So, last week I did a thing... While the business is still technically unofficial, I have already started taking the steps to establish pages for League of 40 Media on Facebook and Instagram. You can simply search League of 40 on Facebook and follow on Instagram at league_of_40. 

What is League of 40 you might ask? As a brand, it is a media and clothing brand dedicated to inspiring some good in the chaos of the world through positive, thought-provoking messages and short stories. Within the story universe, the League of 40 is a colorful cast of characters based on thieves, tricksters and antiheroes from folklore, history and myth who assemble to aid others in a chaotic world broken by a single man's wish. The world these characters inhabit came to me when I asked the question "What if Robin Hood formed his own Justice League?" and following my love of reading myths and folklore from different cultures, I challenged myself to mix every idea from those stories in my own recipe. I also wanted to create this brand as a way of offering affirmations to encourage people of any age for any situation they may be going through since I enjoy writing sci-fi/fantasy, developing quirky phrases and helping others. 

The name League of 40 was inspired by the story of "Ali Baba & the 40 Thieves" from the One Thousand and One Arabian Nights. Because of the history of the characters who compose the in-universe League of 40, I thought the red hand with the gold outline best represented them and would be an awesome logo. The phrases "Caught red-handed" and "Five-finger discount" came to mind. I also considered the fact that tricksters are often considered the fools and losers in many stories, but I could repurpose the L-shaped fingers to mean something more for the heroes of these stories. Tricksters, rogues, fools and thieves in stories are sometimes only used for comic relief, but they are also important to many myths because often they possess secret knowledge that helps to reshape cultures, shake up the status quo, and offer new perspectives to other heroes, which is everything I hope to do with this brand.

With this new brand, I will be creating multiple children's stories and comics within my new universe (or toybox as I like to refer to it sometimes) and also produce t-shirts, hoodies and more. The Shopify store will be coming later in 2024, but the first product in this brand will be my first children's book, Wilhemina's Music Factory! This book is a remixed, narrative poem version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, but I promise it is a wholly original story with only some nods to the story and films from Roald Dahl's works. The book is done and I will start sharing some pages and concept art from it on my new social channels over the coming weeks! I will also share more about the League of 40 products and my vision for it over time, so please check back soon because the best is yet to come!

Hello, fam! 2023 is almost done, and I am steadily making plans for 2024! Among those plans are three books by Yours Truly and one children's book under my new brand!  Before I get to those, I wanted to share my interview with Bold Journey. In the article I discuss how I deal with haters, skills I think are needed for anyone's success and the most important book for personal development! Check it out!

Now, for some more exciting news, I've got Volume 2 of Freaky and Fantastical 500 Words (or Less) flash fiction anthology in the works along with my first two nonfiction books! For those who don't know, I've been editing and formatting several Christian self-help books for my friend, Minister Donald R. Kornegay, Jr., and I've felt inspired to write and  share my own ministry as well. One of the books I am finishing is a short book addressing how we can and why we should improve communication in the Christian church. The other book is a love letter from fathers to their daughters, offering wisdom and vulnerability from a male perspective to girls and women of any age. I am expecting to finish both of these nonfiction books very soon, however the next flash fiction anthology is a work in progress that I am hopeful will see the light of day in 2024 (fingers crossed)!

Finally, the most exciting news is that my first children's book is coming soon and will be part of my new brand: League of 40! I will explain the meaning of the name for the brand at a later time, but more importantly the new book will be titled Wilhemina's Music Factory, a new take on the classic Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory story! The story was finished earlier this year and my new partner, David Monroy, is finishing the final touches for the art! See some teaser art below and know that I will have much more to share soon, because as always, the best is yet to come!

Hey, fam! It's been over two years since I've posted anything, but I definitely have not stopped doing my thing! In fact, I continue to be more inspired to do my own thing every day now! I've been researching various market, listening to podcasts and seminars of millionaires and thought leaders, following and supporting other creators and startups on various platforms and building plans for my own brand outside of "Marcus E.T." with an intellectual property I've mentioned here before. I've been developing ideas for branding, and how to roll out products, in addition to growing the story and characters, and I hope to share much more very soon. But the future is nigh and the best is yet to come!

