Tyler Colins's Blog, page 19
July 26, 2022
A Whole Lot About Nothin’
Actually, that’s probably more like a whole little about nothin’, because I can’t imagine this post will go on endlessly.
I’m sitting here, sucking back vanilla yogurt, after sucking caramel candies, after sucking back frozen mochi, and experiencing a bit of a sugar rush (never mind wondering why the jeans are fitting a bit more snugly).
It’s one of those mornings . . . days . . . when I don’t feel like posting. But I’ve never not posted on a Wednesday or Saturday, and don’t want to stop now. It’s a commitment thing. Sort of. Kind of. If I didn’t post on the timetabled day, I’d probably get mad at myself. That wouldn’t be good because I get p’o’d at myself enough as it is (hmm, maybe that’s a future post).
I’m guessing as fellow writers/bloggers, you probably have similar don’t-wanna days. Or should we call them I-wanna-do-this-instead days?
I wanna be walking the dog (if I had one). I wanna watch [mindless] TV. I wanna go eat a triple-scoop ice-cream by the water’s edge. I wanna listen to soothing music. I wanna eat a big bag of ketchup chips. I wanna dream of winning a million dollars and all the things I’d do. I wanna . . . so not be writing a blog post.
Maybe it’s blog burnout? . . . Nawwwwww. More like blogger emulating sloth, which sounds like another, and rather pleasant, wanna—I wanna be hanging from a tree, closing my eyes to the world passing by.
On that note, I believe I’ll meander about aimlessly and do a whole lot of nothin’. 
July 23, 2022
Two New
Two of my favorite fellow authors have books coming out soon. Having had the pleasure of reading both, I can honestly say neither disappoint. It’s a bit too early to provide reviews, but there’s nothing wrong with plugs.
Sean Robins’ The Gray Emperor is Book Seven in The Crimson Deathbringer series. If you’ve read the sci-fi books, you know they’re chockablock full of action (great intergalactic space battles, fanatical alien species) and humor (danger abounds, so do the drollness and farce). Jim, the protagonist, and his buddies are back and along for the thrilling ride—the beautiful warrior Xornaa, the prankster “insect” Tarq, the solemn unbeaten General Maada. . . . Or are they? Perhaps they’re doppelgangers?
Jina S. Bazzar’s Shadow Pawn is a future-set murder mystery with a fantasy component. It revolves around an intriguing protagonist with an equally intriguing history. Page one yanks you in, as a good book should. The storyline, action and descriptions, have you wanting to continue reading. There’s a dark element, which adds to the thrills/excitement. And who doesn’t love a resilient headstrong heroine who never backs down?
Simple fact: Sean and Jina are exceptionally talented authors whose stories always entertain. This blog will feature reviews of The Gray Emperor and Shadow Pawn in the next month or so. Meanwhile, you can find Sean and Jina on various sites (just do that Googling thing); I heartily recommend you check them out.
https://www.amazon.com/Jina-S.-Bazzar/e/B07B2989VT%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share
https://www.amazon.com/Sean-Robins/e/B07PS1116K%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share
July 20, 2022
A Short Summer Break . . . Sorta
The Boss is away today—too much on her editing plate, but she’s fine/happy with that.
The three of us are still entrenched in the Mo-Mo Martine case. Someone took out this up-and-coming Montreal-based mobster back when disco and polyester were popular . . . but his body was only discovered recently . . . on our side of the world!
Here’s an excerpt:
He held up a ruddy, scarred hand and then pointed toward the living room. Before we could proceed, an officer rushed through the front door. “McLeod’s delayed. Engine blew on the H1. And Tenafly slipped down an incline as he was checking out the area. Twisted his ankle.”
Ald Ives rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath.
I moved to the aluminum baluster railing and eyed the expanse before us: sapphire ocean to the front, stately homes over the incline to our left, and a racket-ball club to the right. Given how Antoinetta was sitting, it seemed likely the shot had come from somewhere along the tree- and shrub-dense slope.
“Care to do some private-eyeing?” I asked my colleagues.
“Let’s—”
“Leave it to my team,” Ald interrupted Rey with a stern expression.
“Your team seems to be slipping up,” she said with a disarming smile. “Or is that down?”
He rolled his eyes again and peered below when his name was called.
“The cousin’s here to pick up his sister to take her to the funeral parlor, sir. What’ll we tell him?” a young officer asked.
Ald drew a deep breath. “I’ll be right down.”
“Catch up later?” Linda asked.
He nodded curtly and instructed us to provide our statements to Officer Ramsey before we left. We watched him hasten outside.
“Telling someone they’ve lost a loved one has got to be the toughest part of the job,” Rey murmured.
Linda and I concurred.
“Are we still meeting Harry for dinner?” Linda asked.
“No reason not to,” Rey replied, nodding toward an officer checking something on his cell phone. “That’s Ramsey, isn’t it?”
I nodded, recalling having met him at an HPD softball game last month. “After giving our statements, how about we do some digging and see what we can find out about Stefano’s fatal ‘accident’?”
Rey eyed me curiously. “You thinking it wasn’t one?”
