Plans, Goals, or Bucket List

I don't really believe in New Year Resolutions!I do believe in Lists!By writing something down on a list you create some real and tangible in this world concerning that item.  You're declaring to the Universe, Your God, or just to yourself, that this is a target, and short of death or dismemberment you are heading headlong into achieving that objective.My Mom made a list of ten things she wanted to do in her life a few years back and a couple of the items were kind of out there.  By the end of the next year she had done all ten things on her list.  She had to make a new list.I over accomplished what I wanted to do for 2011.  I published my first book in January 2011 and by May was actually getting sales of the book.  The planner in me, sat down one evening and looked...

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Posted in: Resolutions Plans Lists Projections

Optimistic – Pessimist

I consider myself an Optimistic Pessimist!The glass is half hull, but it is also half empty at the same time.I try to be optimistic in all situations and keep a positive attitude even when I am failing.  I don't see the world through rose colored glasses, or think it is a beautiful place where anybody can do anything they want.  I believe in the American Dream, but never forget it is an ideal, a dream and only ever actually attained by very few.  I strive for what the Declaration of Independence called for, 'The pursuit of happiness.'  It isn't a right or guaranteed.  I believe in hard work, persistence, and never say die.I see the world through the eyes of a realist, a wolf, a capitalist pig, the first born son of a Scottish immigrant.  I look for the evil, threats,...

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Posted in: optimist pessimist work happiness hopeful

New Review of No Rules Of Engagement

My newest work received three star's from Amy on her blog site, but she openly admits right up front that this was like nothing she had ever read before, and way out of her normal genre that she reads and reviews. Here is the point, that knowing that going into the situation I would have asked her to not review it, but keep the book and I hope you get some enjoyment out of it.  As it is my overall rating of the book will drop a notch towards an even three. She also states in her review that one of the characters cuts another characters finger off, which is incorrect.  In fact two different characters break a persons finger.  Still upsetting but it is supposed to be upsetting.  I don't think breaking a finger is quite as bad as cutting a finger off.  In...

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Posted in: Review No Rules Of Engagement

Book Reviews and Author Interviews

As aspiring authors trying to be discovered in the flood of E-commerce and especially in the epic flood of new books hitting the market with new, cheap, if not FREE e-books there are two FREE ways to self promote your book and help get the word out.                              Book Reviews and Author Interviews!Of the two Book Reviews are more geared towards getting your book discovered, as it is about your book.  If a person stumbles across a review of your book and it sounds interesting they may purchase it.  I have found this is a risky daunting task for several reasons, and I hope the information I pass along is helpful.1.  Some...

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Posted in: Book Reviews Author Interviews Ratings

Life and Death

My family background is Scottish!  My father was born in Scotland, my mother from Missouri, and I am sure every families customs and beliefs are different and we generally take on certain customs and beliefs from our parents. I was raised believing that one should celebrate the end of ones life with all the gusto that one would normally celebrate a birthday with.  The whole mourning process, the ceremonies with the body in casket, fancy head stones, and expensive graves for what is left of your spent and used up earthly body is beyond me.  Your body once your dead has about the same significance as a empty aluminum Coke can, except you can get a few cents for enough empty pop cans!  Your body is not you, it isn’t even who you were. I was raised believing this way, that...

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Posted in: Life Death Wake Scottish Beliefs

Exclusive Author Interview J.L. Murphey

Let me start by saying Jo is a great friend who is an experienced Author, Awesome Editor, and so much more.  I got the wonderful opportunity to get to interview her. AKA JoAnn Murphey/ Jolee Morriss/ J.L. Murphey/ Grandma Jam 1.  I remember reading "Escape from Second Eden", and learning that much of the story is true and based off the life of your parents. Without spoiling anything can share with us some poignant points that were based off your parents and their true to life adventures? There were enough poignant points to keep me writing the skeletons out of my closet for many years. My father's impression before I started writing them in books was, "What could she know? She was only a kid." He has since changed his thinking...

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Posted in: Author Interview J.L. Murphey Books

Shameless Self Promotion

I know many people will be receiving E-readers, Ipads, Kindles, Kindle Fires, Nooks, or possibly just a new cell phone for Christmas.  Yes, there are many apps for reading your favorite authors books on your cell phone.  My bid today is to become the newest addition to your favorite authors list! "No Rules Of Engagement" has been getting great reviews and holds a 4.6 rating out of five on Goodreads dot com. It is available on Amazon Barnes and Noble Smashwords and Goodreads.   For eight year old orphan, Alexander Hawk, the question, "Is there other Intelligent life in the Universe?" has been answered with a resounding YES! Plucked from a correctional facility for boys because of a test he never even...

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Posted in: e-books E-books New Books Author

Transformations

As we approach 2012, another new year, another tick on the clock of our age, and a step closer to our ultimate demise, let us consider what I want to call Transformations.  This is on the optimistic point of view that the Earth will not be destroyed and mankind will continue puttering around after our own self interests throughout and beyond the year 2012.  There is a large group that believes next year is the end of the Mayan long count and that spells disaster for us.  From my limited knowledge and reading I believe the mainstream Medias math is wrong and the actual end of the Mayan long count will be December 2039, but that is another book and for another post!Transformations   To Transform ourselves!  Into what you ask?  That is for you to solve.Let me...

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Posted in: Transformation Passion Love God's Gift

Make Believe and Fantasy

I always think about the bitter sweet parts of associated with certain aspects of the way some, probably most; Christians celebrate Christmas with their children.  In time it becomes one of the rites of passage into growing up.  As it increases our understanding of the world in general and how it isn't as nice and safe a place as we believed when we were much younger.  It is funny how as a child's mind becomes old enough to understand concepts such as time, and death, that all the more easily the shades of make believe fade away into the stark reality of the so called real world.In ancient times there were stories of the other worlds, and how as the moments surrounding the edge of night and during the last fragments of such before dawn the portals to which would momentarily...

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Posted in: Fantasy Dragons Fairies Magic Cookies

Batman Robs A Bank

One of the reasons I made the plunge into writing is because I dream of being a Super Criminal. I know most people grow up day dreaming about being a Super Hero, but I always day dreamed about being the bad guy.  As I got older, whenever I got bored I would plan out some outlandish heist.  I planned how to rob the local movie theaters, the banks, malls, the local casinos and even the Federal Reserve Bank in downtown Kansas City. The Criminal has everything in their favor. 1.  They are not hampered with obeying the laws. 2.  They can take all the time in the world to plan the crime down to the smallest detail, and come up with redundancy plans for every aspect of the job. 3.  Have access to state of the art...

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Posted in: Batman Moriarty Lex Luther Joker Criminal