Stan R. Mitchell's Blog, page 48

“Detective Danny Acuff, Book 4” releases

Hey guys!

I apologize for the delay! I had hoped to have the “Detective Danny Acuff, Book 4″ to you all by Wednesday or Thursday, but a number of things delayed me.

Regardless, the book is now available for sale. A few close readers have told me it’s good stuff, so hopefully it’s as good — or better — than the prior books. I certainly think so! Oh, and the price is $1.49.

Also, I’ve had a bunch of new subscribers of late, so if you’ve never sunk your teeth into the Detective Danny Acuff series, here’s a great place to start: I’ve compiled the first three and reduced the price to $2.99.

Hope everyone has a great weekend! And thanks as always for all your amazing support (purchases, reviews, sharing on facebook/twitter and word of mouth)!!

Keep the faith,

Stan R. Mitchell

P.S. Get a free eBook!!!

Get a free electronic copy of my book, “Soldier On,” when you sign up today for our mailing list. And do not expect to be spammed or drowned with regular emails. The list will ONLY be used to notify you of when we release a new book, as well as for rare, HUGE updates. Get your free copy of “Soldier On” by signing up here!

Some motivation and insight for your day

Hey guys!

Hope everyone is doing well!

I wanted to let you know that I’ve finished the fourth Detective Danny Acuff serial, and will finish its final edits here in the next several days.

If you haven’t started this series, you can save some money and read the first three serials for only $2.99. (Click link or cover at left.)

I’ll definitely write a post and provide a link to the fourth edition when it gets finished and uploaded on Amazon.

I also thought I’d share some of the best tweets I’ve seen on Twitter the past couple of weeks. Hopefully, thees provide you with some motivation and insight!

https://twitter.com/LV_Sports/status/705388177964605440

RT @DavidRoads: The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) February 26, 2016

RT @DavidRoads: Why not go out on a limb? That's where the fruit is.

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) March 19, 2016

RT @DavidRoads: If you wait until you're ready, you'll be waiting the rest of your life.

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) March 18, 2016

@ScottHarvath your strength is awesome brother. Never out of the fight!! #terrystrong

— Chris (@CastellanoChris) March 17, 2016

RT @GreatestQuotes: "Great minds have purposes; others have wishes." – Washington Irving

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) March 18, 2016

RT @DavidRoads: Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. -Lucille Ball

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) March 14, 2016

RT @DavidRoads: No one has ever made himself great by showing how small someone else is. – Irvin Himmel

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) March 19, 2016

RT @DavidRoads: Why not go out on a limb? That's where the fruit is.

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) March 19, 2016

RT @DavidRoads: If you wait until you're ready, you'll be waiting the rest of your life.

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) March 18, 2016

RT @GreatestQuotes: "Great minds have purposes; others have wishes." – Washington Irving

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) March 18, 2016

RT @LV_Sports: Exercise: you don't have time not to. -Unknown

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) March 17, 2016

RT @DavidRoads: If you can see the positive sides of everything, you'll be able to live a much richer life than others. – Celestine Chua

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) March 17, 2016

RT @GreatestQuotes: "Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely." – Auguste Rodin

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) March 16, 2016

RT @DavidRoads: Action expresses priorities.

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) March 16, 2016

RT @GreatestQuotes: "A friend is someone with whom you dare to be yourself." – Frank Crane

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) March 15, 2016

RT @DavidRoads: It's okay to cry. Just keep going.

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) March 15, 2016

RT @GreatestQuotes: "A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions." – Confucius

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) March 14, 2016

RT @DavidRoads: Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. -Lucille Ball

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) March 14, 2016

RT @LV_Sports: Those at the top of the mountain didn't fall there.

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) March 13, 2016

RT @Epic_Women: A negative mind will never give you a positive life.

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) March 13, 2016

RT @DavidRoads: The less you know, the more you believe. -Bono

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) March 12, 2016

RT @DavidRoads: The strongest people are not those who show strength in front of us, but those who win battles we know nothing about.

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) March 11, 2016

RT @DavidRoads: Sometimes it is not enough to do our best; we must do what is required. – Winston Churchill

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) March 10, 2016

RT @DavidRoads: In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) March 10, 2016

RT @DavidRoads: If you want something different You Gotta do something different. – Nathaniel Williams

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) March 8, 2016

RT @JoelOsteen: Successful people don’t waste their time looking at what others are doing, they’re too busy focusing on their own goals.

