Fantastical Musings

Some Intentions for Writing In 2019!

noreply@blogger.com (sgzimmer) — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 20:46:00 +0000

In a writing sense, I hit the ground running in 2019 with a central focus on the 4th installment of my Fires in Eden Series.

It has been some time now since Spirit of Fire (the 3rd book in the Fires in Eden series) was released. That book, and The Undying Light (Book 4 of the Rising Dawn Saga) marked a time where I had a tremendous amount of output, content-wise, as a writer. During the first few years after my first published novel The Exodus Gate was released (winter of 2009), I was able to get two larger novels out a year in addition to some short stories (alternating releases between the Fires in Eden Series and Rising Dawn Saga).

As always, I never handed in anything to an editor until I had the manuscript where I wanted it. It was just a matter of being in a great groove, being able to sustain long writing sessions that were very productive, and keep on a steady pace.

Following the cancer diagnosis and passing of my mother in 2013, a time that affected me tremendously, I still continued to write and have new material published, but I leaned more heavily toward shorter formats, with a lot of short stories and smaller scale novels such as Heart of a Lion and Thunder Horizon. I didn't have the same volume of output overall as my earlier period until 2018, when I hit a great stride with the writing of the Rayden Valkyrie and Ragnar Stormbringer novellas.

Overall, 2018 (up to January 1, 2019) saw the release of eight novellas, two print compendiums, and a larger-scale novel. To summarize the year:

Rayden Valkyrie Tales - (eBook-only stand-alone novellas)

Blood of a Queen

Winds of War

The Sun's Caress

Across Desert Plains

The Rayden Valkyrie Tales, Volume I (Print-only compendium, contains Blood of a Queen, Winds of War, and the Sun's Caress)

Ragnar Stormbringer Tales

Depths of Night

When the Cold Breathes

Altar of Gods

Tears in the Snow

The Ragnar Stormbringer Tales, Volume I (Print-only compendium, contains Depths of Night, When the Cold Breathes, and Altar of Gods)

Dream of the Navigator, Book One of the Faraway Saga.

Having regained the kind of writing rhythm I had years ago, I began 2019 in a full throttle mode and have about 70,000 words of material so far for the 4th Fires in Eden novel. I have also been pouring through notes, making notes, and doing research for this book and others that I am aiming to work on this year.

I think 2018 got me back into a great frame of mind for advancing both the Fires in Eden series and the Rising Dawn Saga. I think part of the delay that occurred between 2013 and now was due to the fact that both series were developed and the first few installments of each were written when my mother, and father, were alive. They were the first to read my earliest versions and both of them supported my path as a writer. As such, they were a big part of my journey as an author in relation to these books.

I was somehow able to maintain my ideal writing zone after my father passed in 2006, but after my mother passed I think that a shadow was cast over these two series in a creative sense, the more I look back at it. (Thankfully, that creative shadow has finally passed)

Currently, and it may sound crazy, I am aiming to work on the following:

Book 4 of the Fires in Eden Series
Book 5 of the Rising Dawn Saga
Book 3 (the final installment) of the Dark Sun Dawn Trilogy
Book 2 of the Faraway Saga

In addition, I will be getting some more Rayden and Ragnar tales out there, and look to complete some more short stories that may result in anything from a Hellscapes, Volume 3 to a Chronicles of Ave, Volume 2, to an Annals of the Rising Dawn, Volume 1.

No promises on those new short story collections being released, as they depend on getting a little extra time here and there, but I think there's a good shot that at least one of those can happen.

I have a real strong vision of the direction I need to go with the projected novels above, and barring any "life happens" kind of issues I think I can get most all, if not all, of my target list completed this year. Yes, it sounds ambitious, but I am back to a higher volume of writing output and in a really good zone. I am achieving longer writing sessions with a high level of productivity and keeping to a steady course.

Keep your fingers crossed! 2019 may see my best level of output yet! I want to give my readers a lot to look forward to and reward them for their loyalty and support, so I will be giving it my all. :)

thank you for subscribing to my email list and keep your eyes out for much more to come!

sincerely,

Stephen
1-29-2019

A New Novella and a New Hero For Today

noreply@blogger.com (sgzimmer) — Sun, 25 Mar 2018 21:53:00 +0000

Last week, I shared the cover art for a new novella, Depths of Night, that marks the debut of my Ragnar Stormbringer character. I was thrilled with the artwork developed by Olivia Pro Design, as it really captured the atmosphere of this story.

Ragnar Stormbringer is a heroic warrior that inhabits the same world as Rayden Valkyrie, who is the focus of my novels Heart of a Lion and Thunder Horizon.

Ragnar is also one of the main characters featured in the Rayden Valkyrie: Saga of a Lionheart TV Pilot, which is based upon an original screenplay and story line of mine (it is not an adaptation of one of my books, although I do plan to do a novelization of the show's story line at some point).

Brock O'Hurn portrays Ragnar wonderfully in the TV pilot and I cannot wait for the completion of post-production so we can show everyone his performance. I would love to see the pilot lead to a full season of episodes. I have a very exciting journey envisioned for the ensemble cast and I know that characters like Ragnar will both engage and thrill today's audiences.

I've wanted to begin telling Ragnar's full story for awhile. I also wanted to explore Rayden Valkyrie's story further. In that light, I began to develop a number of brand new stories, some featuring Ragnar, and some featuring Rayden, which will be part of an exciting group of new releases over the next few months in eBook formats.

The eBook releases allow me to bring new stories to my readers on a regular basis while I complete some larger novel projects. To me, this is a win-win for everyone as I can increase the number of releases I have without compromising the quality of my work.

My readers deserve my best at all times, and while it can take awhile to develop one of my larger novels, it is possible for me to deliver some shorter format works (like short stories and novellas) that meet my standards for putting something forward for release (which I won't do unless I am 100% confident I have done my best on it and left nothing behind).

I believe Ragnar, like Rayden, has a lot to offer readers of today. When it comes to heroes, I like to champion the kind of hero who is mortal, of flesh and blood, imperfect, and does not possess supernatural powers ... yet has an underlying honor code and rises up in trying situations to do whatever it takes to succeed. My heroes do not hesitate to go against the odds, no matter how overwhelming.

Rayden and Ragnar are very different characters, but at the end of the day they both are human, can be related to, and call upon everyone to embrace the heroic aspects that are inside each and every living person. You don't need some fancy costume, supernatural ability, hi-tech gadgetry, or otherworldly origin to be a hero in the vein of Rayden and Ragnar. To me those are the truest kinds of heroes, because they overcome the limitations we all struggle with.

I am confident that these stories can be enjoyed by all kinds of readers, not just those into sword and sorcery or fantasy fiction. Heroic, inspirational characters reach beyond genres and engage a reader on many levels.

The Ragnar Stormbringer adventure begins on April 4th, with the release of Depths of Night, and there is much more to come!

Check out the synopsis below and if you have a Kindle, be sure to pre-order a copy too!

Synopsis of Depths of Night: After a harrowing end to a long sea journey, the famed northern warrior Ragnar Stormbringer and a force of warriors step ashore in the lands of the Petranni, a tribal people known for their workings in silver and gold. The search for plunder takes a sharp turn when homesteads, villages, and temple sites show signs of being recently abandoned.

When it is discovered that the Petranni have all taken refuge within a massive stronghold, Ragnar and the others soon fall under the shadow of an ancient, deadly adversary. Wielding his legendary war axe Raven Caller, Ragnar finds his strength tested like never before.

Kindle pre-order link:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BN9QRS8/

Become One of My Patrons and Join My Journey!

noreply@blogger.com (sgzimmer) — Sat, 18 Nov 2017 21:20:00 +0000

I have a personal Patreon page now, as do so many independent artists and creatives in today's world. It is a platform through which anyone in the public can choose to become a patron of an artist, musician, writer, filmmaker, or a company engaged in those kinds of activities.

For myself, this is something that can be of tremendous help in advancing and growing in my content creation and activities. At the moment, in addition to being a writer, I am also developing a TV show, co-hosting a weekly podcast, co-hosting a weekly V-log, engaging in weekly blogging, hosting original content on my own YouTube channel weekly, while also tending to all the tasks involved in running a press (Seventh Star Press) and convention (Imaginarium Convention).

The workload is seven days a week, with most days being long, whether twelve hours, fourteen, or even more (and sometimes overnight). It doesn't come with any guarantees. No benefits of any sort, like healthcare or paid vacation or sick days. When I'm dealing with an illness, I have to still meet deadlines and make things work on a regular basis.

I'm not complaining. This is what I do. I love the areas of activity I am involved in and have always maintained I'll work 80 hours a week at something I like versus 30 in something I have no interest or passion for.

At this stage of my journey, I have seen that the work I do does help and benefit a great many others, in many ways.

Seventh Star Press has enabled a great many authors to have their work published, with quality presentations that involve great care in regard to cover art and layouts. It has also provided lots of opportunities for editors and artists, and serviced many thousands of readers with quality content.

The Imaginarium Convention has delivered a wealth of opportunities in learning, networking and empowerment to all kinds of independent creatives, whether authors, editors, publishers, filmmakers and artists.

The Vlogs, blogs and podcasts all serve to regularly provide insights, education, and inspiration to all kinds of independent creatives on their own paths.

My own creative work, whether in writing or filmmaking, strives to encourage and inspire, with affirmations of positive values and outlooks in the protagonists I embrace. The Rayden Valkyrie character is a prime example of this, and I have gotten many messages from readers who have been inspired and encouraged in the ways I had hoped to see.

Ultimately, it is up to others to recognize the value in what someone does, but I believe strongly in the work that I do, what is has been for others, and what it can be for many more.

The realities are that the landscape for creatives is unpredictable and constantly shifting. It is a very difficult road to travel. The book publishing world alone sees regular, profound changes in the way books are marketed and sold, and these changes are rarely, if ever, truly helpful to smaller press and independent writers. Similarly, ad revenue streams on things like Google Ads or YouTube monetization sees sudden and unhelpful changes, such as the famous "adpocalypse" last fall.

