Review: Beneath the Citadel

Introduction

Beneath the Citadel,” by Destiny Soria is a fantasy YA novel set in the city of Eldra, where everything is dictated by prophecies that always favor the council that rules the land.

The book opens with the main characters being sentenced to death for trying to sneak into the citadel, and picks up with their escape.

Characters

The main issue I had with the characters was a lack of development because you’re never in one character’s point of view long enough to get to know them. And this combined with a lack of distinctive voices for each character left me confused as to who was who most of the time.

Mostly my impression of them were–Newt is the contortionist with an abusive childhood, Alys is the brains of the operation, Evander is the joker/moral support, Cassa is the hot-head impulsive one, and Vesper is just a plot device so that the ending works out the way it did.

This wouldn’t have been so bad if we stuck with one character throughout the story, but no less than six characters get point of view chapters, and in each of them few if any new information or details are revealed, while the same information gets covered ad nauseum.

If the events being covered were more interesting, this wouldn’t have been an issue.

Overall, this would have been a far more enjoying book had Ms. Soria either limited the point of view characters or told the story from an omniscient point of view so there was no need to retread the same information.

Plot

The story itself sounded interesting, but it lacked in the execution. Because of the issues with point of view characters that I mentioned above, any momentum the story builds is wasted by the often-pointless shifts in the point of view character. That is, when we’re not forced to slog through chapter-long flashbacks of details that should have been incorporated within the story proper.

Moreover, for a story that bills itself as a fantasy, the world building was threadbare with concepts and terms thrown at you with few explanations until later in the book.

Moreover, it is yet another book set in pseudo medieval
Europe. Seriously, give this a rest. There are so many other places you could
set a fantasy.

The other issue I had with the plot was that it started on
such a bang and then was uneven as hell. Things would happen and then because
of the flashback chapters everything slowed to a crawl and didn’t pick up for
several more chapters.

By the end of the book, I just didn’t care about the characters.

Conclusion

Overall, I give “Beneath the citadel” three out of
five stars. It’s not the best book, but I’ve read worse. Check this out at your
library if you insist on reading it.

JJ Interview 1

Introduction

Today I’ll be doing a character interview with Joshua “JJ” Giovanni, one of the main characters from my WIP.

Tyerone Johnson: Welcome, Joshua. Why don’t you start by telling us a bit about yourself?

Joshua Giovanni: First off,  it’s JJ or Josh, never Joshua. Second, why are you interviewing me? I’m nothing special.

TJ: That’s an interesting point that I’ll come back to later. However, to answer your question, I think potential readers would benefit from learning more about you, seeing as how you’re a point of view character. So, why don’t we start with the basics. What’s your full name and birth date, and what are your likes, hobbies, and interests.

JJ (Sighing and looking at his feet): My name’s Joshua Joseph Giovanni, and I was born April 1, 2003. I like comedies, telling jokes, and…

TJ: Something the matter?

JJ: That’s a lie. I don’t like telling jokes. I just do that because it’s what people expect of me.

TJ: So, what do you like, then?

JJ: I like anime, manga, comics, MMO’s, tabletop games, and sci-fi and horror movies. The cheesier the better. No one knows this, but I love science and technology, even though I’m not the greatest at either. But I try, you know?

TJ: Interesting. Why don’t you share these passions with your friends?

JJ: Because the last time I started talking about Zelda or Dragon Ball Z, my friends got quiet and looked at me like I was a freak.

TJ: Well, that’s not right. Don’t you have anyone you can be yourself with?

JJ: I mean, David and Jason are kinda cool with me geeking out occasionally, but mostly I save that stuff for my net friends.

TJ: It sucks when you can’t be your true self around people, right?

JJ: Yeah. I have a ton of “friends,” but none of them know the real me.

TJ: And who’s that?

JJ (cheeks flushing): I don’t know. Like I said earlier, I’m nobody special. I’m just a shrimpy, redheaded, gay wad, who’s all alone. It’s not even like people like me all that much. I bet if I just up and killed myself, no one would even notice I was gone.

TJ: You know that’s not true. I’m sure your parents–

JJ: Couldn’t care less about me. I only see them two or three times a month max, so it’s not like killing myself would make any difference to them. Hell, they’d prolly be pissed they had to take off work to bury me.

TJ: Josh, aren’t you a Catholic?

JJ: Yeah, so?

TJ: Isn’t suicide a mortal sin?  

JJ: Yeah, but I’m going to hell for being gay anyway, so what difference would it make?

TJ: Okay, but wouldn’t you miss things like love?

JJ: I guess, but then who’d love me? I mean in all the stories I’ve read they make it seem so easy. You just go up to a guy, ask to hang out with him, you hook up, and then you’re a couple. But it’s not like that at all.

TJ: How is it then?

JJ (shuffles his feet and groans): Do I have to answer that?

TJ: Yes.

JJ: I have a crush on Travis, right?

TJ: Go on.

JJ: Well, I’ve kinda been bullying him for years.

TJ: And why would you do that?

JJ: At first, it was because the others were doing it and I wanted to fit it.

TJ: Mmhhm. Peer pressure can be such an insidious beast. Go on.

JJ: Then…things changed.

TJ: How?

JJ: The summer between sixth and seventh grade, it was like a switch was flipped and I liked guys. Then when school started again, to my shock, I found myself increasingly attracted to Travis.

TJ: Then why did you continue bullying him?

JJ: I know this is gonna sound messed up, but it was the only way I could be near him without people getting suspicious.

TJ: Have you ever stopped to think that maybe you need some new friends who wouldn’t care about your being gay and geeky?

