Writing With Power

Sara's Revenge - The Guardians II

2012-02-11T20:45:00.002-06:00

Chapter 1

The cave was dark and cold. So deep is the darkness that natural light can not penetrate into it. The coldness radiated to the point Demetrius could feel it in his soul.
Demetrius needed the cold, longing for it. He wrapped it around him like a soothing blanket. The cold made Demetrius numb and he did not want to feel a thing. The pain of losing Sara was too great. Two weeks have gone by and still the pain remains, fresh as the day it happened.
By his own hand he had killed her. Demetrius knew that the woman he struck down was not the real Sara but instead Lilith in disguise. Still, Sara's fate was tied to Lilith's.
Azazel knew this too, that's why he sent Lilith to Demetrius. Azazel knew the pain of being betrayed by Sara would drive Demetrius insane. Azazel also knew that if Lilith was making herself into Sara that their souls would be linked. If Lilith died then so would Sara.
Demetrius' eyes began to glow red in the darkness. Anger for his brother began to consume him. Light began to fill the cave, every inch of darkness dying out to the light.
"You should try harder to control your anger."
Demetrius took a deep breath as he closed his eyes to concentrate. The powers he gained would take some getting use to.
"That's better. You don't want this cave to explode."
The light faded and the cave was once again thrown into darkness.
"I don't need your sarcasm Gabriel," Demetrius snapped. "I wish to be left alone."
"Raphael has given you plenty of time to be alone," Gabriel answered without pause. "I was sent to find you and bring you back."
"Raphael is no one to command me to do anything," Demetrius shouted through clenched teeth. "I'm done following him. He doesn't need me anymore, I already did his dirty work."
"It wasn't Raphael's dirty work to begin with," Gabriel snapped back as he sat on a rock in front of Demetrius. "You said it was Father who asked you to complete the final task. It was Father who showed you the future, a future you refuse to share with the rest of us. It was Father who made you into an Archangel."
"And now you are free to fight Azazel and his army on your own," Demetrius interrupted. "I started the war neither one of you were willing to start. I started Armageddon and it cost me my wife."
"We have all lost..."
"Really," Demetrius snapped, cutting Gabriel off as his anger began to grow again. "What have you lost brother? You can come and go to Heaven as you please. Kimberly remains safe in Heaven where she never has to see this war. so tell me brother, what have YOU lost?"
Gabriel sat in silence. There was nothing he could say that would ease Demetrius' pain. The light Demetrius' anger was producing began to fade once again. The two brothers sat in darkness for a while, letting the coldness wash over them.
"I have a plan for revenge," Demetrius finally whispered.

Soul Mates

2012-02-07T21:00:00.003-06:00

The concept of soul mates is an old one. Someone who understands us, is a part of us, someone we belong with. Most people believe we only have that one true soul mate and we spend our entire life trying to find them.

In my opinion we have more than one soul mate. Yes they understand us. Yes they are a part of us. Yes they belong in our life. No, you would not be the same without them.

A soul mate is not a lover. They are there for you. They know when something is wrong, even from far away. They can lift your spirits by just being in the same room and never speak a word. They just get you in every way and will be there for you no matter what.

With that being said, a soul mate can be anyone or anything. A parent, a sibling, your best friend, your aunt or uncle, a grand parent, a pet. This soul gets you, understands you, and doesn’t need to be told what’s wrong but will do whatever they can to protect.

There are also two types of soul mates: True soul mates and Regular soul mates. You can be someone’s soul mate but that does not mean that they are your soul mate. This is a Regular soul mate. A True soul mate means you are their soul mate and they are yours. This is a small group who will follow each other from life time to life time. You will always find each other in each life.

Now the romantic lover soul mate, the one that most people believe in is in this True soul mate group. With each life this soul may change unless you both decide to exclusively tie yourselves to one another for eternity, imprinting all your emotions and memories onto one another. The other souls in your group will surround you both and unconsciously help you find each other in each new life.

This is my view on what a soul mate is.

Max M. Power

In the Name of Religion

2012-02-06T08:50:00.009-06:00

To all you self righteous hypocrites who want to shun family in the name of RELIGION I have a few choice words for you and your stupid blind following.

I was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness but they are NOT the only ones who do this. If a member of your family leaves YOUR faith and no longer wishes to be know as a member of YOUR church then that is between THEM and God and you have nothing to say about it.

NOWHERE in the Bible does it say to shun them, turn your back on them, or even treat them as if they are dead. Oh trust me, I know what you are going to say, “It says to treat the non believer as if they are a leper so as they do not infect you and your faith.”

This means IF they are trying to take you away from YOUR Faith then do so but it does NOT mean that you are to treat them harsh, cruel, or unfair. See, what’s keeping you from doing the right thing is that self righteous RAFTER in your eye.

Jesus said to love your enemy. If you think so poorly of this family member that is a NON believer, and let’s be clear here, unless they change to a different sect other than Christianity then they are NOT non believers, they just no longer agree with what YOU believe, then that family member is your enemy and you should love them.

Let’s not forget about the Prodigal Son, who left his father’s home and yet the father still loved him. Was that NOT a reference to God, being the Father who loves and forgives us? So if God can still love them and except them because they still believe in Him then why can’t you?

"Faith, Hope, and Love. And the greatest of these is Love.” Have FAITH that your family member will still believe in God, HOPE that they will return to the church, but LOVE them anyway, for by YOUR Love do you set the example.

I was always told that you can not pick and choose what you want to believe in in the Bible. Its pretty much an all or nothing deal. If you claim to be a follower of Christ then why do you not follow his teachings? Why do you let some CHURCH rule you with fear over what you know isn’t right, turning your back on your family? And if you do NOT know that that isn’t right, well you got bigger problems than anyone had first thought.

I have “turned the other cheek” so often that my face is numb. Share this if you agree.

Max M. Power

AMC Snubs It's Twilight Fans

2011-10-03T13:58:00.000-05:00

Let me start off by saying that I am NOT a Twilight fan. I tease my family who are, but I will still take them to see the movies, buy them the TEAM shirts to wear and watch the movies with them because it’s a family event.

Last year when Eclipse was released AMC Theaters held a Marathon. At $30 a pop people bought the Marathon package because they wanted to sit there and watch all three movies back to back.

Now the 4^th installment is due to release and in my own words here AMC is telling those loyal fans to SHOVE IT. They posted on their website that they were offering the Ultimate Twilight Experience to only have it removed after the advance tickets went on sale. They have replaced it with two options that no one seems to be pleased about.

There is a Twilight Tuesday where you can see all of the movies before the midnight release of Breaking Dawn Part 1 on November 18^th.

TwiSherry, a devoted Twilight fan, and very vocal on the subject on AMC’s website stated, “I don't even think the Twilight Tuesdays is what you are thinking. The way it was explained to me was that Twilight will play on Nov 1st, New Moon will play on Nov 8th, and Eclipse will play on 15th. So, it's not that you get to see all three two days before the premiere. You have to see them one at a time for 3 weeks. I mean OMG like someone said, who wants to do that when we own them all. The whole point is the “experience” and excitement the night OF the premiere. Again, I feel sooooo slighted, I just can't even express it.”

The more I speak to Twilight fans the more I hear how disappointed in AMC they are. While I believe AMC has the right to do as they wish, after all it is their company, I firmly believe that the consumer’s voice should be heard. After all, if you ignore your customers those customers will go elsewhere. AMC was their first choice and they are still willing to give AMC a chance to fix this.

“Again,” TwiSherry went on to say, “I am loyal to AMC, I always try to see my movies in the suites if it is available. I don't even have a theater that has the suites that is closer than like 25 miles from my house and yet I make the drive every time. And now that I've done research and see that other cinema's ARE offering the marathon, I feel completely jipped by AMC. I am seriously considering eating the $250 non-refundable fee for the rental of the suite theater for BD1 and going to the other theater in my town that is showing the marathon.”

“Did you hear that AMC? It is worth it to me to LOSE $250 so that I can see all 4 movies on the SAME day. Not on 3 separate Tuesdays for 3 weeks before the movie. Are you really that unclear as to what your customers want?”

“My husband is always complaining that we have a theater 5 minutes away, and it's cheaper. But, I enjoy the movie experience of the suites so much that I always (or rather used to) feel like it was worth the drive. Disappointed is not even a good enough word.”

Another loyal Twilight fan, Gretchnh added, “I must say that I've heard of NO ONE who's happy with the “choose your preceding movie” deal. That has to be THE DUMBEST idea anyone at AMC has ever come up with. I attended the Twilight Experience last year with about 20 friends and we all planned to do the same this time. We will ALL be looking for other theatres in the KC area that will offer the marathon. We all live 25+ miles from the AMC 30 in Olathe and love that theatre, but I will not give my business to a company that does not listen to the masses. And to think that the AMC Headquarters are right in our back yards here in KS.”
“And Twilight Tuesday? Really? Stupid idea. Who wants to go to the movies 2 days BEFORE Breaking Dawn just to watch the 3 movies back to back? I can easily do that with friends at home at give AMC NO BUSINESS FOR THAT!!!”
“I also saw the ULTIMATE TWILIGHT EXPERIENCE on the AMC website. I click on it, and it takes you to a page with an error message. Evidently they THOUGHT about doing it, but changed their minds.”
“AMC has lots of loyal customers, but unless this is rectified, I think you'll see your loyal customers who are also Twilight Fans going elsewhere from now on. And, BTW, there are LOTS of us.”

Other AMC customers voiced their concerns on AMC’s website over how they felt AMC was not listening to their concerns. Gretchnh was very vocal when she stated, “I have a movie theatre that is 10 minutes from my house. However, we ALWAYS choose to drive the extra 20 minutes (30 min total) to the AMC 30 in Olathe.”
“AMC has really screwed up this time. Flood the phones, e-mails, facebook and twitter with how upset all the Twilight Fans are with this so-called choice. Who's brilliant idea was this?”
“I refuse to buy a ticket from AMC for B.D. and I AM a stubs member... A member that didn't have to pay a membership fee because of our frequent visits to AMC 30.
The way I see it, AMC is losing $1000 just from my group of friends and I that won't be attending. Looks like Cinemark may be getting our business, even if it's a further drive and costs us $1 for a refill.”

