G Michael Hopf - The Discipline to Write More, Sell More Books, and EMPs

​G Michael Hopf - The Discipline to Write More, Sell More Books, and EMPs - Our guest G Michael Hopf is an author with more than one successful franchise of books. He's written extensively on post-apocalyptic themes and has a written a highly successful series of western novels. To date, GMH has sold over a million books. 
Get more of GMH's work at his website. 
Before becoming a successful author G Michael Hopf enlisted in the Marine Corps. This Marine connection is evident as fellow Best-Selling Author, Scott Huesing, joins Pete A Turner to host this fun episode. Also hosting in terms of location, sliced fruit and on the show, is fellow Marine and former guest, Brian Dix. 
Support Pete's swim around Coronado Island in SD with the SEAL Veterans Foundation by clicking and kicking in a few bucks. Go Get em Pete.
#podcast #episode #author #million #marines #fiction #apocalypse
Haiku
The Apocalypse
My God! There’s no Tortillas
What a ghastly life
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Jim DeFelice
​Dr Tim Furnish

Transcription

Jon Leon Guerrero  0:00  
Hey, this is john Leon Guerrero. Our guest today is author adventurer, entrepreneur G Michel Hopf. He's the author of 21 books set post apocalypse. Remarkably, each one is free of any zombies. But they are all big on adventure, struggle and exploration of the human condition. His successes are all his own. The novels are published outside of the traditional system, and with sales far exceeding a million books. That gamble was bold and it is paid off handsomely. That boldness showed up when as a sharp kid from Southern Maryland with good grades who could have gone to a number of schools. He enlisted in the Marine Corps and went right to marine combat training and Infantry School.

Jon Leon Guerrero  0:00  
Hey, this is john Leon Guerrero. Our guest today is author adventurer, entrepreneur Jean Michel hopf He's the author of 21 books set post apocalypse. Remarkably, each one is free of any zombies. But they are all big on adventure, struggle and exploration of the human condition. His successes are all his own. The novels are published outside of the traditional system, and with sales far exceeding a million books. That gamble was bold and it is paid off handsomely. That boldness showed up when as a sharp kid from Southern Maryland with good grades who could have gone to a number of schools. He enlisted in the Marine Corps and went right to marine combat training and Infantry School. He enlisted in part to see the world and see the world he did, traveling to the west coast for the first time when he was sent to Camp Pendleton. Then to open now, before he was deployed to Saudi Arabia in 1992. Fight Saddam Hussein's forces that had taken Kuwait. So by the end end of his six year enlistment, he had conducted missions in Okinawa, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Malaysia and Hong Kong, and it spent over a third of his time forwardly deployed. Following the Marines he spent time as a commercial diver in the oil fields of the Gulf of Mexico, and then came out of the water to work for years and executive protection, before deciding to put all that great experience to us in his life's true calling as a writer. Now, stories like this are pretty remarkable, and we love to bring them to you. And if you like us doing it, I'm going to ask that you support the break it down show by hitting that subscribe button on whatever podcast platform you use iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, whatever, and give us a five star rating and write us a little review. I'm not asking you to write 21 books, maybe just 21 words, to help shine a digital light to help others find us and our guests. That'd be spectacular, and we'd really appreciate it. also want to remind you that Pete is doing the core nado seal Memorial swim on Saturday, September 21. The event benefits the families of Naval Special Warfare operators who've made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country and our freedom. This organization and the families in it deserve our support. So we give it and we hope you do too. You'll find them at seal veterans foundation.org once again, that is seal veterans foundation.org. Visit the website just see what they're about and donate a few bucks if you can. Jean Michel have sat down with fellow Marines Brian dicks, who we featured last week and our co producer co host Scott Husing along with old Pedro to talk about the process how his service informs his subject matter how he blazed the trail by going rogue outside the publishing system before that move became cool, and how that freedom is paid off for him. You're going to love what he has to say. And we hope you'll love his books too. Here's our special guest today. g Michael have millions rock productions.

Unknown Speaker  3:07  
This is Jay Mohr and

Unknown Speaker  3:08  
this is Jordan. Dexter from the

Unknown Speaker  3:10  
naked Sebastian youngsters, Rick Morocco,

Unknown Speaker  3:12  
Stewart Copeland Baxter,

Jon Leon Guerrero  3:16  
Gabby Reese, Rob belly, this is john Leon gray. And

Pete Turner  3:18  
this is Pete a Turner.

G Michael Hopf  3:22  
Hey, this is Jean Michel Hoff. And you're on the breakdown show.

Niko Leon Guerrero  3:27  
And now the breakdown show with Jon Leon Guerrero and Pete a Turner.

Pete Turner  3:34  
It's actually a full house. I'm actually on the ambient mic. I got Scott here with me, Brian, our last guest he's hosting and also co hosting now. So thank you so much for that. And I want to make sure I give Scott a chance to talk about our new partnership between the breakdown show and save the brave. So I'm going to shut up and let him do that. Yeah,

scott huesing  3:49  
really proud to partner with break it down show was saved the brave, certified 501 c three veteran nonprofit helping veterans with post traumatic stress through outreach programs, and really just bringing them together to connect in a safe environment through our donors and sponsors. If you want to find out more, go to save the brave.org. online you can find ways to donate volunteer your time and services, save the brave.org great to be a part of the breakdown show and partner we should have been doing this years ago. But sometimes in everything we do things right in front of us we walk right past them. So

Pete Turner  4:24  
one of the reasons why I did this is because we're always so cautious about charities. And so now you know a guy that directly works with a charity. And I'm hoping that you all trust me trust Scott and know that we're doing our damnedest with our own time, our own money, our own things, to try to help these people out and give them a chance at something better. So yeah, support us. monthly subscriptions are fine. Sharing the show was great, too. Anyhow, So enough about that. Let's get on with what we're doing here with Jeff.

scott huesing  4:53  
Yeah, so a great to have you on this show. Again, I'm always talking about the power of human connection and the value of the social media. And again, we were introduced online, I think we became friends on Facebook, because Jeff is a fellow marine. He's a fellow author, best selling author, artists. And you know, we're sitting here with Brian who's an artist and a fellow marine as well. But this this connection that we have, and if you take it, you can take it lightly, because there's a lot of fluff out there and stuff you don't want to sink your teeth into on the internet. But when you make a connection like this, and we've been pen pals, and you've supported my book, and I support everything you do, and it just to share that is is essential to be successful in the veteran space. And she you are by far more successful than me cuz tell everybody a little bit how one how you got started writing? What is it? 30 books now? 30 bucks an hour, right? Yeah.

G Michael Hopf  5:53  
Well, first of all, thanks for having me on the show. And Brian, thanks for hosting us here at the house is absolutely house is beautiful. Thank you.

But going back, you know, you first thing you were talking about, like the connection, you know, the Marine Corps and even just veterans in general, there's like a fraternity there. But I know kind of in the Marine Corps, it's even more special. My dad was a Marine, he told me that was one of the things he told me for a win. And he goes, you'll never be with a group of guys that you'll have a connection with and rapport, no matter where you can be you can run into somebody that you find their Marine, you like, kind of know each other. And you'll be talking about stuff. It's fascinating, and I see it all the time. But in going back, like when you and I connected, like I'm always always wanting to help a fellow veteran, also just even just fellow artists or someone who wants to ride or learn how to ride and get into that space. And I'm in I'm always open to that because I don't look at there's no competition in that. You know, books are kind of books are consumable, right? It's not like a toaster, it's not going to write one book and that's the sacred book that everyone has to buy. You know, it's it's content that people consume. Same thing with music, right? So I don't think I find I like collaborations I like working with people I want to see you be as successful as me or even greater I I totally for that. And so I always help people. And specifically, I have a warm heart to veterans and Marines if they're wanting to get into the space. absolutely want to help. There was a guy that was in my unit one one, he reached, he didn't know I was writing he found out I was writing found it was Oh, surgeon half and so he contacted me via social media. Next thing we're on the phone. He was wanting to write a book. And so I walked him through the entire process of how to self publish. I didn't help him write his book, but I helped him through the process. And now he's got five books. He's doing. Doug Hogan,

scott huesing  7:37  
Doug Cogan, if you're listening, buddy, congrats,

Pete Turner  7:41  
come on the show.

