Yearbook of experts – sign up as an expert on bullying & teen violence.

NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES

The following are action items for promoting the book through the media of newspapers and magazines.

• Send press releases to major newspapers that routinely publish human interest stories, or that run articles about teens, parenting or educational issues.
• Contact columnists who generate content on a daily or weekly basis. Obtain their contact information from a reliable source such as DMOZ.com.
• Call local newspaper reporters who did on story of my daughter’s accident (story is included in 'Twelve Minutes to Hell’). Ask them to do a human interest story, and then encourage them to put the story out over the wire; Associated Press; UPI; Reuters.
• Call regional bureau of Associated Press and UPI requesting that my speaking and author appearances be added to their Day Book.
• Work with editor to develop a top ten list to incorporate into a human interest article and send to top magazines and newspapers. An example of a possible top ten list might be “10 things you should do before graduating high school”. A partial list of media sources could include the following

·        Bottom Line

·        Family Circle

·        Newsweek

·        The New York Times

·        Parade Magazine

·        Time Magazine

·        USA Today

·        Wall Street Journal

·        Woman’s Day

·        Will consult with editor or publisher on final list of publications to be contacted.

• Fax or email media with latest updates on book (newest blurbs, media mentions, etc.) on a regular basis. WebsiteManagers.net will maintain a database of media and oversee the updates based on info provided them by myself or the publisher.
• Purchase the annual directory of parenting publications from Practical Parenting as well as a list from Parenting Publications of America and submit info to various parenting publications for possible article, review, or other book mention.
• Purchase Publicity Blitz Media from Bradley Communications which has 19,500 media contacts.
• Use Cision (us.Cision.com) to find out the editorial schedules of 1,100 magazines and 200 newspapers.
• Subscribe to press clipping service (Cision, Burrell’s, and Newsclip Clipping Bureau) and submit all mentions and reviews to editor / publisher.
• Subscribe to Publishers Weekly and inquire about them doing a story on 'Twelve Minutes to Hell’.

LIBRARIES AND SCHOOLS

The following are action items for promoting sales of the book to libraries and schools.

• Work to be included in library approval plans. Submit book info to Yankee Book Peddler and Blackwell’s / Academic Book Center . Follow-up via email and phone calls to inquire about inclusion decision.
• Postcard: have 2,500 printed, with book cover on one side, on other side put brief and catchy description, several good quotes, ISBN, and publishing house name, and mail to acquisitions librarians, middle and high school librarians and counselors, booksellers, organizations that work with juveniles, and schools at which I have previously spoken.
• Obtain a list of select libraries from the American Library Association, and use that list to mail flyers and/or postcards.
• Participate in the ‘Great Library Experiment’ to increase orders from libraries.
• Submit book to ‘Reading Groups Choices,’ which sends out an annual directory that goes to 25,000 libraries, bookstores, and book festivals nationwide, (they charge stores for each copy so presumably these are being read, and not just discarded.)
• List the book on Teachers.net to promote book to teachers, parents, schools and camps.
• Ask people (friends, family, and radio station listeners) to stop by their local library and request a copy of book – if they don’t have it then request the library order at least one copy.
• Join cooperative mailings to libraries. Utilize a service such as one offered by Publishers Marketing Association or other as suggested by editor / publisher.
• Submit book for review to the following publications.

·        School Library Journal Choice

·        Reference Quarterly

·        Instructor

·        Learning

·        ASCD (Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development)

·        Principal Leadership

·        NASSP (National Association of Secondary School Principals.)

Work towards having books displayed at the conferences for these publications.

• Work with editor or publisher with the object of having the book sold at Follett College Stores.

CORPORATE SALES

The following are action items concerning the sale of 'Twelve Minutes to Hell’ to corporate customers.

