When quarantine madness keeps me awake into the dark A.M. hours between "late" and "early," I entertain myself by watching YouTube video essays, updating my resume (just for the fun of formatting a Word document—truly), or delving into the recesses of my digital folders for hidden and forgotten treasures.

Last night, I found this pair of old poems from my unlikely-to-be-published chapbook of poetry. They were not written for the quarantine treadmill of productivity and despair, but hoooo-eeey, do they feel applicable.

​Enjoy! ..."Enjoy"?

A long time ago, I read voraciously.

My passion for reading dwindled when I reached college. Correlation rarely dictates causation, and in this case, it's absurd to think that seeking a degree in English "ruined" my taste for reading. It certainly never soured my taste for writing.

Nonetheless, I stopped reading. Not in a determined way or a permanent way or even a continuous way, but I read far fewer books than in the past.

​Recently, while struggling with the quality of my writing and with my lack of motivation, I came to terms with something: I first fell in love with words and stories through reading, not writing. And if I mean to continue growing as a writer and storyteller—well, I have to recommit to regular reading, then, don't I?

Therefore, I reinstate my #JELreviews series!

​Be warned: I am a forgiving reviewer. When you come here, you will not find me eviscerating novels. I’ll point out what I liked and what I didn’t like, and I’ll anchor everything in my opinion, rather than some self-ordained concept of what is “good” or “bad.”

I also plan to break each review into two sections: one for those who haven’t read the book, and one for those who have read the book. I’ll rate (1) characters, (2) prose, and (3) plot through two lenses: entertainment and literature. (Basically, how I felt about it while I was reading, and how I felt about it after I'd thought about what I was reading.)

That being said, on to #JELreviews!

Do you find yourself scribbling lists everywhere, only to lose the lists? Do you curse the amount of time you waste on Facebook? Do you wish you could motivate yourself to read more, write more, think more?

Are you trying to track the fluctuations in your mood and identify which activities contribute positively and negatively?

Have I got a list for you!

(Do internet article introductions remind you of sleasy car salesmen? Have I got an intro for you!) Ahem.

Please note: I operate all the below software through Windows and/or Android. Apple users, you'll need to research what's available for you.

If you return to my website daily and obsessively refresh the pages—not that I’d ever participate in such neurotic behavior—you’ll have noticed a new hierarchy in the main navigation.

I am happy to announce that anyone can ask for my help with writing and editing!

I’ve listed my various services and a test run of prices, compiled from online research and a lifetime of experience tweaking people’s words. These prices may be set in stone one day, but for now, I’m willing to negotiate depending on a client’s circumstances.

After years of plying my trade in semi-secret, I’d love to attract a new client or two. Every dollar helps to expand my publication budget, after all!

​I’m also submitting blogs and articles to digital magazines, and I’m aggressively pursuing publication for my poetry and short stories in literary journals/small presses. Why? Why now?
​

1. I miss the thrill of a byline.
2. I want to expand my portfolio.
3. I relish the thought of additional income. (Who doesn't?)

I’ve already received a commitment from one website to publish an article!

As I work to explore new venues of publication, I hope you’ll consider requesting my help with your projects.

​To start, some context. I believe records of the written and spoken word often lack context, prompting misunderstanding and misinformation. Context is the difference between (1) cursing out the vile, malicious, reprehensible degenerate who cut you off in traffic, and (2) ignoring your uncharacteristic mistake when you cut off the next car—because you’re late for a job interview, you need rent money, and you’re still shaken up about that horrendous monster who nearly merged into you.
 
For this reason, I begin my post not where it begins, but with a few contextualizing statements.
 
This post will focus on the villain-figure in my dark fantasy novel Bless the Skies. The character's traits and characteristics will be discussed in detail, independently of the story, without mentioning or spoiling the plot.

​As I finished Bless the Skies, I faced a decision: to seek publication traditionally or to publish the book myself.
​
So many factors warred and balanced in my mind, but two ideas floated above the battle—untouched and uncontested.

• After constructing this story mentally for over a decade, I needed to be in complete control of the final product.
  
  
• I anticipated that traditional publication for future stories might become more feasible if I’d already worked to prove my value and attracted an audience through self-publication.
  
  

Those were the reasons I actively decided to self-publish. However, it would be an obscene lie to say I did it all myself. Many, many people helped me, and I’d caution any writer attempting to accomplish publication "alone."

Tomorrow, I embark to Atlanta for Dragon*Con. Almost every year, I travel across the southern United States to my emotional homeland of a science fiction and fantasy convention, which my Louisiana friends and I lovingly term “Geek Mardi Gras.” We drink, we dance, we dress up, we make new friends, and I attend as many author and publishing industry panels as possible.
 
This year, my focus has changed. I’m not curious about how to write a book, but how to market one. As I attempt to figure that out, allow me to share the lessons I HAVE learned in finishing the first draft of Bless the Skies: