Utterances of an overcrowded mind

No Time for Blogging, Twitter and Facebook

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Dorset) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

As most of you know by now, I am a big social media junkie! I tweet non-stop, post things to my Facebook page, and write quite a lot of blog posts...

But during the next few days things are going to change (at least temporarily). I want to apologize in advance. So, why is everything changing? Well, I've got to that crucial part of my latest novel, the final 25%, where it becomes a non-stop race to get it all down on paper before I explode. Certain other activities have to stop. What with the full-time day job, the moving plans and the novel writing, I'm afraid I've run out of hours in the day.

Apologies, apologies, apologies! There we go, I've said it. In the meantime, enjoy previous posts on my blog, check out my official author website, PaulDorset.com, and maybe buy a book or two of mine from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, or the Apple Store.

I look forward to seeing you all again in about a week's time. I am relishing the thought of having another completed manuscript by then...

A Healthy Body Makes For A Better Author

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Dorset) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

I know it seems like an odd title for a blog post, but what the heck? I like to push envelopes.

By the way, how healthy is your body? Yes, right now. Oh, and by the way, how is your writing coming along? Of course the two things aren’t related, are they? Because if they were then successful books would only be written by fit and healthy individuals. And nowadays anyone can write a book. Even people wracked with guilt, stress, disease, and anything else. But can they? Can you write a masterpiece if you are not fit and healthy?

Recently I’ve been asking myself this question. First of all I thought back to those movies where the struggling artist perseveres. Then I thought about those authors, like J.K. Rowling, who rose from difficult times to success. And finally I thought about writers of old like Shakespeare and Mark Twain. They both had pretty tough lives.

But you know what, there’s a difference here. These people may have had tough lives but they weren’t suffering in body. They were fairly healthy people (at least for most of their writing lives).

Earlier this year I decided I wanted to do something about my body and rethink what I put into it. I wanted to become a healthier individual. I wasn’t really ill or anything and I was only a little overweight, but I hated all those little things. I hated that I snored. I hated that I had to take pills for high blood pressure. You know the sort of thing - those little things we begin to take for granted as part of everyday living? So I researched body health, watched several documentaries, read lots of papers and I decided I would give up meat and try and eat a plant-based diet, with as much of it raw if possible. I started with a seven day juice detox and went from there. That was nearly two months ago now.

What did I learn? I learned that my body had a lot of crap inside it. I learned that I could easily lose a few pounds. I learned that I could stop my snoring and lower my blood pressure. And most importantly I found that I could write with clarity and with an approach that I had never experienced before. Suddenly my writing was as alive as I felt inside. It was like years of cobwebs had been brushed away.

Of course the proof of the writing is in the audience reaction, but so far it’s been good. Very good! So, you know what? I’m going to keep my healthier body. I like being a better author. It feels good. Writer’s block is a thing of the past and ideas flood my mind on a daily basis. The words just flow.

So, I thought I’d end this piece on a little practical example. I usually write at between 1,200 and 1,500 words an hour when I’m in full swing, but recently I’ve been writing at about 1,800 words an hour. That’s 30 words a minute. I didn’t know I could even type that fast while thinking! And put another way, that’s an increase in productivity of between 20% and 50%. Not too shabby a reward for looking after myself.

Does a healthy body make a better author? I challenge you to find out!

Project Management for Dummies

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Dorset) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Of course I'm not suggesting you are a dummy of any sort whatsoever. But what I am pushing today is my consistent selling project management book, The 10 Hour Project Manager.

I am always amazed at how this book continues to help the masses. I originally wrote the book to try and dispel some of the myths surrounding project management and to help project managers squeeze a bit more time out of their already busy days. And if I can do it, anyone can!

The 10 Hour Project Manager comes from first-hand experience working in the business for over fifteen years! It's a guide to what to track and what you can safely ignore. It's a... Why don't I just list out the chapter headings?

Concepts / A brief introduction to Project Management
Who's Who? - Know the project players
Risks Management - Ignore this at your own peril
Chess Playing - You don't get to be the king or the queen
Project Lifecycle - From dawn 'til dusk
Communications & Reporting - Too little or too much?
How to become an accomplished PM - Taking control of the ingredients
Tips & Tricks - You have to have a tips & tricks chapter!
In Conclusion
Real life examples

And as one of the reviewers writes:

"If you are looking to do a great job as a PM and still have a life, get this book. It is written by a very practical project manager for individuals who would like to be more effective and practical in their role as PM. How do I know this? I worked with him for several years on long term international projects with large multinational team. This book accurately reflects what he preached and practiced on the projects and hence my recommendation. I did not decide to write this recommendation as a favor to the author but as a favor to individuals, who can use a really practical guide to managing project and have a life. This author with his approach made it possible for all the team members to have a real work-life balance even on the road. Under him, our team excelled in every area imaginable on a project. I am glad that he decided to put his thoughts into writing so others can benefit from his approach. This would also be a great book for someone starting out as a Project Manager, as well."

So head on over to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords or the Apple Bookstore and pick up a copy today (It's only $5.99). And if you're looking for a deal on the paperback version, click HERE (you'll save yourself nearly $2).

Unicorns - An Update on my Writing

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Dorset) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

It's been a hectic couple of weeks, as I've busily churned out the words to my upcoming book, Unicorns. Unicorns will be Part Two in the Melrose series. It follows on from New Blood, which was launched last November.

So, how am I doing? Well, I'm currently about 50,000 words in. It's a bit of a scramble to try and finish the draft by the end of the month. Only another 30,000 or so words to write!

Why the rush? Well, there's a number of reasons. Firstly, I'm moving house at the end of March. We're leaving Redmond, WA after more than 6 years and headed off to Anacortes, WA. So, there's lots of packing and other organizing to do throughout the month of March.

