Blog

Okay, so, it’s me again.

I have more guests who have given me blogs, but we will get to them later, of that you can be sure.

For the time being, you have me.

Sorry, not sorry, as an old friend said before it was popular.

I have had major life changes. Nothing crazy, but for the hobbit-hole writing habits I have, it was quite obtrusive.

I got a full-time job.

I moved.

I went on a mini-vacation.

I have been furiously fighting my discomfort to bring you something beautiful.

Now I will tell you about it.

Part one starts with me moving. That’s all. It’s boring, and my landlord wanted to sell the house we were renting, so we moved. We have a very nice house now, still in Colorado. See, that was painless. I’ll tell you what isn’t painless: freaking moving.

Tiarra just did it also, leaving for Seattle.

I moved across the interstate, but it was still a bitch. I’m doing it once more, and that’s when me and Jackie buy a house. Then, I’m done.

FOR-EV-ER. (The Sandlot-style, if you will.) (You will.)

Part two starts with my new job. 40 hours a week. Like an adult. I hate it. I’m joking. It was needed. If anything, it will focus my writing. (Less time on YouTube.) It offers me the ability to financially do some things, especially with writing, that I, otherwise, would not be afforded.

And I can buy mid to top shelf whiskey again WITHOUT feeling bad.

Yes, I did those out of order for you Type-A’s. (That’s Tiarra.)

Part three ended this last weekend. Jackie and I went to Keystone’s Bacon and Bourbon festival. So. Much. Bourbon. If you know me, that’s worth missing a blog post for and I think I will continue to observe the magic that is the second to last weekend in June from henceforth, until the Great Old Ones tear down the world.

Part four is something that is coming. This week. Be afraid.

Also, I want it to be known that writing, spitting out content, and being a husband, friend, and son is tough work. Also working 40 hours a week, and writing in the little bit of time left, and crafting the last two novels in the series, will make me a skeleton before Christmas.

But, if you have stuck with me since the beginning of my furious writing career so far, then you are most definitely worth the hassle.

If you are still lost in the Colorado foothills as the forest grows thicker and the world balances, right where I left you with our friends, Carnegie and Santana, then know, we will keep moving forward. If you are Erin, lost somewhere, but fighting, have hope.

I did. I do.

I won’t lie.

These past few weeks have been rough, but whatever life throws at us, we have to push through for those who love us, for those who need us.

I have found strength everywhere I have turned. Authors on a little group on Instagram who post uplifting and humorous things, friends who send me jokes and don’t know what I’m getting anxious from (like not having an office) and my little wife, who fights me until I know I have nothing left but to just move forward.

Life is funny.

So, you should laugh.

That’s enough of that shit.

So, I will hit you with ANOTHER blog post this shining Thursday! Be excited. If everything works, I have great news!

It’s not about book 2, but, it is related, and very exciting.

Have a good two days, everyone, and, as always, whether mentioned or not, I appreciate everyone on this journey!

Post Script- I feel I should apologize for being absent for one week and not very present on social media… but no. Lol, no one needs that much of anyone.

This will be weird for everyone. Maybe not. But it’s all about seeing into the details of what makes for good writing and what makes my writing unique.

Everyone has heard the saying, “write what you know,” but writing has to be more than that. You have to press into that unknown, become a part of it, and know the target audience. This is a whole big way of saying, I play video games.

A lot.

Like more than any grown man should.

I can admit that.

In my defense, one of my other favorite writers, Craig Mazin, (he’s a screenwriter known for things like The Hangover 2 and other comedies) splits his writing time with playing games like Fallout 4 and stuff. (I ended that with stuff.)

ANYWAY! One night, while I was playing my game, Destiny 2, I was looking to complete the big challenge. They call them raids and if you aren’t part of a gaming “clan,” you have to look online for people willing to help you through. I hope you see the problem with that.

Gamers are poison.

I know. I game. A lot. I said that. And when PVP (player versus player) is raging… so am I.