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) March 7, 2016

RT @DavidRoads: If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live it’s whole life believing it is stupid.

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) March 7, 2016

RT @DavidRoads: When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot & hang on. -Franklin D. Roosevelt

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) March 6, 2016

RT @GreatestQuotes: Motherhood is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind. – Howard W. Hunter

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) March 6, 2016

RT @LV_Sports: God gives talent. Work transforms talent into genius. -Anna Pavlova

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) March 5, 2016

RT @JoelOsteen: God wants to bless you in such a way that people notice. He wants to show out in your life.

— Stan R. Mitchell (@StanRMitchell) March 5, 2016

Keep the faith,

Stan R. Mitchell

P.S. Get a free eBook!!!

Get a free electronic copy of my book, “Soldier On,” when you sign up today for our mailing list. And do not expect to be spammed or drowned with regular emails. The list will ONLY be used to notify you of when we release a new book, as well as for rare, HUGE updates. Get your free copy of “Soldier On” by signing up here!

Author Stan R. Mitchell takes on a tree with his bare hands…

A tree fell in our yard recently in the middle of some heavy storms, and we were lucky the tree fell away from our house.

I give major props and thanks to the good man above for that huge break because we would have had some pretty serious damage to our house if it had fallen the other way. Nonetheless, we were stuck with better than half a tree in our yard.

My Dad immediately offered to come by with a chainsaw to help me deal with it since I didn’t own one, but I declined because it was raining and super muddy from days of rain.

My Dad’s about twice the man I am and would have fought rain, mud, lighting, and three packs of wolves to get it cleaned up about an hour after it fell. But, alas, I’m no such man, and frankly, I didn’t want to get muddy and wet. (See what becoming an author does to you?)

I saw no reason for haste. And did I mention the ankle-deep mud?

Plus, I had just the inkling of an idea about the tree.

As I studied that tree in the days after it fell, while our ground grew less soggy and saturated, I began to imagine taking care of it myself. With nothing but my ax and a small, curved handsaw.

And the more I thought of it, the more it intrigued me. It’s what I imagined a Marine would do. Or a Viking. Plus, Danah always tells me she has a thing for lumberjacks, so there was that.

And day-by-day that tree lay there, and day-by-day I increasingly saw it as an epic challenge.

I imagined life a hundred years ago. What did they do in the days before chainsaws? A tree falls on some young couple’s land, and it’s in the middle of your crops. And you’re dozens of miles away from help, with no phone or Google search on “what to do if a tree falls in your garden.”

Back then, I imagined it was up to the man to deal with it. Could I deal with it? Or would I call for help?

I mean, you didn’t call for help when you lived on a mountain back in the day, did you?

No. You cut the tree up with your ax or dragged it off with your mule or horse. I didn’t have a mule or horse, so I’d have no option but to go with the ax. (Well, and a pretty sweet handsaw, which I doubt they had a hundred years ago, but stop ruining my dream! lol.)

I finally got the nerve to tell Danah that I wasn’t going to call my Dad about the tree, but would instead try to deal with it myself. She gave me that look but decided not to talk me out of it. (She knows I’m nuts and stopped trying to fix me years ago.)

I’m not going to lie. About fifteen ax swings in on that first day, I realized I’d probably made the dumbest move I’d made in several years. (Probably since I opened a newspaper at the age of 27. Or back when I volunteered to carry two packs on a forced march back in the Marines because one of the new guys couldn’t carry his any longer, and I was a Squad Leader, damn it!)

But, I’d told Danah I’d give it “a try,” and a man doesn’t stop at fifteen swings. So I went back to chopping. And chopping some more.

That first day, I managed one entire cut through the tree — about midway up the fallen part. And it’s embarrassing to admit, but that was no joke. (Partly, it was because my accuracy was so bad that I probably hit it three times more than necessary!)

By the time I finished that first goal, I knew I’d be sore the next day, so I stopped there.

And indeed, I was the next day. But a couple days later, I was back at it. I also — wisely — sharpened my ax before starting. That second day of work got a couple big parts of the split up top hacked off and dragged into the woods.

