JD Estrada’s 18th release - Rhymes from the Wicked Nursery

 

My 17^th release was a positive poetry collection for Mother’s Day. So obviously what better follow up than a creepy collection of 80 original nursery rhymes?

Rhymes from the Wicked Nursery is an exercise in dark cheekiness where happily ever afters are nowhere to be found, replaced by untimely deaths, creepy characters, and dark vibes the Addams Family would approve of. In short, it’s meant to give you nightmares in the best possible way.

 

As for the inspiration, a while back I was in a reading slump and in usual fashion, I decided to tackle said slump by reading something different, namely nursery rhymes. As I read a couple of collections, I couldn’t help but notice how dark some of them were and how fun it was to read them out loud…so of course I started to write a couple for fun…and a couple brought a couple more, and like a gremlin who has just been sprinkled with water, well, the poems multiplied until I had a collection on my hands. 

 

I was asked if I released the Rhymes from the Wicked Nursery by design and the fact is I didn’t. That’s just how things played out and I’ve been truly following where inspiration leads me this year and the projects I truly feel a fire to write. That I have the kindest and meanest rhymes I’ve ever written released back-to-back is just one of those fun details on my writer journey. 

 

Oh and there is a bonus in the collection, apart from some sample poetry in case readers need something lighter or are curious of other types of poetry I write, I did include a creepy short story from an upcoming horror collection, because why not? It’s called Hush Little Baby and focuses on the danger found within silence. That collection is still underway…as are several other projects but enjoy that little tidbit to see what you think of me writing in horror. So stay tuned, dear reader. Who knows what else I have in store for your bookshelf in the coming months? Til next time…

 

Peace, love, and maki rolls

2021: A conquistar libreros

Como autor, hay muchos sueños que tenemos por dentro. Entre ellos está el que los lectores miren un espacio libre en su librero y digan, necesito llenarlo…y que tu nombre y tus libros sean lo primero que se les ocurra para llenar ese vacío.

Llevo 7 años publicado y en ese tiempo, he podido traer del éter al mundo 6 colecciones de poesía, 3 novelas, 1 colección de cuentos cortos, 1 colección bilingüe de cuentos cortos, poesía y ensayos, 2 libros de no-ficción y 2 libros bajo un proyecto especial llamado Blanc Comics. Aparte de esto, he podido escribir cuentos cortos y poemas que se han incluido en otras colecciones compartiendo en página con autores de alrededor del mundo y lo he logrado en inglés y español. He participado en eventos en los EE. UU. y en Puerto Rico y siempre es un placer conectar con lectores de todas las edades. 

 

Ahora que entramos en un nuevo año, son muchos los proyectos y muchas las metas que tengo como autor, creador y ser humano (incluso, algunos dirían que también soy músico así que a ver qué inventamos en el año). Lo interesante es que hay una meta central y lo es conectar. Como escritor, uno de mis grandes placeres es saber que alguien lleva uno de mis libros a leer a algún sitio, que una colección de poesía conectó con alguien en el momento correcto y que algo que salió de mí conectó con algo que reside en cada lector. Es bien bonito y he tenido un mar de bendiciones y continúo teniéndolas a diario. Sí, hay días en donde hay un poco más de letargo y la motivación no aparece ni por los centros espiritistas…ahora hay días que me siento que puedo conquistar el mundo una palabra a la vez, sea a través de mis ensayos, relatos, poemas o cada vez que dedico un libro o conecto con lectores y escritores en línea. Esa conexión me llena, da propósito y valida lo que hago sea en las redes sociales, en mis libros o en otras cosas que hago, sea para apoyar causas benéficas o ayudar a un amigo. En fin, aunque cambie la manera, lo que importa es conectar. Como estamos haciendo en este escrito. 