A little help is needed and this is where a group of Patrons can make a huge difference.

Having a little more surety in what I can look to each month can enable me to develop even stronger content and participate in more activities like workshops and events. I can upgrade the equipment I use regularly, take advantage of more marketing opportunities to raise awareness of my work and all the things I am involved in. From growth to production value, Patrons would help me develop and keep improving in all my spheres of activity.

I can assure potential Patrons that the result will be increased content with stronger presentation, which will, in turn, benefit a much greater number of independent creatives. There is a real synergy that can happen with a solid base of support at Patreon. I look forward to engaging regularly with my Patrons, no matter what level each chooses to participate at.

If you are interested in supporting my work in any area, whether my writing, my broadcasting/Vlogging, my filmmaking, blogging, or the work I do for Seventh Star Press and the Imaginarium Convention, please consider becoming one of my Patrons.

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. It means a lot to me. more than you might realize.

You can visit my Patreon page at the link below to learn more:

https://www.patreon.com/stephenzimmer

The Multi-Faceted World of Today's Creative

noreply@blogger.com (sgzimmer) — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 22:49:00 +0000

This past week on The Creative's Cauldron, in our latest episode, Holly and I explored how today's independent creative is a "renaissance person", in terms of being active in different spheres of creativity. I relate to that dynamic myself in the areas of writing, filmmaking, music, martial arts, and broadcasting. I've found that engaging in multiple areas of creative activity, I bring myself lots of experiences and new perspectives that expand my horizons in each of the various spheres. My adventures in filmmaking, training in martial arts, exploring music, and broadcasting both in radio and visually have helped me grow further as a writer, for example. Every sphere of activity involves different experiences, disciplines, interactions, and so much more, which all lend to growing the pool of ideas, knowledge, and references that I draw from when engaging in a writing project. This results in more realism, better-developed characters, and many other things that help me develop my writing further. The different spheres also serve to inspire, in their own way. They involve different kinds of goals and milestones, the development of different skill sets, and each of these paths brings different kinds of inspiration. This is not a small area of contribution, as it is incredibly difficult to pursue the independent creative road and inspiration can make all the difference in the world when enduring some of the tougher stretches of the indie road. The multiple spheres of activity also introduce me to new audiences, who in turn discover the other things that I do. Reading audiences become aware of my independent film work, fans of independent film become aware of my novels, and all kinds of other examples of cross-pollination derive from my activity in several areas. It really is a good thing that today's climate for independent creatives fosters an openness to being active in different kinds of artistic expressions and pursuits. It has both practical and creative benefits, and I also think it helps contribute to attaining a more well-rounded approach to living life.

Started a Series of Videos on My Own YouTube Channel

noreply@blogger.com (sgzimmer) — Sat, 04 Nov 2017 20:07:00 +0000

It's been a very active week working with all the spheres of activity that Seventh Star Press is involved in. I've had a little extra burden as I've been going through lots of tutorials as I get back up to speed on Adobe Premiere Pro cc 2018, since I'm doing all the post-production on The Creative's Cauldron and other YouTube activities we will have going on.

On that note, I just started a new series of videos on my own channel called Tip Trifecta. Each video is designed to be a short-format presentation, no more than about 2 1/2 minutes in length, featuring 3 tips or insights relating to a topic relevant to creatives of today.

Sometimes the topic will be something close in relation to the theme explored in a given week on The Creative's Cauldron, as all of those topics involve things near and dear to both myself and Holly. Sometimes it may be another topic, though no less near and dear.

I hope these are helpful to creatives of all kinds, if only to suggest some things to think about while journeying along the creative path.

The first one I did gives three reasons why creatives should avoid being overly influenced or consumed by trends. These reasons come from observations I've had over years of experience in multiple creative areas, so I am confident they are well-founded.

I am always learning new things myself as I travel my own road, but I always want to share what I've gleaned along the way so that others can avoid some of the snares and pitfalls out there. It is tough enough being an independent creative!

Here's the first Tip Trifecta for you to check out! Leave a comment here and let me know what you think, and if you enjoy it go over to my YouTube Channel and subscribe!

Readying to Co-host a Podcast and a YouTube Show!

noreply@blogger.com (sgzimmer) — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 18:57:00 +0000

It has been a little while since I have co-hosted a show, as the Star Chamber Show was on hiatus for a few months, but this week I am definitely diving into the deep end of the pool in that area.

Wednesday night marks the return of The Star Chamber Show, and Friday marks the debut of a new YouTube show called The Creative's Cauldron.

The Star Chamber Show has already had 87 episodes and featured a great range of writers and other independent creatives. The show has been on hiatus for a little while, but all of the co-hosts are rarin' to go to bring the show back better than ever.

The range of guests will expand, and the show won't necessarily have a designated guest every week. It will be a show about the independent creative world, especially as it regards the realms of books, movies, art, and gaming. There will be guests, of course, and the types of guests will be expanding, but the show will be expanding beyond the interview-style format that was central in the first 87 episodes.

Friday marks the debut of The Creative's Cauldron, a new YouTube show that Holly Phillippe and I are developing and co-hosting that will focus on the world of indie creatives. We work as independent creatives each and every day, and there are a lot of folks out there who really don't know what working in this area involves and what it is really like.

The show will be a rather raw and candid look at our daily lives running a small press, a convention, blogging, podcasting, developing a TV show, and everything else we are involved with (along with my own path as a writer myself.) I think viewers will find the show funny and entertaining much of the time, but they will also get a good sense of how tough it is to pursue one's dreams in areas that are very hard to make a living within.

I think it will be great to do a show with Holly (and she's going to be one of the co-hosts on The Star Chamber Show going forward as well) as we do have a great dynamic when working together, and with our distinctly different styles/personalities, I think we will make it entertaining to watch!

Be sure to subscribe to the Seventh Star Press YouTube channel for The Creative's Cauldron at www.youtube.com/seventhstarpress

and The Star Chamber Show can be found at: www.blogtalkradio/starchambershow

Get ready for some fun shows!

TV Pilots and Conventions Back to Back Make Definitely Challenge One's Endurance

noreply@blogger.com (sgzimmer) — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 19:05:00 +0000

It's October and I need a vacation. Haven't had one of those in a LONG while, but it would be nice.

It has been quite a run since March, a full-throttle work mode that encompassed the pre-production/production of Rayden Valkyrie, Saga of a Lionheart, and then the main preparations and delivery of Imaginarium Convention 2017.

Both are projects near and dear to my heart, but they both required wearing multiple hats and grueling schedules. I exhausted myself and regained some weight in the process, unfortunately, but in order to deliver both projects it had to be done. Both were on very small budgets and a lot had to be taken on that would normally have been handled by a hired staff.

We just released a new trailer about a week ago for the Rayden Valkyrie: Saga of a Lionheart TV Pilot, which stars Brock O'Hurn and Sol Geirsdottir, and has an extremely talented ensemble cast. Take a few moments and enjoy the trailer here:

For the next few months I will not have any major events looming, thankfully. We are in the post-production phase on the TV Pilot and we will be presenting it to a number of parties before the year is out as we seek a good home to develop a full series.
I will have a lot of activity to attend to with my writing, working for Seventh Star Press, and developing things for next year's Imaginarium Convention, but it won't be at the same intensity as my March-October schedule was.
I am also aiming to ramp up my physical training again. Really not happy about backsliding a bit these past few months, but I had to do what I had to do to take the next steps on my path. I sincerely hope I will not have to run that kind of gauntlet again, and the next time I will be able to operate on a level where there is a budget for additional staff help, etc. I know I can get shored up physically again, it's just a matter of consistency and focus.
One project I am excited about is The Creative's Cauldron, a new YouTube show I will be doing with my better half, Holly Phillipe, that will be a candid, funny, and entertaining take on our lives working in the indie creative world. It won't be scripted I think a lot of authors, filmmakers and other creatives will relate to the kinds of stories we share from our daily lives working to take the next steps on the creative path. Definitely check it out, and be sure to subscribe to the Seventh Star Press YouTube channel so you get the notifications on new episodes! The link for that is: www.youtube.com/seventhstarpress
It's a very interesting time for sure, and I know there's an audience for the things we have developed and are developing, but I would not turn down a vacation opportunity! haha!

Chicago Trip for Rayden Valkyrie TV Pilot Project

noreply@blogger.com (sgzimmer) — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 21:30:00 +0000

Started this week with a very intensive two day excursion from Chicago to explore casting possibilities for the role of Rayden Valkyrie in the Rayden Valkyrie TV Pilot Project.

Obviously, the casting of this central role is critical to the potential success of the project, so we have to take extreme care with this decision. We have had to adjust our production window a couple of times during the process, but we want to make absolutely sure we do it right.

This project could not only lead to an entire season of episodes, but it could kickoff some wonderful new projects for Seventh Star Studios, which is the production company bringing this to life (and it is the first project for Seventh Star Studios).

Me with production team members John Wells Ken Daniels and Holly Phillipe

We are very busy with several areas of the project at the moment, from storyboards to locations props, costuming, and building the production crew. It's coming together and I hope to be able to share some cool news in regards to our cast very soon!

Looking Ahead, Writing Projects, Visual Media, and Much More.

noreply@blogger.com (sgzimmer) — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 23:19:00 +0000

I haven't posted here in a little while, as my friend Jorie (writer and reviewer/book blogger at Jorie Loves a Story) reminded me of. Time slipped by fast over the holidays as I was engaged in a moving project, and moving during the holiday season is a double-whammy for sure!

I got back on a good writing rhythm again, and recently finished the manuscript for the second Rayden Valkyrie novel. Tentatively titled Thunder Horizon, it is the followup to Heart of a Lion. I am confident that readers will find it to be a very exciting, action-filled read that builds strongly from everything set in place in the first novel.

I celebrated the finish of the book with a bottle of Blanton's, a wondrous bourbon made here in Kentucky that is a personal favorite of mine. The photo below was taken a few hours after finishing the manuscript.

