Destiny Preorder

   Today I’m announcing that Destiny is coming to Kindle on August 28^th. In case you don’t know, Destiny is a book I’ve been working on since last year, and it has been such a joy to write. I think it’s going to be an even bigger joy to share it with all of you. This story is one that consumed every part of me. I wrote during the day, and at night, I struggled to sleep because I kept coming back to it in my mind. When I closed my eyes, I saw two characters who had become friends of mine, and I couldn’t wait until the sun came up again so I could go back to them. For me, this book was everything, and I truly believe that others will find it to be entertaining, cute, and at the same time, full of the hard truths we face in life. At its heart, Destiny is a romantic novel, but it’s so much more than that. I wish I could tell all of you the story right now, but I don’t want to ruin anything. I wrote this one for all the people who said I should try my hand at romance and slice of life stories. I hope you guys will love it.

   Now that I’ve told you the release date and how much I love these characters, I want to share a few more things with you. First off, it’s time for me to reveal the cover. Below I’m going to include it along with some teaser images. At the very bottom of the page, I’ll put a link for anyone who wants to preorder now. No pressure. :)

   Before I go, I want to say one more thing about today and the future of my newest novel. Starting on August 28^th, I’m really going to push this book. I already have a lot of promotional programs in mind and some more set up that will help get the word out about Destiny. I believe in it, and I’m putting my money where my mouth is on this one. I honestly feel like this is the best thing I’ve ever written. I know. I’ve said that in the past, but I mean it. This story is leaps and bounds better than what I’ve done before, and I happen to like my other stories. ;) If you can’t tell, I’m very proud of this one. I could walk away happy after this book because I know in my heart I’ve done what I set out to do in writing now that I have this story under my belt. I can’t push it all on my own, though, no matter how much I talk about it or how much money I put into promotion. Word of mouth goes a long way. For those who already like what I do, I would ask that you tell a friend about my newest book, and for everyone else, give Destiny a read when it comes out. If you like it like I think you will, then spread the word. This one isn’t about money. This book took on a different feel to me, and I want it to succeed because I feel these characters deserve to have their stories heard by many. I don’t even care if anyone knows I wrote it. I just want it to get the credit it deserves, so help me out if you end up loving it as much as I do.

www.amazon.com/dp/B012DVNNG6

The Divided States of America

You can already guess what this is about, thanks to the title. I know . . . I know. This subject has been done to death, but that’s exactly why I want to talk about it. I could bring up the flag that everyone has an opinion on, and I will, but this issue isn’t that simple. I have many friends and a lot more acquaintances on Facebook. For the last month, all I’ve heard about is the Confederate flag, and depending on where you’re from or what you’re into, you probably have some kind of opinion about this. The problem with this issue is it’s everywhere, and people seem to be extremely opinionated about it. That’s a dangerous thing. Some believe their “heritage” is being trampled all over, and a few of these people are even willing to fight for it. Then there’s the other side. They view the Confederate flag as a symbol of hate, and think that most who fly it are racist. That’s a pretty big separation, and both views are far from reality. I’m going to tell you why no one seems to have this issue right, and you might not agree with me. You don’t have to. It’s just one man’s opinion, but I truly believe that if both sides would look at this issue in reality, they might just find that things are much simpler than they believe.