Secondly, it's time to finish re-editing the first two books in my Southern Lands series, Xannu - The Prophecy and Xannu - The Healing. That's because I want to re-launch the paperbacks in the summer, along with the new third book in the series, Xannu - The Portal.

It's going to be a busy few months! Especially as I have to somehow fit in the launch of Unicorns before the summer is upon us all. Wow!! I still have to get a cover organized and then line up a few reviewers. I don't think there's going to be any peace for me this year.

And finally, as it's a Sunday today, and especially because February is Indie Month, I thought I'd remind you all of a couple of my books that are currently on offer over at Amazon.

Firstly, my A Paul Dorset Sampler is FREE! Yes, FREE! Now you can't get a better deal than that. So, Click THIS LINK HERE and download a copy (Or click the picture opposite).

Then, my novel Xannu - The Prophecy is currently available as a FREE download to Kindle Select members (as a library borrow), or it's available as a purchase at the bargain price of $0.99. Again, a great deal. Just click THIS LINK HERE (or click the picture opposite).

Have a great Sunday!

Review: Snug Harbor Resort - Friday Harbor, San Juans, WA

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Dorset) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Last weekend my wife and I took a mini-vacation to Snug Harbor Resort, located on San Juan Island, near Seattle, in Washington State. We had four nights of wonderful peace and solitude. Here is my review of our stay:

The Resort: Snug Harbor resort is situated in a sheltered harbor and overlooks the other side of the harbor. Views from the property include the marina and houses scattered on the opposite shoreline. The resort has a small store which was scantily stocked (but probably due to the fact that we visited in the winter), a fire pit, bbq areas, and some outdoor seating. There are also kayaks available and a pier to walk along. If you’re looking for peace and quiet and somewhere to unwind, you will not be disappointed.

The owners / managers worked with us to change our original reservations due to a snowstorm and greeted us cordially when we arrived. There was only one other couple staying in the resort when we were there, but I would believe even when full each guest would be treated as special!

The Accommodation: We stayed in the Tree House, which was set back a little from the other cabins and accessible via a separate roadway. The view makes it very special. You have a completely unobstructed view of the harbor and boating area. There is a small personal deck outside which in warmer weather would be great for watching the world go by. Inside, the Tree House had a bedroom, a small living area, a small kitchen and a separate bathroom. There were sufficient utensils and pots and pans etc. (but no kettle – only a coffee-maker) to do most things, but the fridge was a little small. We were glad we had also brought a couple of coolers with us. The bed was very comfortable and the bathroom large enough to be functional.

There were ample power sockets throughout and everything was well maintained. The TV had limited channels (just local) but that wasn’t an issue for us. The property boasted wifi but unfortunately the coverage was a little spotty and we needed to be patient to maintain connections. Cell phone coverage for AT&T was virtually non-existent. As I say, this is a place to get away from it all! One little oddity was that as it was so quiet at night you could hear all the creaks and groans of the property. The heating ‘bubbled and creaked’ and the water ‘gurgled and burped’. I’m not sure, but I think the Tree House may be directly above the water supply for the resort and there was certainly a little noticeable noise coming from it during the night!

The Good: Peace, tranquility, caring owners / managers, clean accommodations, views, you get the picture!

The Bad: Inconsistent wifi, cell coverage, limited TV, limited kitchen appliances, sparsely stocked store (but it was winter)

Overall: If you’re looking to escape from everyday life and make your own memories, you will love the peace and quiet that is Snug Harbor Resort. If however, you are a towny at heart and want all the mod cons, please book another property and leave Snug Harbor to those that appreciate it! Totally recommended.

Happy Birthday to an Overcrowded Mind

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Dorset) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Yes, today is the one year anniversary of my blog! First of all a few statistics:

This is the 319th post
The blog has attracted over 250,000 page hits
The blog has over 340 comments
The blog has over 200 registered followers
I have written over 150,000 words of blog material
The blog has followed the launches of eight ebooks by Paul Dorset

All in all, that's not too shabby for a first year!

And I couldn't have done any of it without you, my readers. So a big THANK YOU to you all!!

As a gesture of my thanks, I would like you all to have the opportunity to read some of my writing for FREE. My ebook, A Paul Dorset Sampler, is FREE for you today on Amazon and Smashwords. So click the links and pick up a copy. In it you will find samples from three of my novels: Fergus Fedderfeeny's Food Factory; Xannu - The Prophecy; and New Blood. Enjoy!

Here's to the next year...

The Power of Social Media - Paying it Forward

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Dorset) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Today I wanted to post a short blog entry about Social Media and paying it forward.

In case you didn't realize, Blog Posts, Twitter and Facebook can (and should) lead to new and wonderful friendships. But it shouldn't end there. If you are really using social media I believe you have a responsibility to nurture and interact with your new-made friends. What do I mean by that? Well let me give you a couple of examples that have touched me recently.

A couple of weeks ago I received a really nice email from someone who had replied to my tweets from time to time, saying that my blog posts about writing had inspired them to write the book they had forever been promising themselves. They even bought my book, How To Write & Self-Publish Your First Novel, and are now busy writing away - A humbling experience.

Then just a few days ago another of my twitter followers again contacted me to tell me that my blog series on juice fasting had inspired him to take the leap himself - Again, a very humbling experience.

The point is, we should blog about things we are passionate about and we should embrace those people that engage with us. If we let our passion shine through then maybe that passion will be used for a little input into someone else's life. And that's a wonderful thing.

I embrace and enjoy all forms of social media and I will continue reaching out and being passionate for as long as I am able.

Have a great day and pay it forward!

Amazon KDP Select - Update 1 - Bleh!

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Dorset) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

So it's been nearly two weeks so far since my book, Xannu - The Prophecy, went on sale at KDP Select and was available as a FREE borrow on Kindle devices.

So far, it's a BLEH! Sales are about exactly the same as before the experiment and no one to date has 'borrowed' the book. But - experiments are needed from time to time and I'm a believer in them. SO, I'll keep going... I'll report back in another couple of weeks.

