Vicious Whispers with Mark Tullius

An update on the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books - I'll be at Booth 910.

Beyond Brightside is only six chapters away from a finished rough draft and already one of the most brutal stories I've written.

Open mat jiujitsu session doesn't go as planned because my fail as a partner.

Results of the stem cell therapy on my shoulder and why I recommend it.

10:45 Brightside Chapter 18

Reflecting on cannabis and caffeine intake.

Training jiujitsu with my wife.

Update on Beyond Brightside and Try Not to Die: In Brightside.

Rundown on being a guest on the Fighter's Planet Podcast. Check out episode #38 on Spotify to hear about my nonfiction book, Unlocking the Cage: An Exploration of Mixed Martial Artists. 

13:45 Chapter 17 of the Brightside audiobook.

Killing time in a park while waiting for my daughter's award assembly.

Discussing Beyond Brightside and how it's turning into a brutal blood bath.

A quick rundown on the last two weeks:

How wrecked my body is after one session of jiujitsu.

Mention of the Try Not to Die contest that kicks off April 13 along with the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books where I will have a booth (#910)

8:30 Chapter 14 of the Brightside audiobook

Talking about yoga, jiujitsu, cannabis, how painful dancing is for me, the difficulty of writing a rape scene, and all the good stuff about to be released.

15:20 Brightside audiobook Ch. 13

Why I decided to cancel my break from cannabis and caffeine.

Building a massive snowman, burying myself in snow, writing a story with friends, and other fun last weekend in Big Bear.

Wondering if rescuing a cat redeems a character who's been killing innocent people in Beyond Brightside?

How intimidating it was going back to 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Headquarters after a long break and how yoga made that transition much easier than it would have been.

17:10 Chapter 12 of the Brightside audiobook.

An update on my break from cannabis, caffeine, and video games.

Overcoming the difficulty in writing a new scene for Beyond Brightside.

A thank you to the Goodreads’ reviewers for Ain’t No Messiah and a demonstration of how to write a review as I leave one for Stephen King’s Under the Dome, Dr. Norman Doidge’s The Brain that Changes Itself, and a Corey Taylor book.

26:00 Chapter 11 of the Brightside audiobook.

Mark discusses the start of his 6 week break from caffeine, cannabis, and video games.

How therapy is helping him understand his addictive personality, defiant disorder, and inner rage.

New scenes being added to Beyond Brightside including a fun decapitation.

15:00 Chapter 10 of the Brightside audiobook.

Back from my trip to Oregon where I discovered I have zero talent for skiing.