Why, hello there!
For those of you reading this for the first time, welcome. And for those of you noticing this for the first time, thank you.
Every two weeks, I'll be giving you guys the shindig on what's going on with me, Robert Deshaies II, as I travel through the treacherous land of published authors, creative works, and simply getting my name out there.
Let's face it! I'm new. Like, brand-spanking new, and I've barely scratched the surface of this amazing new world of literature. But hey, I'm here, and I'm here to stay. I guess this is the beginning, and I hope you join me for the ride.
Alright! Let's break down the structure to this lovely new form of communication between you and me, as I delve into this blog/newsletter. In reality, I'm opening a dimensional portal into my mind and my works. After all, I'm writing because I think I've got some stories to tell, and stories I know you'll properly enjoy.
So, here's the structure I've come up with:
First off, we'll talk about news! For example, events, new releases, exciting adventures to come, and sneak peeks at new novella, poetry, or comics.
Second, I've been working on a series of short-short stories to feed you guys into my daily writing. They're fun, wacky, short things (like me), and they're free. They're my offering of thanks to you lovely folk.
Third, I'll probably go on a rant about the world or whatever upset me over the two week course. This may or may not be the case every entry. I try to not get upset about these things.
Lastly, what are my reading recommendations!
Alright, got that? Good.
The News & Brief History:
Blackjack - 22: Modern Poetry and Anthology have been released around the world, and I'm proud to call them my works. I'm also incredibly proud to see people resonating with the words I've written. Although I didn't actually begin "writing" till August 19', I've always been a romantic and creative at heart. I've stuffed my brain full of books and words since I was a wee lad, and at some point realized the impact words and the stories I've read. It just so happened the first idea I ever came up with was Blackjack -22.
Blackjack - 22 blossomed into a story that needed to be told. It feels like yesterday when I was alone in Amsterdam listening to fresh rain. I was eating dinner, people-watching, when I pulled out my phone and began to write down this idea for a poem. Now, I'd dabbled in small writing like this before, but as I began jamming away at my onscreen keyboard, it turned into a cascading wave of thought, emotion, and perspective. It was then, the beginning of Blackjack-22 formed, and that first bit of writing transitioned into my introductory poem for the book. It was originally titled, "22," but I knew the metaphor I was trying to get across wouldn't resonate with any reader beside myself.
It was at this point where I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I'd always been told to do this and that, because I had an aptitude for quick learning, but nothing quite excited me like sitting and exploring my thoughts. "22" became "My World" and poem, after poem, after poem, quickly compiled into a collection of beliefs and ideals that became the book you see on stands today.
If you haven't checked it out already, I hope you do. Although the title and genre are labeled under "poetry," I pride myself in telling people to pick it up for the story. From page one to the last, Blackjack - 22 paints a catharsis. A deep emotional change within myself, and my destiny, that I began to forge. It's pain, it's laughter, it's a perspective that's not just my own, but one of where I want to be.
It's the man I hope to be in the end.
Soon after I got the acceptance call from my publisher, I began working on my next project, Anthology. I wanted to take all I had learned from the beautiful cathartic journey of Blackjack - 22, and convert/invert those ideas into fiction. Inversion, huh? Yes.
The truth set me free, and my truth was Blackjack - 22, but as I really began to think... Well.
The truth doesn't always set you free.
Enter Mr. Jacket & Anthology. I wanted to create stories that took the idea above, and twist them into terrifying tales of deep self-reflection. I wanted my readers to look at the horror unfolding on the page, and think, "damn. I've been here before." They're human tales of terror, and despite the supernatural elements, the first-person POV heighten your senses to integrate your mind into each respective stories. Its title, Anthology, also connects these characters through a fictional being I like to call, Mr. Jacket. His mission is simple. Tell the truth, and you'll pay the cost. Sometimes, the truths we hide, are the ones to bring our downfall, and Mr. Jacket seeks to reveal them to us.
Alright, let's get to NEW news.
Adam & Eternity Issue Three premieres on Wednesday (11.11), and I'll preview some pages below.
Thank you for the support on the series thus far! I can't explain enough how much your feedback, and affirmations, have continued to move our team forward. Issue Four will arrive in late December, and Issue Five late January. After that Rogue Comix will debut two 48-page one-shots and a new series with my buddy, David Strahan (@dr8illustration) to conclude the first half of 2021. Catch our names popping up at the big-boy publishers very soon. Fingers crossed!
I've also got a few scripts, and pitches lying around that need artists onboard, and if you'd like to join Rogue Comix journey, email rjdeshaiesii@roguecomix.com , and let's discuss.
Other news this week! I finished working on two new short stories that will be adapted by two great friends of mine into mini-comics. They'll be debuting as backup stories in the coming issues of Adam & Eternity. The first, 8.24, will be illustrated by a fantastic friend and aspiring artist Johnnie Evans (@mngkyouGoD). The second, Last Moments, was sent off to another friend of mine, Brody Cole (@spoonfulofbrody), and he's chipping away as we speak. Both are beautiful little stories I think you'll enjoy.
Other than that, I think that wraps up the news!
Short Stories:
Coming Soon! I promise.
No blights, I'm actually okay this week.
Reading Recommendations:
I've been reading a ton lately! That's always a plus, because it's the time I have to myself and another authors works.
Of late, I've been plowing through Mr. Terry Moore's bibliography, and man, oh man, has my soul been fed. From Rachel Rising, Motor Girl, and his opus, Strangers in Paradise, Terry depicts emotion, and propels a story like no other. There's twists, turns, and reveals you'd never expect, as your love for each of the characters and their stories unfold with each page turn. Every once in a while, I stumble upon a creator, like Terry, whose characters and stories are so real, and honest, I can't help but fall in love, and all the above fulfill those hopes. You can find Terry at https://abstractstudiocomics.com/
Dan Watters' bibliography has been one of 2019-2020s highlight as well. From his hit crime/mystery "Limbo" with neon sex-god, Caspar Wijngaard, to "Coffin Bound" with psychedelia introspection and mastery of shadow alongside Dani and Brad Simpson, it's been an absolute treat. Both I've loved dearly, and I must say, bravo to each production. Both opened my eyes to look at storytelling in a different manner, and break the rules, because its comics -- there are none! I'm calling it now, Dan is going to be among the ranks of Neil Gaiman and Grant Morrison with his subversive, metaphoric, and drop-dead gorgeous storytelling, and "Home Sick Pilots" is looking to be one of those anticipated books for the end of the year.
Next up on my rereads/reads is Lonnie Nadler and Zac Thompson's "Undone by Blood." I enjoyed the series thoroughly in single issue, and can't wait to dive into the neo-noir western. It's a great revenge tale, paralleling the life of a wronged teenager, and a fictional cowboy.
Also on my list is Ram V & Sumit Kumar's "These Savage Shores." I read it a year ago, and remember the awe when putting it down for the first time. It's unlike any vampire tale I've read, and its rich world exploring British imperialism, Indian myth, and ideals on freedom is spectacular. I'm very excited to jump back into that.
Sleeper by Brubaker and Phillips is one the docket, alongside the finale to the Punisher MAX omnibus by Garth Ennis.
Wrap-Up:
All in all, thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter, and I'll see you guys in two weeks. Enjoy, keep safe, write, read, do what makes you happy, and drink loads of tea.
Cheers,
RDII
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