Tyler Colins's Blog, page 13
June 23, 2023
Space, the Final Frontier . . . These are the . . .
. . . stories of Christian Kallias. 
I’ve had the pleasure of editing a couple of Chris’ sci-fi books, so I thought, hey, why not provide a quick post?
Chris’ tales are action-packed with evil villains and frightening aliens galore—like the soul-sucking Spectres, who are wickedly creepy. Of course, you’ll find AIs. Morphing and regeneration, teleportation and telepathy keep things most interesting. The heroes/heroines, hailing from various planets/backgrounds, have their own personal and professional issues, but pull together when danger arrives and battle ensues.
Chris is a bestselling author of the award-winning Universe in Flames Space Opera series (gotta love that title). He enjoys different sci-fi—space opera, military sci-fi, and sci-fi horror, to name a few. Mythology is a love and you’ll find references throughout his many books (the Olympians, Argons, trojan horses), just as you’ll discover references to different sci-fi shows and movies (such as Aliens, Predator, Star Trek, and Babylon 5).
In addition to being an author, Chris is a book cover designer . . . and a talented one, too.
I’m totally envious of his site (www.christiankallias.com). His is what I’d love mine to look like—professional, crisp, clean. One day . . . perhaps . . .
What I also like is the Patreon page; it’s for persons who’d like “early and direct access to my writing, as well as a ton of extras you won’t find in the books” (https://www.patreon.com/ChristianKallias).
You don’t have to be a lover of sci-fi to enjoy these exciting adventure-dense [space] sagas.
You can find Chris and his many works on several sites (in addition to the aforementioned), so here are three to get you started:
https://www.goodreads.com/series/177168-universe-in-flames
June 17, 2023
Excellence in Everything . . .
Not perfection, but excellence—being exceptionally good at what one does or endeavors to do.
The last week or so, I’ve been reflecting on all that I’ve not achieved—of the things that didn’t happen, that could have been, should have been. How silly and unproductive. I suppose it’s because I’ve been a bit angry at not having been able to pursue my dreams because of my years devoted to helping other people one way or another. Which is/was fine. I did so out of the goodness of my heart and occasionally, I’ll readily admit, out of guilt.
Being annoyed—frustrated or irritated, or whatever the descriptive word may be—is okay. Humans have emotions, feelings. It’s good to release them in a productive [non-destructive] way. Let the emotion(s) out: share what’s on your mind, stomp your feet, shriek/scream/cry, throw a piece of cake at the wall . . . and then laugh at the absurdity of it all. Say, “Hey, suck it up!” And do so. You’re doing okay. I’m doing okay. Life’s full of challenges and learning curves. Some get it sooner, some later. (I’m, as they used to say, “a late bloomer”.)
In truth, I’d not be who I am now if I had realized my dreams and goals sooner. So what if it’s taken me a few more years (decades) to learn and grow? We all do so in our own time. When we’re ready.
Honestly, I don’t believe I was ready before. I didn’t have the maturity, the wisdom perhaps, to [properly] apply myself to those dreams and goals. I’d have floundered big-time and, quite probably, have made some very wrong decisions that might have resulted in some very wrong outcomes.
My point re excellence is that I am trying to be better with every day—to excel at those things that I know I can. I’ll never be perfect, but I can be very, very good. As an editor, I’m always reviewing, always learning, always striving to help/guide writers. As a person, I try to be kind and considerate . . .
Funny, how you start out with an idea for a post, and then you deviate. The intention wasn’t to write about myself at all, and yet, I did. I suppose I felt a [subconscious] need to purge/share.
Perhaps I was “influenced” this morning. As I was scrolling through Facebook, I came across this at the moment I was thinking about being in “stuck” mode.
“God is saying to you today: ‘Everything will work out. I’m in complete control. Relax and let me finish what I had already started in your life.’” (from TheLordMyShepherd)
I’m so in!
June 10, 2023
Infinitesimal Progress
… is progress nevertheless.
Yes, the sixth book in the Triple Threat Investigation Agency is close to complete (maybe another month with rewrites/editing). Then, I’ll be posting about Mo-Mo’s Dead and so is Disco till you beg for mercy.
But that’s not the progress I’m excited about (well, not as much). It’s been a year since I started studying Japanese! I can read Hiragana and Katakana now. Granted, I may not necessarily know what’s being written—someone could be calling me some rather unpleasant name—but damn! I can read it!
I’d never have thought I’d get that far. It’s a challenge to be sure, because Japanese has three—count ‘em—three alphabets. Now, the Kanji, well, that’s going to take some mastering. But I figure if I’ve gotten this far, where I excitedly read names of Japanese restaurants and stores as I saunter past and give myself a thumb’s up for being able to do so—then I can go, progress, even further!
In English, it’s subject – verb – object. In Japanese, it’s subject – object – verb. I’m slow in class. I need to digest information . . . wrap my head around the fact the verb comes at the end (that, in essence, a sentence is reversed). I’m going to the park. = To the park, I am going. These are manageable. It’s when you get to the complicated statements. What particle do I use? Preposition? What’s the polite way to ask or say something? The casual way? What do you mean “wa” is “ha” and “wo” is “o”, and . . . ?! And the fact that Japanese only has past and present tense should make it easier. Should.
