Hello, 2019!

Wow, I'm so glad to see 2019! In all honesty, 2017 was a really rough year. 2018 was a lot better, but still held its share of challenges (mostly left over from 2017). Now it's finally 2019, and things have settled into a different, but more manageable groove. The good thing about challenges is that they change you. When you endure challenging times, they often give you capabilities far beyond what you had before. I had to learn an awful lot to get through the past couple of years, and although I wouldn't have chosen some of those particular challenges, I can now be grateful for the new skills I developed as a result. Growth is uncomfortable, yes, but if you place any priority on self-improvement, you have to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. It's definitely a process. Now, I look forward to taking the skills I've learned and moving forward!

This year, I 've got quite a few goals in mind. You see, New Year's Resolutions have never worked for me. By nature, they are built to fail. The first time you 'break' a resolution, it's easy to throw up your hands and say, "Well, now I've done it. I screwed up. Now I'll just go back to the usual." A dear friend told me about his own, alternative process for approaching a new year, and it really resonated with me, so I adopted it.  You're not asking for my advice, but this has been rolling around in my head lately, so I figure I'll throw it out there anyway. Instead of making resolutions, try this instead...

1. List ALL the stuff you accomplished last year. Pat yourself on the back, you deserve it. Got a new job? List that. Completed a project? That too. Ran your first 5K? or 1K? Woo hooo! Anything that you did during the last year that gave you a sense of triumph and accomplishment, put that down. It can be big or small, just write it! Chances are that you'll be surprised, pleased, and motivated when your list is done.

2. Make some GOALS for this year. Not resolutions. Want to make more money? Put down a specific number. Trying to lose weight? Do the same. Don't be vague, put down something specific that you can shoot for. Think about all the areas of your life, too, don't let it only be about money or fitness. Want to start a new career? That's a good one! Think about what you truly want to accomplish this year.

3. Here's the step folks often leave out, and it's the reason for their defeat: Make a plan of action for each goal. Think about what you're trying to do, figure out how you're going to do it, and write down those steps. Make it realistic and achievable, something you can really see yourself doing on a consistent basis. Create a roadmap for your upcoming year.

4. Get started! You've got the goal, you've got the plan, now all you have to do is just follow the steps you made for yourself! When you stumble, just get back up and keep going. If your plan doesn't work, adjust the plan. You haven't failed..you've corrected your course! And slow progress is still progress, so as long as you're working consistently towards your goals, you'll see movement along the way. Just keep going.

I hate for people to hit this time of year with big ambitions only to feel crushed and defeated by the end of the first month or two. It doesn't have to be that way! Try this method and see if it works for you. Make this year your best one ever! You can do it...I believe in you. So get to work!

As for me, I'm working on an urban fantasy story that I started a long time ago. I let it sit for a few years, worked on it during Nanowrimo back in 2016, and then let it sit again. When I hit a snag in my latest fantasy story I decided to take another look at it, and now I'm finally closing in on its ending. I'm always too optimistic when I say things like 'I'll have it done by the end of December!'. As you can see, it's January, and it's not finished yet...but it's getting there. I'm having fun with it, and I hope you will too. I'll keep you posted.

Have a great year, folks. Make it your best ever.

#goals #motivation #newyearsresolutions #happynewyear #youcandoit #goalsetting

Make Your Own Zone

In our SWEAT class, we did a barbell workout comprised of 5 rounds of 12 deadlifts, 9 power cleans, and 6 push presses. After the main workout, we always do what we call a JFF or 'Just For Fun' where we might do 100 sit-ups or maybe run 400m or something, just to finish things off. Today, I had the class run 1200m as their JFF, and they ran it as they always do, with only a minimal amount of humorous complaining. They're a tough bunch, our SWEAT ladies, and I can always count on them to inspire me.

I seldom work out with the class, preferring to spend that time coaching them instead, then I do my workout alone after they leave. Often, depending on my goals, I might do a completely different workout, but today, I chose to do the same workout as the class. It was a stinker, and although not my best performance, I felt pretty solid throughout. Decent. When the time came for me to do the JFF, I decided to challenge myself by carrying a 20 pound medicine ball on my shoulders for part of the run. I wasn't sure how far I would get, but figured it might be fun to do, regardless.

For those of you who have never done such a thing, I'll tell you right now, that it can be a challenge. At least, it was for me. I switched the medicine ball from shoulder to shoulder about every 15 yards or so, and focused on continuous movement. I didn't want to stop, but whew...it was rough. I managed one lap before fatigue won out and I dropped off the ball so I could continue the other two laps.

After the barbell workout and the medicine ball run, I was feeling it. I was tired, and my feet were shuffling as I ran. I had barely started on that part of the run and I found myself thinking that I probably wouldn't make it. Bleh. Just...bleh. I felt unmotivated and slow, and started working my way down a mental spiral that might have had me quit at any moment.

