Saturday, February 15, 2020

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?

Saturday, February 8, 2020

What resources do you use to research your books? 🧐 (Updated)

People often ask me what kind of resources I use to research my books. As it turns out, there's a lot, and they might even include you.

For the most part, I don't research so much as I pick things up along the way. There are specific topics that I'm interested in and tend to dive into headfirst. It could be something I watched in a documentary, read in a book, perhaps caught on the news,  saw in a blog, or heard in a podcast. There are many ways to find information, allowing an author to collect many viewpoints and sides of the same topic.

Why is that important?

You have to remember that you're writing about different characters from often diverse backgrounds and experiences. Otherwise, you'd simply be writing books about yourself, and who wants to do that? For this reason, it's vital to learn about how other people live, what their day-to-day experiences look like, and how they see the world.

The beauty of learning about topics that you feel drawn to is that you take in the information much faster than if it's something you're less interested in.  When I'm drawn to a topic, I take it as a sign that it might just belong in one of my books. Also, if you're passionate about a subject, you will bring that same passion to your writing, and readers can feel it in the pages.

Of course, there are some less obvious places where you can do research. Overheard conversations, local gossip, things that capture your attention on the way to work, Facebook arguments,  or even snappy comments your friends make to you in conversation: there are tons of places where you can get great ideas. When you're a writer, you're always in research mode, even if you don't know it. πŸ˜‰


Monday, February 3, 2020

Bookmark giveaway! 🀩

While supplies last, I'm giving away bookmarks! 

Making and giving out bookmarks is something I started a few years ago because, quite frankly, I thought it was fun. It seemed only fitting to give out something that demonstrated my hard work, like a business card that carries a punch. Whether or not it created book sales wasn't something I thought about, nor did I want people to feel obligated to purchase my books. Although I must admit when people get something free, they tend to be suspicious. 🀭

If you would like some of these bookmarks, I will send you a few in the mail (while quantities last!). I will need your mailing address (if you're not comfortable giving out your home address, you can always give me your work address) and your name, of course. There are a few ways to contact me:

My website email or private message me on either Twitter or Facebook. Please don't post your personal information on my wall or in the comment section of this blog for your protection. Please put 'Bookmark giveaway' in the subject line.

As I said, quantities are limited, and depending on where you are in the world, it may take some time for the bookmarks to get to you. For more information on my books, check out my website mimaonfire.com and thanks for your support!



Wednesday, January 29, 2020

When characters are out of their element 😬 (updated)

When you consider that most of my characters are blatantly counterculture by nature, it's not hard to see why a relatively average experience might cause them to feel out of their element.

When you know that the protagonist for my current series spent most of his life breaking down massive walls, it's always interesting to see him dealing with his teenage daughter's anguish over being bullied or trying to comfort a crying baby. It's not the big problems that unsettle Jorge Hernandez, it's the average 'normal' situations that put him out of his element, especially those that require a certain amount of sensitivity. If you're a man that enters a room with both barrels blazing, how do you deal with the principal of his daughter's school? If he's used to threatening or killing his enemies, how does he deal with a pesky neighbor? 

The irony is, of course, that most of us would have the opposite problem. Although the situations I mentioned in the last paragraph might cause most of us to cringe, we would much rather deal with them than someone trying to kill or threaten us. For the characters in my books, the latter is more their comfort zone...you know, for lack of better words. 🀭

Why do characters need to get out of their element? Actually for the same reason why we have to get out of our element because it's necessary for growth. You don't want to be someone who's forever the pesky teenager they were at 15, nor do you want to read about a character who has the same MO book after book. While it might be nice to see your character be a womanizing, gun-slinging jerk in book or season one, you're going to get sick of it by season/book 4-5 unless you start seeing him questioning his beliefs and methods. 

When we met Jorge Hernandez at the end of (book 2 in the seriesAlways be a Wolf, he wouldn't win an award for sensitivity. While some may argue that this hasn't changed much, we do start to see him mellowing out as the series goes on, growing tired of his former lifestyle (to a point) while increasing his level of respect for women, something he didn't have much of early on. Meanwhile, some of the other key characters have also grown but not always in the most pleasant ways. 

