There's a terrific actor/writer/producer, Erik Jensen. You see him all the time in shows like "Law and Order", CSI, and "The Good Wife". He's one of those guys when you see him, you say "I know that guy. Wasn't he on "Law and Order" just last week or on "Rescue Me". Wasn't he the bad guy?, Or the hero's best friend from college? He certainly was an interesting character". That's the thing about film and television. We have these terrific actors, doing great work everywhere, like it was two decades ago in England, great actors, trained and experienced, waiting to hit just the right movie, stage, or TV project.

This guy, acts, produces, and writes screenplays, with his wife Jessica Blank. He's working on a movie script, while another script, "Almost Home", is being produced by Jon Bon Jovi, and is being shot in California in the fall.

To move his project "The Reconcilers", ahead, Erik and his producing partner Emery Bright needed to do a graphic novel. But they didn't have a lot of money. I managed to help them in some small way to find artists, colorists, and such, and I drew a cover for the project. Erik and Emery, managed to talk me down on the price, because guess what, they're good guys and I trust them. So they will be presenting the project at Comic-Con International, in San Diego, this summer. To say that this project fills their waking hours, is an understatement. And of course it was very important that I do a cover that epitomizes a dramatic moment in the story.

So important was this, that when Erik came to pick up the cover, he brought with him, the artist of the book, his partner, the investor, and his mom. Well no, I lied, he didn't bring his mom, but you get the idea, (and shows the sexy girl, (Blush)).

All of this isn't the story I have to tell. This is the story.

I was in the conference with my son, Jason, when everybody arrived. They were there to look at the cover, make copies, and to take photographs for this monumental event that would change their lives forever. Certainly, a few hearts were racing as they arrived, hung-up their coats, and waited outside the conference room. I was told an odd glint came to my eye. I asked Jason to make a copy of the cover, on our large color copier that can print out blue lines, as well as the ink lines, on a thick cover stock. He rushed off through a second door in our conference room, while my wife, Marilyn entertained our guests as best she could, and talked to Erik about the possibility of purchasing the cover original. Erik went to the men's room, as the precision and timing began. Jason brought in the copy. I hid the original, and squirted ink from my inkbottle, over the middle of the copy. Then grabbed two tissues and wiped the ink, as if in a futile attempt to wipe the ink away. Then we let the happy group enter the conference room.

I stumbled out an apology that I had delayed them for a minute because I had, had an accident. They looked at the "Cover", splashed with ink. Each of them reacted differently. Thankfully, no one fell on the floor sobbing. Erik had just come out of the bathroom, realizing his glorious cover was indeed on display, he came into the room and looked at the expressions on his buddy's faces, and then looked at the cover on the table.

What thoughts raced through his mind, we shall never know. But you know, the thing is, he and I had spent several hours together over the weeks.

He looked at me more closely, to see if there was a twinkle in my eye. He saw it, and the jig was up. So I reached over and pulled the cover out from a stack of pages, and presented it to him. Erik had learned something about me by now...

Let me say this in advance, I knew these were all good and true fellows, and all friends and fans. And they proved me to be right, by having a great laugh. But if my math is correct, this story has been shared with about 200 people since that initial meeting, and I thought you just might like to hear it as well.

Please buy the book, please read the story, and please let me know what you think.

- Neal