Michael Linen's Blog, page 7
May 22, 2014
"Her Silent Screams: A Father's Betrayal" Author's Review.
Her Silent Screams: A Father's Betrayal by Michael LinenAuthor's rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is a love story about a young man who meets, and falls in love with a young woman, who has been keeping a deep, dark secret for over fourteen years. I think that the lead characters, along with this story are both very compelling and inspiring. Although this story is fiction, the subject matter is all too real. So if this book can touch, help, or inspire just one person... Then it was well worth the time and effort that I put into writing it.
View all my reviews
May 21, 2014
In That Zone!!!
WOW!!! I'm in that zone where, story ideals are popping in my head faster than I can write them. I just kind of have to smile to myself sometimes when I get in that zone. Because sometimes I have to tell myself, "Ok Michael... Slow your butt down. You have plenty of time to write". While I'm not one who has ever suffered from writer's block, I am one who, at times my head becomes filled with too many story ideals at a time, and it just overwhelms me. And of course, I don't want to lose a good stories ideal. Some may say just write them down. But when the stories fill my head, my mind just seems to go into brainstorm mode, and I start brainstorming on them. To the point that, sometimes I can't sleep because I have too many story ideals in my head all at once. Some people have told me that I should consider myself lucky to be able to see the story ideals that clear. And I am. But when its to the point of consuming my mind so much that it gives me horrible headaches, I'm not too sure how lucky that really is. But, I guess as a writer, its better to have too many story ideals in your head, than not having any at all. (ie writer's block)
May 17, 2014
No rest for the weary. Back to work!!!
After taking a couple of weeks off, and releasing the first book from my erotic series, "A Quietstorm Erotic Tale: My Best Friend Aaliyah" its back to work. Back to writing my next book. No rest for the weary. I have to keep it going while the stories are fresh in my head. Sometimes there's too much in my head, and I have to clean some of it out before it piles up too much. [lol]
Its really been a thrill, finally doing what I should have done a long time ago. That's to use the abilities that I have to write. Sometimes I just have to smile to myself. How many times have we asked ourselves, what should I do, as far as pursuing a career? And so often the answer is right there, staring us right in the face. But we just continue to overlook it.
If there is something that you feel in your heart and soul that you're just as good at as anyone else, or even better... That is what you should probably pursue as a career. But you can't just say that you're good at it. You have to be honest with yourself, and really and truly be good at it. And if you are, you should pursue it with a passion. Don't let anyone discourage you, and don't make excuses as to why you aren't pursuing it. With all the resources out there today, you can do it!!! Even if you don't have the financial means, there are ways. There are programs out there that will assist and help you. Just do your research!!! There's a whole world of opportunities out there just waiting to be discovered.
Its really been a thrill, finally doing what I should have done a long time ago. That's to use the abilities that I have to write. Sometimes I just have to smile to myself. How many times have we asked ourselves, what should I do, as far as pursuing a career? And so often the answer is right there, staring us right in the face. But we just continue to overlook it.
If there is something that you feel in your heart and soul that you're just as good at as anyone else, or even better... That is what you should probably pursue as a career. But you can't just say that you're good at it. You have to be honest with yourself, and really and truly be good at it. And if you are, you should pursue it with a passion. Don't let anyone discourage you, and don't make excuses as to why you aren't pursuing it. With all the resources out there today, you can do it!!! Even if you don't have the financial means, there are ways. There are programs out there that will assist and help you. Just do your research!!! There's a whole world of opportunities out there just waiting to be discovered.
May 14, 2014
Magic Johnson On AC 360
I think Magic handled himself with grace and dignity lastnight on Anderson Cooper. He could have been the angry black man... But sense all of this broke he's had the chance to see it for what it is. There was no need to be angry and try to persecute this Sterling character. Because he's already doing a good job of doing it to himself every time he opens his mouth.
I think that its just so unfortunate that we haven't really been able to enjoy the 2014 NBA playoffs. This Donald Sterling situation is definitely over shadowing it. Instead of admiring the fight that the Clippers seem to be putting up against the Thunder, we're talking about where do they go from here if Sterling decides to fight to keep the team. Just a unfortunate situation all around.
I think that its just so unfortunate that we haven't really been able to enjoy the 2014 NBA playoffs. This Donald Sterling situation is definitely over shadowing it. Instead of admiring the fight that the Clippers seem to be putting up against the Thunder, we're talking about where do they go from here if Sterling decides to fight to keep the team. Just a unfortunate situation all around.
May 10, 2014
My book "A Quietstorm Erotic Tale: My Best Friend Aaliyah" published!!!
I have finally published the first book in my urban erotic series, "A Quietstorm Erotic Tale: My Best Friend Aaliyah". Which will soon be available on ebook, ibook, and nook at a online retailer. This one is for those who enjoy a more spicier, scandalous, steamy, sexually explicit level of erotic reading material. It is definitely NOT!!! for those who find this type of adult reading material offensive. You have been warned!!! :)
One of the local magazines was asking me what made me decide to write erotica, along with also writing love and romance stories. Its plain and simple. When it comes to relationships, love, making love, and sex, there is a intense passion and fire that burns inside of me. Sometimes I'm in the mood for sometihing tame, loving, and romantic. But when I'm in that fiery, naughty mood... I crave something more intense, steamy, stimulating, and erotic.
One of the local magazines was asking me what made me decide to write erotica, along with also writing love and romance stories. Its plain and simple. When it comes to relationships, love, making love, and sex, there is a intense passion and fire that burns inside of me. Sometimes I'm in the mood for sometihing tame, loving, and romantic. But when I'm in that fiery, naughty mood... I crave something more intense, steamy, stimulating, and erotic.
May 7, 2014
My Next Book To Be Release Soon!!!