"Man, I wish I was in The Zone." The thought popped into my mind unbidden. The Zone. That state of being where all of your cylinders are firing, your body feels strong and quick, and your mind is ready for anything. It's an awesome place, The Zone, and great things happen there. And boy, I certainly felt myself to be in the place that was farthest from it at that moment. Bleh. A half a mile seemed like a cross-country trek.

Hot on the heels of that thought and its rather depressing follow-up, I realized something important. The Zone is simply a state of mind. It doesn't exist anywhere else. What happens to the body when you're there is simply the result of what your mind is telling it to do. No one can show you where that Zone is, it's created by you, for you, as a result of your mind and body working together. It's all yours. It's YOUR Zone. And consequently, maybe I could create it myself. "Yeah," I thought. "I need to make my own Zone instead of all this whining and crying that's going on in between my ears right now."

Those words were almost like magic. Make your own Zone. I started chanting that phrase to myself as I ran. My breathing smoothed out. My pace increased. All the nonsense that had been in my head just floated away. The remainder of that short run flew by, and I felt a thousand times better.

The most powerful tool we have is the mind. I've made a lot of progress in using mine better, but I know I have a long way to go. I do know that, if I keep exercising my will and my mind, if I keep training it to be positive and determined, then I'll make more progress in every area of my life.

And you can too. Find your Zone. Make it yourself. And see what great things you can accomplish.

#motivation #inspiration #thezone #findyourzone #positiveattitude #determination  #workforyourgoals #makeithappen #martialartsisfun #selfconfidence #getoffthecouch #jmmasweat #crossfit #jmmakungfu #jmmabjj #katybjj #katytexas #oldkaty #jademountainmartialarts #brazilianjiujitsu #ptbjj #katykungfu #bjj #nottrainingisnotanoption #selfdefense #kungfu #kravmaga #martialarts #katymartialarts #kickboxing #judo #burpees #getinshapeforlife #chinesemartialarts #bullyproof #attitudeiseverything #puttinginthework #believeinyourself #youvegotthis #dontgiveup #kickthatstress

Spooky updates!

Ok, I don't really have spooky updates, but it is October, so I had to put some Halloween in here somewhere!

The Forge Born Duology is now available on Amazon! Woo hoo! I really enjoyed writing that story! The actual writing did not really take that much longer than any other book of mine, but all of the other stuff that comes along with publication took much longer than expected, so I'm glad to finally have the whole project done. You can pick up the books here:

Another project that is in the works is the audiobook version of Mage's Burden! I'm working with Gene RowleyVoicover to get this story into your ears as soon as possible, and I'm thrilled with everything I've heard so far. I have several friends who've said they'd love to read my book, but they only do audio these days, so I'm happy to be closer to seeing it 'on the shelves'. My original goal was to have it done by the end of the year, but it may well be completed much sooner than that. I'll keep you posted!

And my third bit of news is that I'm already working on another story! This one is a prequel, set long before the original trilogy, and I'm having a ton of fun with it already. I'm shooting for a single book rather than a series this time, and I hope that everyone enjoys it as much as I am.  Fans of my current books might get a bit of a shock when they read the first chapter. 😉

Everything else is rolling along here. October is always a fun and busy month, and although I'm busier than a one-armed paper hanger, I love it. Jade Mountain Martial Arts keeps me impressively busy, and I just announced at a pro wrestling event last night, dressed as a pirate, no less. We'll be heading to the Texas Renaissance Festival for a wedding soon...I might dress as a Highlander, kilt and all. Or maybe a Jedi. I'll have to think about it. In the meantime, back to writing! 

New Books On The Way

I've been saying it for a while, but I mean it. Almost there. I'm doing the read-aloud edit on my latest story that will be two books. It's possible that I can get it out by the end of June. It's been a busy year thus far, and I haven't been able to allocate as much time to my writing as I'd like, so I appreciate y'all's patience!

This story follows a few of the characters from the Fire of the Jidaan Trilogy. They're older now, but I think you'll still recognize them. ;-) 

An aging warrior, once a wiry young man whose skills in combat had become legendary, now spends his days behind a desk.  However, those who test him discover that he's not over the hill just yet.

An elderly former thief, finding peace in the simple life after a devastating war, still feels the power of his magick running through him, a reminder of what he once was.

Married and settled, another former fighter has set up shop in an inn, running a mercenary contracting service. Life is good, but she longs for the sounds of combat and the feel of weapons in her hands.

A young woman, a human adopted by the wise Weya and trained in the ways of the bow and the skills of a Ranger, constantly trying to prove herself among her fellows. The magick within her is growing, yet she struggles to keep the power hidden.

Out of the blue, all are struck by a powerful vision, an intense experience that sends them all on the path toward a confrontation with the most powerful Mage in the Realm. Gart was once a Guardian, but he has become obsessed with a forbidden rite that could reunite him with his love, or destroy the world. Evil forces stand in his way, but then, so do his old friends. Can they help him see his own folly? Or will Gart unleash an overwhelming power on an unsuspecting world?

Read The Forge Born Duology to find out! Coming soon!

