Cy Reed Goes Supernatural?

Here’s this week’s writing excerpt, completed just yesterday. This story has a strong supernatural side, similar in style to Indiana Jones. It’s a pretty big departure for me as my previous Cy Reed books have all been quite grounded, with a solid base in science (albeit, speculative science, sometimes). That’s part of the reason why I’m considering spinning this off as a separate series. Anyway, enjoy!

“It’s getting bigger, too,” Jocelyn said. “I’d rather not be here when it gets through.”

“Unfortunately, Sawyer’s guys are holed up in the next room.” He shrugged. “They were at the block when we arrived. We managed to drive them back, but only as far as the statue.”

I furrowed my brow.

“Half of them are posted there,” he continued. “Every time we show our faces, they take a shot at us.”

“Half of them are at the statue?” My furrow hardened into a ridge. “Where’s the other half?”

“In the room after that one.”

“You can see them?” Jocelyn asked.

“Not easily,” he replied. “But yeah, I caught a glimpse of some people trekking that way.”

My eyes widened. “They’re trying to trap us.”

The Reason for God

Over the last week, I’ve been consuming books by former Presbyterian pastor, Timothy Keller. Partly because my WIP is about the Garden of Eden. But mostly for personal reasons. My father-in-law, Richard Platt, passed away on Saturday, after a long battle with a veritable mountain of ailments. And so, I’ve found myself thinking a lot about the subject of death as well as about what lies ahead of us.

I came to Timothy while watching a sermon from now-former pastor and family friend, Pete James. Pete mentioned three favorite authors, with C.S. Lewis and Timothy Keller being two of them (the third one escapes my memory). So, I watched one of Timothy’s sermons on YouTube (The Wounded Spirit) and was blown away by it. Right away, I bought his first book, The Reason for God.

Suffice it to say, it was truly eye-opening. I thought I understood Christianity before this, but nope. Not even close. Rather, my views were similar to those of the Pharisees. That is, people should, by and large, avoid sin and attempt to live as morally as possible. Which, to my astonishment, was utterly wrong. Even my working definition of “sin” was wrong. So, yeah … I’ve got a lot of soul-searching to do. Perhaps strange to say, but I’m excited about it!

Banned from Facebook?

Last night, Facebook unpublished my author page, claiming that it went “against our community standards.” Needless to say, I was flabbergasted. What did me in? Was it my weekly Work-in-Progress excerpt? Or perhaps it was my occasional thoughts on the writing process? I didn’t know and they wouldn’t tell me.

I understand that Facebook has been under a lot of pressure to police content. Even so, I was caught by surprise. After all, I don’t talk about politics or sex and I don’t use profanity. My page is about my writing and my life, period. I can only assume that a bot mistagged my content. Regardless, I was unable to request a formal review of the decision, with Facebook explaining that it has “fewer reviewers right now because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.” All I could do was register my “disagreement” with the decision.

This story has a happy-ish ending. In the dead of night, Facebook reinstated my author page. No explanation, though. Just a note telling me it had been published again after a review of my “appeal.” I suppose I feel fortunate. In researching this issue, I came across lots of stories from people who’d lost their Facebook page and never gotten it back.

Truthfully, I don’t have a big Facebook audience. Plus, Facebook deliberately limits my reach, requiring one to pay up in order to reach a larger percentage of one’s own fans. So, my engagement tends to be rather limited. If I had lost the page, I doubt it would’ve hurt me much.

As of late, some of my author friends and I have been discussing the peril of building our platforms on third-party sites. Frequent rule changes and rising ad costs are often cited as key problems. I guess I can now add the risk of accidental deplatforming to the list. All in all, I don’t see much point in building something that could be taken from me at any time. I’ll continue to cross-post on Facebook for the time being. But going forward, I’ll be putting more of my effort into this website as well as into my newsletter.

