FF Banner

FF Banner

Soon To Be Released - Fight for Absolution




Here is the official cover for my soon to be released book, Fight for Absolution.  I have not written out a summary for this book yet, but it is about a man’s struggle to get over his past, his addictions, and his inner demons that have paralyzed his life and hindered any chance of him becoming the man he knows he can be.  It’s different from anything I’ve ever written before, and I’ve been mulling over the idea for a couple of years now.  When I finally started writing it, the words just poured out. I hope readers will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. 

It is going through the editing process and I hope to have it released by the middle of October, if not sooner. 

Happy reading to all! 

Perseverance !!


            

          Wow, looking at my blog, it’s been since May that I’ve posted an update. So much has happened in just these few short months.  The most important is my graduation from Texas Tech University! It took me awhile, but I finally did it! There’s been lots of life changing things I’m in the middle of doing right now as well.  To make a long story short, life has been going my way.  I’m truly blessed to be where I’m at right now.
            After graduation, I felt sad.  Yeah, I’m admitting that.  What kind of person is depressed after such an accomplishment?  That person is me! Believe it or not, it’s common to sort of mourn graduation.  I did some research and many graduates go through stages sort of what people go through when they experience death close to them.  Weird, right? I thought so, too, but since I actually experienced it first hand, I’m a believer now. 
            The days shortly after graduation were depressing.  I didn’t know what to do with myself.  I would wake up and actually feel a loss in my life.  I knew the job hunting had to commence, but I felt uninspired.  I just knew I’d end up back doing jobs I did before even being in school, and that really made me upset.  I don’t know how people can sit around at home with nothing to do.  I thought I’d be okay, but after a few days, I was driving myself insane! I didn’t want to spend money in fear of how long I’d be without a job, and the walls around me got so old.
            I had been applying for jobs since March but had no bites.  I continued to put tons of applications out.  I knew the more I got my name out, the better it’d be, but I went through some hard times.  I felt discouraged.  I found myself angry and cynical at people – all right after a time I should’ve been happiest for finally achieving my goal of having a degree from a university I’ve dreamt about going to my whole life. 
            I was tired of not having income, so at the end of May I broke down and applied at a preschool.  I got the job almost instantly and kept telling myself that while it’s not what I want to do, it’s an income and it’s giving me something to do.  I told myself I’d continue to put out applications and actively search for something better.  I continued to get rejection emails and snail mail.  Each generic response put me deeper into a hole. 
            In the middle of July, I had a voicemail on my phone from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center to schedule an interview.  To keep this short and to the point, after two interviews and more of a waiting game, I got the job.  I’m currently on my fourth week there, and things are finally starting to click in. 
            I guess the main idea of this blog post is to persevere and keep trying.  The economy is bad right now. Jobs are few and far between.  It’s normal for graduates to have to revert back to jobs they had before completing their degrees.  Bide your time, keep trucking and applying, and eventually a better opportunity will come along.  I’m the last person to say be positive, because I generally can be pessimistic, but this whole experience since May has really been an eye opener and I feel I’m becoming a better person because of it.  Even though I felt discouraged, I continued to plug away.  I’ve even had phone calls since accepting this job, and sadly, have also received rejection letters that I just toss aside and think nothing of. 
            So now I can say that I have a degree from Texas Tech University, and am also working for the great institution at their Medical School.  I owe all of my glory to God.  Through Him, I persevered.  I allowed him to lead me down the path he wanted me to go down, and things are becoming so much better.
            I’m also in the process of moving.  Labor Day weekend is my move in date! 
            Life is good, things are great.  And to all of you who check in for book updates – I’m about half way through a new idea of a story I’m hoping many will like.  I barely started the idea a month ago, and the muse is really flowing.  It’s an idea I’ve toyed around with for a long while, and it finally begged to be written.
            Happy reading to all, and God bless you! 

Nature's Fury


The largest hail stone I could get to without getting hurt! There were bigger ones than this! 

Broken telephone pole on Farm to Market Highway 41 just west of my house

I'm finally getting around to writing about last weekend.  For those who are not on my personal Facebook page or don't know me, you're probably wondering why I have fallen off of the face of the earth.  Last Sunday, April 29th, 2012, my community was hit with a massive hail storm around 8:00 PM.  The National Weather Service has not confirmed a tornado, but local meteorologists are saying yes, we had one.  I saw the funnel with my own two eyes, so regardless of what NWS is saying, we did experience a tornado in this area.  The damage even reflects that of twisting winds, rather than straight line winds that can sometimes appear to be tornadic damage.  

