Winter is going. Breathe. Just breathe. Click Read More to see the video…and relax.
Get things done without killing yourself.
Last year I worked four jobs (including writing.) I managed to put out five books in 2016. My favorite fiction has turned out to be Dream’s Dark Flight. It’s got a little more sci-fi packed into the fantasy. However, in the long term, the most important book for me is Do the Thing! I think it will be important to you, too. Please let me tell you how it has changed my life.
Last summer I got away from all my work for just two days. She Who Must Be Obeyed and I went off for a romantic getaway at a B&B an hour from home. It was fancy. We wandered around, held hands and talked about our lives. I had four jobs and so did she. Our schedules are such that sometimes we don’t get to talk much. When we took a step back, we realized how crazy that really is. Stress was high. We both work in fields where we are supposed to help others manage stress. We know quite a bit about it but for much of last year all that was more theory than practice.
In the first week of 2017, we flew to Cuba. It was just the kind of vacation we needed. We lay on the beach and waded in the ocean. I plotted podcasts and a new crime thriller. (That work is always fun for me.) I drank a lot of delicious Cuban coffee and watched the palm tree fronds swish in the wind. It was another reminder of the decisions we made about how to move forward with less friction from the daily grind. The resolutions from our weekend away got revisited. How could we live with less stress? (I want a palm tree in my backyard!)
The night before we left for Cuba I had pulled an all-nighter to push Do the Thing! to market. The irony was not lost on me but I didn’t want to miss out on New Year’s resolution sales nor did I want to think about my unpublished books while I was on vacation. It took a year and a half to write Do the Thing! I wanted it out in the world. After that all-nighter, I pledged I’d never work that hard to a deadline again. Better planning would have saved me some grief and bought me more sleep. I spent the first couple of days in Cuba recovering from my old life. Now my new life has begun.
I’m back up to four jobs. That hasn’t changed…yet. We’ve got bills to pay. However, I have pledged to live up to my guidelines in Do the Thing! I have lots of great advice for anyone who wants to manage their stress, pain, time and energy. Now I’m living up to it, walking my talk and practicing what I preach. I’m having more fun and I’ve got more energy. I’m getting to the gym and finally making myself a priority. I’m taking care of myself better. The muscles on my meat wagon are coming back and I’m out of pain. My choices are much more conscious now.
That’s what Do the Thing! is all about: living better, living larger, being more effective and having fun doing it. I am a very ambitious and productive person but the frenzy is gone. It seemed that everything was urgent before. Now I’m no longer a hypocrite. I do the thing. And you know what else? Besides relaxing more, I’m saving my life.
That’s why I’m so glad I wrote Do the Thing! I’m living up to my ideals. Each week I talk about some aspect of life management on my podcast. Be assured, I’m not driving myself crazy behind the scenes anymore. I’m getting more sleep, drinking green smoothies. Despite some nagging health problems lately –I burst an eardrum on my descent into Cuba — I’m feeling better every day.
I can’t wait to see what 2017 brings for me professionally and personally. I have a lot more energy to make things happen (without all the pain I put up with in the past.)
Please do read Do the Thing! Then do your thing, but better and easier. Let’s all have a better 2017. We all have a lot to do but we really can do it with less stress and pain and with more time and energy.
To get your copy of Do the Thing! Click on the link to Do the Thing! on top right. Cheers! ~ Rob
The End of an Era! The Last Episode of SPRT!
On this, the final episode of the Self-publishing Roundtable, we reminisced about what has gone before and what’s ahead (including a fresh podcast from me.)
I’ll launch the All That Chazz Stress Relief Podcast in the second week of January, 2017. It will be the companion audio for my new stress management guide, Do the Thing!)
My co-panelists were these fun writers: Erica Conroy, Chrishaun Keller-Hanna, Wade Finnegan, Xavier Granville, Zoe Wall, and Dave Wright.
As one podcast dies, four rise in its place. SPRT’s demise is not great but it’s okay. Thanks to all my co-hosts. It’s been a blast.