In the meantime, if you've not seen the book, take a look. I mean, FREE is still FREE! (click on the picture to be taken to Amazon):

For fans of Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and The Narnia Chronicles, the first installment in a thrilling epic fantasy series…

Would you wake up in a hot sweat if you lived your night’s dreams as a soldier battling un-earthly creatures, witnessing powerful magic and fighting to save your own life on a daily basis?

English schoolboy Terry West does. Frequently. After digging up some rune coins near a roman road, he has been living in another world inhabited by warlocks, seductresses, priests and prophecy. There Terry is a soldier, Teern Truthbringer, who has been tasked with finding the Xannu - 'he who will lead the people into deliverance.'

If only it wasn’t real; but it is. Very real. When it all began it was even enjoyable, but now Terry’s life is getting very complicated. Somehow he involved his best friend Joe and although it had seemed a good idea at the time, the consequences had been dire. Then there is Susan, the leggy sister of klutzy school-friend Brian. Why does she keep sending him messages?

Terry is struggling to balance the two lives he leads and every day he is losing his grip on reality just a little bit more. He’s been forced to kill enemies; his companion, the magical woman Maria, is scaring him half to death with her abilities; and his parents are on his back about his school work.

How will he balance the two lives he leads, solve two sets of problems, and understand the lessons he receives from both? Only time will tell. But time is something Terry doesn't have too much of, as everything is unfolding in ways he could never have imagined!

Book 1 of 'The Southern Lands' saga

“Listen to the teachings of a wise man. You may not understand all he says but you will surely have nourishment for the future. Be positive and plan for success. Failure to plan is to plan for failure. Worry not at what came before but only prepare yourselves for that which is ahead.” (Pika’Al 10:1-5, The Scriptures of Al’Zaneed)

Raw Sprouted Hummus

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Dorset) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

For a complete change of pace today, I wanted to post my experience with the first raw sprouted hummus that I've made. The first job was to sprout some raw garbanzo beans for 2.5 days (they taste wonderful and nutty)...

Then it's time to get going...

Ingredients:

1 cup sprouted garbanzo beans (chick peas)
1 tbs tahini
1 lime (juice)
1 tbs olive oil
cumin, garlic, salt, pepper (to taste)
4 sun dried tomatoes (optional)
water as necessary (max 1/2 cup)

Method:

If you are using the sun dried tomatoes, then chop these in the food processor first. Next add the sprouted beans, tahini, spices and lime juice. Pulse on low until chopped, stopping occasionally to scrape the mixture down from the sides. Then add the olive oil and pulse more until absorbed. Finally add water, a little at a time, continuing to pulse on low, until the desired consistency is reached. Enjoy!

And here are the pictures of the yummy end product, Have a great day!

Getting in a Writing Groove

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Dorset) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Well, it’s been over a week now since I got back to writing my second Melrose book in earnest. The early 5am writing routine has been instigated and the words are now flowing! But this time it’s been a little different.

My old routine was to make sure I had a big pot of coffee available for me when I woke up, so that I could write my daily quota as wide awake as possible. This year I have more or less given up caffeine (at least as a morning routine) and so sitting down to my writing with a large glass of water is somehow different. But, it’s working. As long as I get a good night’s sleep the night before, the brain still kicks in and the words come out. There is life after caffeine! And actually my writing has generally been more productive than previously.

Over the years I’ve come to accept that I write at somewhere between 1,200 to 1,500 words an hour when I’m writing a novel. Of course, that presumes on me knowing where I am in my plot and sleeping overnight on what I’m going to be writing the following day. But the last couple of days I’ve managed to knock out roughly 2,000 words per day in my allotted pre-breakfast timeframe. My words per hour have been nearer to 1,800. That’s 30 words per minute. I didn’t even know I could type that fast, let alone think at the same time!

I’m putting it all down to my improved healthier body and eating habits. As you already know if you’ve been following my blog, this year after doing my seven day juice fast, I have stuck rigidly to a High Raw, Mostly Vegan food regime. I feel more alive, have more energy and generally have a much more positive attitude on everything. I guess it’s also rubbed off on my writing habits too. Who knows what’s going to be possible for the rest of the year!

How about you all? How’s your writing routine, and what do you do to maintain the correct environment? Do you set yourself targets? Do you have to write at a particular time of the day? Let me know. I’ll be interested in reading your comments.

Attention All Writers - How Do You Backup Your Work?

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Dorset) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

As I was out walking the other evening, I thought to myself as always, did I turn off all the appliances at home? Did I turn off all the lights? That sort of thing. It also set me to thinking. What if there was a fire? What if I lost everything in my home? What would happen to all my draft manuscripts and the like? Have you asked yourself the same question recently?

I first tackled this subject in a blog post HERE about using DropBox as a cloud backup tool and today I want to revisit the subject. Many aspiring and established novelists rely on their computer for everything they write and would be lost without it, should something ever happen. Of course, making backups is not a new subject and so some people also make copies to an external hard drive, or a handy memory stick. Then those same people leave that backup device at home!. So, what happens if one day you lose everything in your home? Of course, probably your unfinished book would be the last of your concerns, but one day it may be. What would you do? You'd have to start all over again.

I have been backing my work up to the cloud for several years now and I'm very comfortable doing this. I use Live Mesh, Dropbox and most recently SafeSync (I'll write another comparative review in a few weeks). Whatever happens, I'm covered. If my PC should die, or my house explode, my manuscripts will live on in the cloud, ready for me to download them again (along with my photos, music, and other digital treasures). Furthermore, if I am away from home and suddenly have an idea for my book, I can log into my account and make direct changes, confident in the knowledge that those changes will be waiting for me on my home PC when I get back to it. Amazing!