JJ: All the fucking time, but I don’t want to be alone either, so…

TJ: Well, do you feel alone when you’re with your friends?

JJ: Besides David and Jason, yeah!

TJ: Then perhaps it’s better to be alone, than surrounded by people who only allow you to show one side of yourself.

JJ: No! I can’t go back to being by myself.

TJ: Why not?

JJ: Because then I’d constantly be reminded of how average I am. How I’m just a weak sauce, nothing burger with a side order of epic fail.

TJ: Why do you have such a low opinion of yourself? Aren’t you smart enough to get mostly A’s and a few B’s without studying?

JJ (mumbling): I guess.

TJ: And whether you like to admit it or not, you have a gift with jokes.

JJ: That’s only because I’m playing to a crowd that makes the people on the short bus look like Mensa material.

TJ: And aren’t you the one who suggested AP Prep start a robotics/STEM club?

JJ: Yeah, but it’s not like the administration even bothered to take me seriously.

TJ: I’m sensing a theme here. Tell me, do you think being in a relationship will fix all your problems?

JJ: That’s what always happens in all the stories I read.

TJ: Has it ever occurred to you that actual relationships are far more complicated than what’s presented in the media, and that no one should be burdened with fixing all your problems?

JJ (glaring): When you’re in love with someone, you’ll do anything to make them happy. Nothing will keep you apart from them. You’ll sacrifice anything and everything to be with them.

TJ: While that’s admirable, the truth is being in love isn’t a panacea. Just because you love someone and they love you, doesn’t mean you should be together, especially if you have psychological issues and emotional baggage to work out first.

JJ (storms off): Screw you!

Conclusion

Perhaps I pushed Josh too hard there? But what do you think? Would you like to know more about him? And if so, what?

Let me know in the comments.

The Man Who Cried MAGA

Introduction

For those who haven’t been following the Jussie Smollett case, several weeks ago, the Empire star claimed two hooded men wearing “Make America Great Again” hats assaulted him late one night, while he was on this way back from a Subway shop in Chicago.

 He claimed the men called him racial and gay slurs, made reference to this being “MAGA country,” fought him, and then poured bleach on him and put a noose around his neck.

However, in the weeks since he first made this claim, police have arrested two men in connection with this crime, whom it turns out were Nigerian extras on the show Empire and knew Mr. Smollett.

 Furthermore, these men allege Mr. Smollett paid them $3500 to fake the attack because he wasn’t happy with what he was being paid.

Now, I’ll reserve judgement until more facts come out about this case, but it doesn’t look good for Mr. Smollett.

IF He Lied

If this incident does turns out to be a hoax, then Mr. Smollett should not only serve jail time for making a false police report, but he should pay restitution, plus interest t to the Chicago Police Department for all the resources they wasted on his case.

Moreover, by lying about this incident, it makes it less likely that investigators will believe the victims of actual hate crimes, and more likely that people will carry out hate crimes based on the belief they won’t get caught, and if they do, they can just say their victims are lying.

He owes an apology to the Black community and the LGBTQ+ community, two marginalized groups with overlap that continue to be victimized.

By playing upon both racial fears and homophobia in this attack, Mr. Smollett ratcheted up the already tense mental states of people from these and other marginalized groups who have been on edge ever since Mr. Trump’s election, which combined with  his inflammatory rhetoric and support of white supremacists and neo-Nazis, has led to a sharp increase in hate crimes.

Now every marginalized person will have the worry at the back of their minds that if they are the victim of a hate crime, will they believed? And all because Jussie Smollett wasn’t happy with his paycheck and cried wolf.

Furthermore, if Mr. Smollett lied about this attack, he will have played right into the narratives some on the right have about liberals being unscrupulous liars who will say and do anything to denigrate Mr. Trump and his supporters, and then play the victim card when things don’t go their way.

Conclusion

I don’t claim to speak for either the black or LGBTQ+ communities. I’m simply stating my frustrations at Mr. Smollett’s alleged actions. As a queer black person, I could readily put myself in his shoes, and I know many others could as well, which is why the possibility of his lying is so infuriating.

If this was all about money, he could have taken many other routes that didn’t involve staging a hate crime.

He could have held out until the end of his contract with Fox, and then played hard with them, or he could have left Empire and joined a show that valued his talents.

Leveraging social media, he could have had his fans threaten to boycott Empire and Fox unless they paid him what he thought he was worth.

 Crowd founding a project starring him for Hulu, Amazon Prime, or Netflix is another route he could have taken.

Mr. Smollett could have also started a patreon account and shared exclusive demos and songs with his followers if he was so strapped for cash.

He didn’t have to pull this hoax, if that’s what this turns out to be. And he didn’t have to play on people’s fears in such a visceral and heinous way.

So if this is a hoax, then I say to him, “Fuck you!” 

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Why do you think? Let me know in the comments, and share this if you liked it.

T

Review: Kindred

image by Stancu Alexandru via sxc.hu

Introduction

Kindred by Octavia Butler follows Dana, a black woman from 1976 who is repeatedly thrust back into the Antebellum South where she must save Rufus Weylin, the son of a plantation owner and Dana’s ancestor.

Each time Dana goes back to the past, her stays become progressively longer and more dangerous, requiring her to use all her cunning and wits to stay alive.

Plot

Overall, I thought the plot was interesting, if a bit melodramatic at times. Yeah, slavery was awful, but the scenes of Dana and others being whipped and severing other punishments felt like overkill.

I also didn’t get Rufus’s obsession with Dana. Sure, he may have been starved for attention and Dana saved his life multiple times, but I still don’t get why he wanted her around him all the time.

