Medicare Wars Pamphlet 1 is FREE July 4-8

Whew, I hardly get one project under control and another pops up!  Sort of like whack-a-mole, but in a good way.

Medicare Wars, Pamphlet 1, A Radical New Approach – learn, Fight, Win! Is FREE on Amazon July 4 – 8!  Grab it for yourself, pass on the info to family and friends. You’re never too young or too old to learn about Medicare and there's lots younger people should know before advocating for “Medicare for Everyone” Single Payer is much more desirable.

But, while we have it, learn what makes it tick. How it’s funded. How you pay for it all your working life, how it is, in truth, an Earned Benefit -- and those are not dirty words.  Learn a bit about the history of how it came into being, how it’s been twisted with the arrival of insurance companies in the middle of its administration, how the recipient can get the most out of what is available and how few of those oft-touted “choices” people really have.

That’s the biggie for now – the first Pamphlet is the series is FREE now. Don’t wait.  Grab it. 

Meanwhile, Pamphlet 2, Stuff You Wish You Knew is also available on Amazon in Kindle and paperback editions and Pamphlet 3 will be available shortly.

On other fronts, work continues on the sixth Comic adventure in the Planet Of The Eggs series, a double-edition which will cap off the first volume of the Eggs’ adventures.

 

Beyond that, I continue to work with producers on the production of a fun horror script. We’ll see how that unfolds.  

And, on the back-burner lingers my newest Romance Novel, tentatively titled “Serpent’s Tail”, which is calling to me. 

Have a wonderful 4^th and don’t forget to get that free copy of Medicare Wars and tell your friends. 

A Writer's Update

It’s been a busy few months here in my office, and the result is I haven’t had time to add much to the blog.

So it’s time for an update.

Work continues on the Medicare Wars series of books to focus folks’ understand of Medicare. Two have published, the third is on the way and three more after that. The idea is to create pamphlets to provide bite-sized information to everyone interested in Medicare as it is, it’s history, it’s future and the concept of ‘Medicare for Everyone.”  With my partner, we provide solid information and direction on how to apply, what people should expect and the pitfalls all around us.   Good news is the first in the series, Medicare Wars: A Radical New Approach, Lear, Fight Win, will be FREE July 4 through 8.  

Grab your copy, spread the word http://amzn.to/2tp5fNF Don’t forget to visit our Facebook page at http://bit.ly/MedicareWars Tell your friends about that site as well. We love visitors and welcome questions. We also get very excited about honest reviews so please do post one at Amazon, Goodreads, wherever you talk about books.

In addition to the Medicare Wars series, we’re just about to publish the sixth Comic in the Chronical of the Eggs series, Planet of The Eggs: Worlds Collide. Do check out the series starting with the first comic, Planet Of The Eggs – Cracked Open at http://bitly.com/POECrackedOpen and don’t forget the Facebook Fanpage  as well at  http://bit.ly/EGGPLANET and the great review of another in the series “Eruption” at Readers’ Favorites 

http://bitly.com/EruptionReview. The sixth adventure completes the first volume, but there will be more! Visit, like the page and watch for what’s coming next

And don’t forget the first installment of our kid’s Read To Me books, Look At Me, Look At You! http://amzn.to/2ccMqoi.

Have a great summer and we’ll just keep on writing and illustrating!

Time Management - 5 Tips For Making Time For Writing

Managing your time. Making time for your writing. Finding time. Whatever you call it, it can be tricky while juggling kids, relationships, job, whatever else you're involved in that you can’t really give up or set aside.

So, in the spirit of my back to basics mood at the moment, here are a few ideas ( 5 tips) to help things along.

1.  I always suggest keeping a notebook or notecards with you. That way you can jot whenever something occurs to you or whenever you observe something that needs to be remembered, even if away from your writing place. 

Or take notes on your phone or record messages to yourself on the phone if you can. 

There are also great tiny recorders you can use to capture notes to yourself then plug into your computer and transfer like the Yoday voice recorder.  Inexpensive too!

   2. Set priorities and do your darndest to stick to them. Talk with your spouse, your kids, whoever is going to be around and work at getting them to understand how important this is to you. 

   You have to let others know that at times you’re going to have to say no to things that drain away your time minute by minute and that you must stick to your ‘to-do’ list to keep things moving. Remember to do the most important first. Plainly, there will be bumps in this road.

  3. Creating goals that are good for you is a great help. Decide perhaps you’re going to create a certain number of pages or words during a session. Maybe go with an amount of time. Or best yet, set a goal of how many words you want to get down on paper during the amount of time you have available. Stick to it! 

    If you do this you’ll minimize distractions and get a lot more done. Remember – the world of social media is out to get you and rob you of all your productive time!

   4. Dedicate a writing space, no matter how small. Even if it has to do double duty. If you have to write on the kitchen table, do it at a time when you can clear the table, set up your laptop and do nothing but write at the table. It helps train the mind that this is the time for writing. If you can convert a closet or set up a small desk somewhere, so much the better. If a sit/stand desk like what I use from Veridesk is good for you and in your budget, go for it. Work with what you have.

   5. Finally, don’t put enormous pressure on yourself. If you’re forcing yourself into doing something you don’t want to do you’re not going to get very far. If this is something you want to do you WILL begin to set your parameters and goals. If that doesn’t happen then perhaps writing isn’t for you and it’s time to move on to other things.

