We all have them.

What are yours?

What do you dream about? What gets your heart racing in the morning? What lights your fire through out the day?

What are your demons? What do you fight and struggle with, within yourself? Things that most people don't know about that you struggle with daily. What makes life challenging for you?

Good writers channel both their dreams and their demons into their writing. Writing is an art, and artists channel their inner selves into their work. Those things we struggle with, we put into words and flesh them out into fictional or non-fictional characters to bring them to life on the page...or screen. We attribute our own characteristics and characteristics of people we know and people we meet into these two-dimensional beings to make them seem three-dimensional. We have to live in the character's world for a while, then add heart and soul to each two-dimensional figure head.

We do this so that...

As a reader, you become completely engulfed in this world that we've presented to you. The goal is that we've reached into you mind, into your heart, into your soul, and touched, fondled, even squeezed and yanked your personal dreams and demons and ripped them out of you and placed them on the page or screen in front of you. We've put them right in front of your eyes and make you stand up and take notice of them. We've brought them to life for you to the extent that you can't deny their existence...if even for a few hours.

And we do this....to please you, the reader.

Yes, we bring your demons and dreams to the forefront of your mind and our demons and dreams to them...to entertain you. To please you. To make you happy.

To give you a break from your own life. And to pull you into our life.

Just briefly.

Then we'll let the chain drop that we've yanked you out with and let you fall back to your comfort zone, putting all of your dreams and demons back in their safe place.

But just until you read our next book ;)
 
Are you top notch or are you egotistical?

As a writer and as a reader?

Are you the absolute best at what you do and no one, anywhere, anytime, in any manner is qualified to give you advice of any type?

Are you open to hearing advice because any little tidbit can help you grow and improve?

This sprung into my mind because I've been seeing a trend lately. A bad trend. We've always had a few writers in our community that have the elitist mentality. They believe they are better than everyone else, period. And, although there's a ton of trash in our community, which hurts our community overall, the elitist mentality does NOT help our cause, either.

Some countries actually very much discourage this type of thinking, and we can all learn a bit from that. There's nothing wrong with being humble. Nothing at all. Who knows, you may actually make another friend or two if you're a bit more humble. 

There's also nothing wrong with having pride in your work...but then there's pride and there's ego. Two different things. No matter what country you're in, from Australia to Japan to Russia to Europe to South America to Canada to the U.S.A., ego is the same everywhere. And ego is not a good thing.

I admit, this does not just affect indie writers. Some of the biggest branded big names have big egos as well. However, that affects them. That affects the major companies. Indie authors have enough going against them as it is. Why add an over-inflated ego to that equation?

So, are you top notch or are you egotistical?
 
Well, I could imageine that if Michelle Bachman gets the oval office, she may turn society as know it, on its head.

Would that be good or bad? 

Well, obviously for some it would be very, very bad.

For others, the normal citizens like you and I, it should be very, very good.

See, I don't know about you, but for me, "the good ole days" means when the economy was trucking along, when people trusted each other more, and when people weren't afraid to be friends.

When I could walk down to my neighbors house, knock on their door, and ask for their daughter to come out and play. There was no fear. Well, ok, there was fear, on MY part because I was asking this beautiful female to come out and play with me. But, I sucked it up and did it . . . most days.

See, our doors weren't locked, but we had respect for each other. They didn't come up and walk into our home uninvited and we didn't intrude in theirs either. Yet, their daughter and myself could joyfully go out into her front yard or behind their house and romp in the feild, or explore their trees, or find hidden treasures in what our parents called junk. In those days, junk was the rusting cars sitting around, or the little trinkets that moms had in their old jewelry boxes that they no longer wore or used.

My neighbor and I would sit down, side by side, talk quietly, laugh joyfully, and dream in wonder of what awesome adventures these vehicles had been through and what the little trinkets had seen in their lifetime. We could spend an entire day exploring these treasures.

The wonder of the good ole days. You know, when gas was less than $1/gallon, sodas were a quarter, and going into town was an advernture.

Well, some of that could be brought back. Bachman has promised $2 or less for a gallon of gas. Would be wonderful. Now, if she could just bring back the wonder of our childhood, but that's not government's place. However, Troy could very well help trigger those memories for you when he takes over the world's financial system.

Take a look for yourself in Woe to the Rich! and Monica. Right now you can get them both for .99 at www.tripp-author.weebly.com You can also find them on Kindle for .99 each! Enjoy!

 
Here are a couple more dynamics to keep in mind.

We all deal with cultural issues. Americans live differently from Asians (for example), so they make different lifestyle choices. We also show respect a bit differently. However, when you peel away all the surface layer elements just mentioned, an Asian woman and an American woman will both notice what they consider to be a hot guy when he walks by. The core attraction applies no matter the culture.

This also holds true for the differences between black, white, brown, Asian-American, Native American, European, Swedish, French, Canadian, Mexican, Jamaican, and any other culture you can think of.

Brad Pitt, Vin Diesel, J. Lo, and Angelina Jolie are all considered hot across the globe. Yet, they could all represent different cultures. However, they’ve cut through the surface layers and stir the attraction in your gut, or a lower part of the anatomy. People in every culture recognize confidence and sexiness. Those things are universal. Erogenous zones are the same world wide because the human body is the same. And, bottom line, the same body parts are used for sex and reproduction in every culture, bar none.

You have windows of opportunity to talk to attractive women. If you don’t take these windows when they are presented, you either completely miss your opportunity to start getting to know someone who could be a great person, or you must be skilled enough to create another window of opportunity.

When you are meeting and interacting with women during the day in various public places, understand that these women normally have a to-do list in their head, so they may be in a hurry. They also (usually) have not put hours into making themselves up to go out during the day. They aren’t looking to meet anyone.

As you meet these women, the pace of the interaction is different, and the comfort level between you is different from meeting them in a club or bar. Those same women will be more difficult to meet at night.

Most guys can be ready to walk out the door in minutes. With guys who really primp themselves, it takes a half hour, tops.

When women primp themselves to go out at night, they put a hell of a lot of effort into their appearance. You’re looking at one to two hours of prep time. They want the men they meet to have the same pride in their own appearance. These women also want to stand out from all of the other females they expect to be out on that given night. They fuss about their hairstyle, makeup, each article of clothing (tops, pants, shoes, tights/hose, etc.), earrings, finger rings, eyelashes, and more, all in an effort to catch your attention. So, guys, reward them for that.

What actually tends to happen is, as one special person said to me, “My girlfriends and I used to go out to look to meet someone, but eventually, you start thinking, what’s the point? You don’t meet any men of quality, any men who have standards. Even the sex isn’t satisfying, if you go that far.” Guys, time to change that dynamic.

Let me also state this:

Reading beyond this page will offend many, including those who consider themselves righteous and holy, those who consider themselves very conservative, those who refuse to think any negative thoughts, and those that can’t stand someone being blunt with them.

If you fit into one of the above categories, I still encourage you to read further. Why? Because, as uncomfortable as it might make you, you’ll still learn from what’s in this book.

I’ll be honest with you in this book. I’ll pull no punches. I’ll be straightforward and put the truth in your face. If you can stomach all that, I promise you’ll shut the back cover, after every word has been read, more enriched than you are right now.