The official blog is associated with www.mimaonfire.com. Author of 18 books including the Hernandez series 🔪
Loyalty Above All
There are no exceptions.
☠️#counterculture #villains #darkhumor #bloodthirsty #antihero #criminals #fiction #Hernandezseries #Canadianfiction #darkfiction #politicalthriller #Amazonbooks #Kindle #booksworthreading
If you follow me, you're probably aware that I usually have a monthly video newsletter to accompany my blog. Fun story! This month I recorded one, but when I went to post it, something was wrong with the video that it didn't work. Having said that, I have a backlog of videos to post very soon, and hopefully, next month, I will be back on track 😉
What's new in writing news? I'm still working on my 18th book!
More videos and blogs are coming soon! If you want to help me out, I would greatly appreciate it if you'd share, subscribe, and follow me on social media. Also, if you aren't a reader but want to support my work, please contact your local library and ask them to order in a copy of any of my books. This helps get more eyes on my work and hey, you never know who's attention it will capture.
Jorge Hernandez of my Hernandez series has transformed over the years; from villain to vigilante, but is he a vigilante superhero?
It might seem like a stretch to consider this former cartel member, a man who's killed and murdered numerous people in his lifetime, a superhero. However, in recent books, one could argue that most of his vigilante acts revolve around going up against an injustice of sorts. His most common enemy tends to be Big Pharma, which is hardly a group that conjures up much compassion. For example, in Loyalty Above All (there are no exceptions), Jorge goes after the pharmaceutical industry after he learns they released a drug despite knowing it would cause cancer. So while many may question if revenge is the most moralistic method, there is also a level of understanding of why this character reacts as he does. Especially when considering someone close to him has died because of this medication.
In many ways, Jorge Hernandez faces the anger and frustration many feel but avenges the powerlessness in a way they can't. This is why the antihero has grown in popularity over the last few years. We've seen this trend in television and, to a degree, in movies. But what about books?
I suspect most writers are careful about how they take on this topic because there's a fine line that most writers do not want to cross.
The theme for my 18th book (the 13th in the Hernandez series) will be courage. I thought this was important since I fear that courage is a trait that's currently lacking in our world. Some will speak up and feel the need to have a voice, while others cower away and feel more comfortable going with the flow. It's been suggested that it's a generational situation, but I don't know. Without a backbone, do you have anything?
Anyone familiar with my Hernandez series is aware that the protagonist is fearless. In a way, he represents the courage many people wish they had, the freedom to speak up whenever they want, with no consequences. Of course, in the real world, that isn't always possible. We live in a time where some people hold puppet strings that can easily get tied up in a knot.
In the world of Jorge Hernandez, there will be no one and nothing that gets in his way. No one intimidates him. Nothing scares him (and if it does, he will never let you know). Although some might rightfully suggest that his courage may sometimes go a little too far, these extremes in my series are to make a point. For example if Jorge is going up against someone in Big Pharma and takes extreme measures to make a point, it's representative of a society that perhaps has justifiable anger about the same oligarchs. Jorge takes on a lot of people, many of which represent ideas and behavior that those with courage might be already questioning. Not that new ideas aren't good, but we increasingly live in a society where there's a 'right' and 'wrong' view to have with no discussion allowed. Jorge Hernandez knows what he believes. No one tells him how to think. He listens but isn't swayed because of his strong personal beliefs. The popular vote isn't necessarily his vote.
Although his tactics are questionable, no one can argue that Jorge Hernandez has courage. In a tight situation, you want this guy in your corner.
Although I hardly have a glamorous life, it is a busy one. Between working a full-time, casual job and maintaining my writing, I don't tend to have a lot of extra time to spare.
I usually only write when I have a day off. And even that varies depending on my appointments and other things going on in my life. But ideally, I get up early (6-7 a.m.) to write a chapter for the specific book I'm working on during that time. I then write notes for the chapter I just finished and jot down some notes for the one I will do the next time. If I have time, I sometimes go back and edit the previous chapter, but I often wait and do a few chapters on a day when I'm not feeling energetic or motivated to create.
Whether or not I have the day off, I almost always am on social media to promote my work. This entails preparing social media in advance, checking comments and results on items already posted, and sometimes writing blogs or posting videos. Even though I'm not on many social media sites, I find it time-consuming to keep up with the ones I have, but it's a great way to connect with people. Of course, I sometimes record videos for my YouTube and Rumble channels, but this also depends on when I have time. I tend to schedule and organize these things in advance to get everything done.
Of course, life is busy. Things come up, and sometimes it isn't possible to keep all my ducks in line. Aspiring authors often don't realize that writing a book is the easy part. Keeping up with everything else and getting your writing to your potential audience, is another story.
I need your help (and tips on how to help other authors) Blog YouTube Rumble
Thank you for all your support! See you in 2023 😘
🇨🇦Canadian author Mima (aka Michelle M. Arsenault) is known for complicated and diverse characters, dark style, and never shying away from controversial topics.
We've come to the end of another year, and I don't know about you, but I'm relieved to have 2022 behind me. It's a time to tie up loose ends, make new choices for 2023, and create new goals. Will one of those goals be to write a book?
If so, check out my latest blog about why you should write your own book. Check it out 👇🏼
I only uploaded one new video in December because I'm still working on adding all my videos to Rumble. I'm getting close to finishing so want to focus on that before posting new content. I have a handful of videos to upload to Rumble and YouTube soon, so stay tuned! Sign up for the newsletter, and don't miss a thing!
Coming soon will be my year-end newsletter, where I review all the news from 2022! Check out last year's HERE.
Throughout the years, I've had a lot of people inquire if I could potentially help them write a book. Sometimes it's fiction, but usually non-fiction, and most of the time, a memoir. I'm sincerely flattered, but I always decline. And I will tell you why.
Although there are the most logical reasons (not enough time being the top of the list) it's always more about feeling like I'm not best suited to tell someone else's story. Now I know what you're thinking. Many people have ghostwriters (sadly, much more common than you realize), but I'm not convinced that someone else writing your stories is the best solution. The truth is that only you can most effectively communicate the narrative. You know the highlights and where the emphasis should be, not to mention the overall theme you wish to convey. Sadly if someone else tells your story, even with the best intentions, it will be difficult for them to align with what is going through your heart and mind.
A perfect example would be if you had a picture in your mind. You can find the best artist in the world, but simply describing it won't give you the final image you had hoped for because some things are hard to communicate. And sometimes artists are only sure once you're working on their art. How many times have authors admitted that the book they started to write quickly became something completely different? I know it's happened to me.
I always encourage people to write their own stories. If they need help along the way or advice, I can certainly try to help them, but it's their story to tell. It's cathartic and necessary for some people to tell the story they feel passionate about and want to share with the world.