First, let’s challenge the belief that our government is trying to take southerners’ heritage. Does a flag define you and where you’ve been? Is it truly what makes you feel pride about where you’re from? If it is, then maybe you like the idea of something more than the reality. Here’s the truth. No one alive today ever fought in the Civil War or even knew someone who did. That flag might represent different things to different people, but here’s where it came from. It’s a reminder of a dark past where many Americans died fighting amongst each other for a number of reasons that were all wicked. Take your pick of issues in the Civil War. There was slavery, taxation, and an argument for State’s Rights. All of this is a representation of things that are a very dark part of our history. Our ancestors enslaved and were enslaved for nothing more than cheap labor, and what some viewed as unfair taxation and tariffs contributed to an already unstable situation. Then there were State’s Rights being used for what was what many might call a traitorous war, depending on what your opinion is about all this. The point is that nothing about the history of the Civil War is something for us to take pride in, and I don’t mean that just as someone from the south. I mean that no one anywhere in the country should consider the darkest part of our history as something to take pride in. If you want to be proud of your heritage, then by all means, do so. Make sure you’re proud of things that are worth something, though. I’m from Mississippi, and a flag that was created long before I was born doesn’t fill me with anything. I don’t feel hate for it, and at the same time, I feel no pride. It’s just a meaningless symbol for me. The things I feel pride about are much closer to home. For me, it’s all about my immediate family, and when I look back at history, I choose to feel pride in the great things that were accomplished here. The first lung transplant was performed by Dr. James Hardy in Mississippi. That’s the type of thing you can build on, not a long lost war or a flag from it.

Now, let’s go to the other side of this. Some assume that anyone who flies this flag are automatically racists and even go as far as to say it should be against the law to fly it. Are some people racist who fly the Confederate flag or wear clothes that feature it? Sure they are, but that can be said about people who don’t. The fact is you don’t know someone’s heart. What that flag means to somebody could be the total opposite of what it means to you. I see no significance in it, but I do see significance in many things that people dislike. Some of them remind me of people who have passed on or spark memories of people I haven’t seen in a long time. I understand that some people find that flag offensive and racist, but people need to slow down for a second. You can’t censor what a person does on their own property or change how they choose to feel, nor can you accurately judge their hearts. The Civil War and slavery happened a long time ago. No one is alive who went through that. I know some have suffered discrimination, but that’s just life. Someone somewhere is always going to dislike you for the color of your skin or your gender. We can’t control that. All we can do is show love for people and work to break through stereotypes that are created to divide us. There are some left in our nation who hate others just for the color of their skin. They give themselves reasons to hate that are only in their head. People may say that black men must be lazy; women must not be as emotionally stable; a white guy who has a bumper sticker with a flag on it must be a racist. See how it works? Sometimes stereotypes are correct, but most of the time, they’re just something we concoct in our brains to justify our worldview. We can’t force others to change to accommodate our worldview. A flag is just that. Has it been used as a hate symbol? Yeah, more than a few times, but I think if you’ll really examine any symbol, you’ll find that someone thinks its offensive. We can’t outlaw all symbols because we assume they’re going to be used in hate, and we should never think for one second that we can judge the hearts of men because of how we feel about something. It’s not possible to do.

Now, for how I feel about this. We are not The United States of America anymore. We’re the divided ones. Everyone is offended about everything it seems, and no one can give an inch. Would it be so bad if the Confederate flag didn’t exist? Would it change everyone’s existence who flies it? No. It wouldn’t change a thing. At the same time, taking it down wouldn’t change anyone’s existence either. Racism would go on because it’s a disease for the ignorant and delusional. Unfortunately, the ignorant and delusional are always going to exist. To me, this issue with the flag represents so much more than a flag. It’s an example of what we’ve become as Americans. There are men and women, white and black, Democrat and Republican, and north and south. Where are the Americans? Where are the men and women of all colors and beliefs who see this as their country and agree to disagree because sometimes that’s what freedom is all about. Sometimes it’s about saying I’ll never see things from your point of view, but I respect where you’re coming from, and you’re still my brother/sister. We’re in this together, and that’s something we’ve forgotten. We can’t remember how to be proud of our country and the people in it. We lobby for self-interest all while fighting anyone who stands against what we represent. We’ve forgotten the most important part of our country’s name. We’re The United States of America. Without unity, we’re bound to fall, and it probably won’t be to a foreign enemy. The very system that was built for us will crumble because of selfishness, wickedness, and the inability to shut our mouths for two seconds. That’s all we do anymore. We’re a nation of complainers. It’s on the news and social media, and I don’t think people dislike it. I think they get some type of sick enjoyment out of the division. Well, I don’t. Here’s me saying my two cents. To my brothers and sisters of any color, I don’t agree with everything you do, but I’m in this with you. I’m an American, and I love all of you, regardless of your beliefs or background. With you, I would bleed to maintain the life we’ve been presented with. That’s our true heritage. We’re Americans, and we can stand together or fall under the weight that we put on ourselves every day.