Maybe if Dana had stayed around and helped him following the first time she was pulled to the past, I could buy some bond forming between them.

The other issue I had with the plot is why Dana or Kevin didn’t buy a gun to go in her bag. While it was illegal for blacks, freeman or slave, to own guns in Rufus’s time, a modern gun would have been more effective than the knives Dana brought with her.

Characters

Aside from Dana, I didn’t get a real sense of the other characters beyond Dana’s impressions of them.

Rufus’s motives didn’t make sense to me at all, especially since he claimed to love Dana and Alice, yet treated them horribly.

Aside from Sarah and Carrie, most of the slaves on the Weylin Plantation weren’t developed at all, which doesn’t make sense because Dana’s stays lasted months at a time so she should have interacted with the others more.

As for her husband Kevin, I don’t see why Butler chose to make him white other than for the increased drama of them being a covert interracial couple in the antebellum south, and his whiteness saving Dana from being sold into slavery farther south because he passed as her master.  

Writing

I found Butler’s writing to be a bit amateurish, relying heavily on telling via adverbs. And when she did show us things this would be crippled by telling. Such as on one of Dana’s later trips to the plantation where she notes Sarah is old and then describes her hair streaked with gray and face weathered with age line.

I also didn’t like Butler’s tendency to spell everything out to readers when it came to how bad things where on the plantation.

Conclusion

Given all its fault I still enjoyed Kindred and would recommend it to anyone looking to broaden their sci-fi reading. I give Kindred three out of five stars.      

Living While Black

You throw on your favorite hoodie, gather your things, and go to the corner store to get a few days’ worth of groceries.

Even though the store owner jacks the price up on everything, you still shop there because the closest grocery story is twenty minutes away and you don’t have a car.

And even if you did, you couldn’t afford the car payment, insurance, and gas because even though you work two jobs and a side hustle, you’re broke two days after payday.

On the way to the store, you pass a white woman; she glares at you, pulls her purse tight, and then crosses the street. It’s not the first time this has happened to you, nor will it be the last.

You shrug and carry on, but then a cop car passes and you slow your step, holding your breath until it drives by.

You pick up the pace until you get to the store, where you remove your hoodie, but the person behind the register still eyes you cautiously.

You ignore him, get your stuff, and add a bag of skittles and an ice tea to your order.

After paying, you’re down to twenty dollars until next Friday.

You go home to find a message from your mother saying your uncle Jules has died and the funeral will be in three days. It’s too late to request a day off from your jobs, and you couldn’t afford the greyhound ride there and back, so you ask your mother to take plenty of pictures and send them to you.

After eating a meal of over-processed food, you shower and change for work, then walk to the bus stop; you’ll spend the next two hours transferring from bus to bus before getting to your first job, working minimum wage at a big box store.

Your coworkers are mostly lower middle-class white people, and when they don’t think you’re in earshot, they let loose nigger jokes, only to be all smiles to your face.

You’ve been at this job the longest but have only received a twenty-five- cent raise. Meanwhile, Joe, who has only been there two months, was promoted to assistant store manager.

You shake your head but continue stocking the shelves until your boss tells you to go work the register because Leanne is out sick with another of her “family emergencies.” Given that it’s Monday, you surmise that said family emergency had something to do with her friends Jack Daniels and Natty Light.

She’s come to work hungover several times, yet when you came in a only few minutes late, your boss ripped you a new one and docked your pay for the day.

You force a smile as you ring up customers, ignoring their rude behavior and condescending attitudes because you’re not moving fast enough for them.

You get through your shift without killing someone, and thank God for small miracles.

You clock out, walk to the fast food joint across the street, and get two items off their dollar menu.

You finish eating, catch the bus home, shower, and then head out to your next job working sanitation engineering for a hospital. It’s just a fancy way of saying you’re a janitor.

You do your job without complaint, only to come home and find a past-due notice for your student loans.

Life wasn’t always like this.

You did well in school and had dreams of becoming a mogul Like Russel Simmons, Diddy, Or Jay-Z. However, you quickly found that if you weren’t willing to suck up to the old-moneyed white establishment and play the roles they deemed you were worthy of, you got nowhere.

So, you told your boss to shove it up his ass and quit.

But all those years of business classes didn’t go to waste; you’ve used your marketing skills to build a brand as the go-to weed dealer in the tri-county area, and you’ve been saving up to start your own medical marijuana dispensary, and selling weed on the side until then.

You know that if the police catch you, there won’t be any community service, probation, or house arrest. You’ll just be another statistic of the Prison-Industrial Complex.

But what choice do you have?

Even when you were hobnobbing with the upper crust in your $5,000-suits and custom-made Italian Leather loafers, people looked down on you and assumed you were a server.

You have ramen noodles and a candy bar for dinner. Afterwards, you turn on the news to learn white police officers have killed yet another unarmed black person.

Sure, people will protest, but yet again, the cops will get off. Assuming they’re even charged in the first place.

Not for the first time you wonder how a country that was founded upon the words, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” could treat you and others less than dirt.

Then you remember when Thomas Jefferson wrote those words he was rapping Sally Hemmings, one of his slaves, and that blacks were only three-fifths a person for the purpose of the census.

Like many, you thought the election of Obama would have eased racial tensions and marked an end to America racist past. However, all it did was give racists a convenient target to project their hate upon.

And now when you or other black people bring up things like institutional racism or the school to prison pipe line, you’re told you’re stirring the pot because if America was so racist why did they elect and then re-elect a black man president?

You shake your head.

