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Written by SW Hammond

Published: 23 January 2016

It’s been an eventful few days surrounding The Final Book- I finally finished the first book in the trilogy!

This thing was quite the ongoing battle to complete. I started it and wrote the first half in the matter of a couple weeks over 4 years ago. I was on roll and saw the characters and story so clearly… Of course, life got in the way and put the brakes on the project- until now!

I’m very proud of the The Final Book: Gods. I like how it turned out and it’s something that moves me, I feel it has value. Whether the reader will feel that way or not is an entirely different story... Transcendence is the curse of the creative, having no idea if what’s played out in the mind will ever be conveyed.

The book also has a bit deeper personal meaning to me. It proves that I can complete something. There’s so many things I’ve started in life that never seemed to reach a conclusion. To me, this book re-instilled that I do posses dedication. In all honesty, it’s one of the more difficult things I’ve accomplished simply due to the duration it took to write. There’s so many other ideas and stories that have popped up over the years that I would have liked to start working on. It would have been really easy to abandon it for the next project- but I'm so glad I didn't.

I’m currently editing and putting together my first draft for Alpha readers. It’s been kind of a slow process because the beginning of the book was written at such a different point in my life. I’ve changed, grown, and developed a lot as person and writer over the last few years and it almost seems like two different people wrote the book. Without allowing the story to lose integrity, I’m trying to bridge the gap and smooth things out. Once satisfied, a handful of people will begin the review and editing process.

I’m unsure of a release date at this time. I’m still weighting publishing and trying to build for the future. I have the means to release through Surf Star Media, which seems the most logical, but a larger publisher would get the book read by more people- which is most important. I hope to have a marketing plan in place by the time the book has been reviewed by the Alpha’s- I’m not about to have it shelved and lose anymore time (I’m ready to start the next book!).

I’ve already narrowed the Alpha list down, but if you’re passionate about receiving an advanced copy, let me know. The more eyes the better and I’d be happy to hear your thoughts before it is released. Email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Yay to completing stuff! Just finish something- it feels amazing.

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Written by SW Hammond

Published: 30 December 2015

As 2015 comes to an end we tend to look back over the year and ahead to the future. This year was filled with a lot of change in my personal life. I lived in 3 different states and touched every state west of the Mississippi except for Oklahoma and Texas. I finished up the majority of my contract work with MLB and would be surprised to see anything from them in 2016 as a lot has changed since Manfred took over. I wrote a lot this year, almost all of which you’ve yet to see. The Final Book is virtually complete, I’m currently in the midst of the last chapter! To be honest, I can’t believe I put it down to update the site... Finishing this novel will be a major accomplishment on many fronts and at the very least a symbol of dedication. Proof that I am able to finish something if my heart and mind are in it, haha.

2015 was a significant changing point in my life, and will continue on into 2016. A lot of things came to an end, but out of that came resolution. Feelings of resisting change and holding on to that which has been lost are fading. I see the future once again, and I’m excited about it.

2016 really is a blank slate. I have the ability to finally choose where I want to live and create a home, instead of having it dictated by circumstance or arranged for me. Of course I’ve had my own places in the past, but they always had an end date before they started. 3 months here, 6 months there, if I made it 8 months it was a miracle. I’ve never hung a photo or piece of art because I knew it could be coming down in a matter of weeks. Stability is an exciting proposition, but still ahead of me a bit. The thought of being able to make and keep some friends, getting to know the people who work at the grocery store, and buying a real bed is now starting to sound like an adventure.

Hell or high water, The Final Book will be released in 2016. I love the story and it will become a trilogy, but it will also be nice to work on something else! I have lots of ideas in the wings that need some attention. The website here will see growth in the coming year. There’s a web series I’d like to work on as well as putting myself on strict schedule of creating articles. Ambitious but reasonable with dedication.

The ideas and ability are all in place for 2016, now it’s a matter of funding, haha. C’est la vie, right??

I make an effort to reply to those of you who reach out individually, but I just wanted to say thank you once again. Thanks to everyone who stumbles across my work or takes an active interest in it. Your shares, support, and involvement is invaluable and I truly appreciate it.

