Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have always been passionate about helping others both personally and professionally. This has translated into assisting others in many ways through my business ventures as well as from charitable work with Rotary International and other organizations over the years.
My current passion involves helping others through martial arts and self-defense training. Not only do people benefit from the obvious physical skills they acquire, but other skills that can help in their daily lives. Skills that are honed and developed include improved concentration and focus, fortitude, confidence, persistence, awareness, and respect – both for themselves and others. Martial arts training can reduce your stress and provide you with a more secure, happier and greater level of personal safety that allows you to enjoy a better quality of life.
Teaching children is of special importance to me, since I firmly believe that kids need to be happy and stress-free, and that comes from their having a greater sense of personal safety that comes directly from their training. The measurable progression inherent in martial arts training is important for everyone, but especially children in terms of building their self-esteem and confidence so that they are unafraid to try new things and tackle projects.
I currently have been studying the martial arts for over 20 years, and in that time have trained hundreds of men, women and children of all ages in self-defense. I teach regular classes in the Korean martial arts of Hapkido and Taekwondo 3 days a week to both children and adults. In addition, I conduct self-defense seminars for small groups, perform consulting and speaking engagements on various topics including school safety bullying. I am currently working on my next book geared towards college student safety.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Self-Defense Survival Guide was influenced by a seminar that I gave to a group of local realtors a couple of years ago. They approached me during Realtor Safety Month and asked me if I would do a self-defense seminar for them. It seems that more realtors have been getting attacked and robbed/raped/killed when showing homes to prospective home buyers that were not near other homes. I created a simple syllabus to teach them the basics of self-defense including the necessary mindset, their body’s natural weapons, target to strike on their attacker as well as discussed the physical situations they could find themselves in. Of course, there were very specific techniques taught as well such as how to escape from grabs and chokes, defend against punches and kicks and other relevant material.
After the seminar I realized that the course that I created was perfect for an introductory course on self-defense, so I decided to use that as a starting point, and proceeded to expand on the information contained within the course to create a book with over 200 detailed color photographs and a companion web site with videos of the techniques in the book being performed. That way, anyone who buys the book also essentially buys me in the form of video training that can be accessed anytime, anywhere there is an Internet connection so that the material can be reviewed as many times as needed to become comfortable with it or whenever you need a “refresher!”
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I usually do my best writing late at night, but as long as it’s quiet and I’ve got a keyboard the words just flow out…must be because my mom was a librarian! I read so much as a child and that got me started on a love of the written word. I probably read 1000 books before I hit high school!
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have a few favorite authors including Robert Heinlein, Clive Cussler and Robin Cook. However, any author that makes me stay up late to keep reading is what I like – just keep me turning the pages. My favorites are Science Fiction and Action/Adventure books.
What are you working on now?
My latest book that I am currently in the midst of writing is called “Staying Safe At College And On Campus” and is geared primarily towards college students. With the increasing number of attacks and violence on college campuses across the country, I felt the time was right to write a book geared specifically to the college student and others who find themselves on large campuses.
The book is applicable to anyone that works or spends time on large complexes such as medical campuses, large airports and office campuses, or any other complex spread out over a large area with multiple buildings.
The book touches on a wide variety of topics that are essential to helping you stay safe while on these types of complexes, again – primarily college campuses. Topics include bullying and cyber-bullying, basic self-defense, women’s safety concerns, personal safety, alcohol responsibility, dorm room security, sexual and physical harassment, ATM safety and much more.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Since I’m a fairly new author, I’m still working on figuring out what works the best. I would say that you must rely on some consistent, paid promotion in order to keep your book in the public eye in order to keep the sales coming in. Author Marketing Club is an excellent source of information for authors, as well as AwesomeGang.com!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep writing…you can always go back and edit what you write, but if you never put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, you won’t have anything to work with. It doesn’t matter if you write stuff that you don’t like – edit it until you do, or hire someone else to edit it and make it sound better. Admit you aren’t perfect – and that’s OK! Just keep writing…or typing!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice is that you must never give up when pursuing your dreams. My personal motto is “Persistence is the key” because if you persist in your endeavors, you will eventually achieve them. Learn from your mistakes, adjust and keep moving forward. Eventually you will reach your goal provided you have a clear vision for what your end result looks like. If you don’t, figure it out now before another day goes by so that you know when you achieve it!
What are you reading now?
ebooks – “The Inner Circle”, “Interception”, and “The New Space Race” trilogy by Kevin George – excellent! I’m almost done…
printed book – “Psycho-Cybernetics” by Maxwell Maltz, MD, FICS
printed book – ‘Beach Money” by Jordan Adler
What’s next for you as a writer?
I will continue writing books in my “Survival Guide Series.” I have ideas for several more and will keep churning them out and marketing them in the coming months and years ahead. I may take a stab at fiction and write a science fiction or action-adventure book. I have ready so many that I think I could put out something good…I just need the inspiration/idea for it!
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
“Opening The Energy Gates Of Your Body” by B.K. Frantzis
“Kuk Sool Won Vol 1” & “Kuk Sool Won Vol 2” by Suh, In Hyuk
“The Dead Sea Scrolls” by Millar Burrows
“Fingerprints of the Gods” by Graham Hancock
Author Websites and Profiles
Pete Canavan Website
Pete Canavan Amazon Profile
Pete Canavan Author Profile on Smashwords
Pete Canavan’s Social Media Links
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