Rashad Freeman's Blog, page 3

I suck at deadlines

Yes this is an epiphany.  I've been creating writing deadlines and trying to get these series of books out to no avail.  Maybe it's the stress of writing to a date or I'm just a slacker in general.  But alas I've come to the conclusion that I suck at deadlines.

It's actually a bit depressing because I have all these super awesome stories in my head and I'm just entirely too slow to get them on paper.  I actually should be writing or attempting to write right now, but ugh...

Enough of my whining I shall shrink off to obscurity now...

Where we are with the 2nd Amendment

So I've been pretty quiet for some time on this issue.  I assumed after things calmed down common sense would prevail, but that is obviously not the case.  Let me start this post with a tad bit of background information on myself.  I'm a registered democrat although I think the whole party scenario is pretty stupid. (But that's another post.)  I'm also a registered gun owner.  Absolutely love them and if I could legally get my hands on a tank I'd own one too.  I have a son in middle school, one in daycare and one entering kindergarten.  I also live in Florida.

With the rash of gun crimes it seems that common sense has gone out of the window.  People are in a rush to do stupid stuff and spread misinformation which is a bit more than annoying.  Our biggest gun control issue is every state has different laws.  I think Florida's gun laws are great, Texas is pretty awesome too and a lot of the states in the Midwest.  To give you an idea in Florida you are required to pass a background check when purchasing a weapon from a dealer.  Private sales are excluded.  Concealed carry permits are available.  You have to take a weapons class, get fingerprinted and a host of other things.

My biggest issue is that everything they are currently trying to pass won't make any difference at all.  The amount of crimes committed by legal gun owners is negligible.  And the amount committed with assault rifles is even smaller than that.  The majority of all gun crime is committed by criminals in the first place, which oddly enough do not follow laws.  Any laws you pass in addition to the current ones are just annoying.

The shooter in the movie theatre.  Yes he purchased those guns legally, but only because of an issue with the GOVERNMENT systems.  He shouldn't have been able to, but the agencies involved do not share information so nothing was flagged on his background check.  Spend your time fixing that.

The Virgina Tech shooter.  He purchased his guns legally.  He had no psych profile to preclude him from buying them.  You can't stop every crazy person although if guns were allowed on college campuses this may have never happened.  I bring him up more as a counter to the assault rifle argument.  He used two pistols and this was the deadliest school shooting in history.  Anyone that knows anything about guns can tell you magazine size won't matter nor will pistol vs. AR to the determined.  You can unload a glock just as fast as an AR because the speed is determined by how fast you pull the trigger, nothing else.  Changing magazines takes a fraction of a second.

The Newtown shooting.  He stole his mother's guns after killing her.  Please tell me what law could prevent this from happening.  Again there was no one there that could return fire, which is a huge issue.  In Florida all Middle Schools and High schools have armed resource officers present.  I think this should be required at elementary schools as well.  Furthermore if you have a concealed weapons permit you should be able to carry your gun everywhere.

The big issue in America is mental health, but we refuse to talk about that.  Who cares about guns, I'm more concerned on what would make someone crazy enough to kill a classroom full of children.  And it's not video games.  If you kill your mother and then a bunch of six year olds something is really wrong with you.  If you walk into a movie theatre and open fire...something is wrong with you.  If you chain the doors at a school and then to proceed to shoot everyone, guess what...

It's time we start dealing with the real problems in America.        

******More ridiculous arguments.

(Why do you need an assault rifle)
Why not?  An assault rifle is a more ergonomic version of any semi auto rifle.  It has more user features and is lighter and better to shoot.  Many people say they were designed for killing, but make no mistake every gun ever manufactured was designed to kill people.

(Why do you need a 30 rd magazine)
Again, why not?  If you are practicing or fighting off an army of invading zombies reloading sucks.  A 30 rd. magazine is very practical in both situations.  A law on magazine size only stops me from having as many bullets ready to fire as the criminal attacking me.  Is there enough info to say that 30 rd. magazines are somehow more detrimental than say a 10 rd? 