Once the Same … Now, Totally Different

Random thought of the day …

Growing up, everyone I knew had seen the same movies, watched the same shows, played the same games, listened to the same songs, and, in many cases, even read the same books.

These days, nobody I know does anything the same. I imagine part of it is content explosion, part of it is better catering to specific tastes. Regardless, it’s sometimes strange how broad and disconnected our cultural experiences have become.

Building an Author Platform

How much Internet time do you spend away from social media? That is, do you browse around, visit favorite sites? Or do you mostly stick to what Facebook/Twitter/etc. offer you?
 
The reason I ask is this … the Internet giants continue to tighten the screws, making it increasingly difficult (and expensive) to reach new fans and retain old ones. Plus, the rules of engagement change frequently and without notice.
 
Going forward, I’d like to put more time and effort into my website. At the very least, rework the blog feature so I can cross-post there. That’ll give me more control in how I reach readers. But I wonder if it would even be successful, given browsing habits. What do you think?
Grandpa and Me

Stolen Time: My Journey with Hyperparathyroidism

I remember the day I stopped laughing at Grandpa’s jokes. Grandpa was a real trickster with a deep love of puns and wordplay. He could always get a laugh out of me, even when telling the same joke for the billionth time. But during my early 20’s, something changed.

Grandpa and Me

Happier Times

 
His gentle jokes began to fall on deaf ears. My laughter dried up, then turned fake. I had to force myself not to roll my eyes in front of him. At the time, I figured it was just a sign of growing up. Now, I know differently.
 
It wasn’t just my sense of humor that changed, by the way. Around that same time, I developed brain fog, which manifested itself as a weird, floaty feeling in my head. I found it slightly harder to think, to concentrate. Doctors were stumped. X-rays and MRIs found nothing unusual. I tried balance training and other things, but nothing corrected the problem.
 
Slowly but surely, my emotions began to dull. I stopped crying. My smiles thinned, then turned fake. Little annoyances became big ones. I turned into a crank, an introvert, and a homebody. Not because I liked staying at home all that much, but because of inertia. I felt fatigued and old. My “get up and go” faded away and I started having trouble getting out of bed each morning.
 
Happy moments were few and far between. Soon, I lost interest in entertainment. I stopped reading. I only half-watched TV shows and movies. I became listless and mechanical in everything I did. My constant negativity and general emptiness made me wonder if I suffered from depression. Later, I concluded that I probably was depressed, albeit at what I considered to be a sustainable level.
 
And yet, life went on. I got an MBA and a CFA charter. Moving to New York, I worked as an Equity Research Analyst. It left me miserable and unfulfilled. So, I took a risk. Quitting my job, I tried my hand as a storyteller. Years ago, it would’ve been my dream job. But to my surprise, I found it a real struggle. Negativity and crippling self-doubt plagued me at every turn. Still, every storyteller faces those things so I thought little of it.
 
But writing became increasingly difficult with time. Worse, my well of creativity, which had been shallow for years, all but dried up. I experienced no real joy in telling stories and had to depend on a strict schedule to get anything accomplished.
 
Physically, it became increasingly difficult to move. My head ached constantly. I developed bone pain and began to experience lingering injuries. Knee problems cut into my running time. Shoulder and wrist injuries made it nearly impossible to lift my son.
 
Now, this didn’t happen all at once. Rather, my decline took place rather slowly over the course of some 15 years. Even so, I still noticed it. More than once, I wondered if I was going crazy. Now, I know the answer to that question.
 
In 2011, I was diagnosed with a disease known as Hyperparathyroidism. Parathyroid glands regulate the calcium in your body. When one turns tumorous, it begins making excess PTH hormones. Those hormones circulate in the body, leaching calcium from your bones and into your bloodstream. Given enough time, this can cause a gigantic and weird list of symptoms known as, “moans, groans, stones, and bones with psychic overtones.”
Since I was young, male, and appeared asymptomatic on the surface, my surgeon suggested I wait to have the tumor removed. This is rather common, and unfortunately outdated, advice. In any event, I put off the surgery for five years. In mid-2017, my surgeon suggested I wait another five years. I was all ready to do that. But soon after, the true cost of the disease became impossible to ignore.
Three weeks ago, I underwent a surgical operation at the Norman Parathyroid Center in Tampa, Florida to remove the tumorous gland. The operation was a bit more complex than normal, given that my tumor was hiding in my thyroid. Still, the procedure was surprisingly quick and simple.
 