G Michael Hopf  7:43  
But he's just a great guy. And but I just love to help those Ella and I did the same thing with my best friend Travis. He and I were in first tanks. And in one one together, same thing, walked into the process. And now he's getting ready to release a second book called The Last marine

Pete Turner  7:57  
what you're saying walk through the process. It's not an easy process. It's very thorough,

G Michael Hopf  8:02  
yes, it's very thorough. It's not It's not. It's not easy. But once you know it, then it becomes easy. It's like anything in life, right? So it's so daunting when you look at just the process of self publishing. And the process of understanding once you've got your manuscript, what do you do that? Because trying to get a traditionally published book is very difficult, right? And so right now we're kind of living in our, you know, in a revolution of publishing right now. And so if you can't go the traditional route, you can go the self publishing route, but even then, it's just very daunting. What do you do? What's your next step? How do you grow? And so I just kind of sit down with these these guys. And just like, this is what they did. And they just kind of follow through. And I myself up, I don't charge anybody they call me, email me, whatever, and

Pete Turner  8:43  
let them do it. This is this is an important thing. One, you know, very NCO light to go here is a process to do this impossible thing because there are steps and these ones here and mother fuckers but you just slow down here and break this into smaller steps. Super, like that's great leadership. But also one of the things I counsel people on ISS, whatever it is you want to do, whether you're transitioning or you're young student trying to get somewhere else's, find a mentor. So talk a little bit about when people reach out to you, what is your mindset because we all it's like asking a pretty girl out are asking are pretty guy out or whatever it's going to be you're afraid of rejection, it's like let that probably sell let that person say no, give them the chance. So talk about your mindset as someone who gets to mentor a lot of people.

G Michael Hopf  9:26  
Well, I remember my dad was always a good teacher. For me. He one thing I think one important lesson he kind of put in my head is never be afraid to fail. Because I think it's an important lesson. I think fear will stop people from ever a fear of failure will stop people from ever doing anything, right? And so he told me it's okay to fail. But you understand then kind of diagnose Why did you fail? What happened all that so forth. And so that never stopped me then one I was getting into when I first wrote the end, I was fortunate I got a I had had an agent who I had ultimately fired. I then decided to like not go the mainstream route and just self published it. And then the book took off. And then I didn't know what I was doing. I was kind of going with the book succeeding right now. Now I'm like, really out of my element. This is I've never done this before. So I did I just went to like this concept of modeling. So I what I did is I started looking at other authors who were successful. And then I found that where the word I just started emailing people. Yeah, this knocking on doors kind of thing, right? electronically? And I just get not not afraid. Not afraid of them to tell me no, until I've actually one guy Doug Richards. New York Times bestseller lives in Carmel Valley, great guy, not a vet, too great guy. He's like, oh, he and I were competing in these in the in the Amazon ranks? Because I have seen you on there. And so he like he replied, hey, let's go sit down have lunch, I'll tell you all about it.

Pete Turner  10:41  
The amazing things that you had an agent and you fired the agent, when people are flying adores wishing that they had

G Michael Hopf  10:46  
was because I'm a control freak. But it's just it's, she was great. I learned a lot. But she was wanting to change kind of the integrity of the book, which he an editor also. Yeah. And I just I had some to reduce at the time. And everyone's seen the love the story clearly needed to be cleaned up understand that from editorial process. But from the story process, she wanted to make some alterations that I wasn't comfortable with. And so I that's why I just terminated her. And then whichever one thought it was crazy, hit self publish, and then it took off on Well, I think it's

scott huesing  11:19  
important to for listeners, especially writers that want to get into this traditional, and I don't say this because I love my publisher, I'm in that traditional stream, but doesn't necessarily necessarily mean better. It's just a route to go where you get certain things. But you also lose some control. And when you self publish, you can attest to this in so many ways is you gain some control. But you also lose some of the other things that the traditional world has in their network of their marketing, their publicity, their contacts, which have been established for and you know, in my case, like 70 plus years, with my publisher, Regnery and then you decide to self publish. So it's a balance, right? And you just just have to decide what's a better use of your time? Do you want to waste or spend I shouldn't say not waste six months looking for an agent that can sell your book to the nutrition route? Or do you want to use those six months and ask guys like you and others who were successful, how to drop this and self publish it where you get more of the proceeds as well.

G Michael Hopf  12:19  
Oh, yeah, you get more proceeds and get more control over self publishing. But go back to that story where I eventually that book got picked up by Penguin Random House. But now I was in control. And the contract was far different than if I was to shopping it as your own agent. Well, yeah, well, that's just it was fascinating. Especially they came knocking on my door, and they wanted to buy the book plus three more. And the deal was completely different. I was coming. If I was coming in as a newbie, there'd be like, what kind of leverage that I have. I didn't have any proof that I could sell, right that the book would have any kind of reach. But then once they saw the reach, it was funny when I got the call from from imprint of penguin called plume, got a call from editorial director, her first email, and then we exchanged numbers, and he called me. And I was like, first my first question was like, how did you? How did you even find out find me? Right? Because we actually scours is is the answer, we scour the Amazon product pages, and the Amazon bestseller list, looking for people that aren't represented. And see if they see if this isn't like, this isn't a fluke, they've watched it over a period of time. My book was like consistently selling really good for like weeks and weeks and weeks and weeks, which meant it had a natural, organic following people. It wasn't because of promotions. It wasn't because like people were literally buying it. And just kind of the grassroots effort, the way the algorithms were working inside of Amazon search engine, and then blogs, and Goodreads. Everyone was talking about it. So it kind of taken on as viral thing. And I was shocked by that. So there's two routes to mainstream publishing, get an agent, go that route, or you do really well in self publishing that they'll pick you up. Yeah. But then you have the control over the contract is now you have you've proven that you can sell that your books can sell.

scott huesing  14:00  
Is it it's about the what?

G Michael Hopf  14:01  
Oh , it's  about it's about it's all about the dollars before the selling

scott huesing  14:03  
of books. Yeah, they just want to sell,

G Michael Hopf  14:06  
they knew that already had a fan base ever had a reader base? So any subsequent books, Matt sales for them? It was a no brainer. Yeah.

scott huesing  14:13  
And we talked, we talked about selling books and being a best selling author a lot. And we've had a lot of great authors on the show. But just so everyone knows, and I don't know if I've said this or not, but you don't get rich selling books. I mean, unless your name is Tom Clancy or James Patterson, maybe

Brian Dix  14:30  
you have to write what

G Michael Hopf  14:32  
you get. Yeah. So but you know, we make a nice living from it. Absolutely. If you do the work, yeah, you gotta do the work. But I mean, so you can make a really nice living. Yeah, writing today, you can't. But you have to be consistent and get that quality. But then you also have have to, you have to put out a lot of content. That's why I'm up to 30 books now. So I am I'm pretty prolific.

Pete Turner  14:53  
One of the things when I talked to all writers, because you learn from having all you guys honest, you have to be salesman of the Year for your own brand. Every year.

