Tag: Ongoing Projects

Getting Back in Gear: Plans for the Future with My Writing Career and My Blog

Hey, everyone. JDE here.

As of late, I have been very busy with my side projects, so much so that I’ve haven’t gotten enough time or energy to check in on you guys outside of my “JDE on Medium” segments. Lately, I’ve been so caught up with life that it’s easy to forget about my main writer profile and platform regarding my stories on Amazon. And since it’s the summer rush, I’m very busy with keeping myself occupied with my side projects. But I hope to make some changes very soon as I get back on my feet after spending this weekend with a nasty sinus infection that required bed rest. Even now, I’m feeling stuffed up. Hopefully, I can start creating more blog posts in the future. 

Anyway, I’m still letting the rough draft of “The Beautifully Damned and the Eternally Blessed” rest a little before I get to work with revising and editing before it’s ready for the premiere on Amazon by this holiday season. My main goal for its premiere was originally before Thanksgiving, but I decided to wait until around Christmastime so I could get ready for yet another project from my “Vigilantes Among Us” series. All the same, I want to make sure that my first-ever adult-oriented murder mystery novel is going to be a game-changing experience since it’s likely to be very controversial in more ways than one. I told myself that one day I would write this novel no matter how scandalous the storyline may become and how it might put me in a negative spotlight. I’ve been playing it safe for the longest with family-friendly novellas. It’s time for me to shake things up while showcasing a different side of myself. You might love me or hate me for this, but I’m not backing down. Once the holiday season arrives and I launch this novel, I will be taking the next big leap in my writing career.

As for this blog, there will be some changes coming this fall. Even as I work on my side projects and getting ready to edit my mystery novel, I want to make sure that I enter a new chapter of my life once my birthday arrives and I let go of any and every inhibitions that keep me from my potential. I’ll come clean and say that I’m my worst enemy when it comes to being a creator at times. I strongly believe in the old saying “you’re only as good as your last work,” so I am constantly competing against myself to create something totally new in the literary world whether it’s for my eyes only or ready for the general population or even saved for a special audience in the future. It’s a challenge to get something out because I fear of failure as a writer, of having my grandfather being proven right of me being a writer is not a real career. I want to show him that I am a great artist of words no matter if it’s a success or a failure. But there are certain stories that I can’t show him since he’s a minister and my family’s from a faith-based community. So this year is when I’ll let go all the inhibitions and start coming clean with who I really am to you all. You might give me the hook or the ovation for it, but it is what it is and I am who I can only be. Love me or hate me for it.

With that said, I will be checking in as often as possible, but there are no guarantees at the moment other than the “JDE on Medium” segments. I love you guys so much and I will see you guys later this week!

“JDE on Medium” Segment: Camp NaNoWriMo 2024 and Taking a Chance on Writing My Mystery Novel

The following blog post is now available to read on Medium. To read more of my posts, click here.

Okay, so Camp NaNo is officially underway and back in January, I told myself that this would be the perfect timing to begin writing the murder-mystery novel that I had planned to create back in 2022 before life went to hell in a picnic basket.

Thing is, I had an unfinished outline and it all looked so stale when I first uncovered it. And the beginnings of the first version of the manuscript was not what I wanted to use, though there were salvageable elements. In a way, I was over my head and I was up a creek without a paddle. 

But I also knew that if I didn’t get my dream mystery novel written, then it would never be writtten at all.

So despite personal matters and some health among my other projects that needed my attention, I was hard at work finishing up the outline from February and all of March. At first glance, everything seemed to go smoothly and I was on the verge of getting a nice story going.

But once the time change hit that threw me off schedule and left me sleep deprived, I knew that I was in deep trouble if I didn’t get close to the ending. I had to get things settled with the character list and get as close to the end of the outline as possible. As for the story in general, I’m taking a big risk with creating an edgier storyline that’s not like my family-friendly teen-fiction serials. This story is mainly for the grown and sexy as it features the topics that might get me in hot water for this by my conservative family members (my grandpa in particular since he’s a minister). But I’ve counted the cost and burned all my ships (to coin a phrase from Hernando Cortes) so I can go all the way with writing this story. For the most part, I’m mainly going by intuition as well as the outline that’s 85% finished. And so far, it’s coming up to speed and I intend to see this through whether it’s a natural disaster or a blazing glorious finish worthy for the bookshelves. 

