New Years

   It’s that time again. Some of us are celebrating a new year, and others are thinking back on 2013 and wondering what we really accomplished. I’ve been in the latter category for most of my adult life. I often get to the end of the year and think about what I didn’t do that year. Then I start making plans for everything that I have to do the next year. Then I spend that next year putting all of myself into trying to accomplish whatever unrealistic goal I’ve set. At the end of that year, I’m normally just short of a goal that seemed like it could never be possible. I’ve always looked at that as a complete failure, but this year, things are different. I didn’t accomplish every goal that I set for myself at the beginning of 2013, but I did more than I thought I could and certainly did much more than most other people thought I could do. I realized something this year. You don’t need to look at the final destination of any journey because some journeys are doomed before they start. Look at the journey as a whole, and then analyze it. Even if you came up short, did you accomplish some really great things? Was it fun at times? Did you smile, cry, laugh, and love in that year? If the answer is yes, then you grew as a person, and you have nothing to feel ashamed of. I have developed a new mindset. People often think that the person who shoots for the stars is a fool, but that person always gets a lot more air than the people who are staring from the ground.

   I guess my point is this. I want the people in my life to be happy, and I want to use whatever motivation I gained in 2013 in 2014. I’m going to continue to set unrealistic goals, and I’m going to continue to fail, but in doing so, I’m going to push myself further than I would have before. Make a goal for yourself this year, and make it one that you truly don’t think you can achieve. Dream big, and enjoy wherever those dreams take you. I promise that they’ll take you further than anything else. 

   Now that I’ve told you all about how I’m going to set unrealistic goals, fail, and be better for it, I want to say that I hope you all have a great New Year and that 2014 is so much better than 2013. You all made my year very special by connecting with me and reading my words. I hope to share more with everyone next year and build my house. I guess those are my goals. I want to take my writing to entirely different places and build a home that I can be satisfied with for a lifetime. What are your goals, and are they going to lead you on a journey that takes you to all of the places that you want to go to regardless of where the final destination is? Find the right journey and the right people this year, guys. If you do, I promise that everything after that is icing on the cake. Thanks for reading this entry. I should have a cover and official title for Wrong Six to announce soon. Look forward to that, and more importantly, look forward to the possibility that a new year brings regardless of how hard the past year might have been.

New Projects

   I had a great Christmas, but now it’s over, and unfortunately, it’s time to get back to work. I thought that now would be a good time to update everyone on the status of my projects and tell you guys what I’ve been working on.

   The next Wrong book is being fine tuned right now. Everything as far as the story is there, and a good portion of the editing is done, but it isn’t quite as polished as I want it to be. I really like the sixth Wrong book, and the more I read it, the more it becomes one of my favorites. Without spoiling anything, I’ll just say this. In this book, it has been a few years since Sam was a spy, and the whole dynamic in hers and Nathan’s lives and relationship has changed. I loved that change because it felt very natural. This book practically wrote itself. For anyone who really likes Nathan, this will be the book for you because he steals the show many times.

   The seventh and final Wrong book has already been written, but it needs a lot of editing, so it probably won’t be coming out anytime soon. I love the way the series ends. The final book focuses on all of the characters, but I make sure to pay special attention to some characters who haven’t gotten the spotlight enough in the past. If you’re a fan of Chloe or Dan you’ll love to see the active role they take on in the last chapter of the series. The last book is a bit longer than the others, and at one point, I thought that maybe I should split it up and try to make it into two books, but then I rethought it. The final book should be one last epic book that keeps the charm from the first six books while taking the series to places that it has never been to. I think that the final book does this wonderfully, and the sixth book sets all of it up.

   Now for the final project that I’m working on. Yes, I’m working on three things at once. I know that seems crazy and maybe even a little counterproductive, but what can I say? My brain goes in too many directions at one time. I think that I might be a little OCD because when I have a concrete idea, I have to start writing it at that moment. Anyway, the last project is untitled, and it’s pretty different than anything that I’ve done before. It’s a futuristic book but probably not in the way that you think. It focuses on survival at all cost in a dystopian world where survival is almost impossible. I really love my characters in this book, but I don’t know if everyone will. Some of them are rough around the edges, and none of them have the moral conscience of Trent or Nathan. I wanted to write something slightly darker than what I’ve written in the past. Don’t get me wrong, though. It still has my thumbprint on it. I can’t help but throw in a little bit of romance and emotion in a story no matter what it’s about. This book is finished, and I’ve been trying to edit it in my spare time. The weird thing is that I’m not sure if I’ll ever release it, though. I love writing, but I’ve started questioning myself lately. Can I do this forever? I know that may sound stupid. I have only been writing books for eleven months, but I have released ten books in that timeframe and written three more that are being edited. I feel tired, and sometimes I wonder if I shouldn’t take a long break after I get the last two Wrong books out there. I’m not burned out on writing or talking to readers, but everything else that comes with doing this is starting to wear me down. I can’t decide what I should do, though. I know that I won’t stop writing at any point. I’ve been writing for enjoyment since I was fourteen, so that’s probably never going to stop, but I can definitely picture myself taking some time and writing some stories for just me for a while. When the thing that has always made you feel at peace starts to become a job, maybe it’s time to step back for a while. Who knows, though? I might get these two Wrong books released and then look at my untitled project and just have to share it with everyone. Knowing me, I’ll probably have another book or two written by then, too.

