Psychopaths Rule the World 🔪

A former Mexican narco transitions into Canadian life with family, politics, and business while holding tight to his ruthless, criminal ways. Meet Jorge Hernandez.

This is the tenth book in the Hernandez series but if you haven't had a chance to check them out yet, I think you'll get to speed quickly with this new book.   

Elevator pitch:

When rumors of a tell-all book about the former cartel leader and his ruthless, blood-thirsty ways start to surface, Jorge Hernandez is in a race against time to make sure the biography never goes to press.

Full back cover synopsis:

There are few things that Jorge Hernandez thrives on more than being in the spotlight. Whether it’s his revealing docuseries, Eat the Rich Before the Rich Eat You, his short stint in politics, or his occasional live stream interviews, Jorge thrives on public admiration despite his insistence that fame is silly. However, his wife Paige has concerns that his need to be the center of attention might one day shine a light into some very dark corners.

When rumors that a tell-all book about the former cartel leader and his ruthless ways start to surface, Jorge is livid. On a mission to uncover the author that plans to expose him as a bloodthirsty vigilante who uses intimidation and corruption to rule his empire, he encounters numerous roadblocks in his race to stop the book from going to press. 

How underground must you go to get away from Jorge Hernandez and his rage? Will a counter book telling a fictional account of his life help to alleviate the problem?

In the tenth book in the Hernandez series, Jorge fears he could drown under the potential media glare. But could a shark like him ever sink, especially when psychopaths rule the world? 

Are your characters RUDE?? 🙀

I never really understood why so many writers feel the need to make their protagonist the saint and innocent victim of life, but I tend to play my cards differently. There are many of my characters that might be considered rude, and I'm ok with that. 

It all started when I wrote about a guy named Jimmy Groome in my first book (who came along as the protagonist in my second book, A Spark Before the Fire) that I discovered that writing about characters with an edge is fun. Although we learn that Jimmy was originally quite shy and bullied as a child in his back story, he eventually became a talented musician, which brings with it, popularity. That's when his rude side came out and often to those who were mean to him in his childhood. His remarks were often downright mean, but you could understand where this snappy attitude came from as a reader. 

Later, I would write about a sassy, young vampire named Mariah (Her Name is Mariah) who was bold and had an attitude, but we understood once you know her back story. She grew up with an alcoholic mother and a father who left the family while Mariah was still a child. She grew a sharper edge because she needed it to survive. Determined to be no one's victim, Mariah never felt the need to hold back on her direct comments and attacks. 

Of course, my sharpest, most abrupt, and rudest protagonist of all would have to be Jorge Hernandez (Hernandez series). He has few limits when it comes to rudeness. When you're on his bad side, Jorge has no limits to what he will say, with little concern about hurt feelings. Often a fine line between rudeness and threats, he once told an annoying telemarketer that if they called again, he would find them and cut their fucking throat. Needless to say, he's pretty extreme in his rudeness. 

Rude characters can seem inappropriate to the very sensitive but let's face it, they're kind of fun to read (and write) about because they say things that sometimes, we wish we could say too. 

- Mima

Let's talk about the Hernandez series ☠️

A former Mexican narco transitions into Canadian life with family, politics, and business while holding tight to his ruthless, criminal ways. Meet Jorge Hernandez.

Starting with We’re All Animals we follow naive Chase Jacobs from small-town Alberta to the big city, where he unknowingly is employed by a group of sinister characters. The truth slowly reveals itself in Always be a Wolf, but a horrific tragedy rocks Chase’s world, and quickly discovers that his new family will do anything for him. Anything.

Jorge Hernandez takes over as the protagonist in the third installment of the series,  The Devil is Smooth Like Honey. The beloved character is bold, blood-thirsty, and always gets what he wants because he sees no boundaries. Nothing and no one stands in his way. 

In A Devil Named Hernandez  Jorge is muscling in on the Canadian legalized pot industry but is distracted by enemies that crop up to threaten someone he loves. Do they really want to dance with the devil?

The collusion, corruption, and murder continue right through to And the Devil Will Laugh where he successfully takes over the pot industry despite a few obstacles that get in his way…but isn’t there always some collateral damage?

In The Devil May Lie,  Jorge Hernandez is groomed for Canadian politics with hopes of saving one of the major political parties after a public uproar. Will the Canadian political landscape ever be the same again? 

In The Devil and his Legacy, Jorge Hernandez starts to questions his own legacy after one of his foot soldiers is murdered. He opts for a simple life but will the simple life opt for him?

In She Was His Angel, Jorge uses his political influence to cripple his nemesis Big Pharma while simultaneously backing the incriminating docuseries Eat the Rich Before the Rich Eat You. Jorge might win the battle but can he win the war?

When a cop has the nerve to show up at his door and harass Jorge in We’re All Criminals, his fury quickly ignites. While Jorge wants to exhibit his power and publicly taunt the police, his family fears that he may have pushed too far this time. 

