2016 Sucked…Or Did it?

We lost a Princess this week and the world mourned Christmas Day as Heaven claimed a singing angel, the fifth or sixth one this year.

The long list of celebrity deaths made 2016 seem like an endless parade of tragedies and we all fueled it with Facebook.

When someone we admire dies, we post it on our Wall.  A tribute, a memorial or just thoughts like these.  FB takes notes on our words and LIKES and the little robots go into hyper drive to find stories and people who feel like us, think like us, and then we’re connected to share our collective grief.

2016 Sucked.

If you were a celebrity over fifty.

But if you were the ozone layer over Antarctica, turns out it was a good year.  Thanks to all of our efforts the protective layer over earth is healing and the hole in the ozone is shrinking.

For the first time in one hundred years, the tiger population is growing instead of shrinking and pandas were removed from the endangered species list.

People in India not only fought to save tigers, they worked to save the planet by planting 50 Million Trees in a 24-hour period.  Our lungs appreciate that.

Michael Phelps became the most decorated Olympian of all time.

Infant mortality rates fell around the world.  That means more babies lived in countries where they normally don’t.

Every day a million tiny little victories across every continent can’t get lost because they don’t get enough LIKES and shares.

Tesla announced it’s going to change the solar energy industry the same why it disrupted cars.  Imagine being able to pick who and how you buy your electricity from in the next year or two.

Amazon and Google introduced home AI’s that will revolutionize the way people live.

Why do we care about all the great things that happened in 2016 when so many Crap things dominated the headlines?

Because if you really think about it, the world is a pretty amazing place.  People can solve problems when they don’t spend all of their time bitching about them.

Or maybe bitching is part of the solution.  If enough people complain about the plastic floating island in the Pacific vortex, someone will do something about it. (Someone is, a teen in the Netherlands built a prototype trash sucker thing that’s going to scoop all the plastic and microparticles out of the water using currents.)

Is it okay to be sad when a celeb dies?  I am.  I don’t really care if it’s okay or not.

I grew up with these people as part of my life, my music, my movies.  I “feel” like I know them, so it’s okay to grieve their loss, even if they weren’t a part of my daily life.  Except a few were.

I listened to WHAM a lot as a teen.  It made me happy daily.

I watched STAR WARS at least a hundred times.  I know Princess Leia.  I can mourn that.

I grew up with Mike Seaver’s Dad, Alan Thicke.  I can sing the theme song to FACTS OF LIFE and two bars of DIFFERENT STROKES.  I can miss him too.

My takeaway is different than yours.  That’s okay.

What I want you to focus on though is their hearts.

Each of them was killed by their heart.  Heart Disease. Heart Attack. Burst Aorta.

My mom died of heart disease when she was forty-two.  That’s too young to die, I think.

I’m older than she was.  I feel twinges in my heart sometimes and wonder, even though I run and have a resting heart rate that would make most people jealous.  I even got tested after some stress related pain.  The doctor told me I had nothing to worry about, and to maybe not run such long distances.

I’m lucky.  I don’t have alcohol or drug addictions to hurt my heart muscle.  I eat a decent diet.  I exercise.

A lot of people don’t.

When you think about 2016 and long for 2017 so we don’t lose any more people we love, it’s a pipe dream.  People are going to die every day.

Better to focus on the good those people can do while they’re here.  Singing. Acting. Writing.  Planting trees.  Saving the ozone layer.  Saving the planet.

Think about someone you love.  What can you do in 2017 to make their life better?

Can you introduce them to walking to fight obesity and heart disease?

Can you share good news so they aren’t surrounded by so much bad?

Can you help relieve stress in their life by being a positive buoyant role model?

These are just thoughts.  I’m sure you know what to do.

We all learned the rules early on.  Be kind to each other.  Or in my world it was Be Excellent to Each Other.  Those guys will die someday too.  I hope it’s a long time from now.

Be kind.

Be nice.

To people and the world.

If you did that every day in 2017, can you imagine what we could celebrate next December?

 

 

How do you control your monkey mind?

