Clint Adams - FEAR BYTES: Summer 2007

books

Historical fiction

After numerous arrests at the turn of the century, astrologist Evangeline Adams takes on the legal system to prove her legitimacy as a successful businesswoman in a man’s world.

Thriller

The Seventh Ritual

"You must discover the cause of your unhappiness by the end of this year…or you will not live to see the next.” Disgusted and disbelieving, 34-year old Paul Jacobson dismisses what he’s told by a Greenwich Village psychic. Only days later though, while running in the New York City Marathon, Paul’s mind leads him back…to a past he’s never known. This journey begins the race for his life.

Teen/Young Adult

My Watch Doesn't Tell Time

“What if time runs out?” is the question that makes 14-year old Miguel Estes sweat almost every night. Life's short. Have you done all you want?

Don't Be Afraid of Heaven

Formerly TOP TEN-ranked for ten-straight months in Korea (Teen Visionary Fiction) Who wouldn’t want to be fearless? After overcoming a fear-filled life, 13-year old Miguel Estes uncovers life’s most potent and debilitating fear while sprinting his way to freedom.

Fear Ain't All That

Formerly TOP TEN-ranked for ten-straight months in Korea (Teen Visionary Fiction) Miguel is unique. He has a lifetime measured by days not years; he happens to live with E.B., but he spends little time thinking about it. For Miguel, living with fear is far more deadly than this fatal disease could ever be.

Just Say Mikey

Amazon/France TOP-TEN-ranked (Action & Adventure) over 7-consecutive months. Now out of print, but still available via special order at all book retailers.

Fiktion: Jugendlicher

Angst Ist Nicht Alles

Das einzige Hindernis zwischen Ihnen und Ihr Schicksal ist Angst. Beseitigen Sie Angst...und Sie werden Ihr Traum leben.

Romanzi per Adoloscenti ed Adulti

Non Avere Paura del Paradiso

Una lezione per Miguel, per tutti: Una persona che non ha paura di morte, non ha paura.

La Paura Non è Niente

È facile, è la verità: la vita inizia soltanto quando la paura è eliminata.

FEAR BYTES: Summer 2007

January 1, 1970

Fear Bytes, a newsletter for middle-graders, teens and all others who BELIEVE they can do anything…or want to.

FEAR BYTES : Summer 2007

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Hey Fear-Fighters,

What’s up? How’s your summer? I hope you’re all doing well…living life the way it was meant to be lived (without fear, naturally). I promise I won’t mention the s-word* (revealed below for those brave enough), but what are some of your goals for the coming year? Whether they’re big or small, make ‘em BIG anyway. Life’s WAY too short to EVER settle.

Do you still believe in yourself, and what you’re doing, 100% of the time? And NEVER doubt? Well, if you answered ‘YES’ to either of these questions, you should be writing this newsletter, not me; you’re my hero and I salute you. I say this because I now admit that I stopped believing for a while. It’s easy to want to quit the book business, because, after all, it’s crazier than a day in the life of Britney Spears (even with her dog “Lucky”). Now…THAT’S crazy! (Well, at least I never shaved my head just because I got bored).

So, still with a full head of hair, I’m happy to be on track again. And, for those of you “lucky” enough to know what your purpose in life is, KEEP GOING! Only YOU know what it is, so be cautious when listening to the advice of others. They’re not you, and perhaps they’re too afraid to be doing what you’re doing yourself. Take the time to recognize these as THEIR fears, not yours. I hope none of you EVER stop…believing.

I also hope, in some way, this newsletter motivates you to keep going, to always believe, to NEVER have a ‘Plan B,’ and NEVER give in to fear. Because, after all, duh, fear bites.

Fearlessly (well, at least once in a while),

Clint

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Commentary : From Welfare to England’s Richest Woman: J.K. Rowling ALWAYS Believed.

Even as I read the headlines of today’s news, guess who remains on the front page? It’s J.K. Rowling, of course.

It put a smile on my face to discover that Ms. Rowling has continued writing…a detective novel. Apparently, she’s recently been spotted in the cafés of Edinburgh working on her latest manuscript, just as she did much earlier when she wrote HARRY POTTER. I like that. What makes me snicker though is that journalists, still today, regularly reference her past. “(Years ago) she’d write there just to save on her heating bill at home.”

“On welfare,” “Homeless,” “Extremely poor,” “Poverty-stricken,” are a few of the ways J.K. Rowling’s past has been described…at the very same time she was creating the 7-book success story she always knew would happen. She always knew there would be seven books and she always believed people would read them.
Maybe she never imagined she’d be earning $250 a minute, or sell over 350 million books, or that she’d be wealthier than the Queen of England.

To me, what will stand out most about J.K. Rowling (when it would have been so easy for her to doubt) is that her seven HARRY POTTER books were published and that people read them. In my opinion, her story is beyond inspirational; J.K. Rowling, without question, has demonstrated perfectly the ultimate power of belief.

