Right turn: A #CheersMamaEstrada Post

I think about Mom often. Sometimes I wonder what she’d think of the world as it stands and the things that are happening. But if I’m honest, more often than not, I wonder what random bits of conversation we’d stumble into during our countless chats.

 

We talked so much and I continue to talk to her every single day. I’ve spoken about how I still write letters to her, letting her know about all the adventures I’ve been experiencing, and when it comes to my books, either the final proof or the first copy of each continues to be kept for her. If you’ve seen my socials, you see that I continue to say Cheers Mama Estrada at every opportunity and you should know that I toast to her and to our family every single time I raise a glass.

 

During this week, I’ve thought about Mom a lot and I remembered the time I spent with her at the hospital among countless other memories. Like many patients, she had her ups and downs. Throughout all of that, I did all I could to put a smile on her face and spend time with her.

 

I also remember when she took a turn for the worse.

 

I think about these days because the hospital had a chapel and I remembered how I always meant to go to pray for Mom. The funny thing is that as soon as I got to the hospital and literally came to the crossroads where I could turn left to go to the chapel or go right to go straight to Mom, I always turned right.

 

Always.

 

Consciously, subconsciously, out of instinct, or what have you, something pulled me that way.

 

Mom left me a treasure trove of love and memories and from her I learned that every second, every shared moment, and every bit of contact are all gifts. She left me riches to last a lifetime and I remember her in big moments as well as small ones. There’s magic in those small moments and I invite you to have as many of them as you can with the people you love. Be generous with your small talk. Be abundant with silly phone calls about trivial things. Find the magic in the every-day things you’d normally overlook, because when it comes to someone you love, nothing is trivial.

 

There are many angels that light our lives. If some have passed, it’s OK. Share a cup of coffee or tea with them. They’ll appreciate it. If they’re still around, look for any excuse to get in touch and talk about silly little things that will stay with you for the rest of your life. It'll always be the right call. Because when you add love to any recipe or experience, that’s when you begin to understand the beginnings of forever.

 

Peace, love, and Cheers Mama Estrada

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Si tú te creías que yo no venía...

Saludos, mi gente y comencemos una semana de ¡PURO Comic Con! Este viernes estaremos de vuelta en el Centro de Convenciones para el Puerto Rico Comic Con del 7 al 9 de abril. Esta será mi séptima vez en el Comic Con mientras también celebro mi décimo aniversario como autor publicado.

 

Como saben, marzo fue un mes bien fuego a la lata con dos libros nuevos: el segundo volumen de los Daydreams on the Sherbet Shore y Penumbra, mi primera colección de cuentos oscuros en español. Estoy muy orgulloso de ambos libros y está muy curioso que publique el libro más oscuro e intenso y el libro más dulce de mi carrera a la misma vez. 

 

Las portadas, de show y estoy muy complacido con el contenido. Espero que se los disfruten. Además, tuve la Marcha de los escritores en donde desarrollé temas para hacer posteos para cada día en el mes de marzo y tengo que quitarme el sombrero a todos los amantes de las letras de PR que le metieron con todo. Se lucieron y espero que se lo hayan gozado. Aparte de eso, pues muchas más aventuras de la vida.

 

Eso dicho, me siento como todo un súper saiyajin que le dieron con TODO durante el mes de marzo. Ya que lo superamos, vamos a llegar a un súper nivel porque lo que viene este wikén es pura gozaera. Estaremos en el exhibidor 134 y abajo les comparto el mapa para que me encuentren.

 

Además, ¡LIBROS NUEVOS!

 

Penumbra Cuentos oscuros

Daydreams on the Sherbet Shore 2

Como siempre, tendré MUCHOS OTROS TÍTULOS DISPONIBLES, aunque ojo, CANTIDADES LIMITADAS así que asegúrate darte la vuelta por el exhibidor tempranito.

 

Hay muchas ganas de verlos y espero que de aquí hasta el fin de semana tengan una semana bonita para cerrarla con broche de oro.

 

Un abrazo,

 

JD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice to dream you - Daydreams on the Sherbet Shore 2 is here

I’ve been promising the follow-up to 2015’s Daydreams on the Sherbet Shore for a while now...and I can finally share with you the cover for Daydreams on the Sherbet Shore 2.

A draemy project

When I wrote the first Daydream book I was pretty much discovering what the project was and what it would be for me and anyone who would give themselves the chance to have a daydream or three. I included people I knew and then when I wrote one particular short story, it became a fantastical way of sending a get-well card. And it continued to grow and evolve until what it has become.

