Some Fine Non-Fiction from Solstice...

As many of you may know by now, my philosophical memoir on success, Climbing Maya, has been published by Solstice Publishing and is available in ebook format and in paperback!

I figured this might be a good time to endorse Solstices' other fine non-fiction titles so you could enjoy them as well... you know, after you pick up Climbing Maya.... hint.

My Open Heart by Andrea Buginsky in the inspirational tale of living with heart disease, available as an ebook and also in paperback.
"Growing up with heart disease can be difficult, but it does not always have to alter your life course. MY OPEN HEART is written for young adults growing up with heart disease. It's meant to inspire them to chase their dreams, to show that they are not alone, and, perhaps, to help guide them through the maze of life with heart disease. Parents of children with heart disease and other chronic illnesses will find support and inspiration within this true story. We are not alone."

My Open Heart is a moving read. As one reviewer puts it, "This book does a seemingly good job at illustrating what it's like to live with heart disease. The author recounts her life and her struggles with a life inhibiting heart condition that she refuses to let rob her of her independence. Though she's made many sacrifices in the things that she can do, it would seem that she has always focused all of her energy on reaching the milestones that she sets for herself. It's an inspiring read that would truly appeal to anyone who shares similar challenges in life."

Also, from Solstice, comes The Elephant Lady of Thailand, the fascinating true story from Dennis W. Shepherd, available as an ebook and also in paperback.
"Born a poor hill tribe girl from a mountain jungle village in northern Thailand, Lek Chailert spent her childhood learning spiritual and healing powers from her grandfather, the village shaman. Hers was a world filled with beautiful morning calls from hundreds of gibbons, lush jungle foliage, banyan trees and giant timber bamboo, clear mountain creeks, and, from time to time, a wandering Asian tiger. She learned how to collect medicinal herbs and heal sick and injured animals. She also fought a constant battle against the vicious discrimination practiced against hill tribe minorities. Elephant Lady is the true story of this amazing woman. At her low point, she was a hunted woman, targeted for assassination. She became a national disgrace when the world learned that elephants were being tortured for the sake of pleasing tourists at elephant shows. Powerful shadow forces in her native Thailand blamed her for the loss of tourist dollars. Discover the power of truth and conviction as you take one woman’s journey into darkness, only to overcome it all, and ascend as the world’s premier elephant savior."

The Elephant Lady of Thailand is a fascinating read. As one reviewer puts it, "Outstanding account of the background and early life of an unselfish individual, pure of heart, dedicated to the protection of all creatures great and small. Posterity will record that "Lek" is a historic role model for young people world wide, and an inspiration to older generations for providing them the "wake-up call" that has been long overdue."

Lastly comes The Tale of Wisdom and Delight, an ebook by Mari LaFore.
"This is the true and inspirational story of two cats and reincarnation.
It’s also about love, devotion and loss. And belief."

As one review puts it, "I couldn't put this book down - touches on all emotions and is a must read. Miss LaFore captures the reader with this "delightful" moving tale."
I'll feature other titles on this blog periodically. So, get out there and read one of these fascinating titles!

Recovering the Self reviews Climbing Maya...

Recovering the Self, the magazine and website that occasionally publishes stuff by your's truly, has kindly posted a rather nice review of Climbing Maya, by their writer Patricia Wellingham-Jones. You can find it right here on their website.

The review begins as follows:

When Ken La Salle was fired from his job as a marketing writer, he decided to find out what success really meant, as he felt very far from that ideal. This memoir is a description of the months following his unemployment, his friendships with two men important in his life, and the woman who’d been his wife only a few months but was the acme of acceptance and support.

You can read the rest of the review at Recovering the Self. Remember, Climbing Maya is available in ebook and paperback version, just check out my website for more information!

The Five REALLY BIGGEST Job Interview Mistakes…

 

Today, Yahoo is featuring an article on the five biggest job interview mistakes but I’m sure they’re leaving a few important ones out. Here, then, is my list of the

 

FIVE WORST JOB INTERVIEW MISTAKES

5. Laying on your resume. (I mean literally laying down on top of your resume.)

4. The words, “You won’t regret hiring me for this fucking job, cum-sucker!”

3. Slitting anyone’s throat during the interview.

2. Offering to bribe the person interviewing you with “quality crack.”

And

1. Three words: Spontaneous Human Combustion.

 

Oh, I’m sure there are more… these are just a few.