G Michael Hopf  15:00  
Yeah. Well, that's the thing I know. Like, I'm sure you're out there hustling yourself. Right? So you have a mainstream publisher. But still, I've sat down this one I was under the plume penguin umbrella. I got I gotta sign a publicist, but still at the same time, they give it very small budget, because I'm not in the top 1% of the 1%. Right, right. So you're not Stephen King, Joanne, wrong, you're not like so that you get a very small budget. And then once that spent the rest of the marketing promotions is up to the author himself. Absolutely.

scott huesing  15:29  
You have to hustle again, it's, you can't have someone else to do the work for you, you can expect what the products gonna be. So that's and again, that comes back to you in either self publishing and having a strict work ethic and putting putting yourself out there and understanding that you can write the best sci fi or nonfiction memoir, whatever it is. But if you're not willing to promote it, and share the story, and I don't necessarily ever use were hustle. But yeah, you have to hustle a little bit. You have to, to know the game and be good at the rules. But if you write the best book, and you don't tell people about it, if you don't, if you write the best song, the best million you don't tell people about it, or don't play it or aren't willing for people to listen or read it.

Brian Dix  16:10  
It'll never be heard. And the most, most difficult thing that I see from veterans is self promotion, because there's such a degree of humility, that they will fall to a fault that it's detrimental to their careers.

G Michael Hopf  16:22  
Yeah, I totally agree with that. And what's your key? What's your heat? How do you get yourself I changed the focus of you know, I believe in just kind of the not trying to sound hokey, but I believe in kind of the language that I use, and the talk I have inside my head, like, I really believe in self myself talk and well, you know, and so, I, I changed the way I approached writing, and I decided instead of making it a hobby, I changed it. Like, I made it like this. It's a career. This is a job, it's a business.

scott huesing  16:52  
We had a great conversation when I was scheduling them for the show. And I asked the same question. You know, is a time of day Good for you? Mike, do you have like a regular job or something? He goes, No, I'm a writer. I said I was just asking because I get asked that question to like, Oh, you know, how's that little writing thing going for a man You mean my job? I mean, the thing I get paid for where people ask me and send me checks to write stuff for them or you know, op eds or opinion or expert commentary. Yeah, it's work It absolutely is work in there's there's not a nine to five you're constantly working all day long. You're there's travel involved, there's research involved, that's all part of the work and you could call it work but it's fun. I like it since I retired and have put in putting in more hours than I probably ever did on active duty. I just enjoy it that much more because it's absolutely what I love to do. I love sharing stories and to promote a book or a piece of work I think is important. And Marines or veterans especially, there's gonna there's always gonna be that one fucking guy that will you know drop some poison in the water on social media or something and it make you feel like you're doing it off yourself as if you're you are getting rich off sharing the story. Those are rare and I never drink the poison water you just can't but I think it's always important for people that are getting into the entertainment industry to realize like you're not going to please everybody and you shouldn't but if you're not willing to put that out there if you're not willing to share your your art then it will never be discovered and you and there's a there's a marketing and promotion piece of that in everything we do and your fool if you don't think so.

G Michael Hopf  18:32  
Yeah I've never bought into the whole starving artists concept that I don't get that it's like why even do it? What do you doing it for the star? Yeah we heard that you know you heard about the starving already heard about that the star I'm gonna start with

scott huesing  18:42  
our routing yeah all like in his basement novel like this who's selling that book?

G Michael Hopf  18:48  
It's just so some phony kind of romanticized version of what an artist be it's just stupid to me like so I structured like a business and because I wanted to be successful I want to do well I want this is my not just what I do for a living but I do like the lifestyle of like without a doubt like I'm always working but then I can always choose like, like have time and just I can move my schedules more flex

scott huesing  19:11  
your fucking off you ever feel like I should be writing or working like

G Michael Hopf  19:14  
I'm always working now but I'm actually when you met you said that I'm actually always work I'm always thinking I'm always processing whether it's the marketing promotion just the stories I'm working on and just the characters and just like like the conversations we're having now I will pull things from these things how people talk inflections, how they might manage their, their their body language and that I incorporate into books and the characters. And after having 30 books like I need I need characters. I need to know how people talk and 24 seven not

Unknown Speaker  19:43  
everyone is like Hemingway he would go get up in the morning and write until noon every day. Then just take the aftern oon off back guarantee

G Michael Hopf  19:48  
is still working now. Absolutely. He was always working. He was drinking more.

scott huesing  19:55  
Would you ever go to the office or you know all boozed up and start work now? Have you ever written drunk? Yeah, yeah, it's the worst fucking writing in it.

G Michael Hopf  20:04  
No, I don't know.

scott huesing  20:10  
Really? Yeah, you're not drinking hard enough that fucker

Pete Turner  20:17  
shot Oh, yeah.

Brian Dix  20:20  
Let's listen. Totally up for the whiskey man. Back in DC There's a wonderful Italian restaurant it the pasta was good couple glasses chaotic. I went back to my office I'd write till two in the morning. The best stuff I ever had.

scott huesing  20:32  
Yeah, my I wake up the next day and I'm like, What the fuck did I write man? What I cuz I you know, I don't I never went to school for right area that just came naturally. But you get

Pete Turner  20:43  
something from that work though. Like, went in jaws right when Robert does that whole monologue talking about the sharks and the Indian all that right? He was hammered the first time we tried it. And it was garbage. Yeah. Then he knew what to do and then he delivers what appears to be a drunken you monologue but it's money.

scott huesing  21:03  
Yeah, there's probably some you till I think if nothing else, an idea or concept in a drunken stupor could be value. But

G Michael Hopf  21:11  
yeah, I use that too. I use my phone. There's like I use like the notes thing. I'm constantly leaving voicemails to myself because again, I'll be out drinking whatever, like Well, that's a really good idea. Or I'll see something I'll never call a

scott huesing  21:21  
bottle of scotch a muse.

Pete Turner  21:25  
Let me ask you. So you're talking about filling up UL with characters and button. And it's not just characters, it's how the person holds. There you see something? Give us some specific examples of what that looks like in your day to day life when you like, I mean, you go to Ralphs and you're like, look how that guy did this or whatever. What are some of those specific things

G Michael Hopf  21:44  
was specific? I mean, anything like I remember I was had some friends over and there was a friend across from the island we have in our kitchen and she just asking me questions, the way she was playing with her hair, you know, asking she kept flipping it kind of back and forth and tucking it. I was just watching are you finding is what are you doing? I'm like, I'm watching your mannerisms. Because I think there was a female character was having I'm stalking you.

scott huesing  22:02  
Yeah. I'm when

G Michael Hopf  22:06  
I was watching you. It's like, I'm just like the wild like what you're doing like, it's interesting, cuz you're still she's still like having the conversation with me looking at me. But she keeps like flicking your hair and doing all this stuff with it. And so I was like, so I use that incorporated it to win a theme. This one female character was talking to this man. And it was like she was playing with a hair and doing this wasn't in a nervous fashion. I think it's like, I almost say it's like a, like, a tick with like a tick of some kind of. It's not like something along that lines like a dress. Yeah, I but then I mentioned Oh, she does that a lot. So again, I don't think it's a nervous kind of thing. I think it's more than you think. She says, Yeah, this is what she does. Yeah.

scott huesing  22:44  
So I mean, these are important to character development and whether the real or fictional, yes, that What's that one thing? You know, if there's writers out there listening, like what's the one thing Oh, like, you're a pilot and you're afraid of heights like that? Like what? Is that one thing that the hair flicking? Or? That that is I think what draws me into books? And you know, on book 37 days, is that number 37. day that's number

G Michael Hopf  23:08  
30. Yeah, number 28 of novels. And then I also have to children's books. That's why I go by the G Michael that to children's books that are under Jeffrey hop. And so I didn't want to blur the line. Other aliases we

scott huesing  23:20  
should know about FBI. Well, that is good.