The book has been sent to Scott M. Sandridge, the editor for the Dark Sun Dawn Trilogy. I am hoping to see it released later this spring.

Next on the writing horizon are two projects. One is a YA novel, cross-genre, that I'm very excited about. I'm probably about 2/3 finished on the manuscript and progressing daily.

Also up is the 4th installment in the Fires in Eden series. There's been a little time since Spirit of Fire was released, and I feel with how I've grown these past couple of years I'm in a good position to deliver the best title in this series yet. With many threads well-established in the story I have a lot to work with, but expect a fast-pace, intense read with a lot of development with the characters and plot.

On the movie front, we are preparing for the production of the TV Pilot Rayden Valkyrie: Saga of a Lionheart. From storyboarding, to costuming, casting, and other areas, a lot is going on right now and we're building a great group to bring this to life. Production will take place later this spring in Kentucky. Going to be an exciting one for sure!

All of this, in addition to my ongoing work for Seventh Star Press (including Imaginarium 2017) means a very busy year looms. I'll work to be better at posting updates here as well! :)

Help Us Support the Imaginarium Mission to Empower Writers

noreply@blogger.com (sgzimmer) — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 16:27:00 +0000

As Imaginarium Convention approaches its 3rd annual installment, I look back and see that we've made a lot of strides toward our goal of developing a creative writing convention that has a welcoming atmosphere for all genres and levels of writers, and also provides the highest quality of content in a manner that is accessible to writers who cannot afford to attend writing conferences that often charge fees as high as $200-500, and often much more for registration.

Over the three day convention we feature well more than 100 panels and a large number of workshops that cover a full range of topics concerning the craft of writing, various genres, screenplays, publishing, editing, and even game development and creating comics/graphic novels. There are no additional fees charged, and the $65 registration gives an attendee access to everything, including all other areas of the convention like the film festival, gaming, all entertainment events, and more.

And for our attendees that decide to exhibit in our expo, we give them the best chance for making sales by having the expo portion of Imaginarium open to the general public for free.

Imaginarium is developing in the way we envisioned it. You don't have to take my word for it, just read through a slew of testimonials we have received:

http://www.entertheimaginarium.com/testimonials-about-imaginarium/

As anyone who has run one can tell you, even a one day event involves a lot of challenges. There are loads of costs involved with a convention, and meeting those costs while striving to keep access as inexpensive as possible creates a fine line in terms of making everything work. All sorts of hotel-related costs, rentals, entertainment expenses, promotion expenses, convention materials, signage, and many other things

One area that many who love Imaginarium might not yet be aware of are our Patron and Friend level sponsorships which are low enough in price that individuals can easily participate. They both offer logo display on the site for those who have companies or a service to offer. This can be an event, or a product image like a book cover, the choice is left to the Patron or Friend of Imaginarium.

The Patron sponsorship is $150 and the Friend of Imaginarium sponsorship is $50. Both are described in full on our sponsorship page, underneath the Platinum/Gold/Silver levels. If you like what you see and want to help support the Imaginairum vision, you can come aboard right away:

http://www.entertheimaginarium.com/sponsorships/

Help us take Imaginarium to new heights and open more doors for all kinds of writers, of all genres. From novelists, to short story writers, to poets, screenwriters, game developers, comic creators and more, we are committed to hosting an event that empowers, educates, networks, and is also quite a lot of fun too!

New Column Went Live Today at The Seventh Star With a Motivational Post

noreply@blogger.com (sgzimmer) — Tue, 23 Aug 2016 03:38:00 +0000

It's been a very busy time, with so much going on with the Rayden Valkyrie TV Pilot, Imaginarium, Seventh Star Press and my writing world. One of the new developments I have been excited about concerns The Seventh Star, the new and improved blog of Seventh Star Press that features regular columns, featured guests, and more in addition to carrying Seventh Star Press news and announcements.

I am one of the participating columnists for The Seventh Star and my column is titled "Creative Musings", to keep the vibes consistent between there and this blog. My first post went live today, "The Only Path for Creatives is to Keep Moving Forward."

While directed at creative types like writers, filmmakers and musicians, the post and what it is getting at can be applied to anyone. I give some thoughts on one of my main themes, the idea of needing to "Keep Moving Forward" in life, and apply it to the arts world.

I really like how this post came out and hope that it helps some folks out there who might be struggling along the road in pursuit of their dreams and ambitions.

You can check it out at:

http://www.theseventhstarblog.com/?p=229

I Invite You to Become Part of Something Truly Positive in the Rayden Valkyrie TV Pilot Project

noreply@blogger.com (sgzimmer) — Tue, 29 Mar 2016 04:25:00 +0000

At the moment we are a little more than two weeks away from the goal line. We've made progress, with 79 backers on the Kickstarter campaign totaling $6,390 in pledges. We have posted 31 updates to the campaign, and 4 full videos. Our Thunderclap coming up on April 7th now has 137 participants, with a reach of 260,000 people among that group.

All of it is certainly positive, but we need additional help to reach the goal.

The questions are straightforward.

If we reach the goal, our task is to deliver a TV pilot. Will we do that?

Yes, absolutely.

Will this project benefit the Eastern Kentucky region where most of it would be produced.

Yes, absolutely.

Will this project provide numerous opportunities for a variety of talented individual?

Yes, absolutely.

Will this project be something that those involved in it, whether backing it or working on it, an be proud of?

Yes, absolutely.

I won't make this post long, as the Kickstarter site now has posts addressing all aspects of the campaign and showcasing a variety of individuals representing the kind of folks that we would build a production group with. There are also a slew of awesome custom memorabilia items available only through this campaign, on various reward levels for pledging.

Maybe I should also mention that my deep dedication to this project and character means that I will go to every end to see that this TV Pilot is delivered at the highest level possible.

We just need a little help. Please consider coming over to the Kickstarter project page and clicking on the "Back this Project" link on the right side, and make a pledge to help us get closer to the goal.

If you back us, we will deliver. Thank you for reading.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/seventhstarpress/rayden-valkyrie-tv-pilot

Sunday Drive for 5 in Our Effort to Bring a Rayden Valkyrie TV Pilot to the Screen!

noreply@blogger.com (sgzimmer) — Sun, 13 Mar 2016 18:27:00 +0000

Today we are doing a special drive to seek some $5 pledges in our campaign to bring to live a Rayden Valkyrie TV pilot. Some folks might not think a $5 pledge matters, but growing our backer family in a Kickstarter campaign makes an impact and helps more than you might know.

We're making headway for sure, but it's not an easy road to bring this Kickstarter Campaign to the goal line. And in a Kickstarter campaign you don't get the funding unless you reach the goal. It's all or nothing, which is a good thing as it ensures that the project is genuinely funded before it is confirmed.

Five dollars, in other areas, might mean a pack of smokes, a couple gallons of gas, 2 bags of chips, a couple gallons of milk, maybe a matinee movie, which are all gone quick, but the $5 pledged in our campaign will set in motion a tv pilot that we intend to grow into a full blown television series, something to entertain you for a long time to come and employing people and creating opportunities for a long time to come.

That's all we are asking on our Sunday Drive for 5. One day to encourage some folks to come aboard our backer family and just make a $5 pledge. Don't forget, a $5 pledge also gets you an eBook copy of Heart of a Lion, the first novel that Rayden Valkyrie starred in, and it also gets you entered into the Imaginarium Convention contest that includes 2 hotel room nights, 2 weekend passes, and 2 award banquet tickets where the winner will be seated with our guest of honor and other major writer/filmmaker guests!

It only takes a few moments to make a pledge, so join us today on this Sunday Drive for 5! You can help us make this project happen!

To make a pledge, visit:

www.kickstarter.com/projects/seventhstarpress/rayden-valkyrie-tv-pilot

One Project To Open Doors, Realize Dreams, and Bring an Inspirational Character to the World

noreply@blogger.com (sgzimmer) — Wed, 02 Mar 2016 17:04:00 +0000

Time and time again, a strong woman of honor and conviction has been a light to me during dark times. In fact, she first manifested to me during a very difficult time in my own life, and I know from very personal experience what she can be as a model and inspiration.

Now, I have a chance to bring her to a wide audience in a way that will unleash opportunities, realize dreams, and spread positive energy that will only grow in time.

Her name is Rayden Valkyrie and the project is the Rayden Valkyrie TV Pilot Project. Rayden is the character I most love to write, most deeply relate to, and who I have an unshakable passion to represent in the best way possible in every kind of media she is featured in.

This Rayden Valkyrie TV Pilot project seeks to create a television pilot episode starring the Rayden Valkyrie character that will demonstrate the power, viability and potential of a full Rayden Valkyrie television series. Needless to say, the show will offer the kind of visuals and elements that modern audiences have come to expect. It will have action, monsters, the supernatural, beautiful scenery, the sensual, and much more that will appeal to fans of fantasy-driven television shows like Game of Thrones.

But there is something more to this project; something far from minor that makes this project a little extra special.

The Rayden Valkyrie TV Pilot project holds the potential to be the genesis of a brand new television series to be produced here in my home state of Kentucky. In every phase of producing an episodic television show, from concept art and storyboarding, to location scouting, to production management, to crew elements involving camera, light and sound, to support elements like transportation and catering, to special effects, post-production departments (including editors, sound mixing, scoring), to marketing and publicity, and so many more areas, a host of new opportunities will come to life. This represents many instances in which individual dreams will be realized, as a number of talents from the region come together to create a top quality television show.

It will also introduce a character who can serve as a positive inspiration in an increasingly challenging and difficult world. As those who have read the novel Heart of a Lion can attest, Rayden Valkyrie's inner strength and honor are every bit as compelling, if not more so, than her fearsome ability to wield a sword and ax in combat.

She is a character who has endured great hardship, adversity and heartbreak, and knows what it is like to feel alone. Nevertheless, she finds the strength to fight onward, to stand against all manner of evils and wrong doing, to defend those who cannot defend themselves, to stand with those who take up a righteous cause, and to stand alone when her heart holds the conviction that she is doing what is right.
Rayden lives her life with true honor, compassion and a passion for living, despite what the world has thrown at her. She is real, with faults, moments of doubt and weakness, and longings.

