Category Archives: News

General announcements and updates

End of a Decade

Greetings,

It’s been a busy month in terms of writing-related activities: I finished my third novel, converted my first two books into hardback for publication on Amazon, added the e-book version of Highway Hypnosis to Kindle Unlimited, and edited the covers of all three of my books for hardback formatting.  I think these are all good things, and I hope it is an indication of progress toward my writing career becoming my only career.  This hope has taken a more desperate turn over the last year, I must admit.  I close out another decade this Sunday, and know I cannot keep up the pace of such a physical day job forever.  I hate to admit I’m feeling my age, but as Indiana Jones once said, ‘it’s not the years, it’s the mileage’.  And I’m feeling those miles, boys and girls.

To this end, I have been stepping up my game, not only in devoting more time toward writing, but also in terms of promotion.  I wrote in an earlier post that I plan on creating Audible versions of my first three books, as well as creating a YouTube channel centered on writing and the life of an aspiring professional author, and took the first steps toward this end in creating an Audible account.  I also had the good fortune to have enough some extra cash on the payday before my coming birthday, so I treated myself to a present in the form of a decent usb microphone, one I plan to use a good deal in the future.  Things seem to be falling into place, so it seemed a wise purchase, and I have a more positive outlook for the future for the first time in longer than I can remember.

So stay tuned!  Lots of things are coming!

Until Next Time,

~Namaste

Hardbacks

Greetings!
Just a quick post to let my intrepid followers know my first two books have been formatted and submitted for the hardback editions, and should be available for order on Amazon soon.
The new book should join them in the next few weeks, so stay tuned, as there are many things in the works for the future!

Until Next Time,

~Namaste

Writing Update: 3-12-2023

Greetings!

Even though I have completed the new novel, it does not mean I get to take any time off; there are still a good number of tasks requiring my attention, projects left undone or to further my visibility in the marketplace.  I have recently revised the formatting for my first novel, Highway Hypnosis, in preparation for an e-book release, and this should be available soon.  I will also be releasing hardcover versions of all my work in the future, so be sure to stay tuned for news and release dates.

Until Next Time,

~Namaste

Writing Update: 3-5-2023

Greetings!

So much news!
The manuscript for my upcoming novel is completed. It will weigh in at 634 pages, and a bit over 169k words. Cover reveal coming soon! I’ll be announcing the publication date soon.
I have solved my previous problems with WordPress, apparently, so I’ll be keeping this format for a while. I will be working more on the mobile version once the new book has been published.
I am also working to start a Youtube channel, basically a video blog of this writer’s life kind of thing. More details will be given as this project progresses.
Also, after some positive feedback from a good friend, I will also be working on making audible versions of all my work.
So, a full plate, it seems.
For those few loyal readers, stay tuned…it’s going to be a busy year.

Until next time,

~Namaste

Writing Update: 11-13-2022

Greetings all,

I finished the first draft of my current WIP on November 6. The manuscript weighed in at over 171k words, a bit over 625 pages, making it my longest work so far. I do not expect the word count to reduce much in the course of editing; if anything, it may increase a bit. I have pretty much told the story I wanted to tell, the one the Muse gave me, and I do not expect many changes in the context of the story itself. I am currently on the first pass through for editing, and barring any major setbacks, still hope to have my cover reveal in time to publish before the end of the year, so stay tuned!