 

Así que sea sólo por este blog o si soy parte de tu colección de libros físicos o digitales, gracias por dejarme conectar contigo. Si has reseñado mis libros y le has contado a otros de mis ocurrencias ya sea las aventuras del agente 00 Bananas o mis libros, gracias. Luego de un año en donde vivimos tanto y tuvimos que adaptarnos constantemente, tengo tantas cosas para dar gracias y pues, lo único que quiero es tener la manera de hacerlo un poco más…o bastante más, vamos que los sueños no son para disfrutar de a poco o a medias. La vida es para vivirla, los sueños para cosecharlos y los libreros…pues para conquistarlos.

Si quieres que mis libros sean parte de tu colección, visita la tienda de Tazas y Portadas o búscame en Amazon. Vienen más inventos, más proyectos y más maneras de conectar, así que pendiente. 

 

Un fuerte abrazo y feliz 2021. 

Tis Estrada Bday Week

Some people might think that when you turn 40 it’s all downhill from there… and you know what? I hope so! Seriously! Have you ever been on a bike or skates and found yourself going down some gnarly hill? It is one of the most fun things you can enjoy while risking bodily harm.  

That said, As I begin Level 40, chapter 40, Part 4, or whatever you’d like to call it, plans for slowing down are nowhere in sight and I have a ton of things on the radar that I want to do as I embrace the opportunity every day to have a good time and have a positive impact. Will life happen? Yes. Does that include times that suck? Of course. 

 

But.

 

We.

 

Can.

 

Have.

 

Fun!

 

So today I’m starting the party so to speak and you are invited to join me. When it comes to indie authors, there are countless things that bring us joy, but if you’re a fellow author, a book lover, or just someone who wants to send me good vibes, there are several ways you can do it. Below is a wish list and any help you can offer is more than welcome:

 

1. Get yerself some books. If there’s ever been an opportunity to catch up on your reading, now is the time. If you need something for a Latinx, middle-grade, urban fantasy, poetry, Caribbean, or kooky readathon, I’ve got 16 books out. Now not all of them are available in eBook form but all of them are available and would love to cuddle up with you in bed. Grab a copy or gift one on Amazon.

 

2. Reviews are life. If you’ve read me for any period of time, you know I’ve talked about this a plenty and that’s for two reasons, real book reviews are hard to come by and I will never go about the easy, disingenuous way of getting a review, i.e. read pro quo, buying reviews, or doing fake reviews. I don’t have hundreds of reviews, but all the ones I have are people who were kind enough not only to buy a book AND read it, but they went the extra marathon and offered a review. If by any chance we hit 50 reviews on any of my titles by the end of the month, I’ll do a giveaway including ALL my eBooks, a $25 gift card from Three Furies Press, and raffle 3 writing sessions where we will talk over your current WIP to give your book, story, or poetry collection idea form, direction, and hopefully get it closer to publishing. This is welcome to people of all ages and in either English or Spanish (as long as you have your parent's permission).

 

3. Join in on the antics. I do plenty of random things online and try to make it worth your time whether it’s something I design, write, film, or record. I have several social media platforms and don’t intend on getting more, SO, if you enjoy the antics of your favorite banana secret agent indie author, then by all means, help me hit some social media milestones by either following or inviting some people to my different social media platforms. But as with everything, for every milestone we hit, we’ll do something fun or help others. 

 

3-A. Facebook – We’re at 886…. Let’s get to 900. It’s a small goal but still a cool one. Would I love 1K? Of course, but I’m not greedy and I am a firm believer that slow and steady wins the race. Besides, with all the toxic BS they post there, I think it’d be nice to share more smile inducing stuff. If we get to this milestone, I’ll do 10 live reads on Facebook live.  

 

3-B. Twitter – We’re at 6,791 followers. Let’s get to 6,825. Why that number? Because metrics on Twitter are as insane as its uncooperative algorithm (or at least uncooperative for those who don’t know how to play the game, i.e. moi). By this I mean that the numbers go up and down. If we hit 6,825, I’ll donate $100 to the Atlanta Community Food Bank. It's a time to pull together and help each other out. 

 

3-C. Instagram – Currently at 1,773. A cool 1,800 sounds pretty nice, doesn’t it? Come on, let’s do it for the gram. I’ll donate $100 to the EB Research Partnership, the largest nonprofit funding research aimed at treating and ultimately curing Epidermolysis Bullosa, a group of devastating and life-threatening skin disorders that affect children from birth. I follow several people on social media who face this challenge head on and if a small contribution can help and also bring awareness, why not?

 

3-D. YouTube – YouTube is a weird creature and for some reason, numbers go up and down and when I post, I lose subscribers. I still want to take this to the next level and if we get over the 600 mark, then I’ll do an Estrada Book event where I’ll take a Q&A, do some readings, and play some live songs.

MORE ways to join in the festivi-teas :) 

4. Make a donation and say cheers to someone you love. If you want to show love and support for me, make a donation to a reputable charity in name of Mom and share on social media using the hashtag #CheersMamaEstrada. 

5. If you know a book club that would like some free eBooks, please let me know. I would be honored to be part of a book club whether with my non-fiction work, my poetry, my middle-grade fiction, or my urban fantasy novels. 

6. Help me get into a library. This has been a goal for a long time and I've come up short 3 times, but hey, fourth times the charm, right? I've tried the steps, I've sent books, and I appreciate the info, but I need help getting into a library. It could be at your school, your local library, etc. Whatever if takes, just help me get inside a library. Pretty please with bananas on top?

And I'm sure we can do more stuff during the week, so stay tuned for random shenanigans. 

 

The first 40 have been pretty curious and I can’t wait to see what the second 40 have in store. As always, thanks for the love, the kindness, the shares, the interest, the smiles, the laughs, for thinking about me when you see socks, tea, or bananas, and for always sharing Peace, Love, and Maki Rolls.

50 before 40

There are plenty of challenges most indie authors face. Sales, time management, motivation, relevance, but one of the most intense struggles we have is to get reviews. This isn’t the first time I write about this though I’d love for it to be the last (crossing fingers). 

Here’s the thing, being an indie author I don’t have a team of people courting influences, bloggers, book reviewers, BookTubers, and bookstagrammers. I’m a one human army in the pursuit of my dreams in relation to plenty of things, reviews included. This means I depend on people like you and anyone kind enough to drop a review. You might be wondering on the title of this post and if you’re wondering what the relevance of the number 50 is, it’s the magic number on Amazon that opens a couple more doors to more readers. If we hit 50 reviews on Amazon, our books start appearing in more searches. Simple enough, right? Not so much.

Still… that’s what I’m aiming for in regards to any of my books: 50 reviews. 

For some context, take into account that I published Only Human in 2013 digitally and have been selling physical copies since 2014. In that time, I’ve sold around 300-400 copies online in total. Might be more, but not sure. From all those sales, I’ve gotten 30 reviews and that’s actually a great percentage. Still, I do my best to earn those extra 20 reviews, even if they’re bad, because I know every review helps. I write about it once in a while, but I try not to pester because people have enough on their plates with their day-to-day lives. I also ask, because I’ve made it a habit to review everything I read. I do that for a couple of reasons. First off, to help others. Secondly, because it helps with retention and reading a review I can remember a LOT of what I’ve read. 

When it comes to music, I may enjoy listening to things online, but I also share videos and tell people about new music, and when I really like something I buy the album, even in this age of streaming. The same with restaurants and I’m pending to write a lot of reviews to help out the places I love once this Corona Times pass. For me, it’s all about sharing the things I enjoy and giving a heads up about the good and the not so good. Some people write reviews just to be catty and nasty and although I see the entertainment value, I’ve only dropped one scathing review of one book because I had it recommended constantly at Borders, in Barnes & Noble, and other websites and when I read it, it was pretty awful. Since then, it’s not to say I haven’t left bad reviews, but I’ve desisted from spilling the tea for entertainment’s sake. It’s not to say you shouldn’t do this, but I’ve stopped seeing value in that approach.

