April/National Poetry Month 2025

 We are now in the month of APRIL.  In the United States, it is considered National Poetry Month.  For all of my poets out there, may you be blessed with the poetic verse and prose that stirs your soul, and fulfills your heart & passions. 😊😊😊😊😊

For the month of April, you have the 9-year publishing anniversary of my short story anthology "Drum Speaking: Tales From an Inner City Griot" (CreateSpace, 2016).  It's a collection of thirteen short stories, spanning various genres; from Dramas, to Romance, to Science Fiction, to Action/Adventure.  Per usual, I feel that it is heavily slept on, but of course, that's just my opinion.  Available in both paperback and eBook formats.... 

So, I invested in a new laptop (finally).  My old one wasn't acting very stable, and it was giving me some problems.  I edited at least two episodes of The Rough Draft on it, and they came out pretty badly.  The ttitling was all over the place, even though I had them properly placed when I initially edited the footage in my editing software.  Now, I'm working on adding back some of my programs and music onto my new joint, as well as getting back some of my fonts that I'm used to having for my manuscripts, and graphics projects.

Speaking of The Roug Draft, I edited a new episode on the new laptop, and it came out pretty good.  It's actually easier for me to use this new laptop; my editing software works faster and easier on it.  Especially now that I'm shooting the episodes on a webcam again, I don't have to worry about the camera angles looking off because I have to hold my video camera.  Now, I can use it for field productions, just like I'd planned to.  Looks like everything is working out in the end.

Researching some local events that are coming up.  Since I'm coming up on a full year at my day job, I have a good amount of vacation time saved up.  I'd like to be able to start using it to attend some events, as I haven't done anything in-person since 2018.  I still have an issue with traveling, and I don't have a car, nor anybody to give me a ride to and from anything, especially not out of town.  There are some events coming up locally in Durham that I would like to check out, if not possibly vend at.  It kinda sucks that I have to deal with this type of handicap in my career, but I don't really have anyone to blame but myself.  I never learned to drive, nor ever got a license.  Of course, it would help if I had an actual team to help me with my career, as far as doing events is concerned.  Doing all this shit by yourself is never, ever easy.  Considering how long I've been doing this, you would've thought that I could assemble a team to help me by now....

Oh, well...

That's all for now.  I'll keep you guys updated on my happenings for next month.

Uhuru sasa, y paz.  Keep the fist raised!!!

#AlwaysOnMyLiteraryGrind

Marching into Spring & Women's History Month

 Welcome to the month of MARCH!!  The clocks are moving forward, the weather is changing, and in the sports world...it's time for the NCAA basketball tournament to start! 😁😁😁😁

 

To start off, welcome to Women's History Month!!  Celebrating the achievements of the ladies and the sistas who have accomplished so much, and contributed to our advance as a society and a culture as a whole!!  Thank you for all that you've done.  Blessings to those ladies who are now ancestors...

 

Since we are now in the month of March...gotta represent for the publishing anniversaries of the books released this month.  Celebrating the eleven-year publishing anniversary of my Comedic Memoir "In My Lifetime: Funny Stories of Life Experiences". (Outskirts Press, 2014). 

This book has really enjoyed a life of its own.  A number of people have bought the physical version, or downloaded it over the year.  I'm proud of this project, and hope that it will continue to see success.

 

Also celebrating an anniversary in the month of March...celebrating the five-year publishing anniversary of my Science Fiction novel "Time Will Reveal" (Kindle Direct Publishing, 2020).

 

I always felt that this was a really slept on novel.  I did what I could to promote it at the time of its release (no pun intended), but it never took off the way that I felt it could have.  Especially with it being released during COVID, I should have seen a lot more sales for this.  Oh, well...
 

Also celebrating a publishing anniversary...celebrating the five-year publishing anniversary for my Street Lit/Young Adult novel "Suicide Amy" (Kindle Direct Publishing, 2020).

 

This book holds a special place in my heart, and I was happy to have published it.  As a screenplay, it was the first one that I'd ever written, and truly liked and enjoyed. I will always be proud of this project, and fell like it's completely slept on.  The story is gritty, but it's very relatable.  Especially in this day and age where every mothafucka has issues with anxiety, and other bullshit, this is a very relevant story that people could deeply identify with...

