As some of you may know, I have a BIG fascination with music. I think I  may love it almost as much as I do my writing and I hardly ever write w/out listening to music. Over the last couple of weeks I have found myself listening to one particular song more than any of the other 6,000+ songs on my iPod and that song is Famous by Jazmine Sullivan. Peep the lyrics:

"Famous"

I used to dream about cars and things.
Bout being a star and things.
I thought that I would outgrow this feening.
My dream won't go away.

It's more like a nightmare.
Keepin me up all night,
Like a nightmare.
It's taking over my mind.
My desire burns inside like a flame
And it can't and it won't be contained.

Cause I gotta be famous
I need to be somebody

No one wants to be invisible
Everyone just wants to be seen.
I know one thing is so irresistible
Cause we all need a reason to be.
So I wanna matter.
To the world.
To a girl.
Watching me on tv.
Watching me and I want her to wanna be me.
To be me and I wanna be her dream.
Be hear dream.

So I gotta be famous.
I gotta be somebody.
So I gotta be famous.
I gotta be somebody.

And I'll do anything to get where you are.
I'll do anything to reach the stars.
You don't want what you have,
But I want it so bad.
You say it ain't fair but what ain't fair is no one cares if you ain't famous.
You ain't famous.
Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh. Oh oh oh.

So I gotta be famous.
I gotta be somebody.
Cause I gotta be famous.
I need to be somebody

Her lyrics so closely mirror my feelings in regards to writing. All I want is to be heard, for people to read my books and have that recognition, not even monetarily (though it helps) butjust to know that people actually have my book on their shelf.

My favorite lines are:

No one wants to be invisible
Everyone just wants to be seen.
I know one thing is so irresistible
Cause we all need a reason to be.
So I wanna matter.
To the world.
To a girl.
Watching me on tv.
Watching me and I want her to wanna be me.
To be me and I wanna be her dream.
Be hear dream.

That's dope when she says that no one wants to be invisible and how she wants to matter to someone and how she wants to be that girls dream and for that girl to want to be her. That's the only way we get to live forever.

Thank you Jazmine Sullivan for making such a wonderful song, one of several that you have. This song is my theme/anthem and will be for as long as I write and am finally tasting my glass of fame. Cheers to all of us chasing that dream!

Morning/afternoon/evening to all of you.

Work on Humanity's Ultimate Battle (H.U.B.) Volume 3: The Tipping Point is pretty much done (at least the writing portion of it, anyway). I'm really happy with the way that it has turned out and serves a perfect bridge between the first two volumes and volume 4 which is where the s**t really hits the fan. So far the reviews from the few people that have read it have been extremely positive and includes the following:

"After reading Volumes 1 & 2, I was really excited about been given the chance to exclusively read the next Chapter in what has got me so enthralled.  Volume 3 is a lot more laid back than the first two BUT make no mistake there may not be as much blood shed this time around but the storyline unravels what potentially could lead to volume 4 being the best book in the series of HUB.  The book ends on a very sad note for the Vampire nation and its at this point you know that the War between the two nations is about to get cranked up and made a thousand times worse, am glad I don't live in this world that has been created by Author Benjamin Jones cause World War III could about to erupt in Volume 4.  A thoroughly enjoyable read that left me wishing Volume 4 was already witten and was right next to me ready to read.
 
Rating 4 Book out of 5!!! " - Mark Horrobin from Manchester, UK

And this from my good friend Benjamin Rogers, author of Faith & The Undead: "Just finished Hub 3 and I have to say that it is incredibly strong and well written.  As with the second edition you are really building a world here and it is really good and intriguing!"

So, based off those reviews, I know that it's going to be something special when it drops. It will arrive on 9.10.11 as an e-book (be on the lookout for it on Smashwords, the Kindle and Nook) and possibly as a printed up version as well depending on how my funds look. Either way, be sure to check out http://www.whatishub.net for information on how to get your copy!