(Universal background checks)
Not a horrible idea, but how do you apply this?  Private party sales don't have access to this and even if they did how do you regulate it?  I don't have an issue with a background check as I'm not a criminal, but why throw money at something you can't enforce. 

Teaser Time!!!

   Enjoy(Leave me your thoughts)  Modern Day IraqProfessor Carson pulled hard on the heavy cement door.  Sweat cascaded down his sandy face and rolled into his eyes.  Wiping at his brow he looked around and sighed. He pushed the circular door to the side and gazed down the cramped shaft.  A gust of foul of wind swirled past him.  It smelled like damp clothes and moth balls. Swiping at cob webs he slowly crawled through the narrow tunnel and stood up.  Douglas followed close behind him, mindful of every move he made. The dimly lit cavern was known to be treacherous and many archeologists had paid the ultimate price for their studies.  For decades before him, students and scholars had come only to find that death was lurking in the shadows. A small tunnel in a clay hut led to the underground palace.  It had been unearthed over fifty years ago, but now Professor Carson was on the brink of an even greater discovery.  A secret chamber, that he believed hadn’t been seen in over ten thousand years. “Douglas, bring me the reading lamp.”  He yelled. Carson sat down on a rock and took off his hat.  He rubbed is graying beard and dabbed at his face with a dirty hand towel. “This is really something else.”  Douglas said. He spun around looking at the underground structure in awe.  The spanning columns and looming archways had been preserved in a near perfect state.  The walls still bore the mark of an ancient time, covered with paintings and mystic writings. The room they were sitting in was enormous.  It was believed to be the last standing remnant of the Kingship of Eridug.  A long forgotten civilization that mysteriously vanished overnight.  Some even thought that the secret tomb of Alulim, Sumerian’s first king was hidden within the underground dome. Carson took the light and shined it over a decaying piece of parchment.  He sighed and bit his bottom lip. “It’s that way.”  He stood and suddenly pointed. Douglas followed Carson as he walked off into the shadows, his torch glowing in the dark.  He moved silently straining his ears, for it was well known that this place was riddled with booby traps.  Warnings, illegible to most were stamped across every wall. The ground was probably made of slate, but now more than five inches of sand covered the floor.  Skeletons lay partially covered in the dirt, a warning to all who dared to go further. Professor Carson edged on slowly, compelled by curiosity to uncover the secrets buried in the depths.  He’d studied the Sumerian culture for more than forty years and was considered by many the foremost authority.  It was only right that he had deciphered the message hidden in an ancient artifact, which revealed the location of the hidden tomb. They stopped at a hole in the ground that was surrounded by a small row of bricks with more writing etched into it.  A rope ladder dangled into the depths, disappearing after a few feet into the darkness. Professor Carson looked back at Douglas and examined his face.  “You don’t have to go down there.  You can wait for me here.” Douglas smirked then rolled his eyes.  “Hold the torch overhead so I can see where I’m going.” Douglas stepped over the row of bricks and carefully placed his foot on the first step of the ladder.  It swung wildly and he almost fell, but Carson reached out and grabbed his arm. “Careful son, these places are not known to be forgiving.” Douglas grinned and righted himself.  He grabbed the sides of the ladder and gradually began to climb down.  Professor Carson held the torch over the hole lighting the way. Each step took him deeper and deeper into the Earth.  After five minutes he could no longer see the top or even the torch above him. “Have you reached the bottom yet?”  Professor Carson called down. “No, no I still can’t see it.” Douglas methodically placed each foot, step after step.  He purposefully stared straight ahead, terrified to look down into the abyss beneath him.  The ladder twisted and turned with the slightest movement, making each step harder than the last. He slid down another level, planting his foot firmly on the wooden plank.  Suddenly it snapped and he tumbled backwards and lost his grip.  He reached for the rope, but only grasped air. He fell in slow motion.  His legs and arms were sprawling helplessly in the dark.  Plummeting downward he let out a yelp and then landed with a thud onto the rocky floor. “Douglas are you okay?”  Carson screamed. “Found the bottom.”  Douglas responded in a whimper. Rubbing his lower back he slowly got to his feet.  He looked around, barely able to see past his nose. “Throw the torch down.”  Douglas yelled. He stared towards the top, but he couldn’t see a thing.  It was as if he was trying to open his eyes while his hands were covering his face.  He stepped to the side just as a flame erupted out of nowhere and fell to the floor. The torch barely missed him as it smashed to the ground.  He bent over and picked it up.  