Stan R. Mitchell's Blog, page 56
July 26, 2014
Some advice and inspiration from a best-selling author
Keep the faith,
Stan R. Mitchell
Oak Ridge, Tenn.
P.S. Please consider subscribing for email alerts of new posts.
If you enjoy fast-paced books, you just might like my works. “Sold Out” tracks the life of a legendary Marine Sniper after a CIA unit decides to kill him for reasons of national security. “Little Man, and the Dixon County War” tells the uphill fight a young deputy faces after finding himself in the sights of a mighty cattle baron. And “Soldier On,” a short novel, follows the lives of several German soldiers in a depleted infantry company trying to make it through the final, miserable months of World War II.
July 23, 2014
Me and Stephen Hunter?!
Wow, is it embarrassing being on video…
At any rate, it was time. (Actually, it’s been time.)
Please don’t be harsh in the comments! (And Britt and Letizia, I’m sorry I’m not 6’4″, 240, and nearly as manly or good looking as you imagined in your minds! You still have to be my online friends…)
Keep the faith,
Stan R. Mitchell
Oak Ridge, Tenn.
P.S. Please consider subscribing for email alerts of new posts.
If you enjoy fast-paced books, you just might like my works. “Sold Out” tracks the life of a legendary Marine Sniper after a CIA unit decides to kill him for reasons of national security. “Little Man, and the Dixon County War” tells the uphill fight a young deputy faces after finding himself in the sights of a mighty cattle baron. And “Soldier On,” a short novel, follows the lives of several German soldiers in a depleted infantry company trying to make it through the final, miserable months of World War II.
July 21, 2014
47 habits of highly successful employees
It’s approaching Tuesday, which means your Monday is officially over and it’s time to buck up and actually come closer to earning that paycheck!
And with that in mind, I thought I’d shared this amazing link I came across.
47 habits of highly successful employees.
You guys got any others worth adding?
Keep the faith,
Stan R. Mitchell
Oak Ridge, Tenn.
P.S. Please consider subscribing for email alerts of new posts.
If you enjoy fast-paced books, you just might like my works. “Sold Out” tracks the life of a legendary Marine Sniper after a CIA unit decides to kill him for reasons of national security. “Little Man, and the Dixon County War” tells the uphill fight a young deputy faces after finding himself in the sights of a mighty cattle baron. And “Soldier On,” a short novel, follows the lives of several German soldiers in a depleted infantry company trying to make it through the final, miserable months of World War II.
July 16, 2014
James Rollins, his $15 million deal, and its lesson for us
Not sure how many saw the news, but James Rollins received a $15 million multibook deal recently.
That’s amazing news in a number of respects.
One, you don’t hear of deals that big these days, especially for just four books.
Two, “there were not multiple bidders, and he was not jumping to another publishing house,” according to the article.
Three, there has been “a slump in print sales in recent years, (and) publishers have been more cautious about paying huge sums for book advances,” the article says.
But I think Rollins’s news has a pretty big lesson for us all.
And that lesson is persistence.
Rollins’s first contract was in 1999, and it was for $25,000.
Think about that. Fifteen years ago, he earned $25,000 on a book that probably took him several years to write.
But he didn’t give up. He didn’t allow that to deter him. And he kept writing.
And twenty books later, he just signed a contract that he claimed he’s still a little freaked out about.
It’s stories like this that keep me writing late at night and during lunch breaks. I am that guy who sometimes turns down the chance to go out with friends just so I can get in my writing or exercise. (Yes, exercise. For me, exercise fuels the dream and energy levels necessary to go that extra mile; to keep believing; to think I still have a solid chance and shouldn’t give up on the dream.)
So, if you’re still working toward your dream, keep pushing. It may take 15 years. It may take longer. But if you achieve that level you’re seeking, it’s going to be worth it. Maybe $15 million worth it. (And when that happens, people won’t think you’re nuts for turning down opportunities to go out!)
And now for a little preaching…
If you’ve dropped your dream or laid it aside for a while, pick it back up! Grab it with energy and zest! Smile and enjoy the work and ignore how daunting the journey or project or task may be.