My Journey

   Today I want to talk about my journey in a very honest way. There are so many different subjects I could write about. I could tell you about my new books that will be coming out in a few weeks, or I could talk about the confederate/wall of rainbows we’ve seen on all of our Facebook pages. Let’s be honest, though. Those subjects have enough people weighing in on them, and it’s boring to even think about at this point. For today, I’m going to concentrate on getting something out of me that has been eating away at who I am for a while now. I’m sorry if I come off as a patient sitting on your metaphorical couch while you play the role as shrink, but I need to step back and be honest for a minute. It would be easy to tell you how well things are going. That’s what people want - positivity. I completely get that, but at a certain point, you have to let everything out that’s eating away at you in the back of your mind, and I feel like mine’s about to burst. Here’s me just being who I am uncensored and without thought to book sales, the latest thing that offends someone, or wondering how to inspire others.

   I’ve hit a snag in my journey that I can’t seem to get past. I started all of this to find my niche, and in so many ways, I did. I found what I love to do in private. I found friends and stories to connect with. Books have been my way of expression and escapism, and I love that, but there’s another part of my journey that has nothing to do with expression or escaping the reality right in front of me. It has everything to do with things like this - understanding, relation, intimacy, kindness, empathy, and maybe most of all, love. You might say those things are simple. You might even think that everyone can understand you because we all feel down sometimes, and even the most different mind has someone out there who can relate to them. When I mention intimacy I hear comments like you just need to get laid. Just those three things can tell you so much about why I feel down right now and like I’m going nowhere. I have a different point of view from most people, and oftentimes when I express it, people don’t understand. As a matter of fact, it’s all the time. We live in a society where everyone picks a side on any major view, and they stick to it. Then there’s me. I don’t. Republican or Democrat, McDonalds or Burger King, Sprint or AT&T, this flag or that flag, short or tall, fat or skinny, and male or female. To me, all of these choices mean nothing. Republicans and Democrats are simply parties that argue for their own points of view in oftentimes juvenile ways, and they represent nothing that’s even close to my views. However you slice it with McDonalds or Burger King, it’s still just a hamburger. This flag or that flag is just one more thing to argue about or burn, depending on your point of view. Your appearance tells me nothing about the soul, and yet everyone has so many preferences and requirements to even be friends with an individual. In my experience, men and women aren’t even that different, but yet there seems to be such a separation between us in most people’s minds. You wouldn’t even think we were the same species sometimes. What I’m trying to say is maybe the problem isn’t that people don’t understand me. It’s that I don’t understand them anymore. We’re in a world where people love to complain and take sides about everything. They love to call intimacy sex, and then go tell all of their friends about their experience with the person they took to bed, and in the worst cases, even post pictures of it online. To me, intimacy is still something that’s private. It’s more than sex or anything physical. It’s that place where the most private parts of yourself physically and mentally are safe with another person. As far as I can tell, intimacy died with the digital age. We can’t even think something without putting it out there for the world, much less keep a secret for a person we’re supposed to be intimate with. As for kindness, I don’t see any. We pretend to be kind. We say a silent prayer for people and hit like on Facebook and think that makes us a great person, but all the while, we do nothing. We lie to ourselves and say we’ve done our part when in reality, we’ve done absolutely nothing.

   Finally, there’s love. Where is it? They say it still exists, but I don’t see it at all. In a society where we’re always looking to trade up cars and houses, somehow we’ve managed to treat people like possessions, too. We’re constantly trading up for a better girlfriend or boyfriend, and in the worst of cases, spouse. Our love is no longer true or intimate. It’s contingent on beauty, money, and power. It isn’t strong, enduring, or only for the one we supposedly care for most. It’s with condition and for whoever can meet those special conditions we cook up in our minds. We call them needs. We need a partner who looks at least this good, is this educated, makes this much money, and is respected this much. Never does love enter the equation. It’s all practical, like we’re picking out a new car.

