Updates and Ramblings

RobSuarezPlayground
Image by SuarezRob via Flickr

Hello there to anyone that may still be following this old and dusty blog!

For those that know me… yes my life is still as packed and hectic as ever. My creative urges still pull at me constantly, but my ongoing list of responsibilities and a nagging need for sleep (meager as it may be) must continue to take priority over my “hobbies”.

January proved to be an interesting month as it saw me, once again, spending an inordinate amount of time working countless hours in China. All I can say about that trip is that the hard work paid off (employer satisfied) and it planted a few seeds for a story idea I’ve been cultivating.

Last summer I put “Murder by Design” up as a Kindle book on Amazon. It has been averaging 8 to 10 downloads per month and in January it spiked up to 30! I don’t know what spurred the interest (since I haven’t been promoting it) but the attention is certainly appreciated. The interest in “Murder by Design” has me itching to revise and finish “Conclave” but I can’t seem to schedule it in. Maybe this summer. I’ve also been itching to get it up on podiobooks.com but I haven’t had the time to get the files in the correct technical spec format. Any volunteers?

Ink ‘n Doodles Creative Workshop
has also been taking up brainspace. I still believe greatly in the power of creative communities and it hurts me that Ink ‘n Doodles has languished in a half-life… not fully dead… not really alive. Any thoughts?

Anyway… thanks for reading through this. I’ve been looking to kickstart my writing and posting and maybe this post will help. In the meantime… go create something! (I know I’ll be trying!)

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Together we are Mighty

Too many times we take for granted the precious miracles that we get every single day… I know that I let myself get “too busy”‘ to see them. Next Tuesday, January 12, I turn 38 years old. I have had many blessings in my life… not the least of which are all of you, my family and friends.

One of my friends, Tee Morris, just lost his wife yesterday. He now faces challenges that I can’t even begin to imagine.

And so now I turn to all of you. A fund has been started to help Tee and his daughter, “Sonic Boom”. In lieu of any gifts for my birthday (c’mon, I know you were going to lavish me with expensive gifts!) I ask that each of you find it in your hearts to make a donation. Together we are mighty: http://bit.ly/8ecseh

 

7th Son: Descent

7thSonDescent_NewCover

Yes, this is, at it’s heart, a “potboiler thriller“. An everyman (or every-men) thrown into fantastical situations. Conspiracy theories. The government needs their help… save the clones, save the world. But there is also so much more. Yes, one could read this like a Dan Brown novel, wonderfully written prose pulling the reader along on a thrill ride – a novelization of an action flick. Puzzles. Mysteries. Secrets. But Hutchins creates a world that is more than one-dimensional. We are taken along not only through the experiences of one everyman… but seven. “7th Son: Descent” grabs you from the beginning. Hutchins is truly a “word-herder”, grabbing you, teasing you, pulling you along on his katabatic journey.

And you lusciously succumb to his words, his characters, his twists and turns.

And you… comply.

(J.C. Hutchins has made the first 10 chapters of the book available as a free PDF download. Check it out here.)

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New Music, New Media, New Friends

For those of you that don’t know me, I’ll just come right out and say it… I LOVE new media!!! I love the Twitter, the Facebook, and the Flickr. I love podcasting, and blogging, and self publishing. Anytime a technology/ community can help someone be more creative and, in the process, get more exposure… then I’m all for it! I have “met” some of the most creative and inspiring people through new media. In the process, they have inspired me to be more creative. It’s a self-perpetuating creative circle. It is a force. It is awesome.

Today I want to tell you the story of how I met a regular guy. An “anyman”. (In an absurd twist, his name is actually John Smith – no joke!) I haven’t had the pleasure of actually shaking his hand or seeing him in person, but that’s OK… that’s not what new media is about. He’s a very talented musician (folk/rock acoustic guitar) and another new media friend pointed me to his music. (http://www.reverbnation.com/johnmichaelsmith) I gave it a listen, and I was instantly hooked! I dropped him an e-mail. Just a quick note, really, just to let him know that I listened and enjoyed his music. What happened next… well, what happened next is why I LOVE new media. Within the same day… he sent me a reply AND a personalized autographed album cover. Tell me, what “old media” musician would ever do that? No one would. But this “Anyman” did. And now he’s earned a fan for life.