Writing Music & Workout Music Braingasms
(And by writing music, I mean music to write to.)
I’m on hiatus from one of my jobs and my other work is slow this week. Concentrating on publishing since I have so many manuscripts banked. I’m going to be be doing more book and life updates here, so don’t forget to subscribe, please.
I’m aiming to finish revisions on the next book in the Ghosts & Demons Series (which will all be rebranded The Dimension Wars.) Long story for another post. What’s much fun is discovering new music for the soundtrack of my life.
I can get a lot done with various versions of Mission Impossible playing constantly. For working out, the soundtrack to Suicide Squad is damn cool even if you didn’t like the movie. (I did.) Try Work This Body by Walk the Moon, too.
For writing, I’ve discovered some songs that are new to me but are a lot of fun. Sweep the Leg from No More Kings is fun, especially if you, like me, can’t let go of the movie The Karate Kid. I’m also a new fan of Jim’s Big Ego. The Ballad of Barry Allen is a haunting take on the Flash. Stress is hilarious and true and I love Jonathan Coulton’s Code Monkey. The clever but yearning tone reminds me of Hackensack by Fountains of Wayne.
Check ’em out. I’m sure you’ll find something to tickle your ear bones.
#Chazziness
Music in the video kicks in at 3:01.
What did you do during the war, daddy?
We’ve only got a few months left in 2016. I was about to say that I can’t wait for this year to be over, but 2017 isn’t any more promising. Tragic events, paranoia and hysteria aren’t confined by the calendar. We create those things by the things we think and say and do. Still, 2016 feels like a pivotal year. When we look back, we’re going to say, this was one year that sucked hard. Our kids will ask, what did you do? How did you vote? This is our collective, “What did you do during the war, daddy?” moment.
A bunch of people in the States decided that going to a public bathroom was suddenly a huge risk. The hysteria around who got to go to which bathroom was a bridge too far for me. The fact that slimy Ted Cruz was the closest alternative to Trump was a disgrace. Fear, it seems, is the only policy the Right has to offer. They’re quick to say what they hate but have no positive policy suggestions. They don’t want to govern. They want to obstruct, as we say in Canada, peace, order and good government.
A lot of people talk tough, but it seems that those who talk toughest are the most fearful. Shit your pants isn’t a foreign policy. You can’t defeat ISIS by denying immigration to victims of ISIS. A plethora of problems went from simmer to boil this year and, at the root of it all, is a lack of compassion. We’re too eager to make enemies and we undervalue our friends. (Like friends in NATO, for instance.)
My books are not overtly political. I write suspenseful fiction. I don’t set out to piss anybody off. My stories entertain and occasionally, if it serves the story, I will reference real world events. I wish we had respected writers rising to lead. I so miss Kurt Vonnegut. I’m sure he’d have a lot to say right now. Likewise comedians like Bill Hicks and George Carlin. I wish Jon Stewart was still helming The Daily Show so we’d have more trenchant commentary that entertained as well as informed. Jon Oliver is doing a good job, at least.
It’s past time I took off my fiction hat on this topic. I was a journalist long before I was a novelist. However, I’m not writing today in either of those capacities. I’m writing as a citizen of the planet. Many writer friends won’t say anything political for fear of offending readers. I respect their choice but, to me, recognizing the threat to the world is more important than a few lost book sales. Maybe my voice adds nothing to the din but staying silent feels wrong.
Trump is a racist. White supremacists love him. I cringe every time he says something about what’s good for, “the Blacks.” A guy who didn’t want African Americans in his apartment buildings isn’t out to serve minority communities. Remember, this is the same guy who said he’d never employ a black accountant because they’re lazy. Stop. Just stop the hateful drivel.
He’s also a dangerous narcissist who knows too little about governing. With his history, he’s a terrible candidate and everybody knows it. (Check out Trumpcast if you need further convincing.) Barring an huge implosion on the Left, he can’t win. He can do a lot of damage on the way out of his publicity stunt and his most devout followers will be sore losers. Hillary is not a great candidate. She has many flaws but she’s far better than the orange alternative.
