Vicious Whispers with Mark Tullius

I interviewed Lauren Salerno after we finished being on a panel about Young Adult Horror Fiction at Midsummer Scream.

Lauren is a librarian, writer, literary organizer, and a fellow Horror Writers Association member. We discuss her paranormal experiences, struggle with anxiety, what she likes to write, and why she’s a member of the H.W.A.

28:45 The short horror story “Reunion”

For more on Lauren you can find her on social media platforms @ParanormaLauren

For more on the HWA check out http://horror.org/

Another trip to Portland to explore TBI and reunite with old friends.

A recap on the Vegas trip and jiu jitsu training at Tribe Fitness in Martial Arts.

What I learned by spending time with my former Brown University teammate who has CTE and is dying from leukemia. This visit marks the start of the actual writing of my traumatic brain injury book. A very sad and scary situation but one that also leaves me with hope for others headed down that path.

Finally finishing up my full-length short story collection.

Balancing writing and family without becoming too overwhelmed.

18:00 The short story "Every Precious Second" narrated by my friend Don Theye.

In this episode I visit my friend, Casey Milliken, who owns Tribe Las Vegas with his wife Ashley. I speak with Casey, a bjj black belt, about jiu jitsu, what it teaches people, how to increase longevity, and what his gym is all about.

26:00 includes my bjj/MMA short story "Mutual Understanding" from my collection Somber Stroll.

For more info on the studio go to https://www.tribevegas.com/

Adjusting to the new summer routine and realizing limitations. Excited to finish the rough draft of Beyond Brightside and digging into the last short stories for my next collection. Getting ready for a fun vacation in Vegas with my wife which I'll follow up with a sobering trip to Oregon to begin my book on traumatic brain injuries.

Now that school is finishing up for my kids I need to focus on what I want to accomplish. I've put together a list of the items I'd like completed in the next few months and have plans to start focusing on marketing with my daughter.

An update on where I'm at with my nonfiction brain book and why I've been hesitant to pursue it. As someone who has had a lot of trauma to the brain with boxing, MMA, college football, and motorcycle accidents, the subject of traumatic brain injuries and CTE is scary. But I have too many friends that either have or probably will develop brain issues for me not to investigate it a bit.

An explanation on my break from the podcast and social media.

The difficulty with finishing up Beyond Brightside's sex scene and marching a main character to his death.

How I've been searching for the perfect agent and have narrowed down my wish list.

Using Back 2 Basics and Downey Yoga to deal with my shoulder and back problems.

15:25 I narrate the short story "Five minutes Alone" taken from my dystopian mosaic novel 25 Perfect Days.

A run down on my family's vacation to Oregon which included ziplining, horseback riding, escape rooms, jiujitsu, and a trip to the emergency room.

25:55 Listen to "No One's Here," a short horror story from Twisted Reunion.

30:31 I narrate a brand new story, "No One's Home," that will be out later this year.

Discussing the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. What I wish I had done differently and what went well.

Slowly reintroducing jiujitsu, feeling good after a practice and open mat.

15:30 Chapter 19 of the Brightside audiobook, the final chapter.