Last Sunday I saw that the weather was changing, so I did what I usually do and go sit out on my porch and watch.  The temperature plummeted from a warm 85-90 degree mark down into the lower 70's within thirty minutes.  I totally didn't see the signs and I usually do.  I knew the storm forming was going to be a big one, but it appeared to be moving more northerly and westerly from us, so I figured we'd get some downbursts and a little bit of rain, but the northern part of the county would get the brunt of it. The weather got really cold (another dead ringer for signs of hail) so I went in the house. The wind was strong and I didn't think I'd see much else.

Not five minutes after I went in, my phone blew up with text messages and calls from people, warning me to get out of my house. (I don't have a basement or cellar) A tornado warning had been issued for the southern part of the county, with a hook and wall cloud headed right toward my location.  I was baffled.  I asked my mother, "When did this happen?"  The storm that was moving west of us had shifted southeast.  Two storms collided and formed a monster of a supercell.  If it would have been daytime, I would have chased, but a few years back I swore to myself I would never do it at night ever again, and I really think it was a good decision, because even the storm chasers and meteorologists around here had no clue what the storm was going to do.  

After receiving several warnings to leave my home, I grabbed my dog Wyatt, put him on a leash, and left my stuff behind.  I went next door to my aunt's house, and she too, does not have a basement or cellar.  When the news finally said a tornado was on the ground just west of here, we decided to head to my uncle's house where there is a basement available.  I sprinted down the road to my uncle's, unsure of where the storm was even located.  Wind howled around me and I could hear massive hail stones hitting structures in the distance, each thud getting louder as it got closer to me.  My poor dog was terrified and I had to yank his leash to get him to run with me.  

To make a long story short, everyone is okay and things could have been so much worse.  There was a lot of damage out here, and sad to say, other people's homes ended up even worse off than mine.  I lost 5 windows and my car was totaled.  We got new glass put up in the windows and I already got another vehicle to drive.  My insurance company is supposed to come this week to haul off my poor little Cobalt that now looks like a golf ball with all of the hail dimples in it.  The windshield was completely obliterated as well.  

My totaled Chevrolet Cobalt. Every panel on the car sustained hail damage


As an amateur storm chaser, I've seen some really interesting things in regard to the weather.  However, April 29th was a first for me.  I had never seen hail as big as I did that night.  The biggest I personally saw was baseball sized hail, but there were reports of grapefruit sized as well, and from the damage, I definitely believe it.  We got some much needed rain, but it's a shame all of the severe stuff had to come with it.  I really hope that the severe stuff stays away for awhile.  Bring all of the rain and mild thunderstorms, but keep the horrible hail and tornadoes away.  

And on a side note pertaining to my writing - I'm actually in the process of writing a story about a storm chaser encountering strong and killer weather patterns.  You'd think something like this would help my muse on the story, but as of right now, I'm debating on putting it on hold for awhile! 

Happy reading to all! 

Through Smoke - The Paperback!

Front cover




(Click on blog entry to view entire blog post in a pop up window.)

I am officially announcing that Through Smoke is now available in paperback! It is 226 pages and I'm pricing it at $9.99. Right now, as far as I know, it is only available on Amazon.com. The Kindle version is also available as well. I know that ebooks are what is in style now and what is more common in general, but seeing my book as a paper copy feels great. It will be nice actually showing someone it. I've even had a few people request I sign a copy!  I've had several people tell me that they would read it if it were available as a paperback, so now, to those of you who told me that, no more excuses! :-P Just kidding!

Back cover
I'm planning on eventually making Backfire: Sequel to Through Smoke and Dance With the Devil available in paperback as well! The process of doing it through Createspace was not near as hard as I thought!

    Happy reading!




Making Your Own Happiness


           

(To see full blog entry, click to open the entire post!)        


