Ripples

What you do has an effect,

Ponder that a moment, please, reflect.

A smile today is a thank you tomorrow,

A misplaced word can end in sorrow.

For ripples we are and ripples we see.

An effect had a cause that helped make it be.

A ripple’s beginnings easily slip sight.

Like a storm in a teacup or a dragonfly’s sigh.

So in memory’s book wherever you find it.

Look for and search for that which reminded,

Clues, answers, riddles or maybe a trace,

That a smile is but a ripple, that trickled to face.

Rays

I hang on golden rays,


as I miss you.


Solitary solitaire,


with friendly games
 of truth or dare.



Flicker in the sunlight,


shimmer on the glass,


lies float on so kite-like


little secrets in the wind.



Say hello horizon,


blending with the sun,


tomorrow's little night light,


and a treasure in a pond.

Convenience isn’t always better

In a time of digital everything, I can’t help but feel that sometimes convenience and practicality aren’t what they’re cracked up to be. Sure I can have three weeks of music available on an iPod, but the satisfaction and joy of browsing around for hours in a record store has been lost to most people. You see, I love bargain bins because it lets me discover bands that maybe even stopped existing. I also don’t mind paying full price for a good album from a band I love. Actually, I went to the Berkley Amoeba store recently and had a blast just looking around for hours at CD cases of some artists I knew and many who were new to me. The process was rudimentary yet satisfying. Get 30 CDs, listen to samples. Set aside CDs you want. Repeat. People nowadays browse online, download illegally and can get an entire collection in a matter of days, if that.

I’m not saying that’s necessarily wrong, I’m saying that the search was part of the fun... or more so a BIG part of the fun, at least for me. I can say the same about books, browsing through bookstores isn’t practical... it’s time consuming and a pain to discover when the store has what you’re looking for in another section. The thing is that when you find a special random book you were looking for or some random surprise you pick up, it’s wonderful. Years back, my wife read the description of a book and said I might like it. I bought it without thinking twice and I was introduced to the brilliant Carl Hiaasen.

Our searches now are digital and so are most connections. Technology has allowed me to publish a book and for that I am eternally grateful. And not only that, it’s allowed me to publish a book by my own rules... now there is one detail about my book a lot of people still don’t know. I wrote the first draft entirely by hand: four notebooks of chicken scratchings that in them held the first part of my little story, whose first installment is over 600 pages long. Although the way I’m offering my book is quite convenient, the way it came about wasn’t. Hundreds of pages of research and notes, annotations and the grind that was transcribing said book... and I loved every second of it in large part because it was so impractical and people asked me why I did it that way. The answer is because I love book stores, and love record stores and love writing long emails rather than wall posts to say happy birthday and love going out of my way to have coffee or tea with a friend and because practical things may save time, but they sacrifice experience quite often.

Is a handwritten letter something practical nowadays? Of course it isn’t. The thing is that it shows you care and that you gladly invested time into something that wasn’t practical in the spirit of experience, of adventure, of life.

So here’s to at least occasionally being COMPLETELY impractical for the sake of living.

Peace, love and maki rolls.

JD

The write to a thankful weekend

Thanksgiving is treated as a one-day event when every day we should be giving thanks for the blessings we are given. By blessings, don’t feel the need to establish any religious connotations and go ahead and attribute it to hard work, good fortune or just dumb luck.

Being a writer could honestly be a lonely job, though for me, it’s opened the world to meet people from around the world. I’ve been able to connect to people in the US, England, Canada, Mexico, Spain, New Zealand, Australia, Pakistan, India, Romania, and beyond.

Throughout the beginning of my adventure, I’ve also been able to appreciate people I don’t know on a physical plane just as much as people who give me physical support and motivation. That said, as I wrote my Black Friday posts, I realized some people are way more special than they realize and I mentioned in passing two people who have made a huge difference in my 2013. The two people who have read and reviewed my book.

You see, to you they are just screen names... to me they have become friends. Linda Anderson and Amanda Armstrong are two very talented women, they’re separated by an ocean and thousands of miles yet are connected by a love I also share with them: writing.

Drastically different, each one has their own style, different personalities and different things that drive them, yet they were kind enough to review Only Human. I didn’t ask them to, they wanted to and that makes all the difference.

Linda Anderson was the second person to review my book and has a blog you can visit by clicking here. 

Out of what she writes, my favorites are a series of short stories, snap shots from reality that leave you wanting to know more. By all means, give her a check and so you know what she thinks of Only Human, here’s a transcript of her review:

“I enjoyed the story immensely, though I got lost in trying to remember the whole cast of characters and who belonged to which faction. Love Bill; he seems to hold many of the keys that would open the door to enlightenment of the story. And I can't wait to see what problems Nathaniel causes/gets into/solves...I loved it!!!”

For her part, Amanda Armstrong is the co-author of Ten Yen True, a book I reviewed some time ago which was truly a wonderful read. Her website can be found here and she is currently working on the sequel to the book and her review came at a time when I honestly needed a sign to confirm my path and one day before my birthday, she posted the first review to my book (under the screen name mandymia):

“I admit I was a little skeptical when I started this book. I don't read vampire books usually. But this is not a vampire book. It's an amazing fantasy read that I completely lost myself in. The characters are so engaging, I found myself willing them on and the plot is fast paced and gripping. I urge the author to write the sequel, quick! Loved it!”

Just a few words that made all the difference in my life, so to Linda and Amanda... thank you.

Many people have shared various reactions to my book and often it seems they don’t know what to expect until they’re surprised by something that hooks them. Quite honestly, I couldn’t ask for a better reaction. Because they kept their faith in the story and stuck with it until they didn’t want to let go and are luckily now urging me to write faster. 

As a nod of friendship to both the reviewers, I included them in my daydreams on the Sherbet Shore, Volume 3 and Volume 3.2. The reason behind the numbering is simple, I wanted them to be together and I’m also a numbers freak and am a big fan of certain numbers, in this case the number 8. If you see the volume numbers, 3 + 3 + 2 = 8. The .2 was my way of joining these two wonderful people in something I wrote. The number eight when divided by 2 is 4, also a very special number to me. Is this a little nuts? Sure. But so am I. :)

As I continue my daydreams, I continue connecting with people, allowing myself the chance to hang out with them if only in a dream. I rant a little and share these details so you see how my brain is wired and to invite you also to connect to others and help me connect with others as well. I also write this to continue giving thanks during the weekend.

So here’s to dreams and reality, may they coincide to share a meal, a drink, an ice cream sundae, a coffee or just a spot of tea.

Cheers my friends.

Peace, love and maki rolls.

JD