Take it one page at a time. Or one step at a time. Or one day at a time.
Inch by inch, life is a cinch! Yard by yard, life is hard.
Let’s go members of Mitchell’s Militia! Let’s do what we were born to do, even if we never make it big.
Keep the faith,
Stan R. Mitchell
Oak Ridge, Tenn.
P.S. Please consider subscribing for email alerts of new posts.
If you enjoy fast-paced books, you just might like my works. “Sold Out” tracks the life of a legendary Marine Sniper after a CIA unit decides to kill him for reasons of national security. “Little Man, and the Dixon County War” tells the uphill fight a young deputy faces after finding himself in the sights of a mighty cattle baron. And “Soldier On,” a short novel, follows the lives of several German soldiers in a depleted infantry company trying to make it through the final, miserable months of World War II.
July 12, 2014
Why you should be following Lebron, too…
A quick follow up to the Lebron post from yesterday.
My friend Jeff Haws made the following comment on facebook after seeing the link to my post:
“Been rooting for him since he was in high school, through Cleveland, through “The Decision,” through Miami and now back to Cleveland again. I want to witness Greatness, to be able to talk about how “I was there” when I’m old and gray and the kids of the new day are talking about whoever the new “Greatness” has become. I want to be able to say I was witness for it, first hand.
“Rooting against Greatness just seems to me to be a waste.
“What good does it do to want to deny that of another when it’s so obviously there, not to mention robbing yourself of the experience of watching it happen? Because of a poor PR move on his way out of Cleveland? Because that’s really what it boiled down to. There was nothing wrong with him actually going to Miami. He took less money to play with a championship organization because Cleveland wasn’t ready/able to build one, and he wasn’t prepared to carry one, and he knew it. He made the right decision. But because he did it in a naive and foolish manner, people directed an inordinate amount of vitriol his way, as if everyone was channeling the understandable hurt of Cleveland fans, who had lost their hero. The rest of us didn’t lose a thing. We still got to watch Greatness do what Greatness does, without interruption.
“So I pull for LeBron. I wasn’t a Cavs fan before. I wasn’t a Heat fan, and I’m not a Cavs fan now. The fans who stuck with their team through the hard times deserve that label, not me. I’m a LeBron fan. Or, more specifically, I’m a fan of the Greatness he possesses, and of seeing it manifest itself. It’s such a fleeting thing, and you’ll see it so few times in your life. It’s a life too short, in my opinion, to just handwave that away for the sake of some small measure of schadenfreude. I want to see it, to bask in it, to recognize it when it’s in front of me, and to appreciate it while it’s here because it’ll be gone in what seems like an instant. I am Witness. We all are. You only get so many chances to be, so choose wisely which ones you let slip away.”
Keep the faith,
Stan R. Mitchell
Oak Ridge, Tenn.
P.S. Please consider subscribing for email alerts of new posts.
If you enjoy fast-paced books, you just might like my works. “Sold Out” tracks the life of a legendary Marine Sniper after a CIA unit decides to kill him for reasons of national security. “Little Man, and the Dixon County War” tells the uphill fight a young deputy faces after finding himself in the sights of a mighty cattle baron. And “Soldier On,” a short novel, follows the lives of several German soldiers in a depleted infantry company trying to make it through the final, miserable months of World War II.
July 11, 2014
LeBron James: I’m coming back to Cleveland
I’m not much of a basketball fan, but I’m enough of a casual observer to have been seriously disappointed when LeBron left Cleveland.
And I’ve been pulling against him and Miami ever since (like much of the rest of America).
I’ve got to say, though, he earned my respect with his decision, and most certainly with the comments below about why he left and why he decided to return.
LeBron James: I’m coming back to Cleveland.
What say-eth you guys?
Keep the faith,
Stan R. Mitchell
Oak Ridge, Tenn.
P.S. Please consider subscribing for email alerts of new posts.
If you enjoy fast-paced books, you just might like my works. “Sold Out” tracks the life of a legendary Marine Sniper after a CIA unit decides to kill him for reasons of national security. “Little Man, and the Dixon County War” tells the uphill fight a young deputy faces after finding himself in the sights of a mighty cattle baron. And “Soldier On,” a short novel, follows the lives of several German soldiers in a depleted infantry company trying to make it through the final, miserable months of World War II.