• Assist editors and publishing houses in selling the book to corporations. Create and design flyer or an information package, including an autographed copy of 'Twelve Minutes to Hell’. Some books could also be numbered and noted as being a limited collector’s edition. Obtain contact info for top 1,000 corporations (Hoovers.com or Forbes.com); address and mail packets; wait several weeks and begin making follow-up calls to key decision makers asking if they need more information or if they are ready to make a decision.
• Use the “Eight Step Sell Them Process” developed by Tami DePalma and Kim Dushinkski of MarketAbility.
• Send press release to following magazines:

·        Corporate Meetings & Incentives

·        Incentive

·        Potentials in Marketing

·        Promo Magazine

·        Sales & Marketing Magazine

·        Sales Marketing Network

·        American Society of Association Executives

ASSOCIATIONS, SALES, AND CONFERENCES

Action items for marketing through these media are as follows.

• Subscribe to newsletters that inform readers of media needs and respond to those who match what 'Twelve Minutes to Hell’ offers. Such newsletters could include the following.

·        ‘Foreword This Week’ (ForewordMagazine.com)

·        ‘PW Newsline’ (PublishersWeekly.com)

·        ‘PublishersLunch’

·        ‘Book Marketing Update’ (BookMarket.com)

·        PartylinePublishing.com

·        InfoComGroup.com

·        PublicityHound.com

• Join a professional association. Examples of such associations are as follows.

·        The American Society of Journalists Association

·        The Authors Guild

·        American Booksellers Association.

 Announce the book to these associations, attend conferences and meetings - respond to any leads obtained or generated.

• Join local regional independent bookstore association and the American Booksellers Association (previously mentioned.) Attend conferences and tradeshows wearing a t-shirt imprinted with cover of book on front and select quotes (preferably from a famous person) on back. Hand out postcards, info sheets and snacks imprinted with book info, publishing house name or contact info, and a top-ten list of reasons why they should stock 'Twelve Minutes to Hell’
• Ensure book is properly listed in the American Booksellers Association Book Buyer’s Handbook.
• Attend Book Expo America (BEA) and the Public Library Association show - employ same techniques as used for Independent Booksellers conferences and tradeshows.
• Have book displayed at other trade shows by using services such as the following.

·        Publishers Marketing Association (PMA-Online.org)

·        Combined Book Exhibits (CombinedBook.com)

·        Association Book Exhibits (BookExhibit.com).

• Attend major library conventions: Either have 'Twelve Minutes to Hell’ displayed, hand out information sheets about book, or both.
• Attend major book fairs and have book displayed, hand out info sheets, books markers, or other similar items imprinted with the book name, ISBN, and publisher name. Wear t-shirt imprinted with cover of book on front and select quotes (preferably from a famous person) on back. Handout postcards, info sheets and snacks imprinted with book info.

·        Northwest Bookfest

·        San Francisco Area Book Fair

·        New York Is Book Country

·        Miami Book Fair International

·        Rocky Mountain Book Festival

·        Sacramento Reads!

·        Texas Book Festival, and other fairs in Chicago , Boston , and Seattle .

• Obtain a list of other book fairs, conferences, meetings (educational, library, or anything else pertaining to youth and parenting). Have the book displayed, either personally or by making arrangements (as with displaying the book at trade shows.) Examples are the BookTV.org and Library of Congress websites. (read.gov/cfb/) are good sources of information on book fairs. Lists of conferences and meetings would be obtained through membership in educational groups and my contacts in the education and youth services fields.

Gales.com publishes a directory called Trade Shows Worldwide, which lists over 4,000 trade shows and conventions.

CATALOG SALES

Action items for catalog sales are as follows.

• Generate a list 100 catalog companies and consult with my editor / publisher for approval. Contact approved catalog companies to secure review & placement of the book.
• Oversee the list development and submission of required material, using the following.

·        cover letter

·        photograph of book cover

·        spec sheet

·        terms (per editor / publisher.)  Sources

·        GoogleGuide.com/Catalogs.html

·        Buyersindex.com

·        CatalogCity.com

·        CatalogCentral.com 

SYNDICATION

I propose to develop a weekly newspaper column by putting together 15 articles on teens (mentioning my book at end of each article). Then I can work towards syndication.

