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 series) Always 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.

Be your own media 📺🎙📻 (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.

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. ❤️ ❤️

Good-bye 2019!! 🥳 Year end in review! 🥂

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! 📚 We have lots to celebrate, so let's get this party started! 🎉 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 📺 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 👇🏼 Let's talk about the media guy Tom Makerson 📰Dec 29      Video      Blog   What is the crazy concept behind my series? 😱Dec 20      Video      Blog   A blurb from The Devil and His Legacy 📖Dec 15      Video      Blog       Who's the Greek God? Let's talk Alec Athas 🇬🇷Dec 9      Video      Blog Why do you need a sharp book cover? 😉Dec 2      Video      Blog   How strong characters make us stronger 💪🏼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 👶🏽 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! 😉Aug 3      Video      Blog    The super crazy last chapter 😜July 19       Video       Blog   Choosing the right words 🤓July 16       Video       Blog Writing a pilot episode based on my book series July 11      Video      Blog   Why do you always write about criminals? 🔪 July 4       Video       Blog    Why is the first paragraph so important? 🤓 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? 🤔 Feb 1      Video      Blog   Let's talk about Paige Noël-Hernandez 🧘🏼‍♀️ Jan 25       Video       Blog    The loyalty factor 👊🏼 Jan 18       Video       Blog   Let's talk about Jolene Silva 👄 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. 🥱 Thanks again for all your support. I wish you all the best in 2020! Mima

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.

What is the crazy concept behind my series? 😱(Updated)

Murder, blackmail, and conspiracy theories are frequent themes in my books, but why?

I'm going to tell you right from the get-go that my motivation as a writer has always been to make people think. That's not to say that ideas that spring up in my books are always cute and cuddly; I do like stirring up the question 'what if' in the back of people's minds.

One of the comments that my character Diego often says in my book series, is that in a world full of sheep, always be a wolf. Of course, this suggests that they believe people to be mindless followers. They constantly point out situations where people simply aren't paying attention to the world around them. Not to suggest that this theory is true, but we certainly can't deny that many people are overwhelmed with life and aren't always paying attention to trends in the news. In reality, the better way to explain it would be 'in a world full of information overload, many people don't have time to take it all in.

I enjoy challenging my readers and making them consider various topics. Whether I'm showing an example of racism, bringing up a conspiracy theory or some other 'what if' scenario, or simply reflecting something we're witnessing in the news, I love the idea of a reader rolling new concepts or ideas through their mind. It isn't that I want to make everyone paranoid but simply more aware.

Have you ever watched a movie, television series, or read a book that made you stop and consider something you hadn't thought about before? If so, that writer has done their job.

A blurb from The Devil and His Legacy 📖(Updated)

All of my books have a theme. This is something that I usually touch on in the first paragraph so that readers have a sense of where the protagonist is in life. It could be a struggle or simply their mindset that will follow the character throughout the book. As pointed out in the title, the theme for my latest in the Hernandez series is (obviously) legacy. 


I already knew the theme for my latest book while still writing my last one, The Devil May Lie. A prominent character is murdered in it, and for that reason, Jorge Hernandez starts to question his legacy. He wonders what he will leave behind. How will people see him? How will he be remembered? From this, The Devil and His Legacy was born.

The first paragraph talks about where Jorge Hernandez starts with the concept of legacy, while the first paragraph of the last chapter shows where he ends up on the topic. My goal is to show character growth as a result of his experiences throughout the story. You can learn more by checking out the video below👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼and I promise, there are no spoiler alerts! 🤔 🤔