Progress! Coming soon! New Books!

Hey, folks! Just a quick update here. The new tale of the Guardians, set a little over 20 years after the events of the Fire of the Jidaan Trilogy, is now going through the editing process! I'm hoping to have it published in early to mid-March. This one has taken me longer than I expected, but life can get in the way on occasion. I thoroughly enjoyed writing this one, though, and I think it's my best so far. Early reviews are quite positive, so it's got that going for it.

I tend to update my other blog more often, and you can find it here:

http://www.jidaan.com/blog

2017 was...well...it was quite a year. Hurricane Harvey rolled through southeast Texas, flooding pretty much everything. Fortunately, our home and Jade Mountain were both spared, though tough times were had by everyone as a result of the flooding. Then, on Sept 30, my wife, Christina, was hit by a suburban in a parking lot in NY state. Score: SUV-1, Christina - 0. Although the damage to her leg was extensive, she was spared any further injury, so we count ourselves lucky in that regard. She only just returned home. She's still learning to walk again, but pushing herself hard every day and making great progress.

2018 looks MUCH better. Granted, after 2017, the bar is set pretty low, but hey, I'm happy that things are looking up! I'm planning to put out 4 books this year, and getting pretty close to the first 2 of those. The third, a new workout book, is very close to publication and might even beat the new fantasy to the shelves. After that, I have an urban fantasy I've been working on, so keep your eyes peeled for that one later in the year.  I'm still announcing at the DZW Pro Wrestling events and having tons of fun doing it, lacrosse season is finally here and I'm loving that too. What can I say? I love the game! And finally, JMMA is rolling along, picking up new students, and the current students are doing wonderfully. Life is good (certainly better than 2017).

There you have it: a short update. If you want to keep up with me more closely, just touch base with me on Facebook; I'm there a lot. Ok, I'm probably there more than I should be, but at least I'm easy to find.

Whit's Facebook Page
Whit's FB Author Page

Touching Base

Hey, folks!  Summer is here, and oh, how I love the heat!  I know that's not something you often hear, but I always remember spending time with my father outdoors all summer, and so being outside in the Texas heat just makes me happy these days.

News:  I've been approved to set up a table at Houston area Krogers locations to sell my books!  I'm very much looking forward to meeting new people and hopefully creating a few new fans in the process.  I'll be sure to post the dates and locations as I get them, so come on out and see me!

WIP is rolling along quite well, though I'm a much slower writer than I'd like.  Currently, I'm at 54,000 words, but the story is moving along nicely.  Warrior priestess riding on a giant spider?  Check!  Aging heroes pressed into service?  Check!  Thrills, chills, and excitement?  Checkity-check!  At least, that's what I'm going for.  ;-)

That's about it for now.  As always, I love to hear from readers, whether you're fans of my books, a fellow writer, or martial arts enthusiast, feel free to drop me a note.  Have a great week!

New Jidaan Book, Werewolf, and some Pro Wrestling

Well, it has been months since I've written, so I figure I'll post a brief update.  When last I posted here, I was working on a new urban fantasy called GrimFaerie, but I'm sad to say that the story has stalled.  As my son once said when he was only 4 years old, "Sometimes...that happens."

Thankfully, another story started pushing its way out of my brain, and I decided to go with it.  GrimFaerie will still be there when I'm ready to approach it again, and the scenes I was seeing were clamoring to be written, so I put GF aside and wrote just one scene.  That scene turned into a chapter, which was followed by another and yet another.  And now, I'm in familiar territory and having a blast writing a new book in the Jidaan series.

Set two decades after the events in the first trilogy, you'll find some old friends and make some new ones.  I'm loving it so far, and I hope y'all will too.  Here's an excerpt from the rough draft:

WIP - Current Title: "Reyanna's Destiny"

Through the red haze of agony, Reyanna saw a man. He was of midling height, lean and strong, not old but not young, wearing a battered old brown hat and a traveling cloak. Wind played with the folds of his cloak, whipping it about. He had something long strapped to his back, its wooden handle jutting over his right shoulder, a small leather bag tied on the end as though to cover it.

Odd, she thought absently, the pain in her head keeping her from examining it more thoroughly.

The stranger was standing on a grassy rise that overlooked a meadow. In the distance, Reyanna could see the stark bluffs and steep crags of an ancient mountain range. The man’s face was hidden in the shadows of the hat’s brim, but when he turned to look past her, his eyes caught the light, and they blazed a sapphire blue. She had seen those eyes before. But where? Through the pain in her head, she could not focus, could not think. She dimly realized that she was on her hands and knees in the grass, but that seemed less substantial than the vision in which she was immersed.