   Finding my niche wasn’t all about a career. It was about finding my people, too. I’m still searching so hard, and if I’m being honest, I’m losing hope. I’m not the optimistic person I was a few months ago. I try to pretend I am when I talk to others because I don’t want to ruin their day, but here’s the truth. I don’t see the grand purpose in the things everyone cares so much about, I haven’t found someone I can share the lightest parts of my day with and it stay private, much less the deepest parts of who I am, likes and dropping a quarter in a homeless person’s cup have been mistaken with making a difference, and worst of all, we’ve forgotten how to love. People have become objects we can use for temporary company, sex, better status, easy money, and arm candy. They’re the same as a really expensive car that screams money and gets plenty of attention, and that’s a shame. There’s no love. There’s no intimacy. There’s just me, and these are my thoughts. This is what feeling defeated and alone is like. This is stepping back and really looking at society and saying is this it because if this is all that’s there for me when it comes to relationships, then maybe I’m better off continuing this journey alone.

A Wakeup Call

   Today I want to talk to you about a subject that has been discussed a lot in the media for the last few days. It took some time for me to gather my thoughts on the issue, and now I’m ready to say my two cents. I hope this will come across the right way, and more than anything, what I want to share with you is what I’ve learned from this.

   The shootings in South Carolina that occurred a few days ago were carried out by a white man in a church full of black people. They were killed for one simple reason. They were African American. I personally don’t understand this because I have never felt enough hate against a group of people to want them dead. As a matter of fact, I don’t feel hate against any race, religion, or gender. Even so, I live in the deep south, and I know many people who do hate others for the color of their skin or what’s between their legs. I know even more who hate others because of their beliefs. This is a difficult subject to tackle, but I’m going to do my best. Here’s what you have to realize. The man responsible for these deaths wasn’t just a crazy person who randomly shot several people. He was someone who was taught to hate a certain group of people very likely from a young age. He was under the impression that African Americans were ruining our country, and that’s not the type of conclusion you come to on your own. It’s the type of thing that is engrained in you over time. I know. I’m a white guy who grew up around several racist people. Don’t get the wrong idea here because most of the people in my life aren’t, but I know plenty who are. I’ve given them excuses. I’ve said “they just feel that way because they’re from a different generation,” or “they were just raised that way.” I don’t speak out against it. Most of us don’t, and that’s not just exclusive to white people. I don’t care what color you are. You’ve known a racist, and it’s very likely that you didn’t always question their beliefs. You allowed them to say, and in some cases, do things that you knew were wrong. Now I know what you’re thinking. We can’t control what others do or think. It’s a free country. That’s very true, but I’m here to tell you why it’s important to question people’s beliefs and point out the error of their ways, even if it makes things uncomfortable for everyone involved.

   Take for example an older relative who constantly says racist things against a group of people. They’re from a different generation - that’s the excuse, but here’s the thing. What they say and do doesn’t just affect them. It’s something your children will bear witness to. Even if you don’t think so, it’s something that will rub off on them. Their hatred and completely misguided views will be introduced to an entirely new generation who otherwise might not have seen color or gender. They might have just been the ones to change the way we think. I thought my generation would do that. We’re not much better, though. We pretend we are. Most of us don’t have hateful words for those different than us, but we don’t come to anyone’s defense who looks different. We’re an idle generation who allows the stereotypes in racism to continue. Guess what? Every once in a while, those stereotypes find their way to a young and troubled mind like the man in South Carolina. We allowed those views to survive by being silent and accepting the ideas of crazy people and those unwilling to change. A monster like Dylan Roof doesn’t just exist. He is created, and our society is still breeding hate, even if we don’t want to acknowledge it.