So there you go, my thought for the day. How do you backup your writing? I trust you're using something other than good fortune and wishful thinking.

Today's Downloads - FREE on Amazon!

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Dorset) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:40:00 +0000

Do you want a book to read today? Would you like a FREE book to read today? Of course you would... So, why not head over to Amazon and pick up one of the following FREE downloads.

The first book is my Paul Dorset Sampler, which is a collection of samples from three of my novels. You can download it for FREE HERE!

The second book is my first published novel, an epic Young Adult fantasy - Xannu, The Prophecy. The book retails for $0.99, but if you are an Amazon Prime member and have a Kindle you can read it for FREE! Just click THIS link.

So, there you go. Your FREE books for today. Enjoy!

At Last A FREE Book on Amazon!

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Dorset) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Several months ago I wrote a post complaining that Amazon wouldn't let me sell one of my books for FREE! Well, now I've managed to navigate myself around the maze that is Amazon and get one of my books priced for exactly $0.00. Check it out HERE.

Just before the end of the year I decided to create an ebook featuring samples of three of my novels and bind them together as one package. The book was called simply A Paul Dorset Sampler. I launched it on Smashwords and Amazon. On Smashwords I priced it for FREE and linked accordingly to it, but on the Amazon site I had to price it at $0.99. Very frustrating. But - I had a plan! I waited until my book became eligible for premium distribution on Smashwords and then submitted it to Barnes & Noble, Sony and several other ebook stores. Smashwords then did its magic and a couple of weeks ago my book appeared on Barnes & Noble for FREE as well! Now was the time to take action. I hurried along to my book page on Amazon and clicked the link at the bottom of the page that says tell us about a lower price. I then provided links to the Smashwords page and the Barnes & Noble page and waited. It has taken about two weeks, but today - yes today - the book is FREE!!

So, hurry over to Amazon HERE and download a copy of my FREE ebook. Enjoy it and provide me some feedback. There's hope for us all yet!

A Paul Dorset Sampler is an introduction to three of my novels in three different genres. As you know, it can take time to find out if you like the work of a particular author and so I have decided to assemble a set of samples to three of my bestselling books and bundle them as one collection. Then, to make it even more attractive, I've made the whole thing FREE!

So, what are the samples? The book consists of samples from three books:

Fergus Fedderfeeny's Food Factory (Middle Grade Comical Adventure)
Xannu - The Prophecy (Young Adult Epic Fantasy)
New Blood (16+ Young Adult Urban Paranormal Thriller)

Each sample represents approximately 20% of the complete book and will enable you to get a good feel for the book before you buy the complete version. Still undecided? Look at what some of the reviewers have been saying:

"Xannu - The Prophecy is further proof that commercial publishers have no monopoly on writing talent or writing quality." (Scott - Amazon)

"New Blood is a paranormal conspiracy novel that has a wide range of appeal. There is enough romance to bring in fans of that genre, but the story is not overshadowed by sappy teenage love scenes. The relationships between the characters bring the story to life in a believable and entertaining way that everyone can enjoy." (IndieBookBlogger)

"This is paranormal at its finest...This story will have you asking for more by the time you reach the end. I, for one, cannot wait until the second book in the Melrose series comes out." (Eva's Sanctuary)

Getting Healthy, Writing and My Brain

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Dorset) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

In a slight departure from my usual posts, I thought I'd write about something a little different today. If you've been following my blog then you're probably aware that I underwent a seven day juice fast a couple of weeks ago. It was quite an experience! Since then I've been trying my best to eat as healthily as I can. I've also been trying to write more of my upcoming Melrose series. It's been an interesting experiment.

Let me explain. I was listening to a podcast a little while back that was all about the brain and how information travels back and forth across the hippocampus. It was a fascinating podcast and kept me entertained while I was having a one hour walk along the trail near where I live. Anyway, back to the plot. One of the themes of the podcast was that when we study something that is new, the brain works overtime to process it, categorize it and store it appropriately. As it processes this new information, other more usual work gets pushed to one side. It made sense. Since the beginning of the year I have struggled to get back into writing my latest book. I know what I need to write, I just haven't been able to sit down and write it. Now I understand why. My brain has been too busy processing all the information I've been researching on achieving a healthy body and how correct nutrition plays an important part in all that.

And I have been researching a lot! It's the main reason that's led me to the diet that I am now following - a high raw, mostly vegan diet. And I use the word diet carefully here. According to Wikipedia (and other sources), a diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. It's a way of life, not a food fad. Day by day I am feeling healthier, gaining more energy, feeling more awake, dropping weight and generally feeling more and more motivated. Yesterday I started writing with earnest again. My brain had finally finished emergency processing of all the information I was taking in. I am now breathing a sigh of relief, safe in the knowledge that my body is getting healthier and my writing is back on track. The first draft of Unicorns (Melrose Part Two) is scheduled to be complete by the end of February!

So there we have it. It's good to listen to our brain sometimes. When we take on a new and different project, other projects we have been working on have to take a back seat for a while. After all, just like computers, we all only have so much processing power to manage everything we throw at ourselves. Have a great day!

Xannu - The Prophecy Now FREE on Amazon

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Dorset) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Yes that's right, if you have an Amazon Prime account and a Kindle, you can read my highy-rated Young Adult Fantasy novel, Xannu - The Prophecy for FREE! As I blogged about last week, I decided to tip my toes in the KDP Select program and offer this book via the Amazon service. This means Xannu - The Prophecy is now only available on Amazon and has been withdrawn from Barnes & Noble, Smashwords and Apple. Amazon has exclusivity for this book for 3 months. I'm already biting my nails to see how this affects my sales! As always, I'll be reporting back regularly on the success of the program. In the meantime, for those of you that are new to my blog, here's the skinny on the book (click on the picture to be taken to Amazon):

For fans of Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and The Narnia Chronicles, the first installment in a thrilling epic fantasy series…

Would you wake up in a hot sweat if you lived your night’s dreams as a soldier battling un-earthly creatures, witnessing powerful magic and fighting to save your own life on a daily basis?