July 10, 2014
What’s with the Nazi “SS” symbol on Nick’s chest? And why is he so unlikable?
“Sold Out” earned a great review the other day. See it here: http://twbarton.com/reviews.html.
And while we’re on the subject of “Sold Out,”I thought I’d address two recent complaints I’ve recently received about the book.
The first and most serious one concerned the Nazi “SS” symbol on Nick’s chest.
Well, the Nazi “SS” symbol isn’t something I made up. I had a buddy who I served with in 3rd Platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, who later became a Scout Sniper two years after I met him and got to know him really well. (This was roughly in 1997.) One day, a bunch of my friends were circled around him following his completion of Scout Sniper training and I walked up to see what was causing the commotion. Turns out, he had a Nazi “SS” symbol burned into his chest, exactly like Nick Woods in the book. (Same location, same terrifying font.)
My friend told me it had been burned into his chest with a coat hanger just a couple of days earlier.
When I said, “Man, do you know what that symbol is?,” he answered me with pretty much the exact dialogue that you find in the book. (In short, that it was not about the Nazi connotation but about the strength, quality, and pride portrayed by the German Army in WW II.)
My friend also said that all Scout Snipers got one burned into their chest. (At least at that time.)
Furthermore, I know of several Marine Scout Snipers who have read this book and given me feedback who have served since 1999 (when I got out) and none of them have mentioned the Nazi “SS” symbol scene, so I’m assuming it still happens. (Otherwise, I’m certain these men who provided me feedback would have said, “Bro, no one burns a Nazi SS symbol into their chest anymore…”)
Finally, as further proof, remember this news story from only 2012?
“Marine scout snipers used Nazi SS logo:” http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/article/20120209/NEWS/202090327/Marine-scout-snipers-used-Nazi-SS-logo
I say all this just to provide some context and show where I’m coming from as the author. It’s not like I had some wild-haired fancy idea to put a very controversial thing into the book.
The burned “SS” symbol on Nick’s chest is like every other thing in the book. It’s part of either something I experienced while I served, learned from two of my best friends who went through Scout Sniper school, or researched and documented in the dozens of sniper books I’ve read over the past 15 years.
I’d also like to address why Nick is so unlikable.
Obviously, Nick really is jacked up in the head… He’s about as messed up as they come. Not only does he have PTSD, but he has higher than normal levels of paranoia because he was literally sold out by the government that he trusted.
And given that he’s killed a hundred plus guys in a series of missions he can’t talk about, he’s not your typical vet. He’s a dangerous animal that you don’t want to set off.
No, he’s not like some likable Hollywood character. Instead, he’s precisely like many vets you’ll meet in the real world.
And if I’m totally honest, I’d have to admit this: I wrote much of “Sold Out” right after my exit from the Marine Corps, when I was dealing with some serious paranoia and had spent the better part of four years fixated on the multitude of ways to kill people.
I was in a dark place, and I suppose the book reveals it.
Just as Nick Woods gets into a major fight with his wife over his paranoid thoughts and preparations for an attack on his home, I, too, dealt with that. Nick got caught with a gun under his sink and a secret journal full of suspected people following him.
I got into a major fight with my wife because I was unscrewing the electrical outlets in my home, convinced after a weird interaction at the mall — which I thought was with a CIA agent– that everything I said in the home was being listened to by the federal government. (This was in 1999 or 2000, way before the days of the NSA being in the news for listening and reading to every single thing that we say. Hi, NSA.)
My point is that the Nick Woods in “Sold Out” is far more real than you probably ever want to imagine.
We prefer images of soldiers and Marines returning home with a smile, hugging wives and kids and wrapped in the flag. We don’t want to think about those same men taking different routes to work, being startled in their sleep and seizing their wives neck, or nearly taking a dude out in the mall who approaches them twice with some weird comments.
But the veterans who have actually been through a lot are like that. They have wire triggers, they’re alert, and you don’t want to startle them. (Just ask one of my friends.)