Flooding the phones seemed like a good idea so I decided to get a number for these fans. In my eyes this is an injustice the way AMC is treating their customers. On a personal note, my daughter has grown up in AMC movies. There is a staff member at our local AMC that has seen my daughter grow up literally. Since my daughter was a baby till now, this is the only place we go to see movies. Even on our vacation when we decided to o see a movie we would ONLY go to an AMC.

I found the number and called to get a contact on the matter and was directed to a Carrie Trouter. I left a message, allowing Carrie to comment on what was being said on the website but received no answer. I posted the following on the forum only to have it removed by an AMC employee two hours later.

“Okay Twilight fans, want to voice your opinion to a LIVE person? Maybe if we flood them with calls they will LISTEN to what you have to say. I did some research and got the number to AMC Headquarters. 816-221-4000 ext 4715. The person's name is Carrie Trouter. Flood them with calls, I promise you this WILL get their attention. Tell em how you REALLY feel.”

Three hours after this post AMC finally posted a reply to it’s customers:

Thank you all for sharing your thoughts about the upcoming Breaking Dawn Event. I understand that many of our guests want a marathon, but it's important to keep in mind that Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 is less than a year away, and we are saving our complete film series event for the finale.

We worked closely with Summit Entertainment to create this year’s Twilight Saga Experience. I truly apologize to our guests who are not content with the double feature, but we will going forward with this event.

I know that advertising the marathon on our website was a terrible error and ultimately we will have to take our lumps for that. I want to assure you that we did not pull a potential marathon at the last second as it has been suggested. Our website pulls movie information from many sources and our 3rd party IT Vendor mistakenly included this as a movie title in our movie database.

I want to assure everyone that I have, and continue to personally forward all of your thoughts and posts to the appropriate people at AMC.

Thank you all for posting and taking the time to contact us. We consider guest feedback to be very important to our success and we appreciate the time and effort that you have put forth to share your thoughts.

Many things could be taken from this statement, however, I took issue with the last sentence, and apparently I was not the only one. I asked why my post was removed and was told “I did not remove the post to stifle your voice, but the fact of the matter is, the number you posted is neither the appropriate contact nor the appropriate method to be heard. You would be much better served by contacting our corporate customer care line at (877) 262-4450”

Before I had a chance to reply this comment was picked apart. Gretchnh was first to respond with, “That's right. Send it to the customer service line people so they can get chewed on for a decision that was not theirs. Why can't we call him directly?”

Cherie Defenbaugh had this to say, “I think the customer should decide for themselves who they want to contact. Let those who let us down take the heat. Just looking at this board I would feel sorry for any CSR for having to take the call.”

AMC I believe your customers have spoken. They are NOT accepting the bull you are trying to shove down their throats. They have told you how they bend over backwards to make you their FIRST choice. They are even willing to give you a chance to fix this issue. Time is running short. Gretchnh stated it best.

“AMC is going to choke on this one. You guys are in my back yard for God's Sake. I WILL NOT go to AMC again. If there are companies out there willing to actually listen and give customers what they want, then they deserve my business more than those saying, “but we will be going forward with this event.” Or simpler said as “kiss off, we don't care what you want. This is what we want so there.”

Max M. Power

Grounded

2010-11-24T17:29:00.001-06:00

Sometimes I look to the sky,
A tear rolls down my face.
I get choked up,
Longing to be high up in that special place.

I was born in the air,
My spirit soaring free.
Being in an airplane
Is where I am most ME.

My wings have been clipped,
My time in the air short lived.
Aviation was my mistress,
Oh how she loved to give.

The Day The Music Died

2010-11-13T20:29:00.002-06:00

I was nine years old when Top Gun came out, the Navy’s two hour recruiting commercial. It wasn’t until the summer of ’89 that I seen the movie for the first time.
While all the girls at the time were drooling and falling in love with Tom I was falling in love a different Tom, the Grumman F-14 Tomcat. I watched the movie over and over, fast forwarding to the scenes that had a jet in it. It wasn’t long till I had the dogfights memorized.
Still playing with metal toys I bought a set of Navy fighter jets. After school and Saturday morning cartoons I would fly my jets around and around, going supersonic and breaking the sound barrier, turning on my afterburners so I can save the day.
As soon I was old enough I bought my first model. I was so excited that I could not wait to get home. I tore the box open and started popping out the parts I needed to build my very own F-14 model, with wings that rolled forward and back. I put it together, carefully painted the body and placed the stickers in the proper spots. When I glued the pilot into the front seat I knew that would be me one day.
I was told I was not smart enough, that I would never fly a Tomcat, but I refused to listen. I studied aviation; I played every video game involving flying. I pushed myself; I read and read and read. I knew it was going to be a hard journey but I wanted those Wings of Gold and I wanted them to be for the Tomcat.
One day in flight school I had finished a test early and went out into the hall to wait till class was over. I was looking at two favorite pictures hanging on the wall. One was an F/A-18C Hornet breaking the sound barrier. A circle of white surrounded the aircraft in the middle, showing where the barrier was broken. The other was the Tomcat flying above the surface of the ocean, causing two waves to splash up behind it, trying to catch up.
Imagining that was me, I was dreaming about flying low then pulling up slowly, climbing higher and higher into the sky, feeling freer than anything else alive. I knew that was the goal someday. My main flight instructor walked out of his office and seen me standing in front of the Tomcat.
“Too bad they just canned the Tomcat huh,” he said as he stopped behind me. “They just announced it this morning, no more Tomcats.”
My heart sank, I was crushed. The Navy would no long accept new pilots to fly the Tomcat. The F/A-18 Hornet was now the future of the Navy. Two weeks later a Tomcat landed at the airfield and taxied in as I was walking out to aircraft. I froze. I had never seen a Tomcat up close. The pilot could see the love I had for this aircraft. He allowed me to climb inside and sit in the pilot’s seat. I had touched my dream, however brief it may be.
Slowly over the coming years the Tomcat would be phased out and flew its last flight on September 22, 2006, the day the music died, well for me at least.

BIG DISCOUNT ON EBOOKS

2010-06-17T21:48:00.001-05:00

I have set a 50% discount on all my ebooks. Coupon expires December 31, 2010, so you have plenty of time. www.smashwords.com Search Max M Power for a list of my ebooks.
The Guardians – UE39A
Loves Flight Path - GD73Y
VL45 - XZ66N

Love's Flight Path

2010-06-16T10:17:00.001-05:00

Love’s Flight Path was the first novel I’ve ever written. In a way it was therapy for me. Parts of this book are true, most of it is made up, but still it was a way to help me get over my past. I never really seen this book as best seller but out of all my books on Smashwords this one is selling the most. What is your opinion?

A man is considered lucky if he can find love in his life. Max Power finds love not once, but three times. Fighting for everything he has, Max finds himself coming across the love of two beautiful women and his dream, being a fighter pilot in the United States Navy.
On his first cruise Max discovers whom he truly loves and everything falls into balance. His life is going great until the unthinkable happens; the United States is attacked. Faced with WAR, Max must put aside his personal feelings and do his duty as a fighter pilot. When he is shot down behind enemy lines, Max knows that he has to make it back safely to the woman he loves.
Question is, will he?

Realist

2010-05-06T12:04:00.001-05:00

I promise you, if you just bare with me, everything will make sense. I’m going to take you on one of those wormhole journeys through my mind.
As humans we feel the need to name and label everything, and I mean EVERYTHING!!! Hey, it’s human nature so don’t feel bad. With all that’s going on with our country right now there is one question that keeps floating around: What are you?
Liberal, Conservative, Tea Bagger, Republican, Democrat, you name it I’m being asked. When I respond I say, “I’m a REALIST.” This of course draws more questions of what IS a REALIST?
Plainly put, a REALIST is someone who no longer sugar coats life. A REALIST sees things for how things are in the world, what REALLY works in the streets. There are many types of streets so this applies to just about everything in the world. A REALIST sees things as they are and tries to work with that fact, not lying to oneself in the hopes of not facing the truth. For this I am called COLD yet I say, this is what makes it real.
Here are two samples of what I mean:
Common Sense: This is a biggie. Okay despite what most believe everyone has common sense. Everyone knows the difference between right and wrong, the only thing is what they see as common sense and what is right may be completely different from what you see. To someone who lies, cheats, and steals, this is just as natural to them as breathing. It makes perfect sense to them to do these things.
Death: Everyone dies, this is a fact of life. You can not stop this from happening and the only real thing we can control is what happens until we breathe our last breath is how we spend our time. This is where I am called cold but in history, death is a cause for celebration not just sadness. Now this rings especially true when someone who has an illness passes. Life is pain, in one way or another, and despite what your belief in the afterlife is, when a person dies they are no longer in pain, no longer suffering. To truly honor someone you have to rejoice in the life they lived, not marinate in the sorrow of their passing.
I could keep going on and on and on but the reality of it all is my brain is jumping with examples and you have stuff to do, hahaha. But I can say, if you think about things, really think about them, look at them from your point of view then turn around and look at it from the OTHER point of view, playing Devil’s Advocate, if you will, you will find yourself slowly becoming a REALIST too.

What Language Do You Speak?

2010-05-04T13:08:00.000-05:00

This is a touchy subject for a lot of people. Should you speak English or Spanish? I’m not here to get political about the subject but this situation calls for a huge “COME ON” moment.
I went to a Church’s Chicken, yes a 99¢ heart attack I know. Anywho, I was next in line and the cashier asked me in Spanish what I wanted to order. I don’t speak much Spanish so I started giving my order in English.
Silly me, I’m thinking an American restaurant, in an American State, in an American City, and here I thought I could order my food in the most commonly used language, English. Nope.
The cashier stated that she did not speak English and I said I do not speak Spanish. She proceeded to try to take my order in Spanish again and of course, I tried to place my order in English.
The cashier got angry at me and I could tell that whatever she was saying was not friendly. She walked to the back and started telling the manager something. The manager came to the front and asked me what the problem was.
I said I want to order and the cashier can’t take my order because she does not speak English and I do not speak Spanish. Then, and somehow I knew this was coming, the manager told me that I should learn Spanish then. I was really starting to get pissed at this point but I was on my way to work and wasn’t about to lose my cool.
I asked if the manager could just take my order and she said no, asking me to leave. I’m sorry but if you are going to service people who speak English then you should have people inside who actually SPEAK the language.

