New book releases, travel, and looking toward the New Year
Well, we are a month into 2025 and it has already been an interesting time. First of all, Kentucky got hit with a heavy winter snowstorm. We got about eight inches of snow, which basically put Louisville on hold. The snow itself probably would not have been that bad if it were not that we had a round of ice the night before. Luckily, we did not lose power and were not completely snowed in, though we avoided the roads.
The crazy part was this snow happened the weekend that school was to go back in session. So instead of a two week break, we had three. While nice, it has made starting the second half of the school year a little more hectic. We also had freezing temperatures one morning, so we had to do an NTI (non-traditional instruction) day. So getting into a rhythm for myself and my students has been difficult.
Now onto some more positive news. I got a chance to visit New Orleans for the first time in January. One of my best friends turned 40, so we had an awesome guys weekend in the Big Easy. Of course that added to my getting into a routine with my students, but I believe sometimes you have to make time for the things that are important; like having fun experiences with my friends. As I get older and people get married and build families, making time for friends gets more difficult.
The long weekend was a great time, added to the fact that the week before, New Orleans got the most snow they had in over 100 years. Luckily for us, most of the snow was gone by the time we arrived. I’m sure that I don’t need to tell many of you what a great city New Orleans is to visit. It will remind you that you are not in your 20s anymore, illustrated by the fact that most of the nights there, we were crashing out by 11 pm.
The city also has given me some ideas for some writing projects. And I am planning on some future articles for Medium. The food, night life, music, art, and history will give me fuel for several articles. My wife and I are planning a future trip, to not only do some couple activities, but see some sights that my friends and I didn’t get a chance to take in.
Speaking of Medium, I had the best year ever as far as my writing for them has went. In October I made the most I ever did, with $700; most of which came from an article I did on 2022 on Sex During the Black Death. I’ve also seen my audience grow to almost 500 followers. While I haven’t hit that amount since then, it has now become a source of some decent passive income. Not enough to quit my day job, it will take care of some bills for sure.
A final big update is my new independently-published book. Dangling by a Thread is now available in eBook and paperback.
A summary of the book: Ronnie McMillian always dreamed of being somebody important. He dreamed of being a big shot, even an underachiever in school. He finally gets his opportunity when he meets Raymond Fox, the most powerful man in Hartsburg. Ronnie soon finds himself working at one of the most powerful crime organizations in the country.
But when a simple robbery goes wrong, Ronnie finds himself the only survivor. With more questions than answers, Ronnie is accused of setting his team up. As the ghosts of the past come back to haunt him, Ronnie must try to find the truth before he ends up paying the ultimate price for failure.
I have a few more writing projects I have begun working with. I have a few works in progress that I will be continuing on in the coming year. Of course, don’t take this as a New Years Resolution; because those often fail. Instead, I am going to set some writing goals and try to stick with them.
So until next time, stay awesome!