I submitted the cover design that I want to Chris Leepow, the artist who did the wonderful cover for Volume 2 and he thinks my vision is easily do-able so I'm waiting to get the results back. Based off the sample pic he provided I can already tell that the cover for Volume 3 is going to be MEAN!! That should be debuting very VERY soon!

The trailer for the H.U.B. book series is up and I encourage you all to check it out. You can find it by visiting the HUB Youtube page at http://www.youtube.com/user/hubiscoming .
 
Also, while I'm on the subject, be sure to visit and become a fan of HUB on Facebook by visiting http://www.facebook.com/pages/HUB-Book-Series-Fan-Page/150468231664121 

Get your copy of HUB Volume 1 & 2 by visiting http://www.whatishub.net (available as an e-book and in paperback). Support independent artists!

One last plug, be sure to visit my good friend Mark's hip hop blog/site at  http://underground-dope-hiphop.blogspot.com/ If you love hip hop then you can't go wrong here!

Be sure to follow me on Twitter: @maddwriter and @hubiscoming

More later....

I am truly in a happy place right now.

I feel SO good with everything that is going on in my life right now in regards to my writing. I'll start by talking about the radio interview that I did on April 16th with Mr. Marc Medley and his radio show. The interview went extremely well and at the end their was a caller that called in and said that the conversation that Mr. Medley and I had inspired him and that is a MAJOR thing to me and made me feel SO GOOD. I'm hoping to have the audio from the interview soon so that I can post it.

Thanks to The Butterfly Effect, S. A. Payne and Profitz for hooking up the book trailer for H.U.B. It turned out so well and exceeded my expectations. You can view it by visiting http://www.youtube.com/user/hubiscoming#p/a/u/0/toE_eSkbVIc. Let me know your thoughts on it. I'm hoping this will draw some attention (and sales) to me for H.U.B. but also give some attention to The Butterfly Effect and Profitz. You can find more about S.A. Payne by visiting http://www.aprilraynestories.webs.com

As you know from my previous postings I sent a copy of my book to a bookstore in Alaska and, lo and behold, the manager, a nice gentleman by the name of Royce, actually CALLED me and discussed his thoughts with me on it. He was very honest and positive with it, liking the story but wanting to see some more/better editing on it which I couldn't complain about it. So, I wrote down all his recommendations and am now putting them to use and working to tighten up not only H.U.B. Volume 1 and 2 but also volume 3 as well.

Speaking of Volume 3: The Tipping Point, the early reviews have been GLOWING and that can't make me happier. Can't wait for it to be released in September. Reminder to visit http://www.whatishub.net to get the latest info on the HUB universe. You can also follow HUB on http://www.twitter.com/hubiscoming

I REALLY want to open a bookstore and have it consist of mostly undiscovered authors like myself but the costs are utterly RIDICULOUS. The cheapest thing I've seen has been around $1400 a month and that's not counting lights, insurance, stock, etc..., etc... If anybody wants to contribute to my bookstore fund then hit me up. ;-)

Anyway, I'll be back with more later. Keep writing and reading. More later...

Today's post is by a lady by the name of Reena Jacobs, one of my writing pals that I had the pleasure to meet on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/reenajacobs - follow her now!). So, read it, get some knowledge and buy her book. :-)

                   Test Driving in the Indies

                         Reena Jacobs

Unlike many, I wasn’t one of those people who dreamed of being a writer since before they could read. No. My dreams of publishing happened less than three years ago. I had nothing but time on my hands and a goal-oriented attitude.

Life got in the way; motivation waxed and waned. A year later, I had the first draft finished. What a joyous time! I boasted, cheered, and twirled. When I came down from my high, my next thoughts were: What’s next? That’s when the hard parts came—editing/revisions, learning the craft (I had a LOT to learn), and of course selling myself and my work.

Agents would race to the phones, each one more eager than the last to represent my instant bestseller. Hey! A girl can dream, right?

