The Update Post of Updating

Hello there, everyone!

I'm sorry I haven't updated in a few weeks but that was actually intentional! Yup, you heard me! It was intentional. You see, I think there needs to be a balance of some sort. I don't want to update just for the sake of updating, yet I also don't want to go months without any sort of blog post. That just wouldn't be cool. Or interesting.

So here's the balance. I'm going to post once every two-weeks. That way I can keep things alive on this blog and I can also make sure I actually have things to talk about. Running out of things to say as an author is like a comedian running out of material on stage. Let's just hope I never get the hook...

Anyway, I'll get to the point of this entry. I actually have a few updates. Actually, make that one update and one update abut an update.

The update is that I've been busy working on my WIP and I'm actually making decent progress. I've completed two chapters in less than 3 days. That's a new Michael record!

The update about an update is that I've been referencing a project for the past few days on Facebook and what not, and that project is still underway. I've made excellent headway into that project and it should be far enough along to make an actual update post about with images and descriptions very soon! I hope everyone enjoys it and gets as much fun out of it as I did making it. So until that update comes, keep your eyes open!


As always, Lots of Love and Applesauce! <3

The Importance Of Honesty

Greetings and salutations!

I don't really have updates or anything like that, but I thought I'd share a story of something that happened recently.

Last night, Nick and I went out to the local Chinese buffet. We hadn't been there in a year or so and I was craving Chinese food, so, why not, right? So we got seated and consumed tons of the yummy chicken, fish, and other assorted goods. At the end when we were paying, I noticed a problem with our bill. Now, our total came to $29.37 (not including tip) and there was only $2.37 cents on our receipt. Obviously this was a mistake. At first, Nick thought his card was declined or something, but he checked his bank account and found that he was only charged $2.37. Huh.

Now, I knew what the average person would probably do in this situation, but more importantly, I also knew what I had to do. I took our receipt up to the front desk and explained to them that there was some kind of mistake because we weren't charged the proper amount. The lady explained that she had made a mistake because they swipe the card and input the amount to charge on a machine. When we got charged "2.37" it was because she forgot to add the "9" to make it 29.37" as it was supposed to be. She did the difference and charged the correct amount.

The lady at the front desk, the manager, and our waitress thanked us multiple times for being honest and not taking advantage of a mistake. And while I didn't get the super cheap dinner that I would have, I got the satisfaction of knowing that I did the right thing and that by doing the right thing, it made people happy. And that's what matters.

Honesty is very important to me. I truly believe that honesty is its own reward. And because it comes so natural to me, it really makes me upset to think about how many people would have just paid the two dollars and walked out without a second thought. When I was much younger and my friends would do little things like: steal money from their parents, shoplift from stores, cheat on their homework, and other types of things like that, they'd always make fun of me because I didn't see the point of it. I have never seen the point of lying, cheating, or stealing. I have a "bad" habit of putting myself in someone else's shoes. And because of that, I couldn't help but think of the repercussions of those kinds of actions. Like if Nick and I were to walk out without paying the correct amount and the restaurant figured it out, it wouldn't hurt us - it would hurt our nice waitress. She could have lost a chunk of her paycheck or even been fired. And for what? For us to have a free dinner? It wouldn't be worth it.

I think the one thing a majority of the world could benefit from is learning to have more empathy. I think it would make the world a better place. Honesty is a start, but better empathy skills will make for a perfect finish.

I hope you enjoyed my random story!


As always, Lots of Love and Applesauce. <3

Would You Rather [Blog Edition]

Hello everyone!

I hope everyone had a wonderful day and/or enjoyed the random facts about myself that I posted yesterday. I thought it would be a good idea to post another blog today to show that I'm serious about updating more frequently. A little bit of assurance never hurt anybody, right?

I want to state for the record that I'm terrible at blogging - I'm shy as hell and find it incredibly awkward to type out my thoughts as if someone is actually going to read them. I know a few people will, but eh, still awkward. However, I think more "fun" updates are better than just updating about my thoughts all the time. Don't get me wrong, I'll do serious and important updates, but I think if I'm going to keep this updated frequently it's important to have fun with it and enjoy what I'm doing.

Which brings me to this blog entry. I thought I'd play one of my favorite games...a word game called: Would You Rather?

For those who don't know, it's basically a game where you state two options and the person who's turn it is has to state which one of the options are more appealing. It can get pretty crazy. I'm only going to do a handful or so, but it should be interesting to get an insight into the way my crazy mind works. :P


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(questions courtesy of yourather.com)
Would you rather...