For today I want to talk about what I've already accomplished over the last two years.

Most recently, I had a flash fiction story, "Not Enough", published in Wicked Shadow Press' Flash of Fangs anthology. If you're a fan of vampires, check it out! A chunk of the proceeds go towards helping street animals in Kolkata, so it goes toward a cause if you make a purchase.

I've also been helping with publishing and editing books for the wonderful Mr. Donald Ray Kornegay, Jr. throughout the last couple of years. He has several books available on Amazon about developing your walk with God, marriage and more. He also has poetry published in other platforms, so check out this man of God's work.

As far as my own work, I've been working on Volume 2 of my first flash fiction anthology, Freaky and Fantastical 500 Words or Less, and I published my Western fantasy novella, 20 Paces: The Four Revenants, in March 2022. The book is about a telekinetic African American sheriff who bans guns in the town in his charge only to be challenged by a gang of other psychics who want him to join them. The book touches on various themes, including gun control, purpose, family and more. The story was originally a flash fiction feature in the first 500 Words or Less, but I loved the potential of it so much, I had to expand it into something more... so now I am also working on an in-universe anthology and graphic novel as a follow-up!

I'm sure there were a few other accomplishments to share that I'm forgetting, but I will try to be more diligent in posting/sharing in the future to provide more updates on what I get up to next. Stay tuned!

Wow! I did not realize I've been away from here for over years! I thought I went on a hiatus only before going into 2o2o, but I have much to catch you up on, family. The last year alone has been extremely historic and eventful, but I will just focus on my creative works for now.

So, 2018 was my year of screenwriting and, of course, I published my first book that was all my own, Freaky and Fantastical 500 Words or Less,  which is now available in print!  (Check out the Amazon page!) I am also happy to announce that I am several stories into Volume 2! This volume may be 49 stories shorter than the first, but I am very satisfied with the stories I've finished so far and I think readers will be too!

In addition to 500 Words or Less, on Juneteenth of 2020, I also published the first book of the Chimera Revolution series, Chimera Revolution: The Nue-Gaea Chronicles!  This is an anthology is a kind of a prequel to the main series I've had planned and a guidebook into the world of Nue-Gaea, introducing readers to the various creatures, dynamic characters, and fantastic world shared by mankind and therians. There are 20 stories written by Yours Truly and at least 20 pieces of art by various creators I've worked with over the years.

I have also started lending my talents to editing books for others now. Besides editing my wife's children's books for the Ella's Greatest Adventures series (a great Christian children's book series you should check out, by the way), I have had the pleasure of editing books for Donald Ray Kornegay, Jr., one of the ministry leaders of my church, and helped him to publish two faith-based books just in the last quarter of 2020.  The first book is called The Faith of the Key Holder, which is written to help people understand how to operate in faith and use faith to move in God and please Him. The second book is called The Colors of Marriage, which helps people to understand God's intended purpose for marriage and how to work faith into a happy marriage as a husband and wife.

Besides all of this, I am also working on Illicit Liberties along with a few other projects I am either expanding from short stories or converting from screenplays. I am annoyed with myself for not having posted this sooner, but I am happy with what I've managed to accomplish so far. I am sure there is plenty I am forgetting to mention, but I will try to remember to share here as it comes back to mind.  Please check out all that I've shared here so far and know there is STILL always more to come!

Hello family!  Back again and it's only October!  I've been in a bit of a slump this week as far as creative work and motivation, but since I decided to polish some things off this week, I decided to showcase some more stuff right here for the world to see (Because, why not?!)!

So, for your reading pleasure... (clearing throat sounds)...

On the "Chimera Revolution" page, I've updated the story "Damages" and added the story "A Game of Cat and Wolf".  Both of these will be featured in the upcoming "Chimera Revolution: The Nue-Gaea Chronicles" anthology, which I plan to release in late December or possibly in the first quarter of 2019, depending on how things go.  Worst case scenario, there will be more art and stories if it gets released even later...  But we will see!  Just know, I am not giving up on my baby.  Also, I plan to update with a few other random "news articles" from the Nue-Gaea universe and I may possibly upload a concept art slideshow just to give people some eye-candy as well.