The following are action items for syndication.

• Announce availability through Editor and Publisher magazine and inquire about inclusion in their annual directory of available national columns.
• Work with local newspapers to jumpstart syndication. Contact reporters that have done stories on my speaking and ask them to put me in touch with the decision makers at their newspapers.

EXCERPTS

Page 10: The last thing I remember was the warm trickle of blood as it flowed from my mouth and nose. As the darkness grew deeper and the pain more intense, I lost consciousness.

Page 22: My hand was still on the knife and my left arm was pressing down on his neck. I looked right into his eyes and twisted the knife in his side.

Page 30: I fell to my knees and looked up at him. He had a serious look on his face and was holding a baseball bat. He then told me that he wanted to join the gang Jerry was in. For his initiation he had to kill someone, and that someone was me!

 Page 33: Then I walked away. I had preparations to make for tomorrow's big event. Tomorrow I would kill all the jocks at school.

Page 82: I thought about my son a lot. There were a number of questions I'd like to know the answer to. Had I been a good enough dad? If I had taken custody of him sooner would he still be alive? Was his death partly my fault?

Page 103: He knew now that his father, [Adolph] Hitler, in fact was not god, but rather a very horrible person.

Page 181: Imagine that, my story getting told at the White House. Who would've thought that would ever happen to a guy like me? Only in America !

Page 187: I then said the same thing I did to my own doctor earlier, "Help me!" The nurse began speaking in a soft, calm voice. “I'm sorry,” she said, “According to your records you are dying.”  

MISCELLANEOUS PROMOTIONS

The following action items are not listed in previous sections of this proposal.

• Place website address on all outgoing mail including envelopes and boxes.
• Use a “signature” in every email that points to website.
• Enter 'Twelve Minutes to Hell’ into appropriate contests, such as ‘Foreword Magazine Awards’.
• Create a holiday and submit info to ‘Chase’s Calendar of Events’. Holiday could be ‘National Stop Bullying Day’, ‘Peace at School Day’, ‘End Teen Violence day’, ‘Be A Friend to Someone Today’ – or…? The possibilities are endless. After selecting a holiday and submitting to Chase’s, would then contact all media in database to inform them of this holiday and encourage them to do a story on it (mentioning my book of course.)
• Contact gift shops: Hotel gift shops; airport shops; coffee shops; drug stores; school supply stores; supermarkets; warehouse clubs.
• Contact general merchandise chain stores.
• Submit the book for awards: American Book Awards; American Booksellers Book of the Year; Heartland Prizes; National Book Critics Circle; Pulitzer Prize; Nobel Peace Prize; Parents Choice Awards; Parent Council Awards; National Jewish Book Awards. Will seek out other awards and submit book when appropriate.
• Purchase ‘Celebrate Today’ (an exhaustive calendar of 3,000 special events listed by month, week, and day) and use this in promotions. Examples: September is back to school month; April is school media month.
• Give an award to a student who writes the best essay on bullying in their school. Announce this contest online, to schools, and through media. Award will consist of a plaque, $100 cash, a free presentation on bullying at their school, and 20 free copies of my book will be donated to their school library.
• Promote book to prison outreach services and related groups through phone calls, emails, letters and personal visits as needed.

'Twelve Minutes to Hell' CHAPTER OUTLINE

Prologue

Kids who grow up in tough neighborhoods face gangs, drugs, weapons, dysfunctional families, physical and emotional abuse, and other factors that make life hell.

Tim knows this, because he grew up such a neighborhood and barely survived it. Most days, all he could do was survive and hope to see the next sunrise. Miraculously, he did escape -- scarred, but alive. The challenge now was to salvage the tangled wreckage that barely resembled a life.

What follows is a summary of each chapter in my book, 'Twelve Minutes to Hell’, which I am submitting for publication. It is a memoir that describes my experiences.

