About The Soundtrack to Beyond Anything In All Creation

Aloha, friends! Creating soundtracks for books is still a new experience for me. I created one for my first book, Beyond Heights and Depths, that was received well by fans. However, I wanted to do something different for this book. After many discussions, careful consideration, and a huge amount of time on social media, we have put together a soundtrack that I really enjoy. I hope you will too!

This soundtrack has a little something for everyone. We touch on a lot of genres. The songs fit the story really well. Of course there are a few songs I absolutely had to have on the soundtrack. Fortunately, everyone was in agreement with me. I had to include the song “White Sandy Beach of Hawai’i” by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole. I love this song. I used to have dreams about scenes from this song. It was a no-brainer for me to put this song on the list. Not to mention the fact that Braddah Iz was and is one of the greatest entertainers to ever come from Hawaii.

I put the song by Red called “Never Be The Same” in as a bonus track at the end. I want it to be the last song people hear. I have often said that if this book were ever made into a movie, I would absolutely have to have this song in it. I always thought if I made a book trailer that this is the song I would play with it. Unlike many of the other songs, this is the song that I listened to the most when I was writing all three books. I still listen to it now. One could say this song goes with every part of each book because of the way it fits the characters and story so well.

The complete soundtrack is below. All of the songs are available on Spotify. Please take some time to give them a listen. I hope you all enjoy the soundtrack! Feel free to leave a comment. Tell me what you think, or tell me if you think of another song should be on the list. Thank you so much and have a wonderful week!

How Social Media Benefited Me as an Indie Author

I don't do many of these writing posts, mostly because I don't feel like I have a lot to add, but since my third book was released I've been asked how social media has benefited me numerous times. I know many of you are hoping for advice on selling more books. I know this because my twitter feed is still loaded with posts on book sales. Truth be told, I'm not sure how many books I have sold as a direct result of posting on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media site, if any. If I had to venture a guess, I would say not many.

I don't know many people who buy books as a result of reading a post on Facebook or Twitter. I admit, I still try the hard sell on both - though mostly out of habit and the hope that it works. No, I'm not here to talk about marketing or how to sell more books. Honestly, that is not how social media has benefited me. Social media is an amazing tool to have in your repertoire, but not exactly for selling books.

Social media should be used to help you build your platform, sure, we all know this. The bigger the platform, the bigger the chance of success. However, through social media - specifically, Facebook and Twitter - the biggest benefit I have received is the help of other indie authors and the various blogs and sites each run. I have been blessed to receive help from some of the best indie folks I know, and their help has been invaluable to me.

There is no way I could have completed and released three books without help. I could not have sold nearly as many books as I have without some kind of help. Even help with simple tips and grammar mistakes have been a huge help. All of this came through social media. Thus, there is a benefit to maintaining all of you social media accounts, but the benefit is not necessarily immediate, nor is it always in the form of a substantial increase in sales.

Anyway, these are my two cents this week. Thank you everyone who has helped me along the way. I could not have accomplished any of this without you. All of you new indies reading this, spend less time on the hard sell and more time building relationships, which, incidentally, is what social media was designed for. Have a wonderful week, everyone!

If I can do it, so can you

First off, let me say: My third book is almost ready for release! It's hard to believe that my third book is almost here. To be quite honest, I wasn't sure if I could finish writing one book. When I finished the first book, I wasn't sure I could write one more. Now, here we are, and the trilogy is nearly complete.

I know a lot of writers use their blogs to offer writing tips and advice, but I really don't have any. The only thing I can say with certainty is: The only true failure is not trying. If you want to succeed at anything, you need to try. A lot of people tell me how they aren't sure they could ever write a book. I don't think anyone is really sure at the beginning, but I can guarantee you'll never find out, if you never try.

If I can write, so can you. I had no idea what I was doing when I started this journey. A few years later, I have made the Amazon bestseller list. My second book made it into the top 3. I have a pretty good fan base. Most importantly, I'm still enjoying writing. The fact is: I would not have accomplished anything if I did not bother to try.

Life is too short to not chase your dreams. Why not chase a few? I say chase as many as you can, and hopefully, you catch more than a few. You want to be a writer, well then write. You have another dream, go after it. No one is going to chase your dreams for you. You have to put in the effort. Don't walk through life wondering about the would've, could've, should've moments you let pass you by.

For me, writing a book was just one of my dreams. I'm constantly in the process of chasing dreams, whether it be writing, skimboarding, or whatever other crazy activity I'm doing. I hope that as I catch a few of those dreams it will inspire others to chase theirs. So, get out there and chase your dreams. If you have the time, tell me about a few. I love to hear from people who are living the dream. Have a wonderful week everybody!