June's Summer Blast

 We have now entered into the month of JUNE!!!  We are already at the halfway mark of the year!!  It feels like just yesterday, we were celebrating the start of the new year.  :-O

As always, with the coming of June, I have to let you know about my publishing anniversary.  In the month of June, I will be celebrating the eight-year publishing anniversary of my fifth book "Demure Nights" (CreateSpace, 2015).

This project was more of an experiment. I wanted to see if I could write something completely different from all the other books that I'd written at the time.  This is my second novel that I'd written, and am actually quite proud of it.  I was able to let my imagination run wild, writing an erotic novel, and let out every naughty, nasty impulse that I could think of.  The sales for it haven't been what I thought they should be, but the project is still out there in both paperback & eBook formats.

 

Still considering printing my books through D2D Print.  I might do my poetry book, since that's the only book that isn't available at all, physically. I didn't really go crazy with the fonts in the book(I think I only used Philly Sans), so that should be the easiest to convert. I'll probably do it by mid-month, or so.  I was considering waiting until August, when I actually published that book, but...naaaaaah.

I want to get back into doing more in-person events.  It;s the height of festival season, but I never seem to get any decent time off.  I need to look for a new day job.  This one sucks ass.  My scheduling to too irregular for me to plan anything.  Plus, I just don't like the vibes there, anymore.  😔😔😕😕😞😞😞

Still trying to plan my Black/Brown Bookstore Book Tour.  I juuuuuuust might have to put that on hold.  Reasons are A) I just don't have a consistent schedule to plan anything out, and B) I'm not very mobile to be able to travel anywhere.  I don't feel like I earn enough to be coming out of pocket to travel via train or Greyhoud, so that's also killing me, as far as traveling to do in-person appearances are concerned.  Oh, well....   

Looking forward to hitting you off with another blog post soon.  Getting close to 350 blog posts.  Gonna have to find a way to come up with something special to celebrate that.  Let me know if you guys have any ideas...

Keep the fist raised.  Uhuru sasa, y paz.

#AlwaysOnMy LiteraryGrind

The Madness of March/Spring In My Step

 What's good, peoples?  We are now in the month of MARCH!!!  The first 1/3rd of the year is over.  The Veneral Equinox will be starting soon (as well as the changing of the clocks), and the spring season will begin.  It will also be allergy season for those of you that suffer from allergies.  Personally I don't, but...thought I'd just mention that, lol, lol, lol, lol.  Yeah...I'm kinda an asshole for that. 😆😆😆😆😆

In the month of March, I will be celebrating the 9-year publishing anniversary of my comedic memoir "In My Lifetime: Funny Stories of Life Lessons" (Outskirts Press, 2014).  This little gem is a favorite of mine, though it's been met with mixed reactions from those who've read it.  Some get my humor, others don't, and wanna impose their bullshit belief systems on me, and shit.  You obviously didn't properly read the book, because you would've figured out that I really couldn't give a fuck what you think. 😆😆😆😂😂😂

March also marks the 3-year publishing anniversary of my books "Suicide Amy" (Kindle Direct Publishing, 2020); my Street Lit/Young Adult novel, and my time-traveling Science Fiction novel"Time Will Reveal" (Kindle Direct Publishing, 2020).  They were my dual release for that year, celebrating my ten year anniversary as a published author.  Sales were better for Suicide Amy, than they were for Time Will Reveal.  That kinda saddens me a bit; I think that TWR is a pretty good novel.

 

I'm still trying to plan my Black/Brown Bookstore Book Tour.  My mobility is still an issue.  Had a friend who was willing to drive me to one or two of the locations that I wanted, but now they've kinda disappeared on me, not answering their phone.  Can't really plan much, if I don't have a reliable ride.  I'm keeping the hope alive, though...

 

There's an event that's going to be held in Richmond, VA in April called the Kidz Comic Con Book Festival.  I'm hoping to vend at that event.  I need to do more in-person events, anyway.  It will be held on April 8th.  I'm hoping to make it to that festival, and vend two of my books there.  Of course, read the paragraph above, as one of the issues that I face.  I'll let you know if I'll be vending there, or not.  Keep...hope...aliiiiive!!!

 

It's almost tournament tiiiiime!!!  What colleges are you rooting for to win the NCAA championship..? Get ready to fill out those brackets!!!  We will soon have a men's champion and a women's champion crowned for this year.  Makes me think about my most recent book "Second Chance Points" (Kindle Direct Publishing, 2022).  Yes...I threw that in this blog post.  Yes...I'm shamefully plugging it.  It's my blog, and I can do what I want to.  😆😆😆😆

 

Looking forward to [posting more episodes of The Rough Draft.  Episode number 56 has already been posted.  Need to shoot & post Episode 57, and number 58 to represent for March.  

