Marc has lost everything, and he's simply waiting for the world to end, until he is accused of a murder? After the devastation and destruction, he is left with a small band of friends who help him. Now, Marc and the rest of the world are trapped by a virus that's killing everyone on earth except those ages 13 to 19 years old. With adults dying, it becomes a new world ruled by teens. Sound wonderful, right? Except, that a cure must be found fast, if one even exists. Otherwise, no babies will be born, since the virus has left everyone in the world unable to reproduce. To make matters worse, when you turn 20 years old, you die because that's when the virus is programmed to kill you. In this new world, only the strong survive, since mutated creatures struggle for power, trying desperately to annihilate everyone who stands in their way. Strange creatures emerge with preternatural strengths.
INTRODUCTION:
I have lived in San Antonio, Texas all my life. I was born at a hospital in downtown San Antonio: the Nix Hospital which overlooks the famous San Antonio River Walk area. I guess you might say I love Texas and especially San Antonio, but I wouldn't mind living in Houston or Austin or any of the hundreds of small towns around South Texas.
FALLING IN LOVE:
I fell in love with literature in high school. I hated going to school (every single day--the awkwardness of being a teenager, the people, the waking up early, the bad grades, and basically everything). I was and I still am a terrible speller, from elementary school until adult life. But when I was in English class, reading Dracula, Frankenstein, The Adventures of Sherlock Homes, and especially O'Henry's short stories and Shakespeare, I totally escaped from the family problems I had, my school failures, the fact that I wasn't successful with the ladies because I was so shy, and just every problem I had in my life all disappeared when I read or saw a movie about a book.
FAILURES AND TRIUMPHS:
After several failed attempts at junior college (about four years) and several years of severe, suicidal depression and anxiety attacks (which ultimately lasted about 5-7 years), I finally woke up one day and decided to put my life in order (even though I continued to suffer from depression and anxiety) and get a real education so I could earn money and have nice life. I attended San Antonio College for two more years, and transferred to the University of Texas at San Antonio for two more years to earn a B.A. in English and psychology (I couldn't make up my mind which I liked better, so I got a double major in both subjects). With no job prospects in both areas and after suffering from severe depression and anxiety attacks, I decided to get a master's degree in counseling--after all I had seen several counselors for my depression and anxiety attacks; why couldn't I treat my own mental health needs.
CAREER IN EDUCATION:
I attended the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) for another two years, not working and unfortunately, probably very unwise of me, becoming more in debt with student loans, I finished my master's degree in counseling, which again left me with very little prospects of finding a job except in case management (social work territory). I did that for a few years until I decided to become a teacher, which I should have done much earlier when I got my English degree, but I was very unconfident about my ability to teach others about English, since my own ability to write and spell was horrible (and still is outrageous). While in the counseling program, I encounter teachers who wanted to become school counselors, so that's how I become more interested in education, after talking with several teachers.
I went back to UTSA to get my teacher's certification and started teaching at the high school level. I have been doing that ever since. I started the educational leadership program at UTSA in the doctoral program after hearing about it from one of my professors in the counseling program which was part of the education department. With many personal roadblocks, I continue after over 6 years to work on my doctoral degree in educational leadership.
DREAMS AND GOALS:
It has always been my dream to become a professor at a university or community college. I also have always written short stories. Unfortunately, many of my early and very promising short stories were lost, even though I posted them on the internet. Nevertheless, I continue to have the internal desire to write stories. It is almost as if I don't write the ideas I have in my head down, I am going to explode or that I am wasting my time, when someone could benefit from my story. I really don't care if anyone reads my stories, but I know that I must write them down. The hard part if finding time with my busy schedule of writing my dissertation, teaching, grading papers after school, and still going to night school.
I want to continue to write stories that appeal to young adults and adults alike. My topics range from realism, to fantasy, to magical realism, suspense, mystery, and action. Every single day, I have so many story ideas that come to me from real life events that it is almost impossible to contain myself. I really wish I had more time to write. But please look for more of my novels and short stories to come out in the very near future.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Please let me know if you would like to have any of my books become a series, because I have plans for this already.
Future works include the following:
Poor--Chronicles the lives of several families and individuals, rich, middle class, and poor, as they struggle to survive life in present day society with the insurmountable challenges of the recession. This novel is a looking glass into the plight all people experience every day, month after month and year after year. The devastation of the war in Iraq, personal loss, unemployment, survival, and resiliency are all explored in this tapestry of stories set in today's recession, filled with breakneck deadlines and pace. Life right now, with the economy and stressors deeply affecting every group or class from the very poor, to the very rich, these interwoven stories keep the reader riveted, encouraged, and sympathetic because novel is a mirror reflecting their own life and the society we live in at large day in and day out.
H1N1 Virus--chronicles taken from an internet blog from a scientist who exposes the truth about the swine flu epidemic. Published before the website was blocked and deleted, this epistolary novel is an adaptation of an online diary indicating that the world has much more to fear than we could ever imagine about the H1N1 virus.
The Gatekeeper--a story about a young teenage girl who discovers that in the woods behind her house is a gateway to another world which only she can choose protect and stop an evil warrior prince from invading our world or she can turn her back on her destiny, allowing total destruction of our existence as we know it. There is a romantic love story, action, and of course countless other fantasy stories interwoven into the main one.
The Golden Life--two young people from rich families leave their home to find purpose in their life only to realize their dreams are shattered, and when they finally find love, a war tears them apart only to make them rich again by making them showing them that love is the only riches worth fighting for. A historical novel.
Dead Web--the Internet is threatened by a terrorist bent on destroying all electronic information around the world before 2012. Unless one detective can figure out the terrorist's next move, not only will his family be in danger but the world may end.
(Part of a Series of Books)
The Book--a young teenage boy finds a book that changes his life; the only thing is that now he wishes he'd never found it. Several people will stop at nothing once they discover the power the book possesses to change everything.
That--a book of short stories that will both frighten and entertain you.
