Currently Reading: Midsummer Eve at Rookery End by Elizabeth Hanbury

Whilst reading the delightful 'A Bright Particular Star', which is a full-length novel by Elizabeth Hanbury, I also came across this set of five stories (originally three) which I'm reading at this moment.

I've already read the first, entitled 'The Virtuoso Courtesan', a highly enjoyable story which, like all the best ones (especially in Stephen King stories!) there are only a few characters, and in this case, just two.

The other four stories I am sure will be as good as, if not better than the first, and it's a nice, gentle way to 'get into' Regency romance stories.

I can highly recommend this, and I'm probably going to get the print version of  'A Cinderella Debutante' as well. I really like the author's style of writing, and when you find an author you like, you just want more and more!

More on this when I've completed all five in this book. I defy anyone not to like these stories!

Elizabeth's website is here:- http://www.elizabethhanbury.com/

Author website

Amazon book page

Instant Health: The Shaolin Qigong Workout For Longevity by Shifu Yan Lei
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This utterly superb book not only beautifully details how to do the stretches, but has many pearls of wisdom littered throughout the book.

I don't think this book is aimed at beginners, though they could pick up much from this.

As a huge fan of Bruce Lee's 'Tao of Jeet Kune Do' and 'Fighting Method' books, it is no small matter finding a fine martial arts book.

The book is a work of art - but it has the substance to back it up and that is a major achievement.

Shifu Yan Lei is the real deal - you can tell that. So many 'master's prefix their name with such titles and in some cases, they are great at what they do. This man is a case in point.

If you are a martial artist, or just want tips to stay healthy and strong into old age (as opposed to just living to an old age) - buy and learn from this book.

Highly recommended.



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Making Your Book Great: The Importance of Editorial Evaluation

With my first book coming out in 2011, I was hesitating to go through the delays of editorial evaluation. I mean, this would mean further hold-ups to the release of the book, and why would I want to do that?

But wait a second.

Then another.

You must, because when it's your first book coming out, you are so excited, you want the world to know about it, but you must step back and realise just how big - or small, that world actually is.

There's another issue. Once that book is out there, you feel a bit 'flat'. After all, this book has consumed a lot of your time, coffee, sleepless nights, and with any free time you might have, it's taken up with thoughts about the book. Or the next book after that.

Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone With The Wind authored one book and one book only. Gone With The Wind is a very famous book and film. I also had the pleasure of visiting her old home on a visit to the United States.

Who knows if she had any other books planned?

In some ways I am envious of authors who make their living from writing, but also from other things they do.

The editing of a book like Gone With The Wind would have been some undertaking. But whether it is a classic like that, or your own book, do pause and get the proper editorial evaluation done.

It's quite possible you won't like what they say, at least, at first.

But you will come to realise that they do know what they're talking about, and you can work the advice given into your book - regardless of the subject.

The two books I have completed so far, The Essence of Martial Arts, and also, Dark Winter, have both received editorial critique.

In the first book, I intimately know the subject matter, so what I needed from Editorial was a way in which it could just 'frame' the book better, and indeed the text was much better for it. Still not perfect, mind.

For the second book, which is basically 'a project' because I've never published a full length novel before, I needed Editorial to bash me over the head. Oh - I didn't like their critique at first. I thought they had bulldozed through what I'd written. But who am I, in the literary world? No-one! So I thought 'you have to get over yourself' and listen to these people.

Of course, I would listen in the end. And again, the book is far better for having professional critique.

So, although it may seem too obvious, do take the time to get your book edited. It may not be perfect, it may not win you more fans, it may not make you any money.

But your book will be better should you heed their advice.

Make your book great, okay?

Currently Reading: A Bright Particular Star by Elizabeth Hanbury

Well. It's nice to get away from the horrors, blood and guts of the final tweaks on 'Dark Winter', to read something a lot more lighter. Only starting reading it today, but it's got a cool heroine and the story moves at quite a pace.

That's not to say that pace equals a dry narrative. No. Elizabeth Hanbury describes the world of Sophie and Theo extremely well, and whilst it might seem a light read to some, it really isn't, and the more I get into it, it has the makings of a fantastic story here.

A full review when I've sped through this. I wouldn't normally say something like that, but this is a story that you just want to read, and keep reading. It's wonderfully crafted, historically accurate, with an engaging protagonist.

Awesome so far.

Author website

Amazon book page

Why Losing Your Job (and finding Martial Arts) could be the best thing that ever Happened to You

After nearly ten years in the same company, you'd think I'd be in the pot for an Omega watch, or a significant pay rise.

No.

There had already been warnings, back in 2005, that some of us were going to lose our jobs. Not because we'd done anything wrong, exactly. We had just gotten too big as a company, and the powers that be decided to slim us down.

The sales force were exempt from this, even though it could be said that they played some part in the company losing sales. They were referred to by one outgoing sales account manager as a 'sales prevention force'.

That may seem cruel, but it was at least in part, very apt.

I had already been teaching martial arts on a part time basis when the threat of redundancy loomed over me in 2005.

I hadn't necessarily done anything to warrant this, but our department had spent budgets out of existence. I was not happy with how things were, but the manager crushed dissent from me - or at least attempted to, because I wasn't part of her original crew, and so, I was easy to attack if the manager happened to be having a bad day.

Still, I avoided the chop back in 2005, only for her to leave soon afterwards, and I set about defining myself with a  career in marketing. I was now in charge of marketing, though in essence, I was 'it'.

Despite getting funding in from our partners to do campaigns, the management were unwilling or unable to back me and I became increasingly frustrated with the role.