Happy Interviewing!

You can’t pay bills with love…

I said these words to Vicky today. They sound horribly cynical, but…

People shared a lot of love with me today, actors who are in my show, my agent, and others. It was really nice. I mean, right now I’m feeling pretty sad about the way things are turning out and it’s nice to hear that people think so highly of me.

But then, I was talking to Vicky and I felt stupid telling her about all the love. And I said, “I know, you can’t pay bills with love…”

Listen, I’m getting a reputation as something of an optimist these days. Between my regular gig on Recovering the Self and the way people are seeing me after Climbing Maya, I suppose that’s how I present myself. And, honestly, it’s better than that cynic people saw me as for so many years. The problem with being seen as an optimist, though, is that I feel like I’m letting them down when I let my natural disappointment at current events show through. It’s been hard and I’m feeling pretty raw. I’m not quitting by any measure, but sometimes I need to just honestly vent…

And then, I get all this love. People telling me how much my play inspired them and how they’re looking forward to more of my work. Other people letting me know how my writing has helped them understand life a bit better.

My agent wrote these words to me today, “One day we are going to share a bottle of wine and reconstruct the world.“ I don’t know if I’m worthy of that – I mean, I’ll take the wine, of course – but the idea that I’m someone that anyone would want to sit down with and even play at reconstructing the world. These days, I can barely hold my own world together. And yet, the faith people have in me makes me think that maybe… I mean, just maybe, I might be worth it.

It doesn’t pay the bills but it is inestimable. And I hope one day to earn it.

And the bottom fell out…

I make it a point these days to blog at least once a week… and that usually means once a week.

I try to keep the blog honest, talking about things that are currently going on for those who care to know. It’s like a weekly journal of the big events in my life, with the Ken La Salle Blog being a journal of the big events in my writing career. Sometimes, they converge and this week is one of those times.

Just over half a year ago, Vicky and I talked about how I would begin pursuing my writing career full-time. We had my first published book coming out with plenty of self-published e-books so we knew some money would come in, if only just a little. I told Vicky to let me know when she would need me to return to work, when her income would no longer be enough to keep us afloat. Until that time, I would work full-time and more than full-time at pursuing my dream.

I finished my book on ethics. I self-published two more e-books. I wrote a new novel and started a new memoir. I wrote several new plays and quite a few web articles. I promoted my work tirelessly and sent out mountains of submissions to theaters and publishers and agents…

But it wasn’t enough.

Recently, Vicky let me know the time has come. I’ll need to return to work again, which means first finding a job.

Vicky feels horrible because she thinks she’s let me down but she’s wrong. I let her down. I just couldn’t make my writing career work. Not this time.

The simple, unavoidable truth is that those who make their dreams happen possess a robust support system of friends and family who buy their products, talk them up, help promote them, and serve as a first line of proponents in making it happen. Truth be told, I just don’t have that. Now, it would be easy to say that the fault lies with my friends and family for being unsupportive slackers who just don’t give a shit… easy and true… but the fault lies mostly with me, for not networking as well as I could, for not promoting my products as well as I could, and for just not being good enough.

That’s what it comes down to.

And so, this is a time to learn and not to blame, to regroup and try again in the future. The dream is not dead and I’m not giving up. I just have to get better at this.

Mind you, the economy is such a mess that finding a job is not a foregone conclusion. I’m already applying everywhere I can but my work history, with most of 2012 being vacant, isn’t exactly stellar. Nothing is certain and most everything is in doubt. This is not what I’d call a good place to be.

As always, Vicky has been a gem through all of this and I’m thankful she still believes in me, even when circumstances make it easy to believe otherwise. Hell, my belief in me isn’t as good.

I’ll keep you posted on developments as we move forward. If you’re still interested in helping, go buy a book. They’re reasonably priced. Share this blog with your friends. Share the links to my books and my website, which as always is at www.kenlasalle.com.

I’m not giving up and neither should you.

If dreams were easy, they wouldn’t be dreams.

Turns out every sperm is not so sacred...