Book 1 of 'The Southern Lands' saga

To Amazon KDP Select or Not?

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Dorset) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

So I've been toying with the idea of making one of my books Amazon KDP Select available for a while now (meaning it can be borrowed for FREE by Amazon Prime Kindle readers), while following other readers’ experiences with the program. And I have to say, the jury is still out.

The pros are that supposedly I will get more sales (or at least more exposure and maybe more revenue), but the cons are quite big for someone who has been a self-practicing Indie Author for the past year. To adhere to Amazon’s terms and conditions I will have to withdraw my book from Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Apple and all other electronic bookstores. That’s quite an undertaking. I also will not be permitted to sell the book electronically direct via my own website (not something I currently do anyway). In effect I will be giving Amazon everything! It’s tempting and big brother scary, both at the same time.

But hey I’m an Indie Author and I take risks. What have I got to lose? I plan to relaunch second editions of my Xannu series later this year (along with the long-awaited third installment) and so three months of Amazon-only exposure may be an interesting thing to try. Watch this space over the weekend as I blog the experiment and then write regular updates over the coming few months. Wish me luck!

Juice Fast - Update Plus 1 Week

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Dorset) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

So it's been a week since I finished my seven day juice fast and I thought I'd write a quick update on how I've managed myself since then.

The good news is that I've managed to keep my weight off. I put on about three pounds after the first two days, but I've slowly taken it back off (all but 0.5lb) again during the rest of the week. I'm very pleased about that.

Other things are a little mixed though. I have to admit that immediately after my juice fast I went a little wild and completely blew my dietary promises out of the water. It didn't help that here in Seattle we were suffering from the worst snow storm in several years, but at the end of the day I only have myself to blame. The problem was that I had no real meal plan. It had been so easy to just drink juices. I should have really planned out exactly what I was going to eat once I was finished with my fast - in detail. Only now, a whole week later, am I just working out an eating regime. Changing the way you eat without detailed planning is not a good idea. Be warned!

Then there's my energy levels. The euphoria of the juice diet wore off within a couple of days and I haven't really had a surplus of energy at all these last few days. But I am still sleeping well (and not really snoring), even though the last couple of days I have been suffering from a bit of a cold. The bounce back from the juice fast has had its downside.

Still, this is all a learning experience and as I move forward these next couple of weeks and then months, I hope to get a better handle on it all. It's all about routine and I just need to perfect my routine. Well, there you have it, my one week update. I'll post a further update in a few weeks time.

PS. For those of you that are interested, I'm still making juices and I'm drinking about one per day, be it either fruit, veggie or a mix. I'm also trying my best to eat as much raw as possible and not to eat meat, processed foods or candy.

A Change Of Plans

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Dorset) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

I'm a planner. Well, mostly anyway. But even a planner has to be prepared for the unexpected. If you've been following the Seattle area weather this week, you've probably noticed that we've had a bit of an unusual spell of weather. It was caused by something called snow. Now, I know all you Canadians and East Coast readers will just think Seattle has no idea about how to deal with snow, but the simple truth is that it doesn't actually snow very much in Seattle and when it does, all the hills make things very challenging. Yes, Seattle is a very hilly place! Then there's all the trees. Seattle is green and verdant and full of forests and trees. Those trees extend into neighborhoods too. And this week not only did we get a whole load of snow, but we also got a whole load of ice too - the ice storm was VERY rare. End result - falling trees, downed power-lines, blocked roads, accidents - you name it, we had it.

So, where am I going with all this? Well, this weekend my wife and I were due to go away on vacation. We had booked a quiet retreat in a log cabin, tucked away in the San Juans. Five days of solitude and a chance to do some uninterrupted writing and reading. But the weather has put a stop to it. The owners of the place where we were due to stay called to say it wasn't a good idea to try and travel there this weekend. Sadness ensued all around.

This means it's time for a change of plans, just as this blog post title declares. As soon as I got the news, I jumped online and booked a downtown Seattle hotel for the weekend. At least we can escape and have a couple of days away from home, even if it won't be filled with reading and writing. Instead it'll be a pretend we're tourists weekend, where we get to visit several downtown stops in between sheltering from the predicted downpours of rain and dodging the icy sidewalks. It's going to be fun!

In all things in life we must be prepared for a change in plans. Even as we write our novels. I am embracing this change and looking forward to something totally unexpected. Besides, We'll still get to the San Juans - it's just going to be a couple of weeks delay. If only changes in novels were that simple!

All I wanted for Christmas (technology-wise)

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Dorset) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

When I was a kid, after I reached the age of about 13, I really got into gadgets. The electronics and computing marketplace was just taking off and everything was really exciting. Remember, this was 1973 - only a mere 38 years ago!

My first purchase was a Sinclair Cambridge calculator which was an amazing gadget that put my slide rule to a serious test. Of course it wasn't perfect, and it did take a while to calculate a few things. Then there was 'rounding error' to contend with too. But the best 'feature' was that if you tried to divide anything by zero, it tried to calculate the result for you! Something that would leave the calculator happily engaged forever if you let it.

Next up was the Sinclair Scientific, an amazing calculator that introduced trigonometry and log / anti-log functions. It was a little faster overall than the Cambridge, but when you asked it to perform trig functions you could actually watch as it tried to calculate the result! Oh, the good old pioneering days of pocket calculators.

In my later school years I purchased my first programmable calculator, only to find out I couldn't use it in my school exams! Still, the slide rule and log tables actually sufficed and got me through. Kids today have no concept of a slide rule or log tables. I guess that's something that has been lost to the void forever now. It's a shame really as these were really good 'gadgets' and you actually had to understand things before you used them in anger, unlike modern calculators that just do things mindlessly, even when you don't know what it is you're really trying to do.