I have the worst case of monkey mind you can imagine.  I am distracted by shiny things.  I see something that is working well, and instead of focusing on it and doubling down, my brain instantly starts to wonder about the one hundred other ideas it had that day, ready to chase down the story, the line, the new and fun thing.

It’s difficult to zero in on work and get it done.

I can literally open a desk drawer and pull out eight uncompleted novels with 10k – 20k words each.  I can open a file on my desktop and find twenty more, all begging to be finished and up on Amazon.

I have a little black notebook I journal in each morning, practicing my ten ideas a day, which usually generates one story that I can plot out, add some dialogue, and wonder when I’m going to have time to work on it.

This weekend was particularly bad for the monkey.

As we close out the year, the competitive goal setting side of me felt like we were coming up short on the income side.  We could be doing better.

So I examined page reads, and noticed that the series I’ve been working on as an area of focus is doing great.  But some other series aren’t getting noticed as much.  They were being neglected while I built the series up, and other commitments are going to command my time and attention once we roll into 2017.

Monkey mind off to the races.  Why bother focusing on the thing that works when you have 20 stories just crying to be told and oh so close to finishing!

Nevermind that the audience you’ve built for Battlefield Z is hungry to find out what happens, why not work on the brand new series you created this weekend during coffee time, or the Grail project that popped up again, or oh I know, the spy thriller series tied in to the Russian ambassador being shot in Turkey!

Don’t stick with what’s working, race off to something new.

Except who do I have to prove anything to?

I’ve got the stories.

I’ve got 57 more years or so to tell them.

Do I want them all out today?  It would be nice, but instead of rushing along, I’m going to clear my head with a run and get back to what’s important.

Battlefield Z Zombie Blues Highway, book 4 in the series.

Then I’m going to finish BZ Big Easy Zombie, book 5.

After that, it’s BZ Blue Grass Zombie, BZ Ship’s Graveyard Zombies, and then BZ Key West Zombies.

That means I’m committed until March.

Even though I want to finish the two television series I need to pitch.

Even though I want to bang out three novelizations of scripts I’ve written for the House Rules series (Jack’s Wild).

It’s about controlling the monkey mind.

And I know why it’s rebelling.  It’s Christmas, the weather outside turned frightful and I haven’t been on a hike or run in over a week.  I shot six holes in my freezer, I think I’ve got cabin fever.

I’m not sure which list Santa has me on, and oh yeah, there’s a great idea from two weekends ago about Kris Kringle meeting Odin to hunt the Krampus on Yule.

Alright monkey, stop the madness.

If you are working, you can write 2,000 words a day before anyone else gets up, or after everyone goes to bed.  Make it a part time job.  2k words a day means in 20 days, you have a 40k word draft.  In 60 days, math says you’ll have 3 drafts.  Come on Monkey, can you stick with me that long?  Winter is over in April, that’s three short months and two weeks away.

How much can you get done in a Quarter?

Can you hold your focus that long?

I’ve been focused on writing this past year, enough to have published 12 novels, and 23 non-fiction pieces, plus a short story collection or two.  I’ve written a couple dozen blog posts, couple dozen facebook posts, a metric megaton of Tweets.  This year has been about the words.

In 2017, it still will be.

But the shift will be on maintaining focus and not chasing down ideas.  When I was doing some research into what I’ve done this year, I found four more novels (50k each) of words scattered into new projects I’d start and discard.

I’m not disappointed, because I pride myself on being a creation machine, and that level of output in a year is good.  But had I started on the BZ series a year ago, and pushed out 16 books in it, I’d be much further along in my career.

I would have a bigger audience, a bigger reach and be making more money.

Hindsight being what it is, no wonder the monkey is rattling the cage and calling for more work published.  It notices what is has missed, as opposed to what we have done.

I’m asking you to celebrate your accomplishments this year.  If you didn’t reach your goals, take time to evaluate why, then make a new plan, break it up into little steps and get cracking.

2017 is going to be my best year as a writer.

I’m going to get the BZ series up to the eight mark, put out eight more novels in another series, and get the television shows done.

