I am about 2/3 of the way done with the first draft of my next novel. It’s involved lots of research, so I hope it pays off. It’s a high fantasy novel, and I hope it’ll be something different. I know it’ll take several revisions before I can put together an ARC (advanced review copy) team; then, off to an editor for another polishing. Stay tuned for a release date!

The summer of 1987 was a great year for me. Similar to what 1969 was for others, 1987 left a lasting impression on me. It was the year I finally rode a bicycle; riding in circles in my grandparents’ little backyard, listening to KTFM on my radio headphones as they played Madonna, The Jets, and so many others. That summer, while listening to “You Got It All” and “Walk Like An Egyptian”, I sent out two letters that would change my fate. I’d been a writer for as long as I’d been able to put words together using a crayon and paper. I eventually graduated to typing when my father showed me how to type by teaching me how to code on an Atari 800. It was rudimentary code, but it still taught me two important things: a love of computers and how to type. Soon, I was typing away stories on a light blue typewriter that belonged to my parents but which I used more than them. It was on this typewriter that I typed two letters: one, to the Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine; the other, to a local CBS affiliate, KENS-TV. I soon thereafter received a polite rejection letter from Alfred Hitchcock (the magazine, not the man). Then, I received a letter from KENS. I remember sitting on the cement steps—which had been recently been splashed with water to cool down in the heat—when the mail came in. I tore into the envelope, eager as any boy would be, to read what the letter said. It came directly from the program director who was interested in some of my ideas and wanted to meet with me and my parents. A meeting was set up, and we went to the station to meet with her and one of her producers, David Deering. They felt as most of my stories were too violent(!) or included alcohol references and were not age appropriate. However, they liked one story, “Myth or Fact?”, and wanted to turn it into a short film that would kick off a show made for and by kids called Kid Vid. It would air on a local channel called KENS II. We were given a tour of the station, and they were very nice. They sat me in front of one of the cameras and had me do a commercial for them to help promote the new show. I remember being so nervous and tightly grasping the wooden handles of the chair I sat on. I’d never been on tv before. Several days later, we had to go back so David could interview me about my story as well as other stories. I don’t recall being as nervous, but on playback, it was obvious I was. To this day, my family teases me about making kissy faces. In the end, it didn’t matter; I had gotten a taste of success as a writer. It made me want to write more, share more, and hone my craft as best as I can. I learned creative writing at three different institutes, as well as attended writing workshops on a regular basis. Kid Vid didn’t last long as a show, and I never had another story televised. I’ve written many a short story, wrote and starred in a one-act play, and have had a novel published. I continue to write, and that’s no myth. That’s a fact.

Something in the air is preventing the Muse from being herself. Or maybe it’s the change in the hours (thanks, Spring Forward). I know what it’s like when an artist has go back with an eraser and clean up some lines. Just as this one character has to sludge along in some mountainous snow, I’m slowly moving along with this one chapter. (Maybe he just doesn’t like snow.) We’ll just have to wait and see what tomorrow brings.

I hate these kind of days. The kind where intoxicating sleep wants to lull you back to slumber. Still, I fought of as much as I can, enough to finish a scene in this chapter. At first, I wasn’t sure where this character was going to take me, but now, it’s beginning to take shape.

Listening to some Conan whilst writing. It certainly is setting the mood!

Yesterday, I read an article on Twitter about a 13 year old boy named Callum who’d been bullied over his love of books. He’d created an Instagram account to do book reviews. Well, bullies found out about it and taunted him online, even creating a group chat to make fun of him. After people found out about the bullying, they began to follow him. He now has over 230, 000 followers, all supporting him and enjoying his reviews. Kudos to you, Callum! Link down below for more info.

https://www.azfamily.com/last-week-a–year-old-was-bullied-for-his/article_98d7e764-caa3-555d-b5c3-09536721fa26.html

Perhaps we’ll finally finish this one this weekend…

Alright! I’ve just posted the bonus features to Parachute Island, and if you haven’t read it yet, I highly suggest reading it first as there will be some spoilers. Included in the bonus features are a list and breakdown of the major characters, a breakdown of the symbolism included in the novel, a list of the major ailments including Wikipedia links, and the soundtrack to the novel and each song is related to certain scenes of the novel. I really hope you enjoy these bonus features and leave a comment on what you think of them.

Aside from my nurse’s visit, I’ve been working hard on the special features portion of Parachute Island. So far, there’ll be a main characters section, a section on all the symbols and symbolism, the ailments David had to endure, and working on the breakdown of the soundtrack and how each song helped on building a scene. Whew! Come Sunday, it should be back to writing.

I received my first objective review this morning JUUUST as I was going to go back to sleep for Parachute Island. I’ve been on pins and needles on getting, not only more reviews, but my first “objective” review from someone who’s not a family member or friend. Will they like it? Will they trash it? Should I just toss in the towel? Well, I received a PM this morning from Lord Tremendous from Tremendous Book Reviews stating that “Typically, I don’t reach out to the authors like this” but that Parachute Island “is phenomenal”. Whoa! I was not expecting that. He went on to state that “I plan to rate the book at 4 1/2 stars”. I breathed a final sigh of relief when I saw that. It’s one thing to get flattering compliments from people who know you, particularly for something artistic; it’s another when you hear it from an independent reviewer. Needless to say, I could not sleep after that; a good start to my morning!

Yeah, I know, it doesn’t look like much right now, but I am working on providing a lot of cool stuff, especially regarding Parachute Island. There’ll be lots of trivia surrounding what made the novel, a lot of which wasn’t shown in the book. Eventually, this will be THE go-to place regarding all my works, past, present, and future, as well as what all is going through my mind nearly every day. It’ll also be the place to see when there’ll be cool stuff like being part of an ARC (advanced reader copy) team, giveaways, and more. So, bookmark this site for future fun!

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Lafiro A. Gomez, III, and I am an author. If you’d like to know a bit more about me, you can find some more information under the About Me section in the main menu. My first novel, Parachute Island, is available through Amazon in both digital and paperback format. This site is currently under construction, so please excuse the mess as I tidy up to bring more info to everyone. Cheers!