Ow, ow, ow, ow! Dang it!

Bayou City played another lacrosse game today!  It was an away game vs. Metro, and this makes the third year in a row (I think) that this particular game was played in the rain.  Thankfully, the rain really didn't kick in until the 2nd half and was just a chilly drizzle rather than an icy downpour as it had been in games past.  As always, I look forward to these games with great anticipation...I simply love playing.  I'm not as fast as I once was, and I'm certainly not the best player, but you don't have to be Gary Gait (Google him) to have fun playing the game.  And oh, I do.  I really, really do.

For the first time in a loooooong time, I couldn't finish the game today.  Fortunately, I wasn't horrendously injured during a play (although I did stop a shot on goal with my thigh, and WOW, that did hurt), but instead, was sidelined by a bit of plantar fasciitis that's been dogging me for a few weeks now.  My right heel held up for not quite 3 quarters before it finally gave me the 'no go' signal, and I watched the rest of the game from the sidelines.  Frustrating, but I was happy to have played that much, at least.

We lost the game, but it was fun, nonetheless.  I really am glad to be playing for this particular team.  We win some, we lose quite a few, but we always enjoy playing together.  I couldn't have picked a better team on which to play.  And the team colors are green and white, of course!

I'm scheduled to do CrossFit Games workout 15.2 tomorrow morning at 7:30am.  I'm honestly not sure that my foot will allow it, but I've got the silly thing on ice at the moment, and I'll just have to see how it's feeling tomorrow.  After that, I've got a week to rehab the thing before our next lacrosse game.  It's a pretty simple routine, really...icing it, sleeping in a boot, rolling out my calf multiple times daily.  I could look at it as a huge annoyance, but admittedly, that takes too much energy.  Instead, I'll just view it as an additional step in my physical training, like warming up or stretching.  For now, it's just something I need to do to keep everything working properly, so there's no sense in resenting it.

In other news, I'm really rolling along with Book 2, 'Gart's Road', at the moment.  I've found a good balance of doing admin stuff for my school and also finding time to write each day, so I've progressed much faster lately.  I reached a point where I was about to depict the beginning of a city siege, but another scene kept presenting itself, so I shifted to write that one instead, and I'm thrilled with the result so far.  Now that I pretty much have that scene all done, it's time to get back to work on the attack on the city of Laro.  I've been reading an awful lot lately in the genre, and I've felt a lot more open to trying new things in my story, much more creative stuff than I did in the past, so I'm pretty excited to see what I can do with this next section.

I see the whole story in scenes, and although I do know where the whole thing is going, I don't always see the scenes in proper order.  At any given time, I'm generally just writing whatever I see most vividly right then.  There are also plenty of times when I just don't see anything, so that's frustrating.  Fortunately, the muse is speaking to me lately, so I'm going to make the best of it, and write as much as I can while I'm on a roll.

Sometimes, I write here to make a point of some kind.  More often, I'm just reporting things that happen in my life because I want to remember them later.  Yes, those things could just as well be written in a private journal, but I enjoy sharing in the hopes that maybe someone would be amused or even inspired by my writing.  This post doesn't have much of a point, other than to just say that I'm doing my best to keep moving forward in several areas.  I'm closer to 50 than 40 now, and I want to remain active as much as possible, so martial arts, lacrosse, and writing are not only lifelong passions of mine but also tools that I use to keep myself nimble in both mind and body.  I have no plans to 'go soft into that good night.'  I'm going to keep training, keep playing, keep writing, keep moving until I use up every ounce of life I've been given.  So there!

Writing, Training, More Writing

Yes, I've finally been able to get back to writing lately.  'Gart's Road', or Book 2 as I tend to call it, is moving along at last.  It took a month or so to get settled in here at JMMA's new location, but things are up and running smoothly now, so I can turn my focus back to the story.

I'm obviously not the fastest writer on the planet.  This occasionally frustrates me, but more often, I just enjoy the process however fast or slow it happens.  I've been stuck at one spot for a long time and I was thrilled to finally get through the scene and start looking at other areas of the story.  It's like watching a movie only 5 minutes at a time!  I'll get there eventually.

Things are about to get pretty hairy for my characters...there is about to be a large-scale assault on a city and its castle.  The fighting is going to be ferocious and intense, and I can tell you that it's going to be rough for the good guys.  Will they all make it?  I'll only give you this hint...George R. Martin, I'm not, but I'm not averse to seeing good guys die if that's what I see in the story in my head!

In other news, training is going well.  I haven't had a bit of chocolate on a day other than Sunday for over a month now, and I've kept off the handful of pounds I've lost.  Another lacrosse game is coming up this Saturday and I've got sprints planned for today in preparation.  I'll never be as fast as I once was, but my stamina is still pretty good, and I'm bound and determined to stay as mobile as possible.

Back to work here...I'll keep you posted.  Feel free to drop me a comment or an email anytime, I love hearing from folks out there.

New Year, New School, New Lacrosse Season

Wow, so much has happened since my last post here.  Last December, after months of wrangling, paperwork, and about a thousand things on the daily To-Do Lists, we managed to move Jade Mountain Martial Arts to a new location.  We moved from an extremely hard-to-find attic, with an entrance that sat about 20 feet from a dumpster, to a fantastic location right next to the Alamo Drafthouse.  In one day, with a massive team of volunteers, we somehow loaded up every single thing from the old place, and moved it all into the new space.  It took a good three weeks to get everything situated, but the new and improved Jade Mountain is ready for action and it...looks...GREAT.  I'm ridiculously proud of it, and humbled and grateful at all of the hard work that our students and Ms. Kathryn put in to make it look so amazing.