And while many of you will say, “But, Stan, you’re so nice. This is all hard to believe,” you need to know that the Stan you see now is not the Stan you would have seen right after I got out. (And the Stan you see now is still half-crazy, lol!)
Love you guys. Thanks for all the support. Both of books continue to sell better and better and I owe each and every one of you greatly. (And, yes, “Mexican Heat” is still in final edits and get closer and closer to being published every day!)
Keep the faith,
Stan R. Mitchell
Oak Ridge, Tenn.
P.S. Please consider subscribing for email alerts of new posts.
If you enjoy fast-paced books, you just might like my works. “Sold Out” tracks the life of a legendary Marine Sniper after a CIA unit decides to kill him for reasons of national security. “Little Man, and the Dixon County War” tells the uphill fight a young deputy faces after finding himself in the sights of a mighty cattle baron. And “Soldier On,” a short novel, follows the lives of several German soldiers in a depleted infantry company trying to make it through the final, miserable months of World War II.
July 7, 2014
23 things people who love their lives are doing differently
Good evening, my fellow members of Mitchell’s Militia!
Hope everyone had a great 4th of July!
I have to say it really helped me recharge. Danah and I hung out with some friends on the 4th, and then spent the weekend catching up, resting, and taking care of some overdue chores around the home.
If you did something worth talking about, share it below! Love to hear about it!
And here’s an article that’s most definitely worth the read!
23 things people who love their lives are doing differently.
Keep the faith,
Stan R. Mitchell
Oak Ridge, Tenn.
P.S. Please consider subscribing for email alerts of new posts.
If you enjoy fast-paced books, you just might like my works. “Sold Out” tracks the life of a legendary Marine Sniper after a CIA unit decides to kill him for reasons of national security. “Little Man, and the Dixon County War” tells the uphill fight a young deputy faces after finding himself in the sights of a mighty cattle baron. And “Soldier On,” a short novel, follows the lives of several German soldiers in a depleted infantry company trying to make it through the final, miserable months of World War II.
June 30, 2014
10 Daily Habits of Exceptionally Happy People
Good Monday morning my fellow members of Mitchell’s Militia!
Hope you guys had a great weekend!
Here are ten quick slides to get your week off to a great start!
10 Daily Habits of Exceptionally Happy People
(Hat tip, Gen. Michel @JohnEMichel)
Keep the faith,
Stan R. Mitchell
Oak Ridge, Tenn.
P.S. Please consider subscribing for email alerts of new posts.
If you enjoy fast-paced books, you just might like my works. “Sold Out” tracks the life of a legendary Marine Sniper after a CIA unit decides to kill him for reasons of national security. “Little Man, and the Dixon County War” tells the uphill fight a young deputy faces after finding himself in the sights of a mighty cattle baron. And “Soldier On,” a short novel, follows the lives of several German soldiers in a depleted infantry company trying to make it through the final, miserable months of World War II.
June 28, 2014
A positive attitude is contagious
Good Saturday afternoon my fellow members of Mitchell’s Militia!
Hope you guys are having a great weekend! I’m trying to push through yet more editing on Mexican Heat. I’ve got three people helping me make it shine as best it can, and despite the continued delays, I’m confident this is my best book yet.
So, what are you guys into this week? Let me know in the comments below! (You know I love keeping up with you all, so maybe tell me what you’re doing, what you wish you were doing, and what you wish you weren’t having to deal with.)
And here’s something definitely worth reading, in an effort to make our lives a little better!
A positive attitude is contagious.
(Hat tip, Gen. Michel @JohnEMichel)
Keep the faith,
Stan R. Mitchell
Oak Ridge, Tenn.
P.S. Please consider subscribing for email alerts of new posts.
If you enjoy fast-paced books, you just might like my works. “Sold Out” tracks the life of a legendary Marine Sniper after a CIA unit decides to kill him for reasons of national security. “Little Man, and the Dixon County War” tells the uphill fight a young deputy faces after finding himself in the sights of a mighty cattle baron. And “Soldier On,” a short novel, follows the lives of several German soldiers in a depleted infantry company trying to make it through the final, miserable months of World War II.
