Malediction is now available via Smashwords

For only 99c

As usual, it will take a few weeks to propagate out to Apple, B&N, Sony, and Kobo.  Coming up next is the Amazon edition, which will only take a few more hours of work to put out.

From the description:

The world of the Ancients has been dead for over 200 years. Mikel is an innocent man who is accidentally thrust in the power struggle between the ruling Mujadeen and the ever-increasing Rebellion. Turned outlaw, he carries a warning to the Rebels in their hidden mountain enclave. His perilous journey takes him across the Wasteland, where he is aided by an orphaned girl. With her guidance, Mikel traverses the remains of a ruined city, home to the inhuman Mutans and other unspeakable horrors. The message he carries will change the balance of power, and with it, the hopes of humanity.

Next Book Update: Malediction & other works

I've been playing around with different book cover layouts for Malediction.  Right now, this is my favorite and will probably be used for release of this novella.  I should really farm out this kind of work, but I'm too impatient to wait for an artist to complete the work.

Regarding my next book - the crime thriller set in the 1970s - I've taken a little break from that work.  It continues at a slow pace, but will probably pick up once the holidays are completed.  What else is a poor Michigander going to do during those bleak winter nights?  This novel has also been a return to the third person narrative and all that entails.  I chose this route just for the practice.  Normally I enjoy first person, since it gives an honest, more personal experience - but I thought this book needed the multiple view-points.  Plenty of surprises in this one!

Murder at Zero Hour has been flying off the virtual shelves, especially on Amazon.  Making a book free certainly brings the readers, which in turn will hopefully bring some more paid customers.  Publishing an eBook is now silly easy, but getting your name recognized is now more difficult than ever.  I thought a free novel would expose more readers to my work, and hell, a story is a little scrap of fame.  It remains to be seen if such a marketing plan actually works, but it's still early in the game.

Murder At Zero Hour is available at:

Amazon

Kobo

Apple

Barnes & Noble

Sony

Diesel

Making your book free on Amazon

 
Having a free book is part of my current marketing plan, so via Smashwords, I've taken one of my earlier novels - Murder at Zero Hour - and made it free for Sony, B&N, Apple, Kobo, etc.   However, because of Amazon's pricing structure, this is impossible to do.

But Amazon does have a price check.  Enough customers reported that the price is zero on other sites, and now Amazon has also the book listed for free.

Thoughts on Creativity and the Internet Age

I don't want to come across as some fire-breathing Luddite, but I sometimes wonder about the 'Age of the Internet'.  Thanks to the Web, and the associated rise in the personal computer, we - and I mean the royal We - have access to vast swaths of information that was unfathomable just a few decades ago.  And thanks to the iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle, and various other portable devices, that wealth of data is now available at our literal touchscreen fingertips.

As an aside, I've been involved with computers since the tender age of ten (or so - it's a little cloudy after all these years).  Back then, a Commodore Pet computer was about as advanced as it got for a private user.  I never imagined, even with my early experiences of  programming and running a BBS system (a modem based bulletin board system for all you youngsters), that computers would ever become so popular.  Back then it was a landscape of freaks and geeks who played with that kind of primitive hardware.

But with the rise of all this information, I haven't exactly seen the expected creativity flood.  Sure, there are some improvements in technology utilizing collaborative efforts, but I'm talking more right-brain here.  Where is the art?  Where is the better music?  The brilliant novels?  The old cultural gatekeepers are either dead or dying, allowing anyone with an idea to put it out there.  But instead of a shining burst of inspiration, we seem to be sinking into a morass of self-indulgence.

Perhaps it is the sheer number of choices we have now.  We are becoming a world of ADD sufferers, looking for any fix to correct our need for a constant stream of different entertainment.  Instead of taking time to explore the new, we are actually seeking the familiar - music that is already known to our ears, movies with standard plots, the novel with cardboard characters, and art that is easy on the eyes. 

It could be that the Internet - and the tools we use to access it - is funneling our imagination and creativity in unexpected ways.  As time passes, it will be interesting to see what cultural relics and icons will still hold up from this age of data overload.

As always, comments and criticism are welcome.

Next Book Update - Malediction - is going to the Editor

 My first stab at science-fiction / post-apocalyptic / adventure novella is going off to be corrected for the usual villains.  This is a fast-paced, action-packed book with plenty of scares, a few laughs, and even a little love story to keep thing interesting.  Stay tuned for further updates.

More exercise could make for better sleep

I often wonder how people get paid for such obvious conclusions - but here we go:

A new study suggests regular physical activity might encourage better shut-eye: People who met national exercise guidelines reported better sleep and less daytime fatigue than those who didn't.

My personal experience has been fairly inconsistent.  I will get better sleep, but only if I had a truly vigorous workout, and (here is the important part) my stress levels are low.  I generally suffer from insomnia - waking in the wee hours of the morning and thinking about everything under the sun.  It could be something worrying me - work, money, book sales, or something personal.  But again, I could mapping out new book chapters, figuring out my next music purchases, or calculating the best way to travel to an upcoming destination.

The only 'cure' I've found for this night restlessness is the supplement Melatonin.  I take 5mg (dose will vary by individual) every night before I go to bed.  This 'hormone of darkness' has finally allowed me to sleep better than the past ten years.  I'm no doctor, so don't come running to me if you have an adverse side-effect.  So here's a legal disclaimer:  Always consult your physician before taking any supplement.  Having said that - the improved sleep has bettered my mood, reduced anxiety, made my workouts better, and even allowed me to eat less junk food.  Side-effects?  I feel a little groggy in the morning, but nothing as bad as sleeping pills or cold medicine.

Is Physical Strength the most important thing?

 (obviously not me)

There have been one or two recent articles on this very question.  As a middle-aged man who routinely works out, I'll 'weigh'-in on this question.  When I was much younger, I never gave my body or strength a second thought.  Though I was on the lean side, my stamina always bounced back from whatever apparent temporary misfortune befell it.  Sickness?  Hangover?  Physical labor?  I could shrug them off with ease.

But after age, oh thirty-something, I noticed that my recovery time was getting worse and worse.  I also was suffering from higher blood-pressure, increased weight gain, and a general laziness that made life a little less exciting.  It was then that I started to work out - thanks to viewing the documentary Pumping Iron.  I never quite aspired to be a professional bodybuilder, but I did want the confidence that strength gives you.

A serious of misfortunes - a pair of broken ribs from an unrelated accident, the diminishing free time that a family brings, and my own laziness stopped me from ever getting real serious with weightlifting.  But turning 40 changed all of that.  I'm lucky enough to still have a full head of hair and some (at least to my eyes) fairly youthful looks.  To prolong my youth, I decided to seriously tackle a workout regimen once again.

I'm now stronger than I have ever been.  I can lift, squat, and bench more than I ever could, even as a young man.  It does give you a confidence, dare I say swagger, when dealing with everyday life.  When I walk into a meeting or have to go somewhere public, I know if some situation arises, I can be up to the task.  I'm not talking fighting, though that is part of the equation, but dealing with emergencies.  If I get hurt, or have to help someone else, I know I can count on my strength to be there.  I also know that predators - the muggers and bullies of the world - will look elsewhere before picking me first.

For a good start, I recommend Everything You Know About Fitness Is a Lie and Starting Strength.

Regarding the original question - of course strength is important, but so is love, happiness, health, and success.  If you think life is a question of balance, then try to be the best of all things.