Stockton, California

2010-04-21T08:27:00.001-05:00

I’m from a place that has deemed the 2nd worst place to live in the United States and the sad part is it’s a small hole in the wall town in Northern California. Well I call it a hole in the wall, compared to Houston, which is where I live now, which is now the 3rd largest city in the country. My family is not one that people would call an ideal family, sorry pop, your words, not mine.
Despite all the negativity it IS where I was born so it will always be my first home.
I am a firm believer that you can find beauty anywhere, if you know how to see it. I have lots of memories of Stockton and for those of you not lucky enough to drive through that little slice of heaven, the best thing I can tell you is watch those shows and movies that take place in L.A. ghettos.
Downtown was nothing special. It’ll take a lot of elbow grease to clean it up. When I was little I use to think to myself, why do we have to have such a dirty downtown. Even the Greyhound station was bad. Now, as an adult I realize that Stockton’s downtown was not that bad, I should know, I worked at Greyhound in downtown Houston and I use to think, just like Stockton.
I use to walk or catch the bus everywhere I went. Summer time was spent at Oak Park, swimming in the pool, learning how to swim from a fat balding old man who looked like Mario from the Super Mario Bro game. My grandmother use to take me to Ports games, Stockton’s minor league baseball team, and she taught me a lesson I still live by today. “They may not be a Major League team but they are your team so you need to support them.” I agree and that’s why no matter what anyone says, I still cheer, GO AREOS!!!
Sorry, that’s a Houston team and I’m talking about Stockton.
Anywho, I remember Stockton having very few movie theaters and my uncle taking me to them all. There was the big one where I seen ET, The Hunt for Red October, Return of the Jedi, and Jurassic Park. There was a little one where we seen two movie on one ticket, that was the best, we spent all day there watching movies.
There were two malls, and they both had a video arcade. Many a quarters were lost in that place. I even remember there was a park, not sure what its called, but the zoo was there, it had a water ride that went around the entire park, and it had a museum. That was my first museum and I swear that the mummy they have on display moved while I was there.
The best, for me anyway, I have a few. The last time I went to Stockton for a visit there was three things I HAD to do. First thing first, when I got back into Stockton it was morning so we had to go to a Spanish bakery and the smell was heaven. Having to park on the street and go inside brought back memories, nothing had changed in the ten years I was away, right down to the pink fading paint on the outside wall.
That night for dinner I HAD to have a Michael’s pizza. When my aunt moved down the street from Michaels I went there all the time, which is where I fell in love with Hawaiian pizza. I went on and on about how I HAD to go to Michaels but my family wouldn’t let me leave the house so my cousin went and picked me up a pizza and that first bite, oh my god it was awesome.
Lastly, Genova Bakery. I have found memories of the smell of that bakery. If you are reading this and living in Stockton you HAVE to go to Genova and take a huge breath, smelling that sweet sweet smell. All I can say it this is what I think of when I think of Italy. YUM!!!!!!!!!!!
Well that’s enough about my home town. While I would not move back there, sorry but California is beautiful, just expensive for me to live in, I would love to go back for a visit. It may not be the best place to live, the crime is high, the streets are dirty, but it’s still a place that I call home.

Life

2010-04-14T06:17:00.001-05:00

If you could discribe LIFE in one to five words what would it be?

Home

2010-04-12T04:28:00.001-05:00

I’ve been told a million times, “You can never go home again.” I find this a little hard to swallow. There are a lot of questions that could be asked here, a lot of definitions that need to be stated.
First off, isn’t home where you hang your hat, where your heart is? If so then home is with you wherever you go. Along those lines, if home is where you feel safe then home can be anywhere.
If this is true then the other saying, “You can never truly leave home,” makes more sense. Some people feel at home around certain people or in certain places. A scent, a song, a memory, all of these things can be home.
But what about those memories? Places where you spent your childhood, is that the home you can never return to? Is home where your family is, a certain house that everyone goes to instead of their own house. What makes that particular house a home?
What about nomads? People who wonder around, looking for a place to call home, are they homeless even if they have a roof over their heads? Are they looking for a place to call their own or just some place to sleep, shower, and eat?
I have often wondered these questions, even as a child. Torn between two places, two houses that hold memories for me, two cities that I claim as my own and yet, can’t truly claim at all. My soul is a traveling spirit, always looking to the rolling hills and wide open skies, soaring high in the clouds and running hard in the meadows, swimming in pools of blue water while fishing in clear streams.
I say you can never go home because you never really left. Home is in your heart, in your body, rooted deep in your soul. You can not claim any one place, only collect mementoes along the way.
So take a deep breath, fill your lungs with air, your heart with love, your mind with memories. Enjoy the journey you’re on now, home is calling.

My Apologizes

2010-04-06T12:14:00.001-05:00

I decided something this morning, I am a writer, at least I think that I am. While I am busy everyday writing, editing, or rewriting something it has occurred to me that I am NOT writing anything that others can read, at least read right now. If I write and no one reads it, is it just ink on paper???
I have two blogs, I have an excuse for not writing on one, but the other, there is none. The Power Tower, http://writingwithpower.blogspot.com, should have something new on it all the time. How often is up for debate.
I seen the movie Julie and Julia yesterday and I think that is the cause for my realization. While I know I can not post something daily, I promise that I will post something at least once a week. I want you, my reader, to hold me to this promise.
Now, if you have not done so already, go to the blog and sign up for email alerts so that you won’t miss any of my exciting rants and raves. I hope to get you involved as well, feel free to leave any comments you wish, it’s always uplifting to know what you think, good or bad, I need the feedback.
Enjoy the rest of the day and see you around the web.

I'm Going International

2010-03-29T11:18:00.002-05:00

WHOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!! I'm going international!!! Oh wait, no I'm not. I mean, my books are sold overseas now BUT its not because of my publisher. You would think that MY publisher would want my best interest in mind, since it would translate into more sales for them. Guess not. Here is the latest letter of PROMISE from my publisher. I cant wait for my contract to be up.

Dear Author:

PublishAmerica will submit your book for translation into a foreign language!

PublishAmerica books have already been translated into an array of foreign languages that include Spanish, Greek, Korean, Swedish, and Icelandic.

We will now submit your book for review to the world's number one international publisher, Bertelsmann, which owns publishing companies in numerous countries and sells books in just about every country in the world, in all major languages. They are headquartered in Germany, not far from where the Frankfurt Book Fair takes place.

We will submit not one, but up to five copies of your book to the attention of their foreign rights reviewers, so that they can pass copies around as needed. We will alert you immediately as soon as they show interest, as we have done with other authors whose books piqued translation interest. Since PublishAmerica is not affiliated with Bertelsmann, we would be very proud to see you become yet another translated PublishAmerica author!

Here's how we do it:

If you want to have books on hand, order now, and receive a 50 pct discount!
We will ship your books to you, and we will donate an EXTRA up to five copies
to Bertelsmann's foreign language reviewers, at no cost to you.

Go to www.publishamerica.net, find your book, click on it, then add to cart, indicate quantity, and use this coupon: Foreign50. Then click Recalculate and finish the transaction. Minimum volume is 9 copies.

In the Ordering Instructions field, if you have a special foreign language
in mind that you'd love to see your book translated into, write it down,
and we'll pass it on.

Full-color and hardcovers excluded. Offer expires this weekend on Sunday night.

Thank you,
PublishAmerica Author Support Team

Look Out Sandra Bullock Here Comes The Flood

2010-03-09T11:56:00.000-06:00

I’ve heard that age old saying, “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you,” but I’ve had enough. When I first signed on with Publish America I was excited beyond belief that someone wanted to publish my work. That feeling has since past.
Publish America has hurt me more than they ever could have helped me but I’m taking this as a learning experience. I’ve started my own company, Writing With Power, in which I have control over what I release and how much it’s going to cost.
Publish America seems to think that its authors are pure dumb and sends out these emails telling us of these GREAT and wonderful deals. Well now I’m passing the humor onto you, this is where I am biting the hand. Each time I get an email that is such a GREAT deal I am going to repost it. It starts with the email below. Look out Sandra Bullock, you’re about to get flooded.

Dear Author:

PublishAmerica will send your book to Oscar winner Sandra Bullock!

Sunday night's Best Actress won the award for her role in The Blind Side, a movie based on a book that she read before she agreed to play the role.

We will now submit your book to Sandra Bullock and ask her to read it.

Here's how we do it for authors who choose to have a few extra books on hand:

Go to www.publishamerica.net, find your book, click on it, then add to cart, indicate quantity, and use this coupon: SandraBullock25. Then click Recalculate and finish the transaction. Minimum volume is only 6 copies. You will receive your books at a 25 pct discount, and we will print an extra copy that we will send to Sandra Bullock at no cost to you, or more if she requests more, also at no cost to you.

In the Ordering Instructions field, you may write a note for Sandra if you want.
We will include your note when we ship your book to her. Note that PublishAmerica
will keep your note confidential, and that Sandra Bullock may treat your book and
your personal note in any way she chooses.

Full-color and hardcovers excluded. Offer expires this weekend on Sunday night.

Thank you,
PublishAmerica Author Support Team

So am I biting for no reason???

Have You Ever

2010-02-19T01:44:00.000-06:00

Have You Ever

Have you ever been in love?
Giving away your heart, body, and soul?
Longing for a touch,
Only they can make you whole?

Have you ever been in love?
Your thoughts no longer your own?
Nothing else matters,
Until you talk in person or on the phone?

Have you ever been in love?
You can’t breathe?
Everything you do
Is for them to receive?

Have you ever been in love?
Have you ever babbled on and on?
Have you ever been in love?
Have you ever felt this strong?

Max M. Power

Truer Words Were Never Spoken

2009-09-28T12:27:00.002-05:00

Fake friends never ask for food. Real friends are the reason why u have no food. Fake friends call your parents mr/mrs. Real friends call your parents mom/dad. Fake friends bail u out of jail and tell u wat u did was wrong. Real friends would sit next to u sayin. . "Dam. . We fucked up. . But that shit was fun! Fake friends hav never seen u cry. Real friends cry with u. Fake friends will leave u behind if thats wat the crowd is doing. Real friends will kick the whole crowds ass that left u. Fake friends are for awhile. Real friends are for life. Fake friends will talk shit to the person who talks shit about u. Real friends will knock them the fuck out.