Now, the tumor is gone. And you know what?
 
I feel amazing!
Within hours, my negativity vanished. I experienced my first real smile in years the very next day. I say “years” because I can’t remember the last time I didn’t have to fake it. My bones feel better. My headaches are gone. I’ve got tons of energy. I’m not kidding when I say it’s like I’m back in my 20’s again.
 
I’d all but given up on emotions. Now, I’m feeling stuff again. The brain fog is at least diminished, if not gone for good. For the first time in forever, I want to be around people. I want to do things, to live life. To show the world what I’ve got and in turn, to let it show me what it’s got.
 
Which leads me to today. This morning, I found myself thinking of Grandpa, of his jokes. I laughed for awhile, then cried my eyes out. My heart is full of grief. For him, of course. But really, for the lost time with him and with many others. I’ll never get those years back. I’ll never laugh with him again and that just makes me want to cry all over again. And that’s okay, I think. Until the surgery, I’d become pretty much incapable of real grief. So, this is a blessing.
 
Hyperparathyroidism stole countless laughs and tears from me. Well, no more. I’ve got a second shot at life now.
 
And I plan on making the most of it.
David Meyer in Montana

Union Leader Interview with David Meyer

Back in April, the Union Leader interviewed me and asked all sorts of questions about my life and writing career. Want to know what I consider an "average vacation?" Or how I got started as a writer? Or what I've got planned for the future? Then check out my interview with the Union Leader to learn everything you ever wanted to know about me!

Here's a sneak peak …

Union Leader Interview with David Meyer

On a recent trip, David Meyer searched for Mayan ruins in Mexico (stumbling on them everywhere), swam with sharks in Belize (sustaining a bite from something), and was swarmed by soldiers in Guatemala after his driver hit a police car (ending up with stitches). As he puts it, “that’s kind of an average vacation for me.” Meyer’s thirst for adventure has taken him down into the arteries of underground New York City and all over the world. It’s also led him onto the page, where he’s found success as the self-published author of the Cy Reed Adventures treasure hunter series and a new Apex Predator monster series.

Having sold hundreds of thousands of books since his first novel, “Chaos,” came out in 2011, the 38-year-old has big ambitions for his storytelling future.

For the rest, read the full interview at the Union Leader.

David Meyer in Montana

ManyBooks Interview with David Meyer

Want to know what ancient Wonder of the World would've been on the top of my checklist to explore? How Cy Reed differs from Indiana Jones? Why I count cartoonists like Chester Gould, Al Capp, Milton Caniff, and Alex Raymond amongst my favorite authors? Then check out my Manybooks interview to learn all about my books, inspiration, life, and more!

Here's a sneak peak …

ManyBooks Interview with David Meyer

Author David Meyer is not afraid to get his hands dirty when it comes to doing research for his action/adventure thrillers. From searching for ancient Maya ruins to close encounters with sharks, his own adventures come close to rivaling that of Cy Reed, his lead character in Torrent. Today we talk to David about his fascination with ancient architecture, designing his own book covers and what we can expect from him in the future.

Please give us a short introduction to Torrent.

Torrent is an action/adventure thriller, perfect for fans of Indiana Jones and Dirk Pitt. It follows Cy Reed, a renowned treasure hunter and salvage expert, as he hunts down the deadly secrets of a lost Maya vault.

What fascinates you about the pyramids and other ancient architecture?

