A Spark Before the Fire 🎸 (Updated)

The character Jimmy Groome first showed up in my first book Fire, in 2010 and later became the protagonist in A Spark Before the Fire a few years later. Although the two books are connected, they overlap more than one being the continuation of the other. For example, in A Spark before the Fire Jimmy's story starts at age 10, when something traumatic happens to his character. However, the book follows him through his teenage years and into his early twenties, when he meets Tarah, the protagonist from Fire.

The cool thing is that you view things through his eyes, including a few incidents mentioned in Fire, where the protagonist is a woman. As you can imagine, these two characters often view the same situation through very different lenses. 

Here's a summary of the book:

Jimmy Groome never really believed that his life was worth anything. An overweight and unpopular teen, it takes a suicide attempt to bring a traumatic childhood experience into sharp focus. With some encouragement from family and a counselor, Jimmy picks up a guitar and it quickly becomes obvious that he has a natural talent. After losing weight and joining a band, Jimmy goes from being a shy and insecure child to an outgoing and self-destructive young adult. In a world where sex, drugs and rock n' roll goes hand in hand Jimmy’s future is uncertain.

In this prequel to Fire, we follow Jimmy Groome on his dark path, where he decides if he'll ignite the fire inside - or if he’ll let it burn out and fade away.

Does violence in books and television dehumanize us? 🔪 (Updated)

We often see people dehumanizing each other on television and in books. This, unfortunately, has become the 'norm' in our society. I'm pretty conscious of this kind of behavior, and for that reason, it also has become a part of my books, but should it be?

As a writer, I've always felt that what I put on paper (or on a laptop screen, I should say) tends to reflect what I'm viewing in the real world. The situations might be different, but the sense I'm getting from life,  always creeps into my books. Therefore, it makes sense that dehumanizing and violence have become the new 'norm' for my books. Sadly, the reality of violence in our society has become more prevalent....or has it?

Well, yes and no. The thing is that the world has always been a violent place, and depending on where you grew up, it might've been just outside your door. If you grew up in a safer place, you should consider yourself pretty lucky because many people in the world can't say the same.

I've had it pointed out to me that displaying such brutal violence in my books could potentially dehumanize people to the reader. When we stop being seen as humans but disposable, it could cause readers to devalue human life. This tends to be one of the explanations for things such as school and mass shootings. When you're used to viewing someone being shot on television, reading about it in a book, or even 'being' the shooter in a video game, some will walk away with a complete disconnect from reality.

I understand the concern, but I also believe other factors play into these situations. Few things in life are black and white, and as with many topics, I think there are a lot of grey areas to consider. Anyone who takes something meant to be for entertainment purposes and turns it into a reason or an excuse to brutalize others already has some issues.

A Devil Named Hernandez by Mima 😈 (Updated)

In the thrilling sequel to The Devil is Smooth Like Honey, Jorge Hernandez is muscling in on the Canadian marijuana industry, unleashing the same savagery that made him a big player in the Mexican drug cartel. Whether it’s controlling politicians, and government officials, or using intimidation and violence to get what he wants, few people dare stand in his way. 

  

Although he takes on his enemies with deceptive ease, it only takes a single threat to his family to bring out the demon inside of him. Fueled by blinding rage, he attacks with relentless brutality, showing no remorse and offering no mercy.

In a world tainted by racism, corruption, and greed, he proves once again there is a devil, and his name is Jorge Hernandez.

In this eye-opening look into the life of the silver-tongued Mexican fox, you find yourself rooting for society's underbelly, as sex, drugs, and death intermix with family, love, and friendship. 

Learn about the entire series HERE! 

Also, check out my latest YouTube video, where I discuss this book in more detail.

Learn about the entire series HERE! 

Also, check out my latest YouTube video where I talk about this book in a little more detail.