Holding it over his head he swept back and forth he looking around. In every direction the ground seemed to disappear into the dark. The ladder swung about, brushing against him as Professor Carson started to make his way down. “Be careful professor.  Some of the steps are broken.”  Douglas yelled. A few minutes later Professor Carson stepped off the ladder onto the ground. “Let me see the torch.” Carson lifted it towards the roof and examined the rocky surface.  A series of dots were marked on the stone that ran off into the darkness. “It’s that way.”  Carson pointed and began to walk. Douglas scurried along trying to keep up.  The torch didn’t provide much light and if the professor was more than five feet ahead of him he’d disappear. Douglas huffed as they marched across the endless sand.  It was strange that while there was a strong smell of musk in the other room this part of the tunnel was odorless.  He couldn’t recognize any scent at all. The glow of the fire burned feebly as the sand crunched beneath each step.  The professor would stop from time to time and stare up at the ceiling to make sure they were on track. They walked for a while and then the room suddenly opened up.  The rocky ceiling had only been a meter above them, but now it rose to more than thirty feet.  The torch grew brighter as the darkness thinned.  It glowed, illuminating the staggering dome structure. There was no sand any longer.  The floor was made of pristine marble, like it had never been walked on.  Their footsteps echoed loudly with each step. Carson stopped right at the edge of a long ramp way that slanted even further underground.  It dropped down another twenty feet and then disappeared into another room.  He looked back at Douglas who was still staring up at the expansive ceiling.  He tapped him on the shoulder and motioned for him to follow.     “Almost there.”  Carson mumbled as he stepped down the declining ramp.  “Be careful Douglas, it’s quite slippery.” Douglas cautiously placed his feet onto the ramp and slid down.  Once he reached the bottom he sighed and took a deep breath.  The marble floor had ended and he was standing in thick sand once again. Suddenly there was a loud hiss and the dome began to shake.  The opening they’d just slid down slammed shut as an enormous rock fell onto the other side of the ramp. “So much for their booby traps.”  Professor Carson smirked. He walked forward a few steps to a large door that was etched in the rock in front of him.  He ran his hand across it, tracing the ancient symbols with his finger. “This is it!  This has to be it.”  Carson smiled. Douglas slowly inched towards him.  He was cautious, but also intrigued by what could be the discovery of the century. “How…How do we open it?”  Douglas stuttered. Professor Carson stared at the door, beaming with joy.  “The code.  The code was hidden in that old shield.  Right there for anyone to see.”  He seemed to be talking to himself. “There was nothing to it really.  Just a simple mathematical pattern.”  He slowly touched different symbols along the rock. “And of course it all ends with the sun.”  Professor Carson brought his finger to rest on the oblong circle with flames surrounding it. For a moment nothing happened.  Professor Carson stepped back and looked up and down the wall.  Douglas eyed him pessimistically. Then suddenly the ground began to shake.  The rocks raked against each other making a loud shriek.  The door slowly creeped open, shuffling sand to the side.  Carson breathed heavily in anticipation, his eyes wide with wonder. “All my years, I never dreamed.”  Carson said in awe. Douglas moved closer as the door stopped.  They both gazed inside.  It was pitch black except a luminous blue light that seemed to be floating in the distance. The room was like nothing they’d ever seen before.  It was the embodiment of emptiness.  It was like staring into nothing.  There was no floor no roof just blackness and that eerie light. Carson and Douglas seemed to be hypnotized by it.  Minutes passed and they didn’t move.  Their mouths hung open, they didn’t even blink.  After a long time Carson took a step forward and spoke. “I’m going inside.” “Yes, we must go inside.”  Douglas said in staccato. They deliberately moved forward throwing caution to the wind.  As they crossed the threshold time seemed to stop.  A serene feeling overwhelmed the Professor and he suddenly felt connected to everything. He could feel the blood coursing through Douglas’s veins.  He could sense the irregular rhythm of his heartbeat.  The room was alive with activity.  He watched as atoms bombarded with one another.  He finally had a sense of his place in the world. “The light.  Professor the light.”  Douglas stuttered. Carson hadn’t noticed that the blue light was slowly itching towards them.  At the sound of Douglas’s voice he seemed to snap out of his trance. He tried to move, but he couldn’t.  They were suspended in the nothingness of the room.  Caron began to panic as Douglas squirmed and screamed. The light was growing brighter and brighter.  Then it suddenly zipped towards them in a flash. “No!  No… no!”  Carson’s voice flooded the room, echoing into the darkness. The light exploded, filling the emptiness with a harsh blue light.  As quickly as it had flashed it vanished and the room was empty again.     