And in case you’re wondering, I will be publishing this through Amazon KDP and have it out for sale by the holiday season (before Thanksgiving week, to say the least). Right now, I’m just having fun with this story and taking things one or two chapters at a time and one paragraph at a time. And hey, maybe this risky journal is going to be the newest thing that I hope everyone will share with their families and friends! The best and only way to find out is to keep writing and let myself throw caution to the wind. So if you’ll excuse me, I have a masterpiece to write!

“JDE on Medium” Segment: I Write to Communicate

The following post can be found on my Medium Blog page. For more about my works on Medium, click here.

One of the main beliefs of every writer is telling the truths that lie in their hearts.

I definitely believe that’s accurate in some sort of way because as a neurodivergent writer of color, I have a lot of unspoken truths that I can’t tell anyone in my family or friends because I fear harsh judgment and cynicism that comes from mainly my conservative background. With my grandfather being a well-respected preacher at church and me being a Christian, I have a few secrets that I can’t really express out loud to myself. And with his strong beliefs and how my family was raised in the  faith, I can’t just let myself be open to anyone that I meet (especially when my neighborhood consists of relatives and people who know everyone and all about their business).

That’s when creative writing comes into play.

Poetry and prose (especially stories) mainly help me take all of my unspoken secrets and translate them into what my main characters are feeling and reacting to their storylines. For me, writing is a way to let myself go of all that’s been on my mind and channel my emotions into something that can be made into something that I can be proud of. Of course, most of my stories that I’ve written since 2018 are meant for my eyes alone while others are meant for special audiences that can relate to how I’m feeling.

Why am I explaining all of this? It’s mainly one of my mission statements as a writer, in a way. I strongly believe that everybody has a story to tell. But it seems like most people only want to hear the stories that appeals to them. And with all of the book banning and restricting going on, it can be hard to express oneself these days through written word. It’s like we’ve been taught to write stories that the cynical and agnostics like to hear about. With the world of divisions and dissension that we’re living in, it’s up to writers like myself to let ourselves be heard even when no one wants to listen. So I’m just an autistic Black-American writer who wants to be heard in the right way while translating my latent secrets into great symphony. And I intend to keep creating until the whole world hears my stories loud and clear. They might hate me or love me for it, but it’s who I am as a creator. Sue me if you must.

Sorry for being radio silent for a while, folks. But things have been extra hectic and everything. But never fear because next month is when I begin my newest online book tour as I get ” Mental Flames: The Burning Memories of Skylar McNeal (the second of my “Heart of Inferno” spinoff trilogy) into the publication stage. Not only that, it’s more poems and plans for writing “The Beautifully Damned and the Eternally Blessed” during Camp NaNoWriMo in April. All that and more comes your way as springtime brings for newness and rejuvenation while I work to reboot my life in more ways than one. See you guys later!

“Mental Flames: The Burning Memories of Skylar McNeal” Road to Publication

Hey, guys! JDE here! As January is in full swing, I am working on a few things, mainly the revision/editing process of “Mental Flames: The Burning Memories of Skylar McNeal (the second installment of the “Heart of Inferno” spinoff trilogy).” Things are looking pretty sharp at the moment, but I am not one to take any risks with this project since it took me months to get the first draft written. I am rereading the first draft and checking for any plot holes, misspelled words, and any hidden errors to ensure that this story flows seamlessly without fail.