Rock on, John Smith. We’re listening.

for-rob

Buy Somebody Else’s Book!

That’s right, I want you to buy somebody else’s book.

I have often commented on how important it is to surround yourself with creative superheroes. They are my inspiration and constantly motivate me to keep on creating. So now I’m asking you to support them.

My first novel, “Murder by Design“, was just offered for sale on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle versions. While I would absolutely love for all of you to go out and buy it, what I would like even more is for you to go out and support some of my friends that have already been published.

So here’s the deal:

Buy somebody else’s book and I’ll send you a PDF of
“Murder by Design” for FREE!

Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Buy one of these books:
  2. Send me an e-mail to murderbydesignnovel@gmail.com with some sort of “proof of purchase” and be sure to cc: the author.
  3. That’s it! I’ll reply to your e-mail with a PDF of “Murder by Design” for FREE!

“Murder by Design” is now available on Amazon.com

My debut novel, “Murder by Design”, is now available on Amazon.com! The novel is available in paperback as well as a Kindle version.

Click on th image below to be taken to Amazon.com.

Murder by Design on Amazon.com

If you listened to the free podcast version of “Murder by Design”, please go to the Amazon page and leave a review. If you’ve got some spare change, I would appreciate it if you could buy a copy!

 

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Make it a Monday!

Day 184/365 : Hi! My name is Mr.ExCa and I wan...

Image by ~jjjohn~ via Flickr

Yep! You read that correctly! Make it a Monday! Monday’s tend to get a bad rap. But really, Monday’s are weekly resets that we get for free. On Monday mornings we tend to get up and plan out the week. We are energized to conquer the world. I really love Monday’s!

So what happens by Wednesday or Thursday that gets us unmotivated and dejected? Let’s make every morning like Monday morning. Plan out the week. Conquer the world! Are you with me?

 

The Heaviest Element Known to Science

Governmentium is the latest element Lawrence Livermore Laboratories has discovered.

Lawrence Livermore Laboratories has discovered the heaviest element yet known to science.

The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.

These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.

Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second, to take from 4 days to 4 years to complete.

Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2- 6 years. It does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.

In fact, Governmentium’s mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes.

This characteristic of morons promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass.

When catalysed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium, an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.

* I did not write this. It has been circulating around the web for some time but seems more fitting than ever right now.

 

An American Creed

I do not choose to be a common man.

It is my right to be uncommon—if I can.

I seek opportunity—not security. I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled and dulled by having the state look after me.

I want to take the calculated risk; to dream and to build, to fail and to succeed.

I refuse to barter incentive for a dole. I prefer the challenges of life to the guaranteed existence; the thrill of fulfillment to the stale calm of utopia.

I will not trade freedom for beneficence nor my dignity for a handout. I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat.

It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid; to think and act for myself, enjoy the benefit of my creations and to face the world boldly and say, “This I have done.”

By Dean Alfange

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*Originally published in This Week Magazine.
Later printed in The Reader’s Digest, October 1952 and January 1954.

The Honorable Dean Alfange was an American statesman born December 2, 1899, in Constantinople (now Istanbul). He was raised in upstate New York. He served in the U.S. Army during World War I and attended Hamilton College, graduating in the class of 1922.

 

Still Alive – Barely Blogging

the red way

Image by manfred-hartmann via Flickr

If you are reading this post you are most probably checking to see if I’ve come out of my cave to post anything new. Alas, no… but I will populate this post with some random thoughts and happennings from the past few months.

  • The family is good… and as always, they take priority in my life.
  • I was fortunate enough to find a good full-time job. The commute is tough, but the work is creative and intellectually challenging.
  • Unfortunately, my personal creative projects (”Conclave”, “Chronicles of the Wizard King”, etc…) have had to take a back burner. One of the projects I wanted to focus on was a re-design of this site’s wordpress template. I’ve come to realize that some of these things will just have to wait.
  • My wife and I have decided to attack our debt with ferocity. We have a goal to be debt free (except for the house) within the next 2 – 2.5 years. An interesting side effect of working towards this goal has been that we are finding that, as we get rid of debt, commitments, and “stuff”, we are actually craving an even simpler life – When you are not buried under debt and “stuff”, you really do enjoy the things you do have much more.

Well, that’s all for now… I’ll try to post more often. In the meantime… go create something!