She heard a terrifying howl, an animal, and finally she saw a massive beast top the rise to stand next to the man in her vision. It was a mastiff, but bigger than any she had ever seen. Its muscular body was covered with scars, its face pulled into a permanent snarl that only widened as the dog barked and howled at something that approached. Reyann felt a rumbling deep in her bones, and saw the two figures stumble as they fought to keep their balance. The dog barked louder as the man’s eyes were drawn upward. An enormous shadow crawled over them as something blocked out the sun. Something approached. Something big. The intensifying wind ripped off the man’s hat, leaving it to dangle behind him by a thin leather thong that encircled his throat, and Reyann saw his shock of bright blond hair buffeted by the wind. The vicious scar tissue that covered the right side of his face was clearly visible, and the shock of recognition hit her again, followed by confusion. She knew him, but did not.

In her minds eye, the vision continued, and the man’s face took on a ferocious, determined glare. Whatever was coming, it was evil and he would fight it. In one smooth motion, he reached over his shoulder and pulled the unknown weapon from his back, revealing a long-bladed spear that gleamed in spite of the looming shadows. Reyanna felt the man’s power rise as he brought the weapon into a fighting stance, and saw the leather bag suddenly disintegrate as the emerald beneath it blazed brightly to life, burning the covering away. He bellowed in defiance as the huge dog beside him howled its own fury into the wind at the oncoming threat.

And just as suddenly as it had come upon her, the vision ended, leaving her slumped facefirst in the grass, her lungs heaving in relief.  -  Copyright Whit McClendon 2017

There's a werewolf in it.  And other stuff.  I'll keep you posted.

In other news, I've become the announcer for our local pro wrestling promotion, Domination Zone Wrestling, Inc.  Loving every minute of it!  Although it's not something I ever planned to do (I kind of fell into it.  Well, volunteered to be choke-slammed into it.) I'm having a total blast.  Local shows are just a few minutes from my house and my son loves going and cheering the wrestlers until he's hoarse.  Definitely Father-Son bonding time at its finest.

 

It's Easter today, and I'm going to get back to my annual watching of Ben Hur.  The official McClendon family tradition is that I watch it on Easter, eating chocolate cake, in my underwear.  Hey, it's just how we roll.  Happy Easter, folks, and I hope you have a great day! 

A New Book: Short Workouts for Beginners!

Hey, folks!  Honestly, I need to write here much more often.  So much is going on that I should write about, but I don't write about it because so much is going on!  Sheesh!  The holidays are upon us, so there's all of that rigamarole to be dealt with, plus all the usual day-to-day of running a martial arts school, plus writing as much as possible...yes, it's crazy busy up in here.

In November, I participated in NaNoWriMo for the first time, and although I didn't reach the goal of 50,000 words by the end of the month, I did manage to get around 32K words into a new fantasy, GrimFaerie.  It's an Urban Fantasy set here in the Houston area.  I'm having a lot of fun with it, though I decided to put it aside here for the last couple of weeks and work on something else.  What is that project, you ask?  It's a new book!!  Short Workouts for Beginners: Get Healthier and Stronger at Home (Book 1 of the Jade Mountain Workout Series).  It's available for Kindle right now at only $2.99 or FREE on Kindle Unlimited, and the paperback version will be out right after Christmas (just in time for the new year)!

​SMXLL

I've worked with adults for 13 years, teaching them how to exercise safely and properly, create a doable workout routine, and improve their health.  Although I'm a martial arts instructor, this is not a martial arts book; it's geared for beginners who need a place to start and need a clear plan they can follow at home.  In it, I demonstrate some basic exercises (links to videos included) and outline some simple workouts that have worked for my students over the years.    Click HERE to check it out on Amazon!

Now that I've got that out of the way, I can get back to GrimFaerie...or maybe a book on Kettlebell Training, I'm still deciding.  ;-)  In any event, here's a blurb and a teaser for GrimFaerie:

"Not all of the Faerie are sweet little Pixies.  There are a few who do the dirty work on the side of the Light, those of fang and claw and abilities far beyond those of the mere mortals they walk alongside.  They are known as GrimFaeries.  If you are evil enough to try to tip the balance towards the Dark side, you might just get a visit from one.  And they won't be leaving a coin under your pillow."

GrimFaerie

Chapter 1

“Great power brings great responsibility.” That’s a little something that I read from a character called Spider-Man some years ago. It seems that every so often, somebody remembers something obvious and puts it in print for everyone to ooh and ah over. As for me, I’d known this little fact of life for a particularly long time, and my belief in its truth often had me skulking through the darkest, most dangerous parts of the city in the wee hours of the morning, usually in search of a very evil son of a bitch.

This time was no different. It had been brought to my attention that another killer was loose in our city, and it was time for me to do something about it. Oh, I can hear you now, “But there are killings all the time!”

Well, you are right. People die or get killed quite often around here. People kill each other right and left, and I don’t lift a finger. Innocents are murdered for their sneakers, and street thugs kill each other by the dozens. People die of neglect, disease, car wrecks, and though I admit that it occasionally pains me to hear of such things, I don’t walk the streets at night in an attempt to avert those deaths.