Chapter 1.

*After being beaten one evening by local punks, an injured six year-old Tim lays in a sandbox all night waiting to be rescued.

*His abusive dad beats his oldest brother, who then runs away.

*Tim was an altar boy. He quits, and on the last day, accidentally sets the church afire.

*Tim experiments with drugs and commits numerous other juvenile crimes.

*He begins sneaking out of his house late at night, and on one occasion he witnesses a suicide.

*On another night Tim encounters a man who attempts to sexually assault him. When Tim refuses, the molester beats Tim severely. Tim is hospitalized for several days. While he is in the hospital his parents never visit him. Feeling frightened and alone after his release, he breaks into a neighbor's house and steals a handgun. After using that gun to gain revenge on the molester, he decides that the handgun is his best and closest friend.

*School was no better. Tim is constantly bullied and harassed. Being shorter than most others in his grade, his classmates decided he wouldn't fight back. He wanted to run away but didn't know where he could go, or who to turn to for help.

*Tim's father uses food as an incentive for beating up an older kid. During that fight Tim releases some of his inner pain and experiences an incredible rush of evil that makes him powerful in ways he never knew before.

*Tim slept on a thin mattress in the corner of a dark, damp basement infested with bugs. His drunken father would routinely come there to unleash anger built up during the day. Sometimes he would hit Tim with a 2-by-4 piece of construction lumber. Tim was afraid that his father would kill him. After he was bloody and bruised, his dad left and turned off the small overhead light. (That's when the bugs, those damned centipedes, would come out and begin crawling on him again.) In such occasions, Tim lay in the corner feeling worthless, like the whole world hated him. So he started to hate it back. Because of all the violence and abuse he had seen and experienced, his emotions were on a death march. At a very early age, he had become little more than a cold, heartless, emotionless shell of a person.

Chapter 2.

*Tim meets another student who is being bullied and together they form a gang called "The Flaming Skulls".

*All goes well until a fight occurs, in which Tim stabs a member of a rival gang. Though his gang subsequently wins the fight, fellow gang members felt the violence went too far and the gang disbands.

*As Tim’s parents divorce he struggles to find new friends. A few days after his fourteenth birthday, he makes friends with other kids, Sean, Kyle, and Ricardo. However, Sean and Ricardo's friendship slowly dwindle away (as the others had before). Kyle went to prison for shooting and killing his dad. Tim wonders if he could have used his own "badness" to shoot Kyle's dad, thus keeping Kyle out of prison.

*Tim forms a friendship with a downtown guy named Vodka, who sold black-market weapons. Tim begins delivering stolen weapons to customers, and learns how to fire an assault rifle.

*Soon Tim becomes a Satanist. "To heck with the 'in crowd,'" he thought. "I don't need them when I'm tapped into this kind of power!"

*Tim’s dad has a party and rapes one of the female guests. Tim lies to the police to protect his dad, and is somewhat surprised that his dad never thanks him.

*A fellow student, Lenny, tries to join a gang; for his initiation he is required to kill someone. Lenny lures Tim into a secluded area and begins beating him with a baseball bat. Somehow he survives, and it takes hours to crawl home during the night.

*A few days later Tim is invited to a pool party and decides to go. Once there he is attacked by some jocks. He leaves the party and decides to attack his high school the next day, and kill all the jocks!

Chapter 3.

*Tim devises a plan to kill all the jocks at his high school. After stealing a car, he is stopped only 1 block from school by Vodka, from whom Time had stolen a firearm. A weapons expert who later reviewed Tim’s plan estimated that he could have killed about 400 students. That would have made Tim the largest mass murderer in America 's history.

*The same day, after a heated argument with his mom, Tim is taken away by police and made a ward of the state. He is then placed in a group home.

*His court-assigned social worker enrolls Tim into another high school, where he gets revenge on a teacher who embarrassed him in front of the class.