The outrage here is that, though Paul Ryan has admitted Trump’s statements (with regard to the Mexican American judge) were racist, the Speaker of the House still supports Trump. Remember when John McCain’s campaign slogan was, “Country first”? The bulk of the Republican establishment is putting party before country. Trump would be a disastrous president. He’s already savaged the Republican brand for years to come.
Perhaps worse, the fifth estate is doing a terrible job. Most media continues to grade Trump on a curve. For better coverage, stay away from Breitbart. You’re better off listening to The Young Turks.
People say they like that Trump means what he says. Unless he says something outrageous, racist, Putin-loving, disrespectful or downright dumb. Then he doesn’t mean it. The guy who is famous for, “You’re fired!” is going to employ everybody…somehow. But he’s not the people’s billionaire. If you don’t get a job during the Trump presidency, he’ll blame you and call you a loser.
Plus, he’ll build a wall instead of funding schools or fighting cancer. He claims he would build up a military that’s already the largest and best in the world by far. He’s reckless with NATO and has demonstrated eagerness to use nuclear weapons. He’s convinced some people that Obama is a secret Kenyan and has a terrible record with women and various minorities. He’s petty and thin-skinned. He sues people and is sued constantly. He doesn’t care for freedom of speech, especially when anyone dares to criticize him for anything.
Trump is the Fear Monger in Chief. It would be bad for the United States and the world if he becomes Commander in Chief. I can’t vote against him. I’m in Canada. However, the damage he would do to America and the world would certainly affect me. Few of us would be untouched by his incompetence. I encourage all my American friends: you don’t have to like Hillary Clinton but please vote against Donald J. Trump. He’s a con man and an embarrassment to your great country.
Trump would not make America great again. Trump is clown shoes. Pure clown shoes. The world is watching and we’re holding our breath.
Note to Hillary Clinton: Give straight answers. Stop sounding so damn cautious and lawyerly. Don’t fuck this up. The social democratic revolution in politics I hoped for was Bernie’s vision but I’ll still be relieved when you’re in and Trump is out.
Then, Madame President, maybe you can start working on repairing the damage Clown Shoes has already done.
~ We now return to our regularly scheduled apolitical nonsense.
Getting better: Video of cupping for the knee
This video was my first experiment with Meerkat, the new livestreaming app. Therefore, no editing and nothing fancy here. Just a quick bit about treating a bum knee and showing what cupping looks like. The circles on your skin last a couple of days but the process loosens up the fascia and other soft tissue. Exercise is the main thing to recover from knee injury most of the time. Have a look, and hear the full podcast about the changes I’m making (and what’s happened to me) in the post below: Weight loss for a Loser.
Cupping can look a little gross. Fair warning.
The Pain and My New Commitments to You
In this post, I’m going to cover a couple of cool things you may want to be involved in. It’s about a new show, a new book and a new life for both of us.
What you might now know about me is, in addition to writing crime novels and dark fantasy, I’m a Registered Massage Therapist with over 20 years experience in injury rehabilitation and the treatment of disease conditions. (See?)
I work at being an RMT part-time to cobble together an income that finances my writing. At the moment, I’m working very little and things are looking pretty bad. It turns out, I have to work on myself to save myself from myself. I’m going to help you save yourself, too. Here’s what happened:
The Twist
A couple of weeks ago I was home alone. Naturally, since no one could see me, I cranked up some tunes and worked on getting some exercise. Writing is incredibly sedentary so I have to work out when I can. Two minutes later, I twisted my knee by dancing too hard.
Ow. How ridiculous. And OW!
So…shit. Now what? I suspect it’s a medial meniscus tear. Basically, that’s the cushion in the knee and my cushion isn’t working right. The pain has been so bad sometimes that I sweat. Sleep is elusive. When the pain gets intolerable, I use a cane.
