My Year in Review - 2020, me and Jorge Hernandez ☠️

Good-bye (and good riddance!) to 2020!! 👋🏼

Let's not talk about that terrible C word....you know the one 🙄

So, I'm here to give you a rundown of my year in review - the books, the blogs, the media, and the videos!

The Books

Let's start with the TWO books that I published this year. Both are part of the popular Hernandez series ☠️

She Was His Angel - May 2020
We're All Criminals - November 2020

The Media

The Buzz - July 2020

Blogs and Videos

January 2020

Songs that inspired The Devil and His Legacy
     Blog
     Video

Let's talk about Maria Hernandez 
     Blog
     Video

Be your own media
     Blog
     Video

When characters are out of their element
     Blog
     Video

February 2020

Bookmark giveaway! 🤩
     Video
     Blog

What resources do you use to research your books? 🧐

     Video
     Blog

Why do (my) criminals always win? 😏

     Video
     Blog

Why I will never look at some songs the same way again 😱

     Video
     Blog

March 2020

Writing Blocks and Road Blocks 🚧
     Video
     Blog

The Evolution of Jorge Hernandez ☠️
     Video
     Blog

April 2020

Locked up at home and thinking about writing a book? Here are some videos that might help you out:

Does everyone have a creative side? 

Shout you be a writer? 

Writing blocks and roadblocks

What resources do you use to research?

Dialogue that pops!

Do writers need high word counts?

Should characters be based on people you know?

What is a 3-dimensional character and why do you need them

May 2020

Why I write books at the same pace as a tv show 🙀🔪📺

     Blog
     Video 
 

Are you more of a Chase Jacobs or Jorge Hernandez? 😇😈

       Blog
       Video


June 2020

Do we really need genres anymore?

Video     Blog
 

Why I have 10 different lives 🤪

Video     Blog
 

Why I don't give away free books anymore 🧐

Video     Blog
 

Let's talk about my YouTube channel 📺

Video.    Blog

July 2020

How do you keep track of everything?? 🤔

     Video
     Blog
 

She Was His Angel ☠️

     Video
     Blog
 

Why I won't be putting THIS in my next book 🙀🦠

     Video
     Blog

August 2020

The first paragraph of She Was His Angel ☠️

     Video
     Blog

Book themes that matter 😌

     Video
     Blog 

Why we love the softer side of a gangster character 💀

     Video
     Blog

Why do I choose to be an indie author? 🤩

     Video
     Blog

Why my characters color outside of the lines 🎨

     Video
     Blog

September 2020

Should you put touchy subjects in your books? 😬

     Youtube
     Blogger
 

Stay in touch with your characters ☎️

     YouTube
     Blogger
 

How characters affect each other 🤝

     YouTube
     Blogger


October 2020

Let's talk about Marco Rodel Cruz - the hacker 🖥

     Video
     Blog 
 

What is the Hernandez series about? ☠️

     Video
     Blog

November 2020

The future of my Youtube channel 📺

     Video
     Blog

Does it ring true? 🔕

     Video
     Blog

We're All Criminals - the 9th book in the Hernandez series! ☠️

     Video
     Blog

December 2020

My goals with the Hernandez series ☠️
 
     Video
     Blog 

Jorge Hernandez vs. the Greek God ☠️

     Video
     Blog

Do I have to read the entire Hernandez series to follow the latest book? 🧐

     Video
     Blog

😱Wow....no wonder I'm exhausted. 

Happy New Year! Thanks for the support.

Mima 🌼

Do I have to read the entire Hernandez series to follow the latest book? 🧐(Updated)

No. 

Well, that was a short article.

Maybe I should elaborate.

A book should be strong enough to stand on its own. Sure, there should be some details explained in a general manner to give the reader some idea of the most relevant information. Of course, this is without spoiling the plot or digging too much into the past. One clean swoop should take care of everything the reader needs to know.