But this particular killer was different. These recent deaths were the work of a single man, one very sick, twisted, and evil individual who brutalized and murdered young women. Now THIS I can do something about. And I would be only too glad to take care of the bastard. Sometimes, humans need a few bad genes removed from the old pool. That’s what I do sometimes. My unique talents assist me pretty well in such removals.

Hearing all this, some might ask if I think I’m God. ‘What right do you have to choose who dies and who lives? What makes you so special?’ Well, I certainly do not think of myself as God, though I have a lot of his/her power within me. And I actually have far more right to kill than psychos like this one, considering the evil nature of my targets. What goes around comes around. That’s a universal law, baby. Most folks would just depend on fate to take care of such karmic debts. Well, just who do you think that ‘fate’ calls on to tend to business? I’m a bit special, you could say.

I am of the Faerie, and though I usually look, walk, talk, and even occasionally think like a man, I am actually far from being human. And don’t ever mistake me for one of those cute little winged pixies that flit about and sprinkle shiny dust all over the place. I’m just not that kind of Faerie.

I’m the kind that had your ancestors bolting their doors and cowering in their homes at night. I’m the kind that caused unwary travelers to disappear in the deepest of our forests without a trace. Seeing me at work is usually enough to send people to years of therapy, and I’ve heard that their nightmares never go away.....

Red River Radio Presents....me!

The radio show is today! I'll be talking about my books with the amazing Dellani Oakes at 3pm Texas time. Right after me, my lifelong friend Brian D. Briscoe will be talking about his own books, "Juke," and "The Conflict Etiquette Handbook," and then author, Gary D Henry, who's written a ton of stuff. It's always fun, and you can ask questions on the chat function while we jabber away! 

I'll be reading from my latest release, A Mage Awakens: Book 3 of the Jidaan Trilogy.  Brian is supposed to as well, but he went and got laryngitis, so keep your fingers crossed that he'll not sound like a stepped-on frog this afternoon.

Just click the link below and you'll go to the proper page. 

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/rrradio/2016/11/23/red-river-radio-presents-whats-write-for-me-with-brian-gary-and-whit

Book 3!! Radio Show!! Woo Hooo!

Wow, so much is going on!!  It's been so long since I've posted here, and so much has happened, I don't know that I can effectively summarize it all.  I'll try and cover a few major points, and that will have to do.

Book 3, A Mage Awakens, is finally ready.  Like seriously ready.  It could drop at any moment (though I'm thinking next Monday).  This book took the least time to write of any of the three in the series, but still took longer than Book 2, Gart's Road, because I had a lot of trouble deciding on the cover scene.  I'm pretty happy with the story, though.  I hope my readers enjoy it!

I'll keep everyone posted.  See me on Facebook or you can check out my website. for the final details on the release of A Mage Awakens: Book 3 of the Fire of the Jidaan Trilogy. 

Also, I'll be on Red River Radio next week, on Wednesday, November 23rd!  Here's the info:

Red River Radio What’s Write for Me with Dellani Oakes Presents, Whit McClendon, author of “The Fire of the Jidaan Trilogy” Join us for a fun filled afternoon starting at 3 PM/CT.  Whit will be on from 3:00p to 3:40p. Brian Briscoe, author of “The Conflict Etiquette Handbook” The Art of Behaving Well in the Midst of Conflict will be on from 3:40p to 4:20p.  And Gary D. Henry, author of "In the Manor of Heather Black", "Falling Waters", "Witchwoods" and many more will be on from 4:20p to 5:00p.  As always, dust off your speakers, kick back with your favorite beverage and enjoy the show!  Have a great day!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/rrradio/2016/11/23/red-river-radio-presents-whats-write-for-me-with-brian-gary-and-whit

I'll be reading from Book 3, and I'll be available on the RRR chat box during the show as well.  Stop on by!

Sock Hop

I just dropped my son, Connor, off at his new high school for a Sock Hop.  He's dressed up in as close to a 50's outfit as we could come up with, and thankfully, guys didn't have to be quite so decked out back then.  A white shirt with rolled up sleeves, jeans with rolled up cuffs, sunglasses, sneakers...that was it.  I played some Elvis Presley music in the car on the way, along with some of the Grease soundtrack (yes, I have that on my phone, why do you even bother to ask?), and Connor seemed excited, nervous, amused, and nervous again.  Pretty much what I expected.

What I didn't expect was the huge rush of emotions that hit me when I let him out of the car at St John.  The principal was there, greeting students with a hearty thumbs up and handshake, and Connor seemed pleased to see him.  I watched Connor head towards the student center without so much as a backwards glance, and everything hit me all at once.

My boy is in high school.  He's going to his first high school dance.  He's growing up.

I took the long way home, driving through a nearby park, still listening to 50's music and gathering my thoughts.  So clear in my mind and heart were my own memories of being a freshman entering Angleton High School waaay back in 1984.  The awkward was strong in that kid, the young me.  My mom had actually sent me to my first day of summer band in a matching shorts and shirt set.  Seriously.  I know now that she just wanted me to match so I'd look nice. 

