March 2023 newsletter ☔️

Thanks for opening my March 2023 newsletter! I only have some things to tell you, so let's jump right in.

Here are my latest videos and blogs:

Crooked government and criminals; wait, is this fiction?

     Rumble

     YouTube

     Blogger 

Why I do YouTube and Rumble videos 📽📺🍿

     Rumble

     YouTube

     Blogger

On the writing side, I wanted to let you know that I'm about halfway through my next book! Look for book 13 of the Hernandez series later this year. 

March book birthdays 🥳

Her Name is Mariah was released on March 27, 2015. This was one of two vampire books that I released almost ten years ago. 

The Devil Will Lie was released on March 28, 2019. This was the 6th book in the Hernandez series. 

As always, thank you for all your support. I have new videos and blogs that I hope to upload in the near future. If you have any video topics you would like me to address in the future, please reply to this email. 

Thank you again! 

Mima

Crooked government and criminals; wait, is this fiction?

Could a former cartel boss run the government? Has it ever happened behind the scenes? And let's take this another step further; could a bloodthirsty criminal lead a country if people weren't aware of his dark side? 

Most people will say no to all these questions. White-collar criminals might be another story. Politicians turned criminals is also a possibility, but most people would disagree that someone who has threatened and murdered his way to the top could potentially run the show: either from behind the scenes or at the top of the pile, as the actual president or prime minister of a country. 

But then again, is it impossible?

In my Hernandez series, former cartel boss Jorge Hernandez heavily influences the government from behind the scenes while secretly wondering if he could be more productive as his country's leader. After smoothly slipping through life without getting caught, it's obvious why Hernandez automatically assumes that the other shoe will never drop, but would he be bold enough to run for prime minister of Canada?

If you research Mexican or Colombian cartels, you'll quickly realize that it's not a stretch. These powerful and savvy criminals have a lot of influence on the government and the police, but is that something that could only happen in other countries? Could it happen in Canada? The US? And I guess the more important question is, has it ever happened? 

I think part of the answer lies in how you define a criminal. And even more so, where the grey area starts and where it ends.

Why I do YouTube and Rumble videos 📽📺🍿

Someone once asked me if the goal for my YouTube channel was to become a YouTube star. This question made me laugh since my subscribers and views are borderline pathetic. Even with 200 short videos, my channel never caught on fire, but I don't worry about this since it was never my goal in the first place. 

So, what was my goal when I recorded that first video (since deleted) a few years ago? It was simply to get through the recording without passing out. After all, when you don't breathe for a few minutes while in a state of panic, sometimes it doesn't end well. I was terrified. Now, I could pull it off with little issue, but with experience, my confidence has grown, which was a bonus. 

Now, my goal with both my YouTube and Rumble videos is to tell people about my books, answer frequently asked questions (about my Hernandez series and writing in general), and address topics that I know concern new writers. Of course, I would love to get as many eyes on my videos as possible because this is another avenue that could create attention for my books. However, a successful channel isn't my main goal. 

How can you help? Check out some of my videos on either channel, share them on social media or with friends you think may be interested, and subscribe! Thank you in advance!

February 2023 newsletter ❤️‍🔥

If you follow me, you're probably aware that I usually have a monthly video newsletter to accompany my blog. Fun story! This month I recorded one, but when I went to post it, something was wrong with the video that it didn't work. Having said that, I have a backlog of videos to post very soon, and hopefully, next month, I will be back on track 😉

What's new in writing news? I'm still working on my 18th book! 

Check out my latest video and blogs! 🥳.  

Is Jorge a vigilante superhero?

     

     Blog

     Rumble

     YouTube

Let's talk about courage 🦁

     Blog

     Rumble

     YouTube

A day in the life of (this) author 🤪

     

     Blog

     Rumble

     YouTube

More videos and blogs are coming soon! If you want to help me out, I would greatly appreciate it if you'd share, subscribe, and follow me on social media. Also, if you aren't a reader but want to support my work, please contact your local library and ask them to order in a copy of any of my books. This helps get more eyes on my work and hey, you never know who's attention it will capture.

