Radcliff Lance's Blog, page 4

Husband Father Friend - The Many Faces of an Average Man

The official cover for my new non-fiction book

Who is qualified to give advice on life and how to live it? Who has the answers to the questions that rattle around in our heads every second of the day? Who has the keys to lifelong happiness? One thing's for sure…I damn sure don't.

I'm not a doctor with a degree in psychology. I'm an average man, a man who, for the most part, has found happiness. I won't pretend to have all the answers, and I won't sugarcoat the hard truths, but a peek into my mind might open up yours.

Why did I feel qualified to write such a book then? I don't feel qualified, I feel compelled. I just decided I wanted to share my mindset with people, maybe you'll find direction, maybe you'll be inspired, or maybe you'll use this book to steady a wobbly table. Honestly, it's your prerogative. I'm just going to share my views and I hope you're entertained.

Think of this like a buffet. You take what you want and leave the rest behind.

Gym Rad - I'm Talking to You!

Radcliff Lance - Stating the Obvious

Once A Spy - review

Once a Spy had an appealing cover. I was walking through Target and saw the paperback. As I read the premise, I was even more intrigued. I've shied away from the "spy" genre quite a bit as of late. Not sure why, I just felt that the action and fun I was looking for wasn't always there. This novel is cut from a different cloth and I loved it. It was fast paced, thrilling, and comedic in all the right places.



I don't want to spend a whole lot of time on the premise, since it's readily available if you look up the novel, so I'll just give a quick breakdown. Drummond Clark would appear to be a retired appliance salesman, while his son Charlie is a degenerate gambler. The truth is, Drummond is a retired spy with Alzheimer's. Suddenly the government is worried that his condition may put him in a position to spill national secrets to the wrong people. Charlie is soon sucked into the situation and attempts to help a father he isn't all that familiar with. The two are on the run after a couple of attempts on their lives. They spend the rest of the novel trying to piece things to together and stay alive as the Calvary and every other law enforcement agency chases them.



The thought of an old spy who is struggling with Alzheimer's is interesting enough, but the way Thomson bounces him in and out of lucidity is golden. His timing is dead on. He creates instances where Charlie has to step up, and this creates serious, and genuine, character development. Drummond is truly a capable killer, and I loved that. Having a much older protagonist handle almost all of the action was so much fun to read. Also, while on the adventure the two begin to work on their estranged relationship, and Charlie comes to understand the nature of the man he considered to be a horrible parent.



What a concept! This novel was fun for all the reasons you would think it is. The "spy" aspect of it was low-tech, and I loved that. It was gritty in a sense that Drummond came from a very old school era of spy craft.



The only complaint I would have was the ending. After this grand adventure, I did feel it was a bit abrupt. Also, there was a gunfight involving another main character minutes before the end, and it's never resolved, the character just kind of shows up in another scene with no explanation as to how they escaped the predicament they were in.

Radcliff Lance - Stop Wasting Time

Writers Need Distractions...Sometimes

Everything you read about writing state the same thing, keep writing. Time spent away from writing is time wasted. You are to be glued to your laptop/PC and churning out stories and manuscripts like they're going out of style. Some blogs will even curse you for stopping by their blog to read instead of writing. While I agree that a majority of your time should be spent honing your craft and doing what you love, I think you definitely need to unplug, more often than you would imagine. After all you don't want to loose touch with your senses and the world around. if you do, what the hell are you going to write about.

Currently, I'm on the more extreme end of the "distractions" spectrum. I've barely churned out a thousand words a week, whereas I usually aim for a thousand words a day. This is because of my recent MMA training, particularly by Brazilian Jiu-JItsu training which has made its way to forefront of my priorities list. This is because I've registered to compete in the 2011 Colorado Open BJJ tournament. I'm determined to win gold in both my registered divisions. Last year, I won silver in both. I"m training hard to ensure that I take home the gold this go 'round.

Have I lost a degree of credibility as a writer for allowing such distractions. Maybe, but I assure you they help more than you know. Whether it's time with family, crafts, home improvement projects, or anything else used to occupy time not spent away from writing, you need to unplug. Get you more mind into something else for a while and you will come back to your writing renewed and ready to charge forward.

Rad Says...Challenge Yourself

As requested, The Latin Bull will be back whuppin' ass by fall

Although I was very excited about Suicide Run: Love & Bullets and I gained a more diverse fan base because of its release, many asked me one question…where's Ramirez?

Suicide Run let me expand my brand and writing ability by delving into a genre I hadn't explored before. I'm very proud of the end result (I even won an award). But Ramirez is always there waiting to be unleashed.

Then I wrote my next manuscript that will be released in August. This adventure was also void of the Latin Bull. As many fans showed support and told me how much they enjoyed Suicide Run, they asked if a Ramirez novel was coming next to which I had to drop my head and say, "Not quite yet, but I promise I have more books planned."

I know I should be plugging my forthcoming novel, which I will saturate the Internet with in the coming weeks. I wanted to set all of fans at ease and assure them I'm halfway through the next Ramirez novel Eyes of the Bull. He's coming and it's well worth the wait.

Radcliff Lance - Passion for Writing

Gym Rad - Gym Boss Review