Michael War's Blog, page 9

New blurb for Outdated

Here’s the new blurb for Outdated. Let me know what you all think.

A thirty-six year old IT professional and married for ten years, Greg knows he’s not the young, hot and exciting stud he used to be. But he didn’t think he was so outdated that he would come home to find his husband screwing a younger man on their living room sofa.

Stuck living with his ex, completely lost when it comes to the drastic changes of the dating landscape, it feels like he’s going to be outdated and alone forever. The only bright spot in his life is Kellan, the hunky bear who frequently flirts with him. But even that is dampened by Kellan’s mixed signals, leaving it unclear if he really wants Greg at all.

Yes, this whole Michael Sam thing is important and this is why….

When I was younger, I was into sports. I liked playing them, and I was fairly decent. Not great, but not terrible. But because I was slightly feminine, I was made to feel like I wasn’t any good at all; as if I couldn’t keep up with the regular boys. So after that, I just didn’t pay attention to them anymore.

Sad to say, but that whole view of not being as good as the other boys still lingers on today. However, now we have someone who could help change that. Not that it’s his entire responsibility to share, but Michael Sam being drafted by the Rams is significant because it could help shatter the view that somehow being gay makes you less of a man than “regular” guys. Heck, he’s already done that by earning the SEC Defensive Player of the year.

Even though we know it’s not true, the prevailing image of gay culture is that of men wanting to be women. The fault lies in many places (and not just from straight people), but like all people, gay men are all sorts of different shapes, sizes, and personalities. So you may shrug your shoulders and ask “who cares” when it comes to Michael Sam’s sexuality, but trust me, if you were in my shoes, you would definitely care a whole lot.

Happy Mother’s Day

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to all!!

Why I Prefer Twitter

I have been so neglectful of my blog, though I really have been meaning to utilize it a bit more. But I guess I’m just having too much fun on Twitter to notice anything else. I don’t know what it is; I just feel so much more connected on Twitter than I do with my blog. Plus, and don’t laugh, but I actually feel like I express myself better on Twitter than on my blog or Facebook. Maybe I’m just someone who likes to writer things in short bursts and not long ones (hmmm, and I want to be an author.)

I guess what I really find the most beneficial is that I can actually find a lot more like-minded people such as myself on Twitter than anywhere else. Not only do I have writers on my list of followers, but I also have people on there that have the same love of television that I do. Of course, it’s hard to find them in between the many tweets of people pimping out their books. I admit I do a shameless plug every now and then, but you’ll probably find me musing over the latest episode of The Goldbergs or Agents of Shield, which is quite often.

So yeah, like everyone else, I started out using it as just another marketing strategy, but for anyone who tweets for that sole purpose is going to be greatly disappointed. Twitter, like anything social network, requires you to be social, which means you actually have to go out and connect with people. Sure, some might find you without you having to lift a finger, but that’s not always the case. The best advice I can give is to just be yourself. I did, and I’m having a blast.

Now back to my regularly scheduled program.

New Blurb for Roommate Adventures

As the rerelease for Roommate Adventures draws near, the bits and pieces are finally coming together thanks to Less Than Three Press. First they gave me this wonderful cover,

and now the blurb:

Danny has decided it’s time to make his life drama free, and he’s going to start with his living arrangements. The strife caused by a previous roommate is not something he aims to repeat. His plans are neatly shattered, however, when the new roommate arrives. Javier is exactly the kind of temptation he was hoping to avoid—and with him comes a whole new set of problems that leave Danny helpless as to who he really wants.

I’m so excited I can hardly contain myself. Until next time…..

New cover for Roommate Adventures!

Just received the cover for the re-release of Roommate Adventures. It’s exactly what i wanted, and evokes the kind of tone that I was hoping to capture. I am so excited and thankful to Less Than Three Press, who have been so great during this whole process. What do you all think?

The Whole Phil Robertson Thing

I really didn’t want to get into the whole Phil Robertson controversy, but after reading a couple of articles such as this one (followed by some pretty harsh comments), I just couldn’t stop myself from typing. Well, it was mostly the comments that made me write, not necessarily the article.