I continued to work hard at my job, but also worked hard to become the best martial arts instructor I could be. Just a year from my actual redundancy in 2009, I took the decision to stop competing in martial arts tournaments in 2008.

Martial arts had been very good to me. I could see that my place of work was very much on a downward trajectory. The management seemed rather listless, and offered no real 'vision' for the company, except for 'we will survive'.

Well, a mayfly can survive for a day, but that's because it is constrained by it's biology.

So, through martial arts, was that the best I could do? Survive?

If in a life or death situation, I'd say survival was a pretty good thing.

Back at 'We Don't Know What We're Doing' plc, I thought survival, even if I survived 'the cut', was not likely to be a good, long term thing.

I had a mortgage to pay. I had to eat. When you have 'a job' and people ask you what you do, and you say 'oh, I'm in sales,' or 'I'm an accountant'....listen to the lifelessness in their voices.

I really did enjoy my role. Some of the people from there, I actually miss.

But I would not let it define me. It's not an ego thing either, but it's nice to say 'I teach martial arts, or 'I'm a writer', depending on who I'm talking to - sometimes both.

Like most things, we are more than the sum of our parts.

If you've got a job, do it well and be the best at that job. So if the one you work for doesn't appreciate that, move on to somewhere, someone, or in some manner that makes sense to you.

Because honestly, redundancy was probably the best thing that happened to me. It's not always easy, but teaching, and also writing, helps me change things. I feel like I'm doing something rewarding. Making a difference, and in a good way too.

Anyone who reads this, and finds themselves constrained by circumstances, or is working for a We Don't Know What We're Doing plc, just need to look at what else they can do - right now. Today. To change that.

Your boss ultimately doesn't care how you live, how you eat, what your dreams are, or whether or not you can survive. We are the mayfly in his world. But we still have value. Outside of his very small world, we can make it.

So. Find your passion, and be the best at it. I don't think I am the best martial arts teacher in the world, and I know I am not the best writer in the world. You know what? That doesn't matter.

I resolve to be the best I can be every single day. If I had kept my job back in 2009, I would be fulfilling someone else's dreams.

No. No. No.

Why martial arts (and not governments) will keep people safe

This week saw a man admitted his guilt of the manslaughter of 16 year old Christina Edkins. She was stabbed in the chest whilst on a bus in Birmingham. She was just on her way to school, that's all she was doing.

Her killer was a mental patient on release from hospital. Clearly, he has his problems, and he knows that he shouldn't have been amongst the general public.

Mental? Perhaps by some definition he is - but it's interesting to me that he chose to attack a young school girl, as opposed to someone his own size. Yet he chose not to, which says to me he knew what he was doing. Is it still manslaughter then?

Yet the authorities involved say 'we will learn the lessons', 'this won't happen again under our watch', 'we will get rid of knife crime in this country', and so on.

I'm sure they believe it when they say that, but really? A girl lies dead, and it wasn't like there weren't warnings. This guy had form. I wish he had gotten the help he needed, and that Christina could have just gone about her business that day. 

I have tried to strike a balance in lessons between the Art side of martial arts, and the Reality or self defence aspects.

Too  much of one or the other isn't good, and as instructors, we should be aiming - always, for that balance.

I never offer a 100% guarantee that students will survive an attack by someone thrusting a knife in their face. 

But we do work on aspects of the training so that in scenario one - where they can turn, move, but are not allowed to block - it is likely that the knife will get through.

Scenario two does allow them to block, and by and large they do stop the knife hitting vital areas.

For reasons known only to them, the current UK government cut funding of sports to schools. Martial Arts teaching was a major casualty of this measure. 

I know football, netball, gymnastics, basketball et cetera are all fun. But give the children a life skill - isn't that what martial arts should be viewed as?

Schools, governments and authorities wouldn't need to 'learn the lessons' if they just put what is needed in place instead of what's easy to do. 

I was often shocked at the lack of fitness - and discipline at some schools when I taught there.

I do hope that for some of the children I taught, that they got enough from it to pursue martial arts in their life outside school.

The world isn't necessarily more dangerous. We just need to recognise what we can do to help ourselves.

Christina Edkins should have had that help and the basic right to enjoy her bus ride in safety. 

I hope people do take up the chance to learn an effective martial art that keeps them safe within the law. 

If they do, a repeat of Christina's case may never happen, and I will campaign in my own way to make sure our streets are a safe place to be.

OT: (Off-Topic) Why Tesco are Losing Customers

Sometimes I will post things of interest to me that are not related to books or martial arts.

Take this latest news about Tesco, for example.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24361465

On two occasions in the last three years, I've been stopped by security guards because they thought I had items on me that I hadn't paid for.

Both times, I had my receipts, and was furious to be stopped. I mean, with guards watching your every move, and CCTV all over the place, you would think they would have reasons to stop you, right?

I know they are doing their job, and I do go round fast when I food shop (it's not my favourite experience).
But that doesn't mean I'm a thief.

It seems I am not alone in having heavy handed behaviour from Tesco.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2029808/Tesco-branded-shoplifter--happen-YOU.html

Surely they need to look at the systems they have in place, and the people executing those systems.

I would have still been annoyed if thee security guards had apologised, but apparently "Sorry, we have to check these things out" or "It's our job, hope you understand, really sorry to have made you feel upset"
is not something some Tesco security guards are taught to say, instructed to say, or feel they should say.

Tesco, I'm part of a growing band of people who won't be sorry if you lose more customers.