So if you actually pay attention

If you have actually read any of my books it's pretty obvious that the covers floating above are super old.  Yes in my early days I did not have the skill I possess now.  I promise, well maybe I shouldn't promise, but I'll make a valiant effort to update all the images on my blog this week.  I swear the new covers are so much more awesome.  In other news Origins Volume 2 of Creature Kid is picking up steam.  I'd lost a bit of my mojo for a while.  I also  have Apocalypse 2 in the works, Escape Part 3 of the Doomsday Playbook and a new post apocalyptic work, Second.  There are some other things in the works as well, but I'll keep them wrapped up and do a giant cover reveal pretty soon.  Well as you can see I have a lot to write so I'm getting back to it.  Until next time.

Blog Hop

BLOG HOP – The Next Big Thing
I was recently tagged by J.B. Raleigh, author of Death Knell.
http://jeanetteraleigh.wordpress.com/

The rules for the blog hop are as follows:
****Give credit to the person/blog that tagged you
**** Post the rules for the blog hop
****Answer these ten questions about your current WIP (Work In Progress) on your blog
****Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them.
Ten Interview Questions for Origins:  Volume II of The Creature Kid Series.
What is the working title of your book?
Admist the pile of books I'm currently working on, Origins: Volume II of The Creature Kid Series is the one I'm talking about today.  It's a continuation from Shadow of Darkness and follows a teenage boy through a series of adventures as he comes to terms with the reality of not being human.

Where did the idea come from for the book?Well I've always liked the idea of giving some sort of powers to an unasuming character who'd rather relinquish them all.  From that seed an entire series developed.

What genre does your book fall under?
YA Science Fiction/Paranormal

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
I like Jayden Smith as the main character.  He's about the right age and would fit nicely.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Kid finds out he's not human, people want him dead, his parents aren't really his parents, bang! (I'm horrible with synopsis')
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Self-published on Amazon, etc.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
It's a WIP, I'm still writing it, lol.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Harry Potter meets Twilight meets City of Bones
Who or What inspired you to write this book?
My overwhelming desire to fly.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
It is jam packed with action and engaging characters.  You get to follow a set of characters on a journey and watch them grow through the series.
And the writer I’m tagging is -
Chris Ward, author of Tube Riders
http://amillionmilesfromanywhere.blogspot.jp/
 

Writing Talent VS. Writing Skill

I could always write.  From term papers and resumes to stories about flaming dragons, writing was a talent that I obviously possessed.  I don't say this to sound egotistical, but it's just a fact.  To sit down and compose a narrative that flowed and held most readers attention was as simple as walking for me.  I don't know how many times someone has said to me, "Wow you can write."

I've always known I could write.  Just as certain as I was that I could talk or ride a bicycle.  Writing was and likely still is a talent I've taken for granted.  During my years on this Earth one could say I squandered my gifts, never taking them to their full potential.

Intro, Ebooks.  While I've dabbled at writing my entire life, writing novels that is.  Up until last year I'd never finished one.  I always assumed it was because I was just too lazy, but that's an assumption I've come to learn as false.  All those years I stopped and started was because I lacked the skill.