*Tim runs away from the group home and starts breaking into houses during the day. Once inside the invaded house uses it to wash and dry his clothes, eats food from the refrigerator, watches TV, then steals jewelry and guns before leaving. At night he sleeps in caves by the river.

*Finally Tim is caught using a stolen credit card to purchase food. The police arrest him, and place him into another group home. Once there he threatens the adults in charge. Facing personal harm they agree to let Tim do whatever he wants.

*Tim sees his dad again, and the meeting is about what he expected; more stories from his dad about women and whiskey. His dad hands him a crumpled up five-dollar bill and a pack of cigarettes as he drops Tim off at the group home.

*A teacher in school makes an impression on Tim and convinces him to try harder. As Tim's grades improve a female counselor attempts to sexually assault him, then later blames him for the encounter. Tim is expelled from school and placed into an educational facility designed for extreme troublemakers.

*He had only one pair of jeans which were ripped, and several shirts which he washed whenever he broke into a home. Since he had no money he began shoplifting clothes. Then he meets a pimp who teaches him how to turn runaway girls into prostitutes, for which he is paid $500 each. Tim does this long enough to earn the money needed to purchase a new wardrobe. Then he quits. (In a later chapter he learns that one of the girls he turned into a prostitute committed suicide.)

Chapter 4.

*Tim decides to join the Ku Klux Klan, but on his first outing with them he meets an elderly African-American man who helps Tim realize an important lesson in life. Tim decides to quit the KKK and turns the tables on them in a dramatic way.

*Tim’s mom regains custody of him, but they continue to argue and he finds evidence that she had planned to give all the kids up for adoption and run away with her married lover.

*Tim becomes despondent and after attempting suicide he spends nearly a month in the hospital. Upon his release he drops out of high school, gets his GED, and works part time at menial jobs.

Chapter 5.

*Tim turns seventeen and joins the Air Force. It turns out to be a short enlistment. Because he fears that he will fail at any job assigned to him, he fakes a mental illness and is honorably discharged.

*Now back in civilian life, he wants to live life legally. He enrolls in a Vocational-Technical College for training. However, the day before school begins he is evicted from his apartment. With no where to go he drops out of school and begins his life of crime all over again; this time as a drug dealer. After cheating a group of men during a drug deal, they rape Tim's girlfriend and force him to watch. He quits being a dealer and starts stealing to make money.

*Desperate for cash, he joins up with Johnny and begins stealing snow-blowers from garages, gas stations, and other places.

*During this time he helps Johnny kidnap a man whom Johnny believes is harassing his girlfriend. After driving their captive to a wooded area they give him a severe beating. Later they drop this man off on the shoulder of a major freeway and drive away. Later Tim learns that this young man needed emergency surgery to remove one of his kidneys. Tim remembered that an attorney had gotten his dad off when he was charged with rape, so he too hires an attorney. After being questioned by police, only Johnny is charged with felonies. Johnny is tried, convicted, and sentenced to prison.

*During a poker party at his apartment, Tim leaves the apartment and robs a gas station so he can order pizza for his guests. He is caught and offered a deal: Move out of that city and no charges would be pressed.

*He moves home to his mom's house and begins working third shift at a convenience store, where he sees crazy events unfold, and meets a celebrity.

*Tim meets a girl on a blind date. After getting her pregnant he agrees to settle down and marry her. His son is born but the marriage is short-lived and soon Tim is back to partying and committing crimes. His whole life he had no one to depend on but himself, and he figured all he could do was just hang on and hope to get lucky somewhere, someway, somehow.

Chapter 6.

*Tim finds another girlfriend and they move in together. Shortly afterwards he is told that his son has died, and his ex-wife is unwilling to give him information on what happened or where the funeral would be. Other than his son, Tim had never loved anyone in his life, and now that his son was apparently dead, Tim's heart goes from hard to stone cold.