Next on the menu: painkillers, ice, chiropractic, exercise, alignment techniques, manual therapy, bracing, cupping, heat and kinesiotape. Turmeric supplements (and lots of the natural spice) helps with joint inflammation. Analgesic creams aren’t touching the pain at all. I can normally squat the whole rack at the gym but I don’t dare do that right now. In fact, the stairs up to the weight room are intimidating and I have to be very careful.
I saw the doc today.
An X-ray and MRI is scheduled. It’s up to me to rehab my way out of trouble before a surgeon decides to get in there with flamethrowers, holy water and hot pokers. There’s ultrasound at my clinic and my friend the chiropractor is excellent, too. Arthroscopy isn’t as popular a solution as it once was, but I’m hoping the answer to my pain will be nothing more than rehabilitative exercise. Fortunately, I’m an expert in that.
Working my way out of pain is one of my part-time jobs now.
It doesn’t pay, but it’s going to feel great to be healthy again. In fact, I’m aiming for more than just going back to normal. I want to be super again. Doesn’t everybody want to feel super? My goals include weight loss (also great for knees and osteoarthritis) and a healthier, more active lifestyle. That can be hard for a writer who often sits still for hours at a time. However, I’ve got a plan for that and it’s already in action. No whining necessary!
I’ve still got writing projects going and collaborators and readers depending on me. My collaborators are patient, but I’m not.
A couple of part-time gigs are in the works to try to make ends meet. Standing at a massage table all day is too much pain at the moment, so I’m off that work for now. I’m dedicating a huge chunk of each day to try to fix my damn knee quickly. However, my plans are bigger than one knee. I’m thinking about your knees, too.
THE PROJECTS
Book sales have tapered off lately so I have to get the next book in the Ghosts & Demons Series revised, edited and beta read etc. and out there! I’m pretty close to finished with the book. Number two in the series is called The End of the World As I Know It and I’m really happy with it. It’s got jokes, action and swordplay galore. Very Buffy.
I am asking for help, but I also plan to give more help. (More on that below.)
If you can spot a typo at arm’s length or shoot an arrow through a plot hole at twenty paces, please join my Steel Falcon Beta Read Team. You’ll get a first look at what happens to Tamara Smythe in the demon apocalypse and laugh your ass off, too. If you want to join the Choir Invisible, just email me at expartepress [AT] gmail [DOT] com with the subject line: STEEL FALCON.
Please note: If you haven’t read The Haunting Lessons (the first book in the series) yet, that’s okay. Your help as a beta reader is appreciated immensely and you’ll get acknowledgement in the book, too.
Now, about that love and joy I’m going to spread around:
Very soon, I’ll launch a health program with daily updates for anyone who cares to follow. I’m hammering out details now, but this is about exercise, eating right and accountability. It’ll involve reports on my progress, exercise tips and tricks to get healthier. This is for me because I need to get on track, but it’s also for readers, viewers and a lot of people I don’t know. Everyone needs to eat and act healthy. I’ll lead by example and report the truth of my successes and failures. I’ll measure every mile of the journey. The reports will keep me on track and I hope they inspire you.
Soon you’ll see posts from me on Vine, Instagram and here, at AllThatChazz.com. Subscribe if’n you ain’t already!
If you’re on the Fitbit, go to Fitbit.com, find Chazz (me!) and be my friend there to kick things off.
This commitment will bleed over to the All That Chazz podcast, as well. This post is already too long, so I’ll talk about that in the next podcast.
How about it?
Join the fight to live healthier every day. Join me. I’ll share my struggle and encourage you in yours. Soon, I’ll get my health, my job and life back. This isn’t the end. It’s the speed bump before a new beginning. I believe in beginning again. Do you?
~ Steel Falconers: email me at expartepress [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
The rest of you, get a good pair of sneakers out and get a fitbit. First goal: Get at least 10,000 steps every day. I’ll catch up to you soon, and I won’t be hobbling around on a cane!