The To-Do List is still pretty gigantic, but things have calmed down enough that I can turn some of my energy to other things.  Book 2 has been waiting not-so-patiently for me to work on it again.  I'd like to get it done by the summer, though that means I need to get to it pretty consistently.  Lacrosse season also started today, and though my training suffered during the move, I was able to enjoy the game and cause a bit of trouble on the field.  No Tornado Kicks, but a few good plays, nonetheless.  I very much look forward to getting my speed and agility back as the season progresses and I'm able to get back to training.

That's about it.  I mean, the super short version, anyway.  As always, I intend to write here more often, but we'll just have to see how that turns out.  One thing I'll say before I go:  the weather was perfect for the game today.  It was sunny and bright, with a cool breeze blowing now and then.  The field was soft but not muddy, and my new cleats were rocking.  My team played hard and we had fun.  I ran, I scooped, I passed the ball, I hit some folks and dodged others.  As all this was going on, I couldn't help but feel absolutely, deeply, ridiculously happy.  I'm closer to 50 than 40, and I'm still out there.  It rocks.

Bad reviews...ouch! Well, I don't like Pumpkin Pie...so, there.

As a writer, I knew that I'd never be able to please everyone.  I've always dreamed of being a published author, and although I never aspired to fame and fortune, I'd always hoped that folks would enjoy my books at the very least.  I feel as though I'm a decent writer, maybe not as skilled or imaginative as my favorite big-name authors, but I think I do pretty well.  I knew that there would always be those out there who would not like my work, whether because of the subject, the storyline, the characters, or my sentence structure.  If I wanted to put my books out there, I had to be willing to endure the opinions of the masses, both good and bad.

Up to now, my reviews were pretty positive.  Of course, the first people to read Mage's Burden were those who knew me, so they were far more likely to be supportive.  However, I also got other reviews and positive feedback from folks I'd never met, so that got me pretty excited!  I always want honest appraisals of my work, and I do a happy dance for every good review that I get.

Along with the good opinions, suddenly came the bad ones.  In the last 2 days, it seems that a handful of people signed on to Goodreads.com as new members in order to review my book, and wow, they surely didn't like it at all.  Comments about my writing skill, accusations of racism and sexism (seriously?!?), and even suggestions that my use of punctuation was off-putting.  Fair enough.  Everyone has a right to their opinion, even if it's one I don't share.  It was a bit shocking to hear such negative comments on something that I had worked so hard to create.  I want to tell a story of heroism, a battle of good versus evil, magick and monsters...this is supposed to be fun! 

In thinking about all this, I realized that I don't like pumpkin pie.  Honestly, I never have.  Millions of people out there LOVE pumpkin pie.  It's a staple at almost every Thanksgiving dinner, and I don't like it.  I know there are others like me out there, but most folks enjoy it, and that's just fine.  It's also fine that I don't.  The fact that I don't like pumpkin pie doesn't change what the pie actually is, what it is meant to be, or the fact that so many love it.  It's just my opinion.  My favorite authors all have quite a few horrendously negative reviews sprinkled among the shining, positive comments, and they're doing just fine.  You can't please everyone.

All in all, I'm grateful to each and every person who takes the time to read my book, whether or not they like it.  I hope that more people like it than don't.  Having someone write how much they hate my work isn't the end of the world.  I plan to keep writing, keep working, and I'll improve my storytelling skills as I go. 

Those of you reading this, if you've read my book and want to share an opinion, I'd truly love to hear it.  Here are all the places you can write a review.  As much as I'd like to ask for good reviews, I really just want honest ones.

Mage's Burden on Goodreads

Mage's Burden on Amazon.com

Mage's Burden on Barnes & Noble.com

Another Year, Another Birthday!

I'm 45!  As of my birthday a week ago, I am now halfway to 90.  Not even CLOSE to being done.  I joke about being an old man, but although I'm a half-step slower here, maybe not quite as strong there, I'm feeling pretty danged spry, thank you very much.  I'm on the 120-Year Plan, so I intend to keep working out, eating right (more or less, anyway), and keeping a positive attitude.  45...wow.  In just a few short years, I'll be 50.  Cool.

It's been a big year for me, and it looks as though it'll end with a bang as well.  Just a few days ago, I signed a lease for Jade Mountain in a new, bigger, better location.  11 years ago, I had been teaching out of my garage, but we found a spot right off of I-10 near Mason Rd.  It was cheap because it was basically an attic for the store below, which was a Mattress Giant at the time.  Fortunately, the space had previously been a dance studio and also a martial arts school, so it was already laid out perfectly for what I wanted.  Since then, we've been rolling along, having a blast up there, but it's finally time to make a change.  We need a bigger space, a better space, a place that's easier to find!!!  After months of wrangling and financing, I finally put pen to paper a few days ago, and it is on like Donkey Kong.  The lease should be executed this week, then the builder will be put to work, and we'll eventually end up right next to the Alamo Drafthouse on Mason Road in a space big enough to have two classes going simultaneously.  I'll certainly miss the old Jade Mountain, but there are tons of good memories that will be coming with me, and a whole new adventure awaits at the new space.  

