The Great Travel and Adventure Giveaway

Dear fellow adventurers, travelers, nomads, and free-spirited wanderers,

If you’re a fan of history, geography, and exploration – and you enjoyed my novel, Chaturanga – you should sign up to be part of “The Great Travel and Adventure Book Giveaway.”

A group of adventure-travel authors – individuals like myself, who enjoy exploring, learning about the world, and sharing our experiences through writing – is offering downloads of eBooks, short stories, and novellas at no cost for the next couple weeks.

Collectively, the stories cover more than 30 countries. They are extraordinary tales of exotic lands, hardships and triumphs, and self-discovery – and include both fictional and true accounts.

To sign up, click the link below and start your next adventure. I look forward to hearing which stories resonate with your “inner explorer”!

http://thegreatgamemovie.com/freebooks/

The Universal Wisdom of Michael Crichton

As many people know, Michael Crichton was a best-selling author, screenwriter, director, and producer. He wrote twenty-eight books (selling 200 million copies worldwide), half of which were turned into films. Clearly, he was a very talented man who possessed confidence and single-mindedness to pursue his life’s dreams. Whether you’re in the entertainment business or not, that’s an inspiring story!

Wanting to learn more about Crichton as a person and author, I searched his website and found this interview. It’s short, but the message is deep. His words stuck in my mind long after reading them. Over and over, I kept thinking about what he said. Like his stories, there is genius in Crichton’s wisdom. For weeks, I found myself sharing bits and pieces of this interview with friends and colleagues.

Below are five lessons that Michael Crichton shares in the interview about writing (and life):

1.     Whatever your background, it is ideal for pursuing your dreams (Michael Crichton, M.D.).

There are lots of “reasons” not to do what we love. One is, “I don’t have a degree in [insert your dream].” Well, now you can toss that excuse. Ironically, young Crichton fancied becoming a writer, and initially chose literature as his college major. But after a conflict with a disapproving professor, Crichton changed his concentration to biological anthropology, went on to attend Harvard Medical School, and eventually became a doctor. His passion for writing and making movies kept pulling at him, however, and eventually he gave in to the desire. When asked about his decision to quit practicing medicine, he explained it was due to “a pull from one direction and a push from the other.” But even though he didn’t want to be a doctor anymore, Crichton acknowledged that his medical training and experience served as the perfect foundation for his writing career. If he hadn’t been a doctor first, he may never have dreamed up science-fiction bestsellers like Jurassic Park or The Andromeda Strain, or the hit medical drama, “ER.”