Crossroads

2009-09-04T15:27:00.000-05:00

We have all been there at one point in our lives, crossroads. Some by choice, others, without warning, all life changing. It’s what we do when we come to these crossroads that will haunt us forever.
Two little words, a question really, so tiny yet so powerful, powerful enough to tear us apart at times. What if? What if I did this instead of that? What if I had just said what they wanted to hear? What if, what if, what if?
Then there are those crossroads that we have no control over, decisions made for us by other people. Do we blame others for the outcome of our lives? Do we hold on to the anger that can consume us or let it go and say thank you?
Things happen, shit happens, ultimately LIFE happens. Do we say it’s Fate or Destiny, two cold hearted bitches that could care less what we feel, and just accept that there is no changing what has happened? Do you make a deal with the devil to get what you want, after all crossroads is where he resides?
We all handle these crossroads differently. We step up; feel the tingle in the middle of our back as a blanket of coldness surrounds us. We take a deep breath and hope we make the right decision or the right decision has been made for us.
We look through the looking glass and see two futures, one we will live and one we could have lived as a tiny voice whispers, “Welcome to another crossroads. Ha ha ha ha…”

Destiny

2009-08-26T16:24:00.001-05:00

Destiny

Do you know who you are?
Who you are meant to be?
Do you know where you’re going?
What you want to see?

Are you just here?
Or do you have a plan?
Will you go it alone?
Will you hold someone’s hand?

Will you rock it out loud?
Will you read about it on a Dell?
Will you be at peace in heaven?
Will you kick it hard in hell?

Nature has a plan,
Soak up the sun.
Will you burn out with the masses?
Or will you stand up and be the ONE!

Slaps

2009-08-25T02:02:00.002-05:00

Slaps

Where are the slaps on soap operas? Seriously, back in the 80’s and 90’s you have day time and night time soaps that everyone watched. If you honestly don’t think Dallas, Dynasty, 90210, or Melrose Place were NOT soaps think again.
The one thing about all those soaps was that, for the day time soaps that came out five days a week, some got slapped at least once a week. I’m not talking light love taps, I’m talking the kind of slaps that you could feel it through your TV and you were rooting for it to happen.
SLAP HER! DO IT! SLAP HER!!!
For those night time soaps, with the exception of Dynasty, someone got slapped at least once a month, since it only aired four times a month they could not do it every show.
Dynasty had someone getting slapped ALL the time. In fact there were drinking games made just for someone getting slapped in that show. Every time someone got slapped you took a shot and whoever was not passed out by the end of the show won.
Slapping in soaps use to be an art form. I know a few women in my family who must have taken lessons from Susan Lucci. Come on, you ALL know she was the first person who popped in your head when you started reading this article. She coined the term “Bitch Slap.” If not for her soaps would have been boring.
Anyways, as I watch my soaps, one that I use to watch with my mother, who has since given up soaps but back in the day you should tell you about them all, well her and my aunts, love you ladies, I notice that no one gets slapped anymore. I have seen a couple of bad right hooks by the guys but the women, come on, where the heck are the slaps. The tension is so high that I find myself shouting at the tube, SLAP HER! DO IT! SLAP HER ALREADY!!! only to see them walk away.
I’m probably gonna get slapped for writing this but hey, if I can get it on film and send it to the soap people MAYBE they can bring back why people use to watch those shows to begin with, the drama, of slapping people.

Max M. Power

P.S. Yes I do watch Young and the Restless and I blame the women in my life for getting me hooked. It’s like the Godfather III, “Just when I thought I was out they pull me back in.”

Another Book Signing

2009-08-24T05:38:00.001-05:00

I will be joining a VERY talented writer this Saturday, Dorlana Vann, as she signs copies of her book "Death: Passage to Mesentia and Jaclyn's Ghost" at Read it Again & Again Book Store in Houston, from 12pm to 3pm. If you can please join us. I will be signing copies of “The Story Teller: A Roller Coaster for Your Mind.”

A Fairy Tale Awaits

2009-08-24T05:13:00.001-05:00

A Fairy Tale Awaits

Where is my princess?
My damsel in distress?
Where is the love of my life?
To find her I am hard press.

Where is my prince?
Someone for me to hold?
Where is my white knight?
He is going to find me, so I am told.

I’m on a quest,
Hoping someday I will find you.
I want to make you my queen,
To bring pleasure to all that you do.

I am waiting,
My dear Prince.
Will you be my king?
We shall share a love with no fence.

Max M. Power

Thought of the Day 08-21-09

2009-08-21T06:05:00.001-05:00

This one is a real puzzler. I'm still scrathing my head on this one: If a turtle doesn't have a shell is he homeless or naked?

Contest

2009-08-19T05:45:00.000-05:00

I have been debating on whether or not I should do this but since you are reading this I guess it means I won my debate, or lost it, depending on how you look at it since it was a debate with myself.
Okay on to why I’m sending this little email. I am trying to grow my new blog and to get more readers. As a result I am going to hold a contest that will end on September 1st.
To the person who gets the most people to visit my blog and subscribe to it will receive every book I ever write free for life. When the first printing comes out you will be sent an autograph copy before anyone else can buy a book.
Here are the rules, they must go to my blog, http://writingwithpower.blogspot.com and subscribe. There are two ways to subscribe, both are listed on the blog. After they have subscribed they can send an email to me at writingwithpower@gmail.com and tell me in the subject line who sent them to my blog.
That’s it. It’s pretty simple. You can forward this email, rewrite it, however it is you want to let people know about it. Every person who sends someone my way will receive a free gift.
Thank you in advance for all your support.

Process of a Writer

2009-08-19T05:23:00.000-05:00

Process of a Writer

One thing I am always asked as a writer is how do you write? What is your process? To be honest, I don’t have one. I have tried to have a process but a PROCESS just does not work for me. I guess not having a process IS my process.
I’m one of these people that lives in chaos. Most artist are really, if you think about it. There is no logic to my thoughts, there is no pattern I can follow. It’s a flaw that you must all live with, I are simply complex.
I have always considered myself to be a simpleton. I like certain things and that suits me just fine, I’m in my own little geekdom and I’m good. Everything is normal in my world. Now an outside takes one looks and thinks WTF!!!
I need chaos, it’s the only way I can think straight. Here’s the twisted part though, to you it may look like chaos but to me, it’s perfectly normal. Take my bedroom as an example. I have things laid out, papers here and there, looks a mess right, but at least I KNEW where every single thing I needed or wanted was. My mom comes in and “cleans” my room and I freak out. I don’t know where anything is and I go into panic mode. I want to scream.
Yes I was like that as a teenager and having to share a room with my brother, yea, that didn’t help me much either. I’m still the same way today. My chaos looking area is my Zen, don’t mess with it or I will have to destroy you, this I will do.
Okay so far I have been proving my point, this was suppose to be about my PROCESS as a writer and here I am off topic. That is EXACTLY how it is with my writing. I have all these ideas in my head and they are swirling around in my skull like a tornado through a trailer park, it’s not a very pretty aftermath.
Just as a tornado will suck up new things and spits out old ones, that’s how my mind works. I spit out old ideas onto paper, thinking I’m cleaning out some of that clutter in my brain and WHAM, I just sucked up a house and everything in it. Now I have to make notes on the new things so I won’t forget them.
So as I sit in front of my screen, pounding away at the keys things can come out fast, the tornado causing some good damage as it zips along and then all of a sudden I stall, I can’t even make out the letters anymore. I look up and see a cow fly by, blink in wonderment as I see a second cow, only to be told that it’s the same cow being moved back. Are you saying WOW yet?
For this reason I ALWAYS have paper and pen close by. When my ideas stall it’s only a matter of time before the powers that be throw me back into a whirl wind and whatever thought I had before, I can kiss it bye-bye for a while because something new will pop in my head and I have to get that out next.
Okay, take a breath, I know it’s hard to keep up with my mind unless you are use to it and even if you ARE use to it, it’s still tiresome. Can you tell that my mind has stalled out twice while writing this? If not let me tell you it just happened again, that’s three. Come on, gotta admit that was funny.
Bottom line here, my mind jumps around and all I can do is make sure that my parachute is packed properly. I don’t want to end up like some coyote off a cliff, SPLAT!!! I will say this, one of my favorite movies is a movie called Alex & Emma. If you have not seen it then by all means rent it, heck buy it, its soooooo funny. Trust me you will watch that movie and go, so that’s what Max was taking about. It’s crazy, it’s wild, it’s how I work. Nothing is in order as it’s being written. When it’s on paper it gets changed, changed, and then changed some more.
Hope this was helpful as to my process or if nothing else, put a huge smile on your face as you scratch your head and go HUH?? Comments please, I beg of you, okay I’m asking nicely at least.

Revolving Door

2009-08-18T00:11:00.001-05:00

Revolving Door

Why am I a revolving door?
Treated badly and ignored.
I don’t want to be,
But this is how everyone sees me.

Why am I a revolving door?
Kicked hard when I’m down on the floor.
I can be a nerd, dork, and geek,
But somehow you see this as weak.

Why am I a revolving door?
I just want to give you all you want and more.
In and out of my life you go,
Hurting me very very slow.

Why am I a revolving door?
My soul is in pain, sore.
Do you hate me deep down in your core?
Tell me why am I a revolving door?

Max M. Power

Aeros Dynamics

2009-08-15T02:02:00.006-05:00

I just spent the night looking at all the hockey teams in the AHL, just to see what’s going on in the league. I seen some team include their cheerleaders and some did not. I’m a guy so NATURALLY I looked. Call me bias, call me a typical guy, all I have to say is HOUSTON has the best looking cheerleaders in the entire league. Way to go Aeros Dynamics.

My Interview

2009-08-12T17:10:00.001-05:00

When I took creative writing in college one of the assignments I was given was to conduct an interview with myself. An interesting idea but one I never did, until now. The following is an interview I did with myself.

Sitting down with Max one of the first things you notice is a bookshelf that is so full it is overflowing. A very good mixture of books and DVDs. Seems like that bookcase holds a lot of value to Max. It seemed like a good place to start the interview.
You have just as many books as you do DVDs, is there a reason for that? Yes. I love to read. I have been collecting books since the days of SEE SPOT RUN. RUN SPOT RUN. Ha, ha I can still see that little panda running.
So you have books from your childhood? Not anymore. The closet thing I have to a book from my childhood is a book that I bought for my daughter that I use to love as a kid.
I see you have a wide range of books. What is your favorite? I have two but for different reasons. My favorite book for the story is Cracker Jackson by Betsy Byars. That was a book I read over and over. You can tell which books I have read more than once, the front cover is torn apart and the back cover is missing completely.
Star Wars, without a doubt is the second. I am a huge Star Wars fan. My favorite book is a gift I received. Even though I had the original Star Wars trilogy in paperback my nephew bought me a hard back copy while he was out of town for a medical conference. For some reason he kind of ambushed George Lucas at a book store and asked him for his autograph, for me. That is my prize possession.
I bought my first Star Wars book for a quarter when I was fourteen at a garage sale. The cover was torn and falling apart but I loved it. I read it over and over so much I broke the spine and held it together with tape. That was the first of many Star Wars books to come.
But I only see three Star Wars books. I have some comic books in the back but that’s all I have left.
Have left? At one time I had almost had every book printed of Star Wars from the time I was fourteen till I was twenty. Then I started working two jobs and going to school and I did not have the time or money to keep up. I actually had over thirty books then Tropical Storm Allison hit Houston and I lost most of my books.
So you had more than what you have now? Yes. I only have a third of the books I had as a teenager.
Okay, so you like books. Where did you first get started? My grandmother, my mom’s mom. She got me started reading. I remember in elementary the teachers use to order books from a placed called TROLL. My parents would order a book or two every three months. Grandma came for a visit and then started sending my mom money so my brother and I could buy books to read, even if it was just comic books. As long as I was reading that’s all that mattered.
Is there anyone that you are currently reading now? Yes. I read an interview in Writer’s Digest with Laurell K. Hamilton. Afterwards I just had to read her Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series. I am getting ready to start book number three.
What about all the movies you have? What can I say; I’m a big movie buff. Movies are nothing but stories told the old fashion way, with passion that makes people talk, sometimes for years to come.
Speaking of stories being told, you call yourself a story teller, what do you mean by that? Sometimes I feel like I was born in the wrong time period. In medieval times the common people could not read or write. History and basic entertainment was passed down by telling stories. These story tellers kept the attention of any who would listen.
I firmly believe that the art of being able to tell a story and hold someone’s attention is dying. True, some writers can write a book that is over five hundred pages and have every little detail present but they can not hold someone’s attention, well at least not mine. I hear it all the time, people have to force themselves to read through something that is boring just to get to what is said to be the juicy part of the books. I, myself, am guilty of having to force read through something because I do not want to just give up the book. My goal and hope is that my readers do not feel that way about my work.
Let’s talk about your writing career. In your author bio you say you wrote your first poem for a girl. Tell us about that. I am a shy person. I can hear the moans now about how out spoken I am but it’s true, sometimes I am very shy, to the point of blushing. Her name was Anita and she lived in my neighborhood, on the opposite side of the neighborhood but still within walking distance. We went to middle school together. I had the biggest crush on her and when we went to high school we separated. I went to one magnet school and she went to another.
At the end of summer before school started I went over to her house and we hung out for the day. I gave her the poem that I wrote while I was walking to her house and she hugged me and told me that I was sweet but she liked girls. I was crushed, my young heart was broken, and I wrote another poem. I hated her for breaking my heart. Two years later I saw her at the grocery store and we talked. We stayed friends until our senior year.
After you wrote those first two poems, is that when you knew you would become a writer? God no. To be honest I hated to write. I wrote poetry to girls because I wanted to be liked and I knew girls liked poetry. If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach then the way to a woman’s heart is through poetry. But FATE was not so kind to me. It never worked. Sure girls wanted me to write poems for them and guys asked me to write poems for their girlfriends but it never brought love to me. It was kind of like a double edge sword, I hated to write but it’s what was asked of me.
So when did you want to become a writer? Actually I never wanted to be a writer; I wanted to be a pilot. I had an English teacher my junior year that pushed me to write, in turn making me hate it more. In class we had to write an essay a week but I had to write three. With my father being a school teacher himself I was not allowed to challenge a teacher giving extra school work.
One day after class I pleaded the teacher to stop. I felt like she had been picking on me all year, giving me extra assignments and then always reading them out loud in class. She sat me down and told me that I was a writer and I should not fight it. I told her I wanted to be a pilot and that was my life goal. She did not want to push so she agreed to stop. Before she let me go she told me that someday I would embrace my writing. Something would happen to me and the flood gates would open up and my story would come out. She was right.
So you owe your writing career to this teacher? Yes and no. I feel I owe my writing career to two people actually. Mrs. Jones, my English teacher, for planting the seed in my head. The second is Tyra Banks.
Tyra Banks the supermodel? Yes
How do you owe your writing career to Tyra Banks? Well it’s an interesting story. Mrs. Jones said something would happen to me and that something was the attacks of 9/11. I was working at the airport as a ramp rat on the private terminal and remember how hectic that day was. I started writing a story and it was very rough getting started. I was starting to get discouraged and was about to stop writing.
One day I saw a commercial for the upcoming Tyra Banks show. Tyra was standing in front of her childhood home and telling her story. At the end of the commercial Tyra said, “That’s my story. What’s yours?” Those five words hit me hard. No one had ever asked ME what my story was. Granted, Tyra was not talking to me directly but those five words woke something up inside of me and the flood gates opened up inside me. I found my story and it poured out of me.
I have some questions from people your fans. Are you up to answering some fan fair questions? Sure. I’m up for it.
First question, where do you plan on taking your life over the next ten to twenty years? That’s really hard for me to answer. When I was in high school I did not think I would make it to graduation. When I graduated I did not think I would make it to the year 2000. Y2K, what a scare. There is always something that is suppose to end life as we know it so I don’t tend to plan that far in advance.
What would be nice is if in ten years I no longer have to work full time. Writing can be my full time job and I can make enough money to get a good home and take care of my family.
You mentioned your full time job. Security is a big leap from writer, why did you choose security as your profession? I didn’t choose security as my profession, it chose me. Right out of high school I joined the AmeriCorps that President Clinton set up. After one year in the Corps I was given money for college so I started flight school at San Jacinto College and flew out of Ellington Field. While in flight school I needed a job that was not demanding so I got a job working nights as security. I was at an apartment complex and was shot at so I quit.
Four years later I lost my job and no one was really hiring. I had two choices, flip burgers or go back to security. I figured if I was going to get shot at then I need to be able to shoot back so I went to school to get my commission. I became a natural at it. I worked to pay the bills but soon I was wanted and requested. I was good at my job or I should say I am good at my job. Now I have job security, no pun intended.
Speaking of job security, what do you think of the current political/economic crisis in our country? I try not to. Don’t get me wrong, I understand the argument of if you don’t vote you have no right to complain but if I really felt my vote counted then I might vote. Politics is a topic I don’t get into much because I am very passionate about it and passion has a way of becoming heated.
We are in a bad fix right now and all I can do is try to take care of my family. Economics has never been my strong suit but then again, the economy has always been a roller coaster that none of us can get off of. Every roller coaster has its ups and downs so I am along for the ride.
So will anything change in the way you spend money or vote? Actually it has. My spending in a way has increased, not decreased. We are on this planet for a short time and whatever we gather here we can not take it with us. I firmly believe that good deeds will be rewarded. I am trying to do good now while things are bad so when they are good again I know they will stay good.
As far as voting, I will not be voting this time around either. I have my reasons and before anyone says anything negative about voting, I know all the arguments. I have the right not to cast my vote just as others have the right to cast their vote. Now if Jessie “The Body” Ventura was to run for president that is someone I would actually go out and vote for. That man has been more level headed and honest then most people I have ever seen running for any office.
Let’s get back to your writing. Why do you write? I write primarily because I am a passionate person. Writing is a good way to channel that passion. I have an active imagination and it’s kind of like seeing a mini movie in my mind. I write down what I see and that is how I get my stories.
Some of your writing can get pretty dark. What goes on in your mind when you write about your dark topics? Does writing about dark topics lighten or darken your mood? Yes I can get pretty dark. I even scare myself sometimes. Growing up I always struggled with depression, not knowing what it was. Later on in life I found out that depression runs in my family and that the demons I had been battling all my life, I was not alone. Sometimes those demons can come on pretty strong, writing what I’m feeling helps me to deal with it. I guess you can say the darker I write the lighter my mood gets. Don’t worry though, the truly dark stuff I keep to myself.
Okay, writing dark materials makes your mood lighter. How do you create your characters? What is your inspiration? My inspiration can come from anywhere. A show, a movie, kids playing, the rain, the zoo, nature. Sometimes I hear a story and try to put my own spin or twist on it. The one thing that is consistent in my inspiration is passion. No matter what I do, it is done with passion and conviction.
As far as creating characters, they create themselves. I know that may not make sense but like I said before I watch their story unfold and write it down. People ask me all the time what is going to happen next in the story and the funny thing is, I don’t know. I look at it this way, if I want my stories to sell then my characters need to live and breathe. They need to be someone others can love or love to hate. They need to be real and like real people things can change at a whim.
Do you still have anything from your early high school days? If you do, what is the earliest you have? Yes I do. I still have a lot of my poems from high school. You can tell they are my early work because they are very raw and rough.
So you have been writing for a long time now, how do you write? What are your rituals? Haha, ritual, that’s good. I have no rituals say for one, I have to write everything down on paper first. A notepad and pen go with me everywhere cause you never know when an idea can strike and if I don’t write it down right away I could lose it. After I have written it down on paper I type it on the computer.
So what do you do with your drafts after you type them? I destroy them. I know a lot of writers keep that stuff around or keep a journal but I honestly do not see the need. Whatever notes and changes I make they are my own. The final draft is my gift to my readers. I want people to talk about my work, not what did not go into it or what I was thinking when I wrote it. To me, that takes away from the story and I don’t want to take that away from my readers.
Speaking of journals, do you keep one or recommend keeping one for others? I use to write in a journal for school. I was forced to write in it. I have tried writing in one before a bunch of times but I just can not do it. When I write it has to flow out of me. If I feel forced then I can not write, I can even develop a block and I hate those. Everyone has different things that helps them to write and if keeping a journal helps you to write then I encourage that. Me personally, I can not.
You mentioned blocks, a writer’s worse nightmare, how often do you get them? I don’t know, they come and go. The bad thing is when I get one it can last a few hours or it can last months. I had a block that lasted eight months.
So when these blocks end how long does it usually take you to write your short stories or novels? That question is a very tough one to answer. I have written a short story, for example, THE PILLOW FIGHT, in ten minutes while HELL’S PLAYGROUND took me over a year to write. One book took a month to write while another is not complete and it’s been two years since I started it.
When I have a story idea I write and I write till the story stops speaking to me. I might get hit all of a sudden by another story and I have to start writing that story till it stops speaking to me. I have been known to work on three to four stories at once.
To date, just how many novels do you have completed? I have a total of ten short novels that I have completed. I just need to transfer them from paper to computer.
Ten books on paper? Aren’t you worried about losing them? Not really. I know it sounds bad but I do believe everything happens for a reason. If these books are meant to be read then they will be, if not then at least I had fun writing them. Publishing them is important to me but not so important that I have to give up time with my family to get them printed.
Well you have one book that has been published and another due out around Christmas. When did you know you were ready to be published? Honestly I’m not sure that I’m ready to be published even now. I’m my own worst critic. Others like my work and that gives me something to look forward to. I know I have to do my best so that I do not disappoint anyone with my work.

