There have been so many changes in my life over the last year, it's hard to keep up with them. About a year ago, I gave my life to Jesus, after years of battling darkness and addiction. I was just recently baptized. Without a doubt, it was the best choice I ever made. I write horror tales, dark fantasy tales, young adult tales, listen to Ronnie James Dio, love Beethoven, The X-Files, support the LGBT community, and am a recovering addict and alcoholic, and I've never been happier in my life. I like to think of myself as a rock and roll/outlaw/poet/follower of Jesus. That sounds about right.
I do not cater to hate and do not believe in organized religion. Jesus, after all, taught us to love and accept everyone, no matter who we are or what our skin color, eye color, hair color, or food preference. I plan on taking that route.
I recently got laid off my job after twelve years, and I have been more creative and productive than I have ever been in my life. I have recently revised and updated every novel and collection on Amazon. That was a brutal process but worth it. I just wish I could take back every freebie I offered over the last five years, and replace them with these updates instead.
I always thought of myself as a visionary writer, and tried to make those tales shine with meaning, imagination, emotion, and life. Those tales are a tough sell, so I've scaled down a bit. I recently wrote a non-fiction piece, Light on the Shadow, about my walk with darkness and coming to Christ. I am about to publish The Night of Dagon, which was my first real attempt at something pulpy. It's a Lovecraftian/noir/avant-garde sort of thing, and even though it didn't give me the emotional satisfaction of my other tales, it was by far the funnest and easiest thing to write to date. I had a blast with it. I decided to focus more on what readers wanted finally instead of my own vision, and stuck to character, dialogue, and action. I'm thinking of writing a series if its well received called, The Lovecraft Mysteries. I think that could be a lot of fun.
Despite the changes over the last year, the heartache, job loss, even losing my apartment, I can see the blessings in it all. I have spent more time with God and the creative process than I have in a long time, and I'm looking forward to working on my next book, which I don't have a title for yet, but will be a young adult imaginative fantasy about a little boy, his grandfather, a black cat named, Wizard, a girl who can make any kind of cookie out of thin air, and a jar collection filled with magic and rain clouds.
It's fun to write about the light.