(1)  Be a Centaur or Be a Mermaid/man?
This is an easy one. I'd rather be a Merman. Why? Because I love water and being in water. A centaur would more than likely be limited/restricted to land. The ocean is wide open and goes on for miles and miles...and has miles in depth, too. I think it would be pretty serene to be able to just swim far under the surface and escape things if you needed to.

(2) Catch your best male friend sleeping with your mom or Catch your best male friend sleeping with your sister?
Oh lord. This is a tough one and kind of disturbing to think about. I'm really protective over both of my sisters...and they're both under aged - compared to all my male friends who are in the 20's. Now my mother is a grown woman who can make her own decisions...so the first one.

(3) Eat a breakfast of only jellybeans or Eat a breakfast of only hot wings?
Jellybeans. I feel like Hot Wings would be too taxing on your stomach that early in the morning.

(4) Be able to fly up to 5 meters off the ground or Have a magic carpet that can fly up to 50 meters off the ground?
Sorry, but I'd rather fly. A magic carpet would be nice and all, but if it's not with you or destroyed, that's it. Where as if you can fly, not even that high, you're still friggen flying. And that's cool.

(5) Have your best dream and worst nightmare come true or Never have any of your dreams come true?
That's an easy one. I'd rather have the first happen. Why? Because dreams are what make life matter. Without dreams, life would be boring. And honestly, nightmares aren't that bad when you think about them. Nightmares are fears that you're too scared to face so your subconscious creates them as ways for you to deal with them. If you're brave enough to face your fears, you can face a nightmare. And I think that never having any of your dreams come true is like living in a nightmare. Not cool.

(6) Be horribly and hopelessly depressed or Have inescapable overwhelming anxiety?
HAHAHA. This is actually pretty funny, considering I have anxiety which sometimes causes depression. So I guess for the sake of the question, I'll pick the second one because you can fight through anxiety. Depression? Not so much.

(7) Only be able to listen to your favorite artist/musician or Only be able to listen to everything BUT your favorite artist/musician?
What kind of choice is that? Said artist wouldn't be my favorite if I could get tired of them. I literally have Icon For Hire's two CDs on repeat for most of the day. So I'd pick the first.

(8) Kill a unicorn in front of thousands of children or Kill a beloved dolphin in front of thousands of children?
Uh, I'm sorry, but if there's a unicorn, I will NOT be killing it. I will be keeping it and naming it Mystery. And said unicorn and myself will partake in many magical adventures together. The dolphin can die. I'm really sorry.

(9) Never touch a computer again or Never touch a person of the opposite sex again?
LOL. Gee, I wonder what I'm going to pick? :P

(10) Be Harry Potter or Be Luke Skywalker?
I'd be Harry Potter, no question. Having a wand is like having the force - on crack. And it's friggen MAGIC.

(11) Never be able to hear your favorite song again or Never be able to watch your favorite movie again?
I enjoy listening to music more than I enjoy watching movies. The funny thing is, my favorite movie is actually a musical! >.> However, I'd give up the movie.

(12) Get shot or get stabbed?
I've been stabbed before, it wasn't a picnic, but I know it's certainly better than getting shot. So I'd be stabbed...again.


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Well I think that's enough for now. I hope you enjoyed my answers. So now it's time for the fun part. If you're feeling adventurous, either comment with your answers to the questions I answered or go to yourather.com and comment a single question and your answer!

I can't wait to read some of the replies.



As always, thanks for reading. Lots of Love and Applesauce! <3

25 Facts About Me, Myself, and I

I haven't updated this blog in about five months. And I'm feeling incredibly guilty because I promised to be more consistent with my updates. I'm supposed to do a few a week, not a few every couple of months. This is just unacceptable.

And Mr/Mrs. blog reader, I know exactly what you're thinking.

And I'm sorry. I'm a bad boy. I've just been very busy with writing - yeah, typical excuse. But it's true! I swear. I've been literally ping-ponging between four different novels that are in the works. Oh, and editing a fifth, which is almost ready to be sent to my lovely beta readers.

I'm going to keep this blog active. I'll be Dr. Frankenstein and bring this baby back to life! Hopefully I won't have to use the assorted remains of dead blogs. I'll use my natural energy to breathe life into this blog. No necromancy needed!