I remember all of the excitement I felt, right alongside all of the terror and nervousness.  It was all so big, so new, and there was so much energy everywhere, it was hard to take in.  I loved seeing all the other kids around, even though I was often horrified at the idea of talking to someone I didn't know.  Fortunately, I had already been in band, so I knew lots of upperclassmen already.  That helped a lot.  I had also passed out at attention during summer band, so all the upperclassmen knew me as well.  Win some, lose some.

Now Connor is going through it all.  He was lucky enough to have a Fish Camp, where they played tons of 'get to know you' games, and it's a small school, but the newness, the excitement, and the nerves are all there.  I know the signs.  And I swear, I thought my heart would just burst with love for that boy as I saw him stroll away, following the steady stream of other kids in their 50's outfits.  He was smiling, last I saw.  I hope he has fun tonight, I truly do.  It seems like just yesterday that I was leaning over him, putting an outfit on his tiny body that would have fit a small-sized teddy bear.  Tonight, I had to tell him to sit down while I fixed his hair because he's so much taller than me that I couldn't reach it well enough.

Time flies.  Life is good.  And tonight, Grease is the word.

Book 3...the First Draft is DONE!!

In 1993, I saw an interesting weapon in a Museum Replicas LTD catalog.  I'd been working with long-handled Chinese weapons at that point and I thought the blade in the catalog looked like something I would LOVE to use as a personal weapon.  I idly drew some sketches of what I thought it would look like, and even created an RPG character that carried it for use in a D&D game I was playing with my dear, departed friend, Jason Blankenship.  The character was a jester.  I know that probably surprises you.  Stop that laughing.

Not long after that, had my "I can write better than THAT guy!" episode and began work on what would become Mage's Burden, using the weapon I had envisioned as a focal point.  It took 21 years for that story to make it to print, but not long after I held that first copy in my hands, I quickly started on Gart's Road to continue the tale.  16 months later, GR was complete and on the shelves.  I took a break for about 2 weeks (during which I struggled to not write, telling myself that I neeeeeded a break), and then started on Book 3, A Mage Awakens.  That was back in December, 2015.

On Tuesday, July 12, around 2:30pm, I finished the first draft of AMA, and with it, the story that had been rattling around in my head for well over two decades.  It was finally all there in black and white.  All the pieces had come together, the dust had settled, and I definitely had the feels going on.  Yes, yes, there is still a lot of editing to do, and some things might yet change here and there, but all in all, it felt finished.  Done.  Fini.

It has been such a crazy ride for me.  I've known these characters, both heroic and evil, for nearly half my life, and now, their tale is pretty much done.  Sitting there at my desk, I felt such a wonderful sense of completion, relief, and yes, some sadness.  I've always had their story pressing in my head, wanting to get out, and I miss it already.  I feel so strange right now, even though I've done this before with my previous books, going through the editing process to tune it all up feels a little different than it did the last two times because of its finality.  The trilogy as I had envisioned it is complete.  Now, there is an emptiness that is hard to describe.

The good news is that there is already a new story taking shape.  It's unformed, just flashes and images, really, but I can feel it in there.  I can already see the return of some old friends and the approach of new ones, as well as the presence of some very nasty bad guys.  Even at this ridiculously early stage, I'm comforted by its presence.  I've apparently got a lot more writing to do once this last book in the trilogy is polished and published.  And that makes me happy.  Have a great week, folks.

Gart's Road...it's available!

 

Here it is...the next chapter in the tale of Brunar the Mage and the Guardians as they oppose the evil sorcerer Mordak...


After the brutal murder of his family, Gart’s voyage continues as he searches for the weapon that was promised him by the Mage, Brunar. Once a peaceful farmer, who only wanted to be left alone, Gart must now become something more. Struggling with the powerful magick that grows within him, Gart follows a dangerous path. Only with the fabled Jidaan of Storms would he have a chance against Mordak’s Champion, the demon-bred Jor Dayne.

Guided by the noble Brunar, the other five Guardians make their way to Laro, hurrying to reach the walled city before Mordak’s army. Brunar and the elf-like Weya guide the Duke and his fierce warriors as they face an enormous, bloodthirsty horde of nightmarish creatures. The dead will rise and evil will walk the walls of Laro if Mordak has his way.

As the time for battle draws near, Gart fights his own monsters…alone.


http://www.amazon.com/Garts-Road-Jidaan-Trilogy-Volume/dp/0692573054

FINALLY! Book 2 is done!!

After 16 months of rough draft, proofreaders marks, read aloud draft, final tweaks, artwork, and cover production, BAM!!  Gart's Road is finally done!  A couple of days ago, I rolled up to the house and found the box with my first preview copies on my doorstep.   GR is 30,000 words longer than the first book, Mage's Burden, and after some feedback from several folks, I decided to increase the font size just a tiny bit to make it easier to read.  The end result is that GR is nearly twice the size of MB.  It's a hefty piece of work, yes it is!