I love the endless mystery of ancient structures and incorporated that love into Torrent. Despite many years of study, even the most well-known ancient buildings still hold secrets that are waiting to be discovered …

Your book contains a lot of information about Mayan culture. How much research did you have to do about the subject?

Plenty, much of which was gained on the ground. Awhile back, I spent a couple of weeks in Central America, trekking through Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize in search of ancient Maya ruins. It was a memorable trip, full of adventure. In Guatemala, our vehicle smashed into a police car in front of a military outpost. The driver was hauled off to jail and I needed stitches to close up my leg. A few days later, I got bit while swimming with sharks in Belize. And not long after that, I bogged down on a swampy jungle road late at night, the sounds of eerie jaguar calls ringing in my ears. Now, those exact experiences didn’t make it into Torrent. But in many ways, they formed the spirit of the book.

For the rest, read the full interview at ManyBooks.

Cy Reed Unearths the Infinity

Cy Reed Unearths the Infinity!

I have two quick announcements before we get to Cy Reed Unearths the Infinity, this week’s Cy Reed Journal entry.

Vapor

First, Vapor is coming! Vapor (formerly codenamed Miasma) will be the fourth novel in my Cy Reed Adventures series. It’s been in the works for a loooong time. Look for the official cover later this week. The actual release date is still up in the air, but should be locked down soon. Just between us, I’m shooting for mid-April.

Website Updates

Second, I’m currently refocusing this website on the various worlds of David Meyer Universe. Hence, you can now visit the new Cy Reed world, which hosts all stuff related to our favorite treasure hunter / salvage expert. Currently, it contains information on the books, the Cy Reed Journal, and Cy Reed news. You can also see hints of what’s coming next … including a new book series! In addition, I’ve created a Guerrilla Explorer home to act as a storehouse for all Guerrilla Explorer-related articles. Also, I updated my About and Contact sections and adjusted my Blog section, which will cover news related to all aspects of David Meyer Universe. I also added a new section entitled Apex Predator. What is Apex Predator, you ask? You’re going to have to wait a little longer to find out. Regardless, this is a work in progress so expect to see things shifting about for the next few weeks.

Cy Reed Unearths the Infinity

Here is this week’s page from the Cy Reed Journal. It’s entitled, Cy Reed Unearths the Infinity. The reference to the Explorer’s Society indicates Cy obtained this article while visiting Dutch Graham’s office, a key early scene in Chaos. As you can see below, the Infinity has a long (and rather unsettling) history behind it. If you want to catch up on past Cy Reed Journal entries, be sure to visit the Cy Reed world!

 

Cy Reed Unearths the Infinity

David Meyer at "Custer's Last Stand"

Custer’s Blood Treasure (America Unearthed)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

David Meyer at "Custer's Last Stand"

David Meyer at “Custer’s Last Stand”

Date: 12/03/2014

Bestselling author David Meyer makes television debut on Custer’s Blood Treasure

David Meyer teams up with the #1 hit show America Unearthed for Custer’s Blood Treasure.

On Saturday, December 6, 2014 at 9pm EST, bestselling action/adventure author David Meyer will team up with world-renowned forensic geologist Scott Wolter in the world premiere of Custer’s Blood Treasure, the latest episode of H2’s #1 hit original series, America Unearthed. David Meyer is an adventurer and creator of the Cy Reed Adventure series. In Custer’s Blood Treasure, he helps Wolter unravel the mystery behind a legendary treasure dating back to one of America’s most infamous events, Custer’s Last Stand at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

David Meyer is the international bestselling author of the Cy Reed Adventure series. Praised for relentless pacing and thrilling, twisty plots, his books—Chaos, Ice Storm, and Torrent—have taken readers on unforgettable journeys into ancient ruins, secret bases, and lost worlds.

Official Website: http://www.DavidMeyerBooks.com

Follow David Meyer on Social Media:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GuerrillaExplorer

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DavidMeyer_

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David Meyer’s Wild West Coverage