I have no doubt that audiences will find many ways of connecting with her, and many areas in which they can draw inspiration from her. In this way, I take the position that she can be a valuable contribution to entertainment realms that contain an abundance of vacuous and even negative influences.

In knowing what the Rayden Valkyrie character can represent to audiences and the numerous opportunities that will come to life for so many, I know in the core of my heart that this project deserves a chance to move forward. To make that happen, we will need the involvement and support of a great many from the general public in the campaign now underway.

While this project will deliver a high quality television episode, it is still a demonstration of a concept, and as such there is no guaranteed series or home at a network just yet. Without those elements, we cannot in good conscience seek support in traditional investor settings, with projected financial returns, schedules of financial return, and other elements contained in pitches to investors in projects like feature films.

While we have access to some channels of funding, we do need to attain a portion of our budgetary needs through crowdfunding. To that end we have created a number of levels offering exclusive memorabilia, available only through the campaign (such as limited edition concept art prints, a book version of the screenplay for the pilot episode containing additional content, etc), credited positions (such as co-producer and even an executive producer credit), and event-oriented activities (ranging from activities surrounding the premiere of the episode to a special 2 day excursion with myself and members of the cast and crew to some unique Kentucky sites such as a bourbon distillery and historical site.

It is very important to state that every single contribution makes a difference. We are not individuals with great personal means, nor do we have big studios backing us, nor are we seeking an unreasonably large budget figure. We know what it will take to produce a top-quality show and we simply are seeking the resources to make that happen. With a relatively smaller figure sought to round out our budget, every five, ten, or twenty dollars contributed makes a true difference.

This is a real instance where anyone has the opportunity to recognize potential, support it, and bring it into reality. It is a chance to make a difference, and be a participant instead of a bystander, an actualizer instead of a spectator.

Get involved, make a difference, and help us make this wonderful project happen. Join with Rayden Valkyrie and become a part of a project that has the heart of a lion.

To see the full campaign on Kickstarter and make a pledge, please visit:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/seventhstarpress/rayden-valkyrie-tv-pilot

More Progress in Training, Kettlebells, Krav Maga, and More!

noreply@blogger.com (sgzimmer) — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 03:46:00 +0000

Training has been progressing very well, and I figured I'd give a few updates on that side of things as well as share the latest ad image that NuHealth is using to promote their ReCharge line of products.

I am always evolving my core workout, from tweaking to making new additions. Without question, the core workout is at it's best point yet and I think it features a nice balance of flexibility, cardio, endurance, and strength/power training.

The bulk of it is Krav Maga, with loads of drills in combatives, heavy bag work, working with a training dummy, Retzev segments and working in new techniques. At this point the core workout features a very good range of drills and techniques, and I believe strongly in the drill, drill, drill approach when it comes to techniques. This can make for a very solid pace and level of intensity as the workout flows through the combatives and techniques.

I always have a good warm-up segment and flexibility work prior to getting into that phase of the workout. I've recently added a few more movements and types of stretches in this part of it and I've come to appreciate just how important and vital the warmup/flexibility part of the workout is to everything from injury prevention, to recovery, to progress in training and to getting me prepped for the more intense parts of the workout. Warming up properly and giving time and attention to stretching matters.

I also work in a nice dose of body weight exercises, with a few types of pushups and several types of pullups, mixing those in with some of the combative segments. I recently added another type of pullup, bringing my total there to 5 different types/grips of pullups making for a pretty good range of coverage on that type of exercise.

The other part of the core workout that I began integrating in December of 2015 were kettlebell exercises. I have carefully built onto that since beginning with some basic movements, and just this week added the kettlebell version of the viking push press and single arm swings (I've been doing the two-arm swings since December). I've found the kettlebell training to have an art of its own, and it is a type of training that is very compatible with martial arts with its ability to offer powerful movements that make us of multiple muscle groups, especially the core. I've seen the benefits of the kettlebell training integration already, in terms of speed, power, and strength improvements. I've been studying all I can about kettlebells and find them very fascinating. I'm looking forward to learning more, improving my use of them, and reporting on the progress in that area as well.

I really hope to give the NuHealth folks another progress photo in the near future. They recently ran the advertisement below that shows 4 images, with a before and 3 progress photos. The final one is about 2 months old as of now and I have made more strides since then, but want to be sure I give them an image that shows a very noticeable jump forward.

The training is going very nicely, though, and the core workout has advanced to its best level yet. Onward and upward. ;)

New Interview Posted at the Blog of H.C. Playa, Covering Writing and Sword and Sorcery

noreply@blogger.com (sgzimmer) — Sat, 13 Feb 2016 01:41:00 +0000

It has been just a little bit since I had a new interview, but there's one that went live today at the blog of H.C. Playa. Covers writing, sword and sorcery, and goes quite a bit into elements concerning both Heart of a Lion and the Fires in Eden Series. Quite a few insights about Rayden Valkyrie in this one too. Definitely worth checking out if you get a moment.

Big thanks to H.C. Playa for interviewing me!

The direct link is!

https://hcplaya.wordpress.com/2016/02/12/writers-ramble-stephen-zimmer-on-sword-sorcery/

Carrying On as a Single Guy in a Tough Age

noreply@blogger.com (sgzimmer) — Sat, 30 Jan 2016 03:40:00 +0000

This has definitely been an introspective week. We got a rather big snowstorm last weekend here in Lexington and that was followed up by a rather bad sinus infection/flu kind of thing that had me pretty home-bound much of this week.

It drove home a lot of things. A lot of difficult things that aren't that easy to talk about. This was a very lonely week and one that was in great contrast to a situation I was in at this time last year. It involves so much that I don't understand.

I know, and have shown, that I am generous, kind-hearted, willing to go the extra-mile to show my appreciation, and have a true romantic streak toward, those I'd hoped to become my partners in crime on life's road. It has astounded me more than once to see what paths have been chosen by others. Obviously, I cannot go into detail in a public forum like this, but suffice it to say I have seen some really mind-boggling choices transpire.

I know I could be a great father or a great male figure, or even a great step-dad kind of person for kids. A solid role model, a good example, someone that is supportive and guiding and caring. I don't see a whole hell of a lot of that out there anymore, so I always figured that would be an asset. Apparently not, but it's something I desire to be, in a way that I can only describe like a calling. I know what my own parents were to me and that is something I would like to be for some kids in a very big way, whether they are mine in a biological sense, aren't, or perhaps both. I know without question, if I did have both in my world (biological and non-biological) I would never treat the two any differently.

I'm sorry to say, but the bad guy is very, very rarely going to change. As in extremely rarely. A woman is not going to "fix" that person, or change them. They will be doing the same things month in and month out, year in and year out, that they did before. Leopards don't change their spots.

I'll never understand the pull that some truly loathsome guys have had on women (and I mean loathsome, as in the beater, the cheater, and the substance abuser). Worse, I've seen, very often, women go from bad guy to bad guy as if there will be a different outcome from making the same kind of choice each time. It's frustrating, and something I've often had to keep my silence on, but I can talk about it in a general sense here.

A guy that cares is not necessarily going to move as fast as a bad guy. But that's because he genuinely respects, and wants to show respect, for the woman he hopes to become his partner.

Never think the good guy cannot be as spontaneous, or fun-loving as the bad guy. The good guy is just going to make sure the context is in the right place, and that everything about a given situation is given appreciation and respect. If the woman is patient, she will discover that there are layers, depths, and horizons to the truly caring guy that the bad guy cannot hope to reach. The caring guy will be able to take a woman to some incredible levels of experience.

Honestly, I don't know what to think anymore. I firmly have felt, for a long time, that I can bring the best of both worlds. I am family-oriented and have a solid grounding. I am loyal, and do not have any of the big red flag issues like violence, substance abuse or cheating problems. I am also very fun-loving, creative, spontaneous, adventurous, and willing to go the extra mile to make a relationship a wonderful and exciting one.

I have no idea why I am in a place where I spent the last week alone, when I am in a place where I have so much to offer and give, and continuously watch others settle for so very little and often things that are of great harm. It's an area that is vexing and frustrating.

I hear a lot of women posting and talking about there not being any good guys left. There are, most definitely, but a woman has to make the choice to have one in their world to make that happen, and truly reject the bad guys so prevalent out there.

I know what I offer and I'll carry on. But it isn't easy.

My Music Motivations #2

noreply@blogger.com (sgzimmer) — Sun, 24 Jan 2016 23:45:00 +0000

Heavy metal and hard rock throughout the years has resounded with themes of believing in oneself, following your dreams, self-empowerment, being willing to stand alone, having the courage to stand up for yourself, and being willing to stand up for others. It is one of the major reasons I love this genre of music and many times I have had to take strength and inspiration from songs that reflect these themes to get through difficult periods of my own.

In today's My Music Motivations, I want to spotlight the song "To the Threshold" by the hardcore/metal band Hatebreed. Don't let the name of the band fool you. These guys, through and through, have created some of the most positive, self-empowerment songs that you could find in any genre.

"To the Threshold" is a song that fires me up to no end, as it is not only about self-empowerment, but it is also about seeking to help empower others. The two-fold nature of this song resonates so powerfully within me. I often do my martial arts training to Hatebreed, and songs like this certainly stoke the flames when I am doing high intensity training and building upon my own self-empowerment and growth in strength.

The song wastes no time in getting at its core themes, in the very first lines:

This is the sound of the lost, beaten and broken,

rising up and claiming what has been taken from us

From the shadows of the past

From the depths of our own failures

Stepping forward into the light

Denying our demise

Decimating all uncertainty

Bowing to only who can place judgement upon me

This song calls to those who have had heartache, loss, setbacks, and been knocked down in life, exhorting them to step out of the shadows of the past and into the light with a determination to fight. The denial of one's demise is at the foundation of rising back up again, embracing the will to keep moving forward and not to quit. Life is not fair and does take from so many of us in a very cruel way, so there are times when we must feel a degree of fury, set our minds, and rise back up again.