G Michael Hopf  23:37  
Well, neither confirm nor deny.

scott huesing  23:40  
Because after, after this episode of breakdown show he's going over to Comic Con to hang out. What do you what do you What's your intent?

G Michael Hopf  23:47  
I'm just gonna walk around and check people out is people watching. Yeah,

scott huesing  23:49  
totally give a shit about what's it but the people that

G Michael Hopf  23:52  
check it out. I mean, I think I saw it on a comic con actually spoke there once a few years ago. But it's just I think it's a fun environment. Like there's a lot lot of people I always say my wife and I joke that it's kind of like they called Disneyland the happiest place on earth. That's where like Comic Con, like everyone goes down there. There's having a nice time. No one's judging. Everyone's just having just, they're all dressed out. Whatever. It's super fun. Like it's a real I think it's a really cool thing for San Diego. I know it causes traffic, and it's a pain in the butt for a lot. But for the most part, think it's really good for the city.

scott huesing  24:21  
That'd be Yeah. I love the people watching wherever I go. And I would this is the time for people watching and San Diego.

G Michael Hopf  24:30  
Yes, I sick.

scott huesing  24:32  
Yet the race is going on up at Del Mar. Yeah, you've got the big hat. Ladies, you know, doing their thing jockeys

Brian Dix  24:40  
 yesterday was opening. Yeah, I would love that. But the the crowd here for Comic Con, it's like no other. They're just polite. It's like they all just came out of the library.

scott huesing  24:48  
You know, they you know, it's grew out of a group of misfits that wanted to get together and have this thing and it just boomed. Because the majority are the Misfits that don't fit in like bunch of Marines are.So

G Michael Hopf  25:03  
I bet there are a lot of hands down there.

scott huesing  25:06  
can imagine. Imagine so from book one. And transitioning from the Marine Corps, because there are a lot of marine writers, there's a lot of great ones we know. And we'll just you know, there's plenty of veteran writers, I should say, but we know a lot, you know, guys like being West and karma Atlantis and you. And, you know, it's a pretty small niche, I think, and to be introduced all those guys, and they share willingly within the network. And we've been have benefited from that immensely. And there's others that don't share so much. We've talked about that I want to throw anyone under the bus. But that happens too. And it's that fear of someone stealing, you know, your fame, or whatever it is that makes you happy. Like, I don't give a shit about any of that. I just love connecting people. And we're this small segment that transition from the military and you do this thing. And the message here is that if you want to do this, if you want to become an artist, or a musician or an actor, you can do it. And there's three, four people sitting right here in this room. You can find us online at the breaking down show, or echoing Ramadi or OG, Michael hop, com g Michael hop.com, or Brian dicks.com DIX. And give us a call and we'll help you and you but you have to do the work. And the fact is, you can do it. And I think a lot of guy I never thought I'd be sitting here today, I never thought I'd be hanging out with guys like you. And when you grow up in an environment where you're kind of isolated and in the Marine Corps, insulated to your own tribe. I think that's the important messages if people are listening if guys are talking about this, and this isn't a self help podcast, but this is a cool byproduct of everything we've done, and the ability to share how how important is that for you? What stage did you realize, fuck man, I gotta give back.

G Michael Hopf  27:05  
We know right when after the first book went took off, it was right there because I was like, it's it's happening. I was I was working as a diver at the time. And I showed I was like I told my wife is like, you know, I have to quit my job. In order to get the second book I saw opportunity door was open. First Book was crushing us before penguin called. And I was like, I gotta get a second book out. I can't wait 18 months, right? Like, I need to get on this now. She's like, I don't know. I was like, so then I got smart. So I showed her a spreadsheet of what I was going to make in the fridge. Oh,

Pete Turner  27:35  
no. Okay,

G Michael Hopf  27:37  
what did you do it? Exactly. That's pretty much what it was. So I quit diving. And as went that is hammered out the sequel in four months. And right before I was done is when the call came from penguin. But then when when when that happened, that kind of LI there were definitely validation that you get a publisher, a big publisher, that's validation that you've done something right. I know. It's it's not that it's not critical to be successful as a writer today. But it does add some validity. I think you know, because now people call you a real writer, I think

scott huesing  28:06  
it depends on what you go into wanting to do or get out of it.

G Michael Hopf  28:10  
Yeah, I tell you from an ego perspective, that felt good to get picked up by the publisher. But in the long and the long road of the long concept I it wasn't necessary for my success, by the way. Anyway, once that was happening, I once that happened, I and I remember what Doug did for me and some other people help that it was I told my wife is like, I think it's important that I need to do that, like I managed to get here in a really quick amount of time. And I can help some people through those steps. And that's when I decided I was going to just start doing it. So anytime I've been interviewed or anytime anyone contacts me, I always make it a point to respond back to people. And I get emails every week about someone asked me some little question about to do this or that or whatever. And I always make a point of replying back majority read veterans know, it's actually kind of a mixed bag. Some people just, you know, they'll hear me on because I've done other just podcasts and radio shows. And I'm in there'll be self help shows or whatever they are people talking about whatever. And so I open it up to anybody, by the way,

scott huesing  29:11  
will you appeal because you don't necessarily write about just military stuff like me that like my first book. And that's it, you know, not even 18 months out, it's still fresh. But it's about military. I'm from the military, you've crossed so many different demographics with the span of work, you must get it from

G Michael Hopf  29:29  
I get it across the board, and I'm

scott huesing  29:30  
open to every corner on the world. Yeah, and

G Michael Hopf  29:32  
I'm open anybody because I think it's important that I think it's I think it's critical to give back. Actually, I think it's very important

scott huesing  29:38  
that the amazing thing is, is that every veterans got a good story. And not all veterans have a good voice. Not only do you have a good voice, but you have now have 30 stories that you've told, which is amazing. It's an amazing amount of work. And not every veteran is a good writer. But if you apply yourself with the fundamentals, it's all math, you talked about using a formula. And in a method, you don't have to be the greatest writer or be formally trained and go to Columbia. Columbia is great, don't get me wrong, a lot of great writers come out of that school. But if you apply the formula and do the work, just like five paragraph order, the mission will be that much more successful to these young guys. And then aligning yourself with you know, every benefit, every success I've had in life is because I surround myself with great people sitting right here today. And if guys can reach out I think that's important is like don't be afraid LA there may be a guy that reaches out and he wants some help. And and I'll say yes, sometimes you know where I say no, I can't help you with this. The worst I could do is say no, but I like you always try and respond.

G Michael Hopf  30:45  
Yeah, like I just got a contact from a guy named Mark Rex. He was with three one stapled to, like he emailed me a couple questions. And I was like it, I'd rather just get on the phone because I can I can cover so much more information and a quick phone call for versus like typing out. It was like, I'm going to get carpal tunnel syndrome. But writing this all down to you. So I like like, here's my phone number because you really give me your phone number. I'm like, Yes, call me. Where you gonna start me is like, I'm not worried about so he called me and we spent like an hour on the phone. He needed. He got all his information, pretty much cover what he needed to do. And then he was able to like finish his books coming out, I think the next three weeks or something like that.

Brian Dix  31:18  
All right, what do you do when the person sends you an email, right? And you can't make heads or tails of what they're saying in the email and they want to be a writer.

G Michael Hopf  31:29  
I will then I would probably respond back because Can you be more clear about what you're asking? Like, what do you want? But yeah,

Brian Dix  31:35  
I'm sure you've had a few of those.