*Tim and his girlfriend move around during the next few years as Tim works a string of menial jobs that barely pay the bills. He realizes that he should have gotten a much better education when he was younger, and was trapped in a catch-22 situation: He wants the education needed to get a better job, but can not afford to stop working to get it.

Chapter 7.

*While working at a pizza shop Tim meets a lady named Jennifer (with whom he quickly falls in love), and breaks up with his girlfriend. His new love came from a good family; the father is a doctor and the mother a social butterfly. She and her siblings attended private schools.

*Wanting to make a good impression, and fueled by desire to improve his life, Tim devises a scheme to assume a new identity. With a new driver's license and social security card, he fabricates a resume. He uses this resume to get a job as an events coordinator.  Soon he is working with events involving movie production, commercials, a national TV network coverage of a PGA Pro Golf tournament, NFL Super Bowl, and Paisley Park (owned by the musician Prince.) During this time Tim moves into his mom's house.

*Tim's sister begins dating an unusual man named Don. Soon Don and Tim become roommates and Don initiates conversations about killing people and various techniques for hiding deceased bodies. Tim dismisses these conversations as a joke. Don marries Tim's sister. In a later chapter he finds out that this man was considered by forensic experts to be a worse offender than even Jeffery Dahmer - and was actually acting upon conversations Tim had with him.

*Tim goes to visit his girlfriend at 2 AM to serenade her. Jennifer is flattered until she realizes that Tim is drunk and becomes upset with him. Tim remembers a friend who was killed by a drunk-driver and vows to never drink and drive again.

Chapter 8.

*Tim's sister learns that her new husband had been in prison for raping two teenage girls. His sister has three young daughters and decides she needs to leave her husband immediately. The family helps her find a new house, and moves her the same day.

Chapter 9.

*While living at his mom's house he is encouraged to attend church. He has no real desire to go, but one Sunday he gives in and goes with her. During the service a man named Lustig shares part of his life story. Lustig had lived under the influence of Adolph Hitler at a young age. He speaks about how he was brainwashed into believing that Hitler was god, and was forced to pray to him. Later when he turned from Hitler he was forced into a concentration camp where he witnessed the horrors firsthand. Luckily he survived and had a life-changing event, which gave him a desire to move to America and rebuild his life. After the church service Lustig and Tim meet. During that meeting Lustig offers to mentor him in an effort to bring real, meaningful and lasting change in Tim's life.

Chapter 10.

*Four years after learning of his son's death, Tim receives a letter from the county child support agency. That letter claimed that he owed many thousands of dollars in back support. Upon calling the agency to clear this up, he is told that his son is in fact alive. Angered that he was lied to about his son, Tim decides to go hunting - for his ex-wife!

*Several days pass and he finally locates her as she emerges from a store. He throws her onto the hood of his car, pulls out a knife and threatens to kill her. Just then the thought of what his mentor had been teaching him flashes through his mind. He realizes that he has a decision to make; was he going to kill his ex-wife and spend the rest of his life in prison, or was he going to follow the teachings of his mentor and believe in the possibility of a better life?

Chapter 11.

*After dating Jennifer for one and a half years Tim proposes to her, and she accepts. He knows getting married means giving up the assumed identity and everything that went with it, including a good job, money, nice car, and so on. But he is confident that with his new knowledge from his mentor, a positive attitude, and the belief he can live a better life working within the system instead of outside of it. Tim walks away from everything and resumes using his old name and identity.

Chapter 12.

*To make up for his lack of education and work experience Tim tries numerous get-rich-quick schemes and loses thousands of dollars in the process, before realizing that they are not the answer. (Very few people actually make any money with those types of programs.) He admits to Jennifer that he has been wrong about these programs and apologizes. A friend hears about this and emails him a letter about healthy skepticism (included in the book.)

Chapter 13.

*As the wedding plans come together nicely, Tim and his groomsmen are making plans of their own; to crash the bridal shower - and that's just for starters.