One black president doesn’t make up for the centuries of slavery, Jim Crow, red lining, and the continued discrimination and bigotry against black people.

You turn the TV off and go to bed, hoping tomorrow will be better.

Conclusion

What did you think?

Let me know in the comments, and if you liked this post, please share it on social media.

Dragon Ball Meh

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball Super.

Introduction

I grew up watching Dragon Ball Z (DBZ) on Toonami, waiting week after week, and hoping that this time Cartoon Network would show the rest of the Frieza Saga. My classmates and I would act out scenes from the show while at school and try turning super saiyan. I collected DBZ trading cards, action figures, and video games, and I even wrote a bad self-insert DBZ fan fic once.

Why am I telling you this? Because I’m not a casual fan by any means, nor do I look at the series through the lens of nostalgia.

Even as a tween and then teenager, I realized the series had a fuck ton of issues in terms of power level inconsistencies, how characters would spend whole episodes talking or powering up rather than fighting, how anyone who wasn’t a saiyan or part saiyan ceased to matter as the series progressed, and the formulaic nature of the show.

I say this not to shit on a show I loved as a kid and still enjoy as an adult, but to say I’m not some fanboy who hates Dragon Ball Super (Super) because it’s not DBZ.

Repetitiveness

The first major problem I had with Super, and one of the reasons I stopped watching it after the tournament between Chompa’s fighters and Bilis’s fighters, was the sheer repetitiveness.

The first twenty or so episodes of the series were just a rehash almost scene for scene of Battle of the Gods and Revival of F, and I was bored out of my mind.

Moreover, while the introduction of the destroyer gods and other universes seemed cool at first, upon second thought, this was just another layer in the already bloated celestial bureaucracy that makes up the Dragon Ball universe. The Destroyer gods are little more than souped-up, evil Kais.

Then there’s my issue with the Super Saiyan God transformations. How many fucking times is Akira Toriyama going to beat this dead horse?

Goku going Super Saiyan 1 for the first time, and then Gohan being the first person to correctly go Super Saiyan 2 are both iconic scenes that still give me all the feels to this day. But Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan Blue are fucking weak sauce.

All Toriyama did was change the color of Goku’s and Vegeta’s hair and aura. Wow, what groundbreaking imagination.

And this leads me to my next issue.

Lack of Imagination

My main problem with Super was it rehashed the same ideas and concepts as DBZ. I already mentioned the issue of Super Saiyan transformations and how an old enemy such as Frieza was brought back and given a new transformation for reasons I’ll never understand. And yet again, Gohan lamented about not being as strong as the others because he stopped training.

Instead of having the series focus on this and the next generation of Z fighters, as was alluded to in the final episode of DBZ that featured Goku, Jr. and Vegeta, Jr. fighting at the World Martial Arts Tournament several years in the future, the show continued to focus on Goku.

Furthermore, the concept of super dragon balls, which are so large they’re the size of a planet, was just more of the same. First, there were the dragon balls on Earth that could grant any wish except bringing some back from the dead more than once. Then there were the Namekian dragon balls that didn’t have such restrictions, but could only resurrect people who died less than a year ago. Now there are super dragon balls, which are so powerful even the destroyer gods want them?

Come up with some new material, bro.

Then the repetitive plot sucked what little interest I had in the series out of me.

I stopped watching Super at the beginning of the Goku Black arc because it was just the cell saga with a few tweaks.

Don’t believe me?

Let’s compare.

Cell Saga: A threat in the future (the androids and Cell) prompts Vegeta’s son Trunks to come to the past to warn the Z fighters about it, only for said threat to follow him into the past and they must fight it.

Goku Black Arc: A threat in the future (Goku black, an evil version of Goku created when Zamasu, an apprentice Supreme Kai from universe ten, fused with the version of Goku from an earlier point in Trunk’s timeline) prompts Trunks to travel back in time to warn the Z fighters about it. Then Goku Black follows him and they fight it out.

And once Goku Black is defeated, it’s on to the tournament between the various universes where the losers have their universe destroyed.

From the spoilers I ran across online, this ends as you’d expect it. Goku and company win and use the super dragon balls to restore the universes that were destroyed.

Closing

This post has run longer than I’d expected it to, so I’ll stop here.

I’m not hating on Super for being a shonen anime. DBZ was the grandfather of all shonen manga, and when I was a kid, I could sit through hours of filler episodes waiting for the fights to happen and not be underwhelmed when, yet again, Goku reached a new level of power and crushed his enemies.

But I stopped watching Super because it, and shonen anime/manga to a larger extent, no longer entertains me. I’ll still watch old episodes of Dragon Ball and DBZ if nothing’s on, but when I want a jolt of action, I now turn on an action movie because they can’t afford to waste time with characters talking and then powering up for an hour.

Call to action

What do you think?

Are you a Dragon Ball fan who feels the same, or do you vehemently disagree?

Let me know in comments below.  And if you liked this post, please share it with your friends.       

Prometheus Character Interview 1

Introduction

This is the next in an ongoing series where I interview characters from my dark fantasy, sci-fi young adult series, The Phoenix Diaries. Last time you got to know Travis Turner, and today you’ll be meeting the other protagonist.

Interview

Tyerone Johnson: If you don’t mind, why don’t you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about yourself.

Prometheus: Why should I? It aint like you care about me no how. It’s always about Travis. Meanwhile, I’m sitting around with my dick in my hands waiting for you to remember I exist.

TJ: It sounds like you feel neglected.

P: Wouldn’t you be? Hell, Josh gets more page time than me.

TJ: Well, you’ll be happy to know that in the rewrite, I’m expanding your role, complete with your own character arc.