In other news, I've been working on Gart's Road (the second book in my fantasy trilogy) and thoroughly enjoying myself.  I've gotten to know other authors, had quite a few folks say nice things about Mage's Burden, and was recently mentioned on a radio show in Nevada!  My friends, students, and family have all been super supportive, and I've signed quite a few copies of MB for folks.  I often feel an odd sense of embarrassment when folks want me to sign one.  In my mind, I'm saying, "It's just little old me!  My signature's not worth anything!"  Yet I'm also quite honored.  I was fortunate enough to have a handful of my copies of various books signed by their authors, most notably, Dennis L. McKiernan, and I treasure those things.  Simply put, I think it's exceedingly cool to have them.  If I stretch my mind a bit, I can hope that maybe one day, others might think something similar when they open their copy of my book with my signature in it.  One day.  Maybe.  I'll just keep writing and see how it goes.

All in all, my 45th year has been pretty good so far.  I'll keep doing my thing and just take one step after another and see where the journey leads me.  I'm thinking it'll be fun!!

Krav Maga and Book Signings...

Wow, September was an eventful month!  It started with a fabulous 9 days of training in Krav Maga (with a Kung Fu demonstration for 300 families at the end of the first day), ending in an 8+ hour test.  Now THAT was FUN!!!  Then, September 27th was another big day...I had my first ever official Book Signing at a local bookstore, Katy Budget Books.  They actually had my name, picture, and a pic of my book cover on the digital marquee sign out front!

I really enjoyed the Krav training.  Emmanuel Ayache is a fabulous instructor, given to very structured, detailed explanations of technique and challenging summary drills that were also tons of fun.  Occasionally, there were 'winners' of the summary drills, and those folks got prizes.  One pair of winners got to punch and kick the rest of us as we all stood in a ring around them.  Another pair got a 400 yard piggyback ride from us while the others did jumping squats.  Yes, my idea of fun may be different from that of other, more 'normal' folks.

Over the course of the training, we learned punch and kick defenses, knife threat defenses, handgun threat defenses, stick attack defenses, choke defenses from both standing and the ground, even some rifle defenses.  The training started each day promptly at 9am and rolled on until sometime after 6, with an hour and fifteen minute lunch.  We had little breaks here and there, just a few minutes where I was able to toss down 3 or 4 peanut M&M's so I wouldn't get hungry.  There was just SO much to go over, and Emmanuel did a fabulous job of it.  We had homework several times, either planning warmups for the next morning or afternoon or doing lesson plans that we were to use when teaching the class various techniques.  I have over fifty pages of notes on all the techniques, drills, and lectures we had during the week, and I can actually read them!  Test day was grueling, but I had an absolute blast.  Over 8 hours of technique and sparring.  FUN!!!!!  In the end, I passed with very good remarks, and ended up a G1 level KMG Instructor.  It's been quite a journey, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

There is more, but since I actually started this blog post almost a month ago and I really think I should post something separate for my birthday, I'll get right on that.  Go train somewhere, learn something, and have some fun!!!

More News on Mage's Burden

I'm excited to announce that I'll be doing an author's booksigning for Mage's Burden at Katy Budget Books on Saturday, September 27, at 1pm!  This is definitely something I'll check off of my bucket list!  I'm very much looking forward to it, to say the least.  This will be the first (and maybe the only) bookstore that will be offering my book, and I couldn't be more pleased.  I've shopped there for many years, so this is pretty cool for me.  If you're in the Katy area that day, stop by and say hi!

I've had another author interview published, as well.  You can find it here:  http://www.thetimewarriors.co.uk/blog/?p=30974

Still more news!  I've found an armorer willing to finish construction of my own version of the weapon, the Jidaan, that I created for the story.  The blade is fine, and although the current pommel works just fine in terms of balance and movement, I still wanted to find something more along the lines of what I see in my mind's eye.  I like the sketches so far, so I'm looking forward to seeing what http://www.dragonsbreathforge.com/ can do with this project.

Work on Book 2 continues, albeit at a slower pace than I'd like.  There is an awful lot going on with Jade Mountain at the moment, what with the upcoming move and all.  Even so, I'm managing to get in a bit of work here and there.  As always, I'm having a ton of fun with the story.  I've recently likened my writing to surfing YouTube on a slow connection.  Sometimes, I can see the scenes very clearly and I write a lot, while other times, there's a lot of buffering going on, and it takes forever for me to get things moving.  Either way, it's fun.  I'll keep y'all posted!  One of these days, Book 2 will be ready for publishing as well!

Some Thoughts on Suicide

No, I'm not thinking of taking my own life...instead, the recent death of comic icon Robin Williams has sent me into contemplation on the topic.  I've long held certain beliefs on the sanctity of life and I've had my own strong opinions of the people who have taken their own lives.  I'm writing about it because I've come to some realizations on the subject that changed my way of thinking.

Please don't judge me too harshly for my thoughts...they are my own, after all, and I figure that we're always learning and growing.  I'm sure there are many folks who think far differently than I.  I share my thoughts this time because I just feel that maybe it could help someone be more positive about the subject.

In the past, I always felt that folks who committed suicide were selfish, that it was a permanent solution to what I figured was always a temporary problem.  To be honest, I felt that they were weak in some way.  Having been through a certain amount of difficulty and tragedy in my life, I just couldn't fathom what they might be thinking to make that decision.

Then Robin Williams took his own life.  This was a man beloved by so many for his amazing humor and so many acts of kindness and generosity, a man who apparently even knew how much he was loved, a man with money in the bank, a loving family, and an extremely successful career with no end in sight.  In the past, Robin had trouble with addiction and depression, but everyone thought he'd conquered those obstacles, and we cheered him for it.  He had everything.

I read somewhere that someone else had asked the obvious question, "What could possibly have been going on in his mind to bring him to do that?  I just can't even imagine what it would take..."  And the answer was "You should be grateful that you don't understand, that you don't know firsthand what kind of pain he was in."