The stories within Daydreams on the Sherbet Shore 2 continue to explore the land of Draem, one of several countries within the Lucid. Stories this time around are much bigger and although these are independent stories, it’s best to read them in sequence, even if they aren’t necessarily chapters. Think of each short story much more along the lines of being an episode in your favorite show or cartoon. Each story is meant to fill up more and more of the map of Draem and the Lucid.

Closer look at the cover 

 

 

If you’re wondering who’s riding that Dragon Teapot locomotive, then wonder no further: IT ME. In these stories, I go on adventures with people I know from all around the world who have agreed to go with me on a daydream. We then get up to all sorts of quirky and whimsical adventures in stories that are meant to soothe and let you escape from life for a little while.

The locomotive on the cover is actually the Falcori, a shapeshifting dragon ship that can take to the skies, the slopes, the rails, and all manner of terrain to help us get from one point to the next. He shifts shape and is such a kind friend in all our stories that he definitely deserved to be on the cover of this second installment.

As for the flying light bulbs, those are some of my ideas that got caught in the cover (they also appear in some of my stories).

Speaking of which, if you like this cover, please check out Melissa Lettis. Although sometimes I am crystal clear on what I want for a cover, this was an instance where I was lost and needed help big time. Working with Melissa, she not only set my mind at ease, she helped me talk things out until we landed on something that would capture the spirit of this project. Seeing as the sketch transformed into a layout and then into a cover was wonderful and I credit this cover for rekindling my love for this project to give it the love it needed to make each daydream shine.


I also want to give a special shoutout to fellow author Mike Jack Stoumbos, from The Writing Tribe group from facebook. At one moment I was lost with this project and he took it upon himself to help me find the right artist. Ever thankful for his generous nature and perfect proof that the writing community is there for each other.

As for the Back Cover...

 

 

At the top left, you’ll see a large building shaped like an orange...which is actually the Mandarin Museum, one of several new locations we explore in detail. So, if you’re looking for something to escape Raelity for a while and to warm up with the coming Spring, then by all means, take this as your invitation to dream a little Draem.

Peace, love, and daydreams

Marcha de los escritores día 20: Curiosidades como escritor

El tema de hoy es para compartir detallitos curiosos de ti como escritor. 

Aquí te comparto 5 de los míos y a ver cuán diferentes me salen a los de inglés.

1. Escribo mayormente en inglés. Aunque soy puertorriqueño y mi primer idioma es el español, sólo tengo dos de mis veinte libros que son en español. Aunque finalmente me siento más cómodo escribiendo en español, por mucho tiempo he tenido complejo y no he estado seguro de mis habilidades como escritor en español fuera de lo profesional ya que MUCHO de lo que he trabajado en mi carrera profesional ha sido en español. Por suerte, ya me he soltado y con Penumbra, el mensaje es claro: prepara tu librero :)

2. Nunca he tomado un curso de escribir. Estudié psicología, publicidad y mercadeo y nunca he tomado ni un taller de escribir. Todo lo que he logrado como autor ha sido autodidacta y a pulmón. Por MUCHOS años escribí en un blog y eso me ayudó más de lo que te imaginas. El detalle es que AMO escribir. Claro que quiero fama, dinero y éxito, ahora ante todo AMO escribir y es una parte integral de quién soy.

3. Incluyo muchos personajes basados en personas de mi vida. Mrs. Fawn se basa en Mama. Captain Jane se basa en mi esposa. Fäet es mi representación literaria. Así hay un montón de personajes y siempre es divertido tener a la gente adivinando quién es de mi vida y quién es de mi imaginación.

4. El nombre Odstein es recurrente en mis obras como el apellido de Fäet. Por si no lo sabías: Fäet = Fate y Odstein = Destino ;)

5. Me encanta incluir detallitos y tributos a música y artistas. En español muchos de los capítulos y personajes de Penumbra salieron o fueron influencia directa de la música de Robi Draco Rosa.

Y ahí tienes 5 curiosidades. ¿Qué te parecen? Y ¿Cuáles son algunas de las tuyas?

Espero que te estés gozando la Marcha de los escritores. Un fuerte abrazo.

JD

March of the Writers Day 20: Quirkety Quirk

I actually haven’t used the blog to explore a prompt yet for this year's March of the Writers, which is so odd lol. Fortunately, I think this is a great one for that. 

 As a writer I have several quirks, but instead of exploring them all, here are 5:

1. I write most of my work by hand and later transcribe. There’s something beautifully intimate about writing by hand, even with the challenges it brings. Namely, my handwriting. Plainly put, it isn’t great and definitely is a challenge in regards to legibility, although it is an interesting exercise because it forces me to start editing. Also, Fun fact: Only Human took 6 notebooks of varying sizes.