Still, beyond sharing the wealth, I know the difference a review can make. I’ve known to be having a horrendous day only to be greeted with the wonderful surprise of a review, or someone who shared one of my vids or random posts on social media, or a comment, or a thank you note, or a picture with an Estrada Crate, or a shout out, or a mention, or an invitation to a podcast or live panel, or countless other generous things and I feel the need to pay it forward and to also show people I care about their work, their passions, and their dreams. 

Does a review take much time? It actually totally depends on you. Want to dive in depth to the next level? Bring it. Want to leave a one-line review? That also works. Do you think the book sucked? Then give it a 1-star review. Seriously, don’t feel bad and let her rip because if you do, even if it brings the average down, it brings the total review count up and in some way, it still helps. As for the 40… I’ll be turning forty this coming August 13^th and a boy can always dream, can’t he? So what say you, care to share a dream even in these peculiar times? 

As always, a pleasure to have you in this nook of my hyperactive mind.

Peace, love, and maki rolls

Ps: here's the link to Only Human. Cheers

https://smile.amazon.com/Only-Human-Cycle-Book-ebook/dp/B00COMVDY4/

#MarchOfTheWriters

During the month of February, I have to say that I’ve had a blast doing Dahlia Adler’s #AuthorLifeMonth2020 prompts. They were varied and fun and in case you missed it (or her for that matter), check out @MissDahlELama on Twitter and Instagram or check out my Instagram account for several of the posts I shared. 

Since it was so fun for me I said, why not keep the party going? So here’s my humble contribution to the Writing Community: #MarchOfTheWriters. In case this is your first time doing one of these, here’s how it works: Every day there’s a prompt. You take a picture and share on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and use the hashtag #MarchOfTheWriters. 

As for the prompts, below I’ll offer some brief explanations to each prompt, but keep an eye out on my Instagram for brief videos talking about each prompt. If you have any question, by all means, ask in the comment section or write me in your preferred social media platform.

1. Hello, my name is: This is your introduction to fellow authors and future readers. Do it in picture, book, or video form. 

2. Writing Nook: Do you have a writing desk or a preferred writing spot? Share it with us!

3. If you were a car…: What is a car that you think represents you? It could be real or fictional. 

4. Business card: do you have a business card? Pimp it out. Need advice or feedback on your card? Share it and let’s help each other out. 

5. Your published works: you can go all bookstagram or just hold up your book for us to see. 

6. How does writing feel? Describe how writing makes you feel. It could be empowered, worried, in a rush, or whatever. 

7. Home is…: What is your home town? What does home feel like to you?

8. Boxing ring walk song: If you were in a huge boxing, MMA, or wrestling match, what song would you enter the ring with to get you in the zone?

9. Writing Influences: Who do you look up to and why?

10. Pet peeves: what are things that get on your nerves from writing or life in general.

11. Upcoming events: Will you be at an event with your books? Are you going to a writer workshop or retreat? Meeting your favorite author? Share the wealth!

12. Creature comforts: What are things that make your life and your writing easier and more comfortable?

13. Five books in your TBR: Be it in your shelf, on the nightstand, or along with you, show us what you’ll be reading in 2020. 

14. Claim to fame: It can be one or several things you’re known for. Let us know, what’s your jam?

15. Behind the Pen Name: Sometimes people writer under their real name… other times they use a pen name, and quite often there’s a story behind your pen name. Share the story behind your name.

16. Writing playlists: Some people (like moi) enjoy writing while listening to some tunes. What are some songs in your writing list? Do you have a list on Spotify, Soundcloud, or YouTube that you’d like to share? Then go for it.

17. Writer quirks: What are random things you know are random and not really necessary but that you always do when you’re writing.

