My first book - Fire 🔥😉(Updated)

Fire was my first book, published in 2010. The story follows protagonist Tarah Kiersey as she sets her sights on the music world, joining a band that gets signed. She learns the many ups and downs of working in the industry, how her life vastly changes (not always for the better), and how conflicts within the band can make everything stressful. Did I mention she has an affair with two of her bandmates?

First, there was a match.

In 1992, Tarah Kiersey wasn't feeling very optimistic about her life. From dead-end jobs to dead-end relationships, she failed to see how anything could ever improve. But at least, she had her music.

Then, there was a spark.

There was something about holding a microphone that made Tarah feel alive. And there was something about how she sang that made people listen. One of those people included William Stacy, a young musician who invited Tarah to join his band, Fire. She said yes, and her entire life changed overnight.

And now there s FIRE!

The book was quite popular and later followed up by A Spark before the Fire featuring a secondary character, Jimmy Groome. The books overlap, each having its unique perspective. 

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.

The Rock Star of Vampires 🧛‍♀️ (Updated)

The Rock Star of Vampires was my third book and the first time I tackled the topic of vampires. I would later follow it up with Her Name is Mariah. 

With this book, I explored the idea that perhaps vampires aren't so different from everyday people: with only a few exceptions, one of which was their need to drink blood. I compared it to most people's need for specific vitamins to maintain balance. Also, my vampires had heightened senses. For example, they can see the pollution on trees, have enhanced taste buds, and hear sounds from miles away.

Here is a quick synopsis of the book:

Did Hollywood get it wrong? A year after transforming into a mortal vampire, Ava Lilith continues to have a lackluster life. The new dietary requirements and the intensifying of her senses aside, she continues to face unhappiness rather than the glamorous and provocative lifestyle that television and movies would suggest. She then learns of an underground society of immortal vampires, led by the mysterious 'rock star of vampires' Cloaked in shadow, this Immortal sect controls the major powers of the world - from business and finance to science and politics - all manipulated for personal gain and to keep their existence concealed. Ava finds herself drawn to this secret world where she could live forever and pursue all her dreams. But what will she lose, in order to gain immortality?

Her Name is Mariah 🧛‍♀️ (Updated)

Her Name is Mariah is the second of my two vampire books. The first one was The Rock Star of Vampires, and it received such a warm reception from readers. I was inspired to follow up with one of the more prominent characters, Mariah Nichols. This young woman is strong-willed and cold as ice. 

Mariah Nichols was adaptable. She lived through her parent's bitter divorce, a childhood of neglect, and the discovery that her only sibling was transgender: so the concept of turning into a mortal vampire was just one more adjustment in an already chaotic life.

But when tragedy rips through Mariah's heart, she realizes what it takes to survive in the world. She must become like an animal and run on instincts, not emotions, or so she thought.

Her name is Mariah, and this is her story.

Different Shades of the Same Color 💙💚💜❤️ (Updated)

Different Shades of the Same Color was my 5th book.


It all started when Natasha Parsons hit her head - in a very undignified manner- at her uncle's political fundraiser. Suddenly, she finds herself exiled to the country and discovers some surprising truths about both her family and her own life. In a world of prejudice and judgment, Natasha quickly learns that we are all different shades of the same color, but is she ready to accept the darkness that lurks around the corner?  

The story was a slight diversion from my other books. A young woman who came across as whimsical and possibly flighty fluttered through the book in a series of crazy adventures until the shocking end. 

Although the character of Chase Jacobs made a brief appearance in this book, he would turn up again in We're All Animals, with an explanation for his unusual predicament. 

This was a bit of an unusual book. It captured a lot of attention when it came out in both the media and with fans. 

We're All Animals 🥊 (Updated)

We’re all animals: led by our desires, ready to fight in the light of fear yet with a soul that leads us on a path to wherever we must go.

It started with a broken heart, and it took no time for Chase Jacob’s world to spin out of control. An unwanted pregnancy allows his mother and obsessive future bride to manipulate and control his life, turning him bitter and resentful. His destiny becomes a dark road to misery and whenever he tries to take the wheel, temptation only leads him further astray.

When a provocative and sinister side of life introduces itself, Chase discovers an animal is lurking inside each of us: a powerful creature that wants to take over. But will he let it win?

It became the series that wasn’t meant to be a series! Starting with We’re All Animals we follow Chase Jacobs from his days in small-town Alberta to the big city, where he connects with a group of sinister characters in the follow-up, Always be a Wolf.  

Jorge Hernandez comes blazing in The Devil is Smooth Like Honey and takes over the narrative. From that point on, the Hernandez series continues on with Hernandez battling with Big Pharma, the police, as he slowly starts to control the government and media. 

How Do I Start my Book? 📚 (Updated)

I will admit that there is a lot of time and effort involved in writing a book. However once broken down into small, manageable tasks, it isn't so bad. Of course, it also has to be something you enjoy, or you'll be stuck with writer's block, find excuses not to work on it, or probably toss it aside altogether.

So let's begin!

Your tenth-grade creative writing teacher probably told you to outline everything before you start writing, but I disagree. For me, this would never work. There has to be a certain amount of spontaneity involved to keep things fresh and exciting. If you can easily plot out the chapters and figure out the ending before getting past chapter one, chances are your reader will too. Remember, readers are very savvy and automatically try to figure things out as soon as they pick up a book. If you have no idea what's going to happen until you're typing it, chances are they will be just as surprised.

Not to say you shouldn't jot down ideas, but I wouldn't bother organizing right away. You can picture specific scenes, conversations, events and know they will fit in somewhere; you don't have to know just where yet. You should follow the natural flow of the story and consider the characters. How will each action affect them? What is their unique path or struggle? How does it fit in with the rest of the story?

Of course, I'm talking about fiction, but what about non-fiction? Are the rules the same?

I'd probably have an outline for something that falls under the non-fiction category but with room to breathe. You want to see how the book flows and which angle it takes. Make sure it is factual, and be ready to list any sources you might be using. Remember, you don't want to get sued.

Regardless of what you write, the first draft should be fun. Editing is another story. Let's not go there today. ☺️