Anyway, I finally left school and started work in 1978, just as technology was burgeoning. My first purchase about a year later was an Acorn Atom computer which I put together from a kit. It used the TV as output and a cassette recorder as input. Its 2kb (yes, 2 kilobytes of memory, or 0.0000019 of a gigabyte!!) of memory served me well. I was able to write all sorts of multi-level player games and eventually added another 4kb of memory and had the world's best PC! Those were the days.

Time moved along and better PCs were invented, phones became mobile (well to be honest transportable with huge battery packs) and gadgets continued to fill my house. Then somewhere in the early 2000's I suddenly lost the urge for new gadgets and stopped spending all my waking hours looking at new things. At the time I didn't know why, but time has given me an explanation.

The simple reason is that the technology market got itself into a mess up. Although there were a few new technological breakthroughs, on the whole there was nothing really exciting being launched. The iPhone changed all that. Suddenly a device was available that was part phone, part PC, part music player, part movie player, and part entertainment machine. This was indeed a technological breakthrough.

Me? Of course I got my T-Mobile G1 phone a couple of years ago. T-Mobile was an early adopter of the Android OS. To me this phone was the next generation 'swiss army' penknife of gadgets. A device that plays Youtube videos; will give you step by step directions from your home to some other destination, with street maps along the way; will let you send and receive emails when you are away from your desktop PC; will keep your calendar and contacts up to date in one place; will allow you to wile away a few hours playing pac-man; will display a compass on screen in case you get lost; will scan barcodes so that you can make sensible buying decisions. The possibilities were endless. This device is about the same size as the Sinclair Scientific of 35 years ago and a lot smaller than my Acorn Atom PC. But its power was so deceptive. It was a 1970's mainframe PC in a matchbox.

A few years later and I'm now a converted iPhone user and those pioneering days of Android have also now been lost to the void.

So, what do I want for my next technological Christmas? I would love some kind of Heads Up Display (HUD) for my phone so that I didn't have to wear my reading glasses to read the ever decreasing text size. A virtual 20" display on a phone would be amazing. Maybe also a virtual keyboard where you could 'tap' in the air and effortlessly write your text messages. Throw in much better battery life and a better more intuitive index and retrieval system and we would really be cooking on gas. Oh well, I can but dream.

There are also a few improvements I would love to see on the transportation front. In the 35 years or so since I bought my first calculator the roads are still littered with the same types of cars as were around then. Sure they're a little more fuel efficient and robust in accidents, but there are millions more of them around. Getting from place to place is a real bind. What I'd really like for my technological Christmas would be a better form of long distance transport. Where are the transportation devices of Star Trek and Stargate SG-1? Surely if mankind can deliver multi-purpose electronic gadgets it can now work on long distance transportation. We can fly into space, we can return safely in a reusable spacecraft, yet we haven't solved how to go 50 miles without sharing the roads with thousands of other like-minded drivers, determined to make our particular journey a misery.

When I was a kid I used to have dreams where I could levitate and then take a journey under my own power, zooming across the countryside, quickly getting to my destination. If I had my choice for a technology gift for Christmas, I think that's exactly what I would wish for right now. It doesn't seem so far fetched as it did when I was a kid. In fact I might even trade in my multi-gadget phone for an early model!

As we embark upon another year, be safe in the knowledge that humans are not only the most dangerous beings on our planet, but also the most inventive and at their core strive to make things better for the rest of humankind. Now where did I put my iPhone?

Juice Fast - Day 7 (Final Summary)

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Dorset) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:52:00 +0000

So here we, are seven days of my juice fast complete!

Let's get straight on with the comments:

Skin - The blotches on my face seem to be a little better, although they are definitely still there. Hopefully over the next couple of weeks they will disappear
Energy - My energy was still very good yesterday even though I was mostly housebound due to the snowy weather. I definitely seem to have a higher level of energy overall than before the juice fast
Sleep - I slept really well and awoke very refreshed. No snoring is a real bonus!
Hunger - I wasn't hungry yesterday and I maintained my juice intake. I drank about 60oz of juice during the day and about 80oz of water
Aches & Pains - None
Total Pounds Lost - 6.8 (0.0 yesterday) This was the most disappointing element of yesterday although I had a feeling it would be like this as for some reason my body decided to retain water yesterday
General Comments - I feel euphoric! Seven days without any food - only fresh fruit and vegetable juice, and some water. Yes, that's been my diet for the past week and it hasn't been too bad at all, to be honest.

So, I guess I should summarize all my experiences as best as possible.

The most noticeable thing to me has been my heightened sense of smell and taste. This was something I wasn't expecting at all. As I transition back to real food it will be interesting to see how everything tastes. My body has definitely gone through a detox this past week.

I went shopping today for some food to see me through the next couple of days as I break my fast and start to eat real food again. I even made some fresh coleslaw and hummus this evening and put them in the fridge ready for tomorrow. As I've written before, I want to try and eat as much raw as I can, with only the minimum of cooked or processed food. And the diet will also be 90%+ vegetarian. Wish me luck. I'll report back on that from time to time.

My energy these past few days has also been really good and I have also been sleeping really well, although I have been having quite vivid dreams. But, and this is the best part, my snoring has more orless disappeared altogether. I really want to keep all these great feelings as I move forward, back on my day to day course.

And weight loss? That's been an interesting journey. In some ways I thought that I would lose more than I did, but in other ways I am really pleased to lose the 6.8lbs. When you see other testimonials about losing weight, they always sounds so great. But I have to remember, it's not that I was 100lb overweight when I started. This year in total, I set myself a challenging 26lbs to lose (anything over 16lbs would be wonderful). I had already lost a couple of lbs before I started this fast and so now I only have 17.2lbs to lose over the course of the rest of the year (11 months). And to put that weight loss in perspective, when I reach my weight loss goal I will be the lightest weight I can remember being in over twenty years! I am already nearly at the weight I was when I first arrived in the USA, over sixteen years ago, and I considered myself pretty okay back then! So no, I'm not going to complain about my weight loss.