      I’m sitting here listening to a Jillian Michaels podcast and I have to say, I really enjoy what she talks about.  This particular one was titled “The Power of Forgiveness.” The podcast is about 45 minutes long, and they cover other things during this time as well.  I have to be honest and say that I wasn’t one to jump on the Jillian bandwagon at first.  About a year ago I tried doing her 30-day shred workout and was not a fan at all.  Don’t get me wrong, the workout got me sweating and probably would be helpful, but I’m not in agreement that you need to work out 7 days a week.  I believe you need to take a few days to allow for muscle repair. 
            Anyway, I’m rambling, but if you’re a reader of my blogs, you know that I tend to get off on tangents! Well, I will now admit that I’m on the Jillian Michaels bandwagon.  Not only is she a fitness guru, but her podcasts are insightful.  She has some awesome blogs to read. I even downloaded an app on my phone that has some of her recipes, workout moves, and other blogs. I love her honesty.  She’s blunt, she speaks her mind, and she gives respect to receive it.  She has overcome a lot of obstacles and is a powerhouse in the fitness world now. 
            To get on topic with this blog, I just have to say that I’ve been working out consistently, 5 days a week for 1-2 hours, for a month now.  I’ve been seeing minor results… nothing too ground breaking, but that’s not really the point.  I’ve seen a lot of positive changes in my mood, for one thing.  During and after a workout I feel very euphoric.  I’m very happy, and even after I’m finished I feel like I have so much energy where I can just continue to do physical activity all day.  Studies have shown that when a person is on a regular workout regime, that it doesn’t just positively affect their physicality.  It is also a psychological benefit and helps many people with depression, anxiety, and low self esteem.  Today really proves that.  On Tuesdays and Thursdays I usually don’t work out.  Those are my days to take a break since school really wears me out. I do get a good walk in between my classes and walking back to my car.  I have to park in a commuter lot that’s far away. 
Anyway, today I was very cranky.  I couldn’t put my finger on why I was in such a sour mood… and then it occurred to me… I haven’t worked out.  I think fitness is becoming my anti depressant again.  I say again because I’ve always been an athlete, but in the past few years I haven’t worked out quite as much as I should have.  In high school I participated in cross country running, basketball, and golf – and contrary to what some believe, golf IS a sport, especially how we played it in high school. We were not allowed to use carts and we had to carry our bags… for 18 holes. Sometimes I felt I got a better workout in with that than with the cross-country running.  Now that I’m back on track and really working my body, It’s craving that physical challenge everyday.  Today it didn’t get it, and my brain is having a “WTF” moment! If I wasn’t a believer in exercise making you happy before, this would definitely be a game changer.  I’m living proof that it does. 
Even if huge physical results aren’t being shown just yet, the benefits are outweighing the costs for me.  I’ve been happier, I feel better, and my energy level has increased.  I’m sleeping well at night and I know that my health is slowly but surely getting better.  It takes one step at a time.
 I saw a really awesome picture that said, “A year from now you’ll wish you had started today.”  Remember that every journey begins with a single step, no matter what you are out there to accomplish and conquer.  


Backfire - Sequel to Through Smoke Now Available!


I just wanted to announce that Backfire – Sequel to Through Smoke, is now available in the Amazon store!


Michael McGinnis returns in this sequel to Through Smoke.

While visiting his brother in Texas, he is struck by the devastation wrought by the drought and wildfires. Learning the fire departments are staffed mostly by volunteers, he feels compelled to stay and help. Having little experience with this type of firefighting, Michael is forced to learn the basics quickly, making him vulnerable to the deteriorating situations in the largest and most destructive wildfire in Texas history. Eva is forced to go back home to New York with the constant worry of his safety on her mind.

With danger closing in on him, Michael comes to terms with what is important and must make a crucial decision that can change the lives of everyone he knows.

HAPPY READING! 

New Project Idea


After talking with my writing buddy about different possible books to do in the future, we came up with an idea that I’m going to try out.  I’m thinking about compiling several short stories together all based on the same characters.  The short stories are going to be based on everyday life of a family of four.  Before you go thinking that it’s going to be boring about things we all endure, I’m going to try to make it as entertaining as possible. My goal is for the reader to come across this book and find that it is a way to vent from their own personal lives.  Maybe the reader can relate to things the family endures, or be thankful that they have never experienced certain events and tribulations that they have read about.

So far I have two stories done.  I’m trying to do a few comedic stories, a few emotional stories, a few sad stories, as well as a few “steamy” ones.  Right now, what I’ve come up with in regard to characters is a working class, blue collar group of people who live in Texas, right outside of Austin to be exact.  The father is going to be a basic handy man around town, the mom is an administrative assistant at a farmer’s cooperative, and the two kids (a boy and a girl), are teenagers.

I’m not sure how it’s going to pan out just yet. It’s in its very early developmental stages on how I want to tackle this new project.  Right now I’m really excited about the new idea.  I know of a lot of authors who have several short story books out there and have had some good response from them.  It probably won’t be a long book and I will probably sell it for pretty cheap.