G Michael Hopf  31:36  
Well, people I've had this I had one guy was actually front with my cousin went to Egypt that was in one of the tour guides and Egyptian guy was wanting to write a book to know and so I didn't know that it was my information was given to this tour guide and I get this email. And that was just because it was just broken English. I'm like trying to understand what he's trying to say. And so I was trying to reply back had a general idea what he was wanting to do. I tried to reply back, he replied back one other time with a couple other questions again, just kind of broken English kind of. I think I never heard from him again. I mean, I never I replied back again, trying to answer as best I could. And I never heard back from again, I have no idea whether he did any what's

scott huesing  32:16  
the Yeah, you get a little. What's the craziest approach you've gotten in person or

Pete Turner  32:21  
a this is Pete a Turner from Lyons rock productions, we create podcasts around here. And if you your brand, or your company want to figure out how to do a podcast, just talk to me. I'll give you the advice on the right gear, the best plan and show you how to take a podcast that makes sense for you. That's sustainable. That's scalable and fun. Hit me up at Pete at breakdown show calm.

scott huesing  32:42  
Let me help I want to hear about it. What's the craziest approach you've gotten in person or online?

G Michael Hopf  32:49  
What do you how do you like?

scott huesing  32:51  
I'll give you I'll give you an example. Recently, while traveling, someone recognized me at a bar at an airport said I'm a writer to says Oh great. When was your book published? And they said, Oh, well, I haven't been published yet. So I'm not trying to sound elitist. But I'm like, well, then you're a writer like you're an author like yeah, I guess I don't know what the shades of grey are, but she's not was not published yet. And then proceeds to delve into her carry on bag and whip out like seven spiral bound books, and requests all this information and I automatically felt the block click on the like this is happening. It was you know, the single rule and I'm a writer great like, I'm waiting to see the head that was pulled out of the bag after that I made it through security checkpoint, but anything crazy like that ever happening.

G Michael Hopf  33:49  
I've gotten

scott huesing  33:51  
those find $2 fine to

G Michael Hopf  33:54  
me. I've gotten like people like they'll message me like on social media, and they'll ask me some questions. And then words like the reverse dick pic. And then I'll say I get up in your women and I got a picture of bras. I'm like,

scott huesing  34:05  
okay, you should you should share those.

G Michael Hopf  34:09  
I'm trying to say that's an illustrated version.

Pete Turner  34:12  
That's the coloring book that's in here. Yeah, provocative erotic novels.

scott huesing  34:16  
When was this picture taken? On your author bio? For years ago? You look a little different look a little more hip now today. So I'm asking because you get you do get a little bit weird. When people when you put yourself out there and you're a public figure ask whatever, which I don't consider myself one. But when you get the the weird coming up back on sufficient online social media? Would you just

G Michael Hopf  34:40  
do you ever? I just know. It's kind of weird. I just yeah, I mean, if they get really creepy, then I just block them. I mean, there's people always asking all kinds of questions. But then again, if it's kind of that, that kind of stuff that I just block it. That's, that's good. I don't focus.

Pete Turner  34:57  
Let's talk about because what's incredible about you you're writing is that there's such a volume of it, right? So all the way down to the very beginning of when someone is has writer's block. I mean, that's the common thing. Everybody has it. What do you do? or what have you done to overcome it? How do you how do you get past that blank page

G Michael Hopf  35:14  
exercise? It's funny, like, I'll go out. And I'll just put on a pack and just go for a nice hot this go hike somewhere, go up in the mountains, just just clear my head. Did you know you helps. It's funny how quickly that helps. By the way, yeah, I'll be a half an hour on the trail, just hiking and just no phone, no tech to sit there. And just stuff, I break it, it comes to me and start thinking about it, then I just let it flow, keep going, going, going going. And then I just rush back and then start hammering out.

Pete Turner  35:40  
And then you have all these ideas. Obviously at some point you accepted that you're not going to run out of ideas anytime soon. Talk about that moment, or that era of your time where you're like, actually, I'm just going to keep doing this because I'm not gonna run out of ideas,

G Michael Hopf  35:54  
though. There's a plan I want to write I have this goal of writing 100 books in my life. I want to write 100 novels. What about a screenplay? Absolutely. Actually, that's funny. You mentioned that that's, I think it's my was I talking to you about this, I'm sure. That's my next I swear, it's my natural. I know, it's like my natural organic progression, I want to get into moviemaking. And I'm having the same kind of thoughts like I did when I first wrote my first book. And I'm kind of a guy like when I have an idea to start working toward that goal. I don't take the time. And maybe I should like gather all the information, I kind of like, run toward it. I make mistakes along the way. But I don't sit and ponder and overanalyze stuff. So I've actually already starting to make some inroads and talk to people but not even adapting my own material, like have other ideas and concepts and outlines that would actually translate better to the screen versus translate into the written word. So I definitely see me going into filmmaking sometime in the future, for a near future probably more than far future. It's just but I'll still continue to write and put out that kind of content. But I might get into just producing, make sure it has good music,

scott huesing  37:01  
it's a different medium to I agree

G Michael Hopf  37:04  
it's a great movie has written music.

Brian Dix  37:07  
It's all about the underscoring Absolutely.

scott huesing  37:09  
write a screenplay. It's such a different medium than writing a poem or a short story, or an op ed or a novel or a memoir. To do that. It's like asking an musician to play different instrument like it's a whole different feel whole different mechanic to it. Or the skill

Brian Dix  37:29  
set is entirely different.

scott huesing  37:30  
Yeah, absolutely. Or, or an artist who does watercolor to say, Oh, can you draw me this? Like, I don't even know how to hold a pencil. Yeah, because

Brian Dix  37:39  
the author or the author creates the imagery. And it's between the author and the reader on the screen. It's someone different. It's there's also director intent, and producers and Tapsell and all that all the technical side that they're able to produce.

Pete Turner  37:51  
I want to ask you guys, since we're in this space, this is a great place to ignore, to explore not ignore it to explore is akin screenwriting, Jeff, that you, Jeff, Jeff Calhoun, he's the master of this right? You guys should definitely get his book a guide for every screenwriter. And that's just a free plug, because this book is awesome. But he talks about writing less, like leaving room for the director direct and establishing things. You're verbose. You write words like crazy, you know, you get in there and really do it. Can you get really parsimonious with the words and just put the minimum in there?

G Michael Hopf  38:22  
I don't know how you brought up brought up a good point. It's I like I'm when I was up in West Hollywood a couple years ago, I was in talks about having the end was going to be adapted. And so this one producer, we're sitting, we're talking about it. And he asked because you're trying to save money. If I would write a screenplay. I said, No. I wouldn't want it. Like, I don't know how to write a screenplay. Yeah. Like, you're saying, it's like, Yeah, I'd like I don't know what I'm doing. It's like, if, if the book ever was adapted, and here's why there's one shot for it to be successful. I would I would love to help out with the screenplay. I love to get the screen credit for that too. But I'd want someone who's excited experienced writing it. Because obviously, if you haven't experienced screenwriting, and also can that will go out and especially if they have a good name to that helps you can cast because actors like who's writing the screenplay, they'll know if it's actually gonna be absolutely. And so I mean, I would mind learning that craft under someone else like understudy MV, they're interested. Yeah, I'm interested in it. Absolutely. But me writing it by myself. I just wouldn't feel comfortable with it. Even if I study doing it. I just don't. I don't think my mind works like that. I know people, I get people at that thing like, oh, why you're two writers, right? No, it's not completely different.

Brian Dix  39:32  
It's a whole different skill set. Absolutely.