On the "Behind The Scenes" page, I've uploaded 3 screenplays to be downloaded.  One is a sample (teaser and first act only) for the Chimera Revolution series which is meant to be a companion to the aforementioned anthology, picking up with many of the characters introduced in that book.  The other is a sample (first 5 pages) of my feature-length Disney-esque fantasy adventure Titania which I believe I've mentioned in my past post.  And the last is my full short film script based on the sci-fi romance story from Freaky and Fantastical 500, titled Love, Machine.  Both Titania and Love, Machine are two of my favorite stories and I have been pushing them both heavily on the screenwriting contest market.  While Love, Machine has seen no successes so far, I'm hoping Titania will make more buzz once results are in for the contests I've entered it in.  *Fingers crossed*

Finally, I've made a few minor edits to the "About Me" page, which also now includes my "creative resume" in case anyone is curious about where to find my published works.  I will continue to update this document over time.  Hopefully, I will eventually be able to add some screenwriting credits to it, but we shall see...

I have also decided to move forward with my next phase of my screenwriting journey and reach out to individual management companies for representation.  These are only minor steps, but I plan to exhaust every route to break into the industry before 2019 is over.  I've even got my badge for the upcoming ScreenCraft Writer's Summit in ATL next year, where I'm hoping to network with plenty of other writers, agents, managers, producers, directors, and actors!  I also recently joined Stage 32, which is basically like LinkedIn for creatives.  Anyone interested should check it out.  It's free to join and there are contests and gigs posted pretty frequently.  It also has a well-connected network of supportive people from all walks of life.

That is all I have to share for now!  But there is always more to come!

Since the release of my flash fiction anthology, Freaky and Fantastical 500 (Words or Less), I’ve spent the last six months striving to perfect my craft in my next goal: SCREENWRITING.
 
Way back in 2011 when I began trying my hand at comic script writing, I also purchased Screenwriting for Dummies.  I wrote two silent short film scripts, but I never seriously worked on professional screenwriting format or story structure… until now!  Since March, I’ve been writing and editing multiple screenplays, studying the scripts of some of my favorite movies, engaging in writer communities, such as CoverflyX, to give and receive feedback on scripts, and absorbing whatever info I can find in various blogs, such as Screencraft and the Script Lab, and YouTube channels like Film Courage​.

​Additionally, I’ve also been entering my work into multiple screenwriting competitions.  I’ve had little success so far, but I’m learning what to tweak in my scripts as I go and I’m trying to gradually understand what it is that industry professionals look for in a screenplay.

As I stated in previous blogs, I am drawing much inspiration from Freaky and Fantastical 500, expanding on the mythology and characters of some of the worlds I established in the book and combining certain themes and storylines.  While my flash fiction anthology began as only an experiment in self-publishing and an exercise in writing for me, it has compelled me to challenge myself so much more than I expected.  Stories like “Love, Machine” and “Married to Murder” have already been adapted into short and feature-length screenplays by Yours Truly, and looking back at my book, I am growing more excited for the possibilities of what other cinematic story ideas I’ve already crafted. 

Working on my script “Titania”, one of my original stories not featured in the flash fiction anthology, has also motivated me to create a novella.  While movies are collaborative and very difficult to get made, I still plan to continue with writing books and comics to make sure my stories are told in some form.  I have high hopes for “Titania” to be one of the scripts that will launch my screenwriting career, but I am also working backwards, converting the script into a novelette or novella for kids as well since I wrote it as a nod to classic Disney films (a princess + magic + monsters/villain + friendship & adventure = classic Disney).
From submitting short stories, to developing comics, to self-publishing and screenwriting, it has been a very fun experience in my writing journey.  I’m still flexing creative muscles I never knew I had and finding interests in things I thought would bore.  With each new challenge I am also finding better ways to tell my stories.

And with that, I just want to say that Chimera Revolutions: The Nue Gaea Chronicles will be released soon!  Hopefully within the next six months at most, but it is on its way…  I am also working on scripts to expand on the stories of the Chimeras I’ve had rattling in my head for more than a decade so hopefully people can read about the world of Nue Gaea and view it on the small screen if things go accordingly!

