Yes, I write again!

Things have started to fall back into place for me. For a while now and I am quite serious about this, I couldn’t make myself sit and write anything for the second vampire novel of Mythic Blood. The second book was living up to it’s name in my eyes. Forever night…. Aka this is taking forever to write!

As of late, I have found some inspiration in writing out what could occur in the series, the ending is done, it was one of the first chapters I finished without hesitations, but starting it and the filler in between is a whole different can of worms. Believe it or not, I have written nearly three other complete books before the second one. Weird huh?

This is what happens when I get a day off for work and there are flash drives on sale at Walmart! (By the way, at mine they had Kingston flash drives 4MB for 8.88! Wicked deal since everywhere else its 20 dollars a pop for the same kind of drive)

Cheep plug over and done with.

To be fair, I haven’t really written anything new, for the most part, I had gone back to a story I just can’t seem to pull myself away from and reworking nearly the same four chapters over and over again. Why? I don’t know, I think I like tormenting this one character I have and making her suffer a little with those she is forced to be around. Let’s just say Karma is a bitch… and you will need to wait at least six novels into the Mythic Blood series to know who I am talking about. But I can just about assure you, when you get to know her, you’ll love what I do to her!

I have promised those who are kind enough to take the time and read my blog another novel sample. I really do need to post something since you have all been kind enough to give me the time of day. I will get something up soon, I just need to pick my parts carefully to be sure I don’t give everything away up at once. (Or else it will seem like a movie trailer where it’s better than the actual movie itself)

Did you know I have a twitter?

Then again, I am on that as often as I blog… well… I try to tweet once a day, and no it’s not about going to the bathroom, where I shop or anything like that. But updates nonetheless on the series.

You are more than welcome to follow me @MythicBlood.

You don’t have to though, but if you want to, feel free.

I need to start doing some research for publishers, just so I know who is accepting right now. There aren’t many out there and I want to avoid self-publishing if possible. I had been tempted in the past, but vanity publishing can’t compare with an actual publisher. It’s an uphill battle for me though, due to Twilight and Tru Blood, vampires are harder to sell.

I already explained this didn’t I?

See, this is why I don’t blog that often, I end up like a broke record!

Until next time everyone. Keep well, stay safe and hopefully I will have some better news and more significant things to write about!

Take care.

Here we go again

As I write this, I am half awake along with my best friend in the world right now… a box of Puffs tissues. Yes, I got the cold that has been spreading around town as of late. Yet for some reason, I got sick right after my younger brother came home from University feeling a under the weather.

The circle of life of a cold germ, it is always started by the youngest in the family who touches everything! So, in order to not get blamed for anyone else getting sick, I’ve made frequent trips to the bathroom… not for the reason you may think. After watching Myth Busters, I learned how much a cold germ could spread when someone doesn’t wash their hands after each time it comes in contact with their face. So lesson of the day everyone, wash your hands after you blow your nose, no matter how annoying it maybe. Just do it!

Alright, now on to the more important stuff.

I have sent Mythic Blood off once more to a different publisher in hopes of getting my novel off the ground, that right I took the plunge again! I have made alteration to the novel and condensed the first chapter and merged it into one with the second chapter. You get to the vampires quicker to put it mildly. As well I got some wonderful advice from the woman who really got me into writing about my immortals.

Anne Rice.

What a wonderful person she has been to me. I have written her about three times now, and she has responded to me three times. Recently, I was feeling rather down due to the rejection letter I got from the last publisher, one of the errors they pointed out with my manuscript was the historical inaccuracies. I asked Mrs. Rice for any suggestions and she came through for me greatly, and allow me to pass that on to anyone else who has encountered the same problems as I have been.

When I asked her how she got information for the time frame she was writing in for her vampires, this is what she suggested.

“Go to Amazon.com and put in suggested titles like "Every Day Life in Medieval Rome." or Every day life in Renaissance Rome." See what turns us.

Keep trying. "Daily Life in Medieval Rome." Medieval Rome.

Rome in the late middle ages

(The 1300's is not ancient times at all, but the late Middle Ages.) Google aspects of life. "Economics in Medieval Rome."

"Working conditions in Medieval Rome."

Amazon will keep searching and dredging up titles for you, throwing up suggested titles. Order the books that look good or to the point. There are many specialized books on Italy and many general books for a popular historian. Keep using combinations of words to snare different titles. note that you can order used books on Amazon for low prices. Keep searching.

That's the easiest way to do research. "Art in Medieval Rome." "Architecture in Medieval Rome." "The Medieval City." "Italy in the late Middle Ages." "Italian architecture in the 1300's." Go on and on like that.

When you get your first batch of books, study the footnotes for other sources. Buy the books cited in the bibliography if they are more focused on what you need to know.

"Economics in Medieval Rome." "Trade in Medieval Rome."

"The Rise of bankers in Medieval Rome." Just keep hitting it.

Amazon is fast, flexible and huge.”

This was fantastic advice, I mean books do have to name their sources for historical facts right?

By the way, I did some research, one of the inaccuracies for my novel was that they didn’t have two level houses in the 1300s in Rome…

UNTRUE!

I got my history books and one especially on Rome, two level houses existed since 300 A.D, it was the Romans who were pioneers in architecture, were they not? If I am still wrong on this topic, please someone point me in the right direction! But so far, I think I got this right.

Anything else to update?

Not at this time, but I will once again, keep you posted on what I have learned, what there is to know and if Mythic Blood will have a home. From there, the world is limitless! The possibilities are going to come.

Come to think of it, this is really starting to sound like J.K Rowlings when she first started writing Harry Potter. Granted, I have been very blessed with the fact that I still live at home, I have a job and no real responsibilities besides pitching in wherever I can in the house and paying part of a bill each month. But only time will tell.