“Pietro had something to do with Mo-Mo’s death. Stefano died just a few months after. Coincidence? Or . . . ?”
“Or,” my cousin said flatly.
“Or,” Linda repeated with a firm nod.
We haven’t placed any bets re who the killer might be, because it could be one of a dozen-plus potential perps.
We do love challenges, though, so we’re going to get out there and meet one head on!
. . . Aloh-haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.
July 15, 2022
No Summertime Blues
The Boss is taking the weekend to do clean-up and whatnot, so she asked if one of us would like to post. We all volunteered but, to be honest, not one of us could think of something [interesting] to post. It’s summer. Vacations abound. It’s a time to be footloose and fancy-free, to be less stressed, less preoccupied, less work-driven. It’s a time to dance!
So, we decided we’d keep it light and bouncy. Rey, Linda and I (JJ) are simply going to provide you with three songs we think reflect summer cheer and gaiety.
Over to you, Cousin Reynalda.
Hey, it’s Rey! Yay! Uncle Gary was a child (teen) of the 70s. Whenever we’d spend mid-July at his Maine cottage, he’d play 70s music. That was okay; as a kid, I liked anything upbeat. He’d always start off our stay—kinda like an official commencement to the cottage retreat—with Mungo Jerry’s “In the Summertime”. (Linda, who has a whack of facts crammed in her pretty head, said the name was inspired by a poem by T.S. Eliot, “Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer”. Ok-kay.) Ya know, I can still see us dancing on the dock—and sometimes off. Yeah, good times.
And super smart Linda?
I’m going to go with the hugely talented Norah Jones’ “Summertime”. She has an awesome, sexy voice. The piano sounds so right—appealing, pleasing, hum-provoking. When she sings that song, it’s easy to imagine myself reclining on a chaise longue by the pool at sunset, an icy sangria in hand (which I’ve done many a summer eve). It’s a great way to chill on a breezy, hot solstice eve.
Over to you, JJ.
It’s a cross between a relatively newer song and an older one; both put spring into my steps and bounce in my bu-uh-behind. Rauw Atejandro’s “Todo de Ti” is fun and fresh. Shaggy’s “In the Summertime” is fun and familiar. You know, I think I’ll go with singer, rapper and songwriter, Rauw. I’m feeling some serious dance moves coming on . . .
Here’s to the rest of a great summer—hang loose and dance like there’s no tomorrow! 
July 13, 2022
Can “I” Die?
Sounds rather tragic, if not dark, doesn’t it? Not to worry. I’m not thinking of leaving this mortal coil. Another way to pose the title question: when you’re writing your book in first-person, can your protagonist die? Not quite as “grabbing”, though, is it?
The question was posed on a writer’s site recently, and it caught my attention. Quite honestly, it’s something I’ve never considered. Kill a secondary/crucial character, yes, maybe, but the central character, the protagonist, the narrator? Never!
But then, I’m a want/need-a-happy-ending gal. Central characters shouldn’t die; that’s just wrong. If I enjoyed the read and the hero/heroine bites the bullet after I’ve traveled through thick and thin with them, I’m in a [major] funk for days! I feel deprived . . . deceived . . . and downright p’o’d.
If it’s really in your heart to do so, though, to accomplish the fatal grand finale, you could switch between POVs—something that drives me absolutely crazy (and will usually have me tossing the book into the recycling bin)—and have another character, or you, detail what’s so tragically transpired.
And, just to ensure we’re on the same page, let’s quickly summarize the three POVs.
1st person: the storyteller is part of the story or is involved in it and relates the action from his or her own point-of-view. 2nd person: the storyteller talks directly to you and pulls you into the narrative (not my cup of tea, but to each his or her own). 3rd person: the storyteller is an indirect onlooker and provides particulars, rather like a journalist/reporter might.
Alternatively, you could end with, well, your protagonist’s end-ing.
I noticed the Colt Python a mere second before Lee fired it—into my heart. I always thought death was instantaneous when a bullet burst into a vital organ. But I was dead wrong . . . literally . . . there’s a split “reality check” second.
So, yes, sure, you can kill off your central character. And it wouldn’t be that difficult. But do be imaginative. And remember this: you’d be limited in the sequel department, unless you plan to bring your protagonist back from the hereafter . . . as a narrating ghost . . . ?
July 9, 2022
Almost Missed the Posting Boat
Sometimes, things are simply not in your hands . . . like hours-long across-the-nation Internet outages.
What a calamity, what misfortune . . . what nonsense and absurdity . . . and a major reality check. We’re totally hooked [dependent] on technology.
After spending a few [useless] hours at work, chatting and chuckling about said calamity and tossing about yeah-I’ll-head-home-soon-’cause-there’s-nothing-to-do-here remarks, it was indeed time to do just that.
Seeing people’s faces on the streets as yours truly walked home, had me thinking a major to-do had occurred or that the world was coming to an end. Countless people milling about outside shops, gulping coffee, eyes wide, staring disbelievingly at cell phones, tap-tap-tapping, hoping [praying] for some connection to the cyberspace sphere. What the ?!?! Say it ain’t so, Joe! We’ve been disconnected, cut off from the real world, the news, social media, mom and sis, and Auntie Em! Dang, we’re doomed.