P: And why should I believe that?

TJ: (sighing) We’ll talk about this later, but why don’t you tell us about yourself. For starters, what do you like to go by? Pro, Prometheus—

P:You can call me His Royal Highness, Prince Pho—

TJ:  Hold it right there. This is a spoiler free interview.

P: A’ight, then just call me P. But before we go any further, I’mma let you know right now, I aint no punk ass, soft type nigga like Travis. So, you aint gonna be bossing me around like you do him.

TJ:  One, watch your language. Two, you will behave, or you can forget about any more page time. Three, why such hostilities toward Travis?

P: You’d hate that nig—negro , too, if you’d spent ten years locked up in his head. See, I’m all about having fun, and he’s so uptight I’m surprised my mans don’t be crapping out mini black hole.

TJ: Do you think the reason you resent Travis so much is because, deep down, you’re the same?

P: Hell, fuck, naw! I ain’t nothing like that dude.

TJ: So you aren’t driven to be the strongest fighter in the universe?

P: Yeah, but that only so I can one-up Trav.

TJ: And you aren’t stubborn, sarcastic, and short-tempered?

P: I mean, yeah. But other than that, I aint nothing like him. Anything he feels something, he loses his shit. Now me on the other hand, I’m laid back, and hella chilled.

TJ: Except when it comes to proving you’re better than Travis, and being the Torin Prince, you mean.

P: You got me.

TJ: Why do you think it is you resent Travis so much?”

P: I thought this was an interview, not a therapy session.

TJ: Can’t it be both?

P: (shugging) I mean, he has not one but two families and couldn’t give a shit ’bout either of them. Meanwhile, I’m over here and can’t even see my parents unless I’m in The Cave.

TJ: This provides an excellent segue. The Cave is where you discovered your true heritage, correct?

P:  Yeah.

TJ: It’s also where your powers fully awakened, right?

 P: Yup.

TJ: You and Travis share abilities, but why do you suppose certain ones come easier for you?

P: I guess because I more open about my emotions and treat training like a game.

TJ: Good. And would you say you live your life that way?

P: I dunno. I mean, when it comes to life, I just take things as they come. You know, get money, fuck bitches, die happy. Ya mean?

TJ: So no greater ambitions in life?

P: I mean, one day I might settle down, have a few kids, but right now it’s all about having fun. Hash tag YOLO.

TJ: From what you’ve said, you don’t seem to think things through. Do you think this is why you often find yourself in trouble?

P: Hey partner, it’s the other way around. Trouble always finds me. I’m just over here doing my thing and shit happens.

TJ: Moving on, tell me a bit more about yourself, what type of things do you like to do when you’re not training or fighting evil aliens?

P:Like I said, I love the ladies, and could spend all day laying that pipe. I also love me some Burger King and McDonald’s, and am never one to pass up a little herb and that Henny. Ya feel me?

TJ: Right. Anything else you’d liked to tell us?

P: The series should just be about me. It would be hella dope and I’d be like a black Goku up in this piece.

TJ: Yes. Well, before we end things, would you mind telling the readers what music you like?

P: I like Rap. None of that trap, mumbling crap, but real rap. You know? Biggie, Pac, KRS One, Public Enemy, Arrested Development, Jay-Z, Nas, And early DMX.

TJ: right, so what would you say is your theme song?

P:  Easy. Part Up by my man DMX. I fucking love training to that. It gets me super hyped.

TJ: Last question. How do you think your life would have turned out had you bonded with someone else?

P: I can’t say. Maybe I’d have turned out all emo like Travis without anyone to bitch at. Or maybe I’d be the same.

TJ: Thanks for doing this this interview.

P: Not like I had a choice in it.

Call to Action

What did you think?

Let me know in the comments, and if you liked this post, please share it on social media.   

Readers Don’t Owe You Shit

R

Introduction

Recently, I read an article on medium.com about how diversity has become a genre onto itself, something that I plan to write about in a later post.

However, what struck me about this article, and why it prompted me to write this in response, was how the white, cis, het,  male writer lamented about how political correctness had gone too far and was hurting people like him.

The example he gave was how people used to come up to him while at restaurants—he supposes to get his autograph, but they were too shy to ask him—before the boycott of North Carolina’s infamous bathroom bill that forced transgender people to use the bathroom of the gender they were assigned at birth instead of the one they identified with.

He then went on to talk about how it’s historically inaccurate to have black and other marginalized people in stories set in medieval Europe, even though a cursory search would have revealed African and Arab people where around back then; they were just called Moors and blackamoors or black Moors.

This is an old retort from writers not willing to have marginalized people in their stories, and this post was just another in the long procession of posts that have been written decrying how white people are no longer the center of the world and can no longer spout their bigoted views with impunity.

Content Creators Owe Us Nothing.

However, one thing I agree with this writer on is how he doesn’t have to include diverse characters in his stories.

No one should be forced to create stories and characters they don’t want to, because doing so results in content that rings hollow and doesn’t please anyone.

In recent years, there has been a push for more diverse works, and if a content creator misses the mark on one or more areas of representation, this result is harsh criticism, which is fine. However, making death threats and ruining people’s lives because they didn’t create something to your liking is not fucking okay.

Sure, boycott said creators and their work all you want because capitalism is supposed to be about voting with your dollars. But what you can’t do is demand they create things you want.

Content creators don’t owe us shit.

However, the reverse is also true.

Don’t Expect Us to Show Up

If writers and others don’t create stories with diverse characters, then they can’t complain when people of color, LGBTQ+ folks, and other marginalized people don’t buy said content.

