…...and I'm an author here to entertain you with my spin on the things that interest me; current events, politics, history, religion, sports. I’m no journalist nor do I want to be. I’ll leave that to the true professionals like Kurt Eichenwald and Seth Abramson. If, however, you’re interested in our wonderful, fucked up, inspiring and terrifying world viewed through a historical lens, and spiced with humorous anecdotes from my own life and headspace, then I might have something for you. I won’t pretend to be neutral. I won’t pretend both sides deserve equal due. Hell, I won’t even promise not to lie to you, I’m a fiction writer and we embellish. What I hope to accomplish is to entertain you and maybe, together, we can learn something new about our world and each other along the way.
My writing
People tell me my stories are dark. So be it. You want clowns and cotton candy go to Disney. Writers block was invented by a writer to justify missing a deadline, it just doesn’t exist. The Muse never appears until after I am deep into a story, but when she comes she comes with a vengeance.
I know this beyond a shadow
Monsters exist, they are human, and they usually greet you with a smile. Nightmares are safe, I always wake up. It’s the shit that happens when my eyes are open that truly scares me. Without darkness there can be no light. Sometimes in order to find the light I have to embrace the darkness.
Things I’ve learned
• I’d rather have limitless certainty instead of infinite possibility.
• I have never been a victim; I chose my path.
• The Universal Machine works perfectly. If I pull negative levers the universe will make me cry. But if I pull positive levers then the universe responds in kind. Either way my mind creates my destiny.
Stuff to be aware of
Thoughts and words are tangible things. They vibrate on a frequency I cannot hear, connecting to things on that same frequency I cannot see. So, I’d better be aware of what I think or speak because I have no idea what will come looking for me late at night.
Non fiction books that changed my life
Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
Sermon on the Mount by Emmet Fox
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Fiction books that inspired me to become a writer
Mila 18 by Leon Uris
Winds of War by Herman Wouk
War and Remembrance by Herman Wouk
The Stand by Stephen King
Writers I read today
Michael Connelly, Andrew Vachss, Max Brooks, Boston Teran, and Dennis Lahane
Writers I wish were still alive
Robert Ludlum, Robert B. Parker, and Leon Uris
Favorite sports teams
Texas Rangers, Texas A&M Aggies, Dallas Stars, and the Dallas Mavericks
Sports teams I love to hate
New England Patriots, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Eagles, NY Giants, Washington Redskins, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, UT Longhorns (Yes this list is longer than the list of my favorite teams, because hate, like its cousins fear, rage and self pity, is far more entertaining than humdrum fandom.)
First thing I try to tell myself every morning
“Don’t be a dick. Do no harm!”
Things I practice every day that help me
Meditate, Exercise, Positive Affirmation, Mindfulness, Auto Suggestion, Coffee
Things I struggle with
Procrastination, Healthy Diet, Isolation
To the end of my days
I still feel the pull of the dark side and I long to run with the wolves, howling by the light of the moon, free from Man’s Law.