Thoughts and Truth

   I wanted to talk about something that’s been on my mind lately. It isn’t the most positive thing in the world, but it’s something that I need to talk about. I need to talk about failure. I’ve known a lot of people lately who have underperformed in their field, and some of them have even been held accountable for that. I’ve seen them go from being confident and happy to thinking they are literally worse at what they do than anyone else. I’ve been there lately, too. I haven’t always met my own expectations, and that’s led to a lot of self-doubt.

   I’ve always heard in church that it was a good thing if a person was humble, but what happens when a person is so humbled by a mixture of bad luck and good intentions that have gone wrong that they get beaten down to a point where they truly don’t think that they can get out of the hole that life has buried them in? As human beings, we need some type of pride in who we are and what we do, but many of the people I know have lost that spark. I’m even losing it. It’s hard to keep your head up against everything that’s put in front of you. The truth is that I’m only writing this to tell everyone that I have a lot of doubts about who I am and what I’m doing. I’m still very insecure about the person I’m becoming. I could sit here and do the whole promotional author thing and say that I think my books are the cure for a bad day and that they’re the greatest thing of the century, but here’s the truth. I like my books, and I think that most people will enjoy them, but insecurity still creeps in a lot. Sometimes it comes in the form of a thought, and at others, it comes in the form of another person who makes me doubt everything I’ve done. It’s at times like this that I need people to lean on. I shouldn’t be weak, but I am.

   The main reason I’m writing this is to tell all the people in my life that are going through struggles that they’re not alone. I’m right there with you. I don’t have any answers, but if we keep moving forward, maybe we’ll find a place that’s full of a confidence and reassurance that tells us that yes, you’re doing the right things. Then again, maybe not. We’ve all come too far to stop now, though. So for all my people who are struggling with work, school, or their relationships, I say this. Keep going and fighting for what ought to be and not what is. Most importantly, remember who you are. You are not a failure. You’re just one good opportunity away from showing the world exactly how capable you really are.

           

The Future

   I thought that I would update everyone on how I’m progressing with my writing. Wrong Fortunes is still on schedule for the 25^th, and I’m coming along very nicely on writing the seventh and final Wrong book. Yes, I know it’s weird that I’m writing my rough draft of a book that is coming out several months after Wrong Fortunes, Strange Visions: The Storm, and an untitled sixth Wrong book, but I love writing stories, and this story has been especially fun to write. I’m trying to go very big in this one, and I think that it’s working. I’m literally throwing every idea I ever had about the Wrong Series into this final book. Because of that, the chapters are longer, and I suspect that this book will be by far the longest book I’ve ever written.

   Now that everything is wrapping up, I am starting to wonder what I should do next, though. Yes, I know that I’ve said that I had some ideas about new books in the past, but I’m really torn about this. I’ve spent the last nine months writing about two sets of characters, and in a few more weeks, I’m going to be done with their worlds. In a way, it’s sad, but I’m kind of looking forward to the challenge of creating something new that isn’t anything like what I’ve done in the past. I have this idea for a very dark futuristic book that would pretty far out of my comfort zone. Oddly enough, I like getting outside of my comfort zone. I was very uncomfortable with the idea of writing a novel when I first started, but by the third day, I loved it. The Strange Visions series was uncomfortable for me, too. I always told myself that I wouldn’t write anything that had to do with psychics because most of the people that I know don’t enjoy stories like that. Then there was the fact that Trent and Ally are young. In fact, they’re in high school in the first book. When I had the idea for the series, I thought that older adults wouldn’t even give it a chance because the characters were young, and in some cases, I’m sure that’s been the case, but it was worth it to write their stories. At some point, you figure out that the hardest things to write about are the ones you really care about. You’re scared of what people may think about your work. You think things like what if they ridicule something that is so intimate to me. What people don’t realize is that most authors don’t sit around and think about what people want to read about. We write our daydreams, and sometimes we even live our lives through the characters we create. That sounds strange. If I said that I had friends who weren’t real in any other situation I would be committed, but you guys understand what I’m saying. When I went for it and wrote the story I wanted to write with Wrong Place, I saw the world and myself in a totally different way. That book wasn’t perfect, and God knows that I’ve learned a lot more about writing since then, but it’s still my second favorite book next to Wrong Life because that book and those characters helped me figure out who I was. Strange Visions was no different. It allowed me to push past a mental block of what people may think about character ages or sci-fi elements. For once, I just released what was inside of me. That’s the real thing that most don’t understand about people who write. I’ve heard a lot of people say it’s like a skill that you get better at as time goes on, but writing isn’t like that at all. Sure, your grammar gets better, but that’s all. When we tell a story, we don’t learn how to manipulate it over time. We just see what we see. The characters lead the story, and then we write things down. That sounds a little crazy. How can fictional beings tell you a story? That’s how it happens, though. It’s like a movie running through your head once you open yourself up to it.

   I’m really looking forward to seeing a new movie in my head as soon I’m done with the final Wrong book. For now, I guess I should enjoy the moment, though. Over the next three months, I’m going to be writing the ending to something that has been one of the best things that has ever happened to me, and I’m also going to be polishing what I have already written so others can enjoy it. I wanted to say thank you to all the new likes on my Facebook page and welcome any new people reading my blog. In my spare time, I would love to connect with new authors and of course readers, so I encourage all of you to send me a message sometime. I’m very passionate about what I do, but I’m even more passionate about getting to know the people I share my work with and others who love to write or create anything original. Thanks for reading, guys, and next time I might just have a teaser for Wrong Fortunes for everyone.