I know that sounds strange.  To be a talented writer without the skill to finish a book, but there are very real differences between the two.  Talent you are born with.  It's that inalienable gift that you either have or you don't.  Skill on the other hand is developed over time.  You earn skill, through countless hours of practice and repetition.

Talent and luck may get you to where you want to be, but with talent and skill, you write your own ticket.  (No pun intended.)  As I contemplate my own self publishing journey I can't help but think of all the other talented writers out there.  Some have taken to perfecting their craft, writing for hours on end in an effort to become professionals.  Others have decided that talent alone is enough.

There is no real point to this post, just an observation or an epiphany that I thought I'd share.  Maybe it'll make someone think, maybe it won't.  But if there comes a time that you wonder why your writing career isn't where you'd like it to be.  Perhaps you should think about developing your skill a bit more and relying less on your talent.

It's 2013!!!!

Welp, it's official, unless I blow up before I hit publish we've survived another year.  I've officially been a professional writer for a year and what a journey it's been.  Over three million books sold, a movie in the works and multiple appearances on Good Morning America.  Well I can dream can't I.  At any rate, 2012 is in the books, literally lol.  Hopefully everyone had something positive occur and 2013 will continue the trend.  I'm looking forward to the return of all my awesome shows, House of Lies, Game of Thrones, Walking Dead, True Blood, etc. etc.  Anyhow I'm behind on writing so gotta go.  Happy 2013!!!!!

January, it's coming!!!

Finally this January Volume II of the Creature Kid Series, Origins will be released.  Here's a sample of the unfinished cover.  Be prepared to have your mind blown as we dive into Anthony's past and really find out what's going on with him.  If you had questions from the first book well here come the answers and another neck jarring ride.  Did you really think Anthony's friends were gonna leave him in some detention facility?  This book we are going global, Egypt comes to mind.  In the next few days I'll be leaving some samples of what you can expect.  Until then go grab "Prepped" to keep your mind sharp.  :-) 

The day the world didn't end.

So it's Dec. 21, 2012 and guess what...we are still here.  Shocker I know right.  In honor of all the madness though I released "Prepped" yesterday for all you conspiracy types.  The sequel "Aftermath" comes out tomorrow Dec. 22, 2012 since we didn't die in some fiery blaze.  I have to say I am a bit disappointed as I was awaiting a few zombies for target practice. 

Aside from that I've been a busy boy.  I published "Night Slashers" and "And The Meek Shall" also.  I'll write more about that later, I'm a bit busy at work and all.  Somehow in between all this writing and what not I became a Taylor Swift fan.  At least her latest single, "I knew you were trouble when you walked in."  Shhh, don't tell anyone.  It's on repeat right now.

On another note.  Yes, gun violence sucks.  No, taking every ones guns won't solve it.  Criminals don't follow laws...also a shocker.

I'm trying hard to get "Origins" volume 2 of the creature kid series out in January.  That along with part 2 of Apocalypse.  We'll see.  I suck with deadlines.  Well back to writing, go grab a book and enjoy!!!

Come on man!!!

So, this is a bit of a controversial topic, but one that really gets under my skin.  Gun Control.  So I was watching the news the other day, as I normally do.  And a story ran about a man that opened fire in a crowded shopping mall.  The man was armed with some type of semi automatic rifle.  He managed to shoot I believe three people, killing two of them. 

While the fallout hasn't started yet, I'm certain anti-gun folk are about to start pushing more gun laws etc. etc.  Now what bugs me about all of this is that more gun control is the dumbest answer to the problem I've ever heard.

First off you can probably count on one hand the number of legal gun owners who've taken innocent lives.  People get drunk and kill people every day in cars or not even when they're drunk.  Do we plan on outlawing cars and going back to bicycles?  In my opinion more guns would be a better albeit extreme answer.  If you look at all of the shootings that have occurred, one trained citizen with a firearm would've made all the difference and saved countless lives.

I think are gun laws are fine as they stand.  But it seems like any time a tragedy occurs people are up in arms (pun intended) trying to take everyones guns.  I wish as a society we could be more level headed and actually make logical decisions. 

Ok, crawling off my soap box.  I'm just saying....