All too often those who feel that they are broken and beaten remain mired in such a state. In doing so, they become self-fulfilling prophets, and self-defeating. There is a path back, but we must each decide to take that path and step forward. Deny your demise and decimate uncertainty!

The next lines in the song reflect the other core aspect, that of building up and empowering others, with a very pointed nuance. The person is doing it from a position of strength. They have pushed themselves to the Threshold and now they are in a place where they can lead by example.

Give me your broken

Give me your beaten

I will build them up

I will lead them

To The Threshold

Make you stronger

Make you believe

I am the one in the same

but now stronger than uncertainty

These words encourage someone who has risen back up from hardship and regained strength to show others the path. The words reflect someone who has been in the shoes of the broken and beaten, a person who understands all too well what that is like. But this person has risen up and knows how to grow stronger and believe, and can do that by example, which is certainly one of the most powerful forms of leading others. The willingness to reach out to others and help build others up and guide them in self-empowerment. is a very special aspect of this wonderful song.

Within this army

This is more than a battle - cry

It's the blood of our lifeline

Flowing faster

Once you come out of the other side of rising back up, knowing what it takes to grow stronger, the idea of being able to push yourself to the threshold, or limits, is not just a battle cry as the song states. It is a part of who you are, something that flows within your veins. It is, as the song states so well, the blood of one's lifeline.

This is the sound of the lost, beaten and broken

Decimating all fears

Stronger than ever

Beyond every dream

Ascension into supremacy

Now we're stronger than ever

Backed by thundering riffs and rhythm, this section is the battle cry. The ascension into supremacy, to me, is mastering oneself and becoming the strongest and best person that you can be. That's the ultimate supremacy. Stronger than ever and decimating fears as the lyrics say. The lost, beaten and broken renewed, resurrected, and standing taller than ever. I love everything about this section and what it hails.

We were the broken

We were the beaten

I was once like you

Now I push myself to the threshold

Because I am stronger

Because I believe

Now I spit in the face of defeat

Now I'm stronger than all uncertainty

This final section brings everything together and ends the song on an absolute high note. It reflects someone who has risen back up and those that the person has helped, reached out to, and guided, all empowered and stronger than ever before. The absolute defiance of spitting in the face of defeat and the strength to face uncertainty reflects those who are not broken or beaten in any way. It is the description of what a champion is all about, a person who can push themselves to the limits. To the threshold.

No matter what you have been through, believe in yourself. And become stronger than ever. :)

When a Two Year Old is Called To Keep Moving Forward

noreply@blogger.com (sgzimmer) — Sat, 16 Jan 2016 22:06:00 +0000

I have often said that I have found myself in the role of the underdog since the beginning, and I've meant that in a very literal sense. Today, I wanted to share some things about my childhood that had a very significant impact upon my life, my development, my outlook, and in many ways who I am today.

At the age of two, I endured a traumatic head injury. Court cases later involving myself and several other children who were seriously hurt brought to light that this was the result of a violent and abusive daycare worker.

The back of my skull was crushed and I was rushed to an emergency surgery. I was told by my folks later that I nearly died that day. The back of my skull was essentially shattered to the point that even part of the brain was exposed. Following a very extensive surgery and craniotomy, involving the use of a slew of tiny clamps, I made it through and even still could smile as the photo shows.

Of course, this was a hellish experience for my folks to go through and the beginning of a very long road. I can't even imagine what it must have been like for them.

At the age of two, because of the vulnerability of my skull, I had to begin sleeping in what was a small hockey helmet at night. I had to sleep in a helmet for a few years, in fact, as well as wear this helmet all throughout the day. Literally, except for when I had gentle washing and baths, I had to wear that thing 24 hours a day.

Obviously, being on the playground, or at pre-school and later, in a helmet tends to bring you a lot of unpleasant attention from other kids. The only good news was that I did not get beat up as even the bigger kids were savvy enough to realize that punching a hockey helmet would not benefit their hands very well. But I did get called names quite a bit, and even to the kids who were my friends I was a curiosity. I endured a lot of rapping knuckles like a door knock on my helmet and things like that.

It was a very difficult process to go through as I was very aware of the attention I attracted. I became very self-conscious and wondered what was wrong with me quite often. Thankfully, I did end up having some very good playmates who more or less stuck up for me out on the playground and elsewhere, and teachers tended to keep a good eye out for me.

I learned to live with it and did not shut down. The overwhelming amount of that credit goes to my folks who were absolutely amazing parents to have and who fought for me anytime any organizer had an issue about me participating in something while wearing a helmet.

They made sure I was in social activities with my peer group, supported my interests, and really were there to help me hold the line while I was struggling during that time as a three year old, four year old, five year old, and on up. They didn't shelter me or coddle me, they encouraged me to engage, to participate, and to do anything any of the other kids were doing.

The doctors overseeing my development determined that my head was more or less normalized except for one very small zone as I entered my first years of t-ball and small fry baseball (like little league). My mother's godfather, a wonderful man named Fritz Gassman, who we affectionately called Uncle Fritz, had an autobody shop and worked with materials like fiberglass. He took it upon himself, on his own initiative, to create a baseball cap that had snaps in the back, into which a curving fiberglass plate could be fitted.

At long last, I did not have to wear a helmet anymore, and was able to shift into a baseball cap. By that time I had been able to go to sleep at night without wearing headgear, so this enabled me to enter a much more normalized state of existence. Since I went to a school that required uniforms (Catholic school), being able to wear a ballcap actually became a cool accessory that some kids were jealous of!

By the time that I moved on to Babe Ruth League my head finally reached the point where I was able to go full time without protective headgear.

Nevertheless, the experience, looking back on it, had a profound effect on my lifetime. It instilled within me a sensitivity to those being bullied, and to anyone that had something that caused them to stand out a bit from the crowd. It gave me a special respect for anyone saddled with some kind of health or physical-related challenge. It gave me a passion for the underdog in any sphere of life.

I think in many ways, since I was singled out all the time because of that helmet, it caused me to think in terms of individuals and not groups. To this day, I view each person on an individual level and shun labels and categories in my personal relationships and interactions. Truly, if there ever was a lesson about the importance of tolerance, then this was a big one that I took forward with me across the years. I credit this in a big way for the fact that I have had wonderful friendships with individuals coming from all walks of life, no matter what culture, ethnicity, religion, level of education, sexual orientation, or any other area typically used to define groups.

It required me to be resilient, to believe in myself and that I could still walk tall even if I was being made fun or being stared at. I really did learn to march to my own drummer and be able to stand alone. It toughened me in a lot of ways, and prepared me better for the interior self-esteem battle I would fight soon after putting on a lot of weight due to being hypothyroid just as I was entering my high school years.

In a matter of a few violent seconds, a two year old's life had a shadow cast over it that lasted many years. Nevertheless, that two year old did keep moving forward ... onward and upward.

My Music Motivations #1

noreply@blogger.com (sgzimmer) — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 03:04:00 +0000

Music is an essential part of my world and many songs have had a very powerful impact upon me over the years. I've played music (overwhelmingly on guitar), written to it, gone about my daily tasks to it, worked out to it, and simply given it my full listening attention, all throughout the years.

It has motivated me, bolstered, me, inspired me, and helped pick me up again more times than I can count. With the My Music Motivation posts, I hope to give some perspective to how music makes such an impact upon me and spotlight a few special songs that have held a lot of meaning for me.

In this first installment, I want to present the song "Marathon" by Rush, from their fantastic Power Windows album.

This song, in my view, presents a powerful and positive approach to life as a whole. The idea of life as a marathon is such a powerful metaphor and one well-worth pondering.

I used to run a lot when I played baseball, often for longer distances for conditioning purposes. While I never ran a marathon's distance, in a technical sense, I did acquire an appreciation for things like pacing, endurance, conditioning, and training.

All of these ideas are reflected in the song. Let's take a look at most of the lyrical content and I will share what I've gleaned and what I've taken from them.

"It's not how fast you can go
The force goes into the flow"

Life requires pacing. It doesn't all happen at once and you can't force things to go faster or slower. It simply happens, at whatever scale.

The flow is where the force really is, as life involves all kinds of events and experiences that occur at different rates and levels of impact. Again, the idea of a flow, rushing at one time and slow and even in another, resonates powerfully with the idea of life and the energy of life.

"More than just survival
More than just a flash
More than just a dotted line
More than just a dash"

This, to me, gets at the sheer magnitude and nature of life. It IS more than just survival and existing, and going from point to point. Life is something so much greater. We only experience a finite number of years in this physical life, but it is important to retain the idea of a bigger picture, that life is not just the act of living in a biological sense from day to day. In saying that life is more than survival, I believe the song hints at the idea that life can be about thriving too.

"It's a test of ultimate will
The heartbreak climb uphill
Got to pick up the pace
If you want to stay in the race"

Life is filled with all manner of setbacks, heartbreaks, losses and pitfalls. These are the moments that really test your ultimate will, in so many ways. In my own life, significant passings in my family and significant heartbreaks I have suffered have required very steep uphill climbs.

I've had to pick up my pace many times over to get back into the race, as the song says, and it often requires all the willpower you can muster to do so. I have to admit I'd love for at least the heartbreak part of it to come to an end, but I'm still girded to pick up the pace. Passing that test of ultimate will is far, far from easy, but it is required.

"One moment's high
And glory rolls on by
Like a streak of lightning
That flashes and fades
In the summer sky"

To me, this is a warning not to become arrogant. There is a distinct difference between confidence and arrogance. Confidence is a very good thing, and it is based upon honesty about your ability and capabilities and what you know you can do. You simply can't get too caught up in the glory and hoopla, because the nature of life is transient, and even the biggest period of success doesn't last. Things do flash and fade and you have to keep a sobered view when running the marathon of life.