My next book, which will be the first book released from my A Quietstorm Erotic Tale series, titled "My Best Friend Aaliyah" will be released soon!!! Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/m_smoove1, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/m.smoove1, and Smashwords.com: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MSmoove for exact release date!!!
May 5, 2014
V. Stiviano
No, no, no... Don't give this woman anymore attention. Her 15 minutes is up, and she needs to go somewhere already. Especially after that disaster of a interview with Barbara Walters, in which she contradicted herself, up and down, side to side, and all around. Was that a disaster or what??? V., a word of advice... Spend the 1.9 mil. slow!!!
April 29, 2014
Donald Sterling
You know... I can only shake my head as I hear so many people talk about how they are shocked at Donald Sterling's remarks. Being a black man myself, just as many other black people aren't, I'm not shocked in the least. There's no question that race relations has gotten better between whites and blacks since the 60s and 70s. But to be so naive and to think that there aren't a lot of others out there who feel the very same way about blacks as Donald Sterling does is ignorant. They just keep it held inside, or talk about it between them and others who feel the same way. We may be singling Donald Sterling out, but there are many others out there who echo his remarks.
I've gone many places where, I could just feel the tension that I was hated by whites just for being there. Nothing had to be said. I was hated simply because of the color of my skin. There's still a lot of people out there who just refuse to let the racist feelings of the 50s, 60s, and 70s go. And its really just a shame, because we all would find, if you just open your mind and accept people for their character and who they are, rather than for their skin color... You would find that we really could learn and enjoy a lot about one another. My best friend happens to be a white man, and I love him just as I love my family. Yes, we've come a long way as far as race relation, but don't kid yourself. We have a very long way to go. Because the very sad truth about it is that, there's a lot of other Donald Sterlings out there. In many professions, and in many position of power.
I've gone many places where, I could just feel the tension that I was hated by whites just for being there. Nothing had to be said. I was hated simply because of the color of my skin. There's still a lot of people out there who just refuse to let the racist feelings of the 50s, 60s, and 70s go. And its really just a shame, because we all would find, if you just open your mind and accept people for their character and who they are, rather than for their skin color... You would find that we really could learn and enjoy a lot about one another. My best friend happens to be a white man, and I love him just as I love my family. Yes, we've come a long way as far as race relation, but don't kid yourself. We have a very long way to go. Because the very sad truth about it is that, there's a lot of other Donald Sterlings out there. In many professions, and in many position of power.
April 28, 2014
Smashwords.com
Smashwords has been a God send to me. I am just so thankful to Mark Coker and his dream to develop a company like Smashwords.com. Thanks to his dream, it has allowed my dream, and the dream of so many others to become a published author come true. And the thing that's so great about it is, I think that this is just the beginning. I think that there is just so much more to come from Mark Coker and Smashwords. I think that he can take Smashwords.com to heights that's still left for him to discover.
One of Smashwords' slogan is, your book, your way. I love it!!! Because that's exactly the way that it is. There's no one to reject you. There's no one to tell you to change the title, the makeup of the character, the plot, the theme, or the outcome of your book. Its as they say. Your book, your way, in your words, and how you chose it to be. Hopefully Mark Coker and Smashwords will be around for a long, long, long time. I'm very proud to be a author/publisher on Smashwords.com
One of Smashwords' slogan is, your book, your way. I love it!!! Because that's exactly the way that it is. There's no one to reject you. There's no one to tell you to change the title, the makeup of the character, the plot, the theme, or the outcome of your book. Its as they say. Your book, your way, in your words, and how you chose it to be. Hopefully Mark Coker and Smashwords will be around for a long, long, long time. I'm very proud to be a author/publisher on Smashwords.com
Indie Publishing
I absolutely love this Indie Publishing thing. After querying hundreds of literary agents over the last tens years, and having my manuscripts rejected more times than I care to remember, Indie Publishing has given me new life, and a new energy.
I could respect that my manuscripts were rejected because it just didn't fit what a particular agent was looking for. But there were many times that I knew the rejections had to do with something more. There were times when some of the agents absolutely loved the query, but when they asked for the partials, and learned that the characters were black, Latino, or Asian, all of a sudden, the story wasn't what they were looking for. Then there were the times when they asked me to change the racial makeup of the characters, the storylines, the plot, theme and the ending of the story, only to reject it anyway.
So often they had me make changes to my manuscripts, that it didn't even resembled the original story that I wrote in the end. I wasn't going to give up on my dream of becoming a published author, but I was very frustrated with the rude treatment of many of the agents, the b.s., and the sometimes racial tone of some of the rejections. I also got sick and tired of the ideal that so many of the agents asked for the first 5 to 10 pages of my manuscripts, and were actually going to judge my book based upon just the first 5 to 10 pages. But then I discovered Indie Publishing, and it has been great!!!
I could respect that my manuscripts were rejected because it just didn't fit what a particular agent was looking for. But there were many times that I knew the rejections had to do with something more. There were times when some of the agents absolutely loved the query, but when they asked for the partials, and learned that the characters were black, Latino, or Asian, all of a sudden, the story wasn't what they were looking for. Then there were the times when they asked me to change the racial makeup of the characters, the storylines, the plot, theme and the ending of the story, only to reject it anyway.
So often they had me make changes to my manuscripts, that it didn't even resembled the original story that I wrote in the end. I wasn't going to give up on my dream of becoming a published author, but I was very frustrated with the rude treatment of many of the agents, the b.s., and the sometimes racial tone of some of the rejections. I also got sick and tired of the ideal that so many of the agents asked for the first 5 to 10 pages of my manuscripts, and were actually going to judge my book based upon just the first 5 to 10 pages. But then I discovered Indie Publishing, and it has been great!!!