That's what struck me.  I know my own mind very intimately.  Suicide would simply not be an option for me.  I strongly believe that I can weather pretty much anything by breathing in, breathing out, repeating that process, and moving forward as much as possible through whatever obstacles might arise in life.  That's how my mind works.  I don't suffer from depression.  My brain just doesn't work that way.  Robin's apparently did.  The man was a genius, and an absolutely wonderful human being, but there was a lot going on in that amazing mind of his that we may never understand.  It doesn't make him a lesser man than me, just different.  It could even be said that he's a stronger man than I for fighting his demons for as many years as he did.  I haven't had to fight the same battles as he.  I can't even imagine what he might have gone through.  Not only was he fighting his own battles, but he still found it within himself to be kind, thoughtful, and generous to pretty much everyone who ever crossed his path.  I don't know that I could be that strong. 

Knowing that a man as intelligent, talented, kind, and well-loved as Robin Williams could go to a place where suicide seemed like an option, in fact, the ONLY option, made me realize that maybe I don't have a full understanding of what might go on in such a person's mind.  Maybe I'm not quite as knowledgeable about such things as I had previously thought.  And just maybe I need to be a bit more understanding and compassionate towards folks who may be fighting battles that I may never be able to fully grasp.


Robin Williams certainly left his mark, both with his life and with his death. I still get misty-eyed when I read more about what a wonderful person Robin was.  Heck, tears spring to my eyes just seeing a picture of him at this point, and it'll be awhile before that goes away.  After all of this, I simply resolve to be strong enough to be kinder to everyone, both in my deeds and my thoughts.  I owe that much to Robin just for all the times he brought laughter to my life.  Thanks, Robin.  We love and miss you.

Robin Williams...you will be missed.

My world tilted badly on its axis tonight.  It was a pretty good night at Jade Mountain, classes were running along at full steam, I'd had some visits from some folks that made me pretty happy earlier in the day.  Suddenly, I got word that Robin Williams died today.  That really rocked me.  I grew up watching him on Happy Days, Mork and Mindy, and everything he's ever done since.  Heck, I wore Mork from Ork suspenders in one of my school pictures, 4th grade, I think.

His death was tragic, and unnecessary, and my heart aches for him and for his family.  Robin brought a great deal of light and laughter into my life over the years.  He was gifted as both a comedian and a dramatic actor.  Yes, he made me laugh until I thought I'd wet myself, but he also made me cry, made me think, and then made me laugh again with performances that ranged from hilarious to deeply emotional. He always seemed so approachable, and I've long heard tales of his kindness and generosity.  He was the sweetest man, and he's gone far too soon.

Facebook is covered with remembrances of Robin at the moment, and every so often, I see something that makes me cry again.  I'll just end with this.  Christopher Reeve was another one of my favorites from the big screen, a courageous man who showed my generation that a man could fly.  He inspired me as a kid, and to this day, I have the Superman theme on my iPhone.  When Chris Reeve had his accident, this happened...

"When Christopher Reeve was in the hospital, awaiting a back surgery that had a fifty/fifty chance of killing him, a man burst into his room. He was wearing surgical scrubs, talking in a Russian accent, and said he was there to give a rectal exam. It was Robin Williams; the two men had been roommates together at Juilliard. Later Reeve said of his life-long friend:

“For the first time since the accident, I laughed. My old friend had helped me know that somehow I was going to be okay.”

That's sort of what Robin Williams did for all of us."

Godspeed, Robin.  You will be missed so very much.

JUKE is now available!!

Brian Briscoe is more a brother to me than a friend.  I've known the guy for literally as long as I can remember.  I believe we met through our parents when I was 2 and he was 4, and we've been close ever since.  I only tell you this so that you'll know why I'm thrilled to announce that his novel is finally available on Amazon!!

"Juke is the debut novel by Brian Briscoe. Set in Texas over the course of several decades, Juke follows troubled Mitch Casey and blues musician Juke Mills. Mitch finds himself on the wrong side of the tracks one night and follows the sound of music to Juke, long thought to be dead. A young man trying to make sense of his turbulent upbringing, Mitch is entranced by Juke’s tales of music and murder."

http://www.amazon.com/JUKE-Blues-Novel-Brian-Briscoe-ebook/dp/B00ML7806G

He's an amazing writer, and if you prefer something with guitars instead of swords, music instead of magick, then BUY THIS BOOK!!!

Still more info on Mage's Burden

I just got news today that our local bookstore, Katy Budget Books, has agreed to have me come in and do a new author booksigning.  I've shopped at that bookstore ever since I moved here 15 years ago, and it's been one of my favorite places to visit, so I am thrillllled!!!!  This will be an item checked off my bucket list for certain.  We're working out the details at the moment, but I hope to have a date and time scheduled within the next few days.

I don't think I've posted information on my official book Facebook page, so I figured I should get right on that.  I like the idea that I can have a page devoted to nothing but those characters, the story, and other sword and sorcery stuff that catches my eye.  I'd love for more folks to Like it...just sayin'.  Here's the link:

Fire of the Jidaan Facebook Page

A quick word about the word "Jidaan".  I made it up.  It refers to the magickal weapon that the Guardians in the story use.  I have since discovered that it may mean 'hen's egg' in Chinese, which is fine with me because it could be said that the magickal gemstones that empower the jidaan are roughly egg-shaped.  The word has another meaning in Hindi, I think, but I'm having a heck of a time figuring out what it is.  I just thought it sounded somewhat exotic and interesting.

