Welcome to My Corner of the Internet: It's About Time!

Don't polish your edges to fit a mold, the most beautiful masterpiece you'll ever create is the raw, unedited brilliance of your authentic self.

So, you know how it goes. You're just vibin’ with folks, having one of those deep, random conversations, maybe about the meaning of life or maybe about why socks always disappear in the dryer and someone inevitably says, "James, seriously, you gotta write a book with the stuff you come up with!" For years, I just kinda chuckled and shrugged it off. Writing? Me? Nah. My writing pretty much peaked with that one high school paper I barely scraped by on.

Then, one day, a literal dream hit me. And I mean literal. I woke up, and this wild story was just... there. So I decided to actually try writing it down. And wouldn't you know it, that first story, once it was out there in the world, it sparked something. Like a forgotten pilot light finally catching fire. It was wild. Since then, I've managed to drop a second novel, recently completed a novella that's currently sitting in my vault (for now!), and I'm even diving into my first non-sci-fi story. Who knew this IT guy with a Navy past had all these words bottled up?

Now, I'll admit, I've tried this blog thing before. Like that New Year's resolution to actually use the gym membership, full of good intentions, but short on follow-through. This time, though? This new, weekly blog has been different. It's become less of a chore and more of a passion project. It's a bit like putting my brain on paper, sometimes random, occasionally insightful, always authentic. And for the past couple of months, you've been getting snippets of it.

So, this week, I'm officially throwing open the digital doors and saying with my chest, Welcome to James' World! On a weekly basis, or as close as life allows, because let's be real, adulting is hard, I'll be sharing my unfiltered thoughts with you all. It might be a deep dive into family life, the joys and chaos of it all. It could be about faith, wrestling with big questions, or finding comfort in the simple truths. We might talk shop about writing, the struggles and triumphs of putting words on a page. Or, if you're lucky, I might just regale you with the epic tale of trying to teach my 3 year old how to bake a cake without the kitchen looking like a flour bomb exploded.

It's been a couple of months, and I'm still feeling out the exact rhythm and direction of this space, like finding your footing on a new dance floor. But here's my promise, it will always be authentic. You'll get the real me, no chaser. So, stick around. Let's explore this journey together.