My Response To The Cartoon Network Controversy

What defines controversy?  The definition of controversy is, "a disagreement, typically prolonged, public and heated."  For some reason, one of the biggest controversies in the world right now is whether being LGBT is right or wrong, and for some, things can go from just being disagreements to turning ugly.  An example of this type of ugliness is as follows.

This is a thread of comments in response to Cartoon Network wanting to put their first gay kiss in a show.  According to Opposing News, the episode aired with a kiss on the cheek rather than the initial kiss on the lips.  This, of course, got hundreds of comments, including just a few that I showed you above.

To read the original article, click this link:  http://www.opposingviews.com/i/entertainment/cartoon-network-allegedly-censors-first-kiss-between-gay-characters

When I first read the article, I was disappointed that Cartoon Network would make a fuss about such a small thing and take it out and make it a kiss on the cheek instead, and silly old me believed that a majority of people would agree with me.  Of course, I'd say about 15% of the comments agreed with my belief, that the kiss should have stayed in the episode, and the rest were rude, hateful, and just outright mean.  

My first thought was, Why is this even happening in 2014?  

The reason is simple.  People are extremely closed-minded and there's no other way around it.  This thread of comments made me angry, hurt, and had me questioning whether it was okay to be who I am.  Why is it that so many people intend to be so cruel to people that haven't even done anything wrong?  From a religious standpoint, I can almost understand why someone would disagree (though you can disagree without being hateful, which the Bible clearly warns against hate), but nonreligious people were freaking out as well.  To me, this is a big problem.  

We live in a world where homosexuality exists.  Whether people want to believe it or not, it's not a recent thing.  It's not new.  It's definitely not a hundred years old, two hundred, or even three hundred years old.  People didn't just wake up one day and decide, "You know what?  We're going to like people of the same-sex because we want it to be trendy, yet spend the rest of our lives being miserable."  Homosexuality has been around since the beginning of time!  

With that being said, why do people act like it's a current "explosion" and that homosexuals have "come to take over" everything?  The answer is simple as well.  Homosexuals have only just recently been given rights in America over the last few years, so it gives people more courage to come out and be who they truly are.  If you hate someone for who they are and how they were born, there is really something wrong with you.  

Now, in regards to the Cartoon Network controversy, it shouldn't even be a controversy anymore.  Really, this LGBT rights thing has gotten so old that the battle should be won by now.  There are gay people on TV all the time because there are gay people all over.  Everywhere.  It's not just in America.  We need to start taking a chance and letting our children know that it's okay to be who who you are.

In regards to the haters:  Kissing is not sex.  Kissing is not, and never will be, a form of sex, and it literally makes no sense to me why some people deem this idea as inappropriate.  We are not brainwashing your kids.  If your kids see it, tell them it's wrong if that's what you believe, but the world deserves to know that gay people do exist and we deserve just as much recognition as straight people.  No one bats and eye when two straight characters kiss or hug or even date, but as soon as a gay character does, everyone wants to act like it's the end of the world.

Three words.  Get.  Over.  Yourself.  

Two more words.  Grow up.

This is America and we all have rights.  No one deserves to be treated this badly, regardless of sexuality, because we are all people.  In the end, we're all flesh, bones, and blood, and the souls that live inside us.  Our genders, race, sexual orientation, and religion do not change who we are and that we are all truly the same on the inside.

I hope that people take the time to learn this truth.

The Forbidden Darkness Chronicles Release Dates

So the time has come for me to set the release dates for the first three books in The Forbidden Darkness Chronicles.  As everyone knows, I already announced the release date for the first book, but in case anyone missed it, the release dates are set as follows.

1. Forbidden Darkness (The Forbidden Darkness Chronicles: Book One)  January 9, 2015.
2. Shadow's Wings (The Forbidden Darkness Chronicles: Book Two)  May 21st, 2015.
3. Fiery Passion (The Forbidden Darkness Chronicles: Book Three)  October 20th, 2015.

These release dates have a slight possibility of changing, but for the most part they are going to be set.  I hope that everyone is looking forward to the releases of these books like I am!

Forbidden Darkness Release Date Change

Many people have been highly anticipating the release of the first book in The Forbidden Darkness Chronicles, as seen in the beautiful cover above.  The original release date was planned for December 10, 2014, but now that release date is going to change.

The new release date is January 9, 2015.