But yet again I had to stop. Let me tell you: chopping a tree by hand is no joke if you’re not a lumberjack and sit at a desk for a living. And no matter how many nights you spend in a gym, it just doesn’t completely relate.

Cutting a tree is Teddy Roosevelt. Cutting a tree will test your mental toughness. Cutting a tree is no joke.

It took a couple of days to recover from my second day of work, but I eventually returned for more revenge.

Unfortunately for me, this was when the drama picked up significantly.

My neighbor saw me carrying the ax toward the tree and offered his chainsaw. I explained what I was doing, looking at this as a challenge and free opportunity at some exercise. He shook his head in disbelief and called me nuts.

“The chainsaw could do the job in ten minutes,” he said.

I agreed with him but said I had already started this challenge. And with that, I started hacking. And he, unfortunately, started watching. And of course, I hit a tougher part of the tree. And very few chunks of wood were flying with each strike.

He offered his chainsaw again, and I wanted to melt and turn invisible. But I flexed my arms so he could see I was a man, politely declined again, and reached for the handsaw. (I nearly walked away from that tough spot on the tree to try somewhere else, but that seemed even less manly. So it was time for the handsaw.)

He lit up a grill and I assumed the drama was over. I just needed to manage one cut of about ten or twelve inches of tough wood, then I could go back inside my home with my dignity.

But the drama wasn’t over. Far from it.

Friends of his started showing up. Like 10 or 15, and now they were all watching me and asking him what I was doing. And I heard bits of laughter between my grunts and gasps for air, and I heard the word “chainsaw” from time-to-time.

There were women watching. And there were men watching. I was doomed.

At that point, I knew I’d finish the job or die of a heart attack. Even the latter would beat walking up to my house with my tail between my legs.

And in fact, I spent the next three hours killing myself, sweating, groaning, and wheezing. But in the end, I managed to get that tree completely out of my yard that very day while they watched me like I was some exhibit at the zoo.

I can’t tell you how many times I nearly quit on each of those three days I went at it. But each time I questioned whether I had the grit to stick it out. For me, it was a test. Maybe not that great of one, depending on how much work you do with your hands. But for me, it was pretty tough.

And it was made immensely more difficult because I had such an easy out. I knew I could at any moment raise my hand and say, “I’ll take a chainsaw, please.”

But Marines don’t do that. I assume Vikings don’t either.

And if nothing else, I sent a message to the other trees in our yard. You fall in my yard, and I will cut you up. Slowly. With an ax. And a lame handsaw, which was probably designed for pruning.

For those wanting to attempt a similar endeavor, I’d suggest:

An extra bottle of Advil, unless you do this kind of work regularly.
Hearing protection, so you can’t hear the neighbors laughing.
And a megaphone. Because if you do pull it off, you WILL want to tell everyone.

Now, please go buy a book because I have NO future as a lumberjack, I assure you! : )

Keep the faith,

Stan R. Mitchell

P.S. Get a free eBook!!!

Get a free electronic copy of my book, “Soldier On,” when you sign up today for our mailing list. And do not expect to be spammed or drowned with regular emails. The list will ONLY be used to notify you of when we release a new book, as well as for rare, HUGE updates. Get your free copy of “Soldier On” by signing up here!

Third book of the Detective Danny Acuff series releases!

Hey guys,

I’ve finally got the third installment of the Detective Danny Acuff serial done!

Here’s the link to Book 3.

And if you haven’t started the series, here’s the link to Book 1.

Some have been hesitant to start the series because the books end on a cliffhanger, and I completely understand that. But I wanted to share that with the completion of Book 3, you now have what would have been an entire novel as I originally planned it.

As I told one friend, by the end of Book 3, the major crimes are solved, the complete story is told, and there’s just the hint of a set up for what would have been the next novel.

So far, the serials seem to be selling well! So, if they continue in this fashion, I’ll again break up what would have been the second novel into three, short serial episodes — released several weeks apart.

It seems the majority of you are enjoying getting these in serial fashion, as quickly as I can put them out. And even though the cliff hanger endings can be frustrating, I’m hoping you agree that it beats waiting three to five months for me to write the entire book! : )

Thank you each and every one for the emails and questions asking when Book 3 would FINALLY be done! Lol! It has made my day and given me great encouragement knowing so many of you are enjoying Detective Danny Acuff’s life as much as I am.