Working on book two yesterday, I got a bit cranky at chapter 9, so I decided to ignore it for awhile and start chapter 10.  Sometimes, that works pretty well for me.  As I go along, the rest of chapter 9 will reveal itself, so there's no sense in staring at the blank page for too long.  I'm looking forward to the next battle scene, but there are some great opportunities for excitement between here and there.  I'll just keep plugging away and see what happens.  I'll keep y'all posted.

A little catching up

It's been almost a month since I've been on here, and it's been a busy one.  Since my last post, we've managed to (mostly) redo Connor's room with new paint, floor, and furniture, I've finalized and published Mage's Burden as a paperback, we've made progress on the financing for the moving of Jade Mountain, and I've even managed to paint an actual painting.  Whew!  I know there's more, but it seems like that's a lot for me.

I've really enjoyed the whole publishing process.  Now that it's up, I'm working on ways to publicize my book so that more folks can enjoy it.  Towards that end, I've hired a fabulous lady and her street team to get the word out, and although it's only been a couple of days, I'm pleased to say that they're a busy and fun bunch!  Thank you, Aileen Aroma!! 

My dear friend, Brian Briscoe is also about to publish his book, and I'm thrilled for him.  It's called "Juke", and will be available soon.  "A young musician seeks validation and guidance from an elder statesman of the blues."  Brian is a lifelong musician, and knows what he's talking about.  Believe me, I'll post about it here and on Facebook the moment it's up and running.  And Instagram.  And Twitter.  I'm just getting used to those other sites, I'm not terribly good at them yet, but working on that.  Anyway, Brian has had his book completed for a few years now, and it just lacks a formatting pass and it'll be ready to go.  It's funny, all my best friends from Angleton, Texas, where I grew up, are all writers of one sort or other.  Brian, Larry Escher, the dearly departed Jason Blankenship...all love to write.  We're all different in many ways, but that's one commonality that I really enjoy. 

Usually, I have more of a pointed message when I blog.  Today, it feels more like a big ramble, just tossing out the events of the month as they occur to me.  Oh!  I've got the 3rd part of my Krav Maga Instructor Training next month!  See?  Did it again.  Squirrel! 

Recently, Connor has begun training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with me.  Wow, it's SO much fun having him with me in class, and he'd doing a great job.  He has no idea what he's doing half the time, but that's par for the course, and he just does his best every time.  He's grown into a tall, sturdy 7th grader, only a fraction of an inch shorter than me, and it's lots of fun to wrestle with him now.  Sooner or later, he's going to start giving me real trouble in there!  I'm awfully proud of him.  He's still going to swim competitively, and I'm all for that...this is finally something that we can actually share together, though.  It makes me ridiculously happy.

In other news...well, I can't think of anything at the moment.  I'm supposed to be writing on Book 2 right now, but this blog screamed so loudly at me that I had to come on here and post something to shut it up.  It does that now and then.  Howls like a banshee until I write something.  It's awful.  Have a great day, folks!  Oh, and in case you're interested in picking up the new paperback copy of my book, here's a handy pair of links!!

Amazon:
http://amzn.to/1o9fakM

B&N:
bit.ly/1qRl2fG

Swimming, training, stuff.

Connor won the MVP award for swimming this year!!!  We are SO proud of him!  Last year, he was pretty much the best candidate for the LVP (Least Valuable Player), but WHAT a massive difference he's made this season!  He not only qualified for the Meet of Champs, he raced in 7 events.  SEVEN.  He also managed to beat his best times by several seconds in almost every single race.  One race, he bettered his time by 10 seconds, which is an eternity in swimming.  Wow, I am so proud of him, I can barely stand it!  Here's Connor pictured next to his awesome swim coach, Dana Abbott...

Swimming is over for now, but we'll have Connor back in the pool before too long.  Also, he's coming up to train in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with me at Jade Mountain...this should be fuuuuun!

Speaking of training, I'm trying something new.  Bas Rutten has an O2 Trainer that is supposed to improve your breathing and increase your stamina.  I've seen the training masks out there, but something about this one appealed to me, so I ordered it.  As an aging athlete, I want to keep working to improve, and figured something like this might help me in my constant fight against my asthma.  Admittedly, it looks a bit out of the ordinary...

The device comes with 14 different levels of difficulty, this being achieved by different caps that have gradually smaller holes in them.  To increase the difficulty, put a cap on there with a smaller hole, and it makes you breathe harder.  I'm currently on a number 4, and let me tell you, my sprints were WAY more interesting when using this thing.  In BJJ class later, I noticed that I was breathing a lot better than usual.  It's too soon to know for sure, and I've only used the thing twice, so I don't want to make overly optimistic claims for its efficacy, but the occurrence has been noted.  I'll keep using it and see how it goes.

In other news, Mage's Burden is still selling a few each day, and I'm ecstatic!!!  I'm just thrilled that folks are buying it, and I'm hoping that they enjoy it.  I'm still working on the paperback version, and my goal is to have it ready available on Amazon next week.  In the meantime, here's a link to the Kindle version...you know...in case you want to read it!  http://www.amazon.com/Mages-Burden-Book-Jidaan-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00KUKV4WS

Work on moving JMMA is continuing, and I'm optimistic.  The loan folks are looking over our application, and it's still moving along.  I've spoken to contractors and should have a handful of estimates very soon so that we'll have a better idea of what it's going to take to create our new Jade Mountain home.  Of course, I'll keep you all posted.  And by all, I mean the handful of you that actually read this thing.  ;-)

Thanks for stopping by!  Feel free to leave comments or holler at me on Facebook if you have something that you're dying to say.  Have a great day!!