It's going up on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Ibooks, Smashwords, and several other sites, both in e-book and paperback, tomorrow.  That's Friday, November 13th, and yes, that's always been a lucky day for me.  I really feel like this book is better than the first one in many ways, so I hope that folks enjoy it.

There's a lot of other stuff going on these days as well, but the book thing has been the biggest priority in many ways, so I figured I'd post an update here.  Book 3 is still just a twinkle in my eye at this point, although I do have my trusty old outline and a handful of notes.  I look forward to eventually seeing how the story ends!

It's October, and things are great!

October is finally here!  It's my favorite month, you see.  As a kid growing up in Angleton, Texas, in the 70's and 80's, October always brought the Brazoria County Fair and Parade, the Renaissance Festival, and Halloween (which happens to be my birthday), and nowadays, there's a wedding anniversary thrown in.  The weather turns cooler, the sky turns bluer, and I generally feel thrilled to be alive.

Things are going pretty well for me right now.  A recent burst of enrollments at JMMA has finally allowed me to relax just a tiny bit and think that we're going to be able to pay our rent, and the energy of the student body is absolutely wonderful.  I've been doggedly training to improve my breathing and cardio capacity after spending most of the year struggling with a vicious asthma flare up.  Although I'm still far from where I'd like to be in regards to my athleticism, I'm improving all the time.  My Jiu Jitsu is getting better, I think.  And I've finally finished my second book, Gart's Road.  Family life at home has improved in many ways, so I'm feeling a general sense of delight.

At times like this, I finally feel like I can relax for a moment and just take it all in.  It's all a journey, and I'm sure there are many more ups as well as downs to come.  For this moment, at least, I feel deeply, truly happy.  There have been many times in my life where things were not going my way.  There have been some major challenges, to say the least.  In the face of those obstacles, I have always chosen to simply take a deep breath and then press forward with everything I could muster.  This has generally worked for me.  Of course, there have often been changes of plans, adjustments of routes, and I occasionally discovered that the process of meeting one goal ended up changing the goal altogether.  That said, I think it's important to just keep moving forward, one foot in front of the other, until you end up getting somewhere.  I've done that, and done it often.  It's hard work, yes it is.

However, at times like this, where I can feel a cool breeze on my face and the warm sun on my skin and everything in my world is more or less at peace, I'm grateful for all the challenges.  They led me to this moment, this particularly wonderful and happy moment.  Life is good.

I am trying to get into the habit of writing here more often.  I have another blog where I talk more about my books, and you can visit it here.  Feel free to leave a comment, drop me a line, or just say 'hey.'  And have a fabulous day.

Space City Comic Con, and more

This is reposted from my other blog, which can be found here.

July 27, 2015

WOW!  Why in the world have I not been to a Comic Con until now?  I had no idea what I was missing!  I talked to celebrities, met a ton of great people, saw some waaaay cool stuff, and sold a ton of books.  It was super-duper fun, and I'm already making plans to hit another convention on Labor Day weekend. 

It started like this...

 That was Thursday.  It was pretty bare-bones since the banner hadn't arrived and we were just getting things set up.  Friday was sooo much more fun!  For one thing, we found the Ultrasaber shop

.

I want one.  Oh yes, I surely do.  Anyway, we sold 7 books that day, I met Cynthia Rothrock, caught a glimpse of William Shatner, and tried to get a feel for how things went.  The next day was a bit better...more like this:

 We sold all but 9 books on Saturday, met a ton more people, had a ridiculous amount of fun.  Case en pointe, this happened...

We also met Gil Gerard (Buck Rogers), Bridget Regan (Kahlan from Legend of the Seeker) and Naomi Grossman (American Horror Story, Freak Show).  There were soooo many folks in costume, it was great!!  If you want to see all of the pics, feel free to go to my Facebook page and check them out here:  Whit's Space City Comic Con 2015 Album

Sunday saw more of the same, and ultimately, it ended up like this:

 Over 30 books sold!  All in all, it was an absolutely amazing weekend!  Special thanks to Larry Escher for getting me there in the first place.  I'm already making plans to attend another convention, so I'll keep you posted.  In the meantime, come see me on Facebook, or send me a note from here.

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Yeah, that was a pretty amazing weekend.  As I said, I'm looking forward to doing another Con as soon as I can manage it.  

In other news, I'm really just having a ball lately.  I've made some changes in how I run my day that have brought really great results.  I have a breathing exercise that leads me into a short meditation each morning.  There is now a notepad on my desk upon which I write tasks, thoughts, and stuff that happens throughout the day.  This has really spiked my productivity like crazy, I've gotten SO much more done without feeling frantic about it.  Training is going well, and I feel like I'm finally making some progress with my breathing and stamina.  Lately, I've been working on the 2-handed straight sword form, and I'm almost finished with it.  That form is perfect for the lightsaber that I'll be getting for my birthday!  

That's about it for the time being.  Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go back to the laundry and working on Gart's Road.  Have a great week!  