Now, let me get out of your way so you can find out what happened to Danny after he acted so foolishly at the end of Book 2!

Again, here’s the link to Book 3.

And if you haven’t started the series, here’s the link to Book 1.

Keep the faith,

Stan R. Mitchell

P.S. Get a free eBook!!!

Get a free electronic copy of my book, “Soldier On,” when you sign up today for our mailing list. And do not expect to be spammed or drowned with regular emails. The list will ONLY be used to notify you of when we release a new book, as well as for rare, HUGE updates. Get your free copy of “Soldier On” by signing up here!

When your doorbell rings…

Hey guys!

Had to share this. It struck me as funny and true, and brought up all kinds of nostalgia.

Hope you enjoy…

Keep the faith,

Stan R. Mitchell

P.S. Get a free eBook!!!

Get a free electronic copy of my book, “Soldier On,” when you sign up today for our mailing list. And do not expect to be spammed or drowned with regular emails. The list will ONLY be used to notify you of when we release a new book, as well as for rare, HUGE updates. Get your free copy of “Soldier On” by signing up here!

Some motivation: You have to jump

Hey guys,

I haven’t posted anything motivational in a while, so I thought I’d share this video below from Steve Harvey.

I found this really inspiring, and I like how he kept it down to earth. For instance, in the video he says it’s not just about trying to be a big singer or something like that.

Instead, whether it’s baking pies, cutting grass, or something similarly simple, we have to find our passion. And we have to jump at some point.

I will say as an addendum to what he’s said — and as someone who has jumped and “scraped my knees,” as Steve Harvey terms it — that you could (and should) take many measures to avoid this pain prior to jumping.

For instance, you could (and should) stay at your job until you’ve saved enough money that you have a massive safety cushion. (I’d say a minimum of six months living expenses.)

You should also start your dream part-time while keeping your job, if at all possible. Grow slow, as those who are experienced say. (Most failures happen because we’re impatient and try to speed things up, so we borrow more or take foolish risks.)

Finally, you should also avoid re-inventing the wheel. Study other businesses and examples that have succeeded and failed. What did they do right? What did they do wrong? And obviously, you should do this prior to making your own attempt. (Remember, be patient.)

Keep the faith,

Stan R. Mitchell

P.S. Get a free eBook!!!

Get a free electronic copy of my book, “Soldier On,” when you sign up today for our mailing list. And do not expect to be spammed or drowned with regular emails. The list will ONLY be used to notify you of when we release a new book, as well as for rare, HUGE updates. Get your free copy of “Soldier On” by signing up here!

Second book of the Detective Danny Acuff series releases!

Hey, guys!

I just finished Book 2 of the Detective Danny Acuff series!

I’m really pumped about how well sales have kicked off on this series and thank each and every one of you who bought Book 1! (BTW, for those who have already read the first installment, could I twist your arm into writing a one or two-sentence review of Book 1? Having reviews on that first one will encourage more folks to jump into the series.)

For those who missed the earlier announcement last week about Book 1, here’s the book description for it:

Detective Danny Acuff’s marriage is on life support.

And, he’s been forced to take a boring job as a small-town detective in a dumpy, sleepy, little town — it’s his final, desperate attempt to save his marriage.

Danny figures his life can’t get much worse. Danny couldn’t be more wrong.

Turns out this small town in Akin, Tennessee, isn’t so sleepy after all.

(Series Note: Fans of the hit TV series “Justified” should love every moment of this series, as should readers who enjoy James Patterson and Robert B. Parker’s “Spenser series.” This is the first part of an ongoing series. New books will be posted in this serial every few weeks, and each book is more like an episode on TV than a stand-alone book. Each book/episode will take an hour or so to read, and end with a cliffhanger that — hopefully — causes you to want to buy the next one!)

Thanks so much for each of your all’s continued support!

Keep the faith,

Stan R. Mitchell

P.S. Get a free eBook!!!

Get a free electronic copy of my book, “Soldier On,” when you sign up today for our mailing list. And do not expect to be spammed or drowned with regular emails. The list will ONLY be used to notify you of when we release a new book, as well as for rare, HUGE updates. Get your free copy of “Soldier On” by signing up here!

