Wow! It's been a long time since I last made a blog post. Like, almost seven months. Wait, seven months is considered a long time, right? Last time I posted was January 9th. It was a few days after - well, you know.
When I made the decision to commit to blogging I pretty much knew the "who, what, when, and where" of how I wanted this to be. I was to be blogging on the regular, with postings on Monday and Friday. I was to talk about comics and animation, books and movies. Pretty much all the things that pertain to the geek/nerd culture. Even highlight an indie author or two. Not too shabby a concept, right?
So, what happened? Because yeah, from January 9, 2021, to now is a long time. Well, there were a few things actually. And I can't blame any of it on COVID. So, Rona, you get a pass this time! A part of it was due to work. I have a very demanding career and on rare occasions, those demands spill into my personal time. But only occasionally. That is, except for this year. The needs of the occupation took time away from off-work activities. So that was one. The other would be me being an active father to an active young son. And I do mean active. Like a hyper ball of kinetic energy active. And he's at that "Daddy, come play with me," age. He's also at that "why this" and "why that" age. If you are a parent reading this, how many "whys" did you go through before falling back on the tried and true "because I said so"?
So it was the above two reasons, but one more as well. I was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder. Secondary Polycythemia (SP), a condition where the bone marrow produces way more red blood cells than needed. Done so as a response to a lack of sufficient oxygen supply throughout the body. For most people with SP, there are external reasons as to the cause. Smoking, steroid use, prolonged exposure to extreme altitudes, are some examples. But for the rare cases (like mine), none of the above apply. The biggest effect the condition has is physical and mental fatigue. The body just doesn't want to do anything extra. There's a lack of drive to pursue any activities for the day. The mind and body just want to...rest. There is no cure for SP but what helps the condition is a withdrawal of a pint of blood about once every three to four weeks. "Therapeutic Phlebotomy" is the term for it. And yes, it helps significantly. It greatly reduces the mental and physical fatigue and makes me feel like my old self.
So yeah, those are the reasons. So since this is my first post in many moons, I figure I'd just ease into it. If you've read my previous posts then you already know what I'm about. So for this one, I'll just write a bit of what I have in store for the remainder of 2021.
1) Revamp my Dreamweaver series.
I had a conversation with a friend who's also a developmental editor regarding my Dreamweaver series. The advice she gave could ramp the series up a notch. And since I want the series to be the best it can be, it's "back to the lab" I go.
2) Finish Gilded.
A few months ago a literary agent on Twitter stated she was looking for a Gilded/Victorian age mystery/thriller. Well, I took it as a challenge. Even if the agent would never see it, I was intrigued to see if I could write a story that would typically be outside of my wheelhouse. Turns out, I could. As the story was taking shape, I thought it fitting to give it the title of "Gilded". Gilded is a period piece character-driven thriller set in Chicago 1880 during the Republican National Convention. It's "Hell on Wheels" meets "Spencer for Hire". Five more chapters to go. Or ten more. I dunno. We'll see what the Muse has to say about it.
3) Expand on my romance short story of the Lady in Grey.
So, I belong to an online reading group called Stories Live. Once a month a handful of us do a live reading online for about twenty minutes a story. You can check us out on both Facebook and YouTube. Normally my stories are a serial of a detective grieving for his wife and child. But the last go around I tried something different. A romance story. Not only was it well received, I realized there was so much more I could say. Simply because there's more to be told. Not sure what I will do with it once I'm done, but I hear there's always a market for love stories.
4) Expand on my dystopian short story of the Virus.
Back in 2020 when pretty much most of the globe was under lockdown due to the pandemic, I wrote a short story about the Virus based on a "what-if". Once I was done, I let someone read the completed story. They enjoyed it but felt it was too long to be a true short story. They said if it really is to be a short story, then I should pare it down. My gut told me not to, but I did anyway. I ended up losing the essence of the tale. Lesson learned. Always listen to your gut, kids.
5) Write the sequel to Natalia: Blood Secrets.
I wrote Blood Secrets specifically as an audiobook with the intent to learn the process from "pen on paper" to "finished audiobook product". It was quite an experience. I also styled the story that it could have a sequel if enough interest was generated. Go ahead and click here to listen to a sample. You like what you hear, go for it. I do believe you will not be disappointed.
6) Lastly, start on Book Two of my The Iska series.
I admit I'm stalling in writing this story.
The first book was written as a catharsis for the anger I felt out of needing major surgery. It's a very personal story and has a lot of "KD" in it. Most of the story is told from a singular point of view but from separate time periods. A story told from father to son on the father's birthday. A story the son at first chalks up to the father's talent for being a tales teller, until...
The second book will also be a bit personal but in a different way. I don't want to give away the whole plot yet, but it's not every day a writer attempts to write about his/her own death in a positive light. Like I said, personal.
Quite a bit, huh? This is in addition to podcasting, blogging, and having my "day job" (you know, the one that pays the rent). But hey, it's a day in the life of KD. I wouldn't trade it for all the tea in China. So I will end it here. But there will be more posts to come. A lot more. So, I will end this one with a special thank you to all who have purchased my projects, read my stories and blog posts, and listened to my KD's Place podcast. KD's Place is on most podcasting platforms, or you can click here to give it a listen.
And yeah, each and every single one of you...you are appreciated. #KD