18. First job: What was the first way you earned a pay check on your road to making a living off your writing?

19. Things that make you happy: Pretty self-explanatory. What brings that smile to the surface?

20. What’s in your cup? It could be coffee, tea, soup, or other! Share what’s in your cuppa.

21. Fandoms: Your inner geek has these fandoms tattooed on the face. Geek out.

22. Binge worthy: what shows would you recommend to people?

23. Currently writing: What’s your WIP and how’s it shaping up?

24. Hidden talents: Some people can cook, others do street magic or busk. What’s your hidden talent? 

25. Last movie you saw: Could be at home or at the movies. 

26. Proud moments: Pride can be defined in SO many ways. Show us some of yours. 

27. Best place to read: Reading is a treat on its own, but when you do it here… #ChefsKiss

28. Bookmarks: Do you have quirky bookmarks? Do you use a 3-year-old receipt? Whatever it is, let us see what you use to press pause on a book.

29. Childhood memory: What’s a fond childhood memory you wish you could share with people.

30. Friends of a feather: As writers, we get to meet a LOT of people online. Who are some of those people you’d like to meet in real life?

31. Keep in touch: What social media platforms do you frequent? 

And that’s pretty much it. Hope you join in and happy writing!

Peace, Love, and Maki Rolls

You can’t support everyone and everything they do

As an indie author, I know the value of community and am fully aware of the difference that the support of one person can have at the right time. I also know what it means to have ten people on your side helping your dream reach more people. However, I’m also quite aware of the challenge it is to get the support of fifty people to do something like reviewing your book (but more on this later). So it seems like a good time for a reminder that it is physically, mentally, and financially impossible to support everyone with everything they do. 

On most normal weeks, I post something every day on social media. Here’s a rundown:

Visual Typos (Monday)

Teactionary & Taste Test Videos (Tuesday)

SkyThoughts (Wednesday)

Sock posts (Thursdays)

00 Bananas (Fridays)

and Cheers Mama Estrada (Weekends)

These posts are not taking into consideration the random things I share like pics, book stuff, left hand thoughts, six for six author questions, and tons of other things. I also write on a blog (this one right here) and have a YouTube channel (BookTube and AuthorTube if you want to be specific). I have 15 books out and they cover a variety of genres including urban fantasy, middle-grade fantasy, poetry, non-fiction, and my Blanc Comics project. I am often trying to bring attention to efforts to help others through #Humans4Humans (of which I’m currently working on #Humans4PuertoRico, where any money I make off my books will be used to help people back home). I do video and written interviews, live panels, and guest blog posts. I participate in comic cons, and do book events… and I ALWAYS try my hardest to make it worth your time. I put a lot of love into what I do and enjoy what I create, though I don’t expect anyone to see everything I post or support everything I do simply because all of this is just me and we all know more than one person with dreams and aspirations.

Being an indie author, being part of BookTube, being a member of associations, and countless other things might make you think that you have to support everything, but it’s simply not possible, not if you want to achieve your goals and in case you needed to hear this: IT IS NOT BEING SELFISH. It’s being conscious of your time, being mindful, being practical, and knowing where to invest your time and energy. 

As time passes, you also realize who are the go-to people that are always there for you or that inspire you to no end. Showing them more love is completely fine and I shall always encourage people to show love to those who show them love in the first place. I have quite a few people whom I consider myself quite close to even if we’ve never met in real life and plenty of real life family members and friends who offer a lot of love and support. I also have some very kind and faithful readers who tag along for many of my adventures. These are the people that fuel you in several ways and you will come across them. Trust me in that. Keep an eye out and when you find them, give them all your love and show them all the appreciation. 

Then there are other people who could care less if you’re successful or not. They don’t wish you ill, but they couldn’t be bothered to consider you and being honest, they are in no obligation to do so and that’s also something to always have clear. You don’t owe anything to anyone and no one owes you anything either. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, “No one has to care about what you do.”

Finally, there are people who see value in you but only in regards to them and their dreams, aspirations, needs, and goals. They are great at receiving, brilliant at it and you won’t just find it in fellow creators, you will find it in people in your life who are experts at asking and receiving but not so much at giving. Sometimes they will ask and if they don’t receive, they leave it at that… but sometimes they’ll kick off if you tell them how you feel or ask for something or for them to return the favor. Unfortunately, this type of person is very common in life, work, and whatever community you participate in. Time is wise in many ways and time eventually shows you who is fickle and who is faithful. 

