Goal Achieved!

*Blows dust off blog* Hello! It's been awhile since I've posted. I may have gotten a little distracted with my first self-publishing project. How did it go you ask? Wonderful! The Sergeant is finally loose in the world. It sold like hot cakes (What exactly are hot cakes? Pancakes?) which pushed it to the #1 spot for Amazon Gay & Lesbian Erotica its second day on the market. Woohoo! Six weeks later it's still in the Top Ten. And the reviews have been great as well. I'll spare you my, "You like me! You really like me!" reenactment, and just tell you that I am over the moon happy. I did lots of ugly crying at some of the sweet comments that readers took the time to send me on Facebook and Twitter. Thank you all so much!

In all seriousness, I never expected The Sergeant to get the response it did. I had this book and these characters that I loved, and I hoped that a few people would love them too. I even had a modest little goal. Once I sold 314 copies, I would get a new tattoo to comemmorate it. I figured it would take a few weeks to reach that goal. Well I did reach it ... the same day I released the book. I went to bed with a super big smile on my face. And I'm getting my tattoo in a few weeks.

So I guess the moral of the story is, those cliches are true. If you want something, freaking go for it! You might get everything you want (Like Billy Blanks says) or if you don't reach the moon, you'll still land among the stars (like that poster that every teacher ever has in their classroom says). Publishing a book, creating art, starting a business -  all of it is scary. But just imagine the big grin you'll have once you sell your own 314 copies.

I'm Just Like Dean Ambrose

Really. I'm just like Dean Ambrose. Okay really, I'm nothing like Dean Ambrose. But I've chosen to look up to him for my career focus. (Here's where the wrestling geek part of me comes into play)

Who is Dean Ambrose? He's a professional wrestler with the WWE. He was previously known as Jon Moxley and under that ring name he worked some very tough matches on the indy wrestling circuit. Matches that involved being thrown through glass panes, bashed over the head with light bulb tubes, and tossed into barbed wire. He did all of that, wrestling in front of crowds ranging from modest to tiny, sometimes for very little pay, all with the goal of making it to the top of his profession. Right now he's well on his way. He's a featured Superstar with the biggest wrestling company in the world.

Through the Thumbtack Glass

Why do I look up to him? Because I've recently accepted a job teaching here in Houston. But my ultimate goal is to be a full-time erotic romance author. I want to support myself fully from my books. I WANT TO BE A COMMERCIAL SUCCESS. But in order to get what I want, I have to sacrifice, just like Dean did. Except my sacrifice won't be nearly as bloody. All I have to do is work a 9-5 to support my writing habit until I reach my goal. Being a classroom teacher is a worthy profession, one that is necessary in order for our society to continue to grow. But it's not where I want to spend my career years. I want to be able to shut myself in a room and write books all day. I just have to work my version of the indies to reach that dream. I can do it. And when I start to feel low and tired of teaching, I'll just remind myself that if Dean could take light bulb tubes to the head in order to get where he wanted to be, I can certainly put up with grading papers and writing lesson plans.

So as I get underway at my new school I'm determined to do the best job that I can there. And whenever necessary I look at the picture of Dean Ambrose I have posted in my classroom to keep me focused.