Year in Review: 2022

Each year I create a list of goals for every area of my life. Throughout the year I work my goals, track my progress, and commit to posting my top accomplishments. I hope to inspire others to do the same.

Writing

Short Stories

  • My story, “The Midnight Club,” appeared in The Horror Zine’s Book of Werewolf Stories published by HorrorBound Press. I shared pages with Ramsey Campbell, Nancy Kilpatrik, JG Fraherty and other great writers.
  • Received hard copies of the anthology.
  • Received audio book on Audible.

Magic Moment: Review from Heather Miller:

…The Horror Zine’s Book of Werewolf Stories brings together twenty-five shirt-ripping, teeth-baring, guttural-snarling stories from names big and small. The collection includes tales written from both the victim’s and the wolf’s perspective. There are werewolves who are bloodthirsty monsters and those who try their hardest to retain some sense of humanity. There are stories which question whether their characters are werewolves at all or men suffering from psychiatric delusions. There are wolves at war, wolves at sea, wolves in the woods and wolves in the city. A few stories which stood out to me:

“The Change” by Ramsey Campbell – a psychological horror in which a writer becomes obsessed with – and then paranoid about – the strangers who gather just beyond his window in the blue glow of a bus stop lamp, and regresses to a primitive form of himself in his distress.

“Savages” by Trish Wilson – a feral child is found and held for observation, until the wolves who raised him come back for what’s theirs.

“The Midnight Club” by David North-Martino – a serial killer who lives for the thrill of the hunt gets what’s coming to him when his prey turns to predator.

“Origin of the Species” by JG Faherty – easily my favorite story in the whole collection, this one gives us a fascinating origin story for the werewolf race.

With an introduction by Stephen Graham Jones and a foreword by WD Gagliani, this anthology of moonlight metamorphosis is a great addition to any horror lover’s library, and a much-needed tome on a worthy but oft-overlooked horror character.

  • Writer’s of the Future Honorable Mention 2nd Quarter 2022.
  • Submitted to 11 markets.
  • Wrote 1 new short story this year.
    • Received my certificate for The L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest Semi-Finalist for Expiation, 3rd Quarter 2021.

Novels

  • Sent out novel to the Berkely Open Submission Program in January – “No decision has been made about your query at this time.” No news IS good news!
  • Sent a novel submission to Cemetery Dance Books.
  • Completed new novel and forwarded to 1st reader.

Media

Radio/ Podcast/ Co-Host

  • As heard on NBC News Radio in Los Angeles/Riverside/San Bernardino/Palm Springs/Seattle/Tacoma/Salt Lake City/Phoenix and online podcasts.
  • House of Mystery Radio show on NBC in 2022 was the #3 most popular show in Los Angeles Market! It averaged a 2.4 market share (57,600 listeners per episode average) and had 2.9 million downloads/plays from our website!
  • Interviewed Dean Koontz.
  • Dean Koontz episode had a 4.4 market share with approximately 288,000 listeners.
  • Completed my first show acting as main host interviewing Reb MacRath.
  • Completed my second show acting as main host with co-host D.W. Gillespie interviewing Meg Hafdahl Science of Stephen King.
  • Completed my third show as main host interviewing Alex Gillis Taekwondo: A Killing Art.
  • Promoted to main co-host September 9, 2022.
  • Interviewed Simon Gervaise with Joe Goldberg co-hosting.
  • Constantly co-hosted weekly throughout 2022. Over 100 shows!
  • Assisted with edits, preproduction, and postproduction.
  • https://www.alanrwarren.com/house-of-mystery-radioshow

Movie Reviews

Youtube and other Video Platforms

  • Had a Kali knife video go semi-viral gaining over 9K views and 64 subscribers.
  • Decided to focus my Youtube channel on martial arts videos.
  • Achieved 100 subscriber and 300 subscriber milestones.
  • Featured on Izzo’s Wing Chun gaining me at least 70 subscribers.
  • 433 subscribers as of December.
  • Gained 400 new subscribers this year.
  • 80K total views, 33.5K watch-time minutes, and 1,268 total likes.
  • Made new friends in the martial arts Youtube communtiy.
  • Learned and began editing videos using iMovie.
  • Learned and began creating thumbnails using Canva.
  • Made Youtube Shorts.
  • Posted short videos to Tiktok, Facebook, and Instagram.
  • Uploaded over 48 shorts with over 36.2K views.
  • Top viewed shorts: Tae Kwon Do Sparring, 9 Sword Cuts.
  • Top viewed videos: Solo Knife Drills, Sword to Knife, Chain Punching From Yip Man to Bruce Lee to Taky Kimura.

