Goodbye My Friend...

Tim Marsh

     I start today with a heavy heart. My friend, Tim Marsh lost his battle with cancer yesterday. Tim was a funny, snarky, intelligent and loyal friend. You always knew he was going to zing you by the twinkle in his eye. He was a fierce and loyal friend, and I will always admire him for that.
     I was told once that the only thing in life that you need to accomplish was to love and be loved in return. Undoubtedly, Tim did this in abundance. He had many friends who loved him as he loved them. I know that his husband, and fellow writer, Matt Ortiz, returned his love as well. Many of us were blessed by his presence. Tim, you will be sorely missed.

One of my favorite photos

     I figured since I was already a little depressed, I thought I’d go and read some reviews. It is rare that I subject myself to reviews on Goodreads. Normally I stay far away from there, but what the hell. I also checked out those on Amazon, which tend to be easier to take.
     I was… surprised. Somehow that doesn’t seem adequate. I was more overwhelmed to be honest. The things that readers said about ‘Going Home’ nearly brought me to tears. ‘My Hero: The Olympian’ appears to be well received. Not sure why it didn’t so very well in way of book sales, but those who did read it, took the time to write a review, which is pure gold to an author.. I’m glad that they enjoyed it.
     ‘The V Unit’, another one that wasn’t exactly a best seller, but people liked it as well. I want to take a quick thank you to every reader who takes the time to write a review. They really are what sell books. And a great big thank you to those of you who talk about their favorite books and authors on social media. It really does make a huge difference.
     I think I need to make myself read reviews more often. Instead of becoming more depressed, it lifted me up. It made me want to write. To get back to work and get this book done. Yeah, this book…
     I’m not sure how other authors feel or deal with their current work in progress, but I tend to suffer, especially when I’m dealing with hard subjects. Yep, I’m doing another one of those books. I feel as if it is a delicate balancing act. How do I get the information to the reader without doing an information dump on them? When is enough, enough? Are the emotions real? Have I gone over the top?
     These are questions that I constantly ask myself. When I get close to the end of a book like this, which is the case here, I tend to slow down, procrastinate finishing, scared that I’m not getting it just right. Am I doing the story and the characters justice? Is anyone going to want to read this crap?
    I will admit that I tend to push buttons. It’s what I do. But when I do that, I push my own buttons a well, and that’s not always a good thing. It makes me doubt myself. I think that is why I find it difficult to finish a book. I overthink it and I worry and get all stressed. Many of you know what happens when I stress: I hit the jug. Yep, I’ve hit the milk pretty good over the past few days. Up until a few days ago, I’ve been really good. Then it was milk and Tim-Tams. Milk and cold pizza. Milk and… well milk. My shorts are back to being a little on the tight side. Oh well… at least I know and understand my addiction and it isn’t illegal!
     I originally planned to have this book finished in December. Yeah, well that didn’t happen. I think it is close to the end, but then sometimes the characters dictate the length of the book, not me. Unless they go off and create some hari-kari, it should be done soon. That’s the plan at any rate.
     For those who keep up with this blog know that I’ve been helping The Aussie Tart, (TAT for short) with her new house. We’ve come a long way in a short amount of time. We’re coming down the long stretch. This is the hardest part for me. Doing the little detail things that make all the difference in the world. Of course, this is when I start becoming bored and want it to just be done. Hopefully, in the next few weeks I can go and dig in the dirt there. I’m soooo looking forward to that.
     Sadly, it is becoming more and more difficult to make Studly-Do-Right blush. I’m afraid that he has become used to my banter and nothing much gets to him now. It’s either that or he just knows that I’m going to push his envelope. The poor man just shakes his head and walks away. Oh well, shit happens I guess.
     Now, don’t get me wrong; I like the guy. He’s one of the good ones, for sure. He has a great work ethic, gets things done and does good work. Something that I’ve noticed isn’t exactly the norm around here.
     What else…
     Today, I’m being descended upon. I have three friends that are coming in from out of town. Two of those have never seen American Football, and today is Super Bowl Sunday. I’m just hoping that I can stay awake that long. I think I may need a nap just to get to halftime!

     I’m going to do some football type food. You know, wings, chips-n-dip, along with other assorted fare. Not sure if I’m going to get the cheesecake done. I’ve just run out of time. We’ll see though. Who knows, it could happen.
     What else…
     Oh, I had dinner Friday night (much needed time out) with some friends. One of which is a playwright. Last year he gave me a draft of a play he was working on, wanting my opinion, which I gave. That’s hard to do sometimes, but I was honest. He said that he got what I was saying and has given it back to me to look it over. I’m looking forward to reading through it again. It had a lot of potential, so I’m excited to see what he has done. He’s a real hoot. My kind of people. That’s code for crazy.
     Well…
     This week I’ve not been as good as I could have been. I didn’t help out as many people as I possibly could have. I’ll try harder next week. Sometimes the opportunity just doesn’t present itself. This next week will be better, I can feel it. I’ll let you know.
     I guess that’s all I have for this week. Remember to go forth, live life, do unto others, and make each day count.
     Have a grrreat week, y’all.
     Max