It’s been over 10 hours since “No Internet Access” popped up. I sure wouldn’t want to be in the IT folks’ shoes today. Can you spell s-t-r-e-s-s?
. . . And now, I’m back. Indeedy-do, I almost missed the posting boat. Fortunately, life has returned to [relative] normalcy. Not everything is readily accessible as yet, but we’ll get there.
We always do, one way or another.
July 5, 2022
Time for a Shameless Mid-Week Post
If I don’t promote myself, who will? It’s a job I am so not adept at (what with time, work and life getting in the way), but here goes . . .
My new book collection is now live and can be found at various retailers, such as those below:
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/triple-threat-mysteries-collection/id6443052045
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/triple-threat-mysteries-collection-tyler-colins/1141713349?ean=2940166791627
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=gzt4EAAAQBAJ
Rakuten Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/triple-threat-mysteries-collection
Per Next Chapter—thank you, NC —these collections are targeted toward a specific segment of the eBook market, specifically, “binge readers” who prefer to purchase the whole series / several novels in one go.
Initially, NC is only publishing these collections in wide distribution. Amazon editions will follow (once the Amazon version is live, I’ll let you know).
And that, my friends, is all she wrote.
July 2, 2022
Best Foot Forward
(nothing like an editor making a major flub in the title – LMAO)
An old expression, which dates back to the 16th century if anyone cares, but still used now and again. Meaning?
to present an ideal version of yourself (to impress others) to make the best possible impression to start trying hard to be the best, or as good, as you can, or a favorable initial impression.
It popped into my head the other day while browsing author-related social media. Sadly, there are still people out there who like to criticize others—for how they write, an idea they have, a book they’ve written, a manuscript they hope will be published.
In my travels, I also found some posts that disparaged others for their views, comments, ideologies, and even looks. Are we so perfect that we have that right—to condemn or ridicule or laugh at?
I always attempt to consider others’ feelings and respond/write accordingly. However, I’m guilty of making a recent comment that, while not outright critical, probably wasn’t that nice . . . which is why I felt compelled to post about it. It was a rare moment and the post I was responding to rather . . . well . . . shocked me. So much so, I wrote a terse reply.
While there’s nothing wrong with constructive criticism (and I’ve posted re this previously), there’s a lot wrong with critical destructiveness.
We truly are unique individuals, and being “one-of-a-kind” should be honored and valued. How dull and predictable the world would be if we were all the same.
Treat others with the respect they [we] deserve. Enough said.
Best Food Forward
An old expression, which dates back to the 16th century if anyone cares, but still used now and again. Meaning?
to present an ideal version of yourself (to impress others) to make the best possible impression to start trying hard to be the best, or as good, as you can, or a favorable initial impression.
It popped into my head the other day while browsing author-related social media. Sadly, there are still people out there who like to criticize others—for how they write, an idea they have, a book they’ve written, a manuscript they hope will be published.
In my travels, I also found some posts that disparaged others for their views, comments, ideologies, and even looks. Are we so perfect that we have that right—to condemn or ridicule or laugh at?
I always attempt to consider others’ feelings and respond/write accordingly. However, I’m guilty of making a recent comment that, while not outright critical, probably wasn’t that nice . . . which is why I felt compelled to post about it. It was a rare moment and the post I was responding to rather . . . well . . . shocked me. So much so, I wrote a terse reply.
While there’s nothing wrong with constructive criticism (and I’ve posted re this previously), there’s a lot wrong with critical destructiveness.
We truly are unique individuals, and being “one-of-a-kind” should be honored and valued. How dull and predictable the world would be if we were all the same.
Treat others with the respect they [we] deserve. Enough said.
June 28, 2022
Being Yourself / Finding Your Voice
A twofold post in some ways. Always strive to be who you are, not what you think you should be, or someone tells you to be. Goes without saying, but what the heck?
We have certain mannerisms, expressions/speech patterns, views, appearances, and so forth that define who we are. Each and every one of us is unique—like a twinkling star in the vast, ever-changing sky. That’s pretty damn cool. We should rejoice in that.
That relates to personal/private lives as much as professional ones. We can spend months, if not years, determining our style (how and what we’re going to write), how we want to be perceived and, yes, who we are as authors.
As in our personal lives, we’re influenced by outside sources—nothing wrong with that, long as we recognize and hold on to who we are. When we begin to mimic [talk, advocate, look like] someone else, then the uniqueness and originality is nonexistent. The voice we project belongs to another.
Admire fellow writers and artists and give credit and compliments where due. Read, read, read. Learn, learn, learn. And . . . yes . . . write, write, write. Don’t emulate someone to the point where you’ve become an imitator, an impersonator. That deprives the reading world of a[nother] potentially great novelist, playwright, poet, or blogger. It robs the world of you.
Nothing comes easy. That’s a given. And it may prove a challenge, even a struggle, to determine the unique person you are . . . and find that distinctive [exceptional] voice that is solely yours. Don’t cheat us—or yourself—of that.
Shine as only you can.
