A Hard Day’s Work

I love staying busy. There’s something about letting my mind flow, create, and/or learn. That was my day today. I started by doing a bit of writing, working on chapter four of [the quiet]. Later in the day, I started taking a course on GIMP, a photo manipulation program akin to Photoshop. I already had many brushes from Photoshop so I have a nice collection to work with. GIMP is really nice and is set up very much like Photoshop so I’m picking it up quickly. As you can see in the images below, I’m able to make some nice imagery that I hope I can make some great covers.

Yes, It’s Been Awhile…

I’m sure you’ve noticed I’ve been away from blogging on here. My apologies to those who were concerned. I’ve been learning a new program that will help me to make my own book covers in the future. I thank my cover designers a lot for making my last two covers and also want to explore my creativity.

I’m also heavily working on advertising Parachute Island and The Valiants. Self-publishing is more than just writing; there includes editing, marketing, and advertising. Marketing and advertising is not my forte and it tends to eat a lot of my time as it is a 24/7 job. Don’t get me wrong; I enjoy self-publishing. But I just am working on figuring out how to juggle everything.

Thank you all for continuing to stick with me in this journey. I love writing and I love sharing all my stories with you.

Words

It’s almost the six-year anniversary of my stroke that left me a quadriplegic and ruined my health. Even though it has taken many opportunities away from me, it has given me the chance to finally work on my first and deepest passion: writing. More specifically, writing fiction. Even though it took almost a year to finally recover my thought and speech patterns, on occasion, I will be typing mid-sentence and forget how to spell a word. I know which word I want to use and can even see it in my mind, but I have to sound it to grasp the spelling. It may take a couple of attempts, but I will finally remember how to spell the word. With that said, I would say it’s an accomplishment to have written two books and embarking on a third (and more).

Cannon Hinnant

Those who have read Parachute Island know that children hold a special place in my heart. So, when I read about Cannon Hinnant, I was heartbroken. For those who don’t know who this five year old boy was, I would say look up his name as I won’t go too long about his tragedy. But basically, boy was senselessly and brutally murdered. This is not a black or white issue like George Floyd. Children don’t care about such things. This was a BOY, like so many boys and girls, who are hurt, abused, tortured, or murdered. This could’ve been YOUR son, YOUR grandson, YOUR nephew, YOUR neighbor. He didn’t have to be YOUR anything, but the fact that he was hurt should make you mad. We marched on and protested for days on end about a man’s murder. We should do the same when it comes to any child’s senseless murder. I feel rage when any child is hurt. I have no other words to say other than I hope he, and other children like him, are enjoying their time on the Island.

Indie 2 Indie Interviews

I have a lineup of interviews set up through April of 2021! This is not just fiction indie authors; this will include indie poets and non-fiction authors as well. If you love reading up on, and finding your new, indie authors, then you’ll definitely want to keep your eyes peeled every month. In September, I’ll have TWO authors, so keep tuning into Indie 2 Indie the last week of this month to see who’ll I’ll be interviewing!

500!

Yesterday, I had a little over 400 views in a day, the most I’ve had since the inception of this site. Think we can reach 500? As always, thank you to all the people who have come by to visit or to enjoy my work. If we reach 1,000 by October, I’ll have something for y’all. Won’t spoil the fun, so get your friends to stop by, peruse the website, or get a copy of Parachute Island or pre-order The Valiants. Let’s reach 1,000!

Health

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted on the blog. In fact, it’s been eleven days since I have posted something. A whole eleven days! Now, what kind of writer am I? Well, not to fret; though my health is not the greatest at the moment, I’ve also seen worse in the past. While my stays at the hospital were successful, something else cropped up.

Thankfully, my writing, my imagination, gets me through. I know some people endure much worse. The loss of a loved one. Burn victims. Those stricken with cancer. And I remember how lucky I am to not go through worse. And that I am here to write.

So… I won’t pout too much about my health. I just want to let everyone know where I stand. Parachute Island is still available for everyone to enjoy. The Valiants is still slated for a release in November. And many more are still slated to be written and, hopefully, enjoyed.

Absence

My apologies for being on intermittently; I deal with a lot of health issues ever since my stroke, and it’s been slightly on the decline lately. I won’t go into too much detail here but suffice to say that I had one hospital visit (no, not COVID) and another upcoming one. On top of that, dialysis has left pretty worn out these past couple of weeks. But, not to worry, I am continuing to work on some great creations for all to enjoy. Don’t forget Parachute Island is currently on sale for $0.99 for Kindles and Kindle apps for phones and tablets. The Valiants is on pre-order now and the paperback will go sale November 9th. Already working on my third novel as we speak…

Please Vote!

They say not to judge a book by its cover but I need you to do just that. If you liked the cover of my book, Parachute Island, please vote for it for the Cover of the Month contest on AllAuthor.com!

I’m getting closer to clinch the “Cover of the Month” contest on AllAuthor! I’d need as much support from you guys. Please take a short moment to vote for my book cover here:
Click to Vote!

Interactions

There’s been a lot of interest generated about The Valiants and Parachute Island lately it seems. That’s great! I’m glad to hear that. As an author, I want to provide stories that will help you drift off for a few hours. First, if I may ask, please leave a review, whether it’s good, bad, or neutral, as long as it’s honest. I can only make your reading experience more pleasurable through honest reviews. Second, for those who haven’t read Parachute Island, I have something special in mind. Keep your eyes glued to this site for future updates!

A Writer’s Work…

…is never done. No matter the number of courses taken or workshops sat in, just like an athlete, the writer has to keep one particular muscle fit and toned. Today, I spent the day sorting through my emotions, going over my five (and 6th!) senses, and learning how to tighten even tighter my sentence belly. Ah, the joys and perils of being a writer!

I have a line of novels which I intend to write, including at least two ongoing series, a set of books revolving one character, and… but, I’m getting ahead of myself. Don’t worry, trusty companion, many a tale I shall weave before you as the years pass!