For example, if you wrote a book with a complicated plotline and followed it up with the sequel, you wouldn't give the reader every detail from that previous book but a vague and summarized explanation that keeps the reader on a need-to-know basis only. 

For example, in my Hernandez series, I often refer to Jorge Hernandez's shady past but never get into his complicated history. I let you know that he is brutal, dangerous and no one gets in his way. However, I don't go into an explanation of the crimes he committed. Nor do I discuss the revenge, the murders, the corruption, nor do I talk about the threats, manipulation, and ...I think you get the idea. 

In essence, he's crazy, he's dangerous, and you don't want to get on Jorge's bad side. 

In the end, there should be enough information about the previous books in the series to create intrigue. After all, if they fall in love with the book in their hands, chances are they'll want to snatch up the ones that precede it. 

Jorge Hernandez vs. the Greek God ☠️ (Updated)

It's no secret that Jorge Hernandez isn't exactly crazy about Alec Athas, or the man he mockingly refers to as 'The Greek God' in the Hernandez series. The reasons are numerous, and most don't have a leg to stand on, and yet, he continues to keep control over the Canadian prime minister because he's an asset to him. 

So, what's the deal? Who is Alec Athas? Let's get into some history.

If I'm not mistaken, Alec showed up in the 4th book in the Hernandez series, A Devil Named Hernandez. At the time, he was starting to think about entering politics and had asked Paige (Jorge's wife) if she would help him with his campaign if he decided to put his name in the race. As soon as Jorge learned this information, it was all over for Alec. He immediately jumped in with both feet and took over Alec's political career.

So, if Alec is the vehicle Jorge is using to make the changes he wants politically, why would there be any issues between the two men? 

As it turns out, Alec is a prominent part of Paige's past. The two had a relationship in their 20s, and even though it's been many years since that time, Jorge continues to be wary of Alec's friendship with Paige. In essence, Alec is the opposite of Jorge in every way. He's the prince, while Jorge is more the evil villain. For example, Alec's intentions when getting into politics were good. Having been a social worker for many years, he felt this would be a way to make some differences that mattered. Jorge just wanted to have control.

As the series moves forward, the bitterness grows in their relationship. Often with Alec showing more attitude toward Jorge, whereas the sinister Latino never bothers to hide his contempt for Alec. The two men tend to lock horns, but in the end, Jorge always gets his way. But will it continue to be this way? 

My goals with the Hernandez series ☠️ (Updated)

If you haven't checked out the Hernandez series yet, you might want to stop by mimaonfire.com to learn about the characters, the books and take a look at all the snappy covers. 😍

As a writer, I have a few goals that I keep in mind, specifically while working on this series:

Diversity. I've covered this issue in previous blogs and videos because it's one of my most important writing goals. Our society is made up of many kinds of people, and this should be reflected in our books. 

Equality. The men are strong. The women are strong. No damsels in distress here.

Theme. Each of my books has a theme that follows the story. For example, my latest book, We're All Criminals, focuses on freedom. 

Social issues. There's a lot going on in the world and, it's important to bring it to the surface to inspect a little more closely or perhaps, show it from a different point of view. 

Snappy dialogue. Each character has a unique way of expressing themselves, which should be reflected in their dialogue. It shouldn't fall flat. 

Subplots. Lots and lots of subplots. People need a lot of balls in the air, or they lose interest. 

Fast-moving. If you're going to write a 900-page book, you better have a hell of a lot of time (like years) or events covered, or people will lose interest by chapter 3. 

These are the key ingredients that help to make the ideal Hernandez soup. 

We're All Criminals - the 9th book in the Hernandez series! ☠️(Updated)

 The 9th book in the Hernandez series is out! Check out the synopsis:

If there is one thing that Jorge Hernandez values as much as power and loyalty, it is his freedom. Despite his countless crimes and acts of vigilantism, he continues to plunge ahead into the 9th book in the Hernandez series, playing by his own rules. While others follow like sheep, Hernandez has always been the wolf, brutally ripping apart anyone who gets in his way.