"Your meters may overload
You can rest at the side of the road
You can miss a stride
But nobody gets a free ride"

Nobody does get a free ride. Life truly isn't fair, and in my experience rarely goes all that smoothly. Nevertheless, there are times when you do have to take a time out. That might be resetting yourself, refocusing, and recalibrating. It is perfectly fine to take a "time out", to get some rest, and to accept that fact that sometimes you are fatigued or overwhelmed, and a rest at the side of the road is in order. I've had those moments myself and they've been very helpful for progressing on life's marathon.

The words about missing a stride I find interesting, as in my opinion it hints at making mistakes in life, and it suggests that's okay too. I've learned from my mistakes, when I've missed that stride here or there, and it's helped me to run the race much better as I go forward.

"You can do a lot in a lifetime
If you don't burn out too fast
You can make the most of the distance
First you need endurance
First you've got to last"

There is a lot of positive encouragement in this section. Each and every person CAN do a lot in a lifetime. The key is making use of the time you have been given, but that means you have to last, you have to endure. That means that you have to weather the storms, you have to grow stronger and progress, you have to develop,and you have to adapt and adjust to what life throws at you.

In the end, you can complete the marathon in a way you can be very proud of. To me, that's what this song is all about.

Full Song "Heart of a Lion" Released for Forthcoming Rayden Valkyrie TV Pilot Project Campaign

noreply@blogger.com (sgzimmer) — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 18:54:00 +0000

I had an amazing surprise today! The FULL song "Heart of a Lion", composed and performed by Kylie Jude of Frozen Creek Studios for our upcoming TV Pilot Project campaign, to bring to life a dedicated Rayden Valkyrie television show. Kylie Jude captured Rayden's essence beautifully and this is a full lyrics video too. This character, this series, is all about staying strong and moving forward, onward and upward, in the face of all storms.".

As the chorus goes:

"You can't break me

I will still be

Fighting....

Roaring...."

To sign up on the official mailing list for the Rayden Valkyrie TV Pilot Project Campaign and to keep up with this exciting project, please visit www.raydenvalkyrie.com

Proud to Announce New Association With and Endorsement of NuHealth and Their Recharge Line of Health Supplements

noreply@blogger.com (sgzimmer) — Tue, 05 Jan 2016 14:32:00 +0000

I am very proud to announce a new association with and endorsement of NuHealth and their Recharge line of health supplements. This could not be a more pure of an endorsement situation, as I have consistently used their products throughout my fitness journey, one that has seen me drop close to 180 pounds and go down eight pants sizes over the past 21 months.

Being hypothyroid, I have a challenge when it comes to a slower metabolism, and I found that using products such as Recharge Metabolism and Recharge Testosterone, for maintaining healthier metabolic rates and overall testosterone health and support (as when I started this journey I had a lower T level) was very helpful in the full process. I also use a product of theirs called Muscle Shred 3D, also for metabolic support. These products truly have been a valuable part of my full approach to health and fitness, which includes maintaining much healthier diet habits and a dedicated exercise regimen centered around training in the martial art Krav Maga.

Bryce and the good folks at NuHealth have always been kind and supportive of my journey, from the earliest stages and far before any kind of association was ever discussed or even any significant "before and after" picture could be taken. They are truly engaged and good with their customers, champion healthy living, and I am convinced of their integrity having experienced it for almost two years first-hand.

With a store located in Lexington, Kentucky, NuHealth has a line of health supplement products that are also available at their online store at www.nuhealthlifestyle.com . As part of the new association, anyone who uses the code "ZFORCE" at the online store can get 25% off, including apparel items.

I am very excited to be associated with the NuHealth family. With proven integrity on every level, and products I have found to be effective in a time-proven manner, NuHealth is a company I can put my name behind without hesitation. I am very grateful to Bryce and the NuHealth family for their support of my own fitness journey and look forward to a wonderful association ahead. Onward and Upward! :)

2015 - A Look Back - The Road Grew Longer

noreply@blogger.com (sgzimmer) — Fri, 01 Jan 2016 00:26:00 +0000

I thought with all my heart that after the years I had endured in 2013 and 2014 that I would finally get to write a much different type of reflection on 2015. The year even started out incredibly, even to the point I felt it was a miracle, but as I sit here now writing this on the cusp of another New Year I cannot shy away from the reality that 2015 turned out to be yet another year of trial and endurance.

I can't sugarcoat it. I can't try to say what it is not. I don't live in fear. I live with reality and this reflection comes from the gut and heart.

Once again, I'm still standing, and more strides were made, and I'm still fighting forward. It was just a case of far too many tears and far too few smiles. But there were some smiles.

2015 started out in what I genuinely viewed as a miraculous way. A development had occurred in my life that aimed toward what I want more than anything in all the world; a dedicated home for my heart.

I often have used the metaphors of storms, gray skies, and sunshine to indicate this crucially important aspect of my life. For once, genuine sunshine emerged, the kind of light that I could feel in my heart. The sunshine brings out the full me, the real me.

I felt alive. My smile and my eyes reflected real happiness, for a change.

As the Collective Soul song Better Now says:

"Break the news out

I've got to get out

Oh I'm feeling better now"

And I did start to come alive.

Assembling children's toy sets, buying lego figures while browsing toy stores, a real Valentine's Day with a multi-course dinner and where I was able to give a gift of jewelry, trekking through snow to shovel out a mother's driveway and having a playful snowball fight, sharing a bottle of wine, playing with little noise-maker guns, cooking a family dinner all by myself, playing board games with kids and helping them with their homework, acting silly in the aisles of a grocery store while shopping, making snow angels, and all kinds of things that made my heart smile like it had not for a long, long time.

If you really want to understand me, these are some clues. Hint, nothing in my creative fields can ever bring me genuine happiness, not of the kind that truly centers me. That's one painful truth I know.

I began to get centered in a way that I had not been for many long years.

Things began to get even better as I had the release of Heart of a Lion approach, the first novel starring Rayden Valkyrie, the character of mine who is nearest and dearest to me. The whole notion of having a heart of a lion resonated with me, after I had pulled out from such difficult years in 2013 and 2014, and it looked as if things were finally going to be okay and I was finally going to get to experience a new day.

My dear friend Kylie Jude made me a book trailer for Heart of a Lion, and the lyrics to it echoed my whole experience covering the past couple of years and the period of the book release, as a triumphant moment.

"You can't break me

I will still be

fighting

roaring

where there is need

there I will be

I will keep

fighting

roaring"

The book release event for Heart of a Lion was incredible, held at Joseph-Beth Booksellers here in Lexington. Physique competitor Carrie Rapp came and starred as our Rayden Valkyrie wearing a custom outfit matching the one on the book cover art (Book cover art was by the amazing Bonnie Wasson, and the outfit was tailored by Angela Bensusan). There was even a custom menu for the night in the Bistro for the after party, from appetizers to entrees to desserts, and even a custom drink! Even more wild, I was even presented with and given an actual SWORD during the signing!

When I walked out of Joseph-Beth that night with the Colonel, Eric Jude, I felt so good about everything, and that moment was even captured on camera.

Being presented with an actual sword by Isaac Hickman

My backdrop setup for the night

Carrie Rapp in costume, myself, and the daughter of a reader and friend of mine, Carrie.Sirles-O'Connor

Walking out with Eric Jude at the end of the night

Everything looked so promising. I was centered at last, I had a book I was very proud of that had just come out. Convention season was right around the bend. Finally, at long, long last, it looked like I'd get to live the life I'd always wanted to have.

A balanced life. A life in which I could love as I know I can. A life where everything has a bit of magic because I have someone to SHARE it with.

And yes. Once again, once more, sudden heartbreak brought the clouds back thick into my skies.

The shock of it all felt so surreal.

This time, I handled it a little stronger than the periods I suffered in 2014. I did not question my self-worth and value, or what I had to offer.

Nevertheless, it was a very, very painful time with a lot of heartache. I am grateful for the chance to walk again in sunshine in a way that I had not for so many years before and have not since. I will always love her for that precious time.

The rarity of sunshine in my world makes me value it all the more. It also made for a lot of pain as I knew I had to keep moving forward, and see ahead through eyes clouded by tears.

It was, once more. A cold day.

It is very hard to describe just how deep the pain is when things of a magnitude like this happen and you have placed your heart with someone. But the Lacuna Coil song One Cold Day does give the best musical representation of how it feels:

"As I stand in the rain of this cold day

Tears are the words when I cannot confess the pain

Time will heal

But I don't want to feel

Cry in the rain

Release the pain

So cry now

Cry now and let it go?"

You have to keep moving forward. And I did.

I kept up my physical training, which was progressing and the practice of martial arts gave me focus and a channel for so much pain and frustration. It also gave me a number of small milestones, both fitness and skill-wise, to celebrate during the storm.

The song that has been such a battle-cry for me for a long time now, Pop Evil's Trenches, represents this so well. It truly is being in the trenches, and working to fill those trenches, and not giving up, and keeping yourself going, so you can stand up above ground once more.

"I've waited all my life to get out of the trenches

I'm ready to fight for what I believe you can steal from me

I won't take this

Gonna fill these trenches and stand up

Wake up,

I won't give up

'Cause here I come, here I come"

It is is so hard to describe how much energy it takes, how deep you have to reach, to push ahead as hard as you can when your heart aches so much. But I somehow found a way, even if I had to cut back on a few appearances.

One appearance I did keep, even during a very raw time of emotion for me, was a workshop for kids at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in late March. I conducted a workshop on character creation and took the 9-12 year olds through a truly pro-level character development process. It was a fantastic experience and brought me a few smiles that I badly needed. I thank Patricia Murphy very much for this special day.

Me with my class of 9-12 year olds for a workshop at Joseph-Beth Booksellers

I did make it to the Author's Fair in Madison, Indiana, continuing my streak there of attending every one of these. Doing events when you are struggling internally is very hard, as you have to do all you can to be upbeat for your readers and fellow writers, and be a good guest for the book fair. This one was not an easy one to do but I had to keep on my road. I think I delivered well as a guest for them and I did enjoy seeing readers, both new ones and those who had already come aboard my creative world.