Head on over to the Journal of Humanitarian Affairs to see how Pope Benedict screwed up one of Monty Pythons best songs...

Daughter of a One-Armed Man

Jackson is just a Wal-Mart worker from Los Angeles, far too caught up in the apathy of modern life to believe in anything. After spending one night with the daughter of a wood nymph and the man who surrendered his arm for the woman he loved, the lithesome beauty named Mari, Jackson knows he believes. And he knows he’ll do anything to find her again.

He follows her up the coast of California and a polar bear drives the taxi. Into the forest and through frozen mountains, he talks to God and creatures of faerie alike but the final confrontation is with the mother whose people have been wiped out by mankind. They were wiped out the same way humanity is wiping itself out, with greed and disregard.

Daughter is more than just a simple love story because it also poses this question for the reader: Is love really possible? Can human beings really love each other? How is it possible for parents who pollute the world they’re leaving behind to say they love their children? How can we say we look out for each other, even as we divert our eyes to the homeless we see every day? For, if love isn’t possible, how can Jackson really say he loves Mari? Faced with proof after proof that it doesn’t exist, Jackson’s only hope is to somehow prove otherwise.

You can find Daughter of a One-Armed Man at:
Amazon.com for your Kindle or Kindle-app e-reader, or
Smashwords.com for all e-readers!

Thank you very much!

Vicky’s keeping me afloat…

My first impulse is to make a fat joke. As in, “I’m so fat, I shouldn’t need any help staying afloat!”

… but I won’t.

As you might have noticed over on the Ken La Salle blog, things have been pretty stagnant lately. Despite all of my best efforts, sending out a constant stream of submissions in the last month alone for books and plays and other projects, my writing career has come to what feels like a dead stop.

Last night, sitting in the middle of this writing career of mine – a career that is netting me very little in the way of money, by the way – I asked Vicky if she would prefer I just call it quits and look for a full-time job. I’ll be honest with you, Vicky is funding this endeavor and she has every right to say, “Cut the crap.” Sometimes, I feel like I’m doing her a terrible disservice. Sometimes, I feel like I’m taking advantage of her in the worst way, because things just haven’t been happening for me no matter how hard I try.

Listen, I love being a writer. I love having the opportunity to write books and plays and whatever else strikes my fancy. But if I can’t get people to buy my work or even to read my work – this blog being a perfect case in point here – then what the hell am I doing?

But Vicky did not say “Cut the crap.” Instead, Vicky asked me to calm down and try not to worry and keep doing the work that I’ve been doing.

It’s not comfortable, being in her debt like this, but I try to remember how blessed I am by her love for me. I’ve always wanted someone who believes in me as much as Vicky does and I am working my ass off to prove her right in her belief.

… Things have got to turn around soon…

Another possible cure for depression... or not...

Have you ever had one of those days where you feel so blue you think, "I'm going to sit in front of the TV and eat ice cream until I feel better..."?

Only you're not sure that much ice cream exists...?

While the Vic’s away…

Yesterday, I drove Vicky to the airport so she could catch a flight to the Midwest. Vicky’s gone away for a paralegal conference and I’m at home all alone… and ready to start some trouble!

… Wait. Let me clarify…

As much as I might like to think of myself as one of those crazy writers you hear so much about having sexual escapades while ingesting too many drugs – snorting coke off a model’s abdomen, for instance – the truth is… well, would you like to know the truth? Would you like to know how crazy I get when Vicky’s gone?

Here it is. Here’s the craziness this author gets into when his wife is out of town…

The first thing I did was to prepare myself for several days of sin and debauchery… I bought several large, frozen pizzas. Then, I made sure I had plenty of booze and Otter Pops. (I have this theory that Otter Pops would made amazing ice in vodka… we’ll see.)

After I dropped Vicky off at the airport, I immediately went home and began setting up my DVR to record every James Bond film shown on our movie channels until this weekend. That equals about a dozen James Bond flicks, and that includes Moonraker! (And, yes. I will watch Moonraker!)

At some point in the next few days, I plan to sit in front of my TV, with lots of booze, and watch James Bond flicks until I can’t stand it anymore…

… I know. I’m boring. But, truth be told, I’ve never sat through an entire James Bond flick. I think I’ve seen half of each of them but never an entire movie.