I could spend my time and money on a million things. So why should I consume media that doesn’t deem people like me worthy enough to be in it?

I’m not saying every story must have diverse characters, but the default shouldn’t be white, cis, het ones either.

Conclusion

Content creators should be free to make whatever media they want, and marginalized folks should have media that reflects them.

What should we do then?

That answer is to let the marketplace decide.

For decades, the mainstream media has been slow to include narratives that are more inclusive. So, people made their own. And, ultimately, that’s the solution.

If we want our stories told, then we must be the ones telling them.

Call to Action

What do you think?

Comment below, and if you liked this post please share it on social media.

Character Interview: Travis

Introduction

Welcome! Today marks the beginning of periodic series where I’ll be posting character interviews about the main and supporting characters form The Phoenix Diaries, my dark fantasy/sci-fi YA series.

Here’s a bit of background about the series.

Bullied for most of his life, due to burn scars covering most of his face and upper body, twelve-year-old Travis Turner has grown to hate humanity. So when Oblivion, The Father of Demons, reveals Travis is his vessel, prophesied to bring on the end of everything, and offers Travis untold power in exchange for joining him, we’re screwed.

Or we would be.

Travis lives his life by a strict set of rules, chief among them that dependence upon anyone for anything is a weakness he will not abide.

He rebuffs Oblivion, and in doing so triggers a fight for his very soul. However, when  all seems is lost, a great power, which had lain dormant until then, awakens in Travis, allowing him to narrowly defeat Oblivion. But  not before Oblivion attempts to possess Travis, inadvertently giving him a portion of his powers in the process, leaving Travis forever changed.

Following this first of many battles with Oblivion, Travis must learn to master his powers while avoiding the DMRC (a government agency created to capture kids with special abilities like Travis), and deal with his blossoming feelings for JJ Giovanni, a boy at his school.

Interview

Tyerone Johnson: Now that the preliminaries are over, how about introducing yourself?

Travis Turner: Must I? There are so many more important things I could be doing with my time.

TJ: Keep this up and I’ll make Phoenix the main character.

TT: I’d like to see you try.

TJ: Don’t tempt me. Now behave like a good boy or I’ll put your story on hold.

TT: You wouldn’t.

TJ: I would.

TT: (gulps) I’ll behave.

My name is Travis Marshall Huey-Newton Turner, eldest progeny of Sampson and Sarah Turner, grandson of Marshall and Helena Aurum, and heir to the Cadmus fortune. I’m twelve years, seven months, and three days old; five feet and two inches tall, with black hair and brown eyes. Though lately my hair and eyes have been changing colors. Also, I’m biracial and have mahogany colored skin Well, what isn’t covered in burn scars that is.

TJ: Now was that so hard?

TT: (Flips the bird)

TJ: Moving on. Tell me a bit about your childhood.

TT: What’s there to tell? I’ve spent most of my life in and other of the hospital, one surgery, or infection after the other.

TJ: Right, and would you say being alone so much is want has made you such an antisocial psychopath?

TT: I don’t need anyone. People come and go from our lives without any reason or rhythm, so we can only depend on ourselves.

“TJ: Is that one of your rules?

TT: Rule one to be precise. Moreover, as for being an “antisocial psycho,” it’s a wonder I haven’t slaughtered the whole fucking lot of you.

TJ: Watch the language, kid.

TT: Newsflash, dude. You created me with a foul mouth.

TJ: True, but could you tone things done for the duration of this interview? Moving on. You said we can only depend on ourselves. Do you think that maybe you believe this because everyone who was supposed to be there for you wasn’t?

TT: (smirking) What? You fancy yourself an psychologist now?

TJ: You didn’t answer my question.

TT: And I won’t.

TJ: Then answer me this: Is there anyone you trust completely, unquestionable?

TT: No. Trust must never be given completely. Today’s ally could become tomorrow’s enemy.

TJ: Another one of your rules?

TT: (Folding arms over chest) You say that as though there’s something wrong with rules.

TJ: Nothing. So, tell me about Joshua “JJ” Giovanni.

TT: (sloughing) I’d rather not.

TJ: So, you don’t think he’s cute?

TT: Perhaps, if he weren’t such a bag of douche juice to me all the time.

TJ: I believe the correct term is douche bag.

TT: No, I’m talking about a bag of the liquid that comes out once you’ve applied the douche. Moreover, why are you asking me about Giovanni?

TJ: Why are you getting so defensive? Could it be that you like Josh?

TT: (scowling) I have more important things to worry about than if I have a crush on Giovanni. And that’s a pretty damn big if.

TJ: No need for you to get mad. This is a safe space.

TT: If you must know, when it comes to Giovanni, the few times we’ve hung out alone it was cool. I guess. However, that doesn’t mean I have a crush on him or that I think he’s cute.

Pro: And the award for biggest bullshitter of the year goes to…Travis Turner.

TT: Oh, you can go fuck yourself with a rusty hacksaw.

TJ: Boys, language!. Pro, what are you doing here? Your interview won’t be for another few weeks.

P: I know, but I couldn’t stand to keep hearing this punk ass bitch lying like a mug. I share headspace with the nig—

TJ: What did I say about language?

P: A’ight chill. As I was saying, I share headspace with the negro, so I know he’s fronting over here about his crush on JJ.

TT: Why you motherf—

(Travis and Pro get in a massive brawl and the interview ends)

Conclusion

Well that was interesting.

Call to Action

What did you think?

Should I continue with these interviews?

And if so, how often would you like to read them? Let me know in the comments. And if you liked this post be sure to share it with on social media.