My Life

   I wanted to share what it’s like to write every day with you guys. I’ve heard people say that it must be nice to sit in my pajamas all day. Then there are the people who think it’s all some kind of creative process that is altogether a lot more than it really is. What I do is simple, yet complicated at the same time, and yes, it’s very hard at times. I won’t lie - I do sit in my pajamas on most days, but there’s a reason for that. LOL! I start as soon as I wake up. I normally grab something with caffeine in it, and then I start editing whatever I wrote the night before. After that, I check on my sales. For some reason, I consider this a two-minute break. After that, I start writing a new chapter to my book. It takes some time. A chapter for me can be anywhere between 2000 and 4000 words. Lately, I’ve been writing around 3000 words per chapter. When I’m finally done with that, I check my Facebook, and see if there’s anything I can do to promote my books. Then I either write a blog or brainstorm about blogging ideas. When I’m done with that, I write another chapter. At that point, I look up at the clock and realize that the day is almost gone, and I haven’t showered or shaved yet, so I drag myself to the bathroom and do just that. After this process repeats itself for a number of days, I have a manuscript that I have to read about eight times before it’s ready for release. While I’m reading it, I look for possible cover images and eventually make a cover for the book. Then I let you guys know what’s going on. When it’s all said and done, I work for roughly ten to twelve hours a day, and I don’t take the weekends off. The strange thing is that when a book is sold, most authors don’t make that much for all the effort they put in. Still, there’s something so positive about writing. I just told you a million things that were negative about writing, and yes, it’s the hardest thing I have ever done, and it’s not for everyone, but when you really get addicted to these stories and these characters, you find that those long hours simply slip away. Some days you tell yourself that you’re going to take a break, but then your mind wanders. You start wondering what Nathan and Sam are going to do next or how things are going to work out with Trent and Ally. The characters become like your best friends, and the strange thing is that you aren’t leading the story anymore . . . they are. Writing is hard, and it has nothing to do with lounging around or money, and it certainly isn’t an elegant process. Still, it’s been my greatest joy, and I wouldn’t do anything else if I could. It’s my addiction, and I hope to be addicted to these stories and an all new set of characters in the future. That’s what writing is about, and that’s what I’ve been doing with my time. Here’s to never wasting your time on something that isn’t challenging and that doesn’t completely compel you.

Wrong Fortunes

   I’ve been working on a new book for a long time, and it’s almost ready for release. Wrong Fortunes has been one of my favorite books to write. I had been writing so much on the Strange Visions books before I wrote this one, and the last Wrong book I wrote was very close to being a prequel. I enjoyed taking that time to write about new characters and tell new stories, but I truly felt at home coming back to some of my old characters. I’ve missed Sam, Lee, and Trish, and they are the most featured characters in this book. I’ll give you the official description of the book real quick, and then I’ll tell you more about what makes this book special and personal to me.

   Wrong Fortunes follows Sam, Lee, and Trish in the days following Markus Boyd’s death. While Sam tries to hide the fact that she’s alive, she finds shelter with two friends who are on their way to Las Vegas. Instead of a relaxing vacation, Lee and Trish will have to deal with a situation that they never anticipated. As the three friends face an unexpected danger, they all have to question what they’re doing. Can Samantha Fisher ever leave spy work behind, or is her past going to follow her forever? For Lee and Trish, it’s simply a question of survival as they face one of the most dangerous situations they have ever been a part of. This installment in the series will shed light on a time period that we’ve been left in the dark on so far, and it will give you a very large indication as to where the series is going. Most of all, it stays true to what this series does best. With plenty of action, romance, and even comedy, it should make for a very entertaining read that sets the stage for so much more.

   That was a very basic way to describe the book, but I want to give you guys a little more. The few people who have read this book have told me that I might use the word normal too much in it, but there’s a reason for that. At its core, this book represents a struggle that we all go through at different points in our lives. We all feel inadequate or like we can’t be the perfect picture of what someone needs or what people expect us to be. We desperately struggle between the voice in our head that is us and the realization that we should try to fit in our own situation and be what the people around us need us to be. That is Sam’s struggle. She’s an ex-CIA agent who is waiting to start her life with the man of her dreams, but there is still a side of her that wants to hold onto her identity. All she’s ever known is order, death, and espionage. How does she fit into his normal world, and should she even try to fit? That’s what she struggles with. I also show a lot of the unanswered questions about Sam’s past and feature Lee and Trish more than they have been in the past. While doing all of that with Sam, Lee, and Trish, I make sure to give the rest of the cast some time, too. Besides, it just wouldn’t be a Wrong book if the others didn’t pop in at least for a cameo. I hope you guys will love the book. It’s number five out of what will be seven, and it sets what is shaping up to be a good sixth book.

   I found the original model that I used for Wrong Place and made a cover featuring her for Fortunes. I hope everyone likes it. I personally love it, and I can’t wait to see Wrong Fortunes on Kindle and in print. Here’s the cover, and thanks for reading, guys. Fortunes will be out on October 25^th.