She Was His Angel ☠️(Updated)

From my press releases: 

The Canadian author known as Mima published her 13th book (9th in the Hernandez series). The book is titled, She Was His Angel. 

A former Mexican narco transitions into Canadian life with family, politics, and business while holding tight to his ruthless, criminal ways. Meet Jorge Hernandez.

Power-hungry CEO of Our House of Pot, Jorge Hernandez, holds tight to his ruthless ways in the 8th book in the Hernandez series when he decides to take down the pharmaceutical industry in one powerful swoop. The man once known as the Mexican cartel leader El Diablo isn’t satisfied controlling the monopoly in the Canadian marijuana industry but wants to make Big Pharma squirm under his thumb. Using his political influence to cripple his nemesis, while simultaneously backing the incriminating docuseries Eat the Rich Before the Rich Eat You, Jorge might win the battle, but can he win the war? 

Recognizing that he’s started a bloodthirsty game of cat and mouse with a sinister opponent, Jorge enlists the help of the only person that he considers his equal. Former assassin Paige Hernandez, one of the most dangerous women in the world, takes on her husband’s advice to do her worst. But when an unexpected adversary forces her hand in a no-win situation, Paige is left with a heart-wrenching decision of who will live…and who will die.

When the couple unites forces, they discover a bloodbath overflowing in deception and disloyalty that shakes them to the core. Together with Paige, Jorge fights their enemy to the end because he is the devil and she was his angel.

This book centers on celebrating strong, powerful women who can take on the world. I also use this platform to resurface many stereotypes that women encounter throughout their lives, as well as the struggle of balancing family and work....and of course, in Paige's case, murder.

Do we really need genres anymore? (updated)

It's not the first time I've talked about not wanting to be stuck in a genre: and it probably won't be the last. Are genres too confining?

The problem is that as soon as we put books in a category, it limits your audience. It suggests it's the central theme when most books, movies, and television shows can dip into a whole range of genres. You can watch a detective show and catch a little romance. You can read a detective book and stumble across some unexpected humor. Sometimes stating that a book is a specific genre only shows your potential audience a portion of what they can expect. It's like introducing your new friend and describing her as a journalist: when she's also a mother, a wife, an activist, and maybe even a volunteer in her community. The one-word description limits our view of who she is when she has so many aspects to her personality. Books are the same.

Another issue with having a specific genre is that it limits your audience. For example, if I learn a book is a 'romance', you've already lost me. It doesn't matter that perhaps it's only one element, and maybe the novel is full of humor, drama, and other things. I might enjoy it but, I've already written it off as 'not my kind of book'. This is another reason why I'm iffy on genres. I write books that more or less fall under the thriller-suspense categories, but I have a lot of other stuff going on, including romance, dark humor, maybe even a little horror from time to time.

I guess the point is that good books, movies and television shows have many different things going on. We have short attention spans and need lots of colors lighting up at once or we get bored. I'm not sure if genres are as important as they were in simpler times. What do you think?

Why do (my) criminals always win? 😏(updated)

Generally speaking, most of the books you'll read that involve criminals will have the same conclusion: the 'bad guy' gets caught and we all live happily ever after in knowing that good prevails over evil. We see it in movies, on television, and in real life...

Wait. Is that true? Do we see it in real life?

In actuality, we don't always see the 'bad guys' getting captured in the real world. Other times, we see them get caught only to either get away with or barely get punished for their crimes. So why do so many books, movies, and television series center on criminals getting caught and punished?

The answer is that we seek the comfort that the story tells. Many people feel better when things end in a way that they think they should. So, in other words, not only does the criminal gets caught, but the girl gets the guy, and the sick person recovers, and everyone lives happily ever after.

It can be a little insulting to the average audience's intelligence to give every story a fairy tale ending. If you don't believe me, ask a few people what they think of some of the cute and cuddly Christmas movies we're walloped with every December and watch at least half of them roll their eyes. People want to be challenged, surprised, and sometimes, to nod their heads and say, 'I wonder if that does happen?'