Marinating on some ideas to write.  Wanna finish up "The Adventures of Don Fiero Valiente", since that one has been ratting around in my brain for the last few weeks.  Hopefully, I get some time off from my day job to actually be able to write something down.

That's all for now.  Will keep you posted!!  Come back soon!!!  😁😁😁😁

Keep the fist raised.

#AlwaysOnMyLiteraryGrind 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! Welcome to 2020!!!!!

Omg......it's 2020!!!  TWENTY-TWENTY!!!!!!  :-O!!!!!  Reminds you of some type of futuristic, Sci Fi movie shit, don't it...?

Aaaaaaaaaaanyway...

Welcome to the new year!!!  Had to work my day job on New Years Day....not to mention, it was the one-year anniversary of my mother becoming an ancestor....but, other than that, it was okay.  Went on a "follicle fast" by shaving my head and facial hair, starting on the Winter Solstice, up until New Years.  Now, I'm letting my hair grow back.  Was trying to purge myself of any negative energies stored in my follicles, and releasing them into the universe, starting the new year anew.  seems to be working, so far....

Looking forward to making things happen in 2020!!!  As I always hashtag throughout my social media accounts, #AlwaysOnMyLiteraryGrind!!!  I'm trying to get back out there, and do more public appearances; whether at festivals/book fairs, doing panel discussions, or organizing my own shit.  Need to get my face out there more.  It's now or never, if I'm ever going to have a viable writing career.   Fuck this struggling shit.....

Also for this year.....MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!!!!  The countdown has officially begun!!!

Looking forward to the DUAL book release this year of both "Time Will Reveal" (Kindle Direct Publishing, 2020), and "Suicide Amy" (Kindle Direct Publishing, 2020) this year.  Looking forward to their publication in March; March 13th is when they'll BOTH be released, to be exact.  Already started promoting their releases on my other social media, as well as through eblasts to my personal Mailing List. Let's hope that these particular books will be supported by my fans.

It's January, so it also marks the One Year Publishing Anniversary for the release of "The Chronicles of The Black Fist: F.U.R.I. of the People" (Kindle Direct Publishing, 2019).  Sales haven't been anywhere near where I wanted them to be, and feedback has been minimal....abysmal is more like it.  This is a HOT character, and a HOT story.  A self-made, grassroots BLACK superhero, for crying out loud!!!  C'mon, people!!!!  Don't complain about not having shit, and then NOT supporting wtf you've been begging and crying for!  It's now a series, as it is Book II in the saga.  I'm still working on writing Books III & IV in the series, so this character is NOT going anywhere!!!  He is still going to represent, and I will continue to write this wonderful novel series.  Don't wait for the book to gain white/mainstream approval; that may never happen.  Get in on the grassroots level; that's what really matters.  #TellingOurOwnStories

I might try to focus my efforts into PA, and So. Jersey.  I think that you may have untapped audiences out there that are begging for something to read.  My work(s) might appeal to those populations out there.  Just gotta do the research and continue to grind.  I just live in Delaware; I don't need to conquer it.  They ain't readers out here, anyway.

Well, I hope that the new year is treating you all well.  I'll keep you updated as to the release of the new books; books nos. 11 & 12.  This year also makes it TEN YEARS that I've been published.  Looking to make a LOT of noise about it next month in February...my OFFICIAL anniversary!!  Stay tuned.

Keep the fist raised!!!
Uhuru sase, y paz!!!!!

The Day Job Grind: #TheTransplantChronicles5

SO.....my first week back working has been interesting.  Basically, I'm just getting used to the job, and learning all of the work procedures.  Being the fact that I'm an assistant manager, there's also a lot of responsibility that comes with it.  My TM (training manager) is pretty good; she's teaching me a lot, and I'm starting to get the hang of some of the responsibilities.  She's a bootyful island gyal from St. Kitts, so when she's not looking, I'm busy ogling her from behind.  Not trying to get myself fired, but a brother has needs, and she's great to look at.  ;-)

Right now, I'm just getting used to waking up early, and being active, again.  The job responsibilities can be a bit overwhelming, but I think that I'll be able to get used to it, in time.  I just need to relax a little, and not try to be perfect, all of the time.  Then again, this is MONEY that we're dealing with, and I'm not trying to get my ass fired.  I need the money, and I'm trying to get back on my feet, and get back out on my own.

Some of the customers are cool, others are just ignorant and ratchet.  It takes A LOT of self control to keep from saying something out of your mouth.  This IS low end retail, after all.  We actually have a pretty good staff working at the store that I'm training at, so you can't blame it on poor customer service.  Some of these niccas and PWTs just don't know how to act in public.  Of course, if you curse them out, and/or threaten to fight with them in the parking lot, they wanna call the cops, or senior management on your ass, smdh...