So, I think I’ve rambled enough now already.  Got everyone caught up on what I’ve been up to for the last half-year…  Lots of projects in the work for the screen and print.  I may be creating some new pages on the site or at least updating lots of segments of current pages soon, but I will post the changes as they come…  And you already know there is more to come!

​It’s been one long journey, but here we are, finally at the end of the road for the Freaky and Fantastical 500 (Words or Less).  It’s been a good, productive three months so there is plenty more to share and I’m actually happy to be finished with this reflection on my first trip into self-publishing.  So without further ado, here is the review of the last six pieces from my anthology.
 
“My Flesh and Blood” is a story I’ve had in my mind for some time.  I developed a full story but what is presented here is a single scene from that tale of humans surviving in a world overrun with bloodsucking and flesh-eating monsters.  I intend to have the full story told in visual form, either as a screenplay or comic.  I know, I know… vampires and zombies are overdone, but it’s just a matter of how the story is told…
 
“The Power of Words” is a pretty straightforward piece.  I can really say no more to add to the message of this story.  Enjoy!
 
“Unusual Tastes” is also rather straightforward, but there was a twist.  The story is meant to show how people can humanize an animal, or in this case an alien, but also have no aversion to consuming those animals.  We have certain attachments to pets, and people all over have animals of every kind as pets in their homes.  Pets can substitute for children in some homes. But there is a food chain, and one person’s “child”, could be another person’s meal.
 
“Seventh World Problems” is a story about limitless imagination, acceptance, and world peace.  Worlds without borders blend into a perfect world where the power of the spirit and mind create something special but also eventually destroy it.  It describes several universes that once existed as one but only remain as memories, myths, and legends that inspire future generations.
 
“Crafty as a Fox” is another favorite of mine.  This is my own original fable based on the tricksters of various cultures.  I may develop this story further one day in another form of media as well.  I think it is a great tale about competition between friends and rivals that can sometimes get out of hand and it demonstrates the roles of tricksters in every form.
 
And… as a bonus: the final piece in this book, “In Short: Think For Yourself” is a poem and a call to action.  There are enough problems, critics, and consumers in the world.  At least, that’s what I think. 
 
I think people were placed in the world to create new things and share experiences with each other, make legacies.  This book is just one of the things I want to add to my legacy.  It was only an experiment for me, but it is also a template for future works.  I hope that the ideas I’ve shared in only 500 words or less actually resonated with someone.  There are only 99 shorts in this book but hundreds of ideas rolled into it.  Sharing my ideas in words is one thing I do well, but that is not where my skillset ends.  And the last page of Freaky and Fantastical 500 (Words or Less) is not where my story ends…  There is always more to come!

Welcome back for the second-to-last installment in the Freaky and Fantastic 500 (Words or Less) review.  It’s been a long three months covering this so you should already know what it is by now if you’ve stuck it out and if you don’t then still feel free to jump in and see if my ramblings pique your interest in my book!

​“A Collector’s Price” is a story about a man who lies, cheats, and steals from multiple people including those closest to him in order to obtain some rare, magical objects.  This story was written with the question of what would someone sacrifice to gain material wealth and is it worth it in the end?  I myself am guilty of always desiring to have a full set of something, whether I need a set or not, whether it’s a set of coins, an evolutionary line of Pocket Monsters, or rare cards that were in limited print.  I may never use these things, but in my mind the value is greater when you have it all… But I would not condone what the man in this story does.
 
The short narrative poem “Last Wish” is dedicated to one of my best friends.  I basically wrote a conversation we had about what his dying wish would be and what lengths I might go through to fulfill it.  As crazy as this piece might sound, it kind of makes you wonder how far a friend would go to honor you, dead or alive.  In the end, this poem is about leaving behind your past sorrows and moving forward with life no matter where you find yourself.
 
“The Standout” is probably a story that we’ve heard or seen too many times… But you know what?  I WROTE IT ANYWAY! Pretty much every story is about a protagonist who lives a simple life by society’s rules only to receive a call to action or just wake up and make a decision to be great, no matter the consequences.  That is really all this story is.  So, accept the call to action, and be great!
 
