I love her folksy, down-to-earth style, and she has tons of interesting lyrics. Often with just the right amount of melancholy mixed in. Check it out:

So today is election day, which means you had the opportunity to make a choice that will affect your future in large or small ways. Well consider this: an “election” simply means a “choice.” Here’s my point for today: you should make EVERY DAY election day.

Here are a few recommended choices:

• Choose to exercise more courage. (More on this in a moment.)
• Choose to be a better critical thinker.
• Choose to be a better friend.
• Choose to be happier.

Courage: think about your life. Are you doing and being everything you want? Do you exercise? Do you love everyone so much that you really find yourself caring about them and doing something about it? Etc. etc. etc. If not, there’s a good chance that some brand of fear is getting in the way. Do you worry about stuff (keeping up with life’s demands, what others will think of you and your actions, etc.)? Think it over. If you see that it’s true, then get yourself into super-hero-determination mode and be and do those things anyway! Then you’ll be really awesome. I know, you already are, but won’t it feel fantastic to put that into action even more often?

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I love creating things. I wish I could do it all day long. I made my first puppet video yesterday. I think it’s kinda funny. I get to justify making stuff like this because it’s also marketing, which is an effort to get book sales rolling enough that I can do whatever I want whenever I want, which means many more entertaining, inspiring creative endeavors.

and you know what that means! Yep, it’s time to start advertising for Christmas.

So if you would like to do something very easy that would be a big help to me, please Like my Christmas Novels facebook page:

Once I get about 30 likers, I can register a nice, short facebook URL to use in other marketing.

Thanks!!! I appreciate your support.

This is one of the topics I discussed with my friend Melanee today. I love excellence. I crave it. I seek to create it in my own life (shut up! I already know I have a long way to go!) and am starving to find more of it all around me.

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That’s how today began. “It’s impossible. I can’t do it.” I don’t know how this works, but I simultaneously meant it completely and yet I knew it was just a trick. A tool. A way to remove all the pressure of my self expectations and lighten my load so I would suddenly find myself doing all the things I have to do with so much less effort.

Then I went to work. I kept on getting things done like I’ve been doing forever, hoping that something great will work out this time instead of just more disappointment and endless struggle. Getting things done is good.

And then I called my friend Melanee. One of my very favorite people in the whole world. She’s like me in many ways, and it’s rare to feel as understood and appreciated as she makes me feel, and the feeling is mutual. She started reading my vampire book recently and left a message last weekend about how much she was enjoying it. I wanted to hear more and just see how she was doing and catch up.

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After a discussion with a friend the other week, I made this page. Go ahead and like it and add your own comments like others have done. Most of all, remember that EVERY DAY is National Tell Someone You Love Them Day.
You can find this at facebook.com/sayiloveyou

It was pointed out that I haven’t written any blog posts for a long time, and that I should, but I don’t really have time to sit down and write anything thoughtful at the moment, so I got an interview with myself instead. Here it is:

Q: How’s it going?
A: Fine.

Q: Whatcha up to?
A: A few things. I was put in charge of the Mountain Rescue Association’s Intermountain Region recertification this weekend a month and a half ago, and that has taken a lot of time. I’m also teaching three classes at UVU with a new text and new assignments, so I’m getting all caught up on that. And I’m working on getting all the marketing in place for my new book, This., which I would love to spend a lot more time on, and will again after this weekend. Plus a few other ongoing projects.

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Finished! I sent the cover and guts files to the printer for approval at noon! You can now order your copy from VampiresVampires.com for just $7.97.

I’m eager to hear what you think! Thanks for your support.

<– Click the cover for a full-size version to read the back cover text.

One of my favorite tools for getting things done is setting unrealistic goals.

For example, I recently decided to write a teen vampire novel. I gave myself two weeks to finish.

It’s now about 2½ months later and it’s still not finished BUT I am 7 chapters away from a pretty solid rough draft with most all the details in place. One more pass and I’ll have a publishable book, though I should probably read through several more times to polish it up even more.

The key to successfully setting unrealistic goals is not getting all bent out of shape when you fail to achieve them. Simply reassess where you stand, give yourself credit for how far you’ve come, and start over with new unrealistic goals.

I don’t care what the experts say – you have to admit this beats setting entirely realistic goals, like writing a book in eight to twelve months, and thus never even beginning because that’s just too far away.

Tomorrow I will finish those seven chapters. After that, I give myself a week for the publishable draft, and then another day or two for final polishing.