My first week is almost in the books.  I go in today and learn how to close the store.  For most of this week, I've been learning the procedures to open the store.  I have one more week of training, then I get to start working a regular shift at my regular store location.

IN OTHER NEWS.....
Next week is the last week of the 1-year publishing anniversary for my book "Drum Speaking: Tales From An Inner City Griot" (CreateSpace, 2016).  Please continue to help to support this project by purchasing a copy in paperback format, or download the eBook version.

I'll be publishing my latest book project and novel "Seductra: Web of Desire" within the next two weeks.  I'm shooting for the first week of May, depending on my work schedule.  I'm hoping to make it available in both paperback and eBook format; it all depends on when the publishers deliver the finished product.  It will definitely be published next month.  Of course, I will post about it here, so that you can all see what the cover looks like, and provide a link to the book, if possible.

That's all for now.

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

Relocation

Well....it's official.  I've FINALLY left NYC.  I am now living in Wilmington, Delaware.

I know, I know...I've been talking about this for about a year, and a half already.  Some things take time to get done.  I was sick and tired of being in New York, getting nowhere with my career, and not working.  So, eff it; I'm taking a leap of faith.  It's better than the alternative, which is to stay stuck, and continue to be miserable.

I'm actually feeling a bit optimistic about this.  I did better in smaller towns/cities anyway, so why not go back to that type of atmosphere?  You don't have to deal with the pretensiousness, and the phoniness that you get in NYC.  That place used to be the home of innovation, the home of whatever trend was out there.  It's not like that anymore.  Who exactly has that city established?  NYC has lost its way due to the gentrification of that city, and catering to the wack ass transplants that now live there.

Onward, and upward.  Forward ever, backward never as they say.  I'm starting over with my life, and ya know what?  That's not necessarily a bad thing.  I'm still going to continue with my writing career, just on a part time basis, until I can get to where I want to be.  I want to be able to get back into doing the festival circuit to promote my books.  Hopefully, I can find a job soon, and be able to get back to promoting my books, and continuing my writing career.

Wish me luck on this newest venture.  I'm not becoming a Wilmingtonian...just laying my head here.  It's a nice in-between spot, where I have access to other cities, and other audiences.  Here's to the next phase.

Keep the fist raised.  

End-of-Year Progress Report 2016

The year has come to an end, and 2016 is about to transition into 2017.  The year was NOT a good one for me.  Good riddance.  It was just as bad, if not worse, than 2015.

I was hospitalized about three times (once for a panic attack, twice for issues with Kidney stones), continued to suffer financially, and had a few prospects crash and burn.  I've continued to cut off phony people from my life, and made plans to relocate.  I'm hoping to enact those plans after the new year.  Fuck New York, and the rotten, negative energy that's here surrounding me. It's too gentrified, and phony out here; nuccas ain't about shit.  There's no originality, and Brooklyn has lost its soul.  It's not a city of trend setters, but trend followers; buncha blind ass, oreo-assed sheeple.

Of the GOOD that has happened to me (very little)...I dropped my seventh book back in April, a short story anthology, titled Drum Speaking: Tales From an Inner City Griot (CreateSpace, 2016).  I participated on a panel at the Bronx Book Fair, and was able to help support a few friends at some of their panel discussions, or other literary events.  I was also able to volunteer at the Brooklyn Book Festival, and represent for Caribbean Cultural Theatre.  Being at those festivals made me miss being on the festival/convention/book fair circuit, and want to get back to that.  Hopefully, once I relocate and get back on my feet, I'll be able to do that again.

I've recently completed one of my many manuscripts that I've been working on.  I've been going through the editing phase as of late for the past two months. I was originally going to wait until 2018 to publish it, but I might decide to release this project by the middle of 2017.  It's called "Seductra: Web of Desire".  I've already created the cover for it, and am continuing with the editing.  If I decide to release it this coming new year, I'll probably publish it in June to coincide with the publishing anniversary of Demure Nights (CreateSpace, 2015), as the books are similar in subject matter (erotica/street lit). 

I'm hoping for a better 2017.  I'm putting as much mental energy for this positive transition as possible; 2 1/2 years of suffering is enough.  I should have trusted my instincts that told me not to return to New York; there was a reason why I left in the first place. On to greener pastures, and better people who will actually support you, and not just talk a bunch of shit, and only press the "like" button, and call it a day.

Paz, y keep the fist raised!!!!

The Road Trip That Wasn't

This is going to be a little bit of a rant session....