So in summary, you have: 

1. Your go-to team

2. People who don’t care

3. People who only take and don’t know what balance is in a relationship and they are unfortunately self-centered. I’m not saying that last bit as an insult, but as remark on an egocentric vision where they only see the return of investment where it applies to them. 

There are other subtypes, but I think these are the main ones you’d need to react to and deal with at a greater level. 

For me, I’ve learned to support and be there for people until I feel taken advantage of or if it ever gets to the point where it feels as if my welfare could matter less to them. I know indie authors, traditionally published authors, musicians, artists, and creators of all types and I always have a like to give to a post, or a comment to increase engagement for better visibility. But for some people, their lack of empathy or complete apathy is a turn off and I end up feeling bad when I support, so I start pulling back, checking to see if the difference is noticed and quite often, it isn’t. So no harm no foul. It’s taught me to be mindful with the support I give because I know some people who only know to respond generosity with generosity and every exchange with them leaves me feeling energized. It’s the difference between time well invested instead of being poorly spent. I know the opposite as well, but don’t want to waste time and words on that. 

As it is, I’m always happy to give someone a boost, a like, a share, and if I read your book, I will review it. If you have an indie band, I’ll try and review it for the Go Indie Now Channel and share videos on my facebook page to get the word out. If you have a restaurant, I’ll check it out and always be honest of pros and cons. If you have a cause, I’ll share it and support it however I can. I do this because it’s all part of how I’m wired and I’ve learned that if you can support, then why not? By the same token, I’ve learned to stop liking posts, to stop reading and  therefore reviewing, to take steps back, to stop initiating conversations, to stop sharing posts, and rather than stop caring, instead focus my energies where I think they are worthwhile and/or reciprocated. If circumstances change, and things can always change, then I'll adjust accordingly. 

When it comes to the people that do support me, I work hard to show them how much I appreciate them and what they do for me. I’m always up to answer questions and help in any way I can. That’s because although you can’t support everyone, you can support quite a few people and causes and I can’t find a reason not to, so I do, and I hope you do too. Thanks for reading, for caring, and for being on the other side of these words. It means more than you know.

Peace, love, and maki rolls.  

JD

Favorite Vs. Best

When it comes to who I am as a writer, I shall always want to be the best writer I can be. That means always pushing myself to write something no one else can write, always being honest to my vision as a creator, always pushing myself to have a cohesive thread through all narratives, and ALWAYS being able to surprise in some way or another.

But when it comes to my readers, suddenly the word “best” comes up short and I would much rather be their favorite than the best they’ve ever read. There are a lot of books out there and plenty that are better than mine, and that’s fine and dandy. But I want to be the author of a book that means something to someone. I want every time my book covers come into view that a smile comes across the person’s face. Honestly, there are two compliments that NEVER get old, and they both have to do with being worthy of being read more than once:

- Being re-read - 

- Enjoying my writing enough to pick up another book -

I have 13 books out so that’s a lot of reading… but I do have people who are eager to see what else I release and what new slice of random I embrace. I know a couple who have read everything I’ve released… and that’s flabbergasting but encouraging as hell. For me, it’s all about embracing our creative side and using what life gives us to pay it forward in some artistic way. Being a multi-genre author, I’m also interested in connecting with all aspects of me as a human and as a writer. That’s why I shift from urban fantasy, to middle-grade fantasy, to short stories, to poetry, to non-fiction, and yes, there's more to come. Everything I write responds to a desire within me to connect and quite often to have a positive impact with my writing.