2. Different size papers. Sometimes to get the right feel for what I'm writing I switch up the size of the paper I’m using to write on. Although I love composition notebooks and find them extremely comfortable, I’ve known to switch to legal notepads, sticky notes, and notebooks of all sorts of sizes. It’s curious how it impacts the writing. For instance, small paper FORCES you to be concise, while long-winding papers can do the opposite. I seriously recommend you give it a go because you don't know if something can work until you give it a go.

3. Different writing materials. I’ve said this before but I’ll say it again. I write poetry/lyrics in pencil, non-fiction and short prose in blue/black ink, and prose in red ink, although I’ve taken to use other colors and it’s been super refreshing. Again, it's all about mixing it up.

4. Love writing during flights. I used to love writing during long appointments but post pandemic things have definitely changed. I do still enjoy writing during long flights because I have no interest in wi-fi at 35,000 ft :)

5. I sometimes write with my non-dominant hand. I’ve journaled and written short verses or inspirational texts with my left hand. It actually improves your handwriting, and forces you to breathe and slow down, something I DEFINITELY need from time to time and you might need as well.

And there are PLENTY more where those came from, but those are my five for today :)

How about you? What are some of your writing quirks? What did you think of mine? 

Peace, love, and maki rolls

Lo prometido es deuda – llega Penumbra

Por años me llevan preguntando si voy a publicar algo en español.

Por años he dicho que "ya mismo".

Ya puedo cambiar la contestación.

El "ya mismo" se ha convertido en AHORA y les presento: Penumbra – Cuentos Oscuros

6 cuentos cortos + 1 novela corta.

Todo oscuro.

Si se preguntan porque el tono oscuro, le pueden dar las gracias a mis amigos de Libros Eikon que cuando me invitaron a contribuir a No Cierres los Ojos 2. Algo soltó en mí que aunque me sospechaba que estaba ahí, no es lo mismo sospechar que verlo en acción. Doy las más sinceras gracias a mis colegas por la invitación y el apoyo.

La portada fue diseñada por la gran Karelys Luna, una de mis vecinas en el comic con y una amiga artista con talento de sobra. Si quieren conocer más de ella, en confianza visiten su página aquí.

De la colección, hubo mucha inspiración del Viejo San Juan ya que me crié ahí pasando mucho tiempo en las tiendas de mi abuelo y mi madre, además de mis años formativos de janguear en un sinnúmero de locales. Además, hubo inspiración de algunos de mis autores favoritos incluyendo HP Lovecraft y Neil Gaiman.

Por mucho tiempo he prometido algo en español y espero que disfruten Penumbra. Ahora, no es lo único que viene en español, así que pendientes. Pero por ahora, si son de los que disfrutan leer algo un poco oscuro para que el sueño no le llegue, pues adéntrense en la Penumbra.

Ah, y para los que quieran una copia firmada...nos vemos en el Puerto Rico Comic Con.

Pronto les cuento más, por ahora...

Un abrazo,

JD

A year full of promise

 

Last year I had big plans and a lot of them crashed and burned because I was not able to deliver on what I wanted to. Sure, we can have plans. Doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed to come through. That’s fine and dandy. That was also 2022...This is 2023.

I have been promising several projects for years and March has me delivering on two of those promises. Do I have to be a bit cryptic because we’re building up to these releases? Of course. But it doesn’t I have to stay mum about both.

What’s in store for March?

Two releases.

One in Spanish. One in English.

Both are short story collections.

One is light. One is dark.

They are polar opposites yet very much represent who I am as a writer.

First up is Spanish, which is getting revealed this week. I’ve been promising Spanish for years and I’m finally delivering. Now don’t expect something lighthearted or sweet. We’re going dark and broody.

6 short stories + 1 novella. All dark but in different ways. I am very happy with the end result.

Afterwards, we have English. Another short story collection I’ve been promising for years and one that means a lot to me. While the Spanish book is very me because of style and that dark aspect of my psyche, this book is very me because it is rooted deeply in kindness. 5 short stories in a world that we’ve visited before.

In terms of content and style, I’m proud that I’ve hit all I wanted to achieve with each project. I’m also super proud of the work I was able to do with two different artists. It’s been a busy year so far, though I’m happy, motivated, thankful, and healthy. Thank you to everyone who has shown me such unconditional support and thanks also to everyone who is participating in the March of the Writers. Here’s to all the good times and stay tuned, MUCH more news VERY soon.

Peace, love, and maki rolls.

JD

March Of the writers 2023

It’s that time of the year again, dear writer friends. Unlike previous years, we’re doing this a bit earlier so you can get the explanations of the prompts and have a chance to ask questions. Also, you don't need to participate every day. You can skip, miss, or just pass on the ones that don't call to you.

 

Expect videos on my BookTube / AuthorTube channel and without further ado, let’s check the prompts!