So, I was supposed to go on a road trip out of town this past weekend to a Latino cultural event in Wilmington, Delaware.  I'd found out about the event about two months ago, sometime in mid-July, and told my "friend" about it.  We're pretty much unofficial partners, though I end up doing most (actually all) of the work, and research.  He was supposed to be my ride to the event, considering that I don't drive, nor own a car.

He left for a trip out of the country last month for three weeks, and then returned.  You'd think that all was good, and straight, right?  He comes back acting all brand new, and acting like he doesn't know how to answer his fucking phone.  I tried to chase him down for the last two weeks to confirm shit (among other matters, that I wanted to deal with him about), and it took me forever to get into contact with him.  Firstly, he gets the fucking day wrong, considering that I'd sent him a shit load of information about the damn thing (flyers, the application, my email correspondence with the festival organizer).  Then, he starts to cop pleads about, "Oh...I don't know if Ima be able to make it...", and other bullshit like that, like I just sprung this on him the other day.  Considering that he's been acting like a bitch since I told him about my plans to relocate, this really irritated me.  If this was a last minute thing, I would understand; I told this nigga about this shit damn near two fucking months ago!!!  He's claiming to be working a lot at his job; nigga...you's a cab driver!  Don't act as if you can't talk and drive at the same fucking time!

This is the reason why I want to leave so bad.  Cats be mad unreliable, and selfish about shit.  Everybody wants to benefit from what they can get from me, and not do shit in return.  The trip was also supposed to be a fact finding/research mission for me as far as relocating is concerned.  It was also supposed to be an opportunity for me to network with some people and/or organizations out there.  He fucked up that opportunity for me, and it wasn't the first time.  There was another event out there that I'd wanted to get out to, but again, he shitted on me by not answering his fucking phone.

If I had the money to travel, I would just go down there myself, instead of having to rely on others.  It's really starting to get to a point where I just need to look out for myself, and not worry about trying to help and carry others, as other author friends of mine have told me.  I know that that's not really in my nature, especially as an activist, but if I want to progress in my writing career, I need to be on that "self" tip.  Nobody is going to help me to progress in my career, and sell my books, but ME.  Not to mention, I'm sick of bending over backwards to help people, and not getting shit in return when I need that same support and assistance.

I'm now more determined that ever to move the fuck away from this bullshit ass city.  I'm tired of the wack ass people out here, and the lack of support.  I'm just going to continue to plan my escape from this shithole, and get the hell out of here once the opportunity presents itself.  I've had enough...

Currently Progressing.....

So, I've written SIX books in FIVE years time.  Not bad at all, wouldn't you say?  I'm currently working on books #7, 8, and 9.  I'm also conceptualizing books #10, 11, and 12 (really, I'm considering writing literary adaptations to some screenplays that I've written).  If I continue on the pace that I'm on, I might have #7 published by the end of this year.  Don't know if it's worth it to do that, or wait until early next year to publish it....

Still trying to relocate out of state. I've been doing a lot of online research on my relocation, finding out more about the new city that I want to move to.  I've been looking into jobs, and organizations that are out there, and options to focus on my Universal Africana Literary Arts Movement project;  I think that it would be a better outlet to explore, than focusing on The Consortium of Afro Latino Communities.  I never seem to garner the support that I feel that I deserve pushing that particular project, so I'm putting it on the back burner for now....

I'm hoping to do some traveling this fall, but that's kinda sketchy.  I would need money to travel, which I don't have right now.  I don't currently have a day job, which I really don't want to get one, but I need to have some sort of income.  The book sales aren't going the way I want them too AT ALL, so I need an alternative means to subsist.  I hate being in "starving artist" mode; people know that your shit exists, but don't really want to financially support you.  I know that freedom ain't free, but come the fuck on, people!  I'm sick and tired of wasting my time, talent, and intelligence for someone else's benefit at a regular day job.  But, without that support, I can't survive.

I'm definitely trying to focus my attention more OUTSIDE of New York.  Shit hasn't worked out for me here, so it's time for me to say adios carajo.  This year+ has been a bit of a waste of time, so it's time to search out new horizons.  I'm still working on promoting my literary works via email and social media, whatever the hell that's been worth.  I get "likes" and "favorites", but everyday when I log onto my publishers' website to check my sales, I haven't move not one damn unit; paperback OR ebook.  I need to find a way to target potential readers overseas, cause apparently, niggas here in America DON'T read (and some are even PROUD that they don't read).  Not much of a way to make a living, is it?

I'll keep you all updated on my progress.  I'm hoping to make it out to this Latino cultural event in a few weeks.  At least it will get me the hell out of NYC for a few hours.  Here's to hoping that my books will get me to travel.

Uhuru sase, y paz