M.F. Hopkins's Blog, page 4
March 8, 2021
The need to re-work the first two books NOW!!!
For anyone out there - it may be like, one person (lol) - Please...
DO NOT BUY OR READ ANGELO, TEXAS OR A GOOD AND FAIR TRADE YET!
If you did, note that once the edits and reformatting are done, they will be automatically updated on Kindle for you.
I am re-working them, as I've discovered they just aren't up to scratch. While working on Angelo II, I've evolved quite a bit in my writing, and when looking over the first two books of the series, I gasped in horror. I love my stories, but they still need work; a lot of it is weird shit like missing commas and the incorrect usage of punctuation marks, too much verbiage (adverbs, cough-cough), and shitty formatting.
I figure I may as well work on this now, especially as I'm stuck on the third book.
I'm not tech-savvy and I don't want to screw anything up, especially as the work needs to be done for the Kindle AND paperback versions.
*I FOUND AN AWESOME FORMATTER!
Soon, the books' updates will be up. YAAAHOOOO!
DO NOT BUY OR READ ANGELO, TEXAS OR A GOOD AND FAIR TRADE YET!
If you did, note that once the edits and reformatting are done, they will be automatically updated on Kindle for you.
I am re-working them, as I've discovered they just aren't up to scratch. While working on Angelo II, I've evolved quite a bit in my writing, and when looking over the first two books of the series, I gasped in horror. I love my stories, but they still need work; a lot of it is weird shit like missing commas and the incorrect usage of punctuation marks, too much verbiage (adverbs, cough-cough), and shitty formatting.
I figure I may as well work on this now, especially as I'm stuck on the third book.
I'm not tech-savvy and I don't want to screw anything up, especially as the work needs to be done for the Kindle AND paperback versions.
*I FOUND AN AWESOME FORMATTER!
Soon, the books' updates will be up. YAAAHOOOO!
February 21, 2021
Such is life...
My word count has gone up a little, but not by much; it's currently at 144,900.
The lull in writing is due to the fact that I'm rather depressed. I don't have depression, but with my current situation, I guess I'm dealing with it now.
Besides the money woes (like what everyone else is dealing with via COVID), I lost one of my beloved cats last month, and now another has suddenly fallen ill. In a matter of weeks, she's just skin, bones, and long straggly fur.
She's still drinking a little bit of water, but she stopped eating two days ago. Gently force-feeding her is hard, but I keep trying, to no avail. She's at the point where she should be euthanized.
I'm very familiar with her personality, and I know that she will stress out and possibly die on the way to the vet, so I've opted to make her comfortable, give her her favorite toy, and let nature take its course; better for her to go at home - hopefully in my arms - than in the back of an Uber, yowling miserably. The vet mostly agrees. (Too bad the vets don't make house calls for euthanasia). The cat is almost 17 years old, which is like 101 in human years. I have another one who is a month older, and she's still healthy, and behaving like a kitten.
So yeah... not too much going on here with the writing or reading.
The lull in writing is due to the fact that I'm rather depressed. I don't have depression, but with my current situation, I guess I'm dealing with it now.
Besides the money woes (like what everyone else is dealing with via COVID), I lost one of my beloved cats last month, and now another has suddenly fallen ill. In a matter of weeks, she's just skin, bones, and long straggly fur.
She's still drinking a little bit of water, but she stopped eating two days ago. Gently force-feeding her is hard, but I keep trying, to no avail. She's at the point where she should be euthanized.
I'm very familiar with her personality, and I know that she will stress out and possibly die on the way to the vet, so I've opted to make her comfortable, give her her favorite toy, and let nature take its course; better for her to go at home - hopefully in my arms - than in the back of an Uber, yowling miserably. The vet mostly agrees. (Too bad the vets don't make house calls for euthanasia). The cat is almost 17 years old, which is like 101 in human years. I have another one who is a month older, and she's still healthy, and behaving like a kitten.
So yeah... not too much going on here with the writing or reading.
January 17, 2021
Yikes!
I just read a few reviews for a book here, with the negative ones stating how awful the book was due to its lack of basic editing. Which is too bad. The author should have at least taken some time to read over her manuscript; at the very least, check her work using ProWriting Aid, Grammarly... something! A beta reader or two would have helped as well.
As a newbie author, I know that presenting one's work to the public is a scary thing to do; hell, I know that what I've written isn't perfect. What is? Still, it is our responsibility as writers to do the best we can before putting our work out. That would include taking the time to comb through our manuscripts for any grammatical issues, typos, and continuity/plot issues. Using a professional editor - or two, or three - would be better.
I'd like my work to be judged without editing issues being part of the equation. If someone likes or hates my books, I'd rather get feedback regarding the plots, characters, settings, etc. In other words, get feedback on the meat of the matter - the story.
*(This post probably has typos and other issues, so yeah. I'll be looking for a pro or two to go over the third book of my Angelo series).
As a newbie author, I know that presenting one's work to the public is a scary thing to do; hell, I know that what I've written isn't perfect. What is? Still, it is our responsibility as writers to do the best we can before putting our work out. That would include taking the time to comb through our manuscripts for any grammatical issues, typos, and continuity/plot issues. Using a professional editor - or two, or three - would be better.
I'd like my work to be judged without editing issues being part of the equation. If someone likes or hates my books, I'd rather get feedback regarding the plots, characters, settings, etc. In other words, get feedback on the meat of the matter - the story.
*(This post probably has typos and other issues, so yeah. I'll be looking for a pro or two to go over the third book of my Angelo series).
January 9, 2021
Disappearing Previews on Goodreads... ???
I've already contacted Goodreads regarding the book previews that appear and disappear at will here.
Fortunately, they are available to read on Amazon.
Fortunately, they are available to read on Amazon.
December 19, 2020
The Angelo, Texas Compendium.
As if I don’t have enough on my plate finishing Angelo II, I’m also getting items together for my future Angelo, Texas Compendium, which will have background material on the Angelo world I created, and some artwork.
A major part of the Angelo world is the heavenly realm with its rank-and-file occupants. The mythology I created hints at the changes that were made in Heaven after the two angelic Falls — the first one with Sataniel (Satan/The Devil) and his followers, and the second, smaller one with the Watcher Shemhazai and his followers.
According to biblical and non-canonical lore, one third of the angels joined Sataniel with the First Fall (mostly lower-ranked, non-archs), and 199 joined Shemhazai with the Second Fall. With the exception of Sataniel, Ashmedai, and Zebubel, the Fallen on this list are all part of the group from the Second Fall.
See the list on my website:
https://mfhopkinsauthor.com/excerpts-...
A major part of the Angelo world is the heavenly realm with its rank-and-file occupants. The mythology I created hints at the changes that were made in Heaven after the two angelic Falls — the first one with Sataniel (Satan/The Devil) and his followers, and the second, smaller one with the Watcher Shemhazai and his followers.
According to biblical and non-canonical lore, one third of the angels joined Sataniel with the First Fall (mostly lower-ranked, non-archs), and 199 joined Shemhazai with the Second Fall. With the exception of Sataniel, Ashmedai, and Zebubel, the Fallen on this list are all part of the group from the Second Fall.
See the list on my website:
https://mfhopkinsauthor.com/excerpts-...
December 9, 2020
Bad boys being bad boys.
I love my characters, but I have a special place in my heart for the bad boys... (i.e. Dick - the Devil - Asmodeus, Beelzebub, and the archangel Michael). They're fun to write, as they tend to be OTT ridiculous:
Not waiting for the go-ahead, all the members of the Demons MC pumped their weapons into the five men in front of them. Every shot that struck its target made each man move about jerkily on his feet like a grotesque puppet. Not one of the five fell to the ground.
None of the motherfuckers died.
“Whoo-hoo!” a falsetto voice yelled from behind the semi-circle of Demons. Startled, several members of the club swung around and continued shooting.
Sataniel ― Dick ― was on top of the U-Haul’s roof, hoofing in his shit kickers to Paul Brady & the Forest Ranger’s cover of “Gimme Shelter”, which blasted from Aiden’s truck. The Devil was struck several times, yet he kept on dancing.
Crouching near the back of the U-Haul, Gordy took a moment to reload his gun. He didn’t have a chance to sound an alarm when his throat was cut from behind. Slumping to the ground, he clapped a hand to his gushing neck wound. His rapidly fading vision focused on a dark-haired man hovering over him. When the man squatted closer, Gordy caught the unnatural red glow in the killer’s eyes before he died.
Asmodeus stood up and wiped the blood from his Sasanian dagger onto his pant leg before sheathing the weapon. Glancing up at Dick, he shrugged.
I forgot. No weapons. Oops.
In the ensuing silence, with all of their ammunition spent and their targets bloody and still very much alive, several members of the Demons hopped back onto their choppers to make a run for it. None of the bikes started.
“Engine troubles?” Chaz inquired with a chuckle, before spitting a bloody bullet into his left palm. Electrical currents flowed into the ground from the fingertips of his right hand.
“This fuckin’ shit is not happenin’. This is not happenin’,” Mike gasped. “You all should be dead!” He hit his forehead repeatedly with the butt of his Glock.
A dark laugh floated overhead from the roof of the U-Haul.
“And I should be the darling of heavenly princes, yet here I am,” Dick mocked. Jumping from the truck and landing on his feet like a cat, he sauntered up to Huey.
“You look like hell.”
With his remark, all the fallen angels laughed, which spooked the Demons even more. A few of them ―including Brian― pissed in their pants.
“So do you,” Huey finally replied, as he wiped tears from his eyes, smearing blood splatter across his cheeks.
“Who the fuck are you people?” Mike bellowed.
“The Demons?” Asmodeus sneered as he studied the horned skull insignia emblazoned on the bikes’ tanks.
Needing to release some of his pent-up energy ―in addition to shutting the fat guy’s trap― Asmodeus approached Mike and punched him in the face, knocking all three-hundred and fifty pounds of the man into the dirt. Blood flowed immediately from Mike’s broken nose.
The demon raised a satisfied jet brow, then stalked over to the lone Santee-framed motorcycle in the crowd of Harleys.
“I’m taking this if no one’s called dibs on it yet.”
Current word count, as of 12/13/20: 144,107
Not waiting for the go-ahead, all the members of the Demons MC pumped their weapons into the five men in front of them. Every shot that struck its target made each man move about jerkily on his feet like a grotesque puppet. Not one of the five fell to the ground.
None of the motherfuckers died.
“Whoo-hoo!” a falsetto voice yelled from behind the semi-circle of Demons. Startled, several members of the club swung around and continued shooting.
Sataniel ― Dick ― was on top of the U-Haul’s roof, hoofing in his shit kickers to Paul Brady & the Forest Ranger’s cover of “Gimme Shelter”, which blasted from Aiden’s truck. The Devil was struck several times, yet he kept on dancing.
Crouching near the back of the U-Haul, Gordy took a moment to reload his gun. He didn’t have a chance to sound an alarm when his throat was cut from behind. Slumping to the ground, he clapped a hand to his gushing neck wound. His rapidly fading vision focused on a dark-haired man hovering over him. When the man squatted closer, Gordy caught the unnatural red glow in the killer’s eyes before he died.
Asmodeus stood up and wiped the blood from his Sasanian dagger onto his pant leg before sheathing the weapon. Glancing up at Dick, he shrugged.
I forgot. No weapons. Oops.
In the ensuing silence, with all of their ammunition spent and their targets bloody and still very much alive, several members of the Demons hopped back onto their choppers to make a run for it. None of the bikes started.
“Engine troubles?” Chaz inquired with a chuckle, before spitting a bloody bullet into his left palm. Electrical currents flowed into the ground from the fingertips of his right hand.
“This fuckin’ shit is not happenin’. This is not happenin’,” Mike gasped. “You all should be dead!” He hit his forehead repeatedly with the butt of his Glock.
A dark laugh floated overhead from the roof of the U-Haul.
“And I should be the darling of heavenly princes, yet here I am,” Dick mocked. Jumping from the truck and landing on his feet like a cat, he sauntered up to Huey.
“You look like hell.”
With his remark, all the fallen angels laughed, which spooked the Demons even more. A few of them ―including Brian― pissed in their pants.
“So do you,” Huey finally replied, as he wiped tears from his eyes, smearing blood splatter across his cheeks.
“Who the fuck are you people?” Mike bellowed.
“The Demons?” Asmodeus sneered as he studied the horned skull insignia emblazoned on the bikes’ tanks.
Needing to release some of his pent-up energy ―in addition to shutting the fat guy’s trap― Asmodeus approached Mike and punched him in the face, knocking all three-hundred and fifty pounds of the man into the dirt. Blood flowed immediately from Mike’s broken nose.
The demon raised a satisfied jet brow, then stalked over to the lone Santee-framed motorcycle in the crowd of Harleys.
“I’m taking this if no one’s called dibs on it yet.”
Current word count, as of 12/13/20: 144,107
December 2, 2020
So much (or little) for Nano...
Well, I was an utter failure for this year's Nano goal:
I wanted to write 15-20,000 more words to Angelo II; I wrote 8,950. Still, for me, that's a lot and a win on a personal level. I'm enjoying writing Dashiel's story. With that, I'll need to do a bit of research on old-style jukeboxes. LOL
I wanted to write 15-20,000 more words to Angelo II; I wrote 8,950. Still, for me, that's a lot and a win on a personal level. I'm enjoying writing Dashiel's story. With that, I'll need to do a bit of research on old-style jukeboxes. LOL
November 17, 2020
Word Count.
The Angelo II word count is currently at 140,208 words...!!!
While I doubt I'll get in the 15 - 20,000 word count goal for NanoWriMo, I'm still pretty happy. I was in a slump for two weeks, so it's good to get back into the swing of things.
While I doubt I'll get in the 15 - 20,000 word count goal for NanoWriMo, I'm still pretty happy. I was in a slump for two weeks, so it's good to get back into the swing of things.
October 5, 2020
Into Dashiel's story... finally!
Yeah... Ramiel's story took a LOT of work, but I'm now done with it, and pleased with the result. I'm now two short chapters into Dashiel's story and for now, I got no clue on what's going to happen next. Well, I have some ideas, but nothing concrete.
Right now, Angelo II is at 135,125 words, and none of it is filler or repetitive stuff. Technically, I could have made each story in Angelo II as a separate novella or novelette, but I don't want to break it up, as I like the format of the book, and how the scenes/situations flow together, with no cliffhangers.
Page count-wise, its at 435, including the front matter.
After Dashiel's story - which is M/M - I still have to write Penemuel II; his story will really bring a lot of the overarching story together.
The funny thing is I already have the epilogue in my head... of course, it's subject to change. That, and the fact that I also have two spin-offs floating around in my brain. Note that the spin-offs will be much shorter than Angelo II. LOL
Right now, Angelo II is at 135,125 words, and none of it is filler or repetitive stuff. Technically, I could have made each story in Angelo II as a separate novella or novelette, but I don't want to break it up, as I like the format of the book, and how the scenes/situations flow together, with no cliffhangers.
Page count-wise, its at 435, including the front matter.
After Dashiel's story - which is M/M - I still have to write Penemuel II; his story will really bring a lot of the overarching story together.
The funny thing is I already have the epilogue in my head... of course, it's subject to change. That, and the fact that I also have two spin-offs floating around in my brain. Note that the spin-offs will be much shorter than Angelo II. LOL
September 18, 2020
Red Tales.
If I can think up a short story for this, I may go for it:
https://medium.com/red-tales/a-tiny-l...
https://medium.com/red-tales/a-tiny-l...