Putting a character out of their element is a great way to shake things up, so you can see where everything falls.


Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Be your own media πŸ“ΊπŸŽ™πŸ“» (updated)

I wrote my first book in 2010, and at the time, the idea of getting media attention seemed essential. Having said that, when I finally did get an interview, I was a bumbling idiot when attempting to answer questions. I wanted to sound confident, but I wasn't. I wanted to say how great my book was, but I didn't want to sound arrogant. I quickly discovered that while I had a knack for throwing words together in writing, I wasn't so great at that whole talking thing.

What helped to improve my interviewing skills? My confidence grew after I started to record videos for my YouTube channel. When you record yourself speaking, you quickly catch some flaws upon playback, and this allows you to improve your weak areas while building confidence when speaking with a potential audience. I say potential audience because even though you record a video, it doesn't mean you're obligated to release it. The first few might be cringe-worthy, but that's ok because this is how you learn. How do you think all these well-spoken people in the media first learn how to talk on camera? No one is perfect the first time.


 Of course, the second problem is to get media attention at all. It's pretty easy when you're a best-seller with a big name and massive sales, but when you're new, unfamous, unrich, and untrendy, it's a whole other story. So, what do you do?

I'd recommend you take a stab at writing a press release. If you're not sure how to do so, find an example online and model yours off of it. Then send it to everyone; local, big and small newspapers, television and radio stations, free newspapers, and anyone else that might be interested. The key is to get as many sets of eyes on it as possible. You don't know who might be interested, and you never know who's paying attention.

Do press releases work? With some books I've published, they've resulted in radio and newspaper interviews and other times, one lone paper will contact me. It varies from book to book, the time of year, and other factors that sometimes you often can't predict. Newspapers are often downsizing, or have too many other things taking place at the time, competing for an editor's attention. Don't take it personally.


Whether or not the media contacts you, you have to take the bull by the horns. Write blogs, record videos for YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, or whatever social media you use. Find creative ways to capture people's attention. When you think about it, the media is essentially the loudspeaker that lets the world know what's going on, but we live in a time where we have outlets to do this for ourselves. Social media is powerful, but at the end of the day, so are you.



Monday, January 13, 2020

Let's talk about Maria Hernandez 🌸 (Updated)

She's feisty, strong-willed, and bold; some might even say, she's just like her father. Meet Maria Hernandez.

We first meet Jorge Hernandez's daughter in The Devil is Smooth Like Honey and, she continues to be one of the most popular secondary characters throughout the series. Unlike a lot of children in books, Maria isn't falling into the background. She has many storylines of her own, which form into intriguing subplots.

With a flair for the dramatic, Maria has often been involved in creative pursuits such as acting and music. Her goal to 'become famous' concerns her father, who believes the world of fame and fortune is a path to misery full of vultures and disappointment. As a strict disciplinarian, Jorge often is abrupt and harsh with his daughter in tone, causing his wife Paige to swoop in and remind him that this will not support his goal to be closer to his daughter.

It's an ironic twist when readers learn that Maria is a victim of bullying. While her father is a blood-thirsty and aggressive criminal, he feels powerless when his daughter is a casualty of other kids. Then again, where Maria starts as a victim, she often goes overboard when she retaliates, indicating that she is a chip off the old block. Needless to say, Jorge spends a lot of time in the principal's office, often yelling at school officials.

As much as she likes to see herself as a grown-up, Maria still carries the innocent eyes of a child that adds contrast to the books while bringing out the softer side of all other characters in the series. She often shines a light on the heart of Jorge Hernandez, showing that as much as he's a criminal without a conscience, he's also a father that loves his children more than anything. ❤️ ❤️



Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Good-bye 2019!! πŸ₯³ Year end in review! πŸ₯‚



Wow!! It's the end of the year and I have so much to tell you! 🀩

First of all, I want to thank everyone for all their support this year. All those likes, shares and retweets on social media never go unnoticed. Thanks for the book reviews, watching my videos and of course, buying and reading my books! πŸ“š


We have lots to celebrate, so let's get this party started! πŸŽ‰

Let's start with the books I published in 2019:    


The Devil May Lie
The Devil and His Legacy

Both books are part of my Hernandez series.
 

