What Was 2017 For Me?

Hello everyone, and Happy New Year! Welcome to my first blog post of the new year. I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas, and a New Year. We say goodbye to 2017, and say hello to 2018. But before I look toward the future, I wish to look behind me, and remember what 2017 did for me on a professional level.

It was the 8^th of May when I finally did the impossible. I became an author. I released my first published work in the form of a collection of poems, titled “Black Stain of Life” (now available at online book stores Lulu.com, and Amazon's US and UK stores), which observes the dark, sad, lonely emotions we all feel from time to time, some more than others.

I decided this would be my first when I realized the majority of my poems were subjects on depression, anxiety and heart break. Obviously, a reference to my own personal life. But it wasn't until I had a chat with my brother that I was convinced in putting them all together as a collection. The idea was to show people that these emotions are real, and a real struggle for those experiencing them. It was to show people that they're not alone in thinking these thoughts.

This book was put together because of the immense views I received for my past posts of my poems, which were in the triple digits (thank you very much if you were part of those numbers, by the way), and I figured I had enough poems to warrant a collection, and figured enough people would read it. Also, I thought if I was ever going to be able to call myself an author, now would be the time to do it. So, I did, and, at the time, it was the greatest moment of my life.

When I received the proof copy, my hands were shaking and I got a little emotional. This was my first book. I made it. It even had my name on it. Becoming a No.1 best seller, and multi millionaire didn't matter in that moment. I felt I made a real accomplishment when I held my book in my hands. It was totally surreal, but made me believe what I did was right, and that I should keep doing it.

I did just that.

In October, I released a Halloween book, called "Trick Or Eat Us" (available at Lulu.com, and Amazon's US and UK stores, also) telling the story of five kids who discovered their neighbourhood was populated with monsters, and instead of trick or treating they went monster hunting. I told it in the form of a poem. It was my “T'was The Night Before Christmas” but more Halloweeny, and with monsters.

It was fun to write, and, once I had the proof copy in my hands, it was another mind blowing experience. I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing my name on a book I wrote. Its a drug that I want more of, and come 2018 I hope to produce more books for all of you.

Now, this may appear as me patting myself on the back to a annoying degree, and I apologize for that. To understand my emotions is to understand me, and hopefully you will with each new post I make, as well as with each new book.

Hell, we all deserve to toot our own horn from time to time. There shouldn't be anything wrong with that.

Even though those are the only two things that have happened in my life in a positive fashion, I can look back and say 2017 was great. The impossible became possible, through hard work and determination, and it can for you too.

My aim for the new year is to release my first novel, as well as build up my blog with more poems and short stories. So, you know, just writing, but more of it. As much as I love writing, and the joy I felt from producing two books, I felt like I didn't do enough with my chosen career path. Maybe I'm just kicking myself again, but I feel I neglected my talents last year. Not again. I plan to bombard this blog with as many posts as possible, whether it be creatively or just posting my views, thoughts and reviews (of movies and/or books).

Get ready.

I hope you all have a fantastic 2018, where all your dreams are fulfilled. Let this be your year, because I'm going to make sure this year will be mine as well.