ANYWAY AGAIN! After I was kicked from a few fireteams for being SUB-par, very sub-par (I’m bad at games even though I play them a lot) the other guy I played with took to Reddit to rage on the internet about the Destiny player base as well, and how all of those try-hards (serious gamers) can ruin a good community.

Well, one poor soul extended his hand, and Dylan, our next blogger, has shown support to me in ways I cannot even express.

When The Time of Tears came out, he bought it. And as you can tell, he is not good with written things. LOL But he read it. Pretty fast, I might add.

Where I used to go online and game for relaxing and ideas from interacting with the barbarians involved on Xbox, now, I get yelled at when I cause our fireteam to die, ALONG with, “Hey, Jon, when the hell is Book 2 coming out? Like, this is getting really annoying.”

In my ears. At least once a week.

Without further ado, this is Dylan. Our clan founder and now, funny enough, a good friend.

Tempered by the fires of hell, His iron will remained steadfast through the passage

that preys upon the weak. He set forth without pity and he hunted the slaves of doom with barbarous cruelty. Unbreakable, incorruptible, unyielding. None could stand before the horde but The Doom Slayer. For he alone was the hell walker.

Jon wishes he could write this well. That is from the video game DOOM (2016). I wish I could tell you who actually wrote it, but I don’t know. To be honest I didn’t even actually bother to look it up either. I’m not too good with words, grammar, well shit, anything in regards to written and spoken language for that matter, but Jon asked me to write some stuff for him. Bear with me.
Yesterday was my birthday. I always tell people I stopped counting the years after 21, which is true. When I was 23, or something, I was telling anyone that asked I was 24, or something, (I forget when that actually was). Not because I’m a liar, but because I actually fucking forgot.
Anyway, it was actually one of the best May 29th’s I’ve ever experienced. I went to work for a company that I love. I came home to the most awesome surprise, my wife had me these hella bomb ass cookies that were 48 hours in the making. I got to play videogames with friends. Of all my birthdays, this one was one of the better ones, sorry Mom.
I met Jon through online videogames. We’ve known each other just shy of a year now. In that year, we’ve slayed countless aliens, gods, demons, demon-gods, solved puzzles, yelled at each other, made each other choke with laughter, etc. We’ve taken to acts of piracy lately. All while being separated by about 800 miles or so.
This paragraph has been written, deleted, written and deleted again. So. Many. Times. About so many vastly different topics. I wrote about 25 sentences about what I THINK a Hemi is before I deleted it all with prejudice. I don’t even know what to write anymore. Like, how do you do this? What do I write about?
Look, all I’m trying to say is Jon is a great friend. Outside of photos, I’ve never even seen this dude. I really wonder why people opt to actually spend time with me on their own volition. I sure as fuck wouldn’t hang out with me, I’m as annoying as I am stupid. But Jon does. And I’m grateful for that.
If you’ve read this far, I’m sorry. May God have mercy on my soul.
Dueces

Okay, my sister is the worst.

She’s mean, older, and meaner than everyone.

Not really, she’s a writer in her own fashion, and has given me journals as far back as I can remember. She dedicates each journal with something meaningful that I always look back on for inspiration and love when I am filling its pages.

She, and my brother-in-law, Kyle, have given me two amazing nephews and one beautiful niece. (No joke, their names are Ronan, Ryak, and Teyla. If you get the reference, you’re my favorite.)

Their marriage is something beautiful and wonderful,and despite everything their family has gone through, they inspire our whole family that love is as powerful as any atomic bomb. (See what I did there? Shameless plug.) (Laugh, DAMMIT!)

In case you all don’t get the reference, as we grew up, she would sleep like the dead. I would have to wait to open Christmas presents every year until she woke up… but she was a stone. Hence, the non-connective reference. She slept as if a gorgon had turned her into stone.

Now, no more of me, and some of her.

P.S.- The photo is of her and my nephew… He’s so adorable!

Hello internet peeps, Gorgon here!

I will say this is my first time EVER letting anyone read what I have written, feel honored. (Yes, Naomi and Mom I know you sneak in ‘lil bits’ when I am not around and have left my notebooks open to go to the bathroom. Rude.)