What does that leave? Not a lot really I guess. I'm definitely going to do this again later in the year, for another reboot, and the journey has definitely taught me a lot about how the body reacts to food. I urge any of you out there reading this to give the juice fast a go. You'll be surprised by the journey.

You can read the complete Juice Fast series by clicking the link HERE.

Juice Fast - Day 6 (Summary)

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Dorset) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:59:00 +0000

Amazing, six days of my juice fast gone!

Day six - the fast goes on...

Let's get straight on with the comments:

Skin - The blotches on my face seem to be getting a little better, although they are definitely still there. I'll have to watch these closely over the next few days
Energy - My energy was very good yesterday even though I was mostly housebound due to the snowy weather. I definitely seem to have a higher level of energy overall than before the juice fast
Sleep - I slept really well and awoke very refreshed. No snoring is a real bonus!
Hunger - I wasn't hungry yesterday and I increased my juice intake a little, especially the fruit juices. This seems to have helped a little. I drank about 70oz of juice during the day and about 80oz of water
Aches & Pains - None
Total Pounds Lost - 6.8 (0.8 yesterday)
General Comments - The best breakfast juice ever! I definitely excelled myself today. This fresh juice was so tasty. Mix together the following: two apples (cored), a wedge of cantaloupe melon (peeled and cored), a handful of each – grapes, berries, strawberries, and the killer ingredient a couple of stems of mint (leaves only). This mix made enough for about 24oz of juice. I could drink this every day!

So that was the start of my day. I had decided I would try and boost my weight loss today as it had been relatively little the previous couple of days. So I tried boosting my fruit juice intake. Fruit and vegetable juices both have different effects on the body and so I am hoping this is what I need. I followed the breakfast juice up with an orange juice mixture a few hours later. I had a late lunch of several veggies (juiced) and also drank a lot of water in between. As I write this on the evening of day 6, I am interested to see what I will weigh in at in the morning. And I say that because I have decided that unless the weight loss is bigger than the last couple of days, I am going to come off the fast and revert to my modified eating diet.

Why? I feel pretty confident that my body has mostly detoxed now. I am noticing nothing particularly different going on. My senses are still heightened as in previous days and my hunger is totally under control. I think that because I've been eating a mostly vegan diet for the past several months, my body didn't have too much of a detox to go through. Apart from some turkey at Christmas, I have hardly eaten any meat in over four months. 90% of all my meals have been home cooked from fresh ingredients, and I've had no real sugar or extra salt to speak of for a very long time. I don't drink soda, and I stopped drinking coffee before I started my detox. Before that I only drank one cup a day anyway. During the detox I have continued taking my medication and vitamins.

My energy has remained high and my mind sharp. I have felt no fogginess or general aches and pains throughout the fast, and my wife assures me my snoring has all but disappeared - and that has to be a good thing! I would defintely recommend a juice fast to anyone as a way to improve all sorts of things associated with your body. And the great thing about it is you can come back and do it again anytime you want to.

So, tomorrow morning is decision time. Do I call it a day after six days, or do I continue for a few more days? Read on...

Well, it's now Tuesday morning and after a really good night's sleep and weight loss of nearly 1lb, I have decided to continue one more day. This will make it a seven day fast, as opposed to my original aim of a ten day fast. But, I really think I have achieved my objectives and it's time to get eating food on my new lifestyle diet. More tomorrow and final thoughts. Have a great day!

You can read the complete Juice Fast series by clicking the link HERE.

Don't Forget - How To Write & Self-Publish Your First Novel

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Dorset) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:57:00 +0000

In an extra post today, I thought I'd give you all a quick reminder of my consistently selling book How To Write & Self-Publish Your First Novel. It's only $3.99 as an ebook from Amazon and $8.99 as a paperback. From the feedback I have received and the consistent sales, maybe this is a book that could really help you. Take a look at some of the recent Amazon rankings for the book:

What are you waiting for? Just click the link HERE and take a look for yourself.

Juice Fast - Day 5 (Summary)

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Dorset) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:48:00 +0000

Yay, I am halfway through my juice fast!

Day five was not really a day of any note. It was actually a little of a bleh day.

Let's get straight on with the comments:

Skin - The blotches on my face are still no worse nor better than yesterday. I thought there may have been some change by now
Energy - My energy was good yesterday. It was noticeably a little lower than the day before and it appears my body has started to process things a little different. I may need to start feeding it more juice as it seems to have gone into a little semi-hibernation
Sleep - I slept really well and awoke early. I had to force myself back to sleep for a couple of hours
Hunger - I wasn't really hungry yesterday although my stomach did grumble a few times. I think psychologically I am getting used to the lack of food, although maybe my body is disagreeing with that conclusion. Today I am going to try and drink a lot more juice and see what happens. I drank about 50oz of juice during the day and about 90oz of water
Aches & Pains - None
Total Pounds Lost - 6.0 (0.4 yesterday)
General Comments - So, halfway through my ten day challenge and still on course! I have to admit I was very tempted today to cheat, walking around the local grocery store. But I held out and managed to get through the day drinking only my juices and water. I suppose it's all downhill from here, but no doubt there will be challenges along the way. I've got into a routine with the drinking and juicing and I'm not generally hungry during the day.

The most amazing part of all this for me has been my increased sense of smell and taste. It's really, really weird! I've never had a great sense of smell but these last few days I have been able to smell even the subtlest of smells. My wife was eating some raw carrots and peppers in the afternoon and I could smell the peppers as clear as anything, right across the room. Trust me, this has never happened before!