Now, I have set a date to publish “Mental Flames” and a date to announce when you can preorder the ebook version, but the announcement will come sometime in February since I am still in the editing process. But what I will tell you is that my book will be published before the Easter weekend. After “Mental Flames” is published, I will be working on my first adult contemporary murder mystery novel “The Beautifully Damned and the Eternally Blessed.” I would like to publish that book just in time for the holiday season because e I want to diverge and expand my repertoire by trying different genres while being more bold with my creativity. So this new story will be more contemporary and mainstream while adding an edgy feeling. And surprisingly enough, I will be dating myself to go bold while addressing heavy topics. This book will test my mettle and open new windows.

Anyway, I am mainly focusing on getting “Mental Flames” published before Easter weekend and I want to continue sharing my stories, poems, and so much more about myself and my journey as a indie/self published author. Right now, just continue to support me by getting my books on Amazon (check out the “My Books” webpage or click the Amazon button) and follow me on social media so you can check out my life outside and inside my creative lifestyle. In the future, I will share a couple more snippets from “Mental Flames,” but right now I am just focusing on the editing stage. With that, I will see you guys later with poems and so much more. Have a great day!

Happy 2024! Revelations and Resolutions

Happy 2024, one and all! JDE here!

The new year is in full swing and I am planning to get a lot of things done for 2024 which include revising, editing, and publishing “Mental Flames: The Burning Memories of Skylar McNeal (the second book of the “Heart of Inferno” spinoff trilogy);” and getting to work with my first adult-themed murder mystery novel named “The Beautifully Damned and the Eternally Blessed.” Not only that, I want to make sure that I share more of my stories, poems, and Medium articles that charter my journey as an indie/self-published author.

My goal for 2024 is to continue to discover more about myself as an artist and as a person in general. I want to reignite my love for the arts; be in tune with my mental, physical, and spiritual health, and continue to fine-tune my writing craft while showcasing the best of my talent with all of you. My mantra for 2024 is “Revelations and Resolutions,” where I continue to know more about myself and my purpose in life while having my goals and ideas come to pass in full circle. It’ll take a lot of work on my end, but I know that I can show up and show you the best of what I have to offer. Anyway, I’m going to use a good bit of today and the rest of this week to start working on revising “Mental Flames” as well as beginning the outline for “The Beautifully Damned and the Eternally Blessed (which will be my Camp NaNo project for April 2024).” Make sure to follow me on social media and get my books on Amazon (or check out the “My Books” webpage) so you won’t miss a thing!

“Mental Flames” Rough Draft Completed: Plans for the Future and More

Hello, ladies and gentlemen! 

I guess I can come out and say this with pride. After several delays and dealing with several other creative endeavors, “Mental Flames: The Burning Memories of Skylar McNeal (the second installment of the “Heart of Inferno” spinoff trilogy)” is finally finished with the rough draft. I will tell you that this book has seventeen chapters alongside the prologue and epilogue, so it has 19 parts in total. Right now, there’s some hidden flaws and whatnot; but the rough draft stage is always going to be on the main part of the writing process. The revising and editing stages will be when I’ll be checking for hidden errors, making sure that everything is flowing smoothly, and even ensuring that the ending (which will coincide with the last two books of the “Vigilantes Among Us” main serials) is going to interweave Skylar’s saga with Xavier’s saga. I’m not going to say how since I’m getting ahead of myself, but let’s just say that Xavier and Skylar are going to face their biggest challenges yet in the days to come!

At the moment, “Mental Flames” will lie fallow for a bit over the holiday, but the editing stage will take place this January to March of next year before I make arrangements to start the publication process and announce when preordering for the ebook version will be available. I will tell you guys that next week or before the Christmas rush begins is when I’ll be reiterating my online book tour and give you guys a recap of the books that are available for purchase on Amazon. It’ll be good to start my PR campaign early so you can get my books just in time for the holiday season! And not only that, you’ll be reading my books early if you get the ebook copies through the Kindle app! So make sure to follow me on social media to stay in the know of my future online book tour and check out my books through the Amazon icon on the homepage, “About Me,” or “Links” webpages. I promise you that my books will be of highest quality and I am going to showcase the best version of myself! 

With that said, you can expect to see one of my short stories from my private vault debut here later today! I promise you that it’s going to be a great read! See you guys later!