My book is here! My book is here!!

That's right!!  My proofs are here!!  I'm pretty excited, as you might expect.  I've only been imagining this for over 20 years.  Now, they're in my hands and I can actually hoooooold them!!  I have only to look them over for any last errors, and then I'll authorize them for sale.  Soon, I'll have them available on Amazon.com, right alongside the Kindle version, then it'll be back to work on Book 2, Gart's Road.  I've been working on various aspects of GR for some time now, and things are getting clearer and clearer as I go, so I think it'll come a lot faster than MB did.  More characters are introducing themselves and I'm seeing their stories unfold.

I wish I could hurry the process, but I really can't.  I have trouble writing on a schedule, though I realize that this is most likely due to a lack of training in that regard.  As it is right now, I have to wait until I 'see' a scene before I can write it.  It's almost like having a faulty TV that works on occasion.  When it works, I write down what I see.  When it doesn't, I have to go find something else to do.  The good news is that I'm seeing more and more lately, and that means there's more writing on the horizon.

One day, I'll have the entire story written and published.  I'm really looking forward to that...these characters and scenes have been rattling around in my noggin for quite awhile, and they...want...OUT.

Mage's Burden for Kindle...you know you want it!

Adventures in Publishing

Since I published Mage's Burden on June 7th, I've had a blast following the sales and trying to publicize it.  I created a Facebook page for the series, and I've posted blurbs and links on a handful of e-book sites.  I've gotten 3 five-star reviews on Amazon so far, and that really got me excited!  My goal has always just been to have folks enjoy the story, and it seems that it's holding up so far.  I know there are folks out there who would hate it, but hey, you can't please everyone.

I've written up my first author's interview here!  I admit, I had fun doing that.  This story has been rolling around in my head for 20 years, and I love talking about it.

Paperback proofs are in the mail, and I'm looking forward to actually holding a real paperback copy of my book in my hands at last.  I'm sure it's going to be an amazing feeling!

Lots of things going on, especially with Jade Mountain.  It's all good stuff, but I'm hearing the shower and bed call my name right about now, so I think it's time to hit the hay. 

Creeeeepy movies, writing, and other things.

I have the house to myself for a change, and when this happens, I occasionally enjoy a good creepy movie.  Oh, I've loved horror books and films since I was a kid, though my tastes have evolved over the years.  Although I can still watch some of the old slasher film classics (Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street), I don't go in for body count movies anymore.  Creepy ghosts and demons, though?  I'm all over that stuff.  Watching well-done scary movies like that fire up my imagination and make me want to write!  I'm currently watching The Conjuring, and loving it...SUPER creepy without a lot of blood, gore, or teenagers being slashed left and right.

I may try my hand at writing some creepy stories here and there.  I do have one started that is specifically a ghost story, but when writing it, it feels more like a thriller than a scary one, even though there are ghosts in it.  No, when I watch stuff like this movie, it makes me want to write something reeeeeally scary!  It might be fun, even just as an exercise.  It might stink, of course, but it might not.

I do have several stories on my laptop at the moment, most of which I started years ago.  I go back and read them every so often to see if anything shows up on my internal movie screen that makes me want to dig back into them again.  The ghost story was started long enough ago that I'll have to totally rework it to make it more modern.  Cellphones weren't nearly as omnipresent back then as they are now, for instance.

Let's see...I have a werewolf story.  There's a story on witch hunters back in the Salem days, but it's more of a Hugh Jackman-Van Helsing kind of thing, and the witches are the good guys.  The aforementioned ghost story has the most potential, I think.  I have something I call the GrimFaerie tale.  I have another fantasy story about a young man who leaves an Academy of Mages because he feels that there's something out there beyond the intricate gestures and long-winded, strictly-pronounced incantations that are necessary to perform magick in that world.  That one's fun, I used to tell Connor bits of it as bedtime stories. 

Yes, I'm aware that most (if not all) of the things I write have supernatural or fantasy elements in them.  Well, I like that stuff, so that's what I'm going to write.  I just can't see myself writing a plain old dramatic story with no swords, monsters, dragons, ghosts, demons, or other such things.  Writing is a hobby for me, and hobbies are supposed to be fun!

It's getting late, and I'll be turning in soon.  I'm usually up much later, but I rolled with some pretty strong folks in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class today, and the bed is sounding mighty wonderful right about now.  Just in case you might have missed it, and are just DYING to read my book, here's where you can get it. 

Mage's Burden...c'mon, you know you want to check it out.

Happy Father's Day!

It's Father's Day!!  For me, that means that Christina feeds me a ton of my favorite foods, I get to watch whatever I want, and Connor says, "I love you Dad!"  It's a pretty good day, overall.  Granted, I'm going to pay for eating all this tomorrow, but I'm toootally ok with that.  There's a chocolate trifle on the way that would choke a rhino, but since I'm a highly skilled chocolate eater, I'm pretty sure I can handle it.


Lately, I've been missing my own father quite a bit.  He always set a great example.  Even now, I still do my best to live life in a way that I hope would make him proud.  The man didn't have an ounce of quit in him, and showed me the meaning of true strength every day.  He was a go-kart racer, bowler, pool player, mechanic, water skier, gardener, softball and tennis player, ultralight pilot, handyman, and a Marine.  He said what he thought, and was far funnier than he ever knew.  He faced many troubles in his lifetime, and he just waded through them all with quiet tenacity.  Losing a hand only slowed him down for a while, and then he went right about his business, doing everything he had always done as though it was the most normal thing in the world to do it all with one hand.

