Tag: novel

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Coffee and Contemplation: My Favorite Books of 2020

I enjoyed many of the books I read during this last year. I read more books than I have in an entire year and I’m proud of myself for that. There were two in particular that stood out to me. It wasn’t so much the stories themselves but the writing and the way the stories captured my imagination. This isn’t a book review. Not really. I hope what I say will encourage you all to read these books, though one might be hard to find. These were both new approaches to old ideas. And there was something supernatural and magical about them.

The first book is “The Wolfman” by Nicholas Pekearo. Many have said this is the best werewolf novel ever written. I’m inclined to agree. It was tragic that Pekearo died before seeing it published. The story is about a man who is a werewolf and uses this condition to hunt and kill bad people like murderers, serial killers, etc… The main character reminded me of my father in many ways. Both his good and bad qualities. Copies of this book are online. Physical copies are more expensive. I don’t think it’s being printed for the moment. If you prefer e-readers, it’s still more expensive than others. Just fair warning but it’s worth every penny.

The second book is “The Night Circus” by Erin Morgenstern. The synopsis makes one think this will be a romance novel, but the romance is subtle. I didn’t notice the two characters were starting a courtship until half-way through. This could be because of the non-linear narrative. There’s no mushy stuff. There’s too much magic going on in the story. It has a little of everything and is well written. My enthusiasm for this novel overshadowed many of the others I read in 2020. This book is a little easier to acquire than the first one I mentioned. 

What were your favorite reads of 2020? I often stick with supernatural or magical realism type stories but please share any books that stuck out in your mind during 2020.

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National Life Writing Month

November is a busy month for writers. Not only is it National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), it’s also National Life Writing Month. Sometimes called Memoir Writing Month, the purpose of National Life Writing Month is to encourage people to write about their own lives. Who better to tell your life story than you? I have written small bits about my life for a couple years. I even put some of those writings together in my book “Mushaburui: A Mental Health Journey.” For those of you who read this blog often, you’ve read a few personal things about me from posts and from my poetry.

This month however, I’m taking a step back from myself in an attempt to focus on NaNoWriMo. Last November, I started writing what will become my first novel. I have only written short stories and one novella up till now. I did not meet the goal of 50k words last November. Then last April, with everyone in lockdown/quarantine, I wrote a bit more of my novel. I have about 55k words and only about 2/3 of the story written so far. My goal for this year’s NaNoWriMo is to finish my novel which might only be about 30k words.

I’m still not meeting the official goal of 50k during the month of November, but blog writing counts too, right? What kind of writing goals have you set for yourself for November? Are you writing fiction or nonfiction? Tell me in the comments. Or share a personal story of yours in the comments. And everyone out there pushing themselves a little more to meet their writing goals, good luck. I believe in you.

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Projects Overview

I wanted to go over the many projects I’ve been working on. I have a total of six projects in different stages of development. The first draft of my first novel, The Hook, is about two-thirds complete. There is still a lot of writing to be done before I can start revision. I’ve already seen several things I need to go back and fix. I’m forcing myself to finish writing the entire thing before any revising. I am happy with how the story is unfolding and the characters that I’ve developed. I even made a cover for the book, but I’m hoping to have this one traditionally published.

I also have two poetry projects in the works. The first is called Black Chaos and has a lot of content about depression and other mental health issues along with life issues. It’s like my other poetry collections but more focused on the theme. My poetry project has a Halloween theme. I wanted my poetry to fit along with my horror writing. I hope to have this collection called The Monster That Ate My Mommy ready in time for October. I want this collection to have illustrations, but I need to finish writing first.

I have outlined my next novel. It’s a rough outline that I’m sure will change as I develop the story further. It’s called Fiends of Antilles. It has pirates, vampires, mermaids, and all sorts of other things. It’s a continuation of my short story “Ceres” from The Morbid Museum collection. Speaking of short stories, I’m developing another collection titled The Baku Banquet. This collection will be centered around the Japanese mythological creatures who devour nightmares. Each story will be a nightmare that one of the Baku is sharing with others. I’m excited for this project.

Finally, I have another novel for which I’m still outlining the plot. It will be a continuation of one of the stories that I’ll feature in my next short story collection. This story, “White Magnolias” is also in development. The novel will be a sequel to “The Sapphire Cat” from The Morbid Museum collection featuring the Private Detective John Adler. Dead Magnolias will take place in central Louisiana. To be honest, part of me wants to start writing this novel now but I’m trying to finish some other things first. No matter the order, I have plenty of things to keep me busy. 

I do look forward to the day I can write full time and still pay my bills and buy food. I got a taste of this during quarantine and have made this my goal and dream career. I think I can do it. Wish me luck! And I hope you enjoyed learning more about the projects I have in the making. I’ve also included the covers I’ve made for two of my projects that I’ll have finished before all the others. Enjoy.