It's not too big of a difference, but there is one main reason why the release date changed.  I felt as though with the December 10 release date I'd have enough time, but now I don't feel like I do.  I feel rushed, and if I rush the process, Forbidden Darkness won't be as good as I want it to be.  So fans and readers, please be patient.  I know you all want this just as much as I do, but things can't be rushed and are meant to be however they're meant to be.

In the meantime, I am beginning the sequel, titled Shadow's Wings, for NaNoWriMo.

New Serial Drama On Wattpad: Masquerade

This last Thursday, I wrote the Pilot "episode" for my new, free online series called Masquerade.  The series has only had 18 views so far, but I hope I get more over time.

Masquerade is about a school named Wellington High School and all the students that attend it.  There is someone at the school harassing and stalking the students anonymously and they're trying to find out who it is.  Sound familiar?  Yes, it is Pretty Little Liars influenced but follows a very different overall plot.  Very early on people will be able to tell the difference.

So every Thursday a new "episode" will be added.  Each "episode" contains a few different point of views, a simple beginning, middle, and cliffhanger ending.  It is read just like a book but is not divided by chapters, but episodes.  Hence the "serial drama" part, meaning I will update every week until this "season" is over.

Interested in checking it out?  Here's the link below.

http://www.wattpad.com/77437433-masquerade-pilot

Reasons Why I Probably Shouldn't Befriend My Readers...But Why I Do It Anyway.

As a new author, with only one book currently available and my second book coming out in a couple months, one could say that I'm desperate for readers. 

First novel.

Second novel.

With this day in age, technology has given us as authors the ability to communicate with our readers, and many of us enjoy doing so.  I'm going to be the first to admit that I love talking with readers of my books, or people interested in reading my books.  For me, it means I am doing my job correctly and reaching out to a certain group of people and communicating with them.

But here are the reasons why I probably shouldn't be doing that.

Say for instance I befriend a reader, alright?  And we really do actually become friends, it makes the author-reader relationship tainted.  Yes, we're friends so that should be better, but if I befriend every reader I have, are they friends or readers?  

Secondly, think about it like this:  I have differing opinions than a reader and we're friends and they know a lot about me because of the friendship I earned with them and we get into a fight over something that is in my writing or that I believe is right or wrong.  Chances are that person is probably never going to pick up another one of my books again because our "personal" relationship was ruined and it's not longer just a fan or follower.

So with those things in mind, I probably shouldn't go around befriending readers, right?

Well, here are the reasons why I do (but probably shouldn't).

I am an author and getting to know my readers makes things feel different.  It's not just me talking to people about my books, but they can give honest feedback and be a part of my life.  As a person with no very many friends, when the opportunity arises to meet some new people, I'm not one to back down, although 95% of the time I probably don't really like them all on a personal level.  But there's that little 5% chance that I could meet a real, true friend, and if them reading my books is what makes that friendship happen, why not go for it?

Everything happens for a reason.  So readers, do NOT hesitate to communicate with me.  I am on Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter, so feel free to talk to me any time you wish.  Without you, there'd be no point in being an author and I have you personally to thank.

Forbidden Darkness Cover Reveal

When I got this cover in my email today, I nearly shat myself.  Not because it was ugly or anything, but because it was 100000% better than I thought it was going to be and I couldn't be anymore grateful.  This cover is so simple and so pretty that I couldn't even contain my excitement.  

So I proudly present to you, the cover of FORBIDDEN DARKNESS!  

This book can be pre-ordered off of Amazon for Kindle for $0.99 and I hope people give it the time of day that it deserves.  If you are not a contemporary YA reader and didn't like my first novel, this is paranormal urban romance, so yes.  Please check it out.

The link to the Amazon page and Goodreads page are below.

http://www.amazon.com/Forbidden-Darkness-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B00O99L782/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1413930171&sr=1-1&keywords=forbidden+darkness

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22840122-forbidden-darkness

The Best Day Ever

A lot of people might think of this as an exaggeration but I really felt like tonight was the best night ever.  Not only did I have my book signing, but GLAAD--and yes, I mean THE GLAAD--did an interview me with me.  

Apparently because of all my tweets about Spirit Day, they looked into me and then asked to interview me.  You can see the interview below.

http://www.glaad.org/blog/spiritday-interview-alec-belle-youth-author

Plus, I had a fantastic book signing and made my first bunch of cash.  I made 93 dollars and couldn't feel more proud of myself.  Thanks to GLAAD and this signing, all of my social media has been BLOWING up.  Thanks so much to everyone making this possible and I hope everyone had had a great Spirit Day!