There are lots of things going on right now that I'd love to discuss with him, but alas, the conversations are pretty one-sided.  I do still feel his presence, though.  His voice comes unbidden to my mind often, as does his laugh, and the lessons that he taught me over the years.

I often wonder how my son will remember me in years to come.  I'm firm with him, but we also love to wrestle and laugh together.  We talk far more openly than my Dad and I ever did, and I'm extremely glad of that.  Some of our discussions are absolutely hilarious, though I often can't let him know just how much I'm desperately trying to be serious.  My father showed his love through all of the things he did every day, though he never voiced it.  I've chosen to be far more vocal with Connor, telling him every single day that I love him and that I'm proud of him, even when he's in deep trouble.  I support him doing things that are totally different from my own interests in the hopes that he finds and follows his own passions.  He's only twelve years old, but he's as tall as me.  More and more often, I catch glimpses of the man he will become, and it makes my heart swell with pride and love.  I look forward to seeing him grow up, even as I lament the child that is slowly being left behind. 

One day, maybe he'll be blogging about me.  Hopefully, I can give him some good material.  Whether you're a father or not, I send you wishes for a happy day today!

Thrilled...just thrilled!

It's only been a few days since my book was published online, and I'm trying not to bother everyone in the world about it.  I'm failing miserably at that, I think.  There are SO many things I need to be doing, and although I'm actually getting them done, I just want to run around town and tell people that they should read my book!  I mean seriously, I've been wanting to publish a book for over 20 years!  I'm EXCITED!!

Of course, I want folks to like it, but I realize that many won't.  Some folks don't even read that kind of book in the first place!  "I stick with hard-boiled detective thrillers, man, none of that mystical swords and sorcery crap for me."  I get it.  But even so, I hope that it's generally well-received out there in the world.  In case you want to see what all my fuss is about, the book is here!  I'll be working on the second book in the series now, and with renewed enthusiasm, and I'll do my best to get it up and running as soon as possible!

With that, it's back to the paperwork here before classes start.  Lots of things checked off the To-Do List today, but there are still quite a few left to be handled, so away we go!

It's published! It's published!!!

Over the last few weeks, I decided that it was time to just bite the bullet and get Book 1 published.  There it was, just sitting on my laptop, doing nothing at all but waiting.  If I got hit by a bus, then that's where it would stay, and that thought didn't sit well with me.  It's not that I think my writing is that amazing, it's just that I think that some folks might really enjoy it.  Lots of people love fantasy-sword and sorcery tales, and I think mine is decent.  With that in mind, I started working seriously towards publication.

Amazon.com is my go-to for buying books, and their Kindle Publishing division is extremely author-friendly, so I decided to start there.  I've seen some really good books on that site as well as some stuff that wasn't nearly as...um...polished.  I figure that mine falls somewhere between the two, so I read their publishing guidelines, watched YouTube videos on Kindle formatting, even had one guy format it for me.  That didn't turn out so well, but it was due to my own original formatting being incorrect.  I set about fixing that as quickly as possible, but geez, that process made me itch. In the end, I finally figured it out, so the next one will be far easier.


I knew that I wanted a quality book cover, so I asked around and several folks agreed to give it a try.  Unfortunately, nothing suitable turned up, so I found a fellow on the internet and commissioned one from him.  WOW!!!  I sent that image to another guy who made it into a book cover that knocked my socks off.  I admit, I got all teary-eyed when I first saw it.  It has been my dream to publish a book since I was old enough to know what books were, and there on my laptop was the cover of a fantasy novel with my name on it! 

Finally, I was ready to get it listed on Amazon.  I followed the directions on the website, uploaded the file, previewed it, made some corrections and uploaded it again, and then a third time.  It was after 1am last night when everything finally looked right to me and I clicked 'Save'.

This morning, I awoke to an email that had arrived at 6:27am, alerting me to the fact that my book was LIVE!  And so there it is.  I now have a book that's listed on the largest book retailer in the world!  As of this writing, 10 folks have purchased my book.  That's pretty darned exciting, and I'm grateful to those of my friends who've bought it.  I know they're doing it because they're my friends, and it means a lot, even if they never read it. 

While contemplating the whole publishing process, I've had plenty of time to prepare myself.  I think there will be lots of folks who say nice things about the story, but I'm equally certain that there are also folks out there who think nothing of totally trashing someone else's work by giving them a 1 star rating and a scathing review.  I get that.  I figure that their opinion is their opinion, and they are entitled to it.  At least they had to buy the book before they could say anything about it!

There is a lot going on at the moment...we're in the process of acquiring a new home for JMMA, which involves applying for an SBA loan, which involves a TON of paperwork.  Between that, running the school, training, and family time, there doesn't seem to be much opportunity to sit and work on Book 2, but I've got a running start and I've found that even short stints of writing can eventually lead to some good work.  I'll get it finished eventually, and then Book 3 will be next.  One word at a time, I'll get the story out there.

Burpees and Tough Mudder!

The last two weekends were pretty busy.  On Sunday, April 27th, we held a fundraiser at Jade Mountain Martial Arts, and were really excited that it raised $2020 that we've put aside for moving expenses.  Moving Mountains with Burpees, we called it!  Each burpee (done by myself, of course) cost $1.  Yes, that means that I did over two thousand burpees that day.  Fortunately, I've done this before, and was able to use what I learned last time to make this time around much easier.  Well, that is, as easy as that many burpees in one day can be.