Pete Turner  39:33  
Music.

Brian Dix  39:37  
I had been asked to do some scoring. I said, I can't do that. That's an entirely different skill set. People who score for films or TV or even commercials, they have like three electronic keyboards. They look at something there. And you know, it's a lot of lot of technical aspects about it. That guy john Williams is the father well, close to being the father for film writing. But he was down there on the ground floor, hammering it out on the piano first before all the technical advances. Now it's all technical advances. The whole different skill set

Pete Turner  40:07  
apparently had a whole shitload of French horns in the in the basement with

Brian Dix  40:13  
the not to get off the subject. The one interesting thing about john Williams there's three good things. One, he's a veteran, served in the Air Force, a number two, he went to community college, LA City College, and number three, he went to Juilliard on the GI Bill. Now, there's a good investment on our tax

scott huesing  40:28  
dollars. Yes, cuz he brought great movies,

Brian Dix  40:31  
great movies, he brought great movies to life because of the music can begin to name all the movies like

Unknown Speaker  40:37  
Star Wars,

Brian Dix  40:38  
Star Wars stuff, but it was a matter of I'm no different than you. You have a large body of work. You know, once the first one gets adapted, someone's going to say, hey, these look good. Also,

scott huesing  40:49  
you've got so many books, I would venture to say, Can you name all 30 books you've written?

G Michael Hopf  40:55  
Yeah, my gosh. In order

scott huesing  40:58  
to be this so many books? Yeah, we've had who we had on it's even been that

Pete Turner  41:04  
the police guest

scott huesing  41:06  
is 50 plus books 50 plus books. So and Jim's local yokel, too, isn't he? Yeah, he's no, he's he's New York. That's right.

Pete Turner  41:13  
nationwide.

scott huesing  41:14  
Yeah. He goes all over the place. He's

Pete Turner  41:15  
a monster though. He's got a lot. Otherwise, just cat Connor has got 12 you know, so it's like your number two.

scott huesing  41:22  
Congratulations, Jim. If you're listening.

Brian Dix  41:25  
Yeah, I could do that by Thursday. He said

scott huesing  41:30  
he finished the series in four months. I'm like, why

G Michael Hopf  41:32  
not? Even the series I finished a second book

Brian Dix  41:34  
The second book of the series. Okay. Yeah. Do you want to continue a series with previous writings that you've done?

G Michael Hopf  41:40  
Well, that series by itself has already been completed. But now I've got you know, I put out some takeaway there's two children's book I got I got that series. I've got a trilogy I'm working on right now with it, but nothing,

Brian Dix  41:50  
nothing you want to make a prequel on?

G Michael Hopf  41:52  
I've thought about a prequel. But what's interesting about like, I don't want to kind of go off into the weeds here. Like I'm really known as the apocalyptic space. I have also written some like in that that space of writing and people know my name. When an apocalyptic fiction people know Jean Michel Hoff. I took a little kind of jaunt into the western space and actually did fairly well, writing westerns. But not all my fan base went with me and the reason is that this is kind of ties into the prequel stuff. All my fan base didn't go with the westerns because people don't like westerns and the reason is they go it's in the past already know what happens. They like apocalyptic fiction because it's about what if these are unknown scenarios that i i i create kind of this reality based apocalyptic scenarios that people wonder what will happen so let's the mind the imagination kind of go and and so the fan base if a prequel would be he kind of you already know what's going to happen? So if I did a prequel to my my best selling series, everyone already knows what happens. Now with some of the fans read it, but some of them I guarantee not all of them would would run off would would jump on it because it's not wouldn't be as exciting as the you know, living for Chris in the first series that take you as a reader as the event is unfolding. You're living the event is society's collapsing after Superman.

Pete Turner  43:11  
A character in the story in betweenquel, and you came in tangentially off that carrot?

G Michael Hopf  43:17  
I've done that. Yes, I've done that. And I've actually I'm, you know, in the publishing house, I've opened up it the first five books I'm putting out with other writers are writing into that space. So I've got other authors are going to write like side stories in the new world universe. They're not going to be about the characters, but they're going to be writing, writing, creating other characters and other places, wherever around the world of what's what's what they're doing. And what's happening if the United States has collapse it

scott huesing  43:40  
Who is your base, that when you look at when you write

your novels, like a demographic demographics?

G Michael Hopf  43:49  
Well, I don't know have all the information. But what's what's fascinating is almost, it's almost a 5050 split. You know, when you look at kind of men versus women, which I found fast, I thought it'd be heavier two men, but there's actually a hype in it's much higher than I thought, there's a lot of women that read apocalyptic fiction, and again, I'm not talking about the zombie kind of even that's a very popular kind of sub genre. But they really like that kind of survival story. And then when you're looking at kind of sub groups of people, clearly peppers and survivalists are really big into that space. They they also read it not just from entertainment standpoint, but also they look at it, it can they learn any new skill set or a scenario then they can read about, then they can plan for that kind of thing? And so they find value in in the books.

Pete Turner  44:38  
Can you teach trappers about classification of what they've got? Because I love their preference. Love to take you back. So Mike, your number one on the list? Brother.

G Michael Hopf  44:46  
Gonna be gone? Well, you know, there's, there's, there's,

Pete Turner  44:49  
there's a problem. And I know, Sid, the Mormons got all the wheat. Yes.

G Michael Hopf  44:54  
You know, there's, you know, there's, there are a lot of they're very geared, geared oriented, kind of, you know, but there are a lot of them are actually there. They're just as diverse kind of group of people as you would find anybody, by the way. But yes, I know, you're saying like, Don't Don't go and tell everybody, you've got everything.

Pete Turner  45:11  
I've got treated water. Exactly.

G Michael Hopf  45:17  
But outside of that, I mean, this, I think the space, I mean, there's definitely because I have a lot of military in the books, you know, like the Marine Corps heavily represented in a lot of the books that I do. So I definitely get a lot of, you know, brains and veterans reading the books and things like that, which is always fun. And what's interesting, there was a part in the in the first month, I just had a guy come to my house. It was helped me do something. He's, he's a vet, I think was with six Marines over at Lucien. And he read the entire series seems like oh, my God, this is I mean, it's so just I can't like he just he just got out recently. He's like, it's so like, real. It's just kind of the banter back and forth with the Marines just just how they're communicating with each other, and how they, how they tie and all that stuff. He was like, loving, he's like, it's so like, legitimate. And I said, How do you feel about the part when because there's a scene in the first week where there's a mutiny, essentially. And I said, How do you feel about that? Because I totally can see that go down. And essentially, in a nutshell, there, what what happens is that there's this art that's coming back after this super piece, the Super NP is detonated, and essentially, everything's collapsing. Right? And so you have these Marines are being told they have to go somewhere else, and help in this one area where their know their families are like, threatened, right? And that creates this fracture with inside the unit. And so you have essentially like, we're not, we're not going over there. We're going back home Take our families, like we do in the military. So we can you know, before we deployed and protect the homeland now the homeland is on the threat. And like we're going home now, and some people was interesting, the people that took opposition to that kind of plotline or people that were in the military that was like anybody like maybe one star reviews because I was like I can't believe you like as these traders treasonous marine just bullshit. I'm like

it's always the Marines are in is like, I could totally see that should go down.

scott huesing  47:12  
Yeah, absolutely. will eat her own records, man. Like if you fuck it up in that regard.

Pete Turner  47:18  
That's the Civil War.

scott huesing  47:23  
The Civil War I asked. I've asked that question.