Until next time…

Finally! I have word on my novel!

Well it nearly took a year, and waiting, waiting with more waiting. And finally an answer!

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It just wasn’t the answer I had been hoping for.

Sadly, Mythic Blood has been rejected once again. But this time, I got good feedback on it and will take the suggestions given to me into account and to heart. They were very truthful and made me see I do have some work ahead of me to do. But the main issue was spelling and grammar, I knew the grammar was the biggest of the two since I have always struggled with it.

As much as I wished and hoped for it to be, it wasn’t time for Mythic Blood. Not yet at least.

But I know it will be soon.

update... sort of... kind of

A new day and yet a while since I have written anything useful on this blog. So, what’s new with me?

Nothing much.

Yeah, that would be the shortest blog ever huh?

Ok, well I have been getting back into the writing, as well as set myself up for 2011. I had recently purchased World Horror Convention tickets for my brother and I. We’re going to Texas! The hotel is booked, so all we need to do now is start saving for our plane tickets and get some extra scratch for spending money. But the money will come to us easily and effortless. That I know! (sorry once more I am explaining part of the secret, but every time I say that line, I find money!)

I have also developed a new character for my vampire series. An immortal by the name of Chimera, her name means precisely what it entails to. But details of that will come a little later, all I can say is that she is African, and the Savanna is her domain. But she isn’t alone….

I am still waiting very patiently to hear from the publishers. I have said that in all my other blogs. It was one month and two days ago when they wrote me to explain they were catching up on some reading and I should have a reply in two weeks at the latest.

I have been tempted to write them, trust me I have fought myself constantly wondering if I should send them a friendly reminder. Yet there is a part of me saying wait. Just wait and see what happens. I know from what I have learned on author’s panels and not to mention from my experience at the World Horror Convention in 2007, that it is considerably rude to write the publishers and press them for an answer. It hurts your chances of getting published, and I don’t want that. I don’t want to be a pushy writer. I have to remember they get hundreds, thousands of manuscripts. And I am a novice writer. No work of mine has ever been published yet. So I am not going to blow my opportunity here by writing and asking if they want the rest of the book.

I have a goal though. By the World Horror Convention in Austin Texas, 2011. I will be a published author! Be it short story or my novel series, my work will be in a book.

In the mean time, I have been on my twitter account if anyone is interested. Nothing earth shattering I have to report, but it will be the first place I announce any big news.

I find it strange that the summer has just blown right by. Believe it or not, I am going to be 26 in the next few weeks. But the bright side is that I am going to spend my birthday at a concert with a fellow music fanatic. I have always wanted to see Disturbed live… and for some reason, I can see David Draiman as one of my immortals. I just love the way he looks and the piercings he has makes him bring out the best of my creativity… then again, I got half of the cast picked out for book when it’s made into a movie.

Well, that’s all for now from me, more updates soon, I promise!

Until then…

Stay thirsty.

Damn vampires!

Damn vampires.

Oh sorry, I should be more specific. Damn Sparkling vampires.

I would be the first one to tell you that I had been against the Twilight series, I never heard over three years ago, and yet I saw all these books linked to one another. I was told by other vampire readers to give it a chance and have a look over at least one story.

I gave in and bought Twilight.

It took me months to read, and I have a hard time getting into the story. It was slow, very slow. Like someone held my hand to walk me through the aspect of the plot line. But what bothered me was how everyone couldn’t get enough of the series. (I had enough after the first book) not to mention I work at a movie theatre part time. I’ve seen the fandom up close and personal. It ain’t pretty.

Yet, for the whole reason I despise the series I believe comes down to a few things; jealously, and resentment that’s just to name only a select few.

Why have I come to this conclusion you ask? Let me explain.

Throughout all of high school, I wrote, I did fan fiction as explained in my last blog. I wrote about WWE superstars, and I had my fair share of people who enjoyed to mock me, and announced how awful my writing was. Many had found the sites I posted on and would make fun of me the next day with the story they glanced over. I even had the courage to read aloud in my tenth grade English class one of my stories as part of an assignment. Ridicule followed, yet praise from my English teacher was enough to get me through. (I even had some people accuse me that I didn’t even write it! Backhanded compliments huh?)

So let me get to the point. I know what it’s like to have people mock your work, crush your creativity and make you feel like you can’t write anything worthwhile. This is where my jealousy comes in.

She gets her work published, just as I had been working on my vampire series for well over six years. I started just before graduating high school, and had been hard at work for many years. Recently I have tried to submit my novel to various publishers, only to learn at a Horror Convention that the publishers have been overwhelmed with vampire novels, since many began to write their own after reading Twilight.

Bitter? You bet I am!

I feel like my chances of getting my book out there have been cut drastically. Everyone who is anyone has decided to come up with their own “Twilight” book, some do it out of passion for what they read, other, resentment. For they believed they could write a better book.

I just can’t help but feel jaded towards the series, I don’t like them, but I respect the fact that Stephenie Meyer got her work out there, she got it published and I have no doubt she is living quite comfortably right now.

But, I am still angry over the fact that since Twilight, vampires have lost their bite, their fangs and apparently weakness to sunlight.

I would be lying if I didn’t say I mocked her work, yet I find myself becoming one of those boys back in high school who did the same thing to me. I am mocking a person’s creativity. I am insulting their ideas…

I became a complete and utter jerk!

Is it truly wrong for me to be angry? Is it not human to be jealous?

There’s a feeling I have been enduring for a while, as well as what I learned from the secret. The more you harbor ill will and feelings, the more those feeling will attract others like it to you. I cannot have that. I cannot keep those inside of me.

If I do, how else will I get published?

(Deep cleansing breath)

I don’t know about you, but I seriously need to rethink my priorities. If not… how will anything get done?

Stay Thirsty