I will try to keep this to the 400-word limit, well there went some words…

Anyways, my brother here, the writer,has been the ever-so-brave man in exploring this world of published writing first, (although in fairness our father technically was published before my brother, just saying…) He is brave. He has the time. He doesn’t have kids… LOL *wink *wink *hint *hint I need more nephews and nieces!

I admire my brother and I am proud of him! (Here is written proof!) He has always had that amazing imagination that made worlds and lived there for a time! That is what a writer does: they create a new world, with new people, yes, often with character traits of people we know or have met or, perhaps, are purely made up, but it becomes so real to the writerthat they can’t help but explain the situations, worlds, problems that come up in these made up places in our heads. It is so real in our minds that it can’t help but spill out onto pieces of scrap paper, notebooks, computers, or they hide in our heads until we get a headache!

Jonathan has so beautifully put this world together and allows us in to meet these people, to see this world that he has created. It is so much so that it took me a while to get through the book! I got so emotionally invested in these people from the first page that I had to take a time-out to remember, they are not real, they are only made up characters! That’s what a great writer does.

I remember the times as kids when my brother would build Lego creations and I got the idea, or maybe he did, to create a backdrop and ground and put his Lego creation on it and take pictures with my semi-new 35mm camera with a flash! We took the pictures, a whole half a day task to make a background with limited crafting supplies, and then staged it just right to get the picture right without getting the wall behind the backdrop, since I didn’t make it big enough! I remember we had a great time doing it, but we never developed the pictures! I remember feeling excited and honored to be let into his world, his imagination!

His books are that, a wonderful glimpse into this world that he has created! A fun, thrilling adventure with these people that I am sure he considers intimate friends at this point!

Also, this time we don’t have to remember to develop the film!

I hope you enjoy reading The Time of Tears!

Gorgon out!

(She writes like I do. Too much, too late, and too long.) 🙂

So, to let everyone know, the next blogger here is none other than, Monika, my dear friend, mentor, and high school librarian. Long story short… (I promise, short) and I may have already spoken about it, she beta read for book one and pounded me into a bloody mess, (in a good way, Monika).

I remember sitting at Haley’s table, Tiarra going over the notes, and me, notebook out taking notes. (And yes, my bruised and beaten face still smiles about this.)

Tiarra was reading them to herself, then paused, looked up and laughed out, “Oh, prepare your butthole… this is going to hurt.”

After the session, I hoisted myself up on two crutches, blood still dripping from my face, and Haley was laughing and Tiarra just grinned, saying, “I love this woman.”

And so do I.

Without further delay, my dear friend, Monika.

Back in the 60’s, Peter, Paul & Mary sang a song called, “If I Had a Hammer.” I bring this up because I love the song, but also because every writer needs a hammer.

Writing is a solitary occupation and process. You have your characters, your thoughts, and your imagination, but that’s it for company or help. You might ask someone else for feedback, but usually, you will listen and then mentally say, they just don’t understand. Then you’re by yourself again.

So, what’s the hammer? Well, I see it as external motivation. There are writers who have sucked all the motivation out of the world (which is why some of the rest of us can’t find any!) and use it well. They write on a rigid schedule and produce a multitude of works. Good for them. I don’t believe that this is the norm for those who look at blank paper and fill it with fairies, witches, princes, and paraphernalia. Most of us need a hammer.

There are a variety of hammers out there. Jon and I got to know one another (as grown-ups) because of my favorite hammer—signing up for a writing class. The local Community College lets us old folks take classes for free, so I take advantage. My hammer is an external deadline, i.e. homework and due dates. Once you get an agent and publisher, this morphs into an editor who will nag you. For some, the hammer is money. They are freelance authors/writers and need to pay the bills. The rare writers have an internal hammer—a story that eats at them until it appears on paper or the writer goes insane.

Let’s face it. The most successful writers are the ones who don’t need hammers. They treat writing like any other job. They get up, have breakfast, go to their work space and write for eight hours. I really envy them. For most of the rest of us, we need that hammer. Find yours and… “hammer in the morning, …hammer in the evening.”