There will be merchandising, and conferences, and best of all, getting to meet and talk to hundreds of readers who take the time to email me.

Thank you for making 2016 incredible.  I hope you stick with me for a whole lot more.  Let’s share some adventures and stories.

The Thing about Best Laid Plans

The thing about best laid plans.  Today was supposed to launch a big 12 Days of Christmas extravaganza.  I had a couple of other author interviews loaded to fire, I had a new Battlefield Z installment complete and ready to hit publish pending a final review.  I had Holy War paperback ready to drop like a hot 100 record, and a couple of surprises just for tagging along.

Then the four year old got strep throat.  The tire on the back of my truck was flat, and getting it repaired knocked out a couple of hours.  The weather turned colder, which for some reason just slows me down.  I guess I’m too acclimated to warmer climes.

There were other things that interfered.  All little distractions that added up to standing in the way of my agenda.

I realize I’m not alone in this.  There are a ton of things that work to keep you from your dreams, your goals and your passions.

Remember that everyone else has their own agenda, their own set of priorities, and you dream chasing is not one of them.

Carve out your time, guard it jealously, but when life and responsibilities start rearing their demanding heads, don’t despair and bemoan the delay.  Take a breath, and knock them out.  Do the task that needs doing first. (write).  Then move to the next task.

If things have to get moved around and shuffled, and you miss a self created deadline for marketing based on a seasonal song, it’s not the end of the world.  It’s an opportunity to practice Zen.

Speaking of, while I was waiting to get the tire fixed, I had my phone, which gives me access to my blog(s).  I have kept an idea on a back burner for awhile, but surrounded by other tire kickers and buyers, I sat and composed the first post for my new blog on hiking.  I’ll debut it after I have a few more, but here’s the lesson, if there is one to be had.

As a creative, you have more than enough things to do so that when one isn’t working, put it aside and market or focus on something else.  Don’t let it be a wall.  Just a hiccup.

I’ll launch SWEET HOME ZOMBIE tomorrow.  I’ll work on book four tonight.  I’ll upload the blog posts and autoschedule them when time permits tonight or tomorrow.

Just a hiccup in laid plans.

 

Jack House is a professional gambler with a lucky streak about as wide as the head of a needle. His never give up attitude takes him on adventures and into situations most sane people would avoid.

Seriously, if you got knocked down this many times the Universe is trying to send a message. But Jack loves the cards even if they don’t love him back and his momma didn’t raise a quitter.

Set on the fringe of Vegas, Jack House is just trying to come up with rent money so he doesn’t have to trade his body to the senior citizen landlord holding his RV hostage. A lucky draw in Texas Hold Em leaves him flush with cash and ripe for the pickings of every predator that lurks on the strips of Vegas.

All Jack wants to do is pay some bills, but the bright lights and neon starscape keep distracting him, not to mention more earthly pleasures that knock him down again and again.

Jack’s Wild is a fun, irreverent ride that will make you laugh out loud about four times.

Fans of Tim Dorsey will love this story and if you thought Ocean’s Eleven was about a great casino heist, well you’re right. This ain’t Ocean’s Eleven.

Sometimes a little raunchy, you should probably be over 18 to read this.

CLICK HERE TO GRAB YOUR COPY

Had a good laugh lately?

If you ain’t having fun, then why are you writing?

I have been working on a Joan of Arc project for a week or so after hiding it in a drawer for a decade. It is the novelization of the script I have on Amazon, and one I pitched around LA for a couple of years. I have been slightly obsessed with the Maid since I was a boy, and the Milla Jovavich movie, THE MESSENGER pretty much summed it up for me. Still my story burned inside me. At least enough that I thought about it every so often, and when I began pulling projects off the shelf to dust off and publish as an indie author, it was one of the first I put up.

Today I was working on a chapter and I laughed out loud. Not because I did anything particularly clever but the image the language evoked in my head made me laugh. Out loud.

And the realization of laughing out loud made me ponder on how much fun it is to tell stories. I like it when I sell them, and I have designs to sell 5 or more books of each title per day.