But it’s all good. I love challenges, and this one’s perhaps the biggest, most trying one yet. But I’m going to master it. It may take me a decade, but who’s in a rush?
Infinitesimal progress … is progress, nevertheless.
June 3, 2023
What’s in a Number?
Kinda like in a name, as dear Will once penned (or is that “quilled”) for Romeo and Juliet.
WordPress emailed me my stats for May—“another successful month for your site is in the books!” Never received one of these before. Wow . . . those numbers were just so n-o-t great. 
Then I saw that they provided recommendations for “increasing traffic and engaging readers”.
“Ignite your site”.
Love that phrase! Yeah! I want to set people’s interest on fire! I want big numbers!
Ah, but the time factor …? Time [still, at least for the interim] is just not my friend. But I was curious. What would this all entail?
I clicked on one link. “Uh oh. Page not found.” Clicked on another. Another MIA page.
I’m sure if I went searching, I’d find those pages somewhere in the internet/Wordpress cosmos. I just don’t . . . yeah, you got it . . . have the time to do that.
Alas, the occasion to increase my numbers will have to wait. But not forever. Decisive action will prevail . . . when time [finally] allows.
May 27, 2023
A Personal Push on the Professional Side
A petite promotional post. A phantastic update. 
Firstly, The Triple Threat Investigation Agency series, Books 1-3—Collection—is available at:
https://books2read.com/u/3Gpd7a
But the pretty private eyes, based in Hawaii, are also part of The Leading Ladies: A Sleuth Mystery Novel Collection. I’m in the amazing company of Robin Murphy and Connie L. Beckett.
Robin is an Amazon best-selling author of a paranormal mystery series, and also writes chick-lit and non-fiction. She’s a speaker on author platforms, self-publishing, and marketing … among many other impressive things.
Connie writes in a variety of genres, no easy feat. In addition to historical fantasy and middle-grade novels (as Teter Keyes), she’s penned the Gwen Lindstrom mystery series, which revolve around a cafe owner who works behind the scenes to investigate crimes.
You can find “our” book here:
https://books2read.com/u/b5WX5l
The main marketplaces for distribution (besides Amazon, of course) are Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and Google Play. Just a note, though: these links are a work-in-progress and all marketplaces might not be included yet.
Over time, Next Chapter will expand this link to include as many different editions of my books as possible, including audiobook, and various paperback and hardcover editions.
If you’ve read any of the books—from any of us—(or intend to, which would be most awesome), perhaps you’d be willing to leave a review in any of the marketplaces … ?
May 20, 2023
Three Cheers for Grandma
It’s been too long since I’ve given a fellow writer a thumbs’ up . . . so I’m doing that today.
Jina S. Bazzar is one of the most prolific writers I know. She has no fear of tackling any genre and does so exceptionally well. She’s come far since the days of the Roxanne Fosch series, which were good stories to be sure, but she’s developed her craft prodigiously.
Jina’s latest book, My Grandmother the Dinosaur Hunter, is written for young persons but could appeal to anyone of any age. The “grandma” described in this story is her beloved mother, Miriam. Black the dog is also real. And the main characters are a young girl and boy.
Grandma’s adventure began as stories for her own kids. Jina kept the stories wild, outrageous, and entertaining enough that her kids would retell the story to classmates, and even requested she recount it to friends and neighbors whenever they dropped by.
So, what’s My Grandmother the Dinosaur Hunter about?
Welcome to Cruxil, the planet adjacent to Earth, where horses can fly, dinosaurs exist, and magic is real. When my sister and I went to Grandma’s for the weekend, I expected to spend my time playing games, eating sweets, and trying not to die from boredom. Little did I know that I’d spend the evening being chased by a dinosaur, attacked by a hydra, much less that I’d cap the night facing off with a giant frog. I thought Grandma Mimi was a sweet, eccentric old lady with a walking stick and a penchant for gossip. And boy, was I wrong.
The stories are fun and she’s already received a five-star review from Michele E. Northwood, also a very talented author (Fishnets in the Far East and other entertaining reads).
Jina’s a freelance writer, a blogger, a mother, a baker, a chocolate fiend, a coffee enthusiast, and sometimes a poet. “A wanderer in this vast world, I’m just another body with a passion for the written word. There is no boundary I can’t cross, no limit I can’t push; my mind is my passport, my thoughts my mode of transportation.”
Please check her out …
https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07B2989VT
https://www.facebook.com/JinaBazzarOfficial/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17738345.Jina_S_Bazzar
May 13, 2023
Borborygmi …?
My/our new word for the week.
Given this post is dedicated to writing and editing, and the gals from the Triple Threat Investigation Agency (a Hawaii-based mystery series that sometimes borders on the silly and willy-nilly), I thought I’d attempt to get back to that, given I’d digressed a bit of late. That, folks, is what might once have been called a run-on sentence. But nobody seems to give a about grammar and the like anymore. So who really cares (but the few of us who still embrace syntax and the like)? But I digress. Again.