Check out my Youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAGfK61_Pc6vOlOmUD1sRg

Martial Arts

  • Celebrated 35 years of formal martial arts training and teaching.
  • Joined The Korea Taekwondo Moo Duk Kwan Association.
  • The Korea Taekwondo Moo Duk Kwan Association accepted me as a 3rd degree black belt and issued a backdated certificate to my original promotion and signed by the President of the Association.
  • Made friends with members of the association.
  • Set up Mook Jong.
  • Home training 3x per week various arts.
  • Attended “Drowning in Kali 2022” at the Derderian Academy of Martial Arts.
  • Attended 2-day 14 hour weekend seminar Inosanto-Lacosta Blend/Presas Family (Modern) Arnis with teachers Guro Raffi Derderian and Guro Hock Hochheim at Chris Thompson – Just Train in North Kingston, RI.
  • Achieved First Level in Guro W. Hock Hocheim’s Essential Filipino Martial Arts System.

Achieved 1st Level in W. Hock Hocheim’s Pacific Archipelago (Combatives) Concepts.

Health

  • I had a cracked tooth fixed and my 6 month cleanings.
  • I had my booster.
  • Colonoscopy (I’m officially old!).
  • Eye Doctor – everything stable.
  • Brought Diesel for his vet appointments.
  • Annual physical – everything normal. All numbers good. I just need to lose a little weight.

Family

  • January after holiday (2021) get-together with the in-laws.
  • Celebrated 27 years of marriage & 30 Years together!
  • Helped my sister-in-law set up a Roku and Ooma Telo.
  • Ate breakfast with parents at the North End Diner. I helped my Dad take down his tent from campsite. Went with my mother to a jeweler to consider resizing original wedding ring.
  • Called my parents at least twice a week.
  • Decided to get new wedding ring. Also got a groove ring for martial arts training.
  • Chewy sent us a painting of Diesel and later sent him a Christmas gift.
  • We began training Diesel on a harness.
  • Attended local Independence Day Parade.
  • Attended Patty’s work dinner.
  • Thanksgiving and Christmas at home this year with sister-in-law.
  • Cat-sat for our neighbor.
  • Kept up with my friend and former English professor through email.
  • Continued a great friendship with Al Warren.

Cars

  • Both cars inspected.
  • General maintenance on both cars.

Travel & Fun

  • Quiet Riot, Slaughter, and Steve Pearcy (Ratt) at Mohegan Sun Arena. Summer Shack for dinner and drinks.
  • Went to see Scream (2022)at the theater and dinner at the 110 Grill.
  • NKOTB MixTape at Mohegan Sun Arena. Summer Shack for dinner and drinks.
  • Kevin James at the Hanover Theater in Worcester, MA. Dinner at Chashu Ramen & Izakaya.

House

  • Had old gas water heater disabled and blocked and a new electric water heater installed in the closet. The old water heater couldn’t be replaced and remain up to code so a new one had to be relocated. We got estimates from three companies.
  • Had outlet replaced.
  • Replaced smoke alarms.
  • Replaced thermostat that stopped working. I was able to do this myself!
  • Had upstairs fill-valve etc. replaced.
  • Had downstairs toilet replaced. The old one was from 1955!
  • The condo association provided us with a dumpster for spring cleaning.
  • Management company fixed damage on front stoop.
  • Management company fixed woodpecker damage on our Townhouse.
  • Installed coat rack in foyer.

Whisk(e)y, Spirits & Cocktails

  • Greenspot Irish Whisky.
  • Black Saddle 12 – smooth, sweet rum raisin, cinnamon, carmel.
  • Kaiyo Mizunara Oak Japanese Whisky.
  • Lagavulin 8 – cough sweets, rum raisin, plumb, peppery spice, smoke, dry finish, like a white wine. 
  • Meiomi Pinot Noir.
  • Kohi Martini – Casamigos Reposado, espresso, brew, coffee liquor, simple syrup.
  • Dublin Smash cocktail – Irish whiskey, mint, lemon, simple syrup.
  • Bourbon Cherry Bomb cocktail.

A/V & Tech

  • Free subscription to Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu with Ads from Verizon.
  • Free year of AMC+.
  • Got a subscription to Friendly TV to supplement antenna.
  • Patty Replaced ear pads on cinema headphones.

That’s all I can remember for now. See you in 2023!

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