This interview was written on October 17, 2008.

What's In a Name

2009-08-12T17:04:00.001-05:00

This is a subject I have written on over and over again. No matter what people wish, humans are very shallow people. We judge each other by so many aspects but the most common judgment is based on our names. When we hear a name we automatically have a picture in our mind of who this person is, before we ever meet them. For the purposes of this article I will only use my own experiences because I know this is a touchy subject.
First off, stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason, most of the time they are true. I say most because while some stereotypes have been applied to me, they do not fit. While the name attached to this article is Max M. Power, it is not my real name. I am of Latin decent and my family comes from Mexico. However, since I was born in the United States I call myself an American. I do not feel the need to hyphenate, and my personal opinion is that you either are American or you are not.
My first name is Miguel, and for protection of my family, that is the only part of my real name that I will reveal. Now with a common name like Miguel I do get stereotyped that I have to speak Spanish, I work hard labor, and that I get drunk on the weekend. Only one of these stereotypes is true.
I speak Spanish – NO. I speak very little Spanish. Again, my name played a role in this. When I was little, before I started school, I spoke Spanish as much as I spoke English. When school started my father told my family that we needed to speak English at school. If we spoke Spanish at school we would be pulled out of regular classes and put into ESL, English as a Second Language. Sadly an ESL class was thought in Spanish and they were not taught the same subjects as regular classes. Translation, a lesser education.
My father, being a school teacher, believed that a good education is the most important thing a person can get. So at five years old a decision had to be made, speak a language that my ancestors spoke or get a good education. Education was the choice made and while some think negative because I do not speak Spanish, I am happy with my education and with my life.
I work hard labor – YES and NO. I work hard at everything I do. I was raised with a sense of pride in myself and everything I do. If I’m a toilet scrubber then I’m going to be the best damn toilet scrubber I can be.
I have worked hard labor before, working construction with my in laws family since I was ten. That in itself is a good trade to have, but it’s not for me. It’s not what I want to do for the rest of my life. However, when people hear the name Miguel they think I’m a day laborer. Just not so.
I get drunk on the weekend – NO. This is the one that I laugh at the most. I do not even drink and I can hear the gasp now, a Latino man that does not drink, OH MY GOD! Again, a stereotype that is mostly true, just one that does not apply to me.
As a writer my ultimate goal is to get my work published. Publication means people get to read my work. The more people read my work the more they want, the more they want the better the sales, the better the sales the more money I can make, the more money I make the better chance I have at making a good living.
I have gone to a book convention and have met with a few publishers. I submitted the same work to two different publishers and they both loved it, the only difference was the name attached to the work. They both told me to change my name and it was for the same reason. So why was I not signed? Simple, it’s my name.
Publisher number one received the manuscript with my real name attached. I was told that my Latino name would hurt my sales. I needed a name that sounded more "White" because people make judgments based on the name. Both the title of the book as well as the author’s name will determine if someone will pick up a book and read the cover.
Publisher number two received the manuscript with my pen name attached. Again, the publisher loved the work but did not want to meet me because he only published Latino writers. When I told him I was Latino and what my real name was he told me that he would publish my work but only, and I stress only, if I published under my real name.
I often wondered, what’s the difference if you like the work? But my answer was very clear, which is why I chose to use a pen name in the first place, when a name is all you have to go by, that name needs to speak volumes.
Yes there are stereotypes when it comes to names. Sad but true, it is how, we as humans are programmed. It’s just another thing that needs to be overcome. Whether you want to believe it or not, there is a lot in a name.

Max M. Power

Four A.M.

2009-08-12T17:03:00.000-05:00

Growing up I kind of felt like a Gypsy, traveling back and forth across this vast country of ours. Like most of my family I was born in the beautiful state of California. When I was five I was taken to Texas, where I now live. I was taught the importance of family but at a great distance. While 95% of my family was still in California, we were all spread apart, living in other cities and opposite ends of the state.
One thing remanded the same, no matter where ANY of us were, we all longed for the affection of one person, my grandmother. She was the glue that kept our family together, or at the very least, kept us in line. We learned quickly, do NOT let this little lady fool you, after all dynamite comes in small packages and my grandmother was the ultimate firecracker.
My grandmother taught me that there is a huge difference between hearing and listening. Listening to her for five minutes, you knew she had a life time of stories to tell. The wonderful thing though, even in silence, she could speak volumes.
With everyone pawing for attention and we being half way across the country, my time was limited to short visits. A week, a month, a summer. It really did not matter; we always made the best of it. In 1989 the visit lasted a year, and when school started, I got four a.m.
It started with a summer visit, grandma taking my brother, my cousins, and myself to our huge family reunion at the largest park in Stockton, California. At the park we were allowed to go to the pool. Throughout the summer we went to the pool on our own, taking the city bus, but when grandma took us, there was no silence. Oh no, not my grandma, she taught us how to talk smack to the players.
The Stockton Ports was a minor league baseball team but they were OUR team and grandma said they needed OUR support. So to the game we went, buying a Coke and a hotdog or popcorn. It was un-American to go to a baseball game and NOT get a Coke and hotdog, a lesson I passed on to my own child.
Screaming at the other team, telling the ump he needed glasses, those were good times, and the ONLY time we were allowed to say things like that without getting our butts tanned.
Soon summer came to an end and it was time for school. Over ten people living under one roof, with three bedrooms and one shower, fighting for time was a big issue. I had to be out the door at six in the morning to catch the city bus to school. I took my showers in the morning before anyone else was awake. Four a.m. was my time to wake up.
With sleep in my eyes I stumbled into the shower with my school clothes, having to dress quickly in the bathroom. Wet towel in hand, I walked back to my room to put it into the hamper and grab my backpack. As I closed the door to the room I looked over to the kitchen to see the newspaper floating over the table, my grandmother hidden behind the pages.
Breakfast was sitting on the table waiting for me. Grandma made what she made and there was no complaining allowed. I could complain but it would result in getting slapped in the face, breakfast taken away, and having to wait until lunch for my next meal. Like I said, no complaining allowed.
I would sit down, good mornings were exchanged and I would begin to eat. No other words were spoken except an occasional, “Will you look at that…” “I can’t believe they did that…” or “Well, I’ll be…” Grandma never treated us like fragile children but more like young adults so she would read certain articles and ask my opinion.
We never had “conversations” per say but I learned a lot from grandma. At five a.m. the rest of the house would begin to wake up and I would have to clear my place from the table and finish getting ready for school back in my room. It was everyone else’s turn to spend the morning with grandma before she went to work. We all had to share this wonderful woman but at least I had her all to myself at four a.m.

Max M. Power
Written November 24, 2008

Paper or Plastic

2009-08-12T17:02:00.000-05:00

No I'm not talking about your groceries. I'm talking about shopping. In this age of electronics, where almost everything can be done on a hand held device that fits in your pocket, more and more people are turning to the internet to get their entertainment. In fact I am writing this article on a hand held Palm Pilot PDA.
Things are more convenient online. Stores are going out of business while their website counterparts are thriving. People don't have to fight for parking, stand in long lines, or deal with rude people. Your purchase can be delivered to your address so you never have to leave the house. If you know where to look most times you can get what you want for cheaper than you can in the store.
Want to see a movie? Going to a movie can cost over $20 per person when you add in popcorn and a drink. That same movie can be downloaded for less than $3 depending on who you use. Makes you wonder how long DVDs will last at $15 to $20 a movie.
Books? Average paperback will not cost less than $8 while a hardback is closer to $22. An e-book can range from $0.50 to $7 depending on the book. Depending on the handheld device an e-readers can be a fairly cheap add on. A paper book can be bulky; especially if it’s a Stephen King novel, and is can not fit in most pockets.
Amozon.com has The Kindle, other websites offer E-Reader Machines, Palm has a downloadable program that can turn any Palm Pilot into an e-reader, and even cell phones can be turned into e-readers. The great thing about any e-reader is that depending on your memory size you can store anywhere from a hundred files or books on up into the thousands. No more looking for a dictionary, they can be downloaded too.
With this age of technology the question still stands, paper or plastic? While plastic may be more convenient nothing beat good old fashion rough paper. The sound of a newspaper rustling as you turn the pages. The smell of a brand new book as you open it for the first time and let the ink breath. The feel of a crisp new dollar bill between your finger tips.
The best thing about paper that outweighs plastic, no power needed to operate. If you live in an area where a strong story can knock out power for days or weeks at a time you know how wonderful paper can be. So what will it be, paper or plastic?

Max M. Power

Written November 15, 2008

Solitaire

2009-08-12T17:00:00.000-05:00

What is up with this game? I can’t stop playing it but I am going bald from pulling my hair out. I think this computer is cheating. Dang, I just lost another game. I mean it’s a simple game, one that I can play anywhere with a deck of cards but I have to play this game here on the computer.
Then there are different versions of this game. Draw one card, draw three cards. Auto jump to the ACES. It’s enough to drive you batty. Dang, lost another game. I’m hooked, I just can’t stop. Then again, I can’t get any work done either because I’m playing this game. Wow, that was a fast game. I swear this computer is cheating. I really hate this game, I wish I could stop playing it. I… I... I won! I LOVE THIS GAME!!!

Max M. Power
Written December 15, 2008

What Do You Believe?