I started at 10am or so this time, and stayed with a simple, steady pattern of 5 burpees, and rest...5 burpees, and rest.  At that rate, it took me 7 hours and 18 minutes.  To be honest, I felt pretty good afterwards.  Last time, I only did 1641 burpees, and I was a WRECK.  I wasn't right for days, and was thoroughly exhausted when I was done.  This time was completely different!  Granted, it helped a ton that one of our assistants was kind enough to have a monster-sized burrito waiting on my desk when it was all said and done, but I wasn't completely trashed.  I went home, ate, took a shower, and dozed for a couple of hours.  When I woke, I felt groovy enough to do dishes and laundry and basically have an ordinary Sunday night.  Ok, yes, I was pretty low on energy for the next few days, and more than a little slow, but I was thrilled with how I felt!

It it was definitely worth it.  The donations were great, but the biggest thing I'll remember is how the students supported our effort.  Zuzu posted a good luck video all the way from London, and so many others stopped by, stayed awhile, cheered, sent money in, and generally supported what we were doing.  Folks were all over Facebook wishing us well.  It was really wonderful, and I get a bit choked up thinking about it.  Our students are a big family, and they mean the world to me. 

The next weekend was even more fun!  It was the Tough Mudder in Rockdale, TX!  I had managed to find the one hotel in about 100 square miles that had rooms available.  Cheap, clean, a bit worn, but perfectly located for our little team.  We all checked in with no trouble and then had dinner at the onsite Italian restaurant.  I think I ate my own weight in lasagna that night.  Hanging out with the crew was really great.  Jorge, Veronica, and Greg were TM newbies, while Kathryn, Leaha, and myself have been muddy before, so we talked about what to expect and the different kinds of hilarity we'd encountered in previous events.  And there was a lot of laughing. 

The next day, we all had breakfast tacos at a tiny place less than a block from the hotel.  Afterwards, we headed out of town, following a handful of Tough Mudder signs.  I remember thinking that there were not nearly enough cars on the road for me to be going in the right direction, but my the little blue dot on my phone appeared to be in the right place, so I continued onward.  I rode over the country roads, following the directions carefully, and saw a few more signs that implied I was on the right track.  Suddenly, I turned a corner next to a giant wheat field and BAM.  Cars everywhere on one side of the road and the obvious entrance to the facility on the other.  There were a few folks directing traffic and everything was quite orderly.  This was the easiest time I've ever had parking for a Mudder (yes, I did pay the extra $10 for Preferred Parking), and I was in my spot in just a few minutes.  Granted, it was about a mile away from the entrance, but what's another mile when you're about to do at least 10?  It was an easy walk to the front gate, with a pretty wheat field off to one side...I really loved how the wheat stalks flowed like water at every breeze.  I could hear the quiet but excited chatter of other Mudders as we all followed the road to get to the entrance, and it wasn't long before the rest of our team found their way in as well.  For those of us who had run before, we got new headbands to show how many we'd completed.  I was a bit bummed that mine was blue, while the 2x-ers got the cool green ones, but you can't have everything.  The sky was bright and clear, the weather was warm without being hot at all, and everything at check-in was quick and well-organized.  Awesome.

This event had to be the easiest and most pleasant TM we've had thus far.  Oh, the obstacles were still somewhat difficult here and there, but overall it just seemed...easier.  And it was FUN.  A leisurely 10 mile stroll through forest, river, wheat field, and mud.  Some of the obstacles had been modified slightly to make them just a tiny bit safer, which made them easier.  Balls to the Wall now had a ladder built into the back side, making it far easier to dismount.  The Cliffhanger was nothing more than a net laid onto the muddy slope on the bank of the river.  I nearly walked up that one.  Usually, that cargo net is a 15 foot vertical climb that takes some nerve and skill, but not so this time.  The mud obstacles, however, were a wonderful mess, almost totally impassable unless you got a helping hand (or foot or something) from a fellow Mudder.  At one point, I actually lost my grip and slid rather ignobly down the final slope on my butt.  Upside down.  At least I did it with style, I suppose.


My favorite obstacle is always the Arctic Enema, which for our Canadians is just a pleasant dip in the pool.  For me, it's a moment that puts me instantly at one with the entire universe.  A dumpster full of ice water will generally do that to you...I was AWAKE.  We navigated the other obstacles fairly well and only skipped one.  The new Pyramid Scheme had a giant crowd waiting in line and just looked like it was far too much effort for not a lot of fun, so we quickly voted to go around that one.  Otherwise, we just ambled along, having a fabulous time.  I must add that I completed the Funky Monkey again, although it was much easier because the rungs didn't move this time.  Sweeeeet.

When we finished, we still had time to get cleaned up, enjoy the festivities, rest in the shade of a giant tree and just take in the day.  I felt like I could easily have done the whole course again!  Relaxing there afterwards was really fun, talking about various funny moments on the trail.  We gathered up everything and made our way back to the hotel for a thorough scrub down.  My tub was a mess afterwards, but I was feeling fabulous!  Dinner was in a smoky steakhouse, and then I laid down to watch some fights on tv and passed right on out.  Although I felt great, my body apparently had decided that being horizontal after 10 miles of slogging along in the mud and other stuff was the signal to sleeeeep.

We've got another little Mud Run coming up at the end of May.  It's a cute little thing, only 3.5 miles, certainly not the length of the Tough Mudder.  It's a great way to get folks involved, though, and give them a good idea of what the TM is like.  I'm looking forward to it!

By the way, pics of the Tough Mudder are up on my Facebook page.  Whit's Facebook Page Feel free to enjoy the pics, I hope they bring a smile.  Be careful, though...you might just find yourself wanting to come with us next time!