   I have a few things to say that might make some people mad, but I want the world to know who I am and what I stand for. First, the idea that black people are somehow ruining our country is absolutely ludicrous. The real thing that’s crazy is that we see color as something that makes us so different. White and Black people bleed the same color. We both work, love, and feel pain. There are lazy and bad white and black people, and there are plenty of God-fearing people from both races. I truly wish we would start seeing each other as we really are. We’re not several races divided by color. We’re the human race, and until we decide to see each other equally, no real progress will ever be made. Another stereotype I have heard is about Spanish people. I’ve heard it all. They’re lazy illegals who shouldn’t be here. That’s what they say. I’m here to tell you that every Spanish person I’ve ever met has been a God-fearing person who worked twice as hard as I do. I don’t know the answer to border control problems, but I do know this. Any ideas you might have about a group of people who sneak over the border to find a better life might be a little skewed by the privilege you have grown up in. You might just find yourself hopping a fence if you grew up on the other side of it. Religious discrimination is a huge problem, too. No, I’m not just talking about when Christians are discriminated against. We’re a country of people who are free to practice whatever religion we wish to, but yet, all too often people make assumptions based on beliefs. An Atheist must hate everything to do with God. A Christian must be a fanatic who hates science. A Muslim has to be an extremist who wants you dead and so on . . . You get the point. These assumptions are just stupid, and they only create hate. Here’s a fact for you. I am a Christian, and I’m a very open and nonjudgmental person who loves everything to do with science. I’ve known quite a few atheists in my life, too. They were intelligent people who never hated me for my beliefs or belittled them. The majority of them didn’t necessarily reject the idea of God. They simply said they had no way of knowing the true origins of the universe. Finally, there’s Muslims. If you believe what you hear on television, they might all be out to get us. Guess what? You shouldn’t believe everything you hear. Ninety-nine percent of Muslims don’t want to hurt you any more than ninety-nine percent of Christians want to hurt anybody. It’s the fanatics of terrorist groups and churches like Westboro Baptist that further these stereotypes, but I ask you to think about this logically and stop sitting by and allowing the words of people who only want to spread hate to influence our children. Last but not least, there are certain hate groups who attack people for sinning. GodHatesFags is a website that Westboro Baptist Church created to further their message that God hates all gay people, and America is being punished with dead soldiers and children because we’re not hunting down gays. I am a Christian, and I don’t believe it’s morally just to be in a homosexual relationship, but I also don’t think it’s okay to lie or get a divorce. It’s not okay to lust or curse either. Wait a minute. God hates all those things, doesn’t He? Does that mean God hates all of us? Haven’t we all cursed and lusted? I’ve heard it said that gay people can’t go to Heaven because they’re living in a sin. Well, I’ve got news for you. I am, too. I lust almost every day of my life. I curse, too. Occasionally, I lie. I’m making very little effort to change those things, if I’m honest about it. I do ask for forgiveness, though, and as small as my effort is, there’s something there. Through God all things are possible. It literally says that in the Bible, but yet so-called Christians believe they can judge who goes to Heaven. They think that their sin is somehow less of an offense than someone else’s, and it’s ridiculous. Wake up, America. You’re divided because you hate anyone who’s a different color, religion, gender, or who sins differently than you. For those of you who don’t hate anyone because of these reasons, stop sitting idly by while others spew nonsense in front of young minds who are still so susceptible to people’s views. Set the record straight, and maybe we can avoid a shooting a decade from now that is the result of misinformation that can only be referred to as barbaric and idiotic. If you have extremist beliefs, I challenge you to question them today. Has a certain race of people really hurt your country or you personally? Has a religious group as a whole held you down? Is your sin so small that you can afford to take time out to correct everyone else on theirs because if God truly hates all gay people, then that means He hates me and you, too. We’re sinners just like them, and just like other races, ours is flawed. It’s not about skin color. The human race as a whole is flawed, and every religion has its extremist.

   Here is my hope for myself and those around me. I hope we will not only break free of the stereotypes that have ruled us, but also stand up to those who spout off things that are nothing more than hate speech. I’ve always been taught that you have the right to say whatever you want until it infringes on someone else’s rights. Well, guess what? It infringes on my rights to hear profanity, lies, and beliefs that were disproven many years ago. Question everything, and always say what you know is true, no matter what generation the person you’re talking to is from or what part of the country you’re in.