Thank you for your support! 

Is Jorge a vigilante superhero?

Jorge Hernandez of my Hernandez series has transformed over the years; from villain to vigilante, but is he a vigilante superhero?

It might seem like a stretch to consider this former cartel member, a man who's killed and murdered numerous people in his lifetime, a superhero. However, in recent books, one could argue that most of his vigilante acts revolve around going up against an injustice of sorts. His most common enemy tends to be Big Pharma, which is hardly a group that conjures up much compassion. For example, in Loyalty Above All (there are no exceptions), Jorge goes after the pharmaceutical industry after he learns they released a drug despite knowing it would cause cancer. So while many may question if revenge is the most moralistic method, there is also a level of understanding of why this character reacts as he does. Especially when considering someone close to him has died because of this medication. 

In many ways, Jorge Hernandez faces the anger and frustration many feel but avenges the powerlessness in a way they can't. This is why the antihero has grown in popularity over the last few years. We've seen this trend in television and, to a degree, in movies. But what about books?

I suspect most writers are careful about how they take on this topic because there's a fine line that most writers do not want to cross.

Let's talk about courage 🦁

The theme for my 18th book (the 13th in the Hernandez series) will be courage. I thought this was important since I fear that courage is a trait that's currently lacking in our world. Some will speak up and feel the need to have a voice, while others cower away and feel more comfortable going with the flow. It's been suggested that it's a generational situation, but I don't know. Without a backbone, do you have anything?

Anyone familiar with my Hernandez series is aware that the protagonist is fearless. In a way, he represents the courage many people wish they had, the freedom to speak up whenever they want, with no consequences. Of course, in the real world, that isn't always possible. We live in a time where some people hold puppet strings that can easily get tied up in a knot. 

In the world of Jorge Hernandez, there will be no one and nothing that gets in his way. No one intimidates him. Nothing scares him (and if it does, he will never let you know). Although some might rightfully suggest that his courage may sometimes go a little too far, these extremes in my series are to make a point. For example if Jorge is going up against someone in Big Pharma and takes extreme measures to make a point, it's representative of a society that perhaps has justifiable anger about the same oligarchs. Jorge takes on a lot of people, many of which represent ideas and behavior that those with courage might be already questioning. Not that new ideas aren't good, but we increasingly live in a society where there's a 'right' and 'wrong' view to have with no discussion allowed. Jorge Hernandez knows what he believes. No one tells him how to think. He listens but isn't swayed because of his strong personal beliefs. The popular vote isn't necessarily his vote. 

Although his tactics are questionable, no one can argue that Jorge Hernandez has courage. In a tight situation, you want this guy in your corner. 

A day in the life of (this) author 🤪

Although I hardly have a glamorous life, it is a busy one. Between working a full-time, casual job and maintaining my writing, I don't tend to have a lot of extra time to spare.

I usually only write when I have a day off. And even that varies depending on my appointments and other things going on in my life. But ideally, I get up early (6-7 a.m.) to write a chapter for the specific book I'm working on during that time. I then write notes for the chapter I just finished and jot down some notes for the one I will do the next time. If I have time, I sometimes go back and edit the previous chapter, but I often wait and do a few chapters on a day when I'm not feeling energetic or motivated to create.

Whether or not I have the day off, I almost always am on social media to promote my work. This entails preparing social media in advance, checking comments and results on items already posted, and sometimes writing blogs or posting videos. Even though I'm not on many social media sites, I find it time-consuming to keep up with the ones I have, but it's a great way to connect with people. Of course, I sometimes record videos for my YouTube and Rumble channels, but this also depends on when I have time. I tend to schedule and organize these things in advance to get everything done.

Of course, life is busy. Things come up, and sometimes it isn't possible to keep all my ducks in line. Aspiring authors often don't realize that writing a book is the easy part. Keeping up with everything else and getting your writing to your potential audience, is another story.