Javier A. Robayo's Blog, page 8

Breathe

"When you opt to change everything, always remember to breathe, and embrace it all with eyes wide open".- T.L. Tate
   For the past three days, my life has consisted of furnishing two bedrooms in my parent's home where my girls and my Sheri will be until I rejoin them in October.   After a long, slow drive pulling a trailerful of belongings, and fighting a major bout of uncertainty and utter self-recrimination, reorganizing and living the days side by side with my parents...

You Called Me 'Home'

   I was a two story cape whose family was moving away when you came.  You brought your bride and a small dog, a weiner dog as I recall.  My landscaping was lacking, my bushes overgrown.  You somehow saw beyond the cracks in the driveway sprouting weeds.  I noticed you grinning when you claimed the single detached garage.
   Your eyes found my skin tired and chalky, and my windows were drafty.  My doors had never seen a coat of paint, but I opened t...

#@&%!!! I can't believe I missed this!

   If you have ever written for someone, from a grocery list to a schooldays' love note, to a short story or a novel, face it, you've gone through this, but as an author this little comic has a whole other significance.   I remember toying with this idea, urged by a good friend to write what eventually became THE GAZE.  I went through the "my writing really sucks" stage for a solid month before I was able to move to the "hey, I'm not so bad after all" stage.  Some...

Mentions @Version 2.0

      Some 45 days ago, I composed a blog, thanking some wonderful tweeps for their support.  Gratitude, like many human gestures, needs upgraded and upgraded often.    Once I started writing THE GAZE, I felt it was important to never forget how it all started and so I launched Out of the Mind... and dedicated it to this journey.  I remember jumping for joy the first time I saw a 10 on the view count.  I don't know 10 people that would read my blog...

This Book Is How Long...???

       I was intimidated by the length of the book at first...Amazon Reviewer       My only issue with the whole book was the length...Blog Reviewer     (Happily, both reviewers gave The Gaze great marks    I've seen smiles fade quickly once those eyes fix on the thickness of my novel. I've watched in remorseful anticipation as someone opens the book and squints at the 10 point print. I've enjoyed the shock when I an...

Vicki, A Dream Fan

   I reserve this blog to share the experience of writing a novel.  Blogs are like a writing work out for me and this experience has given me plenty to blog about.  I realized, since I posted a blog about a bad review, it's only fair to counter that with a good one.  But this is not just a good review. 
   Like many of you out there with your novels, I've been blessed with some positive feedback on my work, THE GAZE.  However, this partic...

New Website, The Latest Evolution

The evolution continues, this time in the shape of a brand new website that I hope will stand for a lifetime to come. I've always been in awe of many authors' websites. They're vibrant, elegant, and depending on their style, very unique.Just as need is the mother of invention, and pressure makes diamonds out of coal, I immersed myself into learning how to build a website. It really is not as complicated and intimidating as I once thought. The good folks at Weebly made it a fairly good experi...

The BAD Review

   Nope, not my kind of book. Vvveeerrryyy long, too many twists & pretentious writing. The last 20 pages were the only redeeming factor of this book.
   Yes, it had to happen, didn't it?  If we write a novel and don't expect someone to dislike it, we're either naive, overconfident or have completely lost touch with reality.   Still, my entire morning was ruined by this young lady's review.       I'm not writing this to discredit...

A Real Writer

   Today, June 27th of 2012, will forever live in my heart, much like March 1st of this same year.        After a whirlwind of emotions, long hours at the keyboard, and despite a full time job that demands I work different shifts each week, I can now look at the fruit of my labors and sigh with utter contentment.  Today I dare call myself an author, a novelist, a writer.  I now have the audacity of thinking myself a real writer for the first t...

The Face of THE GAZE

    Some three Christmases ago, I gave my dad a copy of Alexander Dumas' "The Three Musketeers". At the time, I was struggling with an adventure story that had more block walls than any self-respecting labyrinth. I had a feeling this story was going to end up in the shelf, at least for a while. But in order to make myself a goal, I wrote a promise on the first page, "Dad, I promise you one day to give you a book with my name on its spine..."     If you've ever...