I've been thinking a lot today about how and what I want to eat as a lifestyle when I finish my juice fast and I think I've just about sorted it in my mind. At this point I think I'm going to be eating a 70% raw diet, supplemented with some beans and nuts. I think I've ruled out eating bread, and any wheat actually, so that rules out most pastas too. Of course meat will be out, but I may occasionally have some sushi or sashimi. As I'll be eating mostly raw, I will try and avoid most fried food too (I do like a portion of fries once in a while!). I also think I'll continue to juice a few meals here and there and also do another juice fast later in the year. Hmmm, I guess we'll have to have a follow up later, won't we?

Anyway, back to the juice fast. I am mostly enjoying the juices I am drinking. They are all fresh and tasty, it's just that I am missing eating other foods too. It's amazing the variety of juices that can be made. Today for example I added some mint, green onions, beet and a parsnip to a very veggie drink and the result was very tasty and a little bit spicy. My mouth is actually salivating just writing this down! Crazy.

So, bring on the last few days!

You can read the complete Juice Fast series by clicking the link HERE.

Juice Fast - Day 4 (Summary)

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Dorset) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 14:11:00 +0000

Four days down and nearly halfway!

Day four was an interesting day that has left me asking a lot of questions.

Let's get straight on with the comments:

Skin - The blotches on my face are no worse nor better than yesterday. I hope they are going to start to clear up soon
Energy - My energy was excellent yesterday. I did all the things I wanted to do without any issues and enjoyed a relaxing evening
Sleep - I slept really well and awoke bright and alert
Hunger - It's very weird to go through a day and not feel hungry. My body must be shutting down! I drank about 60oz of juice during the day and about 80oz of water
Aches & Pains - None
Total Pounds Lost - 5.6 (0.4 yesterday)
General Comments - I awoke on day four with lots of energy. After drinking breakfast I thought it would be good to do some writing. My focus this week has been around juicing and body health and I hadn't gotten around to do any writing. Today would be a good day to get back into it.

Alas, it was not to be. I read through the last chapter I had written and decided my brain wasn't quite in the right space to continue where I had left off. That wasn't to say my brain wasn't functioning, just not ready to continue writing just yet. I decided I needed to go for a long walk instead. So, once I had sorted out several other things I set off for a one hour brisk walk. It was good, although very cold out on the trail! Still, it was just as well I went when I did as an hour after I got home it started to snow. The weather has turned!

The odd thing about this juice fast is my lack of hunger. Last week I would have thought that going through this I would have felt hungry all the time. Not so at all. How does that work? Has my stomach shrunk and my body gone into starvation mode? I'm not sure. If I was in starvation mode then surely all the foods everywhere would make me hungry, wouldn't they? No, I think it's a little different somehow. My body is obviously enjoying this clean out and is reacting positively to it. I wonder how long it wants to go on with the experiment? I know from my end it's six more days and I'm outta here! Not that I won't come back to it again sometime, it's just that I am looking forward to having some solid food again - maybe some nice crunchy salads and fresh fruit. And I don't even like salads! I must be losing my mind.

Some other observations from yesterday include a heightened sense of taste and smell. Very weird indeed! I can smell things I don't normally smell, just walking around the house, and when I taste my juices it's just like I can taste many of the several ingredients individually. This is definitely something that I haven't experienced for a very long time.

Then lastly it was also weird only losing 0.4lb yesterday. Previous days have seen much greater losses and nothing was different in what I did. In fact, if anything, I was more active yesterday than the day before. Perhaps my body stored more water yesterday. I don't know. The one thing that I am seeing is that weight loss is not entirely dependent upon calories consumed. The body is indeed an interesting thing. Let's see what happens tomorrow!

You can read the complete Juice Fast series by clicking the link HERE.

Juice Fast - Day 3 (Summary)

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Dorset) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 14:06:00 +0000

Three days gone and seven to go!

I think at last I'm getting the hang of this thing. Day three was a successful day.

Let's get straight on with the comments:

Skin - I think the blotches on my face are a little worse than yesterday. Nothing significant but definitely blotchy. Detox is at work!
Energy - My energy was good yesterday. I did all the things I wanted to do without any issues and enjoyed a relaxing evening
Sleep - My energy level was so good yesterday evening that I didn't go to bed until very late. As a result, I only slept about 6 hours but it was great sleep! Deep and satisfying
Hunger - Another day where I wasn't hungry! It's weird. I am eating (or drinking) way less than I do on a regular basis and yet I'm not getting any real hunger pangs. I definitely thought I would be starving by now. I drank about 60oz of juice during the day and about 80oz of water
Aches & Pains - None
Total Pounds Lost - 5.2 (1.8 yesterday)
General Comments - My sinuses felt a little blocked today and I definitely had some mucus to clear out. Again, I've read this is normal. I've also noticed that I'm having more vivid dreams than usual. The mind is a weird thing! I had no headache today and my concentration was good. Actually it was better today than it has been for a while. I am looking forward to ongoing improvements over the next week.

I think I've found my dream juice too (well, at least for today). This evening I juiced 3 medium carrots, 2 medium apples, a good handful of spinach and a slice of fresh pineapple (about one inch, skin and all). The resulting bright green drink was wonderfully sweet and filling. It gave me a good calorie fix (around 300), great nutrients and minerals and tasted wonderful!

As for the weight loss, I am impressed at how much is coming off in such a short time. It can't be due to dehydration as I'm drinking plenty of water and it can't be down to calorie intake alone. In three days I would normally consume around 6,000 calories, which would equate to around 1.7lb of body weight lost if I consumed nothing at all. I have been taking somewhere in the region of 700 to 1,000 calories a day (by my juicing calculations), so this means the most I should have lost should be around 1lb (to make up for the overall 3500 calorie deficit). This means I've lost an additional 4.2lbs of crap inside my body somehow. Amazing!

I am looking forward to seeing how this feels going forward.

You can read the complete Juice Fast series by clicking the link HERE.