By the time Vicky comes home, I will be going crazy from missing her as will our pets. I’ll let her deal with that.

Life does not stink...

I was out at breakfast this morning with my friend, Sean, and I found myself saying, “Things are really different these days. I used to have a job that I went to every morning. I’d wear clothes I didn’t like very much and go to a job I didn’t like very much. I hardly ever got to do what I wanted to do. Now, I wear what I want. I do what I want. My whole career is about doing what I want. Even the things I don’t want to do aren’t really things I don’t want to do; I just want to move on to the next thing I want to do.”

I took a deep breath and realized, “Yeah, things do not suck.”

It’s a strange revelation for someone like me, that things do not suck. I spent a lot of my life caught in situations that sucked, that really sucked. I was in a divorce that sucked. I was in relationships that sucked. I worked at jobs where I wasn’t respected and that sucked. I worked at jobs with loathsome people and that sucked.

It’s just nice to know that things do not suck.

So, I thought I’d talk a little about that today. I wanted to get the word out. I wanted to share my happiness with those who love me. I wanted to share my fortune with my readers. I’ve seen how sometimes old friends who have stopped talking to me read this blog and I wanted to let them know. I even know of some who dislike me for unresolvable reasons and I thought I’d let them know, too.

Life is good.

I’m working on projects I can be proud of. I just finished a novel that I think is a lot of fun; my agent should like it (which is saying something). My next project is another memoir, another chapter in my life. I’ve put out some good plays recently and have garnered a little, dare I say, respect.

Mind you, I say things like “Life is good” and I cringe a bit. I look skywards for the anvil that may drop on my head. I’ve still got that superstitious streak everyone who was once religious finds so difficult to shed.

Saying “Life is good”, I also immediately think of my wife, Vicky. This is mostly her doing. She has gone out of her way to make this opportunity possible, for me to write for a living, and I like to think I’ve taken the ball and run with it. I hope my running will suffice. Actually, running – which in this case actually means “writing” – is what I’ve wanted to do for so long. Together, we’re putting me in that place where I can run.

Vicky’s going to go away next week and I’ll be on my own. I have a pile of work I can’t wait to get to while she’s gone. At the same time, though, I know I’ll miss her. But it’s that feeling, that knowledge that I’ll miss her, that makes me feel good. Knowing how crazy I am about my wife, and knowing she loves me as well, just adds to my feeling of well-being. It’s nice to have someone to miss.

Anyway, there you are. I’m running. I’m loving. I’m working. These are all active verbs, which is to say I am not just sitting around wishing things would get better or hoping for an opportunity. I am not alone. I am not aimless. My life is pretty darned full (and even fun) at this point.

Life does not stink.

10 questions...

Front Row Lit is featuring a 10 Question interview with me today: http://frontrowlit.com/?p=2356.

Please head on over, share and enjoy. And thank you for your support!

Where cut? Hair cut!...

When I was younger, I used to love growing my hair long. The problem, however, was that I could never grow it long enough! I’d get it just past my shoulders in length and I’d have to get a job or something – DAMN! If only, I would bemoan, I could live a life free of the restrictions jobs put on me. If only I could write for a living!...

And now… I do.

Sure, I don’t write for a living wage. I don’t write for a sufficient income, that’s for damned sure. But Vicky has been kind enough to see to it that I have this opportunity to capitalize on some huge momentum – a new book published, interest in another, a play production coming in November – to focus on making my writing career happen.

You’d think this would be the perfect time to grow my hair long.

Ummmmmm… no.

Because now I have other concerns to wrestle with and these are jogging and cycling. Neither one of those are what you might call conducive to long hair. Or, I should say that long hair is not conducive to either of those. Helmets don’t fit right and my hair falls in my face when I jog.

Rather than grow my hair long, I decided to go… the other way…

And so, Vicky and I found ourselves at Target recently purchasing a hair trimmer. We returned home and I sat on a chair in the middle of our kitchen.