To make a long story short, the market was/is tough. I received a few nibbles, some suggestions, and even a couple of offers to resubmit after revisions. One issue which bothered me about the entire process was I found myself doing more querying than writing and working on my craft. Writers write. How could I call myself one if I wasn’t writing? At that time, my job title should have been “submitter.” :)

Here’s what I found during my nine months of bumping heads with the gatekeepers. Agents and publishers are searching for the book which will be the next bestseller. They don’t know what that’ll be, just hope they’ll know it when they read it. Really, it’s all a guessing game. Publishing is a business, and the individuals running the companies can only take so many chances. They have to limit their risks in order to be as profitable as possible. I respect that. It’s just smart business.

Well, I don’t accept failure so readily. Knowing how the process worked didn’t mean I had to give up my dreams. Publishers and agents weren’t infallible. They win some; they lose some. I asked myself: With the technology available, why not take a chance on myself—let the readers decide if they want to hear my voice rather than let the gatekeepers decide for both you and me. And so my quest to self-publish began.

I still remember the day I went all in. Other than formatting, my manuscript was ready to go live. I had one full out with an agent at the time. Call me crazy, but I withdrew my submission. January 7, Shadow Cat went live in digital formats. A month later, I had shiny print copies in my hands. I can’t express to you the giddiness I felt handing one to my mother.

My journey on the indie road is exciting, full of trials and errors, but totally worth it. Whether readers love or hate my writing style, I love the idea that readers get to make a choice on my offerings. It’s an opportunity I may never have experienced if I hadn’t taken a chance on me first.

Whether it’s writing or some other dream, the pitfalls are there. That’s life. You can take a chance on yourself. Or will you be the one to “go gentle into that good night?”

Ben, thank you for letting me share my indie experience with your readership.

*******

Reena Jacobs is just your typical writer who loves to see her words in print. As an avid reader, she’s known to hoard books and begs her husband regularly for “just one more purchase.” Her home life is filled with days chasing her preschooler and nights harassing her husband. Between it all, she squeezes in time for writing and growling at the dog. You can find Reena on Ramblings of an Amateur Writer, Amazon, Goodreads, and Smashwords.

About her novel, Shadow Cat:

Eric Randall’s plan is simple—fix the mess his researchers have created in Malaysia, experience the pleasures the country has to offer, and return to the comforts of America. All it takes is one beautiful aborigine, and Eric finds himself stranded in a world of Malaysian myths and legends.

A novice shaman amongst her people, Berani is free and independent. Yet all is not well in her homeland. Demons prey on her people, pushing them to extinction. When a strange speaking man invades her forest, she has one more worry to add to her already troubled life. Attraction or no, she will fight Eric tooth and claw to maintain her freedom. But will she destroy herself in the process?

If Berani wishes to save her family… if Eric wishes to reclaim his old life, they must stand together against the threats of encroaching wehr-tigers and bloodsucking demons… or perish.


Links to Shadow Cat:


Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Cat-Striped-Ones-ebook/dp/B004IEA1C6/

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.uk.co/Shadow-Cat-Striped-Ones-ebook/dp/B004IEA1C6/

Barnes and Nobles: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/product.aspx?ean=2940012535580

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/36463

I accomplished absolutely nothing that I had planned to do over the weekend other than finishing Duma Key by Stephen King (good book by the way). Having said that, today I did some things that I intended to do over the weekend which was mail two copies of my book off, one to a reviewer in Maine and one to an independent bookstore in Alaska in the hopes that she will like it and will carry it on consignment in her store. Keep your fingers crossed for me on both of those. I've sent out a TON of email across the United States and even to Canada to help get the HUB brand and my name out and I know that with much effort and hard work good things HAVE to emerge from it. I still have a few more states to work through.

I feel like a rapper/MC sometimes because the roads traveled are pretty much the same. At first no one knows you so you're independent and you're trying to get your name out (selling records out of your trunk for rappers, putting books out on Amazon, Smashwords, B&N, etc... for writers) in the hopes that people will eventually take notice and then a major will come sign you (a label for the rapper, an agent/publisher for us writing types). So we continue to hustle, building a buzz, not really making a lot of  money but we don't do it for the money - we do it for the love. The money is great - don't get me wrong - but there are plenty of other things to get money than write.