Until Next Time,

~Namaste

Writing Update – Oct. 5, 2022

Greetings all,

It’s been a hectic and exhausting few weeks. I’m not even sure at the moment when I posted last. It’s been some weeks, but the days have a way of blending together when things get intense, and they certainly have been ever since the new owners of my former apartment complex decided to act like complete asshats and not pay me for two months worth of labor. This led to my ending my term as property manager, and having to find a new place and a new job simultaneously. This was a stressful time, and though I managed to do both, this was but the start; I still had to pack up everything I owned into storage while working my new job, and also doing all the rehab work in my future living space in trade for the security deposit. While difficult, this last was a win for me, as I do a better job painting than the normal job done on vacant units, as well as making sure everything was done my way.
I had hoped to finish the first draft of my current novel of multi-dimensional existential horror before having to change my residence, but ran out of time just as I was set to write the next to last chapter, i.e. the climax of the story (the last chapter is just afterglow). I then faced the task of packing the remaining 75% of my belongings and all my furniture in about 24 hours. Unfortunately, my new apartment was not ready yet, so I spent a few nights sleeping in vacant units until the flooring was ready. The end result is I have been keeping a minimum of 16 hour days 7 days a week, and have a bit more to go. As I write this, I am surrounded by a small mountain of boxes waiting to be unboxed, and a few last pieces of furniture to move from another unit I have been using for storage. Although smaller by a slight bit, I think my new place has the potential to be a more creative living environment than my previous residence. it will need to be, because I have lots more books to write.
I have a bit more to do before my place is more of a home, but the finish line for both the apartment and my current WIP is close.

Til next time,

~Namaste

Johnny Depp & Other Thoughts

Greetings All!

The days since my last post have been busy and action-packed. Mercury went retrograde, and regardless of any belief or lack thereof in such things, my life promptly shifted into the Bizarro Zone. In addition to the goings on with the new owners of the building, and the chaos factor being turned up to 11, both in my life and seemingly in the world at large, I’ve also attracted the attention of a possible stalker, possibly from Twitter, but most likely a demented soul who turns up to throw insults at me on various public media from time to time. Fucked up, I know, but what are ya gonna do?
So, things have been strange. Were I an interstellar or inter-dimensional traveler, I’d take one look and nope out of this bullshit, boys and girls.
Also, during the last few weeks here in Virginia, Johnny Depp has been involved in a case against the Narcissistic Monster I will forever refer to as Amber Turd. As a male victim of narcissistic, legal, and domestic abuse, one who, like many victims of this heinous crime of the soul, has spent years researching and studying personality disorders in order to better understand and heal from the damage inflicted by these creatures, I can applaud Mr. Depp’s resolve in bringing these crimes to light. It is difficult for me, as I am sure it is for many, to watch or read of the proceedings without the possibility of anxiety or flashback symptoms, but it is also important, as it brings to light the inequality in the domestic court system, both in this country and elsewhere. After over four years of research, combined with many years of personal experience, I can say with absolute confidence that Mr. Depp is indeed the victim in this case, and that Amber Turd exhibits the exact traits consistent with the diagnosis presented – Histrionic Personality Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder, a combination I attributed to my own grandmother, and a diagnosis I doubted due to both my amateur status and my ignorance of that particular combination being attributed to anyone else, until now.
It is my hope Mr. Depp will be vindicated. In addition to the testimony of his peers and friends, there is also the fact most of his roles – his preferred ones – seem to reflect his inner self: a gentle, harmless soul whose art separates them a bit from society. I am glad this trial concerns the defamation aspect, for if it was being held in domestic or family court, there would be no weeks long trial, no jury, no televised or recorded proceedings. Everything would be decided within 15 minutes, with Mr. Depp being found guilty regardless of truth of fact, subjected to yet more abuse by the legal system, and made to pay for the experience, something I can attest to personally. Mr. Depp had his bed shit on, and the woman threw a vodka bottle, severing the tip of his finger. I was kicked through a wall, defamed, and my ex self-terminated (aborted) our second child, and then lied about it to gain sympathy and care for another year. The patterns of abusive behavior are the same for these creatures, which lack the empathy that is a key component to what it means to truly be human.
I wish Mr. Depp the best of luck. The court system is corrupt and biased, a world where the common man has little to no chance of having his voice heard, unless he’s either set financially, a narcissistic abuser, or both. It is my hope this brings more attention and critique of the system in place, and leads to more balance in our courtrooms. We need a better way to address matters of abuse, and an overhaul not only of the domestic court system, but of our entire ‘justice’ system.
Until that happens, the term is not only a misnomer, but a sad disgrace.