Kidults: YA, Arrested Development, and A way Forward

Introduction

Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, The Mortal Instruments, and Twilight, these young adult series have topped the Best Sellers’ list and generated billions at the box office.

Not bad for kids’ books, huh?

But what is young adult?

What YA is and isn’t

Depending upon who you ask, young adult (YA) is an age range for books, a genre unto itself, or both.

Generally, YA is targeted at readers between twelve and eighteen, ( though as you will see, the readership skews older in many cases), and focuses on teenage characters as they begin exploring their world, deciding for themselves who they are, what they want to be, and how they fit in or don’t as the case often is.

However, merely having teenage characters in a work doesn’t make it YA. Unless the growth and emotional experiences of the teen characters is the primary focus, then it’s just an adult story with teen characters.

Not Just for Kids

One of the staples of YA novels is the coming of age tale, and as such, readers of all ages can relate to them.

This is partially why, according to a 2012 study, over 55% of YA readers are over the age of eighteen, and some estimates have put that figure as high as 70%.

This raises the question why adults would want to read books for kids.

Why YA?

You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.

― Madeleine L’Engle

An overlooked answer is YA novels are well-written books that pull on the heartstrings of readers of all ages.

I admit to being a recovering Potter Head, and I’m sure many of you out there can say the same.

The truth is just because a book is for kids, doesn’t mean it must be simplistic.

Many times YA books have been at the forefront of addressing social issues like sexual assault, bullying, teen suicide, and police brutality against people of color, while adult novels have lagged on these issues.

Moreover, because the pressure to write a “grownup” book has been taken off them, YA writers can and have produced works that are genuine and heartfelt.

Isle of Misfit Toys

 Another reason YA is so appealing to older adult readers, is that they are adrift in a world they don’t understand, much like the teen protagonists in these books.

Parents told us Millennials if we worked hard, got decent grades, and went to college, we could be whatever we wanted and have a good life. Except in many cases what happened is we did all that and now have a mountain of student loan debt and jobs that have little to nothing to do with our majors because capitalism doesn’t care about your dreams if they aren’t marketable.

Add on to this the economic collapse of 2008 and depressed wages, and is it any wonder many of us would rather spend time in a fantasy world where we don’t have to deal with “adulting”?

The Greatest Generation Ever

As I alluded to above, many millennials grew up with their parents telling them that they could be whatever they wanted, and in many cases that they were special and great at whatever they did.

So, once they got out into the real world and discovered that not only weren’t they the greatest things ever, but that they were barely above average, there were much butt-hurt to be had.

It’s only natural they’d turn to stories were the average kid turns out to be the chosen one or special in some way, because the truth of our mediocrity is too much for many of us to bear. So, we grab the latest YA novel and forget we’re adults for a while.

But there comes a point when we must put away childish things and be adults.

The Family that Reads Together

I would be remised if I didn’t point out that many adults read YA so they know what their kids or grandkids are reading, and in some cases, they will read YA books and then pass them on to their younger relatives.

There’s nothing wrong with this, and this can spark conversations between older and younger readers about how they see the world.

However, the problem lies in adults who use YA novels as a crutch to avoid real life.

So how can this change?

A Way Forward

New Adult (NA) is an emerging genre that focuses on college-aged and post-college-aged protagonists that are dealing with the growing pains of entering the adult work force, having their first serious relationship, and finding their place in the world.

This genre shares many of the same characteristics as YA, except the problems the characters face are more complex than which boy or girl will go with them to prom.

If more publishers published YA, then more writers would write it and this would go a long way to giving adult readers healthy books to read.

And when I say healthy books, I’m referring to unhealthy things such as how during the height of the Twilight craze, women in their thirties and over proudly flaunted their crushes on Edward and Jacob. Teenage characters.

Moreover, by not moving past these teenage protagonists and their immature problems, adult readers of YA stay stuck in a juvenile mindset.

Conclusion

I’m not throwing shade at all adult readers of YA. Read what you like.

I’m merely pointing out that these books are supposed to be for teens, and by reading them, some adults are choosing to reject reality in live in a state of arrested development.

This isn’t good for anyone.

Yes, read about Harry, Catniss, Clary, and Bella, but then go outside and be a part of the real world. Because the only way the world will change, is if we participate in it.  

Call to Action

Do you agree or disagree? Tell me why below.

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Update

Introduction

Hey there, you’re probably just as shocked as I am that I updated this blog (assuming you’re not a spammer, in which case welcome to the new improved blog. But more on that in a minute).

The Road so Far

When I started this blog, I had no idea what I wanted to write about or even what type of writer I wanted to be, and consequently posted any old thing on here. To disastrous effect, I might add.

However, the thing is, I’m not a professional blogger, nor do I want to be. My interests lie in fiction and creative nonfiction, and that’s what I’ve been busy writing over the past few years.

However, I need to build an author platform, a part of which is this blog. So rather than half-ass things by posting a bunch of shit I’m not interested in writing and you’re not interested in reading, I want to post quality stuff that I’m passionate about and which I hope you’re passionate about, too.

What’s Next?

 Here’s my game plan going forwards. Fiction and creative nonfiction will still be my jam, but I’ll post at least once a week on Wednesdays.

What to Expect

I’m passionate about geeky queer stuff and diversity in the media, so you can expect reviews of books, movies, video games, comics, animated films, manga, and anime.

You’ll also find  posts about writing and writing related stuff such as snippets from my works-in-progress; characters sketches, aesthetics, and play lists; short stories, poems, and essays.

Call to Action

If this sounds like a blog you’re interested in following, click here to sign up for my mailing list, or you can follow me on Twitter

Thanks for reading this and have a Happy New Year!