New detective serial story kicked off!

Hey guys,

Hope everyone is doing well! I had two quick announcements.

First, as a reminder, Afghan Storm is now available for purchase on Audible.com. I appreciate all the people who responded to last week’s blogpost and pre-ordered it! It’s definitely off to a great start!

Second, I’m super pumped to say I’m kicking off a detective serial! For those who don’t know, a serial is a story that’s published in short installments on a regular basis.

There have been many famous serials in history, including The Green Mile by Stephen King back in 1996.

My detective serial is about a guy named Danny Acuff. Here’s the description:

Detective Danny Acuff’s marriage is on life support. And, he’s been forced to take a boring job as a small-town detective in a dumpy, sleepy, little town.

Danny figures his life can’t get much worse. Danny couldn’t be more wrong.

Turns out this small town in Akin, Tennessee, isn’t so sleepy after all.

As I said, this is the first part of an ongoing series. New books will be posted every few weeks, and each book is more like an episode on TV than a stand-alone book. Each book/episode will take an hour or so to read, and end with a cliffhanger that — hopefully — causes you to want to buy the next one!

Anyway, the story is only .99 cents, so I hope you’ll consider giving it a read.

For those who don’t have a Kindle, you can also read the story on your tablet, smart phone, or computer.

As a I final selling point, I think you’ll really like my character Danny Acuff, and if you only knew where the story was going…. :) Just grab something and hold on is all I’m going to say!

That’s it from here! Thanks, as always, for all your support!!

Keep the faith,

Stan R. Mitchell

P.S. Get a free eBook!!!

Get a free electronic copy of my book, “Soldier On,” when you sign up today for our mailing list. And do not expect to be spammed or drowned with regular emails. The list will ONLY be used to notify you of when we release a new book, as well as for rare, HUGE updates. Get your free copy of “Soldier On” by signing up here!

‘Afghan Storm’ is now available for pre-order at Audible.com

Hey guys!

I’m super excited to say that Afghan Storm is now available for pre-order at Audible.com.

The amazing Jay Snyder is once again narrating the book, and here’s a sample to the intro:

Seriously, how cool is it hearing our books live?! (I say “our” because so many of you have helped me with ideas, fact checks, promotion, etc. None of this would be happening without you all.)

The audible version actually releases in just a few days on Jan. 5, so if you’re interested in buying and can pre-order it now, it would help me immensely. (Pre-orders stack up and “occur” on the rankings scale only when the book goes live. Thus, if 50 or 100 people buy it on pre-order, then on Jan. 5 the book will soar up the charts since each of those sales only count on that day.) 

Thanks so much, guys!

Keep the faith,

Stan R. Mitchell

P.S. Get a free eBook!!!

Get a free electronic copy of my book, “Soldier On,” when you sign up today for our mailing list. And do not expect to be spammed or drowned with regular emails. The list will ONLY be used to notify you of when we release a new book, as well as for rare, HUGE updates. Get your free copy of “Soldier On” by signing up here!

Getting re-energized and back on track after Christmas break

Hey guys,

Hope everyone had a great Christmas, and if you’re anything like me, you probably ate too much and lounged even more.

And most likely, you feel completely groggy and out of it today.

If that’s the case, here’s a great, little ancient Chinese workout (called Qigong) that will help kick your body back into gear. And don’t worry: it’s short, and you won’t get hot and sweaty.

Give it a try, and see if you don’t feel completely energized afterward. It’s not even seven minutes long, and the movements are nice and slow. (You probably won’t even be out of breath.)

Keep the faith,

Stan R. Mitchell

About me: Stan R. Mitchell writes some of the most action-packed, fast-moving gunfighter novels around. Tired of slow-paced, investigative novels that take 50 pages to excite you? Look no further! Stan is the best-selling author of 5 novels in 3 different time periods. He’s also a prior infantry Marine with Combat Action Ribbon, and a former journalist who spent ten years in the newspaper business, learning how to hook the reader, cut out the filler, and just tell the story. In short, Stan is knowledgeable, he’s fast, and his books will blow you away. Don’t forget to subscribe for email alerts to keep up with his latest works.