It takes a LOT of self confidence to be a writer and it's a "slow burn". I would even say it takes a bit of arrogance as well. I have to believe that I have something so good to say that, when I write it down, people will pay to read it (same thing with music). So we put ourselves out there, never knowing how it's going to be taken - will people love it? Hate it? Consider it blah?? Who's to say but we do it anyway because we believe in ourselves - all we have is our faith in ourselves to get us through because if we don't believe then how can we expect others to?

A lot of it is the spirit of competition. As a hip-hop head I'm all about the battle. When I hear that one of my friends on Twitter or Facebook sold xxx amount of books I'm 1) happy for them but 2) thinking in my mind that I can do better than that. I hope that makes sense. It's not that I'm hating on what they have done, I just want to be better. I love all my writing peers and wish them all success - anything I can do to help them get the word out about their project or even sell one book, I'm all for it - but I still want to out do them. I want to win at anything I do. I want to be bigger than Stephen King one day because, to me, he's the man at the top of the mountain.

Got back to work on Head Above Water today at work during my lunch hour and I plan on doing more work on it tonight while I'm watching the Red Sox game. Last night we had heavy winds that damaged my fence and sent my trampoline that was in the back yard flying OVER the fence to the other side (true story) so I have to work on that when I get home so that the dogs can be able to go back in the backyard.

I try to not think about H.U.B. Volume 4 much but I can't seem to help it. I keep having these ideas in my head and I may have to start work on it sooner than I thought because I would hate to lose these ideas that I have in my head. I think that I think about it so much because writing this series has been SO FUN for me. Never have I had this many ideas floating around in my head and had  something SO EASY to write. I can only hope that people enjoy this series 1/10th of the amount that I've enjoyed writing it.

I feel like I'm rambling and bouncing all over the place so I'm going to wrap this up. One final note, on April 14th be on the lookout for a special GUEST BLOG post from my good friend and fellow writer Reena Jacobs on why she decided to go indie. I'm looking forward to it and you should as well.

More later. Peace! Go Red Sox!!

Morning/afternoon/evening/night everyone (depending on when you're reading this). As the title of this blog post suggests I am one tired brotha, more so mentally but that's trickling down and making me physically exhausted as well. I've been doing SO MUCH lately in regards to H.U.B. and trying to get it going and I just need to take a nice LOOONNNNGGG deep rest.

H.U.B. Volume 1 and 2 paperback is now on Ebay. You can get your copy by clicking HERE.

Set myself up with an Amazon Advantage account and I just got back from sending the first copy of H.U.B. Volume 1 & 2 to their warehouse in Pennsylvania. Also just completed sending the ASN (advanced shipment notice for those that don't know) so they know that it's on the way.

I have sent about a bajillion emails the last few days to independent bookstores scattered across the country in the hopes that one of them will take a chance and let me put my book in their stores. So far only a couple have responded but it's only been a day so I'm going to work on being patent. I will keep you posted on what happens with that. Wish me luck.

Booked my room at the Sheraton for Soonercon 20 in Oklahoma City, OK for June 3rd thru 5th. If you're in the area stop by and say hi at the HUB table!

I visited the bookstore by my house that my book is in and he hadn't sold any copies over the last week. Sales of the Kindle and Nook have hit a decline as well but I KNOW that those things are temporary.

There is a contest going on for a signed copy of H.U.B. Volume 1 and 2 via Goodreads.com. There are two copies that I'm giving away so, if you want to enter, and you know that you do, visit the Contests portion of my page and click the link!

Let's see, what else is going on?!?! Work continues on Head Above Water (writing at home then typing up the results at work during lunch). Also, waiting to get feedback on H.U.B. Volume 3: The Tipping Point from my good friend Benjamin Rogers.

I think that's it for the time being. More later....

On a side note, what the f**k is going on with my Red Sox?!?! 0-4. Really? I know it's a long season but DAMN!