In order to do that, I'm going to share 25 random facts about myself. Some of them may be very obvious but others may not. I want to have a good relationship with my readers. I don't want to be on some pedestal or shrouded by some barrier. I want people to know that I'm human and I'm real. So here are 25 facts you may or may not know about me!


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(1) My favorite color is purple

(2) I've been diagnosed with two forms of anxiety. Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) and/or Hypochondria Anxiety. They're both very taxing and I wouldn't wish them on anyone. Some days are harder than others. In the last couple of years I've learned to properly deal with them.

(3) I am a huge fan of My Little Pony. Like seriously. The show is good. I collect tons of memorabilia. I probably spend too much money on stuff from it.

(4) My favorite band is Icon For Hire. They're really good and the lead singer is a lyrical genius.

(5) I believe in magic. I believe that magic exists in everyone. I believe that people have more power than they realize and they're capable of great things if they just believe.

(6) My favorite author is Laurell K. Hamilton. I started reading her novels when I was going through a REALLY tough time in my life. Her Anita Blake series helped me ignore what was going on in my personal life and gave me something to be excited for...as cheesy as that probably sounds.

(7) I truly believe that dragons, mermaids, and unicorns were real at one point in time. I don't care what anybody says, but there are large portions of the world we haven't fully discovered and we don't know for sure if they existed or not. Let me continue to exist in my magical world - no lectures!

(8) I have a very mild form of OCD. It's not as debilitating as the anxiety, but it still causes me some discomfort. I always carry around a container of hand sanitizer (I hate germs) and tissues in some form. Not to mention that I have issues with certain "textures."

(9) I used to self-harm.

(10) I could eat Taco Bell for every single meal. I'm addicted to those evil tacos.

(11) I'm half Hispanic - Dominican specifically. Most people don't believe it because I'm so light skinned, but It's true. My Hispanic ethnicity is the only thing my father ever gave me. >.> On my mother's side, I'm Italian, and some form of Irish/Polish.

(12) I'm a huge fan of Rupaul's Drag Race. That show is addicting. I also watch Bad Girls Club. My two guilty pleasures.

(13) My skin is highly sensitive and most of the bath products on the market cause me to break out. It's annoying.

(14) I'm a huge fan of video games. RPGs in particular. I'm an avid WoW player.

(15) I'm addicted to Tumblr. I'm on it almost every day.

(16) When I write, I listen to OSTs (Original Sound Tracks) for my favorite video games. Listening to songs with words throws me off.

(17) My favorite musical is Sweeney Todd. Second is Avenue Q.

(18) Once Upon a Time is my favorite show. Notable mentions are Xena: Warrior Princess, Charmed, Buffy: Vampire Slayer, and Adventure Time.

(19) I'm a huge "shipper" when I watch TV shows. I love pairing up characters and I'm just a huge fan of love.

(20) I have a "quoting" issue. In normal conversations, I tend to throw out random quotes from my favorite novels, movies, tv shows, etc. Sometimes people get them and laugh and other times people blink and slowly inch away.

(21) I wear makeup sometimes. Nothing crazy, just little touches. I dabble with light eyeliner, blush, and cover up. I'm not theatrical, I just like the subtle differences that a little bit of make up can create. Most people don't even notice.

(22) I'm very shy. One way to tell that I really like you, is if I actually go out of my way to speak to you in person.

(23) I keep myself guarded 24/7. I've been hurt a lot in my life, so I'm very protective of who I let in my life. I was actually surprised that a few people at GRL managed to get past my walls. But they're good people so I'm not worried. =)

(24) I'm a cat person.

(25) I can't go to sleep unless I hear the sound of rain. Every night before I go to bed, I turn on rainymood.com and leave it on. It really relaxes me.


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So there you go! 25 random facts about yours truly. I think this was a decent way to make my triumphant return to blogging and I sincerely hope you enjoyed learning a bit about me.

!!//

Lots Of Love and Applesauce. <3

Inklings Newsletter, September 2013

I want to let everyone know that the new edition of Inklings by Harmony Ink Press has been released!

In addition to all of the normal goodies, there is a free read (or Fread, as Cody Kennedy calls it) by yours truly!

The story is called Emily's Heart and deals with a girl's crush on her best friend. The important question in her mind is if Charlotte can/will ever reciprocate her feelings.

You can read it here.

And a special thanks to Nessa and Harmony Ink Press for choosing my story!

Give Hope

Hey blogginites!


I was thinking about different ways that myself and others could give hope to those who don't feel like they have any left.

And then it hit me. Like this.

