Mark DeWayne Combs – författare

What if I told you that the world you know today isn't the world that used to exist? 

The story of Noah’s great flood has always troubled me on a number of levels. Is it folklore? Could it have happened? Was there an all-powerful deity involved?

I thought I was familiar enough with the story, but when I started researching ancient historical records, I found out that I didn’t know the story at all. Annoyed by nagging questions and sparked by curiosity, I opened a door that led to a completely different understanding of our past and a startling correlation with our future. 

I invite readers to join me on a journey that cross references historical texts from a number of ancient civilizations with modern day scientific theory, Together, we'll piece together the backstory of life before Noah's Flood and seek answers to the question of why the entire world and all of its inhabitants were destroyed.

Puzzle piece after puzzle piece will be seamlessly connected in an effort to project what series of events may have triggered the devastation. Then, our attention will be drawn to how the events of Earth’s past paint a portrait of mankind’s future.

What is a goal? It's been defined in many ways, most of them so complex that things get fuzzy and complicated. Put simply, a goal is something you want to do. PUSH is designed to help readers think about things more simply. Identify your goals and put forth the simple, dedicated effort to achieve them. Having acheived one goal, it becomes easier to pursue others. We tend to make it complex. PUSH seeks to make it simple.

As a matter of habit, we naturally walk Life’s Proverbial Pathway using one of two methods: react and respond to things that life throws our way or identify what we want our life to be and methodically pursue what we envision. One is defensive; the other purposeful. When in defense mode, we are caught up in everything that life throws our way. We fight to keep our head above water and steer our ship into the wind. Inside we know that, given the choice, this isn’t the life we would choose. This, whatever form it may take from day to day, must be what life has chosen for us.

Given the choice, we’d prefer to be on that identify and pursue path. That road seems smooth. That road sounds like it’s paved and well lit. That road is both challenging and exciting. That road has upside. Given the choice… that’s the choice we’d make.

So... why not make that choice?

PUSH is designed to help each reader find their own personal pathway of identity and, having found it, pursue their dreams in a simple, attainable fashion that leads to achievement. Broken into a handful of easy-to-read essays, PUSH mixes humor, common sense, and thought-provoking insight in an effort to give each reader the opportunity to see for themselves why they have absolutely no shot at ever being ordinary.

You're being watched... You may not realize it, and the person watching you may never clue you in, but you’re being watched. It happens each day in the most undetectable way. Somewhere, someone is watching.

As we work our way through each day, there are moments when we may feel as if we disappear into the background and get lost in the shuffle as humanity passes by. There may be times when we even relish those moments, when we look for the opportunity to slide between the cracks and step into our easy-to-overlook, Plain Jane mode. I would contend that even in those times, somewhere, someone is watching.

You touch more lives and topple more dominoes than you could ever imagine. For someone, you are the light in their darkness or the example to which they aspire. Completely disconnecting from the society in which we live is impossible. Even in death, our lives continue to touch others, both in the moment and as time slowly passes.

Don’t Forget Your Cape doesn’t dance off into the fancy world of who each person can be. I’ve always left that “think your way to wonderful” philosophy to other writers. It just doesn’t suit me and I’d bet that it doesn’t really suit you either. I’d rather be a part of a face-to-face journey that cuts through the fog and connects me with who I am. That’s where my value can be found and that’s where this journey takes each reader.

Building on the story-telling style that made PUSH such a popular read, Don't Forget Your Cape mixes personal stories with pop-culture headlines and historical events to open a window into thought that brings each reader face-to-face with their own self-worth and potential.

“Sing like no one’s listening,

love like you’ve never been hurt,

dance like nobody’s watching,

and live like it's heaven on earth.”

There’s a brilliant irony in the above quote; no one claims authorship and no one seems to be able to identify its true origin. Although the world is very familiar with this song and dance, no one knows the singer or the dancer.

Why do you do what you do?

It's a useful question to ponder. If you knew that no one would hear your song, would you still sing? Knowing that the chairs in the auditorium will be empty, will you still take the stage and dance just as enthusiastically? Why do you do what you do?

In the tradition that began with PUSH and continued with Don’t Forget Your Cape, author Mark DeWayne Combs brings another collection of stories into the spotlight for thoughtful consideration. The journey began when PUSH brought readers face to face with the challenge of actually reaching goals, as opposed to just dreaming of them. It continued when Don’t Forget Your Cape provided a well-lit mirror inside the private dressing room of each reader for the benefit of introducing them to the impact that they have on the world in which they live.

HELLO… Is This On? explores why we do what we do and speaks to our ability to develop self-trust and quiet confidence, even in the face of daunting circumstances or, in some cases, no measurable response at all.