Go Purple! GLAAD Spirit Day 2014

This year on October 16, we are celebrating GLAAD's Spirit Day, in support of the victims of bullying who are within the LGBT community.  It doesn't matter whether you're gay or straight.  NO ONE should be bullied for who they are.

As a victim of bullying myself, I understand the harm that it can do.  Every year, thousands of teenagers take their lives because they are bullied.  Let's take a look at some common statistics.

• Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people ages 10 to 24.
• LGB youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide (three times more likely for questioning) than their straight peers.  That's quite a lot!
• Suicide attempts by LGB youth are 4 to 6 times more likely to result in injury, poisoning, or overdose that needs to be treated by a nurse or a doctor than their straight peers.
• Nearly half of transgender people have thought about suicide, while one-quarter have actually attempted.
• LGB youth coming from rejecting families are 8.4 times more likely to have attempted suicide than by their peers who are in low- or no-rejecting families.
• 1 out of 6 students NATIONWIDE have seriously thought about suicide (grades 9-12) in the past year.
• Suicide among black and Hispanic youth are 2 times more likely than white youth.
• Each episode of victimization leads increases the likelihood of self-harming behavior by 2.5 times on average.

(Source):  http://www.thetrevorproject.org/pages/facts-about-suicide

These things happen to many of us each and every day.  So this Thursday, on October 16, 2014, let's all wear purple to support those being bullied that are within the LGBT community.  It's time that we all come together and stand as one and welcome each other with open arms.

The Forbidden Darkness Chronicles: Book One Available for Pre-Order!

Lately I've been talking about my upcoming series, The Forbidden Darkness Chronicles, and I am very happy to announce that the first book, FORBIDDEN DARKNESS, can be pre-ordered on Amazon for Kindle!  If you would like a paperback, unfortunately Amazon doesn't allow a pre-order option for paperbacks for self-published books yet, so you'll have to wait for the actual release.

December 10th, 2014!

I'm over here doing the happy dance right now because I truly can't wait to share this series with you guys.  The link below will bring you to the ebook if you wish to pre-order.

http://www.amazon.com/Forbidden-Darkness-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B00O99L782/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1412725600&sr=8-11&keywords=forbidden+darkness

BEFORE I BREAK'S One Month Anniversary!

Today is a very special day for me.  It has been exactly one month since the release of my very first book, BEFORE I BREAK.  One month.  4 weeks.  31 days.  744 hours, give or take.  For me, this is an all time high and I am extremely happy about how far I've come.

When religiously raised Cyril Hayes begins his junior year at East Hill High School, every choice he makes suffers a greater consequence, and while facing challenges of friends, family, and love, learns that hate and intolerance are also a very large part of our world today. 

Cyril Hayes is seemingly just like any other male his age. He has the perfect girlfriend, Melissa Summers, his best friend, Jake Rivers, and a lawyer father who brings home enough money to support his family and then some. When Cyril begins his junior year, he doesn't expect his life to spiral out of control when he meets Avery Branson, the new kid in school who has a big secret: he's gay. At first, Cyril doesn't handle this truth well, due to the way he was raised, but as the story progresses, he ventures deep into the reality of homosexuality and begins to accept Avery for who he is. 

Not everyone is happy with Cyril's new friend, including Jake, who believes that homosexuality is a sin and is refusing to budge his beliefs. But Avery isn't the only one at East Hill with secrets, and soon a tragedy will strike, knocking Cyril's world completely off balance and leaving a scar on his heart that will change his view of humanity all together.

When I first came up with the idea for this book, I wasn't exactly sure where I was going with it.  I remember the first day that I sat at the computer to actually write this book and I thought, "What do I even want to do with it when I finish it?  Publish it?  Keep it to myself?  Publish on Wattpad?"  I wasn't sure, but I knew it was a story that needed to be told.  The idea of a straight guy and a gay guy being friends seemed cheesy and almost boring at first, but the dynamics between Cyril and Avery were real, and they grew together as the story progressed.  By the time I finished, I was already craving to know more.