“Evolution” is probably one of the oddest stories in the book, but I thought it was worth including because it was written with the idea of the creator’s relationship with the creation.  It’s about a son’s acceptance of who he is, but also aspiring to be like his father and understand him, just as humans possess curiosity about our existence and the desire to be greater.  The story is about passing on a torch, from teacher to student.  It is also modeled after God and Jesus… obviously.
 
“Roadtrip” is another cautionary tale about how the benefits of technology can also be dangerous.  While machines are manmade there are some things in the universe, such as time and space, people shouldn’t tamper with.  I explicitly state in the story how our culture has become more interested in instant gratification, but I also imply in the end how accidents can reveal opportunity.  (SPOILER /MAN-SPLAINER ALERT: If it is not clear, in the end the elderly people see an opportunity to stop their own aging process so that they can essentially live forever.)

And that wraps up this bit!  Only 6 more stories to cover and more fun to be had in my reflecting on this first book of mine.  Check it out here and come back for more ramblings, because of course there is always more to come!

​Back again for another installment in the Freaky and Fantastical 500 blog series.  While there are roughly only about 2 or 3 more of these to go following this, I admit that reflecting on the stories has probably been a greater exercise than actually writing them, but I can appreciate the stories more as a result.  So let’s get into it.
 
“Beast of Corruption” is a story that I had rattling in my head for a while and even parodied in a one-page comic titled “The Devil Made Me Do It” (finished, but not a priority on my publishing list).  This is a story about an interdimensional monster that is only able to speak to, but not physically affect living beings.  When the people of one world are able to finally bind this beast, they blame it for every evil action committed by mankind and proceed to torture it.  This is a very dark story, but it is intended to put a mirror up to humanity, and show how easily we villainize others before taking responsibility for our own sins.
 
The next story, “The Tortoise and the Hare”, is a sci-fi/fantasy sport retelling of the old fable.  I think I did well enough in conveying the original moral --“Slow and steady wins the race”-- and it was fun playing with the names of the characters.  Personally, I’ve never been interested in racing, but I’ve always enjoyed combat racing video games such as Mario Kart and Twisted Metal (even though there is no racing really involved in this one), and Aesop’s “The Tortoise and the Hare” is a fable that always stuck with me.
 
“Warm Heart, Cold Feet” is a sci-fi love story that I am particularly proud of and hope to retell in other forms of media in the near future.  As the title suggests, it is about the fear of commitment and the desire to be with someone you love despite that fear.  In this story, the featured alien race literally gives their crystal heart to their spouse-to-be, which can ultimately lead to a lethal and literal “heartbreak” if the recipient cannot endure the secret memories and emotions of the heart they receive.  Because of these deadly consequences, it is even more understandable why someone would be afraid to jump the broom.  This story demonstrates the uncertainty and the sacrifice that I believe a lot of people face prior to getting married.  While it may take some people years or decades to fully understand their spouse, the beings in this story instantly understand the best and worst of their significant other in the exchange of the hearts, and though receiving an actual part of someone and risking your life to be with them could cause cold feet, it ultimately works out… for some.
 
“Sleepwalkers” is a concept I developed for a larger story, but I thought it was fun to use on a smaller scale here.  In this story, a detective attempts to piece together a case involving multiple people demonstrating acts of vigilantism while they sleep with no recollection of their actions and no knowledge of the people they deliver justice to.  While I don’t provide answers to the overall question in this story, just think of Freddy Krueger as a superhero and you could probably understand how this could develop further.
 
Finally, “Beauty or Beast” is a story of a witchy woman scorned and a womanizer who gets his comeuppance.  It is about perception of ourselves and others and how we treat others based on physical attraction alone.  It’s also kind of a women’s empowerment story for any ladies out there who have been heartbroken by a player…
 
And that is it for this five-parter!  Check out the Freaky and Fantastic 500 (Words or Less) anthology now if you haven’t already or at least leave a review, whether you liked it or not!  And check back here for the last few posts I have in this review series!  There is always more to come.