Vicky nervously turned on the trimmer and nervously took it to my head and I nervously sat there and listened to Vicky nervously mutter, “Oh my… Oh my…”

Oh my, was right. When she was done, Vicky had shorn most of the hair off my head! My hair hasn't been this short since, well, perhaps since I was nine years old! The result is… well, I won’t say it’s attractive but it is highly functional and I kinda love it. In fact, I’m tempted to have her buzz it down even further!

I went jogging yesterday morning and never had to worry about my hair. Somewhere in there, my hair went from being my one feature I thought looked good to, well, expendable!

Is this it, then? Is this the end of the old – or should I say, the young – Ken? Do I have thirty or forty (or, let’s be serious, twenty) years of shorn scalp to look forward to?

… I don’t know. I guess it depends on if I ever get comfortable being seen in public without my hair…

I’ll keep you posted.

Always something new...

Dear readers,

My monthly article is up over on Recovering The Self. Please check it out as this month I talk about all that "Can't" can do...

And remember that www.kenlasalle.com is updated regularly, so please check that out as well if you find yourself so inclined.

... and buy me an ice cream if you get a chance...

Looking good in Jeanz...

Today, my friend Jeanz, who runs the great indie site "Jeanz Book Read'n'Review" has more features on me than I can shake a stick at. So, with that said... let's start shaking...

Click here to read the first part of her profile of some of my work online!

Click here to read the second part of her profile of some of my work online!

And click here to read her interview, in which I discuss writing (big surprise) as well as those I owe a great deal to, some of my favorite projects, and where this whole writing gig is taking me!

I hope you enjoy it. And please share it with friends. The only way this works is if you spread the word!

:)

I can jog 200 miles…

I decided to do something different this year and begin recording every time I jogged or went cycling.

I’ll tell you that the cycling part didn’t work out so well. As you might know, I have two bicyles: the Giant and the Tank. The Tank is a 20 year old mountain bike with road tires that weighs about 500 pounds (or so). I’ve ridden that a lot in the last few years because it has armadillo tires, that’s Kevlar baby! I never got a flat on the Tank so it was great for long rides.

With just one problem.

It weighs 500 pounds (or so).

So, this year I decided to retire the Tank and take more rides on the Giant. All I needed to do was get an armadillo tire for my back wheel and everything would be…

And that was it for cycling. (Seriously, I need to get to the bike shop!)

As it turns out, I’ve been jogging far more often than I’ve been cycling. With the middle of the year coming up, I decided to check the excel file in which I record all these things – and found that I’ve jogged over 200 miles!

Now, let me go on record here and say, “Sure. I know 200 miles is nothing for other people. But, for me, it’s really something!”

I used to love to jog long ago, before I started smoking. So, to be back in a place where I can jog six or seven or eight miles at a stretch, totaling more than 200 in just six months? Well, that makes me very happy.

I’m not saying it makes me very thin, mind you, because I’m still a big, fat pig. But, things could be worse.

I’ll keep jogging…

Climbing Maya - now in paperback!

Who needs a Kindle or a Nook?

Now, you can pick up Climbing Maya in paperback! (And I really hope you do, too!)

Just head on down to Amazon by clicking this link to pick up your copy of my philosophical memoir, Climbing Maya.

The Worth of Dreams The Value of Dreamers is now available!...

My Year-One compillation of articles from Recovering The Self, which I'm calling The Worth of Dreams The Value of Dreamers, is now available for the Kindle and Kindle-app e-readers! You can pick it up for the very low price of just $1.95!

Yes, it will be coming soon for all e-readers and an audio book is possibly out on the horizon. (Working hard on that!)

I hope you enjoy it and share the new with your friends.

The "Occupy" Philosophy...

Is philosophy dead? Does it hold any meaning for any of us in our day-to-day lives?

There are signs that philosophy is still alive, that its old heart is still beating and it's not just tired words from dead guys. Check out my recent article in the Journal of Humanitarian Affairs titled: The "Occupy" Philosophy.

Plugging along...

Yes, it's another entry where I'll be plugging something else. Makes you long for the days of my rants, doesn't it?

But, believe me, this is a good one! Skive Magazine has made this month's issue about dreams and has enlisted 58 authors to tell you theirs. I am fortunate to count myself amongst that number and if you'd like to pick up a copy for a low, low price, just click this link. You'll be glad you did!