“Mental Flames” Progress, an Adult-Contemporary Mystery Novel, and Ideas for the Future

Hey, y’all. So, I am still hard at work with finishing up “Mental Flames: The Burning Memories of Skylar McNeal,” and I will say that the first draft will likely be finished before the Christmas season. I’m actually two chapters away with reaching the end with plans to finally get Skylar and his friends meet with Xavier Reeves and his team- have things set up for the last book in the “Heart of Inferno” spinoff trilogy and the main “Vigilantes Among Us” seven-book series. In all, that’s ten books featuring these two gentlemen and I want to make sure that these two serials intertwine with each other with a possible spinoff afterwards. I know I’m getting ahead of myself and everything, but it never harms to think about the future regarding my stories.

Anyway, I have another project that I’ve been placing on hold- my first-ever adult-contemporary mystery novel entitled “The Beautifully Damned and the Eternally Blessed.” All I can tell you is that it’s a murder-mystery novel with elements based on “The Bold and the Beautiful” and “Days of Our Lives” with a twist of Agatha Christie’s “Miss Marple” series as well as the crime dramas from the past (“Murder, She Wrote,” “In the Heat of the Night,” “Matlock,” and even “Cold Case.”). This project is not meant for the typical teenagers and whatnot as I plan to go bold with this one- expand my horizons and try something entirely new. And I will tell you that I’ve been working on the outline for quite a while- so much so that it’s almost finished, but will need more time getting it done. My plan for that story is to write it next November and then have it published in 2025. I really want to try something new and push my limits to new levels. So bear with me as I continue to reboot my writing career and get everything reorganized. 

As for “Mental Flames,” plans to work on revision and proofreading will begin after the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. After finishing with the rough draft, I am letting this simmer until then so I can use my time to relax and even get things organized for the future. But the main thing is establishing a email-newsletter campaign to gain more followers and even lead them to my books on Amazon. I have a lot to do before the year is out, so keep me in your prayers, you guys. I would really appreciate it if you get my books on Amazon or follow me on social media. And by tomorrow, you’ll see a new post that’ll be available on my Medium page. For now, you guys, I will see you later! Have a terrific Tuesday and may God bless you!

Back in Business: Finishing up “Mental Flames” and Plans for the Future

Hello, everyone! Jarrick D. Exum here!

And boy, all I can tell you is that time really does fly by when writing and getting your life back on track. Right now, I am still getting everything reorganized while working on the rough draft “Mental Flames: The Burning Memories of Skylar McNeal,” which is getting closer to being finished for the most part. I still have to work on a couple of chapters before I close it out; but I do think that he first draft will be ready before the Christmas holidays.

Anyway, I’m bringing back my writer-reveal series known as “Inside the Mind of Jay,” which are really my Medium blog posts that I usually upload there as well as plans to announce yet another book tour featuring my ongoing “Vigilantes Among Us/Heart of Inferno” superhero-teen-fiction serials. I’ll also be sharing poems and short stories (which is long overdue since dealing with a lot of dynamic shifts and all) and even getting candid with myself as an African-American creator who is neuro-divergent. With the holiday season coming up, it’s more important to share some of my stories as gifts to all of you. Right now, you can get your holiday shopping done by going to Amazon.com and getting my books (see the list of my books below with pricing) so you can get caught up with everything right now! And be sure to follow me on social media (check out my “About Me,” “Contacts,” or “Links” for my social media accounts) so you won’t miss a thing! And soon, you’re going to see more of myself through my blogs (this one and my other one) as I share with you all my truths of being a content creator. 

With that said, family, I am out of here! I just had to let you know what’s going on and tell you that I am making my comeback official after some time away! I love you guys so much and I will see you soon!

Get the official “Vigilantes Among Us/Heart of Inferno” Books on Amazon.com Today!