Media πŸ“Ί

P.E.I Writer Releases 11th Book – Journal-Pioneer, May 2019

P.E.I Writer Releases 11th Book – The Guardian, May 2019

The Devil May Lie – The Buzz PEI, May 2019

Mima  – C.E. Flores – March 2019



I recorded a lot of Youtube videos and wrote tons of blogs this year. Here's the complete list in case you missed anything πŸ‘‡πŸΌ

Let's talk about the media guy Tom Makerson πŸ“°Dec 29

     Video
     Blog
 

What is the crazy concept behind my series? 😱Dec 20

     Video
     Blog
 

A blurb from The Devil and His Legacy πŸ“–Dec 15

     Video
     Blog
     

Who's the Greek God? Let's talk Alec Athas πŸ‡¬πŸ‡·Dec 9

     Video
     Blog

Why do you need a sharp book cover? πŸ˜‰Dec 2

     Video
     Blog
 

How strong characters make us stronger πŸ’ͺ🏼Nov 27

     Video
     Blog
 

Should you read your own books? 😳Nov 21

     Video
     Blog

The Devil and His Legacy 🦁Nov 11

     Video
     Blog
 

The story of Miguel πŸ‘ΆπŸ½ Nov 5

     Video
     Blog

Do you have a side gig? 🀫 Oct 4

     Video
     Blog

Does my series normalize violence? Sept 26

     Video
     Blog

OMG! I finally fit into a genre! 😝Sept 14

     Video
     Blog

Why I do my research backwards 😯Aug 31

     Video
     Blog

Why it's important for art to hold a mirror up to society 🎭Aug 22

     Video
     Blog

Writing about characters that are vastly different from you 🀫 Aug 12

      Video
      Blog
 

Dialogue that pops! πŸ˜‰Aug 3

     Video
     Blog 
 

The super crazy last chapter 😜July 19

      Video
      Blog
 

Choosing the right words πŸ€“July 16

      Video
      Blog

Writing a pilot episode based on my book series July 11

     Video
     Blog
 

Why do you always write about criminals? πŸ”ͺ July 4

      Video
      Blog 
 

Why is the first paragraph so important? πŸ€“ June 29

      Video
      Blog
 

Why my characters aren't shooting as many people June 16

     Video
     Blog
 

Let's talk about the conspiracy theories in my books 😱June 2

      Video
      Blog
 

Moment of pause May 10

     Video
     Blog 
 

Plant the seed 🌱 May 3

      Video
      Blog
 

Can you learn from authors you don't like? 🧐 April 26

      Video
      Blog
 

Songs that inspired The Devil May Lie, April 19

      Video
      Blog
 

Do your books have social commentary? 🧐 April 12

      Video
      Blog
 

The Devil May Lie - Let's talk about a pivotal moment in the book 😱 April 2

      Video
      Blog
 

Does everyone have a creative side? 🎨 March 28

      Video
      Blog
 

The Devil May Lie - book 6 in the Hernandez crime family series 😈 March 17

      Video
      Blog
 

Does a weak moment make a weak character? Feb 27

      Video
      Blog 
 

Animals and Devils 🐺😈 Feb 8

     Video
     Blog 
 

Should characters ever be based on people you know? πŸ€” Feb 1

     Video
     Blog
 

Let's talk about Paige NoΓ«l-Hernandez 🧘🏼‍♀️ Jan 25

      Video
      Blog 
 

The loyalty factor πŸ‘ŠπŸΌ Jan 18

      Video
      Blog
 

Let's talk about Jolene Silva πŸ‘„ Jan 11

     Video
     Blog 
 

Do fairy tale endings really exist? Jan 4

     Video
     Blog



Wow! Almost 40 videos and two books this year. No wonder I'm exhausted. πŸ₯±


Thanks again for all your support. I wish you all the best in 2020!

Mima