I look at it this way. Think about the best movie you’ve ever seen. I’m talking a movie whose script is amazing, whose acting enthralled you, whose score moved your soul, and that was in the running for an Academy Award for Best Picture. Now think about your favorite movie. Odds are high that your favorite is nowhere near the best movie you’ve seen when you break things down. For me, I’ve made it no secret that my favorite movie is Big Trouble in Little China. I’ve seen that movie sooo much in my life and although I love it to the end of time, I’m the first one to say it’s not the best movie out there… but I love it and that’s the movie I watch when I feel sick and need a pick me up. It’s the movie that pumps me up, that makes me smile, and laugh, and whose dialogue I still quote to this day. I want to be your Big Trouble in Little China. I want to write books that you pick up a second and third time and always find something new. Sure there’s a typo here and there, but you enjoy it so much that overlooking flaws is no biggie. 

I don’t want an Oscar. I don’t want a Golden Globe. I don’t want a Nobel Prize in Literature. I want my books to be more than something you tell someone you read to impress them. I write so that my stories are embedded in your psyche and you find yourself remembering a character because of the randomest thing… and that such a little moment makes you smile. Because that smile is a piece of your heart resonating with mine and that’s worth more than any damn award. 

So to all who read and enjoy… thank you. From the bottom of my heart… because in your hands is a piece of me that becomes ours the moment you start to read. I hope we meet again soon. 

Peace, love, and maki rolls

See you at the Atlanta Comic Con

In a year of a couple of firsts, I’ll also be having my first official event in Mainland US. This year will mark the second year of the Atlanta Comic Con and I can’t wait because it will be my first as an exhibitor. If there’s an abundance of anything in Atlanta, it’s big events and conventions, so I took a look and really gave some thought to what event would be a good fit for me and my works. After going to several events last year of several sizes, The Atlanta Comic Con feels like a great fit to who and how I am as an indie author.

Some people have asked me why I don’t do Dragon Con and although I could go into specifics, I think a better question would be why not the Atlanta Comic Con? 

It’s got great guests, a good location, accessible parking, and since it’s still in its early going, crowds are large but you can still have a conversation with people and that’s what I truly love about conventions: connections. My first convention was the Puerto Rico Comic Con in 2014 and I’ve come a long way in regards to the books I’ve published, the people I’ve met, and the milestones I’ve had… and evolution should be a constant, so this is my next step.

Let us also remember, being an indie author, it means that any and everything I do is down to what’s in the budget and since I have a day job as well, I needed something that fell into a very convenient spot, schedule-wise. It’s a 3-day event which is also much more my speed than the gauntlet that is the 5-day Dragon Con. And actually, last year I was on a panel at Dragon Con and I’d do that again in a heartbeat for any convention actually. It’s a lot of fun and it allows me to meet new people, which is always great fun. 

As for my lineup for the Atlanta Comic Con, here’s the rundown… is there a chance for this to change? Knowing me, you know it’s very possible and much more due to more books being available but what I put on this list is what’s going no matter what:

Only Human: Book 1 of the Human Cycle – Urban Fantasy - $20

Shadow of a Human: Book 2 of the Human Cycle – Urban Fantasy - $20

Given to Fly: Middle-grade fantasy - $15

Twenty Veinte: bilingual collection including essays, short stories, and poetry - $15

Daydreams on the Sherbet Shore: Middle-grade fantasy short stories - $15

Peace, Love & Maki Rolls: A guide to creative kindness – Nonfiction - $15

For Writing Out Loud – Nonfiction - $15

Between the Tides – Poetry - $10

Dark Strands – Poetry - $10

Captured Moments – Poetry - $10

Black Tie Affair – Poetry - $10

Roulette of Rhymes – Poetry - $10

Pensando en Metáforas – Poetry/Spanish - $10

In case you’re wondering, yes I’ll probably be offering combo pricing but haven’t finalized those. And actually, if you’re going to the event and would like to reserve copies of your books, orders over $50 will get a free poetry collection of your choosing. If you’re interested in that, feel free to contact me on my Facebook Author Page or other social media platforms. 

If you have any other question, by all means use the comment section down below. 

Peace, love, and maki rolls

JD