Before starting with travel stories and bad puns and other tales of my stupidity/naiveté, I need to address an issue that has taken over my life recently.  With apologies to those who just wanted to read funny stories about Samurai Dan’s foibles, let me tell you about my ongoing horror story (about being a horror author)…

Most everyone who will be reading this blog already knows about my indiegogo page, trying to raise funds to cover my being scammed by a bogus publisher.  To say that this has been the most trying time of my life would be an understatement of epic proportions.  I need to add that going public with a begging, pathetic cry for help in the form of money has been the most difficult and depressing thing that I have ever done—and I’ve been married twice! J

The overwhelmingly concerned and loving response of most of the convention scene has been humbling and a source of strength and joy during this nightmare, but doesn’t make me feel any less guilty and stupid.  There are so many worthy charities and legitimate needs in this world, and I feel terrible asking people to give to ME when there literally are starving children out there. 

One of the things that makes me feel somewhat better, and was not mentioned on the indie campaign, is the charity that I have been putting together since first signing my (bogus) book deal.  It has been my dream to establish and fund an organization that rewards people for being…human.  “Pay It Forward”, “Man In The Mirror”, “Golden Rule Rules”, and other monikers have run through my head, none winning the race for being the title, yet.  In short, though, the charity would reward those who give of themselves, expecting nothing in return.  It is my dream to reward them anyway, and encourage others to take the same approach.  If everyone helped each other out just a little, think how much better the world would be?

I digress…as usual.  The charity was being put together, with a prospective person for running it, and a time frame.  I would launch and fund the charity with my seventh novel, Vengeance, tentatively scheduled to be released in 2018.

That project is obviously completely on hold now, with no publishing contract and schedule for books being released and having any money to fund the charity with.  I am also working on a project designed to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project, benefitting our returning injured soldiers.

Being scammed and lied to by an unscrupulous publisher didn’t just take a rich and famous lifestyle away from me—it hurt my wife immensely, cost my children, affected my personal assistant (no job now), and put all of my charity work on hold.  It isn’t about me—those of you that know me at all know that nothing I do is all about me.  It’s about helping those around me.  Being a successful author simply meant that I would have a louder voice for making a difference in the world.

These projects and plans are not dead, and will never die.  They are on hold, though, while we scramble to get out of the hole we’ve dug ourselves into because of one man’s lies and criminal activities. 

Enough of that, though.  If anyone has questions, by all means contact me…I like to talk…

Last weekend we performed in New Jersey for a small but growing like wildfire community college anime con, Kotori Con.  This convention is run by Susan Glenn, one of the sweetest, kindest, yet misguided (she likes ME) women that I’ve ever met. 

We shared a stage with an English-by-way-of Canada singer, aptly named Kieran Strange, who absolutely rocks.  Check out her youtube stuff, okay? She uses her name, and also the moniker “Hitbox” with her partner, Sara.  Kieran actually dedicated one of her songs, “Girl Crush” to my wife, Jillian, which made me uncomfortable and yet guiltily intrigued…

The convention was wonderful; the drive out…not so much.  Due to the nasty weather the Midwest has had of late, our 16 hour drive took 27 hours.  Yeah.  The trip back was fine, at least. It just happened too soon.

If I have one complaint about Kotori Con (are you listening, Dr. Glenn?) it is that it’s only a one-and-a-half day event.  It needs to be longer.  More fun, right? Of course, then New Jersey would have to put up with me for another day.  Perhaps that’s why it’s a shorter event.  I have been told that I am better in controlled doses…