Star Wars Day

 I got 3 more days til my book goes live as an ebook.  I'm so excited!  One person has already purchased it in presale. The advertising will also start in 3 days.  The printed book will go on sale on Juneteenth. I ordered my postcards and business cards, which should be here in 2 weeks.    Of the 25 books I received from bookbaby a few are going to be sold.  Things are coming together.  Ijust hope the presales come together.

About time!

 I'm so excited!  I finally approved all the book proofs from the cover to the ebook formatting.  My book is set to be printed and I'll get my 25 copies to do with as I wish.  The POD launch date is June 19th (that's right, on Juneteenth) and the ebook release is on May 4th( yes, Star Wars day). Hoopefully I can hear from the two sites I've asked to host my book launch party soon.  Presales for my book is right now!  Check out the cover!

Tic toc

 I'm now in a waiting game to get my revised book proofs returned to me for approval.  I'm also waiting to hear back from two event managers about having a book launch in their stores.  the wait is killing me! I'm sao close to the book coming out, yet I feel like I can't get any traction.  I'm gonna start calling some people! 

It's March!

 Hard to believe i'll be turning the big 53 in a few weeks.  It all went by so fast!  My dog Frankie turned 2 years old on Febuary 27.  It still feels as if we just got her! Now if only I can get rid of this bloody cold and cough!

Fingers crossed!

 It's all starting to come together for my book Alpine Starts.  I got half of my refund back and I ready to finally pay down on the publisher's fee to Bookbaby.  Within a few weeks I can finally start to get this show on the road!  I will soon have to talk to cover designers to hopefully base it closely on the cover I have in my blog.  Now I just have to figure out if i'm going to do a virtual book tour and/or a book launch party.  Lord knows how long i've worked to get to this point.

Frankie

 I love my dog.  I'm sitting on the couch before I get ready to go teach and I'm rubbing her back. She them proceeds to return the favor by licking my knee. Amber and I will never have the joy of having children, but we have her. I think to myself, that is enough.

Back on the grind!

 I haven't written in a while about anything, though I do have things going on in my life.  To start, I am not able to publish my book yet, maybe sometime this month.( if I'm lucky)  Had to spend the publishing money on saving my dog. Oh that's right! I have a dog now!  🐕  Het name is Frankie Debella Stevenson and she is Amber and my world.  We never was able to have children, so Frankie is getting all our loving. She was in the vet hospital for 5 days. That's what I spent my money on.  Caring for someone/something definitely puts your life in perspective. I'm sad that my book is nor out there, but I don't regret a thing. 

Decisions, decisions!

 I talked to another book publisher today.  It made me realize that I'll need to invest more money in my book than I planned.  It,  of course was a sobering thought.  Amber and I had conversations about it last night and today about it.  At first I wanted to get my book published either for free like I did the last two times.  I even considered giving away 30% of the profits for one service.  Well, my mind set has changed.  To get all the services I want I'll need to invest more.  I need editing services, for I did it myself for both books.  I look back now and hit my head.  They came out well but I'd change a few things,  be more watchful of spacing ,etc.  This book will be the first one I have the confidence to charge people exclusively. The other two were free or pay what you wish.  I want to market this thing to the point that I'm sick of it!  I want websites, book trailers social media presence,  the works!   To afford it  will probably have me saving for a while.  So my promise to have this book totally done by Xmas is not going to happen.  Hopefully I can have the first draft written by Xmas.  I will then have a few beta testers read it, then give it to the professionals after that.  I also want to be sure that I can be read on all platforms like Amazon, Barnes and noble,  Apple, etc.  I also want both ebook and printed books available.  The cheaper services was lacking in one thing or another.  I guess it's a case of "you get what you pay for!"

November 17

 My wife Amber and my anniversary was this past Wenesday.  We just stayed home and chilled.  We will go out this Staturday to celebrate.  I think of all that we have gone through to get to this point and it astounds me.  We had nothing, then worked our butts off to get to where we are today.  We aren't rich or anything, but we are content.  sometimes being content is enough.

Getting the mushies!

 Just got finished watching my favorite anime: Princess Nine on crunchyroll this afternoon.  I must say it gets me going everytime!  What I mean is bawling my eyes out!  I even needed tissue!  The drama of it, funny times, baseball scenes just get me going!  I like watching shows that show the determination of the human spirit, fake or real.  It gets me teary eyed each time!  I know I'm "not suppused to cry as a guy", but give me a good story and i'm a sucker!  I even cry for Rocky, Rudy, Creed 1 and 2, etc.  Guess i'm a softie in my older age! lol

Heart tugs!

 I've always liked Richard Marx.  His songs touch my soul and my memories in such a profound way.  Memories of love, heartache,  rediscovery, and redemption.  Two songs from his that I've had on repeat the last couple of days from him are Suddenly and Whatever we started.  They are giving me idea for the book in terms of where to take the two characters love story.  I just hope it all works out in the end.

 It's been a busy week for me, for I  worked extra days at the dojo.  The extra money will come in handy to get Amber an anniversary present.  Speaking of Amber, her birthday is this Sunday,  the same day my church re-opens. It will be a fun day! I can’t wait for her to look at the presents I  got her.  Unfortunately,  we have to get through 9/11 to get there.  A depressing day,  especially if you have a birthday on it like my friend  Mini.  I think I'll give her a call to lift her spirits tomorrow.   I won't be listening to the reading of the names as I have in the past.  I'll probably sleep through the whole ceremony.!  It's  hard to believe it's been 20 years already.  To me it feels like only a few years.  I'm getting old!