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Artist Focus : MARTINA McBRIDE (www.MartinaMcBride.com)

Any country music fans out there? I know my friends in Europe wouldn’t have a clue what I’m talking about. So, to them in particular, “No, I don’t mean yodeling.” I guess country music is maybe an American thing. Either way, I seem to like it most, because it always seems inspirational to me…and I can understand the words.

Remember when I’d admitted earlier that I’d (temporarily) stopped believing? Well, I feel certain that we receive “in-your-face” signs all the time. Some of them you flat-out (country-talk) can’t even ignore or misinterpret…they’re just too obvious. One of the biggest signs I’ve gotten recently came from one of my favorite singers, Martina McBride.

In an amphitheatre at my favorite place on earth, Lake Tahoe, Martina came out to the full moon above and opened her show with a song I had never heard that she wrote, ANYWAY. I won’t divulge the lyrics, but I’m hoping you’ll want to watch the video of this song:

ANYWAY (Live version) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdpquFkydPY)

The way I interpret this song: “What if you write a book and no one reads it…write it anyway.”

As most of you know, the ONLY characters I like to read or write about are those that have struggled or live with immeasurable obstacles, especially children. At this same Lake Tahoe concert, Martina sang this next song while showing the video on an over-sized screen. I’d never seen this before. While watching it, my heart sank. Definitely worth watching:

CONCRETE ANGEL (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDm03Foq2T0)

I found out later that this song/this video was used extensively to promote Child Abuse Awareness. Rightly so.

Not only was I seeing my favorite singer under a full moon at my favorite place, Lake Tahoe, but this same night also happened to be Martina McBride’s birthday. The last song she sang before her encore was the song I came to hear. I’ve listened to it over and over again. It’s THE anthem for anyone who longs to be free:

INDEPENDENCE DAY (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYENO6r5vVo)

As if I wasn’t inspired enough, Martina returned to the stage to sing a few more songs. The very last song she sang that evening was Journey’s DON’T STOP BELIEVING. Need I say more?

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Fear : FACT or FICTION Quiz (answers at bottom)

1. Most fears eventually disappear on their own : FACT or FICTION?
2. Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of long words : FACT or FICTION?
3. More women experience imaginary fears than men do : FACT or FICTION?
4. Only a small percentage of Americans live with anxiety disorders : FACT or FICTION?
5. Euphobia is the fear of the Eurythmics (for those of you old enough to remember them) : FACT OR FICTION?

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What’s up now? What’s up next? : RADIO & WRITING

There’s a great new radio network out there, Quiet Time Radio: Empowering Radio from
Bestselling & Award-Winning Authors (www.QTRadio.net) …and I’m glad and grateful to be a part of it. They offer a wide range of authors and experts, aiming to provide inspiring and interesting content for their listeners.

My show is called, what else…FEAR BYTES (http://quiettimeradio.net/qtradio/clintadamsshow.html), and is intended for both teens and adults. Its regular airtime is Thursdays at 8PM(PDT), with an encore broadcast at NOON(PDT) on Saturdays (with additional airtimes during the month of August). The mission of this show remains consistent with this newsletter, along with my books and workshops, to help teens create futures without fear. In addition to QTRadio.net, FEAR BYTES, also airs on Live365.com.

I’m also on the lookout for teens that would like to be interviewed for this show. If you are a teen who has overcome some sort of fear or obstacle (hopefully because you inevitably BELIEVED you could), please let me know: info@ClintAdams.com. Thanks, I’d love to hear from you.

I’m also working on a project that very much interests me. It’s a mystery novel with a variety of psychological overtones, and is titled, THE SEVEN RITUALS. It’s also written for adults, not teens. I’m now working on the second draft, and it’s somehow spelling out so clearly (to me) that the patterns we manifest in adult-life absolutely do begin in childhood.

I’m not sure when this will be published, but I’ll make sure to let you know.

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Hey to y’all (again…country-talk),

Thanks again for reading this edition of FEAR BYTES. I’m no techno-whiz, so if my links contained in this newsletter didn’t translate into html upon delivery, just pretend you’re in kindergarten and ‘cut and paste.’

As usual, please remember:

1. Fear isn’t natural; it's ALL learned.
2. Keep your TO DO list full.
3. Always BELIEVE…no matter what!!!

Thanks also, to those of you who’ve read any of my books.

Do your best to be fearless…and KEEP GOING!

Until next time,

Clint

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• The unmentionable s-word: “school.”

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Fear : FACT or FICTION Quiz (ANSWERS)

1. Most fears eventually disappear by themselves : FICTION (Only about 20% of specific phobias disappear on their own for an adult).
2. Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of long words : FICTION (it’s the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth; Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is the fear of long words).
3. More women experience imaginary fears than men do : FACT (Females are more prone to irrational fears than males. Phobia statistics suggest that roughly twice as many women as men suffer from panic disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, generalised anxiety disorder and specific phobia).
4. Only a small percentage of Americans live with anxiety disorders : FICTION (Approximately 40 million American adults ages 18 and older, or about 18.1 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have an anxiety disorder).
5. Euphobia is the fear of the Eurythmics (for those of you old enough to remember them): FICTION (it’s the fear of hearing good news).