But I’ve done this long enough for free and have a catalog of work and projects enough to prove how much I love it, because I still continue to create new stories, and worlds and write despite not earning what I was making as a corporate Director.

I laughed.

Because reading is fun, and if you feel an emotion while writing, it may translate to the reader.

Of course they have to get your joke, or have your sense of humor, or in the case of this chapter, they must have a brother with sibling rivalry and memories of a childhood spent playing at swords. Or at least an appreciation to it.

So I laugh sometimes when I write.

And every time I do, it makes me want to write more.

Is everyone creative?

We can’t all be creative, can we?

I had someone ask me that question the other day. It was in their defense of not participating in an entire story I created in voices, dialogue and back and forth with myself playing both parts of the conversation.

This is something I’ve had lots of practice with. Usually when I get into an argument with the voices in my head, I win.

But can we all be creative?

Maybe not with words, but the answer is yes. All of us. All of the time in every way. I could make a laundry list of items where folks are plenty more creative than me.

Painting. Unless it’s paint by numbers, I’m always going to struggle.

Composing. I can write song lyrics that would make most lyricists weep in shame and horror, but I can only play two chords on the guitar. Badly. This, by the way, is one of my long term to do’s that I keep putting off. Why?

I’m afraid of being bad at the guitar. Or of investing the time to learn. More on this later.

Carving wood.

Canning jelly.

Growing a garden.

Sewing.

Crochet.

Decorating of any kind.

I could list out a hundred more items people are more creative at than I, yet here’s where I want to stop.

Because the fact that some of us are creative in ways that others are not is an amazing opportunity for self expression.

I consider long distance running a creative endeavor. When the wheels start to come off, it’s the mind’s job to find a creative solution.

Working out day after day until the routine becomes a habit and the habit becomes a lifestyle is a creative action.

Writing a blog post. Writing a short story. Thinking of ways to entertain young children, or puppies.

Finding a balance between work and family life. Or starting a new business. Or injecting some awesome into an existing business.

What are you doing to be creative today?

What would you like to do?

What are you so scared of?

I am afraid.
Sometimes. Or sometimes a lot. I guess it just depends.
I was thinking about all the things I am afraid of.
Big snakes. Alligators under me while swimming.
I am afraid of not being a good father. I am afraid of not being a good enough friend.
Of not being successful.
Of not trying.
I am afraid of road rage in traffic and stray bullets.
I am afraid of being burned.
I’m afraid of getting older and getting slower and getting fat.
I am afraid of the pains in my chest and the pains in my stomach and the pains in my head, intermittent though they may be.
I am afraid of being trapped in one place.
I am afraid I won’t see the Northern Lights.
I am afraid my kids will consider me a fun uncle more than their dad.
I’m afraid their stepdad did a better job that I could.
I am afraid of my ambition.
I am afraid of turning to the Dark Side.
I am afraid for the future of our country.
I am afraid for having too many things on my plate.
I am afraid of the dark in the woods when running alone.
I am afraid of being cold clocked by a black guy playing the knock out game.
I am afraid that no on loves me.
I am afraid of how much I know.
I am afraid of what that’s cost me.
I am afraid of breaking my leg again.
I am afraid I won’t do any more adventures.
I am afraid of how little control there really is in the world.
I’m afraid of how easy it is for me to be egotistic.
I’m afraid I am a constant throttle on my goals.
I’m afraid I won’t be a good husband.
I’m afraid I won’t get married again.
I’m afraid of failing so many times I forget how to win.
I’m afraid sometimes I’m too cocky.
I’m afraid I’m not brave enough.
I’m afraid of being successful.
I’m afraid of jabs, jibes and jeers.
I’m afraid that fear is the mind killer.
I’m afraid that meditation is not enough.
I’m afraid that I’m not enough.
Not good enough to be great.
That greatness is just beyond my grasp.
I’m afraid of blaming people for my shortcomings.
But every single fucking day
I try.

What is the deal with quotes?

Do you love to start your morning with a good quote?