 

1.    New month: who dis? Present yourself

 

Self-explanatory. It’s March, it’s March of the Writers, tell us who you are in video, picture, blog post, or however you prefer.

 

2.    Feed the Playlist: Writing music you recommend

 

For years, we’ve been growing the March of the Writers playlist so feel free to check it out in this link. If you have great writing tracks you’d like to recommend, go for it.

 

3.    WIP it, WIP it good! Whachu working on?

 

We all have plans though sometimes it’s good to share what’s in the pipeline to get those readers excited by what you’ll unleash later on.

 

4.   Talking ‘bout my genre-nation. Genres you write in.

 

What genres speak to you and do you feel most comfortable with? Any genre you want to tackle? Tell us that too!

 

5.    Shelf consciousness: What have you published?

 

Are you published? Have you been featured in a magazine or anthology? Have a blog or Wattpad? Whatever you got, share it!

 

6.   I am; therefore, I write: Why do you write?

 

Why are you inspired to write or what was the first reason about why you started writing?

 

7.    Trio: 3 fav movies, albums, books

 

The March of the Writers is all about sharing. What are some movies, albums, and books that normally don’t get much TLC or which are your faves?

 

8.   Drive you very much: What drives you?

 

Why you write and what drives you are two different things. Drive is all about going for it after you capture your words on paper. What is your driver?

 

9.   Secret Identity: what’s your day job?

 

For many people, writing pays for only part of the bills and we have day jobs. What’s your day job while you keep chipping away at your next manuscript?

 

 

10.                  It’s Al-true: what causes do you regularly support?

 

Many of us have causes that are near and dear to our hearts. What causes to you consistently support and why?

 

11. 3 Failures

 

Life isn’t easy and life as a writer sure as hell isn’t easy either. Sometimes we fall though we always get back up again. What are some of the most intense failures you’ve had and what did you learn from them?

 

12. 3 Victories

 

Now the flip side! Share them wins!!!

 

13. Manifestation Nation: Manifest your dreams

 

Some people say if you share a dream and visualize it, it can manifest. Some people think doing so jinxes you. Which team are you and any dream you’d like to share?

 

14.Plotter, pantser, plantser, prefer not to say?

 

Which are you and is it because it’s what works the best for you or because you don’t know any better?

                                        

15. Good luck charms?

 

Any magical inspirational talismans when you write or have an event?

 

16.Feeling Tipsy – 3 tips for any new writer

 

Share the wealth. What tips would you offer someone about writing?

 

17. Say wha? - Weird goals you have

 

Not everyone wants to make it to the New York Best Seller’s list. What are some whacky goals you STILL want to achieve.

 

18.Digging deep - How do you go about research?

 

We have a knack of falling down some pretty interesting rabbit holes. What’s your process like?

 

19.Set the date: 3 living authors you’d love to meet for lunch

 

There are some people we really would love to meet. Who are yours and why?

 

20.                 Quirkety Quirk: Writer quirks

 

Some people are methodical. Some are quirky. Some are certifiable. What are some of your most notable writer quirks?

 

21. Writing Desk Tour

 

Show us where the writing magic happens!!!

 

22.                  Time suck: apps that take a lot of your time

 

Procrastination happens. What are some apps and things that are super powerful at sucking up any loose time you have lying around?

 

23.                  Recurring currents: Recurring themes in your work

 

Are there any themes that consistently pop up in your work?

 

24.                  Comonn Me-steaks – Common errors in your writing

 

Typos scuk. They skuc real bad. But some just have a way of making their way into our manuscripts. What are some of your most common typos that are SO common that you have to keep an eye out for them.  

 

25.                  Life balance: what do you do for physical/mental health?

 

SO often we see fellow writers struggling and we also struggle, which is why it’s so important to stay healthy of body and mind. What are some things you do to cope and stay healthy?

 

 

26.                  Tough “love”: Roughest critiques you’ve received

 

Some people mean well but have no tact and pull no punches. What are some rough critiques you’ve received that stung but still helped you out in the long run?

 

27.                  Best compliments you’ve gotten

 

How about some of the best compliments you’ve ever received?

 

28.                 What are you thankful for on your writer journey?

 

The prompt says it all. What do you want to say thanks for?

 

29.                  Pals of pens - Writer Friends

 

I absolutely LOVE connecting with people. Give us a sample of people who we should check out their work.

 

30.                 How social of you? Where can we follow you?

 

SHARE THEM LINKSSSSSS BAYBEEEEE :D

 

31. In next week’s episode: What’s next for you?

 

What’s up next for you this year and beyond?

 

 ****

 

And there you go! As a reminder, let me include a pic of all the prompts.