In my series, the criminals get away with their crimes. They take many preventative measures, own the right politicians, and manipulate the media. But will they eventually get caught?

Let's talk about the media guy, Tom Makerson 📰(Updated)

Tom Makerson may be a secondary character in the series, but he plays a valuable role in the organization. When it comes to public perception, Makerson makes Jorge Hernandez look like a hero while his enemies like the devil. Talk about spinning a story!

Makerson came along in And the Devil Will Laugh when Jorge Hernandez needs someone he can control in the media. After having some issues with the newspaper Toronto AM, Jorge decided to cut (literally) the editor out of the picture. He picks someone else to take over the paper and in turn, take care of his profile in the media. When we meet Makerson in the first chapter, it becomes clear that he is intimidated by Hernandez and will do whatever he wants. Which, of course, is exactly what Jorge Hernandez wants.

Throughout the series, Makerson grows more comfortable with Hernandez, and the two work quite well together. Not only does Makerson create a pristine image of the CEO of Our House of Pot, but he's also given some big news tips from Hernandez that end up being breaking stories and, in turn, enhancing his career. Of course, there are always fringe benefits if you do what Hernandez wants, like having your condo paid off, but that's not for a couple of books later.

Do power and money slant the media? Is there corruption behind closed doors? I think we both know the answer to these questions.

OMG! I finally fit into a genre! 😝(Updated)

For all the times I complained about not wanting to be stuck in a genre, I've finally found the perfect one!

Ever since my first book, I've never been comfortable classifying any of my books into a specific category. Nothing ever quite fit. There was romance, action, suspense, murder, dark humor, and even some vampires thrown in a couple, but none of these specific genres felt right. It was as though all my books included so many things that it was difficult to categorize them properly, so I chose instead to toss everything into the 'dark fiction' category. It seemed like the most accurate, if not the ideal category.

Recently, I stumbled across the concept of counterculture, and I was immediately intrigued. What was that exactly, and why did it sound so appealing? As it turns out, counterculture tends to be a way of life that goes against social 'norms'. This demographic rejects 'conventional' society choosing instead to live by their standards. 

This grabbed my attention.

In my first two books (Fire and A Spark before the Fire), my characters reject society's values by striving to become rock stars, which in itself tends to be a very counterculture lifestyle.

In my third and fourth book, The Rock Star of Vampires and Her Name is Mariah, I tackle the underground world of vampires. You can't get much more counterculture than that, can you?

Maybe so.

In my current series, my cast of characters tends to go against pretty much all social norms. They make their own laws, follow their own rules and do so without a second thought. Murder, corruption, collusion, and torture are engrained into their lives as if they were the most natural thing. That's pretty counterculture.

My books finally have a home, and it's pretty awesome.

Why do you always write about criminals? 🔪(updated)

One of my most asked questions is why I write about criminals. For those not familiar with my books, this inquiry springs from the fact that most of my books are based on the criminal POV rather than the more socially acceptable, commonly used perspective of the detective, lawyer, or, in other words, the 'good guy'. Essentially, what I'm saying is that I prefer to write about the 'bad guy' or more the anti-hero type characters.

It started innocently enough. This was the series that was never meant to be a series, starting with a book called We're All Animals. In it, I explored a character named Chase Jacobs and his coming of age problems that led him down a dark path that linked up with the people he now refers to as his associates. Of course, it had to be introduced slowly, carefully, and in such a way that showed how people could find themselves in this world even if it was never their intention.

I love writing from an alternate POV rather than the more common ones used in books. It's interesting to explore a character that is normally viewed from a third-person perspective, instead, showing all the dimensions and unravel their many layers. It's very easy to just throw everybody into a simplified category but it takes a little more effort to consider where that person came from, what their experiences have been, and what drives them. People are vastly more complicated than some writers would have you believe.