Cheers to everyone! Have optimism for the future and gratitude toward the past.

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Written by SW Hammond

Published: 03 November 2015

It’s come to my attention and has been recommended that I create an “author” Facebook page. Reluctantly, I’ve accepted. Truth be told, I’ve had a “personal” Facebook page since it was exclusively available to college students in the early 2000’s, and I’m over it. It’s so exhausting… It may be the single worst thing to happen to American culture, not to mention I know way too many people on there in “real life” so good luck getting an ounce of honesty out of me.

So, with that glowing endorsement, aren’t you so excited to LIKE my page???

SW Hammond Facebook Page

It won’t be so bad. I’ve already gone through and scheduled 2 months worth of posts. They’re all memes, so at least that will be entertaining. The page is also linked to my Twitter account, so those of you who don’t tweet can get in on the action. I’ve also promised to play nicely and post bits of exclusive and “interesting” material several times a week.

Any tool I can use to get closer to readers, I’ll do it. I do appreciate the one-on-one interaction and hope the page will allow me to connect with those who otherwise may have had no interest. You are who this is all about and that truly matters, and I’ll kick back up my MySpace page if it helps talking with you!

Lastly, if you’d be so kind, I invite you to “get in” on the ground floor and help me share the page to your friends. Your efforts will be significant and greatly appreciated seeing as I have 0 Likes (seriously, this page is brand new and I haven’t even personally liked it yet!).

Damn you, Zuckerberg.

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Written by SW Hammond

Published: 31 July 2015

The traveling bug continued- I was gone part of June and almost the entirety of July. Good trips- half work, and half play. Had an epic road trip that started in Salt Lake City, took the long way to Colorado Springs where I spent a few days with family, then on to Nebraska where I visited friends for a week. Always love my time in Albion. From there it was on to Chicago where I met up with a baseball buddy. We both desperately wanted to get out of the city so we drove north to Wisconsin checking out Kenosha and Milwaukee. Heading back inland, we stayed in Madison and had tons of fun downtown. From there we went to Delavan Lake and stayed at nice resort on the water. Finally it was time to drop my friend back off in Chicago and started the drive west. It had been a while since I had been in that area so I added a few miles to the trip and avoided the I-80 corridor. I cut back northwest through Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, and finally back to Salt Lake.

I love my time on the road- I find it soothing. Reflecting, thinking, cranking music. Clears the head- so does topping out the car at 142 mph on a few back roads! I was only “home” for a few days until it was time to head further west- this time to Washington. Seattle, Olympia, Ocean Shores, and then down the coast to Oregon through Astoria and Rockaway Beach.

I got to spend the majority of the trip on the water and it was exactly what I needed. The last few months have been overwhelming trying to figure out life, money, and my next step. With MLB’s western ops office closing, the baseball journey had officially come to an end. While I’m fortunate enough to still be doing some contract work with them through my new media company, it’s safe to say that it is time to move on. I have little desire to work in the Commissioner’s Office in NYC and I haven’t pursued any jobs with clubs. I figure if I’m ever going to make an honest go at my own ventures- now is the time!

Not that I didn’t know that before my trip to the beach, but it sort of reaffirmed everything and made me feel okay about it. It reminded what’s important to me, what I’ve always wanted, and put me back on the path I was on before I got distracted with baseball. Adventuring, writing, geeking out- sand, trees, water.

So, what have I been working on? Well, I have a few websites I’ve been building (one particularly large one). That has kept me busy throughout all of this travel. I also did some formatting of The Final Book, figured out how much I’ve written and how much more I have to go. I’m currently over 90k words and suspect it will take another 20-30k to finish. Did squeeze in another chapter or two, but need to devote more time. I also have a new article / web series I’d like to tackle discussing internet morality.

By the looks of the calendar, most of my travels are over for the summer (small trip over Labor Day) and I should really be able to crank on this stuff over the next few weeks. Most importantly I feel good about things again- I’m back in the gym, fell back in love with life, and am reconnecting with the muses!