Update

   I thought today I would update everyone on what I’ve been working on. Before that, though, I want to say thanks for all the kind words about Wrong Visions Vol. 3. It was the last in the series, and it holds a special place in my heart because it’s a goodbye to so many great characters, not that they might not have a little cameo in a future project. ;) It is the end of their stories for sure, though.

   Here’s what I want everyone to know immediately. A romantic novel titled Destiny will be my next project. I haven’t set a date for it yet, but you should expect it sooner rather than later. This is one I’ve been working on for a while, and I’ve been chomping at the bit to get it out there, but I had to be patient. I had to finish up The Unseen and Wrong Visions series before I could concentrate on something new. It’s worth noting that this book is nothing like the ones I’ve written in the past. It’s something that I never expected I could actually write, but it turns out it might be what I’m best at. I started this journey out by trying to “find my niche.” I still plan to explore all types of genres in my writing, but I think I found it with books like Destiny. It’s a mixture of the slice of life style stories that I love and the idealistic life I’ve always dreamed of. It’s actually finished and edited. For some reason, I can’t find a good cover, though. Hopefully I’ll find one soon.

   I wrote a prequel to The Divide called The Divide: Origins also. It’s still in the editing stages, but it’s coming together nicely. I would expect to release it before the end of year. In a way, this is a darker story. It explores who we are and what we can take while still maintaining the good in us. That’s not all I’ve been working on, though. I have written a romance that’s very familiar to me. It’s currently untitled. I have very high hopes for it. It falls into more of the young adult genre, and I try to pull from places and experiences I have in my own life. The characters certainly aren’t any indication of who I am or what I’ve been through, but the world and story are something that’s very personal to me. It’s set in the early 2000s, so I make quite a few references to things from when I was in high school. It should be entertaining for anyone of that generation or just someone who wants to read a good love story that keeps it light, for the most part.

   I’m also writing two other stories right now that I can’t give many details about. Just know that they’re very different from one another. One sticks to the formula that we see in Destiny, (or you will see) and the other tries something that’s very different for me. I’m not sure if the latter will ever get released because it’s been a very challenging project, and I’m starting to wonder if I bit off a little more than I could chew. If not, it should be epic, but it’s still early, so we’ll see. The weird thing is that even though I’ve been editing three books and writing two more, I still have more ideas for the future. I’ve got an untitled project in my mind that’s futuristic and has elements of sci-fi in it. If I ever write that one, at its core, it’ll be about what makes us human. What is a soul? Another is a religious work that isn’t fiction at all. It’ll just be an exploration of what it means to be a Christian and how we deal with the challenges of our daily lives. I’m still learning in that area, so I’m not sure when this project will get off the ground. I figure that I should probably get myself straight before I start giving people advice about God or their lives. Still, it’s something I hope to write when I have a better handle on what it means to be a Christian in today’s world. The final idea I have is something called I Devil. I know. It’s kind of a dark title. It’s going to be a dark book, though. It might be kind of weird that I mentioned it right behind the idea for a Christian book, but it’s a project that keeps me up because I’m always thinking about it. It would be a big undertaking, and some might not like it due to the dark nature of its subject, but it has a theme behind it that we never acknowledge. Who’s the real devil? The man with the pointy horns or the person who stares back at you in the mirror? It’ll explore the lightest and darkest sides of human psychology. As I write about it now, I get excited. I think it’ll be my next project, if I ever finish with everything else.

   So there you have it. I’ve been very busy with all sorts of things. I know I’ve only released a couple of books this year, which is kind of slow for me, but it’s only because I’ve been reloading. Hopefully, I’ll have Destiny out there for you soon and be working on many more projects. You might ask what I’ve been doing with my free time. I would respond with what free time? Maybe that should be my next project before I Devil. Operation Mitch gets a life. :) Thanks for reading, and expect more about Destiny soon. I’ll be writing a series of blogs about it leading up to the release.