Monika Ragland

WHY!? WHY DO THEY BOTH WRITE WITHOUT INDENTS!

Anyway, let’s start the disclaimers…

Tiarra is amazing, detailed, intelligent, and a hardcore introvert. That means she cusses to keep you away. We had a few arguments about editing her post. I can’t stop laughing as I write this because, well, you will see.

Anyway, I don’t understand why this crap formatting keeps putting spaces in between my sentences and why at 2 am, when I’m writing these intros, that I can remember to NOT HIT THE TAB BUTTON AFTER EVERY PARAGRAPH!

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy Tiarra. Both her and Haley’s blog posts took months of threatening and coaxing that never paid off. They both yelled at me, “FINE! I’LL DO IT! JUST SHUT UP!”

So I did.

Tiarra has her own company called Allotrope Editing where she is blessed, nay, gifted with the privilege of sorting through all of my drivel, making solid fiction for your appreciated consumption. She also is editing a World History textbook and by the time of this posting… lives in Seattle and has left me and Haley alone in Denver. (Traitor). Give it up for, Tiarra!

(And have a bottle of Purex ready to wash your eyes out after reading.)

Hello Everyone.

Tiarra here. (THE editor).

“The” is capitalized because I’m just the greatest editor of all time. You know. No big deal.

Lol.

Before I start, I wanted to let you guys know that I cuss. A lot. I love my F bombs. Unfortunately, after I wrote this, Jon told me that if he’s not allowed to drop F bombs then neither am I. What kind of backwards shit is that? I blame Haley.

We have gathered here today to read the blog post of the introverted, reclusive editor because she has been nagged for 6 months (almost anyway) to write this godforsaken thing. Eventually forced, (as you can see because here I am right?) after some masterclass procrastinating.

Are you guys getting a feel for my personality yet?

Anyway, the reason why it’s taken me so long to get this done is because, well, I hate writing. I’m an editor. I edit things that have already been written. I don’t write. I like to be nitpicky. I like to tear things apart. And most of all, I like to be RIGHT.

Plus, I told myself I was never writing again after I finished college. We see how well that worked out.

The only reason why I’m doing this is because Jon (that asshole) helped me move. APPARENTLY there are two things Jon doesn’t do: help people move, and help people shop. I’ve already gotten one out of him. I’ve tried for the second one but got a hard pass. You can bet your (insert F bomb) ass I will succeed one day. We have long lives ahead of us, and I have leverage.

Let me tell you how I ended up chained to Mr. Dominguez here…

Second day of class, we go through introductions, (why do we still do that in college? Who gives a shit what the guy sitting next to me wants to do with his life), after class this big Mexican guy that talked about Whiskey walks up to me and says “You should be my editor”, and I was like “I’d love to edit your work!” I had no (insert F bomb) idea what I was getting myself into.

I also wouldn’t change it for a million Swarovski pens.

BTW I love Swarovski pens so if you ever feel like the stories should be going in a different direction, I’m the person to bribe. With Swarovski pens. I already have the purple, gray, champagne, and black one.

Anyway, what I’m trying to say but am having a really hard time saying, mostly because I don’t really do feelings, or sentimental shit, or any kind of emotion except for sarcasm and anger. I got off track. What I’m trying to say is that I (insert F bomb) love this guy.

In a matter of 6 months (almost), Jonathan Dominguez has become one of my besties (that means he’s going to be standing next to me in a dress at my wedding), and I don’t really like people so it’s kind of a big deal. Jon is one of the most genuine, whole hearted, and just plain fucking good people I’ve ever met in my life. And for that I thank you sir.

Jackie, I love you even more for being able to attach yourself to such a pain in the ass and flourish. If Jon’s such a great person, the fact that you are his other half says enough.

Anyway, because of this amazing relationship that we’ve built, you can bet your ass I will edit these books to the best of my ability, and the end result will be a masterpiece. Even if I have to beat Jon over the head to make him change what I want.

Tiarra