Genesis of a Voracious Reader

If I had to pinpoint where my love of reading came from it would have to be because of my father. As a kid he’d read me bedtime stories like the typical fare: Jack and The Beanstalk, Hansel and Gretel, etc, mixed in with tales of Brer Rabbit and stories he’d made up on the spot. Growing up I always saw him with his head in a book and this sparked my interest in reading. At first I raided his book collection, picking what I liked and then when I was in middle school I discovered the library and practically lived there. I devoured the horror and science fiction sections until discovering the Mythology section and falling in love with it. Roman, Greek, Egyptian, and Norse I read about them all and couldn’t get enough. When I stop to think about it now I completely skipped young adult books and dived right in to adult books. I guess I found them more interesting than the books for kids my age. In high school I discovered a whole new world of stories online and would spend hours on end reading one after another. These stories let me know it was OK that I was attracted to other guys and that I wasn’t alone. I was deathly shy and theses stories provided me a safe space to explore my budding sexuality and not feel like such a freak, but at the same time I couldn’t help but notice that the characters in these stories were all the same blond haired, blue eyed muscle bound guys who instantly found a lover on page one. After awhile I grew tired of these stories that tread the same path and never finding protagonists like me, so I decided to try my hand at writing for the other geeky LGBTQ kids out there who were longing to see diverse character like them.

Review: Necromancer Awakening

Introduction
Necromancer Awakening is book one of the Mukhtaar Chronicles by Nat Russo and follows Nicolas Murray your av

image by Stancu Alexandru via sxc.hu
image by Stancu Alexandru via sxc.hu

erage Joe who was just about to graduate from college and was engaged to Kaitlin, the girl of his dreams, when he begins having strange dreams about a floating skull chasing him. The dreams get worse until on the day of his father’s funeral he is whisked away to another world where he must learn to become a necromancer if he hopes to survive and find his way back to his world.

Along the way Nicolas meets Mujahid Mukhtaar who takes him under his wing and teaches him about being a necromancer and the going ons of Erindor, the world he finds himself in.

The Good
Overall I really liked this book. The world building was phenomenal and was done in such a way that it made you want to know more as the story progressed. I loved how Nat Russo laid out the rules of necromancy and showed us how it worked via Nicolas and his thoughts and actions.

I also liked how Russo didn’t pull any punches and kept upping the ante so you never knew if Nicolas or the other characters would get out of the tough spots they found themselves in.

The bad
Overall besides a few mistakes with character names there isn’t much bad I have to say. Sure it was a bit cliched how it was revealed that Nicolas was really the son of Archmage Kagan and heir to the Obsidian Throne and was also the subject of a prophecy, but Russo handled these topics in such a way that it didn’t matter these tropes had been done before.

I also wasn’t a fan of how fast Nicolas mastered necromancy but Russo handled this well by having other characters like Lamil and Mujahid be better versed in the art than him.

The Verdict
Overall if you’re looking for a good fantasy read checkout this book. You won’t be disappointed.

Writing Update

Well this is a first for me but I figure some people will want to read this so here I go. This week hasn’t gone according to plan and I haven’t gotten much work done on the Phoenix Diaries, my science fiction/fantasy young adult trilogy.

I’m coming to the end of book two and I’ve been dragging my feet on completing it this last month or so. I’ve been trying to make more time to write but I keep putting it off because it just doesn’t feel right. Honestly I know I have to get it done and then worry about making it better in the rewrite.

Yeah I know it will take time to finish the trilogy and I have to keep motivated until I reach the end of this project. Sometimes I feel like I’ve taken on too much to handle with this project, but then I think about all the things I want to accomplish with this series and that’s what keeps me going.

Sure I could be spending time working on other projects, but I know in my heart I have to get this story on the page or I’ll go crazy.

Part of me is a little scared about spending so much time and energy on this trilogy only for it to fall flat. I know I can let my fears overcome me, or I can face them and write any ways, because that’s my job.

I know to temper my expectations because most books only sell a few hundred copies and most writers don’t make much from their work. Yeah it’s scary to think about what ifs but if I go down that path it’ll lead me to self doubt and depression, so instead I’m going to focus on writing the best series I can and worry about the outcome later.

Slow and Steady Writing Wins the Day

When it comes to writing sometimes you can be paralyzed by the fear of not being good enough to finish that story, or write that novel, but the truth is as long as you keep the end goal in sight and

image by Stancu Alexandru via sxc.hu
image by Stancu Alexandru via sxc.hu

move forward until you’re done then you will reach your goal.

Yes sometimes it may seem like you’ll never finish that work in progress, but it’s doable if you remember that by doing a bit everyday you’ll get to where you need to be in the end.

The truth is if you’re shooting for greatness you can’t fear failure because it will rob you of your energy and you’ll sabotage yourself. No you have to be fearless in the face of adversity. Embrace the challenge of writing in new genres and using different narrative devices.

Yes this may be difficult and you might fail at your first attempts, but don’t give up yet. It takes practice to get good at anything and writing is no different.

Sure people say they want to write a book, but not many of them actually follow through on it. The truth is writing a novel is a lot like running a marathon. You have to have to warm up first and then start small and work your way up to the big race.

Most people don’t realize it takes years of reading and honing the craft before you can produce a publishable book. Sure things like National Novel Writing Month are good practice, but once it’s over people often stop working on that novel because the incentive to do so has been removed.

The truth is you have to pace yourself so that you don’t get burnt out and quit when things get tough. You have to build up your writing stamina day by day, bit by bit so that when you come to the end you’ll look back and see how you got there.