Subplots, conspiracy theories, and a cast of characters that will jump off the pages. 

Loyalty above all. There are no exceptions.

For more information on all these books, click HERE for a complete synopsis.  Watch the playlist on YouTube.

Why Jorge Hernandez constantly corrects how people pronounce his name 🇲🇽(Updated)

If you don't have a lot of exposure to the Spanish-speaking world, chances are you aren't familiar with the pronunciation of some of their most common names. For example, the correct pronunciation of my protagonist Jorge Hernandez's name in Spanish is 'Hor-hay'. On the other hand, the English version is 'George'. However, if you're familiar with the Hernandez series, you already know that Jorge quickly corrects anyone who uses the Spanish version of his name. Readers often ask why a man who grew up in Mexico, using the Spanish pronunciation of his name, opts to change it to the English version? 

To begin with, Jorge spent a lot of time in the US (California) when he was younger, so it makes sense that he picked up some more American habits. Keep in mind that he probably encountered many people who used the American pronunciation, so it might've been easier to go with it. You have to remember that he was with the cartel and wanted to fit into American life as best he could without standing out. 

There might also be an argument that since his childhood was difficult, Jorge wanted to shed his former identity in some small way. After all, his parents named him, so changing the pronunciation might be a form of rebellion, symbolic of his separation from his family. After all, it's a touchy subject with him, which indicates a very personal reason for his insistence on English pronunciation. 

As a writer, I'm slowly learning more and more about all my characters, and I wouldn't be surprised if there's even more to the story that I haven't learned yet.  Some characters aren't forthcoming, and sometimes they can surprise you.

Why I sometimes kick things up halfway through my books 🥾(Updated)

As a writer, the last thing you want is for your readers to be bored, so it's important to kick things up before the story has a chance to fall flat.

Every writer is different, but for me, I like to have a lot of balls in the air throughout the entirety of my books. Having said that, there's something about that halfway point that screams at me to throw another curb ball into the game to see what happens. I feel that it's usually the perfect time to add an extra element to completely stress out the protagonist, therefore creating excitement for the reader. 

Of course, this also means more of a challenge for the writer. But you're up for that. Right?

For example, in my book The Devil May Lie, I threw in a political scandal at the halfway point, causing a shift in energy for the story. This created a heavy, dark feel in the book. However, it was necessary to shift gears and move the story along. It was interesting to see what direction it took the characters and how everything unraveled.

It's important to keep readers on their toes. But of course, as a writer, it's not a bad idea to keep on your toes too. 

Humor in writing 🤣(Updated)

Comedy may not be your genre, but it's still important to add a little humor to your writing. It gives characters dimension, it breaks up tension (especially in dramas), but most of all, it gives your readers an extra layer of entertainment.

Just like real people, characters have many sides to their personalities. Even the most complex personalities still have a funny side, even if it's not as prevalent. For example, in my Hernandez series, my protagonist Jorge can be described as intimidating, powerful, intense, and dangerous.  Then out of nowhere, he'll make a sarcastic remark or comment that will make readers laugh. It may not be the top quality he's known for, but it's still thrown in from time to time to add a little extra flavor. 

In general, humor is needed from time to time, especially if the particular story is very emotional or heavy. I know it may seem inappropriate in those situations, but again, just like in real life, we sometimes need a break when wading through difficult emotions. For example, if you're watching a movie where a character is dying, it can become very intense for the viewer to watch for a long time. However, if a child were to make an innocent (yet funny) remark or observation, it might break things up a bit for the viewer.

Comedy in writing shouldn't feel forced or overthought. Often if you follow the character's natural inclinations and personality, the humor comes out naturally and shows us their lighter side.

Why I love writing about villains ❤️ (Updated)

Often referred to as the 'bad guys' on television, movies, and books, but the truth is that something is appealing about villains that intrigues both viewers and readers. As a writer, I have a few ideas on why this might be. 

1. There are no limits. Villains don't color inside the lines. They don't care about anyone's feelings and often have no conscience at all. They're impulsive, limitless and, free. They have no fear of going anywhere or doing anything. They don't play by anyone else's rules. And really, isn't that why we like them?

2. They show us the dark side of humanity. We like to think that there are good guys and bad guys in life and television, but the truth is that anyone is capable of traveling to the dark side. Think about the last time you watched the news after someone committed a violent crime. When a reporter approaches their friends, family, or coworkers, what do they usually say? "He was such a nice guy. I can't believe he would do something like this." 

Exactly. We all have a dark side lurking in a dark corner. Only we can decide if it will come out.

3. They are powerful. Sinister characters are often powerful too. This power is the result of their natural, aggressive nature and, sometimes, cut-throat ways. Think of the head of a crime family or a politician with no scruples. Even if it's a small-time criminal, chances are that person has power over someone or something, and in fact, that's how we first discover that they're a villain in the first place.

Some people might like to believe that the good guy always wins, but in today's world, that's often more of a fairy tale than a reality.