Back on the Horse

...that was beaten to death. With an ugly stick.

Where was I? Oh yes, back to writing. So I've finished reading though T7H with sincerity, making the proper (plentiful) edits and corrections as I went. Now that I'm back in the swing of things and have received so much backlash for not having completed book 2, I guess that is exactly what I will be doing.

Next step is to hopefully take a walk through Philadelphia where The Harbinger (maybe even book 1 as well) takes place and go at it guns blazing once more upon arriving home. Want to read Chapter One of the new book? Facebook is always a safe way to contact me or just use any means available and I'll see what we can do. Sound good? Good.

Shh. You'll jinx it.

Upon receiving recognition from my new coworkers as a "published" author, I have suddenly found myself reinvigorated in my pursuit of literary accomplishments. That's the long-winded version of saying: People tell me they want to read it, so I should write it. I'm in a great relationship, I'm enjoying my new job, the bills are in order, and I'm overall starting to feel a bit better. So that means what?

That's right! Brain torture! I'm once again trying to read through T7H and making a "path of the hero" map and amateurish corrections as I stumble through. My plan is to one day release a definitive author's edition of all three books in the Blood Testament series in one package. As it stands now in my current progress, that's still a ways off. So no worries.

I think it's best that I continue to write here as I write and revise and rewrite the old and the new. I'll finish the review of T7H very soon to get myself back into the mood-slash-grind of the story, then pick up The Harbinger as soon as possible.

I feel good about this.

The Harbinger Cover: Rough Ideas

While thinking and editing and plotting and writing and revising, I felt the need to pop out some visual stimuli for myself. Super rough cover images to follow:

#1

#2

Thinking Aloud

If there is no faith by which a man might be saved then by whose determination is an individual's redemption deemed worthy? For that matter, who shall determine that salvation is even necessary? Salvation or damnation from or to what end? One cannot judge the value of one's own life based upon these intangible theories. Instead, existence can be proven to have value based upon the worth he brings by the actions he performs. Even so, are the actions justified if they are wasted upon a society who does not value these feats? Nay.

Therefore only two actions remain that may bring peace or reason to one's own life. Inward focus and the building of the host's own capabilities and understandings can belay a peace upon someone who only seeks peace for themselves. However, if peace is sought in conjunction with a life that has meaning to anyone beyond the individual, that individual must then act for and upon a society that will benefit from the action. These actions cannot have ulterior motives of changing the society to mold their future. The actions must only be performed in a manner that is harmonious with the society's way of life and in a way that garners that society's approval before the act has taken place. From this logic, only two options are available. Either the proposed act must be researched and the potential repercussions and consequences must be determined and shared with the intended society (i.e. sharing the knowledge of fuel and its uses with a primitive society will cause pollution which the society does not have the understanding to control) or only actions that are currently within the means and understanding of that society may only be performed (i.e. supplementing additional manpower required to grow crops in a manner already established by the primitive society).

The problem with this agenda is that it only properly functions so long as the assistance is only few enough to truly help, and not push, that society in a predetermined direction. If every American citizen were to adhere to this ideal in lieu of their religious beliefs, the primitive society would receive so much outside help that they would no longer struggle to advance themselves in their own time and place. There is a line that cannot be crossed that divides struggling from suffering. Every creature needs to find its own strength to overcome the natural adversities of survival. Survival at a stagnant level of awareness for as long as possible is most likely preferable. Progress begets change and change begets conflict.

This line of thinking is not without its own pitfalls. For if the primitive society remains too long at one stagnant point of progress, then what value does that society or even the life of an individual of that society have in the larger scheme of human existence? This leads to inflicting the initial dilemma of a purposeless existence upon another being and another society.

Places of Interest

Saint Agatha's @ University Ave and Chestnut St

Tamanend @ Market St and Front St

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier @ Washington Square

Free Friday #3

I haven't updated. I know. That's because I haven't had the time to write at all. I've been ridiculously busy to the point of exhaustion. It's, what, 9:30pm? I'm done for the day. 11 hour work days will kinda take it out of a person. Add to that the hour drive I have the last few days and I'm burnt out.

Don't forget that tomorrow (Friday, for those of you lacking calendar skills) is again Free Friday on Amazon.com. The book is free. The apps are free (PC, Android, iPhone, etc.) Go kill an hour and read a book. There might even be a few other things out there worth reading too. Ya never know.

Random Thoughts About Book 1

I reread The Seventh Horn the other day. I guess it's been almost a full year since I finished it. Pretty weird.

In retrospect, I suppose it was unfair of me to label The Seventh Horn as a "vampire" novel. While I can't dispute that they're in the book, they really aren't a focal point. Vampirism serves as more of a vehicle to further Ark's separation from what little society remains. Death made him no longer human and his unique abilities cause him to be targeted by the undead. He truly is alone in the world. The story is more about this individual coming to terms with the good and bad of humanity and accepting his place. Even more than that, its about coming to terms with his emotions. That's what makes Ark simultaneously lovable, sad, hated, and humorous. I think its easy to understand how a grown man could choose to act like a child and constantly try to ignore responsibility and reality, given his situation. Ark is chauvinistic, he’s a coward, and he’s occasionally violent. People have these feelings, but try to hide them from everyone around them. Ark, for the most part, does not. 

I wrote this book with a younger audience in mind, which is why I expect very few people to enjoy it for the time being. For one, young adults are coming to terms with the same dilemmas that Ark had to deal with. From love to friendship to responsibility to finding your place in the world to moral obligations in society. I think he's relatable to that audience. I left it short enough so that it wouldn't be a massive undertaking to someone who may be a casual or even a first time recreational reader. T7H is not dumbed down and it doesn't hold back in a lot of ways. Then in a lot of other ways it does. I plan to address some of those in the sequels and in the eventual re-edit of T7H down the line.

On a side note, I am still writing Book 2: The Harbinger. I'm hoping for a paperback published release right around July (as long as I can get my act together). Feel free to contact me and yell at me to work faster, dammit. Motivation is key and all.

Happy Bloody New Year

Happy last year of existence on Earth! In celebration of our last few days, I'm giving away the digital copy of my book on Amazon.com for free every Friday for the month of January. That's a 99c value! Woo! Follow the link below to get your free copy.

The Seventh Horn Promotion