Brian Dix  47:24  
JOHN Brown. Yeah, that was it. That was basically it. JOHN Brown. That was that was the big thing that the Marine Corps did,

G Michael Hopf  47:32  
which is I usually show there were some complaints about that one plotline. But I whenever I've been posed with it, and I go, I actually pulled from history in that regard. I said, only twice in America three times you can't the war of 1812. But you have you had were you ever major conflict on the American soil where the homesteads are actually threatened? And whenever you have those instances, you had a lot of people just saying I'm out there I'm out like like they're like and watching army had a lot of people just pack up and leave, because like the Canadian Forces came across and were threatened people in like Vermont and things like that. Those people packed up and went home. And the same thing and Confederate Army like the Lee's army, Northern Virginia, when she had Sherman, you know, plowing through and shared and doing his thing for devious Sherman clown through a lot, a lot of those Georgia units and Mississippi unit. They were like, route. We're heading home, like the homesteads under is threatened my family, my wife, like they're out, they took off. I said, so there's a precedent for that. So imagine you had a major event happen, right? What would happen, I said, would cause a lot of stress within the military, you're being asked to go over here. But you know, your wife and family are there. And shit to the fan. It's it's a jump ball. I think man,

Pete Turner  48:46  
especially like, if you have some wealth, you have some, okay, I'm getting paid $50 a month. So you know, to be a marine. But if you are talking about losing your entire livelihood back at home, you're going to do what you can to protect that because way bigger last for you.

G Michael Hopf  49:02  
Well, I think it just I think even just people that don't have Well, I think I think just just if you just have family, I think I think if you have your wife sitting back, you know living in, say Oceanside, wherever you were married. And now you're being deployed to the east coast, because after this massive nationwide event, you know, there's riots, and there's all kinds of bloodletting and chaos happening in the streets. and law enforcement MS can't respond because the event so massive, it's going to put a lot of pressure on the military to make these people are making decisions. What do I do? Who's protecting my wife and kids?

scott huesing  49:32  
I'm thinking to as you're telling the story and using these, this balance of narrative, what you're reading or you read before you started writing or what you read his, you know, obviously great knowledge base of history. What do you read when you read something like this? People automatically assume I only read this type of material. What do you read?

G Michael Hopf  49:54  
I read it, I read it kind of like science fiction, by the way. So I've always loved apocalyptic fiction, right? We read the then what's funny, I got started writing the first book because I was reading a guy's book, William for shine. He wrote a book called One second after, and it's kind of a another EMP kind of story. I liked it. But what I found it was something lacking in it. And I remember like, I told my wife, I was like, God, it's just I wish I wanted to see something more of an epic kind of it was it's a great book, but it was just taking place kind of more like this community in North Carolina. And I was like, What if we had an event similar that but you could see these different point of views like one person's in the hall of government, one person's in the military in their formerly deployed? And how are they struggling with something like that, and then a family dealing with it. And so I wanted to create these different point of view characters. So the reader gets to see what's happening around the world, and what the end and just getting a different perspective. And that's when I decided I was going to write the end. But it's all based on good hard research, not just googling things. Yeah, know exactly what it's mean, there's research on what an EMP can do, right? And the actual real effect syndicate in the threat that actually may look at our grid man.

Brian Dix  51:03  
I mean, he researches also equates not just reading but talking to people. They do that boots on the ground.

G Michael Hopf  51:10  
Yeah, I remember talking to a guy from the web, when I was talking about the nuclear power stations and what happens with them. If you have the grid down scenario, most people think, well, the nuclear power station just generates its own power. Does it work like that? So So once the grid the grid were to collapse, every nuclear power plant could potentially become a meltdown scenario for the United States. If it's not turned back on within a certain amount of time. If there's an EMP, and then an EMP does not not just takes down the grid, but also takes ground all the redundant backup kind of power generation systems, nuclear power plants could be, we'd be having some serious trouble specifically looking like east of the Mississippi where there's just all these nuclear power plants, not just not just at the plant itself, but it's also in the containment and storage of the actual spent rods that it's not sci fi. No, this is this is real.

scott huesing  52:02  
This is absolutely real stuff. And we talked about that a lot. And we've had Greg dadis on the show, Professor Chapman and friend of ours and do a lot of panel discussions with legendary war fighters. And, you know, you know, HR McMaster, you know, former NSA, what is the most credible threat and we talked for hours and hours and hours about you know, platoons getting ambushed in Afghanistan, or the Horn of Africa, Iraq and Afghanistan. And at the end of everything, what's the biggest threat? cyber electronic attack? That is our biggest, most credible threat to national security right now? So when you write about these things, yeah, you it's a fantasy world for most people reading it, or what if scenario, but it's absolutely a reality if we don't protect ourselves and for guys around here, who spent their entire lives as protectors turned entertainers basically. But sharing those story reason, what else I think is really important, because what do they say? Art imitates life, or vice versa. I don't know how the adage goes specifically. But I think that's really interesting when you when you look at it through that lens is you're writing about these things, but in modern times, who thought communicating with the flip phone as we're watching Star Trek, and yeah, every day now,

Pete Turner  53:23  
truth is stranger than fiction. truth is stranger than fiction is another one. And not just a threat, that cyber things are reality, just I don't know, maybe a month ago, there's a company primarily an internet based company that someone allowed some, you know, badware into the network. That company basically does not exist right now. Their website is gone. All of their data destroyed. All of their ability, only people that can really work right now. They think about this are the engineers who are trying to unpack what's totally,

scott huesing  53:53  
but if any of us went onto the street today and ask anyone in San Diego, if what's a bigger last the United States military or our national security? If a platoon the Marines got killed in an ambush, or blown up in an IED is that a bigger loss than having a Harvard grad who defected and went works for China now and is drinking a chai tea latte and our high rise in Shanghai attacking our network, which is a bigger loss, most of probably say 30 Marines dying ambush, really, in the grand scheme of things, and no one would ever want to see that scenario happen.

Pete Turner  54:31  
This is a financial services company. Right? So absolutely. They just took down the entire company will say

Brian Dix  54:38  
that. This is the perfect time to be asking that question because you could go down to Comic Con, and you can get a full array of answers on that one. Because they they they know every every aspect that could possibly go to the those are the people down there. Those are the science fiction. Pete it's hard for

scott huesing  54:54  
most Americans to conceptualize that. Yeah.

G Michael Hopf  54:57  
Well, most they don't want to think about it either. Because most people don't want to think about something bad happening. And also they think it won't have a lot of people live in kind of a normalcy bias kind of bubble, right? It's something bad will never really have.

scott huesing  55:09  
We don't know how good we have it. And I just came back from Mexico was saved the brave on a great fishing trip. And I woke up at 230 in the morning, this something simple Americans take for granted. I woke up at 230 in the morning. It was parched. Just dried out. I'm walking around, I couldn't find a bottle of water. I'm thinking there's got to be a vending machine around here. I can jam some paces in right? Nope, no vending machines, just something as simple as that. And everything we take for granted, moving 500 meters to the next ATM to grab our cash or to grab our coffee or to grab our food or whatever Amazon boxes being dropped off non existent in the majority of the world. And if those systems got attacked,

G Michael Hopf  55:47  
yeah, well, no, that's what that's why when like in the when I wrote the book, the end if you have an EMP or any kind of grid down scenario, but EMP kind of take not just a grid, but it takes all electrical devices pretty much everything doesn't work, right. But even just take even just have a grid down scenario where vehicles still work. In the grid is down for extended period of time, society will break down really quickly. Even though even though we used to be able to survive 100 years ago without it. I mean, think about most homes that have electricity in the 1920s 1930s there's only I mean I have electricity that houses Oh, it's less than brilliant hundred years old. Brian what was it was guess

scott huesing  56:25  
you didn't have electricity, 

Brian Dix  56:25  
your kerosene lamps.