Me at my setup at the Author's Fair in Madison Indiana, April 2015

Spring brought with it a bit of a landmark moment, a pro photo session in later April with Eric Jude of Frozen Creek Studios. This photo session captured the significant progress made in me physically and also reflected many of the things core to my world.

It was a reminder that despite all the heartache suffered, I had indeed made many strides.

The shoot with Eric and his wife Kylie was wonderful. I feel it captured a guy who keeps fighting forward and somehow manages to keep his head up.

I knew I was winning the battle to reclaim my physical self, and with so much going through my mind, about everything in my world, I began to notice the Camaro that had been sitting idle for several years, a 1992 25th anniversary Z-28 that had come into my life the last time I was in good physical shape. A Z-28 that had come into my life during a tremendous period of heartache back in my college years.

Looking at that car sitting there, not running, fading paint, my heart hurt. How had I let that happen? That's a long story, but I knew that the situation with the car was not right.

Just as I knew I haven't deserved what I've endured, that car deserved so much better. If I was reclaiming myself and fighting my way back to being the best of me again, then that car deserved to come back to full glory and beyond.

The car needed a name. And there was only one that fit with the color that I wanted that car to be. Valkyrie. After Rayden Valkyrie and in honor of the idea of having the heart of a lion. The color I envisioned was silver, to have Valkyrie look liked a honed sword blade gleaming in bright sunshine.

It took many months, starting with my tremendous neighbor and friend Bob Cable and his dad getting Valkyrie off the ground again. Then the folks at Car Masters of Lexington, KY, truly honest, kind, and dedicated folks, undertook a lot of work (one of their mechanics Tom is superb with muscle cars and you will not work with a nicer guy than Tim). The folks at MAACO capped it off by giving Valkyrie her new silver attire. A new stereo from Autosound and new tires from the good folks at Tire Discounters on Nicholasville Road.

After the set of 8 new high-end injectors were put into that 5.7 L 350, the very last step, she was back and she roared.

We were together again and it sure felt good. :)

This song, "With a Full Head of Steam" by Armored Saint, is the first song I played in her when she had her new stereo system installed. Certain cars have a spirit and she does, and when I'm driving her I can feel the fight in her and it is like she is reminding me to keep fighting, moving onward with a full head of steam. This song is what she and I would sing together, just like Jon Bush and Pearl Aday do in this song: I think Valkyrie would have a voice like Pearl, especially when she belts it out later in the song!

"So pristine

Well I keep pushing onward

With a full head of steam"

Summer got underway and I had some pleasant experiences, such as my trip to Hypericon in Nashville where I was given a fitness award. Mind you, this is a book-centered convention, so I was a bit floored by the recognition, but some very dear friends of mine, such as Mandi Lynch and Stephania Grimm, wanted to recognize the physical journey and battle I'd been fighting in that area. It really touched me and I felt honored to be recognized like that.

My fitness award from Hypericon 2015!

At the same time, a glimmer of hope was appearing in my world, and for a brief period I thought I might have another path back toward the sunlight. From a beautiful walk across the bridge in Louisville to the first real birthday party I'd had in a long time, a wonderful pool party in Louisville, I allowed my heart to hope again.

Once more, disappointment and some difficult inner hurt. An once more, nothing that made sense.

FandomFest came soon after all of that, and our literary track there was a great success. Everything ran so smoothly, the vibes were so positive, and the track and event really felt, for the second year in a row, how I knew they could be during the earlier developmental years. Always an adventure when you work with the legendary Ken Daniels! He and Myra have a great thing going with FandomFest and with the format it has now, it really is in a good place.

There was one moment in August that was truly special and represented the best in life. One of my best friends Christina Butcher and my friend Evan Richardson welcomed their son Elijah into the world. I got to visit in the hospital and hold baby Elijah. I can only imagine how amazing and incredible it must be to have a child and it represents what is most important in life. Life, family and love, the highest of things without question. This day was a celebration of all of that and I was so lucky to be able to hold baby Elijah and visit with Christina and Evan there at the hospital.

Me with baby Elijah

The second year of Imaginarium arrived in September, and took a nice step forward. It grew in size, we had a great Guest of Honor in romance author Lori Wilde, and we added some great new things such as a Friday night rock concert and a Magic the Gathering game tournament. The heart was there and while we still haven't gotten to meeting the costs of the event, a big stride was made and there's a lot of motivation and momentum toward our third year. Senior staff like Frank Hall, Robin Blankenship, Eric and Kylie Jude, and Jill Campbell were true champions, and our volunteer staff shined (from Mary Holt Blankenship, to Sandy Kachurek and Resa Sandora, to all involved.), Of course, our representative at the Crowne Plaza, Nicole Castaneda, is aces!

Me with the one and only Frank Hall at Imaginarium 2015

One fun thing that I started doing as fall arrived was beginning my journey on the Bourbon Trail here in Kentucky. Bourbon is a big part of Kentucky, historically and in terms of industry, and seeing the distilleries has been something I've long wanted to do. I got to do this with with the great Jude family (Eric, Kylie, Rachel their cousin Lisa Marie Ross, and Bobby Little, and ,my awesome friend Robin Blankenship came aboard for our second excursion) of course, and was able to hit Jim Beam, Wild Turkey, and Four Roses, netting me a third of the nine passport stamps I need to complete the official trail. The tours were all amazing, with a lot to see, to learn, and to sample! :)

Me with Eric Jude at Jim Beam

My physical journey all this while had been proceeding very well. Krav Maga is a great fit for me and the workouts continued to advance as my physicality enabled me to do more and more. I've said before that Krav Maga has been a gift and a blessing these past two years, and now as I surpass where I was in my 20's and able to do things I could not do in my 20's, it becomes more self-evident. In the fall I took a photo that showed the stages from the beginning, to earlier in 2015, to later in 2015.

I had another book release in October, the 2nd volume of my Hellscapes collection of short stories. This time, the cover art was created by the uber-talented Aaron Drown of Aaron Drown Design, who writes as A. Christopher Drown and is a top-flight author by any definition (As his novel A Mage of None Magic proves). These tales aren't for the faint of heart, but there's a moral to all of them, as it is an exploration of evil. Perfect book to have out around Halloween too!

I also did some events and appearances, including another one at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington, a place that is very special to me. I love to encourage kids to stay strong and go for their dreams and thankfully I've been able to do that many times at PLD. Their LitCon was a great success, and major kudos to Summer Stockwell Perry for spearheading such a wonderful thing for high school students.

Me with some of the great students at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington

The holiday season then arrived.

In recent years, this has been a very difficult thing for me, as I haven't found a home for my heart, where I can start my own family again (whether that be becoming part of a partner's world, starting a new one, or a combination of both), and I've had so many loved ones pass away in what was already a smaller family to begin with. It's down to just me and my sister now, and I know it's very hard on both of us when we were used to warm, joyous family holidays in the past.

We make the most of it and had Thanksgiving with lifelong friends who we deem as family, Maria Peltier, and her daughter Michelle.

During this time, once more a glimmer of hope occurred in that area that is most important to me. I was so excited as just when I was girding myself for the holidays it looked as if something bright and wonderful was entering my world. A situation I would have been absolutely happy with. I had many very wonderful experiences, from daytime lunches, to walks in the park, to frozen yogurt forays, to a hike, to helping out with essay papers in a coffee shop, a special holiday dinner and party I held at my favorite restaurant Pete's Wok, to a big concert night seeing Trans-Siberian Orchestra where I felt a touch of the Christmas magic I had not felt in so long.

This song doesn't have lyrics, but it is one of my favorite Trans-Siberian Orchestra Songs and this is how my heart felt that night at the concert, from the 14th row back from the stage:

Yet once more, heartache arrived.

Right in the Christmas season.

And nothing I could understand.

I wanted to cry out. How much heartache can a person take? Does the Universe think I'm made of Titanium?

Dammit, it hurts SO deep. I always give my best, I having a loving heart, I am always kind, I am always giving, and yet it always seems it gets tossed aside as if it were nothing.

I'll never understand that. It never gets any easier. And yes, I know with absolute certainty I deserve better in light of what I offer. At least I believe in myself and know that, no matter how much my heart hurts.

I just couldn't believe what had happened, and the song A Day in My Life by Five Finger Death Punch really hits home hard in regard to this latest hurt.

"Feels like I'm falling away

Getting deeper and deeper everyday

And like nothing has changed or ever will

It seems like I'm going insane

Getting farther and farther everyday

I just swallow the pain

And always will

Welcome to a day in my life"

Deep breath.

I have to keep moving forward as long as I'm breathing.

I have to give myself a chance that things will indeed change and someone special will recognize what I have to offer, will appreciate me, and will give my heart a home. And they will discover that they have won the lottery because they'll have a dedicated, loyal, steadfast, big-hearted and caring guy ready to give them the adventure of a lifetime.

So, after enduring a particularly painful Christmas period, I thought I'd just look to wrap the year up quietly. Another tough one, another year of trial with a high dose of heartache, and some strides in a few areas.

I then decided to make one final statement.

Over a year ago, I was still too anxiety-ridden to take my shirt off at a beach or pool. I realized, here in late December of 2015, that I had become confident in myself, no matter what, and I have changed how I view myself in many ways.

So I took a selfie of myself wearing an unbuttoned flannel shirt, showing some of my chest and the flatter stomach I've attained. I posted in on my mainstream social media areas such as Facebook and Instagram.

It was my way of saying I was still standing tall and believe in myself more than ever. A year ago afraid to take my shirt off at a pool, now posting a pic with exposed chest and stomach right there in public on Facebook.

It was a self-affirmation. It was a statement of confidence and belief in myself.

I never expected the response, especially from a very, very talented romance and erotica author who has indicated she will use me as a cover model for one of her books. This meant so very much to me, as a cover for an author is not just personal, but also the representation in marketing their book and selling books. To hear that an established romance author that I highly respect would like to use me for a cover model meant a ton to me on many levels and was a tremendous validation of the 2 years of very, very hard work that's been involved in reclaiming my physical self.

It was a lightning bolt of positive energy at a time when I've been surrounded by a lot of darkness. It meant so much that I told her I'd be willing to be clean-shaven and even cut my hair if the look for her book cover required it!

