Filming a video every day for an entire month is proving to be more than enough extra work for me so I decided to switch out a daily blog for a weekly roundup. If you're into metal and would like to hear a little about bands that have influenced me and my favorite songs from them, you can check out the YouTube videos below. I also spent Vicious Whispers Episode 84 discussing metal with my jiujitsu training partner and friend Jonathan Gonzales. https://youtu.be/2cNl6FdHKHw Day 21: Testament https://youtu.be/HawCOYFYu04 Day 20: Killswitch Engage https://youtu.be/E1qzzXL_c30 Day 19: Metallica htt ..read more

Filming a video every day for an entire month is proving to be more than enough extra work for me so I decided to switch out a daily blog for a weekly roundup. If you're into metal and would like to hear a little about bands that have influenced me and my favorite songs from them, you can check out the YouTube videos below. I also spent Vicious Whispers Episode 83 discussing metal with my longtime friend Marc Saenz. https://youtu.be/dN29ZwdlKg4 Day 14: Amon Amarth https://youtu.be/8ldtZhiqhDw Day 13: Pantera https://youtu.be/428DfMmg3CU Day 12: Anthrax https://youtu.be/jhzA5nDvMIM Day 11: Armo ..read more

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/a32926_6aeb4727167843a6b63f8b2b1625ac29/480p/mp4/file.mp4 I love the freedom of being an independent author, but sometimes I dread the responsibility. The writing part is fun, the marketing not so much, and if a book fails it is entirely my fault. Fortunately, I’ve got pretty thick skin, an unstoppable drive, and a host of co-authors in my Try Not to Die series who help come up with great stories, motivate me, and expand my reach. On the marketing side of things, one area I have had trouble with is book launches. For Unlocking the Cage: Exploring the Motivatio ..read more

Filming a video every day for an entire month is proving to be more than enough extra work for me so I decided to switch out a daily blog for a weekly roundup. If you're into metal and would like to hear a little about bands that have influenced me and my favorite songs from them, you can check out the YouTube videos below. I also spent Vicious Whispers Episode 82 discussing metal with my friend Mcor Cervantez https://youtu.be/722MFj9DtCI Day 7: Slayer https://youtu.be/dt63e9--pl0 Day 6: Biohazard https://youtu.be/55gTT93RLV4 Day 5: Dio https://youtu.be/IQM-GCQISGs Day 4: Suicidal Tendencies h ..read more

Instead of doing Sober October or getting caught up in all the craziness of the world, I've decided to do something fun and positive. Every day in October, I plan on writing a blog and putting up a YouTube video about a heavy metal band that influenced me or my writing. I encourage others to join me and share just how much metal means to them. If you put something up please use the hashtag #MonthOfMetal so I can see it. You're also welcome to head over to my ,YouTube page to leave comments, your favorite songs, and have a chance at winning some free books. Today's pick may seem like a strange ..read more

One of the biggest obstacles an independent author must overcome is obtaining quality reviews. While obtaining solid reviews for eBooks can be a struggle, there are several places you can turn. One of my favorite places to gain early reviews is through NetGalley, where readers get free access to books before they’re released. Last month, thanks to an Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) email, I saw that NetGalley had begun an audiobook program. I signed up for a 2-month audiobook listing and a category spotlight. ($239 for both through the IBPA.) My audiobook Untold Mayhem: An Assor ..read more

The other day a fan on Twitter asked how she hadn’t heard of my podcast Vicious Whispers where I share a chapter or short story at the end of each episode. The easy answer was that I’m terrible at social media and marketing and spend all my time creating. As any independent author will tell you, that’s not a very wise tactic. The Twitter question made me think of what I could do differently. Knowing I’m not prepared to commit to anything that takes more than a day, I looked for a way that would increase exposure quickly. Generally, I focus on ebooks, but with three new audiobooks released thi ..read more

Last year, I hit a pretty hard depression. Part of it was physical, not being able to train jiu jitsu or practice yoga due to neck, back, and shoulder issues. The other part was mental, the research for my book on traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and Chronic Traumatic Encephalapothy (CTE) weighing me down. I couldn’t stop thinking about Junior Seau and Andre Waters killing themselves. Aaron Hernandez and his ravaged brain, convicted of the murder of a friend. I worried about Gary Goodridge and my numerous MMA friends dealing with varying degrees of brain damage. My thoughts would often turn to ..read more

Because I’m an introvert, I have not been successful at connecting with readers on sites like Goodreads. Everything I read says I need to put myself out there and interact with others, but I seldom find the time or courage to do so. It has probably slowed my growth as an author and it’s something I have to work on. However, when a reader contacts me, I am always up for a conversation. As a perfectionist who's never been happy with my accomplishments and who also has a bad case of imposter syndrome, messages received from readers and listeners have been crucial in keeping me positive and motiva ..read more

Filming a video every day for an entire month is proving to be more than enough extra work for me so I decided to switch out a daily blog for a weekly roundup. If you're into metal and would like to hear a little about bands that have influenced me and my favorite songs from them, you can check out the YouTube videos below. I also spent Vicious Whispers Episode 83 discussing metal with my longtime friend Marc Saenz. https://youtu.be/dN29ZwdlKg4 Day 14: Amon Amarth https://youtu.be/8ldtZhiqhDw Day 13: Pantera https://youtu.be/428DfMmg3CU Day 12: Anthrax https://youtu.be/jhzA5nDvMIM Day 11: Armo ..read more