1. “A Nerd Among Heroes: The Memoir of Xavier Reeves ($12.99/hardcover; $10.99/paperback; and $8.99/ebook).
2. “Nerd of Fire, Rebel of Ice ($18.99/hardcover; $11.99/paperback; $6.99/ebook). Link:
3. “Heart of Inferno: The Rebirth of Skylar McNeal ($13.99/hardcover; $12.99/paperback; $6.99/ebook).”
4. “The Nerd’s Symphony ($12.99/hardcover; $10.99/paperback; $5.99/ebook)
5. “Totally Nerd-Tastic ($13.00/hardcover; $9.99/paperback; $6.99/ebook).

List of Books Will be Updated upon Publication!

“Mental Flames” and Life Update

Hey, gang. So the last several few weeks have been full of surprises and me not making time for this blog. For the most part, I’ve been settling into my new home and working on “Mental Flames,” which is starting to take on a more-stable foundation since I now added a few characters from Xavier’s community of Crystal Pointe to Skylar’s Frisco Bay/Sanford Springs. It’s a bit daunting for the most part since I feel like anything can change up on me at any moment without warning. But I am taking this moment to give you guys a sneak preview from my ongoing story. I figured that I owe you all that much. Take a look at this!

Walking out of the mansion (And promising Dr. Dennard that I’ll allow Evan to schedule my weekly visits), I felt a bit lighter than what I was when I first arrived. I mean, I never did expect for things to turn out like this: me allowing myself the courage to speak my thoughts out loud to a therapist and voicing my insecurities to let loose all the stress that I was dealing with.

It usually felt so easy to hide all the pain and to pretend that I was all right when I was really hurting myself. Evan knew this as did Nick, Amari and her family, and even some of the teachers and students (The ones who knew my true identity). Brian McNeal, for all of his worth of salt, had made a huge mess of my life and wanted me to deal with my issues alone.

The moment that you show even a hint of weakness to the peons of society is when your enemies will attack you and leave you for dead, boy! Never let them see you ready to fall on your face and never let them mock you. Anyone could be ready to tear you down, so make sure to get them before they get you. Of course, it’s pointless telling you all of this since you will NEVER get any of my boons or a piece of my empire. You are a stain of the lily-white McNeal dynasty, you wretched little rat, and I only wish for thunder and lightning to kill you where you stand! You despise me for every breath you take. It’s hopeless for you unless you do me and everyone else a favor and die!

Thanks a lot, Brian McNeal. Thanks for bringing me up just to toss me away into the marina and for Evan and Nick to pick up the pieces.

Shrugging off these thoughts, I made my way through the streets of Millerfield Hills and took in the sights and sounds of an afternoon of lively bliss. A group of lawn-maintenance workers were tending to an exquisite flower garden with the homeowner (who was giving out directions) shooting me a friendly smile as she passed around glasses of lemonade. Two blocks down, a small garden party was in full swing with the people dressed in pastels and several kids were skipping around in a circle and dancing to the music.

Walking out of the neighborhood, I found myself at the business district of Crystal Pointe where most of the sights and sounds were boasting of people running errands, heading out for a day at the beach, or just grabbing a midday meal.

I passed a group of seventies-centric young adults as they passed out flowers to random people with one of them (who was a dead ringer for a late folk singer) handing me a red rose. “Good afternoon,” she chirped in a voice similar to a shimmering bell.

“Good afternoon,” I replied, sending her a small smile as a young man with a bowl-shaped haircut and wide aviator-sunglasses was starting to play an eclectic melody on his acoustic guitar before the group of hippies continued their trek. I continued my walk, pulling out my earbuds and wanting to play some Joan Baez on my phone before deciding against it and letting myself go unplugged and without distraction.

Crystal Pointe, in a way, looked like the town that indeed boast of second chances and new beginnings for any visitor or incoming new resident who wanted to escape from the chaos from the other cities of Southern California. As I made my way towards Sutton Avenue and passing by a small floral shop, I could tell that this town made Frisco Bay look more like a cheap movie set. Sure, there were several similarities ranging from a cosmopolitan business area that catered to all people and sightings of several celebrities who were known to frequent the hot-spots to stately homes and residential areas and even the townsfolk who were mainly out and about. But the one thing that was different between Frisco Bay and Crystal Pointe was that the latter boasted of diversity and equalities for everyone, allowing people to find some sort of foundation for their lives while those who needed to escape from the madness of life and even those who never found what they were looking for in their old neighborhood could reclaim their centers and even start fresh.