As my acupuncturist was inserting one of many needles, my stomach started to rumble—so loudly, it sounded like a famished moose, voracious rhinoceros, and ravenous Komodo dragon were in the room.
Dr. D asked if I knew what those stomach sounds were called. Alas, I did not. “Haven’t a clue,” I humbly confessed over the snorts of the rhino.
“Borborygmi.”
Borborygmi? The sound of that word struck me as insanely funny. I thought it might be fun to share a vid of that—and they do have them!—but they were pretty damn dry, not comical at all, save for one. A medical gent (so I assumed) was truly trying to sound very factual, and the more he got into it—sounding oh so serious and knowledgeable—the more I had to laugh. We’ll spare him and not post that vid. .
So, friends, our new word of the week—hmm, maybe we’ll make it the month—is borborygmi. The noises your stomach makes … intestinal sounds that occur during the digestive process (hmm, given I’d not eaten for some 18 hours, I’m not so sure I was “digesting” anything at the time). The smooth muscles that occupy our stomach squeeze food and gas through 30’ of small and large intestine. This activity, called peristalsis, is what creates those stomach sounds.
Who knew!? Well, I do now . . . and so do you.
May 6, 2023
Milestones & Memories
milestone = important event, one that occurs at a critical time
memory = something that is remembered, mental representation
Not sure about the “important” or “critical”. Yesterday was a milestone b-day and I ain’t sayin’ the number, but social media being what it is, I’m sure that number is out there somewhere. As the lady in the commercial says, “Age is only a number, and mine’s unlisted”.
I don’t feel old(er). Too bad the mirror tells me I am. I suppose a facelift is a possibility, but I don’t have 20K to spare, and from some I’ve seen, I’m not so sure I’d [truly] want to go there. Lips kissing my earlobes—as in mine—is not that winsome a look.
The memories? I buried my mom on Monday. The service was short and pleasant. And emotional. When the celebrant played “Amazing Grace”, Niagara Falls erupted.
For decades, I took care of my mom. Now, it’s time to take care of me, so people keep telling me. And they’re right. I’ve neglected myself in many ways. I need to look after me—by wearing a new hat (like a lady at a royal ceremony might sport, though technically I suppose that would be called a fascinator) and viewing life and the world with fresh [not fatigued or anxious] eyes, and maybe embracing that age that makes me wince and grimace. Some people are good with getting older; they welcome it and wear it like a silver crown or a badge of honor. Power to them.
For the next week or so, I’ll likely continue to reflect on the memories [good, bad, sad] that have brought me to this milestone. I’ll honor them . . . and I’ll offer gratitude to all that’s made me what I am today.
And on that note-speaking of milestones and memories—I have a coronation to watch (and I’m not referring to that entertaining soap-opera-dense street)!
April 28, 2023
Hola
What an unexpected—and most pleasant—surprise. The Connecticut Corpse Caper is available in Spanish! Me encanta …
La Trampa del Cadáver de Connecticut (Los Misterios de Triple Amenaza Libro 1) has been added to Next Chapter’s distribution platform. So, besides Amazon, La Trampa will soon be available in many main marketplaces, including: Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and Google Play.
The plan, over time, is to have as many different editions as possible, including audiobooks, paperbacks, and hardcovers. So, I guess I’m back on the promo trail. Haven’t been there in a long, long time. Wish me luck!
Here’s the link:
https://books2read.com/u/4AvrXK
If you have a second, please take a look . . . and do feel free to offer feedback. Muchas gracias mis amigos.
April 22, 2023
Beating Oneself Up / Patting Oneself on the Back . . . or . . . Is The Glass Half Empty? Or Half Full?
It’s a “waffle” kind of day. Not those lovely, yummy-nummy, round, flat cakes prepared in a frying pan or waffle-iron, served with fruit and/or syrup (maple’s my fave), and sometimes whipped cream. The waffle that comes from not being able to make a decision—you know, wavering, vacillating, being indecisive about something.
I’m waffling between beating myself up [again] for not conceiving of something enlightening / entertaining / stimulating / witty to post about and patting myself on the back for having gotten this far.
As someone pointed out (thank you, my friend), I have written five books. The “beater” in me thinks, ech, so what? How many people have read them? And based on why some people write (and have so much as stated), there’s no $ being made from it. The “patter” thinks, yeah, I’ve written five books. Published books. And I’m working on my sixth. That’s something to be proud of.
Having been a glass-half-empty kinda gal for way too long, it’s time to pull up the ol’ socks (gotta love those clichés). And as I sit here, staring out the window, absently watching someone climb out of bed in the building across the street (sorry, dude), I tell myself I am going to do just that—pull up all three pairs (‘cause it’s [still] bleeping cool here).
The half-glass-full gal says thank you to those of you who provide positive/supportive comments; they mean a lot, truly! This gal will figure things out and get back on the straight and narrow (yeah, it’s a cliché-filled morning but, sometimes, they serve so well). It may not be tomorrow, or next week, or even next month. She has a few things to put into perspective. But she’ll get there.
She’s embracing a new attitude and forging forward.
