I just thought I'd share the cover for ASL with you. Edits have begun and I'm very excited!
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
A Shadow's Light: Book Two of the Shadow Series
As of 11:15 P.M. CST on February 3, 2001, the first draft of A Shadow's Light is officially complete!
I am in the process of lining up beta readers and once I'm finished with a couple of edits, I will be shipping it off. Hang in there Test Davis fans, book two is coming!
I am in the process of lining up beta readers and once I'm finished with a couple of edits, I will be shipping it off. Hang in there Test Davis fans, book two is coming!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
News and Updates
Failing Test has received a cover face lift for 2011! Added was the series title which is called "The Shadow Series" and made the title a little larger.
It's also been a while since I've given an update on the sequel to Failing Test. Book two of "The Shadow Series" is titled A Shadow's Light and is currently scheduled for a March 1, 2011 release. Stay tuned for updates!
It's also been a while since I've given an update on the sequel to Failing Test. Book two of "The Shadow Series" is titled A Shadow's Light and is currently scheduled for a March 1, 2011 release. Stay tuned for updates!
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Self-righteousness and the Decline of the Western Civilization
It begins innocently. It could be from a bully from your youth. Maybe it’s your boss that triggered it; maybe your parents? Maybe it’s even your Pastor? Perhaps it’s your own twisted perception of yourself? Any one of these events could have been the one thing that caused you to realize your virtues; your morals. For the rest of your life, you have vowed not to make mistakes, both morally and ethically. Most of us mean well, but regardless, it seems to be a plague.
How many times have you visited family, been on a forum, or overheard a conversation centered on how stupid a decision that someone had made? How many times have you passed judgment on someone else’s point of view? How many times have you witnessed an instance where someone makes a mistake and the righteous jump to their feet to correct the offender? It seems innocent enough, right? It would be if…
Typically, it’s not once, no; it’s not sufficient for one person to stand up and point out the offense. Soon, they come in droves; the self-righteous pack of wolves making sure that everyone sees how good and pure they are, when if the truth were known, they’ve more than likely fallen from their own measure of grace in the not so distant past.
It is a plague.
It is everywhere. It’s in this article. It could be construed that within these very words, speaking poorly of the self-righteous implies ones own self-righteousness. I confess that even to me, that actually makes sense. My fear is that with everyone clamoring to show their goodness, they invariably prove the opposite. To the innocent offender, would a mob of do-gooders not seem overbearing? Where is the compassion for error? Are there those that are so perfect that they can’t let someone learn a lesson without destroying their pride? Ah…that’s just it. There is not a one of us alive that can claim to be perfect. All of us have had bouts of poor judgment, just the same as all of us have moments of clarity. What if your moment of clarity eventually proved to be a lapse in judgment? I’m sure that there are millions who thought that electing a given government official was the most obviously correct decision ever presented. How did they feel a year later? Would you stand up and say “yep, that was me! I did that!”? Would you then be prepared for the latest pack of self-righteous wolves to spring forward and say “I told you so!”?
When I was a teen, one of my favorite movies was The Decline of the Western Civilization Part 2: the Metal Years. The title implied that there was a perception by the general public that the latest wave of Metal bands were, in essence, going to destroy our youth and, in turn, our society. Twenty years have passed, and while I’m sure that many of you have never even heard of that movie, I can assure you that the title didn’t turn out to be prophetic. I’m hoping that I can say the same about the current wave of self-righteousness in our society. It’s true that self-righteousness isn’t anything new to the human race. It’s been around for thousands of years. So has the flu. Is it only a matter of time before either one of them mutate into something more?
How many times have you visited family, been on a forum, or overheard a conversation centered on how stupid a decision that someone had made? How many times have you passed judgment on someone else’s point of view? How many times have you witnessed an instance where someone makes a mistake and the righteous jump to their feet to correct the offender? It seems innocent enough, right? It would be if…
Typically, it’s not once, no; it’s not sufficient for one person to stand up and point out the offense. Soon, they come in droves; the self-righteous pack of wolves making sure that everyone sees how good and pure they are, when if the truth were known, they’ve more than likely fallen from their own measure of grace in the not so distant past.