   Sorry for going off in left field there. I know that I probably shouldn’t be talking about my personal future on this blog, but sometimes it helps to write down all of my thoughts and see what ends up on the page when I’m done. Thanks for listening, and look forward to an awesome Wrong book that’s coming soon and the finale to a series that has become my life. It’s strange, but I think that being done with Nathan and Sam’s stories is going to be pretty hard on me. I keep having these thoughts about writing one more Wrong book, but I know in my heart that the final book ended exactly as it should, and there’s no way that I would ever mess that up. I can’t wait for everyone to see the end of it all. Thanks to everyone who followed the Strange Visions series through to the end, too. I used to dream about ideas for Strange Visions, and the strange thing is that I still do. I suppose that Trent, Ally, Nathan, and Sam will always be a little part of me now, and as long as people still want more characters like them, I’ll be dreaming up new ideas and imaginary friends no matter what. I’ll have more about the sixth Wrong book soon, so be on the look out for a description and a cover reveal in the coming weeks.

The Christmas Season

   What meaning can we take from the Christmas season? That’s a question that a lot of people have different opinions on. For some, this season is simply about an overweight man who rides in a sleigh and eats cookies at every house in the world. For others, it’s about a Savior being born. Some people think of it as a day to simply spend time with our loved ones. We all attach different labels to Christmas, but what is the universal message? I don’t think that I can answer that for anyone, but I would like to share my experience and what I take from all of it.

   Every Christmas is a struggle for us all. Now, don’t judge too quickly. I’m not here to bash Christmas. I’m just pointing out that we all go through a lot trying to find the right gifts, and if we’re truthful, a little part of us gets sick of the commercialism of Christmas every year. I think that there is even something to learn in this experience, though. We break our necks to find the perfect gift for our loved ones and to truly surprise them. We spend a fortune that at any other time of the year would simply be unacceptable, and why do we do all that? Does it have anything to do with God or Santa Claus? No, it doesn’t. We do it because it’s worth it to see our friends and children’s faces on Christmas. Is it all a pain? Of course, it is, but for one brief moment, it’s all worth it when we know that we’ve made the people in our lives happy.

   Let’s examine the birth of Jesus for a minute. He chose to leave Heaven and be born in an imperfect world only to be a sacrifice for all of humanity. He was the Ultimate Gift to us. It wasn’t easy, but maybe that’s what true kindness is all about. That’s the theme of Christmas to me. It’s the hardest season of the year, and we have to sacrifice a lot to make any of it work, but in the end, it’s all worth it when we know that the people in our lives are happy on what is supposed to be the happiest day of the year.

   If there is one theme that I take from Christmas, it’s that there is no sacrifice that isn’t worth it for the people I love. Whether we give gifts - or if for some reason we don’t, I know that every Christmas will always be exactly as it should, no matter what happens the day before or the day after. We all make it that way. In the same way that the Son of God was selfless by coming to this world, we follow His example and act selflessly for one day. It’s an amazing thing to see people go against their nature. So to make myself clear, Christmas isn’t about a gift or even a man in a sleigh. It’s about the kindnesses that you give away to the people who mean the most to you. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas filled with the people you cherish most. Merry Christmas!!

Future Plans

   I wanted to tell everyone about something in my personal life today. I’ve been seriously considering doing something big lately. I’ve been thinking about building a house. If you know me, I know what you’re thinking. You probably have this image of me attempting to build a house and it ending up being shaped like a shoe or something, but don’t fear. I would be paying someone to do most of the work and only doing the very easy stuff myself. I’ve never been the best person with a hammer, but I can do some of the basic things.

   I’m thinking about building a house somewhere between 1,800 and 2,300 square feet. I’m still single, and that’s a lot of space for one person, but I started thinking earlier this year, and I want to have everything major in my life squared away when I do meet the right woman. I want to have our house built and our children’s bedrooms already there. Now all of that could backfire if I end up single for life. Who wants to be a lonely guy in a house all alone? I don’t plan on letting that happen, though. So far, that part of my life just hasn’t come together yet, and if it’s going to take time to find the right person to spend my life with, then why shouldn’t I start squaring away the things I can control?

   I’ve got to be honest, I’m only writing about this because I’m really excited about the future. How awesome would it be to own your own home before you were even twenty-six? I want that for myself, and more than that, I want it for my future wife and children. If I have all of the financial things squared away before I even meet her, then we’ll never have to fall into the pit trap of arguing about money. I want to give my future family everything that they deserve and truthfully, give myself something that I’ve wanted for a very long time. This is the start of something, and I’m very excited about that. I have some designs in mind for the layout of the house, but I won’t bore anyone with that. I’ll just leave you guys with this. Thank you for caring about what’s going on in my life and for making my newest book, Strange Visions: The Storm, a very big success. I’m looking forward to letting you all in on the next Wrong book soon and to posting some pictures of my house as it’s built. I won’t be starting on it until it starts to warm up some, but I’m definitely looking forward to breaking ground. I’ll post some news on my new projects very soon. Thanks again, guys!