I suggest that everyone who reads this post does their best to make a resolution from this point forward. If you see somebody on the street or wherever and your eyes meet, I want you to smile. It's an easy action, doesn't cost anything, and barely takes any effort. And that one effortless action can make a WORLD of difference to a person who's feeling down.

If you don't believe me, read the excerpt below:

Mr. Hines described his struggle with a severe bipolar disorder that emerged during his adolescence and worsened over time. Mr. Hines was overwhelmed by paranoid delusions and command auditory hallucinations demanding that he kill himself. Unable to function, he withdrew from college and immediately took a bus to the Golden Gate Bridge. Like many people about to commit suicide, he was ambivalent about dying. He tarried at the bridge railing for about 40 minutes, trying to decide whether to go through with his plan to jump.

A number of people walked by him, oblivious to his anguish, unaware of his life-and-death struggle. Mr. Hines told us that “If someone had smiled and said, ‘Are you okay?’ I know I would have begged them to help me. I would have told them everything and asked for help. I would not have jumped. I just was unable to ask for help myself.” In fact, a foreign tourist did stop and talk with Mr. Hines. She asked him to take her picture, which he did. As she walked away, he felt more than ever that “Nobody really cares.” He jumped. On the way down, he changed his mind. He remembered thinking, “I want to live. Why am I doing this?” It was too late. Severely injured, Mr. Hines was kept afloat by a sea lion until rescuers arrived.

I asked Mr. Hines that if someone had smiled at him when he was on the bridge, given the severity of his mental illness, would it have prevented his suicide attempt? He answered, “Yes, a smile would have most definitely helped in my case. If the smile is genuine and caring, and it looks like the person is approachable, that person could have such an impact on a suicidal person at the moment of desperation. They could well save a life.”

Source for the story.


So please don't ever underestimate the power of a simple smile. It could very well make a difference.


Another thing that can be done to give hope is to give someone a random compliment. It could be anything.
Nice shirt, you look really pretty, your hair looks amazing, etc.

Anything, anything at all to make that person feel a little bit special and noticed. It's really just that simple. The rate of suicides continue to grow each year.


Please spread the word and spread hope.


Lots of love <3

Trust In Fate

Hello blogginites!

It seems like forever since I posted on here. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to go so long between entries. I had a good reason, I promise. I haven't posted because I've been busy. Recent events have stolen all of my free time and energy...but that's for another post. Don't worry, it isn't anything bad. This post is for something entirely different.

It has been brought to my attention that from September 8th to September 14th is National Suicide Prevention Week. On one hand, I'm really glad that there's effort being made to bring attention to suicide because the rate of teen suicides has increased so much in the last few years. On the other hand, it's really upsetting that things have gotten to this point.

So I'm going to turn my attention to the readers who have been there. So if you've ever felt suicidal or thought about suicide, the rest of this blog is for you.

I suffered a lot in Middle School and High School. I didn't have many friends and most of my peers were very cruel. It was around this time that I started noticing that I wasn't like most other students. It wasn't just because I was gay, it was because I had demons in my head that were fighting me. Some days it was like there was a battle raging on inside my head. I couldn't even bring myself to get out of bed and go to school. Most days I couldn't even leave my house.

I went to different doctors and eventually I found out that I suffered from an anxiety disorder. One that I struggle to keep under control every single day.

The point of this is that I understand. I get what it feels like when you feel like you're suffocating because the weight of everything is pressing down on you. I get what it feels like when you just want to lay in bed all day and sleep because when you're sleeping you don't feel any pain. And most importantly, I know what it feels like when the nightmares inside of your head seem real.

There were many days where I thought about suicide. I never attempted it, but the thoughts were there. I self-harmed in as many ways as I could think of. The pain on the outside helped numb the pain on the inside. But it was NOT a healthy thing to do. Hurting yourself is NOT the right answer. Killing yourself is NOT the right way. You're far too valuable.

And the thing that gave me hope can give you hope also.






If you're ever feeling like you can't go on, please remember that fate has a plan for you.

Every single living being has a purpose. It doesn't matter who you are, when you're from, or what you did in life. (I promise that I was NOT intentionally quoting a Backstreet Boys song) You have a purpose. And you have dreams that you can achieve if you put your mind to it. It doesn't matter what they are.

And also remember that there's somebody who loves you. Somebody who will miss you if anything happened to you. You are loved.

<3


P.S: If you're feeling suicidal and need to talk to someone please click on one of the links in this sentence. You're not alone.