 

Touching Base

Well, there's been a lot going on, most of it good!  It's been a month and a half since I reminded myself that I have this blog, and I've been so darned busy that I didn't put it on the to do list.  To be honest, I've been spending much of my time working on my second book, Gart's Road.  Yes, I've posted about it all over the place here.  In fact, I have a new website, strictly for the book series!

www.jidaan.com

Go have a look!  Maybe you'll like it.  I have a blog over there too, strictly about my writing projects, so my intention is to save this blog for other stuff. 

One little thing happened last night that made me smile.  I was talking to my son, Connor, about my childhood.  Just a fun little conversation.  We got on the subject of CB radios.  My dad used to always have one in his truck, which he used on long trips to talk to the truckers.  We had a base CB in their bedroom, with a ginormous antennae in the back yard.  For a while, I had a CB in my cars as well.  This was well before cellphones came about, and they were pretty fun and handy.

When I went to bed, leaving him in charge of the dogs (already asleep, the lazy buggers) and surfing around on his computer, I noticed that he was researching CB jargon.  He wants a CB.  I'm thinking I'm going to get him one.  Why?  I don't know...he really doesn't need one.  He's got a phone, I've got a phone, everyone's got a phone.  Even so, I think I'll get him one.  10-4, good buddy!

My best to you all, go do something fun and exciting today.  Or tomorrow at the latest.  Or at least do some burpees, they're good for you.

Gart's Road, coming this month!

I'm reasonably certain that Gart's Road (book 2 of my trilogy) will be completed this month.  I'm pretty excited about it (in case I forgot to mention it), and I'm currently hard at work on the last few chapters. 

In the event that you're just DYING to read the first book, Mage's Burden, I figured I'd toss a link up here.  You know...so you could pick it up.  If the mood strikes you.  Or you need a birthday present for an avid fantasy reader.  Maybe you just need a purple book cover to balance out the colors in your bookshelf, in any event, here's the link.  It's available in both Kindle and paperback.  Have a great day!

I'm on a Radio Show Today!

It's not exactly radio since it's online, but it FEELS like I'm on the radio!  I'll be talking with Barbara Ehrentreu on Red River Radio Tales this afternoon at 3pm CST.    This is the second show like this I've done, and I'm looking forward to it!  There's a chat room attached, so you can get on there and ask questions or just heckle me in general.

After the Play

A brief word about my son, Connor.

He's 13 now, and in 7th grade.  All year, we've struggled with him as he worked to find a way to juggle his homework and activities and put proper priorities on what needed to be done.  Fortunately, he's a smart, sweet kid, and truly wants to do the right things.  After an awful lot of hair-pulling and teeth-gnashing, he found his groove and got all A's and B's on his last report card, and is on track to making similar grades this time around.

Last night, I finally got to watch him in Schoolhouse Rock, Jr., the school play.  He had initially been somewhat indifferent to theater, actually making a c at some point in there previously.  I mean seriously...if you know him, you'd think that he'd be teaching the class, not bombing it.  We tried and tried to tell him that if he just tried to put some effort into it, really worked for a part on the stage rather than the behind-the-scenes crew, that he might really have some fun out there.  Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know how kids are, and he just scraped along.  At least, until this play came up.

He put a little more stink on things and tried harder at auditions.  He made it into the ensemble, which is basically a whole bunch of kids running around and singing together.  For the past several weeks, he's been dutifully going to rehearsals, working hard, AND keeping his grades up.  Showtime finally arrived, and he performed for the first time on Thursday.  I was teaching, so I had to wait until Friday to see him.  It was absolutely wonderful.

Connor committed 100% on stage, pulling all the right faces, throwing all the right moves, and singing his guts out.  No longer was he worried about looking silly, he got up there and owned his performance.  I laughed and laughed, I was absolutely delighted to see him in the show.  It made my heart swell up, truly.

Later, we all ate at the Chinese buffet and had a chance to talk about theater, school, girls, friend-zones and relationships, and all kinds of fun things.  We hadn't been to the buffet in awhile and I was pleasantly stuffed.  Christina went to find more salad or something and I had a chance to sit alone with Connor for a few minutes.  We were chatting happily and I took a moment to watch him eat.  There, sitting across from me, eating a giant pile of rice, was my son.  Only 3lbs or so at birth, he's now taller than I am.  I suddenly saw his newborn body in the NICU, tiny, but strong.  I saw him taking his first steps.  I remembered running behind him, my hand twisted up in his shirt to hold him up as he learned to ride a bike.  Then there he was, bravely going down the tallest waterslide in Branson only to refuse to go down it the next day.  I saw him playing lacrosse and hating it, but having a blast in swim team and bumping fists with all the other swimmers to wish them luck.  I saw him taking the ice bucket challenge with me and howling about how the ice water was reaching his crotch.  And I saw him sitting there, behind his new glasses, reading something on his phone, and shoveling Chinese food into his mouth as if it were a race.

With tears in my eyes, I told him that I although I may miss the 9 year old kid that he used to be...I am thrilled to my core to see the young man that he has become.  I sure love that kid.