I need to work on another episode of The Rough Draft.  Posted the latest episode in February; the first one in 7 months.  Might need to invest in a new laptop, though.  My editor isn't working properly, and I think is has to do with the shit that initially messed up my laptop... 😔😔😔😔

I recently participated in Smashwords' most recent online sale, the "Read An Ebook Week" sale.  It ran from Sunday, March 3rd to  Saturday, March 8th.  I had my books listed as 'free' during the sale, and actually moved a few book.  Sold about 13 books in total for that week.  Not bad at all, but the books were free!  Seem like I can never win...

That's all for now.  Will keep you guys updated on my progress.

Uhuru sasa, y paz.  Keep the fist raised!!

#AlwaysOnMyLiteraryGrind

 

 

Black History/Author Anniversary Month 2025

 We are now in the month of February.  Celebrating Black History Month, Akoma Day (Feb 14th-20th), and my Author Anniversary Month.  This month makes it FIFTEEN YEARS since I first published.

 

First off..... Happy Black History Month!!! Always celebrating our history and accomplishments 24/7/365.

 

Also....Happy Akoma Day!!  Nya Akoma!!!  Celebrating the 7 days of Akoma Day, representing for the seven principles, and the seven virtues!!!

 

 

 

Celebrating the fifteen year publishing anniversary of my first book ever, "Raise Your Brown Black Fist: The Political Shouts of an Angry Afro Latino" (Authorhouse, 2010).

Celebrating the ten-year publishing anniversary of my first novel (and fourth book) "The Chronicles of The Black Fist" (CreateSpace, 2015).

 

 

 

And finally...celebrating the seven-year publishing anniversary of my novel "Fiesta Girl" (Amazon Publishing, 2018).

 

 

 

Celebrating the publications of all those projects!!!  Fifteen years. That's a long time to be doing this.  I just wish that I could get the support that I feel that I deserve, considering all the hard work that I put into my writing career.  Oh, well...

 

Catch you guys next post...

 

Uhuru sasa, y Paz.  Keep the fist raised.

 

#AlwaysOnMyLiteraryGrind

 
 
 

 

New Year Beginnings: Welcome to 2025

 Happy New Year!! Welcome to 2025!!!  Much has happened towards the end of last year, and it is time to ring in the new year with fresh energy, and a renewed perspective.

 

As we have entered into the month of  January, I need to promote my publishing anniversaries.  In the month of January, I will be celebrating the 6-year publishing anniversary of my novel "The Chronicles of The Black Fist: F.U.R.I. of the People" (2019), as well as the 4-year publishing anniversary of my female fight novel "Knuckle Up" (2021).  I am very proud of both projects, and just wish that they would receive the support that they both deserve.  Of course, I'm talking to the wind whenever I mention that...

A new president has taken office.  He's a fucking idiot.  Of course, as a revolutionary, I still say that we need to prepare for battle.  Get those baseball bats and machetes ready.  Learn some stickfighting, as well as working on your hand-to-hand combat skills.  Since most of y'all seem to be afraid of guns, or only want to get them legally, you need to learn other ways to defend yourselves.  Don't say that I didn't try to warn you...

Trying to improve on my promotional game this year.  Since my laptop seems to have been messed up a few months ago, I decided to break down, and buy me a video camera.  Hopefully, I can  now shoot episodes of The Rough Draft again.  And, since I now own a new video camera, I can actually start to do field productions.  I'm still learning how to use this camera, and getting used to some of its functions.  Hoping to post an new episode before the month is out.  Haven't been able to post any new episodes since July of last year...

Looking forward to (hopefully) publishing a new book this year.  This year makes it THREE years since I've published anything.  I'm off my personal schedule.  I'm hoping to complete Book III of The Chronicles of The Black Fist.  That's the closest manuscript that I have to completion. I've been feeling kinda antsy, not having published any books.

 

That's all for now.  Looking forward to chatting with you all again, next month.  Wondering if I should do a online eBook sale to celebrate my upcoming author anniversary...?  Tried it last year, and it wasn't very successful.  Let me know what you guys think...

 

Uhuru sasa, y paz.

 

Keep the fist raised!!!

 

#AlwaysOnMyLiteraryGrind