2009-08-12T16:57:00.000-05:00

It’s a valid question, what do you believe? It’s a question that can take a lifetime to answer. God gave us all FREE WILL and with that our minds are open to countless possibilities.
There are literally thousands of topics that this question, these four little words, can apply to. You have the three deadliest topics; Sex, Religion, and Politics, there’s a bomb just waiting to go off. But there are others that can really blow your mind: The Supernatural, The Unknown, The Paranormal, Ghost, Shadow People, and The After Life.
Do you believe in Vampires? I do. I know they exist because I am one. I’m not the kind that you’re most likely thinking of, I do not like blood. I’m an Energy Vampire. Look it up, you might be surprised in what you find.
What about aliens? Well, yea, of course they exist. Just because I have not personally seen one myself, I do believe they exist, sorry but the Goobly Goos are a story I made up. If they are not real then it seems like a very bad waist of space.
Ghost? I would not be an amateur ghost hunter if I didn’t. I have had my own experiences all my life with ghost, even having a ghost attached to me for a few years. Now that my ghost is gone I actually miss her playfulness.
So now I ask you, what do you believe?

Max M. Power

Written December 10, 2008

Swing Away

2009-08-12T16:45:00.002-05:00

The wonderful thing about the internet is the unlimited supply of things to read. I am always reading and looking for great new authors. I love to read and no doubt you do to, that is why you are a member of my fan club. I found a young writer who will someday soon hold the title of AUTHOR. The following is a recent article she wrote. You can find out more about her here:

http://writingwithpower.googlepages.com/kimberly

When life throws you curveballs…

SWING AWAY!

From working at Royals Kauffman Stadium I’ve learned a few things. Aside from the fact they don’t have a half-time and that they have innings and not quarters, I’ve learned that you cheer for the home team. Even when they’re the underdogs. Especially if they’re the underdogs every game. I’ve been shown that, in its own way, life is like baseball. You’re playing the same game every time but the pitcher isn’t always the same person. And sometimes, maybe most of the time, the pitcher is bigger, badder, faster, and in every way stacks the odds higher and higher against you. But you still step up to the plate because people are counting on you. There are people who will still cheer you on, wearing YOUR name across their back, rooting for the underdog which happens to be you.

You can’t just say, “Sorry coach it’s just not my day and I don’t feel like playing.” No. Maybe you’re not playing for yourself or for the love of the game, maybe you don’t even know why; but you do it anyway, because that’s the name of the game.

You’re on the roster and it’s your turn at bat. There’s no backing out now and you’ve got to give it your all. You see everyone in the stands, and the determination on the faces of the opposing players, all of them, trying to get you out one way or another. You step up to home plate and try your best, even when you know it’s not good enough you still grip that bat and swing.

The crack of the bat compels you to run like you mean it. First Base. The stadium lights glare and your muscles burn. Second Base. The adrenaline continues to propel you as you approach your goal. Third base. You can see home base as sweat kisses your lips. You begin to feel anxious and triumphant. You’ll make it home but maybe not. Just then, dust is thrown in the air as you slide into home plate and you hear the pop of the ball in the catcher’s mitt.
Anticipation.
Anxiety.
And finally,

Victory as the Umpire shouts, “Safe!”

The crowd roars, sharing your joyous relief.

Sometimes it pays to step it up and swing.

Who do you play for?

“You don’t play for the name on the back of the jersey, you play for the name on the front.” – T Shirt Tuesday Giveaways.

Written by Kimberly Crowley on Saturday June 27, 2009

Thought of the Day

2009-08-06T15:49:00.002-05:00

When the world has U down & U just want to scream, all ur hair u pull. Just remember things aren't as they seem. Sing these words of wisdom: INCONCEIVABLE

My First Kiss

2009-08-04T04:30:00.002-05:00

Growing up I was not very educated in things going on in the world. If it was not on my morning cartoons chances are I did not know about it.
While kids were learning adult content in elementary school I just nodded my head and played along, pretending I knew what they knew about sex. I did not want to be laughed at for not knowing what the other kids were talking about.
Plain and simple, I was naive.
Most of my peers already had their first kiss before getting out of the fifth grade. Jr. High provided more proof of this fact when everywhere you looked the “cool” kids were making out.
Cheerleaders were girlfriends to the football players. Clicks were everywhere and faces were stuck together. As for me, I had to watch from afar. While I longed for the contact the other kids had I was reminded of two reasons why I could not.
First off, I was a nerd. Other nerds DID have girlfriends but I seemed to be different. I was always considered “a good friend” and nothing more.
Second, it was forbidden for me to have a girlfriend at my age. Unlike most teenagers, I was not the rebel without a cause. Even if I did have a cause it would not have mattered, I was a Jehovah’s Witness. Like I said, it was forbidden in our religion.
For this later reason I was often teased. I was different. I was an easy target. Needless to say, Jr. High was a very lonely time for me.
When I became a freshman in High School things changed. I was at a new school, new students, and unlike the kids I had been in classes with since the second grade, these new students knew nothing about me.
Still I had to pretend I knew what was going on. Clicks were everywhere and I did not fit into any of them. I did what I have always done, being the nerd I was, I worked in the library.
I had been working in the library during my lunch since the sixth grade. I was at home.
I filed books. I cleaned up. I read the comics in the newspaper. I finished my homework. I tutored other students. One of these students would educate me more than I would educate her. Her name was Vanessa Ortiez.
Vanessa was a goddess. Beautiful flowing long black hair. Cute perfectly placed dimples. Long lushes legs. Firm round behind. Great hips. Forty-six DD breast. Soft smooth tan skin. One hundred forty pounds and a smile that would make your heart melt. Like I said, a goddess.
Vanessa was failing English and History, two of my best subjects. When she walked up to me on that bright Friday afternoon I was stunned. She was asking for my help.
Unlike other girls, Vanessa asked for my help directly, not flirting with me to say yes. How could I refuse?
Everyday Vanessa would come into the library and I would tutor her in the back rooms. We could eat in these rooms so sometimes she would bring lunch for us to share. I would imagine I was on a picnic instead of in a small room filled with books.
I wanted to be with Vanessa, and not just as her tutor. I was no longer naive, just inexperienced. However, I did know enough to know Vanessa was WAY out of my league. She was a goddess and I was an insect.
Vanessa was always serious when we studied so I had to be too. In all honesty I could not concentrate when I was around her. My brain turned to mush.
On occasion my mush brain would show and Vanessa ALWAYS found this funny. “It’s very cute,” she would say.
This went on all semester. Vanessa’s failing grades were rising. She went from F’s to A’s. When Vanessa received her final report card of the semester she was surprised to see straight A’s.
Never in her life had Vanessa received straight A’s. The fruit of her labor was clear and she was excited. This excitement prompted a reward for me, although Vanessa did not know it.
The next time Vanessa saw me I was busy putting books back in their place on the shelves. I never saw her coming. Vanessa’s arms wrapped around me as she hugged me tight.
Vanessa’s firm breasts were pressing against me tightly. MY REWARD! When Vanessa let go I turned around. Vanessa hugged me again. The sweet smell of her perfume and shampoo filled my nose, drifting me away to paradise. Vanessa always smelled good.
“Thank you,” Vanessa said, kissing my cheek then letting go. She held out her report card and I seen why she was excited.
The next day I heard it through the grapevine that Vanessa was moving away with her father. I was crushed. I was in love.
I had to tell Vanessa how I felt. I wrote her a note to meet me in the Northwest stairwell at lunch. This stairwell was rarely used and I knew I would have privacy.
Vanessa met me, sensing the urgency in my tone. Before she could say a word I sprang up from where I was sitting and blurted out, “I love you.”
“What,” came the shock response. It was hard to tell if her face showed surprise or disgust. I had to continue.
“I’m in love with you. I’m seriously in love with you.”
Silence filled the air. The stairwell was dark, however, I could see my words were sinking in. I walked around the stairs to hide in the total darkness of the corner. I professed my love and my answer was silence.
Vanessa followed me to the corner. I was not going to escape so easily. “Your timing sucks,” Vanessa answered before grabbing my shirt and pulling me to her.
Vanessa’s soft sweet lips pressed against mine. My first kiss.
With each passing moment we continued to kiss. Slowly her deep red lipstick was coming off. My mind was racing a mile a minute.
Do I close my eyes or keep them open? Whoa, her tongue just went into my mouth! What do I do? Do I push it out with my own tongue? Do I stick my tongue in her mouth now? Where do my hands go? Am I doing this right or am I screwing up?
Vanessa was reading my mind. She broke away and smiled at me. I knew what that smile meant, she thought my inexperience was cute.
“Just relax and do what I do,” Vanessa whispered in my ear. She began to nibble my ear as she wrapped my arms around her waist, sliding my hands to her hips.
She wrapped her arms around my neck and pecked my lips. “I’m in love with you too.”
We kissed again. This time I let my mind go blank. My body knew what to do as I closed my eyes and pulled Vanessa to me tight. For the next hour she was mine and I was not going to let her go.
I may have been a late bloomer but I am very glad that my first kiss was with Vanessa. Like many others, I will never forget my first love. I will never forget my first kiss.

Max M. Power

The Decade Time Forgot

2009-08-04T04:23:00.001-05:00

I remember back when I was a kid. Back when teachers could paddle you for being bad. The biggest decision we had to make was white or chocolate milk. The girls had cooties and the boys teased the girls that they secretly liked.
Music was fun and we sung the same songs over and over again. That was one busy bus all over town.
Muppets were our best friends. We had a big yellow bird teaching us songs while a mean green man lived in the trash. A vampire taught us to count and a blue fuzzy monster taught us how to REALLY eat cookies.
Back when Mondays were Manic and people walked funny like Egyptians. When a Hammer had his own time and wearing a parachute as pants was cool. Where it was a thrill to be seen in a dark red leather jacket and one white glove.
Children were our future. When every major singer was The World. Hunger and homelessness were fought one hand at a time across America.
A little fat Italian man and his skinny brother kept us entertained for hours as they tried to rescue a princess against an evil dragon.
When cats had thunder and cars were actually robots in disguise. When knowing was ALWAYS half the battle. Where a pony was little and yours. Where bears lived in the clouds and traveled on rainbows. When rainbows were controlled by a blonde in pigtails.
A time when videos killed radio stars. When MTV actually played music videos and everyone wanted to jump.
There was only ONE HBO and having it made you cool. Teenagers learned things you can’t do on television. Slime was gross but you couldn’t wait to get it dumped on you. Where Dares were Doubled and always ended in a physical challenge.
A time where turtles fought like ninjas and everyone was afraid of a man dressed like a bat. Where a short little alien just wanted to go home.
Back when the Jedi made their return and superheroes were everywhere. A golden Hulk took on a Giant and won. A boxer showed us how to overcome all odds and be a winner if we had the eye of a tiger.
Where the Rain was purple and ghost were being busted. Where the fool was pitied. When we first found out time travel was possible at 88mph and it is NEVER a good idea to date your own mother in high school.
A man in a hockey mask scared us during the day while a burnt looking man haunted our nightmares.
Where the beef was missing and everyone asked what you were talking about. A dictionary was also a cute orphan boy. A Punky girl and her dog stole our hearts. When a Rider was Knighted. A talking car and a Wolf helicopter were the good guys. A Tab was more than a bill, it was the drink of choice.
Back when it was actually safe to walk around at night and no one worried about locking their doors. Neighbors were friendly and shared cooking supplies.
An actor was President and helped to bring down some wall in Berlin. A war that was cold ended and our arch enemy backed down and collapsed from failure.
The music was fresh, fun, and hip; not retro as it is today. Whipping It was a must. Love was a battlefield. Leg warmers and big baggy shirts could be seen everywhere. When hair was teased and a headband kept it all in place. Where dance was flashed or broken, and sometimes Dirty.
Pink was a pretty color and Blane was not a real name. A Foot became Loose. An Excellent Adventure was taken and a teenager made peace with his inner wolf. Breakfast was more than just a meal, it was a club. A Russian boxer became Master of the Universe and Punished the bad guys.
Arcades were everywhere as sounds of a yellow circle ate little dots and ghost. A ball was rolled around as a starship destroyed a bug. The stars found their last fighter.
Those were fun and simple times. VERY DORKY but simple. It has been said the 80’s is a decade time forgot or is trying to forget. Not me. I miss those simple fun times.
The best thing was anything weird was cool. I will never forget the 80’s and if you experienced it, you will not forget them either.