Until Next Time,

~Namaste

Update 4-17-2022

After a long buildup of events, I have been put into a position that requires me to find a new place to live. The new owners of my building have proven to be a nightmare in their own right, creating a hostile workplace that is also my home. They have required me to go way beyond my job description here, and I ended up doing over $10k worth of rehab work in the building for no pay, and harassing calls and texts when I finally said enough was enough. In the process, I lost over 14 pounds, had my sleep and eating schedules disrupted, and subjected to severe stress and anxiety. So, in addition to having to find a new place to call home, I need to deal with courts and lawyers, as I refuse to take this abuse sitting down.
Just another weekend for this writer, boys and girls.
Fortunately, writing has been, and always will be, a means of therapy and solace for me, and thus, has not slowed my writing. To the contrary, in times like these, I find myself writing more, which in a sense proves that art is born of pain, I suppose. My current work in progress is currently a bit more than two-thirds complete in terms of the first draft. It is my longest, and strangest, work to date I feel, and hope to have it completed this summer. With luck, the events surrounding me will not entail too many delays, and I will complete this new novel on schedule. The cover is complete, and I’m itching to do a title and cover reveal, so stay tuned.

Until next time,
~Namaste

A Sad Loss

I received word that my first wife, and mother of my first two children, passed away at approximately 1 a.m. this morning. I have yet to process this, but it has affected me, and I believe it will for quite some time to come. I do know that for me, it marks the end of yet another era, another chapter of my life. Yet more of my past is now locked forever in history, and my world has become smaller with her passing.
I met Gina when I was still in high school, and she was my girlfriend from my sophomore year onward. We had our share of misadventures, as many of that age did at the time, and memories of those times come out of the dark now at odd hours to remind me of just how long I’ve been on this road. We got married pretty much right out of school, for different reasons, I suppose, although both of us being young and stupid counted for a lot of what happened after.
Yes, things went wrong. It was my relationship that blew my portfolio review for MICA, where I had pretty much been scheduled to receive a full scholarship, and this changed my life to an extreme degree. There was a great deal of misery and strife, also because we were young and stupid, and I became a work horse, doing whatever I could to support my wife and children. I hated most of these jobs, hated life a great deal of the time, to be honest, and although I grew to know our relationship was in trouble, I continued to hold onto hope until the very end. Things were made worse by my grandmother, who did not hold my wife or her family in any regard, and made things harder for us because of it.
This was made even worse after we divorced, using whatever means she could to cause more tension between us, and still being young and stupid, I did nothing to make things easier. It took another ten years for us to reconcile our past, and to begin treating each other civilly. We had done what was necessary for the children in the meantime, but it was never friendly. I resented my treatment, and it took years for me to understand how we had both been manipulated by our caregivers, and the truth behind what had happened to us. It was then that I could finally forgive her for the things she had done, and let go of my anger. In the end, we ended up creating two beautiful children together, and I came to understand that some things…are not about us; they are about greater things.
Yet, despite all the bad things that happened, all the things she may have done against me in our marriage, I know she never took pleasure in it. Anything we did, we did for reasons inspired by our youth and inexperience, for our own protection, or doing what we thought we needed to do. Neither of us ever set out to set up the other, or deliberately cause them pain for our pleasure or benefit. In short, my first wife had some flaws, as do we all, but she was not a narcissistic monster like the one that nearly killed me several years ago. She did not deserve the cancer that ravaged her for four years, did not deserve the pain and fear it brings, nor did her children or husband, all of whom are decent people who do their best to make their way in the world without hurting others. Gina never had what could be called an easy life, and I think she deserved much more happiness than what she received. I can only hope that now, after fighting a battle against that dark and insidious opponent, that she will finally know happiness and peace.
Farewell and Godspeed, Gina. Rest now, and take joy in knowing your children, all of them, love you and will miss you.
As will I.