And to those who are wondering, I am also still considering a book three to Through Smoke.  I want to see how the sequel, “Backfire,” is going to do. I’m hoping to get it published on Monday (March 12) at the latest. It has gone through several edits and I want to do one more run through before I make it available to readers. 

If you’ve got any questions or comments, or any opinion on this new idea that I’m pursuing, feel free to let me know here on the blog, on the Facebook author page, or through email.  All of my contact information is at the top of the page on the right!

Happy reading! 

Your/You're... And Other Things....


           

          As everyone knows, humans have pet peeves.  We all have those certain things that really grind our gears and get us going.  I have to admit that when it comes to this, I’m not quite “normal.”  I let weird and unusual things bug me that people normally wouldn’t think about.  I could probably write about this all night, but I’ll try and keep the list to a minimum!

            1. The way people use your and you’re.  It GRINDS MY GEARS when someone puts “YOUR amazing” “YOUR beautiful” “YOUR immature”  PEOPLE. When YOU’RE saying something IS something, it is YOU’RE, the contraction for YOU ARE! It is a helping verb. “YOU ARE beautiful” “YOU ARE amazing” “YOU ARE immature.” On the other end, YOUR is a possessive pronoun, expressing something that belongs to you.  So therefore, “beautiful, immature, and amazing” do NOT belong to you! A proper way to use YOUR would be “Your dog barks a lot.”  “Your mom is a kind woman.” A simple way to avoid using YOUR/YOU’RE the wrong way is to think to yourself, is this a situation where I would actually say, “YOU ARE”, or is it not?  It’s a simple fix, yet it is abused sooooo much!

            2. I know as humans, we are not supposed to judge people, but I have to mention a pet peeve of mine in regard to clothing and hygiene of people I see at school.  It really bugs me that I know girls who actually take the time to look like they’ve just rolled out of bed.  They literally get up and take time to try to pull off that bed head look.  Why?  If you’re… (Yes, proper usage of you’re… wink) going to take all that time to look like trash, why not take the time and look presentable?  They style their hair in messy ponytails and still take time to put on makeup.  Hmm. I just don’t get it.  Also, I can’t stand when they wear those Ugg boots with sweat pants or shorts.  It looks ridiculous, and it’s the typical sorority girl look. Let me make myself clear. I’m not dissing on the Greek community – I just tend to notice that the majority of girls who try to pull off this look belong to a sorority.  I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t go to school everyday dressed up, but my point is that I don’t take hours with a goal to look worn out.  If I look worn out, it’s because I am, not because I took the time to make myself look that way. 

            3. As a student at a very large campus, I have to walk pretty far distances to get to class.  As you enter campus, there are an immense amount of pedestrian signs and warnings for drivers to yield to walkers.  There are crosswalks in various places, but really, what’s the point of finding one?  There have been times that I’ve stood at the crosswalk, waiting as traffic goes, only to find that NO ONE yields for us.  Buses, bikers, and even the campus cops refuse to stop and allow a walker to go across. I’m now in my fourth semester at Tech and have learned that you pretty much just have to walk out and hope the drivers see you in time to stop if you ever want to get across the street.  What really gets me is that I have seen cops give jaywalking tickets to people for not using crosswalks.  HUH? Why does this happen?  Shouldn’t people be getting in trouble for not yielding for pedestrians as the law states?  Campus police is another topic I will not talk about right now.  That will get me on a whole other rant that should be saved for another day. 

            These are just three pet peeves I have been noticing a lot lately. My list could go on forever on things that really bug me.  Don’t get the wrong idea from this blog entry.  I might sound like this grumpy old person who just sits around and finds the negative in stuff, but I’m not. Sometimes it’s fun to toss around certain things that get under people’s skin.  A lot of times, I try to find the humor in it all and get a laugh out of it.  I have friends and family that know the things that frustrate me and go out of their way to point things out, just to turn a potentially “GRRR” situation into a silly one. 
            One thing I hope you can pull away from this is the YOUR/YOU’RE thing.  It’s a simple fix, and one that seems to be getting worse.  Then again, maybe I’m just noticing it more for other reasons. 
            YOU’RE (you are) amazing for taking the time to read this blog and YOUR brain (possession) will thank you for the new, crazy knowledge you have acquired in the time it took you to read this!
            Seriously folks, let’s get a grasp on the your/you’re thing. Happy reading!