When a cop has the nerve to show up at his door and harass him, Jorge's fury quickly ignites. However, rather than sinking his teeth into this one victim, he instead takes on the entire herd, deciding to use the second season of his docuseries, Eat the Rich before the Rich Eat You, to expose the dirty secrets and humiliate the Canadian law enforcers. While Jorge wants to exhibit his power and publicly taunt the police, his family fears that this time, he may have pushed too far. 

Even with his freedom in the balance, Jorge Hernandez won't back down. Then again, in a world of blurred lines and uncertain morals, are we all the judge and jury, or are we all criminals?

Get the book HERE! 

Does it ring true? 🔕(Updated)

Writers can create crazy plots, but unless it rings true, the audience won't connect. 

First of all, I'm going to point out that I'm not talking about any specific genres. For example, science fiction or fantasy may not ring true to most people because it's a step away from the world as they know it, but I'm not talking about that aspect. I'm referring to the substance of the story and the characters involved. Is what they're doing in a given situation make sense? Are they reacting appropriately when considering their experiences, history, ethnicity, health, beliefs, age, and the people in their world?

For example, I recently watched a television show where a couple hired a live-in nanny to look after their children. So, what didn't ring true? She was a total stranger with no (known of) experience and, as far as I can tell, no credentials. These characters are wealthy and live in a mansion, which adds an extra layer of wtf. What's wrong with this scenario? Does it ring true? Would most parents, let alone rich parents with resources, hire a total stranger to look after their children? My guess is no. 

Our logical side is automatically skeptical in the same way as when we hear a lie. This same skepticism tends to move us away from the character because regardless of what disastrous thing this babysitter will potentially do, we're wondering why the hell the parents so casually hired a stranger in the first place; Are they unfit? Stupid? Are they too self-involved to think about their children's welfare? It doesn't make us root for the parents, but the children. So, unless this story is slanted to create compassion for the kids involved, it's not working. The viewer/reader must feel some connection with the character to be drawn in. So, unless you're also careless with your children, chances are you're not on their side.

Again, we have to consider many variables. Maybe if this family were poor, we'd have more compassion because they mightn't have as many options for childcare. Were the parents neglected as children, so didn't recognize that it was strange to hire a stranger to look after their children?  Is it normal within their culture/family to be goosey loosey when looking for babysitters? Are they young, inexperienced, as parents? The point is that this situation normally wouldn't ring true. It just seems kind of stupid, actually, and makes me question if the writer just threw it together as a way to work a character into the storyline.

Can you think of books, television shows, or movies where things didn't quite 'ring true' for you? On the other side, can you think of a character you connected with and why?

The future of my Youtube channel 📺(Updated)

The first time I recorded a YouTube video, I thought I was going to hyperventilate. I don't think I took a breath the whole time because I was so scared and definitely out of my comfort zone. Almost 200 videos later, I've long let go of these fears, as my confidence built over time. Now, I enjoy making videos and don't even give it a second thought. 

So why did I start? Well, it certainly wasn't to become a YouTube star. I created the channel in hopes of connecting with my audience and potentially finding a new audience. I wanted people to see who I was and to maybe learn a little about me. Also, it gave me a chance to talk about my books, my process and maybe answer a few common questions along the way.

I'm not sure if having a YouTube channel is common amongst writers, but I think it's a good idea. You never know who is watching, and that's kind of neat. 

My goal in the future is to improve and update my videos while diving into more topics that people want me to discuss. It's even been suggested that I start a podcast but I'm not quite there yet. 

If you have any ideas or suggestions, feel free to contact me at info@mimaonfire.com. Sign up for my newsletter and keep up to date! Subscribe to my YouTube channel, hit the bell for notifications, and share the videos. Thanks for reading this blog.