*Finally the day of his wedding arrives and he enters the church a single man with a wild past, and left there a married man with a whole future ahead of him - angry and full of hate as he was before? No, that has been replaced with love for his wife and great hopes for the future.

Chapter 14.

*The transformation continues as Tim gives up his biker jacket and buys more conservative clothing. He realizes that people are treating him with much more respect now that his image has changed.

*Jennifer is in college training to be a biology teacher.

*Tim begins working as a courier and is surprised that he approved for his first auto loan.

*Tim witnesses a horrific auto accident and tries to help an injured person. Afterwards he decides to attend school for Emergency Medical Technician certification.

Chapter 15.

*Despite this improvement in his credit, his back-owed child support disqualifies him for a mortgage to buy a house.

*Soon after Tim begins training to be an EMT, he narrowly escapes with his life after being involved in a major car accident which closes a freeway for hours. The paramedics who responded worked for Tim's EMT instructor. Tim later finds out how lucky he is to be alive: Once the paramedics arrived on the scene and saw the severity of the accident, they didn't see how anyone could have lived. In fact, the paramedics were coming to Tim's truck to pronounce him dead.

*Tim continues his certification classes, graduates, and passes hands-on tests. He is awarded his EMT certification.

Chapter 16.

*After the birth of his two children with Jennifer, Tim reflects back on his life; how difficult it had been, the obstacles he had to overcome, and what role his parents had in that. He writes a letter to both his parents explaining how he feels, and asks them for an explanation.

*His mother contacts him and apologizes. They then begin working together on a project to benefit thousands of hungry people in Africa .

*His father does not respond at all.

*A footnote in this chapter explains how and why Tim ended up at his father's deathbed, and what transpired there to finalize this matter.

Chapter 17.

*Tim uses his EMT training to save two lives; the first being his own daughter's.

*While attending his first opera he reflects back on his life and how different it is now. He shares some of the teachings that his mentor gave him, and how he applied them to his life.

*Tim and his mom begin collecting donations of food, clothing and medical supplies to be shipped to Africa . On the last day the donations are tallied and they've collected over fifteen thousands pounds. Years ago Tim was a selfish person who cared about no one but himself. But now he likes his new way of living, feels good about himself, and others enjoy having him around.

Chapter 18.

*Due to a decrease in available work at the courier company where he works, Tim changes employers and becomes a supervisor. However, the company owner is systematically cheating the drivers on their paychecks, and after one driver discovers this, that driver pulls off a stunt that nearly shuts the business down.

*Tim befriends a young foreigner living in the same apartment building. Later he learns that the young man's uncle was a sergeant in the Guyanan army. This man led the first troops into the Jim Jones compound after the mass suicide of 914 people in 1978. From this experience, Tim learns that real men can have, and show emotions.

*Tim asks one of the elders at church for advice on what he should be doing with his future. The answer was clear: Help teens! After the life Tim had lived it seems doubtful to him that he would ever be of any real help to anyone. But he decides to remain open to the possibility.

Chapter 19.

*Unable to find another courier job, Tim becomes a taxi driver and befriends some of his customers. One of them, Mrs. K, becomes a regular and he enjoys her company.

*A few weeks later right after Tim picks up his last fare of the day, his rider holds him hostage demanding booze, drugs, and a hooker. He survives and decides to quit being a taxi driver. The following day, among other riders, he gives Mrs. K. a ride to and from a restaurant. His last rider was an African-American woman, (same race as the man who held him hostage.) Tim is apprehensive at first, but that quickly subsides as they begin talking and share a unique experience after the fare is dropped off at their destination.

*Months later, Tim is saddened to learn that Mrs. K. was killed by a drug dealer. The killer hid her body and used her apartment for using and dealing drugs. It took weeks for anyone to discover her death.

Chapter 20.

*Tim has surgery and ends up being in the official doctor’s book of true medical oddities.

*His wife becomes pregnant with their first child.

Chapter 21.

*Tim has more surgery which goes wrong, causing him to lose 40 lbs.