There's also something invigorating about sinister characters. It can be quite addictive and fascinating to write about them. It allows my imagination to go to all kinds of dark places that you simply can't explore with primarily law-abiding and 'good' characters. And if you do, it becomes the central theme of the book rather than a component. For example, if a 'good' character does something terrible, it becomes the plot, with the protagonist attempting to understand and justify their behavior. If a 'bad' guy does the same thing, it's not such a shock and just becomes another event in the book.

When you're a writer, shouldn't you be searching for different scenarios, alternate voices, and most importantly, intriguing storylines that aren't following the same, tired format?

The Devil May Lie - book 6 in the Hernandez crime family series 😈(Updated)

The Devil May Lie is Mima's 11th book, the 6th book in the Hernandez crime family series. In this book, former cartel kingpin Jorge Hernandez is groomed for Canadian politics. Will the Canadian political landscape ever be the same again?

In the sixth book in the Hernandez crime family series, the murder and mayhem continue. Here is the summary:

With blood on his hands, Jorge Hernandez has enforced a brutal takeover of the Canadian legalized marijuana industry. Now facing opponents who want to challenge the existing laws, the former Mexican crime lord has no intentions of backing down. His brash style and sharp tongue captivate the media while behind the scenes, those who oppose him are often met by his crime family’s ruthless style of justice.

When a heartbreaking tragedy tears through the country and whispers of racism and government neglect dominates the news, Canada’s latest media darling finds himself courted by the nationally disgraced party. He has murdered, terrorized and tortured to get to the top and now he’s being groomed to lead one of the country’s political parties.

In the latest book in this brutal series, Jorge Hernandez insists that nothing is more important than the truth…and yet, the devil may lie….

How a simple story turned into a brutal series 🙀(Updated)

It started with a simple concept. The first book in the series is about Chase Jacobs, the wide-eyed boy next door who finds others taking control of his life, leaving him bitter, resentful, and bringing out a dark side that no one saw coming. With his introduction to the sinister underworld in his small town, there's a sense that once Chase has opened the door, he could never turn back. 

If you jump ahead to the 3rd or 4th book in the series, it might be surprising to see what a jump things had taken from We're All Animals. What starts as the story about teenage heartbreak turns into a series involving violence, corruption, and murder. I feel it's a smooth transition and one that allows you to understand how someone you'd never expect could get involved with a gang or cartel. Our lives and decisions can take us down many roads, but in the end, there's a reason why we choose them. 

I've often said that this is the series that wasn't meant to be a series. However, the characters were so compelling that I had to keep writing. Who knew where it would lead me. 😈

Why do we love the anti-hero? 🔪 (Updated)

Oh, those bad boys and girls! Don't we love them?

There's just something about the rebellion and going against the grain character that we love. Perhaps it is the fact that these characters sometimes do what we wish we could in real life? Is it because we get a small thrill about 'sticking it to the man'? Is there something attractive or sexy about the character that thumbs their nose at the world? What is the draw to this kind of character?

As children, most of us learned that there were 'good' and 'bad' guys in life. The 'good guys' could be trusted. The 'bad guys' should be avoided. It was overly simplified. Bad guys always had mustaches and looked shady, while good guys wore a suit or a 'respectable' uniform (and I don't mean the one from when you flipped burgers in college).

If life teaches us anything, it's that the lines in the sand aren't always so clear. Maybe the religious figure from your youth turned out to be a pedophile, or you witnessed a cop beat the crap out of an innocent citizen. Whatever it was, you may now have a slight aversion to what you once viewed as the 'good guy' and find yourself slightly intrigued by the 'bad guy', therefore making you drawn to characters who don't exactly play by the rules.

Of course, I could be overanalyzing. Maybe we just like watching bombs blowing up everywhere and some devilish character pushing the button. What do you think? Why do you love the antihero (assuming you do)? Maybe the answer might surprise you.