So where do things stand as 2015 comes to a close?

I believe in myself. I'm a fighter. I'm still standing.

It brings to mind a song that played over the baseball field loudspeakers when a 12 year old boy took the mound in a championship game as an underdog. He, and his father, were the only two that truly believed it could be done. That boy struck out the first three batters he faced and led his team to win a championship.

Now, many years later, that twelve year old boy has become a man and embraced a warrior's path. He is stepping into 2016 as an underdog once again, against great odds.

Don't underestimate him.

The 2016 version of him, like the recent cover of the song, is full of fire and fury. I make no predictions about 2016 but I am going to come out swinging and I'm hitting harder than ever these days.

"Risin' up, back on the street

Did my time, took my chances

Went the distance

Now I'm back on my feet

Just a man and his will to survive

So many times, it happens too fast

You trade your passion for glory

Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past

You must fight just to keep them alive"

Love is Far, Far More Than a Feeling

noreply@blogger.com (sgzimmer) — Fri, 25 Dec 2015 16:23:00 +0000

This Christmas is yet another one that I woke up alone, surrounded by heavy silence. In my mind, I remember the kinds of Christmas days I had in the past, and what Christmas is filled with; a spirit flowing with generosity, affection, good will, and everything that involves love's essence.

Sometimes the periods of trial in your life bring you to a greater appreciation and understanding of something. You gain a different perspective when you are in the fires, one that brings you a greater level of clarity.

I have heard it said and written that love is just a feeling. Here, reflecting upon what Christmas is all about, contrasting the Christmases of present and past, I find myself thinking about love and what love really is.

When I come across those who say love is just a feeling, I want to tell them a resounding no, that they are very, very mistaken. Love is far, far more than a feeling.

Many wonderful feelings can emanate from a state of love. The presence of real love can take you into a state of rapturous joy. It can bring you a sense of inner peace and contentment that is timeless. It can invigorate you to where you regain the sense of wonder and things being new that a child has. It can raise you to heights and depths of intimacy and passion not possible without its presence.

Yet the feelings, no matter how wonderful they might be, should never be confused with the core that gives life to them. They are reflections and manifestations, but they are not the substance.

The English language has a tremendous range of words to be used for expression and description, but when it comes to love I often find it to be very inadequate. Many other cultures have multiple words for love, such as the ancient Greeks. With their concepts of agape, or an unconditional type of love, like that between a parent and child, or philia, the brotherly/sisterly love that is reflected in friendships, or eros, the passionate love between a couple, I believe the Greeks arrived at the deeper and more multi-faceted nature of genuine love.

Genuine love reaches the state where the equation of "one plus one equals one" is not just possible, but the consummate reality. So much is encompassed by love that it is impossible for me to capture all of it in just one essay, but perhaps I can show a few of its facets using what I have learned about love at this stage of my journey. It is my intention to illustrate enough of it to demonstrate my view of when genuine love is present.

With the presence of love, even the dynamic of feelings is transformed. Joy is derived from the recognition of joy in the other person. The sense of inner peace is empowered by the sense of inner peace in the other person. The thrill of wonder takes life when seeing the shine in the eyes of the other person. The feeling of intimacy is heightened in recognizing the passion in the other person. The very nature of feelings is changed due to the shared experience and bond with the person that you love.

But feelings, however they might manifest and take new forms in a state of love, are only a small part of it. Genuine love brings about a number of qualities, many of which require effort and conscious dedication to maintain and build upon over time.

Love brings about a sense of patience and compromise, and that means you gain the kind of patience to allow the other person space to compromise in areas where it will improve and strengthen a given relationship. No two individuals are the same, and inevitably there will be differences that come to light. Sometimes the differences can lead to exposure to new things that you come to truly enjoy, and at other times you come to enjoy something you would not otherwise like simply because you recognize the pleasure and happiness that it brings the one that you love. Compromise in a state of genuine love is not about giving in, it is about embracing.

Changes in the way you do things, or how you conduct daily affairs, can bring about greater harmony between two people, growing the bond between them. But these changes and adjustments are only made possible with the ability to compromise and the patience to achieve that and let it take root, both with yourself and the one you love. Genuine love enables and involves this kind of patience and compromise.

Genuine love involves a sense of empowerment, both regarding yourself and the one that you love. When you have achieved a state of genuine love, over time there will be inevitable growth in self-confidence and a sense of self-worth, both in terms of oneself as well as the other person. These areas of growth reflect in the very way that you both carry yourself each and every day, and are easily recognizable by others. You take pride in the one you love, and you also take pride in who you are.

The love you bring another and the love they give you drives both of you to continually grow and become better people. It is about uplift and betterment in all things, and this will show itself in so many ways within a relationship that contains genuine love. Sometimes, it can be wonderfully transforming, taking one who perceived themselves as broken and bringing them to a place where they shine like new, brighter than ever before. Genuine love always seeks the best for another, and at the same time asks you to seek the best in yourself.

Genuine love brings you onto a path that is not convenient or easy It is not something discarded at the first obstacle or challenge. It often requires deep sacrifice, the kind of sacrifice that brings you into some manner of hardship or incurring a significant cost to yourself, but you embrace and undertake it if it leads to the betterment and well-being of the one you love. You sacrifice because they are worth every sacrifice.

Generosity is present where there is genuine love. The desire to celebrate the other person and express your own recognition of their value and worth leads to a generous and giving spirit. You go the extra mile to bring something more to a special occasion. You put more thought into gestures that are made and gifts that are given. You even get creative with surprises and instigating new adventures. A generous spirit pervades all of it, as you delight in the other person, show them how you take delight in them, and make it clear how greatly you value them.

A guardian spirit inevitably comes over you when you love somebody, in a way that governs both yourself and how you approach the world at large. In your desire to protect one you love, you seek to do no harm to them, first and foremost. The natural extension of that is to protect them from outside harm, to a level where you will stand forward no matter what the odds are to defend them, even to the point that it requires your own life. It truly is a state of being where if others seek to harm one that you love, they will find you blocking their path, with both of your feet firmly planted on the ground.

One of the hardest things about genuine love is the acceptance of vulnerability, but that is also one of the biggest signs of love's presence. In opening yourself up on the deepest and most intimate levels to another person, you become vulnerable, and it can take a lot of courage to do take that step. But in embracing that kind of vulnerability, you reach a depth in the relationship with the other person that is both rare and precious. While you can be wounded greatly when this is violated, when it is not the kind of connection created leads to a true union between two spirits. You discover that in vulnerability there is tremendous strength.

Love, in all of its facets and aspects, draws its strength from a foundation of trust. You trust that the other person will care for your heart, when you place it into their hands. You trust that they seek your well-being and betterment. You trust in what they tell you and express, and this also means that you are open with them as well. Without trust, which in love involves the deepest kind of belief in the other person and who they are, the other aspects are not possible.

Genuine love is capable of miracles and guiding us toward our best selves. It is worth fighting for, worth making every effort, and, in my view, the greatest part of life itself. Genuine love gives life meaning.

That's why, as I sit here alone on a Christmas morning, I can say without hesitation that I feel very sorry for those who say that love is merely a feeling. In their own words, they reveal that they do not understand what love truly is.

Love is far, far more than a feeling.

And with that, I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas, as Christmas is all about love.

During Holiday Trials, Moving Forward is the Only Choice

noreply@blogger.com (sgzimmer) — Fri, 25 Dec 2015 01:42:00 +0000

In many homes tonight there is the warm glow of lights, the laughter of children, embraces of affection, kisses between loved ones, and the very air sparks with the magic of Christmas. It is a wonderful time with expressions of generosity, good will, love and the kinds of things that give strength and vitality to life itself.

Yet tonight I have to give voice to others, for whom this time is a very difficult trial, a period to endure and find a way to make it through. For myself, and a great many others, it is a bitter, cold and lonely time, and for those such as us it is no exaggeration to say that demons swarm like no other time of year.

The reasons are different for many, whether they are tied to experiences of deep grief, hardships, heartbreak, or a combination of all of those, but the shadow cast over the holiday season has a similar feel for those experiencing it as a trial.

It is hard to put the feelings into words that those who have not gone through it can understand. I could speak of the heaviness of heart, the sting of the memories of the days when Christmas held magic and promise, the chill of uncertainty, and how my very spirit feels as if it is suffocating.

It does not diminish me in any way to discuss these kinds of feelings openly For better or for worse, I have never hidden who I am and I have nothing to hide. If anything, rising tomorrow and doing what I can to move forward reflects a kind of inner strength that I believe is a great attribute and something that I can draw upon for a better day.

I have not given up on seeing the dawn of a day when the magic of Christmas returns to my world. I may be a lone warrior at the moment, but I desire a family of my own. The trials I have been through will only serve to reinforce my dedication, appreciation, generosity, and joy toward that family I can truly call my own.

Somewhere in the depths of the current darkness, a certain wisdom and strength can be found. The hardships and trials of the present preparing you for a better day in the future, the setbacks and heartaches bringing you greater appreciation for the time when your heart finally finds a home.

You know you won't take that day for granted, and you also understand that you will walk each and every day in gratitude when that day is reached. The special one that takes my hand for that journey will find a depth of heart from me of a kind they may have never imagined possible, bringing with it a level of commitment, generosity, and affection that will fill their world with light and joy.

Is it hard to face a Christmas like this one, knowing that it will be yet another passing of the holiday where the magic is absent, and another year will pass before you may even have a chance to feel that magic again? Of course it is hard. Brutally hard. Incredibly difficult. But avoiding that stark reality or its harsh nature does me no good. You can only address what is, and only by facing the demons do you discover what you have to do to pull yourself up and move forward.

The skies may be churning with dense clouds of storm at the present, but I will press onward and I will make every effort to reach that place where my skies shine with the Light of a Thousand Suns. I encourage all others going through difficult Christmas to do all you can to keep moving forward. Even in the midst of the darkness, I say the magic can be found again. Give yourself that chance.