Jesse Roman's Blog
October 26, 2016
One Year Anniversary
Today marks the one-year milestone of self-publishing my first two books A World Divided: Blazing City and Fallen Guardin but it feels like it’s been much longer than that. Going into it, and knowing I’d have to do everything myself, I had no idea the amount of challenges, countless mistakes, beautiful revelations and growth that would accompany me on this journey. It was a process that I wasn't really prepared for and admit probably should have researched before diving head first into the deep end with no life vest and just blind faith in my back pocket (dare I even throw out the clichéd saying “hindsight is always…” nahh fuck it).
I'm currently in the process of writing my fourth book Broken Guardin (and soon the trilogy's finale War Guardin) and they're gearing up to be unlike anything I could have ever imagined them to be. A similar scenario happened to me while writing A World Divided: Frostbite Village as well. It blew away my expectations on what a sequel could be when in the beginning I only had mediocre expectations. But it skyrocketed my excitement for the series’ subsequent six installments.
I've always wanted my stories to have some kind of substantial underlining to them, even metaphorically, with characters and themes that make you feel or ponder something. Especially since these books are targeted towards an age group--young adults--where such emotions are occurring in our lives at such an accelerated rate but are rarely discussed seriously. These things need to be discussed though and not just swept under the rug or hidden inside closets or coated with bright colors and looked at through rose coloured glasses. This may all be fiction at the end of day, but it couldn't be more real when it comes to what each and every one of us feels inside. We might not all come from the same places or live the same lives or have the same things, but we all feel the same things; love, hate, courage, sadness and hope (going all Inside Out on you here).
I'm excited and anxious for what the many coming years have in store for not only myself and the stories as they flourish and climb the ladder towards their climaxes, but my characters as well who I now call family (shut-up, I know they're fictional). It'll be unfathomable, emotional and downright painful having to put them through scenarios that will be difficult for me to put down into words. But before there can be true light there must be true darkness. You never realize what you have or take or granted until it's ripped right from your hands.
Here’s to the five, ten and fifteen year anniversaries.
-JR
I'm currently in the process of writing my fourth book Broken Guardin (and soon the trilogy's finale War Guardin) and they're gearing up to be unlike anything I could have ever imagined them to be. A similar scenario happened to me while writing A World Divided: Frostbite Village as well. It blew away my expectations on what a sequel could be when in the beginning I only had mediocre expectations. But it skyrocketed my excitement for the series’ subsequent six installments.
I've always wanted my stories to have some kind of substantial underlining to them, even metaphorically, with characters and themes that make you feel or ponder something. Especially since these books are targeted towards an age group--young adults--where such emotions are occurring in our lives at such an accelerated rate but are rarely discussed seriously. These things need to be discussed though and not just swept under the rug or hidden inside closets or coated with bright colors and looked at through rose coloured glasses. This may all be fiction at the end of day, but it couldn't be more real when it comes to what each and every one of us feels inside. We might not all come from the same places or live the same lives or have the same things, but we all feel the same things; love, hate, courage, sadness and hope (going all Inside Out on you here).
I'm excited and anxious for what the many coming years have in store for not only myself and the stories as they flourish and climb the ladder towards their climaxes, but my characters as well who I now call family (shut-up, I know they're fictional). It'll be unfathomable, emotional and downright painful having to put them through scenarios that will be difficult for me to put down into words. But before there can be true light there must be true darkness. You never realize what you have or take or granted until it's ripped right from your hands.
Here’s to the five, ten and fifteen year anniversaries.
-JR
August 26, 2016
And so it begins...
Just finished my third book and I couldn't possibly be more proud of it. The future of this series will be one long, epic ride until 2027 (approximately). It'll be daunting, scary and a mountain to climb with its top so high up in the clouds that it isn't even visible yet. I'll be 37 years old by that time, and 14 books later, will I already have gray hair? Here's to love, courage and morality. The three trifecta that conquers all.
- JR
- JR
May 29, 2016
The Lost Fairytales
I've never considered writing fan fiction before. I prefer creating my own stories and always will. However, this last week I've been tempted to write short novella length stories about Disney villains. I've been a big Disney fan my whole life and these characters have such rich personas and history that I can only imagine what their earlier lives were like. So I have decided to kick this fan fiction series off with "Ursula: The Lost Fairytales #1." The funny thing is that I've never been a big Little Mermaid fan nor a big fan of Ursula herself. However, the earlier years of her life that would lead her down a path of evil cunning and magic is a gold mine for potential storytelling. I expect to release this novella sometime this year (2016). Not sure what the best fan fiction site is, but I'll be sure to scout out the best one or if anyone has any recommendations I'll be all ears. And, if anything, it will just be for shits and giggles.
- JR
- JR
