Lance Allred the official website of the Lance Allred who is not the professional Poker player

Merry Christmas-

I got to spend my first Christmas with my family at home in years…. for example, I spent my last christmas flying to Albuquerque, New Mexico to play a game the next day, but only ended up catching the flu anyway, making it all for naught.

Furthermore, with the downtime that I have very much appreciated, I was able to finish my book, God and Shield, my historical fiction about a teutonic knight. I have actually been working on that book since 2005, so I am grateful I finally finished it. It truly became a love/hate relationship with that book.

Lately, I have had many people run into me or send me emails lately about how much they enjoyed Longshot, but with the truth that they got it from the library. On one hand, I am grateful that they got to hear my story and it helped them in some way, but there is no sort of record that keeps track of how many times my book was checked from the library- only overall book sales. So, while yes, it is nice that people are growing to know my story, it does not help future prospects for more books to be published, when consumers get them from the library or even buy them used on amazon, because in the capitalist market we live in, if my books don’t sell, I can’t continue to write more books…. it’s a vicious catch-22 with the library system and amazon.

Who knew the public library system would actually become my enemy?

Here is to hoping the paperback, which will be much cheaper than the hardback, takes off when it comes out in May. I’ve always wanted to be a paperback writer…..

Happy New Year, and please do me a favor and don’t set a new year’s resolution, instead set a resolution today. You don’t need some abstract day called January 1st, to make a goal, when you can make one at any moment, whenever you want.

Dark Night of the Soul-

I have been home in the US now for near two weeks, confined away on a couch, reading, researching and pondering my own mind and YES… meditating, and experiencing the adrenaline rush that is fear of the unknown as the mind separates from the body. Not afraid to admit it anymore. We are all extensions of God. And we are all prophets.

While sitting here waiting to see where life next needs me in the world of basketball, I have been scheming and plotting the sequel to Longshot. I know the title, but won’t give it away now. And while it is still fueled by basketball, I will now be having a sharp turn from the norm, as I will now be talking of the Dark Night of the Soul, which I traversed in Italy and the enlightenment that followed, as well as the enlightenment I still chase. Existentialism? Quantum Physics? Transcendentalism? Basketball? Mafia? A perfect blend!

I have been thinking of the ways to tell the story without being a blowhard, as I have been pondering these thoughts and other meanings: to existence and God, and our realities and does the world need a savior, or does it already have/had many saviors through the ages, and was Jesus a truly enlightened being, who understood the power of thoughts, and knew that thoughts truly materialize into matter- thoughts are things. So he was a savior, and so was Buddha, so was Ghandi.

I have been hesitant to tell of these thoughts, especially now, since Dan Brown beat me to the punch. Recently, I cluelessly picked up Dan Brown’s new book, no clue what it was about. I had no idea I would literally be looking in the mirror and see all the thoughts I have been pondering over the last few months since the Dark Night, reflecting back to me. It was encouraging, and overwhelming as well. Yet, part of me was discouraged, feeling that Dan Brown stole my mojo…..but then again, Buddha, Mohammed and Jesus all beat us to the punch as well…. this is not a race. And knowledge is not limited to any one mind.

I am not too worried about gravitating or at least reaching out to welcome a new audience, while still hoping to maintain those who already follow me thanks to the game that is basketball. I understand that many felt I wrote too little of basketball, as well, there were some who felt I wrote too much of basketball. I will be second-guessed either way, and thus I must follow where the inspiration leads me. And hopefully as I do, newer readers will join, and many, if not all of my basketball followers will come with me as I continue to climb the ladder to “heaven,” that is my mind.

But don’t worry, there is still plenty of basketball to write about as well.

I have traversed through the Dark Night of the Soul, and I have lived to tell of it- And so I will.