Latino Heritage Month 2020

 We have now officially entered into Latino Heritage Month.  The celebration of culture lasts from September 15th to October 15th, as this timeline represents the various days of independence declared by countries throughout Latin America (Central & South).  This year will be different, though; because of the COVID-19 coronavirus, many outdoor festivals celebrating Latino heritage and pride have been cancelled, or have been made virtual, this year.  Other than a few programs aired on television via streaming services, or through PBS outlets, Latino Heritage Month has been a quiet affair this year, so far.

 

As always, you know that I must include my own participation in the festivities.  You know that I have to represent for my fellow Afro Latino people.  We are currently (ALWAYS, actually) and continuously underrepresented, or outright misrepresented.  My fellow activists are also doing there part, always helping to spread info about us, and represent our interests.  We are here...we exist.  As I always say...keep the fist raised.

I will be doing my part as well.  I will be doing a special #CelebratingLatinoHeritageMonth edition of "The Rough Draft".  I will be profiling all of my book titles with Latino themes, and Latino/Afro Latino lead characters.  If you are subscribed to my channel on YouTube, the videos will be posted there, starting from Episode 18.  You will be able to enjoy my in-depth profiles of my literary works, the lead characters, and the concepts behind them.

 

As we enter into the last quarter of the remaining year, I will continue to focus of my future plans.  My next book to be published, Knuckle Up (2020), is in it's final stages.  The cover art has been created, and I just have to pick a date to choose when I want to publish that project.  I'm really looking forward to releasing this particular project, as it is another conversion project. I'll let you know when I finally decide on the release date, and will post it here on my blog, and also create a Facebook Event for it.  Stay tuned for that...

ALSO...I'm furthering my plans to relocate the continent by next year; to either Gambia, or Tanzania.  I'm probably going to target the summer of 2021.  Once I get my passport straight, and do all of the other necessary processes I need to do to relocate there, I'm leaving this shithole. No more worrying about getting shot down in the streets for nothing...no more dealing with racism & prejudice in the workplace, or everyday society...no more fighting for people who don't want to be fought for, and just want acquiesce to the power structure of whiteness & white supremacy.  Fuck it....I'm DONE!!!

 

Catch ya next time!!!

Viva mi gente Latino!  Viva mi gente Afro Latino!  Feliz el mes de la herencia de Los Latinos!

Keep the fist raised.

 

#AlwaysOnMyLiteraryGrind

Falling Into September....

 We are now in the first week of September.  Summer has unofficially come to an end, and we are now in the last quarter of the year.  Only FOUR MORE MONTHS remain for the rest of the year.  :-O!!!  At last count, deaths from the coronavirus was at around 187,000, and still climbing.  At the beginning of this whole pandemic, the experts were saying that we would suffer anywhere between 100,000-200,000 death from the virus.  Looks like they're n track to be right....   :'-(

My heart goes out to the family of John Thompson, the legendary coach from Georgetown University.  I remember when he was still coaching, and how I used to love to watch his teams take the court, as they were beasts in the Big East Conference.  He wasn't just a great coach, he also stood up for our people, and was unapologetic about it.  He will be sorely missed.  :'-(

 

As far as my work(s)-in-progress are concerned, Knuckle Up  (2021) is going very well.  The cover art is done to my liking, and I'm pretty satisfied with the manuscript.  Looks like it's ready to be published, to me.  I'm still deciding on when I'm going to release it next year.  Hopefully, I'll be able to do some in-person appearances to promote it.  Of course, I'm also planning on repatriating to the continent by next year.  Maybe I'll release it, while I'm living in Africa...?  I sure as hell don't receive much support here in the Sates, that's for fucking sure!  But, I digress....

 

I'm also working on another book project.  I've decided to write a sequel to "Seductra: Web of Desire" (CreateSpace, 2017).  This time around, I'm featuring the character of Kenya Slade.  I'm kind of taking the story full circle, as KENYA was originally supposed to be the main character of the story, not Dasha.  Kenya is a little bit older, and more mature this time around.  The story is kinda interesting and different this time around, as I'm adding some other brand new characters to the story.  The working title is "Seductra: Back 2 Da Stage" (???2022???).  I already have a concept for the cover design.  I'll try to keep you guys in the loop...

 

I'm considering creating an account on Patreon.  I need to find some way to get compensated for my work.  I'm sick of these nonexistent book sales.  I need to find a way to make a living off of my writing career somehow.  Perhaps having patrons investing in my work is a great way to go...?  I don't know too many authors/writers that use the Patreon platform, but I'm interested in using it.  What have I got to lose...?  Anything is better than always seeing a big, fat zero whenever I check my sales...

 

Latino Heritage Month starts in another week, or two (September 15th-Otocber 15th).  I'm considering doing a special about it on "The Rough Draft", and posting them to YouTube.  I'm going to be featuring my novels that star my Afro Latino characters.  Hopefully, the weather will agree with me, and I'll be able to shoot the episodes simultaneously.  I have enough novels that will be able to stretch the entire month long celebration.  I'll probably post the first video by next week...

 

That's all for now.  Trying to start the fall season off strong.  Haven't really been able to do much with the Universal Africana Literary Arts Movement.  With the pandemic cancelling out most of the festivals, and other literary events, there's not much information for me to pass on to the other members :-(.  I guess that's just a greater hint that I need to be focusing more on my own literary career, than other people's careers.  Hopefully, things will pick up sooner, than later...

 

I'm out, peoples.  Hope that you enjoyed this post.  Let me know what you think.

 

Keep the fist raised.

 

#AlwaysOnMyLiteraryGrind