This is it. It’s all the way out. And technically, our release day (January 20, 2022) was an absolute bust. I have no one to blame but myself, but I don’t use this time to lament. Instead, I’d like to look at all of the positives and use this as a learning opportunity for what will be done when the sequel, “Flames of Redemption” is released in 2023.

The first book of my new series, “The Eternal Goddess of Flames” technically came out in January 2022 as a re-release called “Rise of the Demon Inferno”. The first version, which was released back in 2015, was originally intended to be a stand-alone story, but for years something always bugged me about that story. When I finally re-read it, I realized that the original message that I was intending to get across (that humans are fine just as we are and don’t need to covet more power, even if it is supernatural) fell quite flat based on the ending.

So I resurrected the story, made a few tweaks and repositioned it as Book One in a seven-book series.

It took a lot of work from my publisher, but they got it released on Amazon, Google Books, Barnes and Noble Nook, and Ingram Sparks. It was a long and arduous process (including creating a version of the book that is exclusive to Amazon) and now that it’s over and done with… I don’t feel relieved. I feel… antsy. Like there’s something else I should be doing.

Promoting a book is not a short process, and it certainly doesn’t end after the book’s release. If anything, the promotional efforts have to ramp up and become more creative as time goes by, since new books are constantly being released that you’re competing with.

That means I’ve got a lot of promotional articles to write. Lots of emails have to be sent. Interviews scheduled. News topics and story theme angles to brainstorm, test, and document results for. The real hard work is about to start (hard for me, anyway – writing the book was my joy).

Sorry if this seems a little scattered. I have a hard time talking about my feelings in writing for some reason. It’s easy for me to delve into the emotions of others, but when it’s time for me to really express what I’m feeling after reflection, I find myself at a loss.

Our final release day when it was cleared through Ingram Sparks was a good day. A great day. I’m celebrating; I swear I am. Now I just need to get better at navigating and promoting on Goodreads during the pre-release period.

It’s just that I know the frontier ahead is a long and rough one. And when all is said and done, I’m just hoping that I don’t regret letting these characters – and their story – out into the world finally. That’s why I created a YouTube page dedicated to their story and their world-building so that the growing fanbase can come along for the ride.

I’m jittery. Nervous. If I still smoked, I’d be reaching for a cigarette right now. But I don’t, so my idle hands are left to just surf the keyboard via my rapidly pounding fingers.

Choice (aka ‘free will’) is one of many gifts to us from the Creator.

Wielding said choice confidently is a superpower.

I choose to be excited. Not antsy.

I’m gonna do the Jitterbug because I’m so happy.

I’m choosing to celebrate instead of being nervous. And now I’m smiling as I think of how I finally finished “The Vow” before the release date of the book – just as promised – even though I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to keep that vow to myself. But I did.

It’s up to eight parts now, y’all. “The Vow: Part 8” is entitled, “To Infinity and Beyond”. The title infers an impossibility, I know… how does one go beyond that which has no beginning and no end?

But I serve a Creator that goes beyond infinity and renders the impossible to nothing more than an infinitely tiny singularity.

So, using the title “To Infinity and Beyond” filled me with all of these warm feelings. With hope. Like… I could actually take this series to the seven books I promised.

I’m excited to get started on the second book. I already know and see the story and how it ends – which is always a good thing according to my favorite author – but I just have to fill in the gaps with their growth, their connections to each other, their love and struggles… I have to stay true to why I wrote this. What the actual theme of this series is.

(Spoiler Alert: The theme is that humans are perfect the way the Creator made them to be and don’t need to try and “enhance” themselves. Mainly because they contain a dormant secret power from the Creator that not even the supernaturals can understand.)

MY BOOK IS OUT, Y’ALL!!!!

Family, my book is out. All praises to the Creator. After the whole existential crisis I went through over the story for years, I wasn’t sure it was going to happen. I didn’t think I’d ever take that step toward facing my fears and realizing what I was really trying to purge by writing the book – my disgust with bullies, and the constant reminder to myself to be strong and stand up to them no matter how scared I feel on the inside.

I feel like a weight has been lifted off of my chest.

But there are still six more there. They don’t hurt, though, and for that I am thankful.