First of all, I would like to say that I really don’t care what the guy said. As many people, gay and straight, have mentioned before, he has the right to say it. But I also don’t fault A&E for putting him on a really brief suspension. They are a private company, not a government entity, so they can choose what they want to do with their talent as they see fit; even if that means putting him back on the air after a faster than you can blink suspension. I’ve never seen Duck Dynasty, and I probably won’t after this, and that is my choice.

What I do take issue with is the fact that people have been saying that Robertson was simply quoting straight from the Bible, and that means that since it is the word of God, it cannot be argued with. Fine, I get that. But he went beyond quoting the Bible. If you take a look at this quote from the article (which I got from the HuffPo), he does go into personal opinion territory:

“It seems like, to me, a vagina — as a man — would be more desirable than a man’s anus,” Robertson told GQ. “That’s just me. I’m just thinking: There’s more there! She’s got more to offer. I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I’m saying? But hey, sin: It’s not logical, my man. It’s just not logical.”

And with that quote lies the problem: most people are so focused on the gay sex aspect of homosexuality, that they forget that there’s a bit more to it than just the sex. Also, as with many people who object to homosexuality, his statements seem to be geared towards just men. I’m not saying that gay women do not face any struggles with acceptance, but in almost every debate I have been a part of, people always seem to bring up how hard it is for them to stomach the idea of one dude getting it on with another dude. (Actual quote right there.) When you focus on things that disgust you, it leads to a lot of negative statements that could in turn become very dangerous. I don’t think Robertson’s words were meant to be that way; I don’t know the guy, so I won’t assume anything. But they could have been chosen a bit more carefully.

I’m an adult, and I can take insults. Been living with them all my life, and they have made me a stronger man because of it. But what about someone who is struggling with who they are? In this day and age of teenagers taking their lives because of bullying, words really do matter. It’s not even just a gay issue anymore. Words hurt, and they always have. After taking a look at the comments I have seen on sites such as Yahoo!, I don’t think people understand that basic fact.

I’m not saying people should keep their opinions to themselves, but there are many ways to say that you don’t agree with homosexuality without being so volatile. Just because you have the right to say what you want doesn’t mean it has to come out with such venom. How would you like it if someone talked to your mother, father, child or anyone close to you that way? It would probably make you mad as hell and want to do something about it (such as request a certain star be removed from their show.)

Well, to make a long story short, I do believe that people have the right to say what they want, just like I have the right to disagree. But we should still do it in the most respectful way possible. In other words: think before you speak. It might just help avoid any controversy. Well, probably not, but it couldn’t hurt.

Merry Christmas!

My Journey Continues

Someone asked me how I could call myself an author if I only have two short stories up for sale. That’s a fair question, though one that needs a bit of clarification. I do have only two works up, both shorts, but at one time I had five, with each one increasing in length (no pun intended) as I became more confident in my writing. I had been hesitant to write anything longer than a novella, only because I was a bit rusty (I hadn’t done anything that wasn’t a screenplay or play in a while), and because I wanted to test things out.

What I learned is that although I enjoyed the freedom of self-publishing, I really couldn’t do it all myself. I applaud anyone who can, but with the demands of my day job and life in general, it was too much of a task. Plus, I was beginning to spend more than I was bringing in for editing and such, and I just didn’t see how I could do it anymore. I love writing, and I wanted to share my work with the world, but I was at a crossroads. That is when I decided to start sending my work out there to small indie publishers, to see if perhaps they might be interested in my work.

I decided to start with Roommate Adventures, which began as two shorts that I combined to make a longer piece. I submitted it to Less Than Three Press, and it was accepted. I was ecstatic, and I immediately took them off of Amazon and Smashwords. I just felt that it wouldn’t be fair to keep them up, especially if people started purchasing that version before the re-released one came out. I was going to have to take them down at some point, so I figured the sooner the better.

So far the process has been wonderful. The editing process has been amazing, and I simply can’t wait to see the final product. We’ve also begun the process on my latest story,So to answer the question from above, yes, I do feel it is okay to call myself an author.