G Michael Hopf  56:30  
And so on that kind of thing, though, is what causes is what causes the breakdown of society is that people won't sit and be patient, they won't work with one another right there. their their their fear turns to panic, panic turns of chaos and chaos, adventure turns of bloodletting, because they don't know how to survive. They don't have the skill set to work with with each other, or to work or the skill set to survive without electricity, even though we've lived as far as human beings would mean far longer without electricity. But that itself would bring down society. Even riots in the street with end date.

Pete Turner  57:02  
That's absolutely true. Because you think about like if it's 103 outside, on social media, oh my god, it's 103 it's so hot. So hot, so hot, but we have electricity, we have the ability to kill ourselves. You take that scenarios, Iraq or Afghanistan and elsewhere, it sucks. But they don't have reliable power. And I'm talking to the locals. And I'm like, Well, what about the government? Like how long would your government work with that power? And I'm like, hold on a minute sit there, people would start to lose their minds. People will get hot pissed off and

G Michael Hopf  57:28  
no, and then societal breakdown comes from that just the volume of people, law enforcement wouldn't be able to the military would be able to handle it. There be too many people just great writing

Brian Dix  57:38  
great goes down. The first people to exit will be the prisoners leave the prison system. Do you think do you think that the police is going to be able to handle all of that now over 1 million prisoners and all of a sudden poof part of now our neighbors?

G Michael Hopf  57:54  
What was that like? And part of the when I wrote the end? Part of it I part of the research and it was reading kind of the extension of comprehensive congressional study about MPs. And what's interesting is in there if they tell you exactly what they're going to do if there is an EMP ever, ever would have happened, God forbid what the what the government's going to do. We're going to bunker down. Yeah, it's called continuity of government. So they know that shit will hit the fan. There's nothing they can really do about it. So they bunker down, and essentially let everyone just go fucking crazy. And then they'll fucking clean everything up, because there's nothing they can do. You have 300 and some million people with no power. And if the military really can't respond adequately, no one can respond adequately. So they just going to protect the government and then let everyone just frickin go crazy. no power, no money. No, nothing. Yeah, any of you even if you do, even if your car does work, eventually, you can't get gas out of the ground. Yeah. So I mean, eventually, everything just stops. I mean, look at grocery stores, like within three days, food is gone. Yeah. Last week, target got down.

Brian Dix  58:56  
The computer system went down. No one could buy anything.

G Michael Hopf  58:59  
Yes. Whether it's ENP. Or it's like a malware attack on the grid is using cyber. us.

Pete Turner  59:07  
Yeah, we're running low on tortillas here today. People

G Michael Hopf  59:12  
wasn't sure about like Taco Bell.

scott huesing  59:18  
is a writer subscribe to all of these different scenarios without divulging any operational? Or base security? Do you have a contingency plan?

G Michael Hopf  59:27  
Yes. Okay. Yeah. Yeah, I became more prepared minded individual after doing all the research and writing the books, I absolutely lot of relevant Tori, things probably pop

scott huesing  59:37  
up just out of your creativity. Like,

G Michael Hopf  59:39  
what I look at it, I look at being you know, it's like an insurance policy. Now, there'd be nothing worse for me than my little girls, look at me, if something bad were to happen and go, what are you going to do? Can you help us? And if I'm not prepared in some way, or have a plan, and then the resources and skill sets that mailed Actually, I felt I failed. I think it's my responsibility as a man to protect my little girls and protect my family. We have

Pete Turner  1:00:07  
significant earthquakes in the past two weeks, you know? And if that seven hits 100 miles to the west, it's a whole different scenario.

G Michael Hopf  1:00:15  
It at that depth, it was pretty shallow had been hundred, it would have been would have.

Pete Turner  1:00:21  
You better have a big garbage camp full of spam in the backyard and all that. water and food outside of your house. Yeah, your house may be gone and inaccessible. So yeah,

G Michael Hopf  1:00:31  
well think about that. Yeah. I mean, really think about something like that happens today. And it is closer to the coast thing. How many people live between LA and San Diego? What is it 12 million, I don't have any million Think about it. Think about all the damage that the grid would be down guaranteed for an extended period of time. Right? You can water a pop eventually stopped too because when I'm for the research in the book, I was talking a lot of these water districts and most of its gravity fed. So you see this big kind of holding tanks on the hills, right? So when those opposition nicely so it can gravity feed most communities and things like that. But how does water get up there? Well, exactly. So when the power goes out, those tanks will only keep feeding the homes until they till they're dry. And then what then you're at a war

Pete Turner  1:01:16  
and you got Ricky water and his lawn after the earthquake.

G Michael Hopf  1:01:21  
Communications would fail. I mean, I just communication to fail power go. And then you could have you could be here. Three, four, maybe five, six weeks in Southern California. Without that without that stuff. Yeah, people would go Ah, shit.

Brian Dix  1:01:34  
Yeah, but the thing is, the thing is, is that California is far more resourceful if there was a heavy earthquake, and somewhere in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, somewhere like that, they are not prepared for anything like this.

scott huesing  1:01:48  
They got us beat on tornadoes, though. You gotta admit

Brian Dix  1:01:51  
that's true. Oklahoma was going through the series of earthquakes for a while. And so there was it was becoming too much for them. Because they were not they were not physically present. You know, here in Orange County, but Okay, we got it. We know we're not going to everything's gonna be mounted against the walls this and that. That's, that's just part of our daily life.

G Michael Hopf  1:02:10  
Yeah, we definitely be we're Yeah, I think living out here. I think they've even in building code of improve things to make things more earthquake proof. But I'm talking about you get it you get a sizable enough earthquake. Are people ready to go beyond three to three days, seven days? Are they really mentally prepared to go six weeks without power? What does that mean, for a area, a region of the United States that's densely populated? 15 million people that power

Brian Dix  1:02:41  
gets ugly, because all of a sudden the people who have solar are going to be taking in the community. And then after a while people are going to be pissed that someone's got solar.

That's, that's another storyline. No, it is. No, it's absolutely true.

G Michael Hopf  1:02:55  
Yeah, those people that have resources, other people are going to come to them. I have actually had that I have it in the book. And actually then what happens and then you have conflict, it's natural.

scott huesing  1:03:04  
They become mini SD genies words.

Pete Turner  1:03:11  
So your latest novel is called seven days of post post apocalyptic novel URG Michael thanks for coming on the break it down.

scott huesing  1:03:21  
Yeah. What do you got coming up but we know 70 books.

Brian Dix  1:03:26  
Spoiler alert.

scott huesing  1:03:29  
For the next 70 more books

Brian Dix  1:03:32  
span We're ready.

scott huesing  1:03:33  
Yeah, no great having me on brothers Brian. Taylor's second podcast so she's s second podcast and Pete. I mean, always always great to be co hosting. And welcome to South Park. So if you want to find g Michael hop again tell him

G Michael Hopf  1:03:50  
go to G Michael hop com

scott huesing  1:03:52  
ZZ and on social media,

G Michael Hopf  1:03:54  
Facebook, com back forward slash whatever it is Jean Michel off. You're on Instagram as well. I'm on Instagram as well. Not only Twitter that was on Twitter, a dumpster fire. It's Yeah, it's a shit show.

Pete Turner  1:04:06  
Calm, nice and simple. INDIH. Right.

Brian Dix  1:04:09  
Yes.

Pete Turner  1:04:11  
And then of course, echoing Ramadi and Turner and all social media.Thank you so much for coming on.

G Michael Hopf  1:04:16  
 Thank you.