*He ends up in Intensive Care - then leaves hospital against doctor’s orders as a sacrifice for his wife.

*Tim goes to Mayo Clinic ( Rochester , MN ) for advanced medical treatment and is prescribed medicine which requires self-injection.

*He and his wife attempt to buy a house, but are turned down for a mortgage due to difficulties in Tim’s past. Tim expresses regret over past mistakes and eventually they discover alternate financing and buy a house.

*Tim has a desire to help teens make better decisions in their lives, and begins writing his memoir.

Chapter 22.

*Columbine shooting; Tim travels to Littleton , CO right after the shootings and experiences the intense sadness surrounding the community immediately affected by this tragedy.

*Tim talks about the Columbine shooters state of mind; a condition he calls “Diabolical Calmness.”

*Tim describes the discovery of software that taught them to kill. One part of that computer game was an exact replica of the inside of Columbine High School .

Chapter 23.

*A young lady is abducted from a convenience store, which prompts a massive search for her.

*Tim’s former roommate (Don) becomes a prime suspect in that abduction. The crime Don committed against the young lady is horrible – and was based on conversations he had with Tim.

*A search of hunting land that Don owned reveals more human bones.

*Forensic experts working on the case call Don worse than Jeffrey Dahmer.

*During interrogation with detectives Tim realizes that crimes he has committed in the past is now past the statute of limitations, and for the first time in many years feels a true sense of relief.

*Tim offers to testify again Don.

*Don is found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole.

*This was voted top story of the year in Minnesota .

Chapter 24.

*As his condition becomes worse, Tim is rushed to the hospital in an ambulance.

*He runs out of medicine, posts his story on the internet and hundreds reach out to help him.

*As a result Tim’s story is told at the White House to the Vice-President and key members of the Senate.

*Due to ongoing health concerns he has to become a “Mr. Mom”, and shares the struggles he encounters with this.

Chapter 25.

*Tim continues treatment at his local medical clinic, but his condition worsens. Though doctors are baffled they refuse to refer him back to the Mayo Clinic – without that referral the health insurance company won’t pay for any medical expenses associated with treatment.

*Though very upset with recent events with the doctors, Tim in committed to fighting them; but will work through the system and do things the right way.

*Very weak, Tim crawls up the stairs to make lunch for the kids. He even passes out several times, but refuses to tell his wife. Doing so means she would quit pursuing her continuing education (a dream of hers.)

Chapter 26.

*He is told that he is terminally ill and has less than 60 days to live.

*A talk show in Hollywood , CA invites Tim on to discuss his former roommate, Don. During that trip he meets the victim of a school shooting and is deeply impacted and moved by what he sees and hears. Now more than ever he is sorry for almost attacking his own high school.

Chapter 27.

*The battle with the health insurance company heats up. This leads to a classic boardroom showdown. What happens there surprises everyone!

*The amazing outcome ...

Chapter 28.

*The day Tim had hoped and prayed for finally arrives; this is the day he goes to the Mayo Clinic for life-saving treatment.

* What he discovers in the mailbox as they head out quickly becomes a trophy for his struggle.

Epilogue.

*Summary of the advice Tim learned which so dramatically changed his life; emerging from the dark tunnel he existed in; writing this book when terminally ill; discovering the freedom of forgiveness.

*Tim begins speaking at schools – is now credited with preventing four school shootings and stopping over fifty teen suicides.

*As he wrote this epilogue he was sitting outside the same high school that he had attempted to attack in earlier life. As he reminisces about that time in his life, he expresses gratitude that he lived to tell this tale and to help others.

Special Update

*His five-year old daughter saves a friend from being run over by a school bus, knowing that she would be run over instead.

*She survives and brings an entire emergency room to tears when she says her reason for acting so bravely was because her daddy “always said we were supposed to love others.”

*Tim’s daughter is now the youngest person in America to be awarded the ‘Medal of Valor’.

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