I wonder what it is about reading words uttered by others that can tend to be so inspiring? Is it connotation?

I didn’t actually hear Kennedy say the bit about country and you, but it never fails to stir my patriotic blood when someone uses it. Or the bit about having a dream by Dr. King. Do we like it so much because we have dreams too, big dreams that can’t be contained by the whims or shackles of ordinary men.

Or do quotes come from uninspired places, tossed off as witty rejoinders and picked up by journalists or bloggers now I suppose and carried on the wings of the internet at speeds faster than light?

Are new quotes made now that stir the souls of man?

Or will we have to wait until history decides what is quote worthy?

I’m trying to think of Reagan’s quotes, what the former President is best known for saying and all I can come up with is “Mr. Gorbachev, bring down this wall.”

Which taken in perspective was the middle of the end of Soviet socialism.

But how will it inspire future generations? Or can it?

Will we one day look back at the wall Trump built to separate North America and say, “Mr. Future President whose name has yet to be decided, bring down this wall.”

Or will that wall if built be like Hadrian’s effort to keep out the Scots on the borders of the Roman Empire. Or even like the giant wall of monstrosity that separates Israel from Palestine that one day might fall like the walls of Jericho?

That’s assuming the wall will be built, which it probably won’t.

Part of the reason is nothing inspiring is being said during this election cycle. Sure we can pick up jokes about the size of hands and where to grab folks, or lies, lies, and more lies if you’re on the opposition, as if this is the first politician to lie under oath and often. There is a reason it’s cliche to say you know when a politician is lying? They’re lips are moving. All of them.

Finding an honest politician is like finding something worth quoting today. Far better to quote songs I think.

“Everybody wants to rule the world.”

“Girls just wanna have fun.”

“Got my mind on my money and my money on my mind.”

“Nowadays everybody wants to talk like they got something to say

What’s your favorite quote?

How was your November writing challenge?

Post-apocalypse USA

Zombies invade America. They don’t know why it happened, or how, but five weeks after the Zombie apocalypse turned the American landscape into a dystopian world where the walking dead aren’t the worst of the problems, a distraught father takes to the road to hunt for his missing children.

No way to communicate.
No way to know who survived.
And the only way to last through the day is with gallows humor and an unbending will to survive.

In Battlefield Z, he led them from Florida, but only half survived.

Now it’s part two. The Survivors split up and he’s one state closer to home when he gets an SOS he has to answer.

In a world where all the first responders died trying to save everyone else, the reluctant hero can turn his back on his friends or turn back to and delay his quest just a little longer.

Save the world or watch it burn.

This action packed sequel to Battlefield Z is part two in the gripping new series that will keep you flipping pages to the exciting end.
Fans of The Walking Dead and Zombie movies will smile as they recognize the references and any parent would wonder how they would react if the same happened to them.

The world is taken over by Z after an Armageddon. Your family is missing and you have no survivalist training. What would you do?

Grab your copy here

The Hardest Part

The hardest part is wanting it now.

It’s easy to talk about the long haul and building over time.

It’s tough to pay bills with that want though.

That’s why you hustle. Day in. Day out. Everyday.

You have to have a winning mindset because the goal seems so far away and incremental gains can sometimes only move you an inch closer.

You think “This is taking forever.”

But you have to keep going. You must not stop.

Run a mile today. Run 1.1 tomorrow.

Write 3000 words today.  Write 2000 tomorrow.

Blog today. Blog tomorrow.

Publish.  Promote. Keep going.

Today I’m in the middle of Alabama Zombie, the 3rd in my Battlefield Z series.

But in my idea journal this morning where I have vowed to capture 10 ideas every day for a year, I had a new series pop up.  That’s the third new series idea this week.

I need to branch out and find a co-writer I think.

I’m shopping for a foreign sales agent for 6 books, and working on the studio plans to set up in state.  This requires researching tax credits and seeking out experts to help put it in place.

I want it all now, but it won’t happen today.

You’ve heard the expression the best time to plant a tree is 10 years ago.  The second best is today.

My question to you is, what are you planting today?