When I finished, I sent out a query letter to 100+ agents, only to be rejected by some (a few were a little harsher or rude than others) and completely ignored by the rest.  That was around the time that I started talking to Nikki Rae, the Amazon Bestselling Author of The Sunshine Series and The Donor.  She explained to me that she self-published her books and it was something that I was strongly considering, despite how many people said self-published authors were not successful.  

Well, because of the type of person I am, I looked into it anyway.  

Of course, Nikki was there through all the trials and tribulations.  At first, I couldn't understand how to do anything (How do I add the interior files?  How do I format?  How do I upload the cover?  How do I add the information?  Should I buy my own ISBN?) but she carefully explained everything when I needed her to.  Nikki Rae also designed the cover wrap for my book, and still for that, I am forever grateful!

When the book was released, I had no idea what was going to come of it.  Not a clue.  I figured it was going to take a while to read readers, but to my surprise, with the ebook being free for five days, the purchases were spiking up.  Of course, I made no money because it was free, but I was getting readers!  To a first time author that's pretty overwhelming because I couldn't wait to hear what readers thought.

To my utter disappointment, even still after a month goes by, I've gotten no reviews except from people I know.  Through this long, crazy process, though, I've learned that the book will get more noticed over time.  I know it will, because I'm not one to give up.  This has been my dream since I was a kid and I'm living it to the best that I can.  Everything all seems to be falling into place. 

So what's up next for me?  There are a few things.

* I am writing the first book in my new series, The Forbidden Darkness Chronicles, which is set to be released a lot sooner than many people might think...it's about Monster Hunters and I think it's pretty cool!

* My short story, "Circus for a Psycho," is being published in a horror anthology by Metamorphosis Editing Services.  Now I am writing a dark romance short story for another one of their anthologies.  

* I have upcoming book signings and presentations in Worcester, MA this month and in December.

So you know what?  I am proud of myself.  I've worked hard to achieve my dream and I think I've done a pretty good job.  With another month here, I know that I can make my dreams become a reality and I can do whatever I want if I put my mind to it.

Happy One Month, BEFORE I BREAK.  You showed me I can do anything if I put my mind to it. 

Last Day of the Free E-book for THREE MONTHS!

Yes, you read that right!  Today is the last day to get BEFORE I BREAK: The Revised and Edited Edition for free on Kindle!  For THREE WHOLE MONTHS.  

So be sure to get it while you can.  Tomorrow is the book's one month anniversary, so expect a bit of a longer blog post!

Book Updates in the Air

First of all, before anything else, I would like to congratulate my friend for releasing her first book!

I certainly wish her well on her journey as an author.  I personally read The Pink Journal and it was a great read!  While short, it is leading up to a larger novel, The Pink Crayon, that she wrote and I am looking forward to reading that as well!  

The synopsis is as follows.

Brooke Landers hasn't had an easy life. Her childhood friend Becky has been beside her through all of life's tragedies and heartaches. There has been so many of them for Brooke, especially the most regrettable one, which happened twenty-eight years ago. When Brooke is given a short amount of time to live, she immediately starts writing in her journal. The journal is a reflection of her life, her choices, and her regrets that have led up to the mistake that she made many years ago. It was a huge mistake and she seeks forgiveness before she leaves this world. In order to accomplish her goal, she has to find the person that has unknowingly been extremely close to her heart. This woman means more to Brooke than anything else, and her life was drastically altered because of the choices Brooke made. But will Brooke be able to find her in time? 

And let me tell you!  I was kind of happy it was a short story rather than a full length novel because I desperately wanted to know who "she" was.  And yeah, kinda teared up a little.  I really can't wait to see where that goes.

***

Now, onto my news.

My first novel, Before I Break is now edited and revised and is up on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle just like before, and once again it is up for free for a week!  Please do not hesitate to checking the book out!  Even if you hate it, I would love to hear what people think.

And as for my next novel, the first book in my new series The Forbidden Darkness Chronicles, is going to be releasing a lot sooner than many of you might expect.  If you would like to help with the cover reveal and synopsis reveal, please don't hesitate to sign up!  In the next few weeks I'll send all the instructions.

This new series is paranormal and I really can't wait to share it with you. It is a bit of a jump of genres, but this series was planned for years before I finally have the courage to publish it.  The link for the sign up sheet is below.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1KdGDtoQwuCqBWorEdWY5sgLksqtGuizZpt1fk5yD_0k/viewform?usp=send_form

I hope everyone has a great weekend!