But if you’re in Frisco Bay?

Well, if you were white, rich (or somewhere in the upper middle-class), and extremist-minded; you had better chances of living the high life than those whom my father considered as inferior: people of color, open-minded free-thinkers (Brian’s words, not mine), the working-class, the dirt-poor, and sympathizers. And if you fell into either one of those categories…well, let’s just say that you’d be lucky if you survived another day.

I knew of these things and more no thanks to people like Brian and had to suffer because I was biracial and looked a lot like my late mother, may she rest in peace. I thank God every day that Amari was now in this town where she could be accepted for who she was and was finally away from this madness. I couldn’t allow anything bad to happen to her, just like La’Keria met a tragic end that she didn’t deserve. And as I continued my walk through the streets of Crystal Pointe and got more smiles and nods of acceptance from the townspeople, I silently wondered if things might have been different had I been born in this town and Mom was lucky enough for us to leave Frisco Bay completely.

But I had to move forward and stop wondering about what might have been, focus on the now and what can be…

I still have a good bit of work to do (I want to reach at least 20 or 25 chapters), but I still believe that the rough draft of  “Mental Flames” should be finished by the end of the year. For the most part, this story should tie in with the next-to-last 3 books of my “Vigilantes Among Us” main serials. I hope to share with you guys more previews and poems in the days to come. For now, everything is changing in so many ways that all i can do is leatm to adapt.

Anyway, keep me in your prayers and please check out my books on Amazon. And make sure to follow me on social media so you wont miss a  thing! With that said, I am out of here.

Plodding on with “Mental Flames” and Plans for a Preview from Chapter One

Hey, one and all! JDE here! And this week, I’m plodding forward with “Mental Flames (the second in my “Heart of Inferno” spinoff trilogy)” as I now have nine chapters written as things start to get more interesting for Skylar McNeal with crossovers featuring the characters from the “Vigilantes Among Us” main series: Jackson, Zechariah/Zeddie, Dr. Dennard and (more recently) Dante Copeland (who’s Xavier’s second command). And while I haven’t really gotten to the REAL meat of the storyline just yet, this story will also focus on Skylar’s journey of mental/emotional wellness and deal with memories from his past as he moves forward to his future.

And I owe you all a preview of what you can expect from this story, so I am going to post a preview from chapter 1 of “Mental Flames” tomorrow morning  as a treat for all of you. So while I’m working on this story, be sure to get the books from the ongoing consolidated serials (check below) on Amazon by clicking on the Amazon button on my homepage. And be sure to follow me on social media (check out my “About Me” or “Links” homepage) so you won’t miss a thing. With that said, I am out of here! I’ll be posting a preview from chapter 1 of my ongoing project AND the latest blog post from my Medium page (Click Here!) tomorrow, so make sure to stick around so you can see more from me! Have a great day!

GET THE BOOKS IN THE “VIGILANTES AMONG US/HEART OF INFERNO” SUPERHERO/TEEN-FICTION SERIALS BY JARRICK D. EXUM ON AMAZON TODAY (Buy Right Now!)!

1. “A Nerd Among Heroes: The Memoir of Xavier Reeves ($12.99/hardcover; $10.99/paperback; and $8.99/ebook)”
2. “Nerd of Fire, Rebel of Ice ($18.99/hardcover; $11.99/paperback; $6.99/ebook)
3. “Heart of Inferno: The Rebirth of Skylar McNeal ($13.99/hardcover; $12.99/paperback; $6.99/ebook)”
4. “The Nerd’s Symphony ($12.99/hardcover; $10.99/paperback; $5.99/ebook)
5. “Totally Nerd-Tastic ($13.00/hardcover; $9.99/paperback; $6.99/ebook).