Max M. Power

How Many Books Have I Written???

2009-08-04T01:45:00.002-05:00

I was asked how books have I actually written and that got me looking back at what I have done since 2001, when I started writing full time. The following is a list of EVERYTHING I am working on.

The Guardians
A Fallen Angels Novel

The battle between good and evil is as old as creation itself. A great family feud in heaven spills over to us here on earth. Banished from their home, not all that followed Azazel in battle still follow him on earth.
Now a second war between good and evil is fast approaching. Living in the final days, as foretold by the bible, Azazel wants any advantage he can get. Breaking the rules set forth by God is the only ways to gain this advantage. Azazel will destroy anyone who will get in his way, including the Guardians.
Demetrius is the strongest of the Guardians and Azazel almost succeeds in destroying him first. Raphael, an Arch Angel has formed an alliance Demetrius, asking Demetrius to fight the other Fallen Angels since he is forbidden to do so by God himself. With the love of his life by his side Demetrius is determine to stop his brother for good.

Fighting The Mob
A Jonathan McGregor Novel

Staff Sergeant Jonathan McGregor never had anything in his life to call his own. While serving as a sniper in the Marine Corps Jonathan finds a family.
Upon leaving the Corps, Jonathan, his wife, and newborn child move to New York City to be with his in-laws. Jonathan’s life could not be better, until one day members of the Mafia show up and demand Jonathan pay insurance money for his store. Jonathan fights back and it cost him his family. Now Jonathan is waging a private war against organized crime.
Will a handful of retired Marines be able to defeat the Mafia or will they bite off more than they can chew?

The Farm
A Jonathan McGregor Novel

A world of lies, deception and espionage. Where you can serve your country and at the same time earn a license to kill. The world's best spies work for the CIA.
Only the elite are sent to the FARM, the CIA's training grounds. Training to be a CIA operative is hard work, highly stressful, and very dangerous. For Jonathan McGregor and Ty Johnson, it is all one big joke.
Some students, as well as instructors, do not believe Jonathan and Johnson belong in the CIA. Under the direction of the senior instructor at the Farm, the students attempt to assassinate Jonathan and Johnson.
Will their Marine Corps training keep them alive or will they become another black star in a wall in Langley?

Silent But Deadly
A Jonathan McGregor Novel

Having to become a killer for hire Jonathan must prove he is the best at what he does. Jonathan needs a target that will get the attention of the entire world. Jonathan sets his sights of Fidel Castro.
Going to Cuba, Jonathan learns everything he will need to take down the horrid dictator. Making friends with the Cuban Underground, they follow Jonathan’s lead and march toward Havana.
Things become complicated when Jonathan finds out that his mentor from the Marine Corps has orders to stop Jonathan. Now Jonathan must decide who his true enemy is and take him out.

Loves Flight Path
A Max “Skywalker” Power Novel

A man is considered lucky if he can find love in his life. Max Power finds love not once, but three times. Fighting for everything he has, Max finds himself coming across the love of two beautiful women and his dream, being a fighter pilot in the United States Navy.
On his first cruise Max discovers whom he truly loves and everything falls into balance. His life is going great until the unthinkable happens; the United States is attacked.
Faced with WAR, Max must put aside his personal feelings and do his duty as a fighter pilot. When he is shot down behind enemy lines, Max knows that he has to make it back safely to the woman he loves.
Question is, will he?

Hijacked
A Max “Skywalker” Power Novel

The President of the United States has just made the largest announcement since the news of 9/11. Saddam and his regime have forty-eight hours to leave Iraq or the U.S. will invade.
Lieutenant Max Power, watching the announcement knows what it means for him. Lieutenant Power is returning to WAR. With his wife days away from birth Lieutenant Power boards a plane from San Diego to Washington D.C. He promises to return safely.
When his aircraft is hijacked and the crew is in on it Lieutenant Power has only one option; to take the plane back. Not knowing who is in on the hijacking Lieutenant Power wonders if he'll be able to keep his promise of returning safely?

The Dogfight
A Max “Skywalker” Power Novel

The shooting has begun between the United States and Iraq. The second Persian Gulf is now in place.
With the Arm Forces on high alert Lieutenant Max “Skywalker” Power and Lieutenant Leslie “Taz” Nelson have arrived aboard the U.S.S. Harry Truman as replacement pilots.
Within twenty-four hours of their arrival both are sent on dangerous mission after mission. Soon they find themselves involved in the biggest aerial dogfight since the days of Vietnam.
With both aircraft wounded badly can they make it back to the ship?

Returning to Sea
A Max “Skywalker” Power Novel

The F/A-26 Badger is the newest aircraft in the Navy. Lieutenant Commander Max “Skywalker” Power is in charge of taking the first squadron to use the Badger out to Sea.
This will be a many first for Lieutenant Commander Power. By taking on this command he wonders if it'll be more than he can handle.
It's not long before Elvis and the Badger are put to the test. It is time to prove what both pilot and plane can do.

A Day to Remember

Sitting in an airport waiting for a flight to come in, Commander Steven "Trigger" Gann begins to remember the best day of his life.
Upon going home to Houston, Texas, Steven meets a young lady who missed her international flight. With twenty-four hours to kill the two of them decide to spend it together.
At the end of their time together both lives have been changed forever. Love has blossomed and now a decision to leave or stay must be made.

Eagle Squadron
A Paul Fiala Novel

In January of 1940 Europe is enveloped in a huge conflict. The only thing standing between Hitler and total domination in Europe is a few British pilots.
Paul Fiala wants to help in the only way he knows how, flying. Leaving his home in Texas behind, Paul personally flies across the Atlantic to join the British Royal Air Force. (RAF)
Upon arrival in England Paul must overcome negative views against him. Word spreads fast that the RAF is starting a squadron of American pilots. Paul hopes to become one of the first in this new squadron. The Eagle Squadron.

VL-45
A Wyatt Earp Novel

A gang comes to Houston, Texas, claiming the city as their own. They begin killing rivals to show their power. When innocent kids are killed Detective Wyatt Earp wants the killers brought to justice.
When a vigilante starts killing the same gang members who are killing kids the FBI is brought in to take over the case.
Wyatt does not want to stop this vigilante because he is doing what the police can not. Will justice prevail or will the vigilante be caught before the last gang member is dead. It’s a race against time to see whom can out whom.

Twins

Molly and Renee are far from being your average twins. One is popular and the other is, well, not. When Molly gets into a bad accident Renee must move and take over Molly’s life. Renee is not happy about it and tries to make sure no one else is either, especially Molly’s boyfriend Michael.
Michael, believing Renee is not the bad girl she makes herself out to be, treats Renee with kindness, winning her over. Upon Molly’s return Renee does not want to give Michael up. Now its sister against sister, fighting for the same man. Michael has no idea of the family feud or how deadly the feud is about to get.

S.W.A.T.

Blaming the loss of his family on S.W.A.T. a man decides to take revenge on the very men that were suppose to protect them. Waiting patiently for five years the time has come to enact his plan.
Studying tactics used by the police department, he is going to put everyone to the test, making them question all “life saving” policies. With the entire world watching, S.W.A.T. finds that they need to rethink their tactics.

Chronicles of the Huntress
A Kara Novel

Being the birth daughter of the Mother of all vampires, Kara was her mother’s daughter, vicious and seductive. Kara left the vampire world to start a family of her own and when her family died, Kara blames her mother for not allowing her to save her own family.
Filled with anger Kara vows to get revenge on all vampires. Becoming a hunter Kara begins to track down vampires, killing them off one at a time. Kara finds out from her uncle, the second vampire ever created, that she can put an end to all vampires if she kills her mother.
Now the greatest hunt in history is on, mother against daughter. The two most powerful female vampires are set to kill each other. What will the future of all vampires hold?

I Need to Feed
A Lauren & Alister Novel

“I want to know all I can about the man I am going to marry.”
Alister, wanting to make Lauren happy, agrees to take her on a tour of The Slums, the neighborhood where Alister grew up. But for Alister, nothing good could come from going home.
The tour begins with his high school and ends at the house were Alister grew up. Despite the warnings from Alister of how unsafe the area is Lauren wants to know all she can about Alister’s past.
Trouble comes calling, as Alister knew it would. Alister hopes to be able to get out of the situation without anyone getting hurt, but someone always gets hurt in The Slums.

Now that you have read all of the blurbs of what I am working on I would like to hear your thoughts. Which ones sound like something you would like to read. Also, since I will be publishing these books myself, I am taking ideas for covers. What do you think would make a good cover for any of these books? Would you like to be on the cover for any of these books?
Before I forget, Chronicles of the Huntress is the only book that I already have a cover model for. Since photography is a slight problem for me right now, no current camera, thanks a lot Tropical Storm Alison, I have to start preplanning now. Once I get a camera I will be snapping pictures left and right. With that said, let the brain storming begin.