There are plenty of good choices to showcase for black history month. Lot’s of black authors, or even black heroes in novels. The hero in Rothman’s Primordial Threat is a genius black scientist.

I must say though, that even when given a good description of a character, I often envisage them quite differently. Take Gideon Oliver (Aaron Elkins) in the first book he’s described as “…a pretty big guy, you know. Six-one, six-two. Strong-used to box in college.” I don’t think they ever mentioned his ethnicity in any of the books (I can’t remember off hand), but in the TV show he was played by Louis Gossett Jr. While Gossett is a fine choice of actor and fits limited description (I think he’s 6’2″) and is fairly athletic, he’s decidedly not what I think of for the character. 6’2″ doesn’t seem all that big to me. When I think “big strong guy” these days, I’m thinking along the lines of say Larry Correia, who is over 6’5″ and looks like he “could pull the ears off a gundark.”

I’ve been finding many of the people who have started following my blog are overseas. I’ve been wondering why, but I’m beginning to form a theory. I let it be known I returned to writing and decided to pursue an old dream, despite the fact it’s hardly an ideal time right now. I guess my suck-it-up-buttercup, quit making excuses attitude; and go make friends advice doesn’t play well here in the States. Despite my strong desire to ignore it, I found myself offering my opinion on someone else’s blog when they were questioning the RWA board decision, over a Twitter fued which never should have occured in the first place. My whole issue with social media, and what kept me from it, until I wanted to sell a book, is the juvenile behavior adults are exibiting far too frequently. You would think I dropped a stink bomb, or suggested everyone drink poison, from some of the responses I got. Especially since I had the nerve to suggest the combatants’ behavior was unprofessional, and you can accomplish a heck of a lot more by making friends with people. Rather than shouting in someone’s face and accusing them of something, whether it’s true or not. Someone was even surprised I thought writers should be held to a standard of professionalism. I’m not going to say this person had their opinion because we’re referring specifically to the Romance genre with RWA; because I don’t have a direct link to their thoughts. Still, if you’re doing something to make a living, that makes you a professional in my book. Meaning your public behavior should reflect that. If a lack of professionalism in the creative community is considered standard behavior now, then we deserve not to be taken seriously, no matter what kind of stories we write.

I made the decision to go Indie shortly after starting my first book, because I knew I wouldn’t fit in with tradtional publishing. Nor did I wish to do so. It helps I’m getting old enough no one is allowed to mess with my values or standards. I know why I have those standards. I’m fortunate I have other skills which enable me to do much of my own production work, though the tools I use to do it, don’t come cheap. I used to work in the print industry, and have a bit of experience with POD, not to mention digital. Right now, I don’t have plans to produce other work than my own. However, I am forming an LLC production company, because my business does encompass more than my writing. Sometimes I surprise myself with ambitions I didn’t know I possessed. Who knows, maybe I’ll eventually move beyond self-publishing. Since I’m not the kind of risk-taker who jumps of actual cliffs, it hasn’t killed me yet.

I don’t think of it as a size issue. I prefer “a can of worms, where the can is made of more worms.” 🙂