It is a plague.
It is everywhere. It’s in this article. It could be construed that within these very words, speaking poorly of the self-righteous implies ones own self-righteousness. I confess that even to me, that actually makes sense. My fear is that with everyone clamoring to show their goodness, they invariably prove the opposite. To the innocent offender, would a mob of do-gooders not seem overbearing? Where is the compassion for error? Are there those that are so perfect that they can’t let someone learn a lesson without destroying their pride? Ah…that’s just it. There is not a one of us alive that can claim to be perfect. All of us have had bouts of poor judgment, just the same as all of us have moments of clarity. What if your moment of clarity eventually proved to be a lapse in judgment? I’m sure that there are millions who thought that electing a given government official was the most obviously correct decision ever presented. How did they feel a year later? Would you stand up and say “yep, that was me! I did that!”? Would you then be prepared for the latest pack of self-righteous wolves to spring forward and say “I told you so!”?
When I was a teen, one of my favorite movies was The Decline of the Western Civilization Part 2: the Metal Years. The title implied that there was a perception by the general public that the latest wave of Metal bands were, in essence, going to destroy our youth and, in turn, our society. Twenty years have passed, and while I’m sure that many of you have never even heard of that movie, I can assure you that the title didn’t turn out to be prophetic. I’m hoping that I can say the same about the current wave of self-righteousness in our society. It’s true that self-righteousness isn’t anything new to the human race. It’s been around for thousands of years. So has the flu. Is it only a matter of time before either one of them mutate into something more?
Friday, December 24, 2010
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Thank you to all and I sincerely hope that you have the most enjoyable holiday season that can be had. Take care!
J.M.
J.M.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Giving thanks...
As we near the end of 2010, many of us will look back on the year with mixed emotions. Our country is in an extreme state of distress; the economy isn't better, jobs are still slim, and the cost of everything continues to rise. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I think it is important that we, both as a country and individually, make an effort to discover the good that resides within us instead of listening to the media's constant reminders of our short-comings.
My thanks go to my family. I'm a lucky man, what more can I say?
Thanks to my friends in the great state of Kansas. I don't know what I'd do without you.
Thanks to my Kindle Board author friends. Someday I hope we can all get together and talk about at least one of us being on the NYTimes Best Seller list.
My thanks to all of the fans. Thank you for your support and I promise that I'll continue to provide you with the best stories that I can possibly write.
I'm sure that I'll add more to this list. For now I'm going to sign off. It is a Sunday morning, and I am going to make it a good day.
Take care all.
J.M.
My thanks go to my family. I'm a lucky man, what more can I say?
Thanks to my friends in the great state of Kansas. I don't know what I'd do without you.
Thanks to my Kindle Board author friends. Someday I hope we can all get together and talk about at least one of us being on the NYTimes Best Seller list.
My thanks to all of the fans. Thank you for your support and I promise that I'll continue to provide you with the best stories that I can possibly write.
I'm sure that I'll add more to this list. For now I'm going to sign off. It is a Sunday morning, and I am going to make it a good day.
Take care all.
J.M.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Taking care to take care.
I end nearly every conversation, email, or forum post with the phrase "take care". I don't even think about it, it's just what I say. But I mean it. I never want to be the one thought of as the jerk who thinks he's better than anyone else; the one who thinks that he is somehow higher in rank than another person. When I say "take care", I want you to do just that. "Take care" in your interactions with your family. Those moments are precious. "Take care" when you go to work. Jobs are hard to come by and you can't afford to do something careless. "Take care" when you are driving, when you are walking, when you are jogging; life is short. Show respect, be kind, and be generous with aid if needed. Aid comes in many forms and doesn't have to be monetary. Just being there to grieve, to celebrate, to encourage, or to help someone is necessary. Yes, I said necessary. In my mind it's required.
Take care. ;)
J.M.
Take care. ;)
J.M.
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