Big New Project coming - Medicare Wars pamphlets

Hi there folks.  I took a bit of a break from the blog throughout the holidays and because I was loaded down with work.  

Something new is coming soon - and it's not our usual fiction!

During our break we began in earnest, work on a major project, a series of pamphlets to explain Medicare, where it came from, where we are, and what the future might hold, in bite-sized bits. 

It's a big project, brand new, geared to help lots of people created by my writing partner on The Egg Chronicles, Planet Of The Eggs comics, Charlene (fondly known as Charlie) Brash-Sorensen and I are working on.

Charlie has a very long history - Twenty-six years in management and executive positions in the Medicare and Medicaid health insurance industry. 

As she tells us, those "twenty-six years is a LONG time.  It takes a toll personally and physically.  It takes a few years to totally drop the stress and move on.  In my particular case shedding my career persona—Director of Strategic Planning, Director of Operations, Associate Executive Director, Executive Director, Vice President of Network Development, Vice President of Operations, Chief Compliance Officer and Senior Consultant—has taken 4 years. The last vestige of those years was putting my Brooks Brothers 3-piece suits for sale on eBay." 

So was born, in this political atmosphere, the non-fiction project: MEDICARE WARS! A series of pamphlets clearly titled so people old and young can see which one best fits their need for learning and our guess is most folks will want them all. 

First up is the beginning with info on the history of Medicare, what you, and yes, your employer,  PAY for, what the Medicare Insurance program is all about and some links, tips, and helps to make it clear what each citizen of the United States does in order to be a recipient of this program.  And what everyone should receive because of it. 

Future pamphlets will take individual elements and go into very clear detail. We call it Medicare Wars because, since this most recent election, the program is in danger. together WE THE PEOPLE have the power to defeat the assault being waged on Medicare. This is why we’ve named our series of pamphlets, Medicare Wars.

Charlie is in the process of starting up a blog to go along with it as well as a Facebook page where people can ask questions, briefly describe their own good and bad experiences and come to for breaking information that's clear and up to date. 

So, as work continues, don't hesitate to comment here with questions you may have about how it all works, why younger people should be paying attention and a whole lot more.  

Please leave questions and suggestions for content we can cover in future pamphlets in the comment section and don't forget to tell your friends, family and anyone with any interest. 

Pass it on and let's do this thing!  First pamphlet releasing very soon in Kindle and then paperback editions. Watch my for more info soon. 

And yes, we love our Eggs and they will continue their adventures. Number six (the final in the first Vol.) is under way with a few delays. But, not to worry, it's coming soon!

How to Write a Novel - and not just talk about it

Okay folks, I think I’m going to go back to basics for those writing novels – especially since this is national novel writing month – or NaNoWriMo as it’s called and we’re already well into it with a few of my friends participating.

So, there are lots of people out there who TALK about writing a novel, but then there are the ones who actually do it. Congratulations if you’re one of the later. Then there are people who’ve talked about writing a novel and finally actually do it!  Congratulations to you as well. Bet it feels good.

For those of you who are still kind of getting your feet wet and aren’t really on stable ground as yet. Here are a few things to get you motivated and stay on track.

First give yourself some attainable goals (you can do the really heavy duty, nearly unattainable if you want, but the attainable ones are generally reached and motivate you to continue to the next goal). Those involved in NaNoWriMo are already on that track.  I suggest you even write it down. Use strong words for yourself. For example, tell yourself you’re going to start and finish a publishable novel within a year (or six months, or whatever). If you do it you’re creating a goal and a deadline for yourself and as a writer, believe me, you need both.  It’s that old ‘it’s hard to make yourself work when you’re the only one you’re answerable to’ plague that nails many an author.

Second, the secret to completing that novel is writing. That basic. Every day won’t bring amazing paragraphs and stunning chapters, but it’s important to stick to it. To do it every day. If you’re turning out bad writing that’s okay. Eventually that bad writing will evolve into good writing. And, eventually sentences equal paragraphs and paragraphs add up to chapters and chapters…well, you get the drift. There’s a finished novel in there somewhere.

And remember for the third point here that there is no right way to write a novel. Seriously. You might plan the whole thing out from beginning to end. Another writer wings it entirely. Some ideas begin with only a title. Some writers are agonizing over the title long after the novel is written. Some people write the story. Some let the characters guide them to the end. Whatever way works for you is the way to write a novel.

Great writing is most times rewriting. That means you could well write many more pages than what the novel will actually have. You’ll do a lot of deleting and you’ll probably get mad at whoever you draft to give you input as you realize you have to delete even more, then restructure the story to fill in the holes that are left. It hurts. Almost every writer I’ve ever known resists taking out chunks. I, myself, had to reduce a novel by about a third once in order to have it published. But it DID get published.

published originally by Doubldeay - now available on Kindle

Lastly don’t forget to celebrate and pat yourself on the back when you finish a goal. Do something nice for yourself when you complete a chapter. When you finish the first draft crack open the champagne!

When it’s ready for publication blow out the stops. Truly, you’ve accomplished something amazing, don’t let it be just another day.

Now, think about what I’ve said here, then get out there and write the novel you’ve always intended to. (or that short story or comic or non-fiction or......)

BEST REALTOR - SANTA FE - Damon Apodaca 505-690-7943

Best Childrens books in years - Egg Chronicles - Planet Of The Eggs