 Hi all!

I'm here working on my blog and it is super frustrating!  I got most of what I want but I need to have a section so as you guys can leave your email so that I can get back to you!  Hopefully I can find a solution over the next few days.  My book is going well!  I'm up to 16,000 plus words! At this rate I can get her done by the holidays!  I will let you all know when and where as soon as I figure it out!

I'm bummed!  I caught the coronavirus last month and i'm almost completely healed except for a cough as of now. It was a rough road with both my wife Amber and myself being sick.  I had to take care of her more than myself with her getting high fevers.  I'm not complaining since it is a part of the "in sickness and in health" , it's just that it is a sharp role reversal.  She usually takes care of me when i'm sick! We were both scared the whole time for it seemed like another time where we were both like:" just try surviving! Just try surviving!" I don't know what would have happened if I would have lost Amber.  Luckily we didn't have the  respiratory problems that are classic with the Covid 19 virus.  I just had low fevers, a wicked cough and joint aches.  We finally got tested for the antibodies this past saturday and got the results today.  We are both positive so there's no meeting anyone for a bit. The doctors don't even know how long we are contagious.  We quarentined ourselves the whole time.  I can't wait to get to the other side of this virus! I've had no problem being homebound since i'm scared to go outside normally, but I feel for all my friends who are stuck inside with roommates, without family, all alone. I just hope the planet comes out on the other end of this a better place.

 It was scary going to the laundry yesterday! I had my face wrapped( no face masks were available) and when I stepped outside everyone was wearing a mask!  I could barely on both hands the number of people who didn't have face masks on! I heard that my section of Da Bronx (gotta add the Da!LOL) is a hotbed for the coronavirus. There are lines outside of supermarkets limiting how many people can get in at one time, 6 feet markers for waiting on line, plastic screens set up for the cashiers, etc. I went to the pharmacy while my laundry was washing and the inside was completely covered with plastic. For some weird reason, seeing all those masks on reminded me of people walking through a snowstorm all bundled up. The storm we are caught up in is vast and far reaching, but I know that I'd rather be here in NYC than anywhere else.  We are tough, resilient, have faith in ourselves and each other.  Sinatra doesn't sing "If you can make it there you can make it everywhere..." for nothing!

I was serving in my church yesterday doing lights.  The school that I was in had decorations up for Black history month.  Looking at them reminded me of when I was in school we were taught both the black national anthem and the Puerto Rican national anthem.  I wondered if the school we were having church in was doing the same thing. I always  had such pride singing the black anthem because I came from a family that had pride in being black. The school I was in was a public school and as you all know, public school has the reputation for being bad.(deserved) I think back and think that no matter what my school lacked, they always taught you to love yourself for who you are.  I wonder if my youngest nieces and nephew are having a sense of pride in their blackness instilled in them. To this day I can sing most if not all the words to the anthem on the spot.  Happy black history month everyone!

Valetine's day is upon us and I type here grateful for all who love me. I have friends and family that would miss me if I left the earth prematurely.  Therea are also those i'd miss if they left prematurely.  There is also the family and friends that have moved out of the city or live far away in general.  They are all family to me and I love them as if they were my blood. Love as a word can be both simple and complicated depending on how you use it. Love one another is a simple thing to do.  I hope I can keep it that simple in the big 2020.

Started packing up the xmas decorations today.  It looks like it will be a multi-day job.  Amber and I usually wait till after January 6 to take them down.(3 kings day) I usually hate putting the tree and various stuff up or taking it down. It's not like I don't think everything looks pretty once it's up, I do.  It's just so much work! Luckily this year we had a tree trimming party that brought together 5 other couples from my church. They helped me put it up in exchange for food and good times. Amber is being lenient with me this year in the taking them down. We have to volunteer at our church tomorrow so we don't want to tire ourselves out. so many memories with our ornaments, from our first year of marriage to wedding gifts. I'm getting choked up just thinking about it!

UUUUGGGGGHHHHHH!


This book is driving me crazy!  The flip flopping on what it should be about, disasters as part of the story line, etc. Oh, wait a moment! I forgot to explain: I'm doing research for a book called Alpine Starts and I'm really trying to make sure this book is on point! The inspiration behind the book is my former employer Outward Bound.  I want to do the men and women justice and not sound like a boob! I had to put this book on the back burner because of my Tumultuous book. I've been waiting a few years to start primary writing!I want this book to be double the page count(at least) of my other two books.  I was lucky enough to find and old instructor's manual among my stuff so I might not have to go in ans interview anyone again.  It's a small schlep to L.I.C. but I just hate leaving my house! Wish me luck on it everyone!

Cue the need for tissues!

I'm now convinced that you have to have some emotional mileage on you to really get love songs!  There are songs I listened to in my teen and early adult days that I loved from Richard Marks and Journey but didn't get till I was in my 40'S  I'd sing along with them, sing them to girls, etc. and not had a clue.  Recently I've listened to those songs again and realized things like he's getting a divorce, she's separating from him, she's sleeping around and he is just waiting!  I still love those songs but I can't listen to them that much anymore now that I know the heartache behind them. Did you know the song "in the air tonight" by Phil Collins was written in regards to his eventual divorce? My favorite tear jerker is from Journey: Separate ways.  He's gonna be waiting around for her after she goes to some other man.  Yea they got a goodbye boink, but please man: don't torture yourself!  It's a brand new world for me when it comes to love songs! I'll just get the:"I've got something in my eye.." excuse handy!