Taken – the Sadness of Cancer

So many families have had loved ones taken because of cancer. Unfortunately, the truth behind cigarettes and tobacco products hadn’t come out for so many before it was too late. Even watching old black and white television shows, I Love Lucy, for example, everyone smoked. The popular show was even sponsored by a cigarette brand – Phillip Morris Cigarettes. Even up until the 1980s into the early 90s, I remember as a child, cigarette ads were featured in so many prominent magazines as well as commercials on television shows. Brands such as Camel, Marlboro and so many others until finally, a stop was put into such ads and warnings were and still are featured. Again though, the truth behind tobacco wasn’t found out for many until it was too late with such an addictive product.

With tobacco causing cancer in millions upon millions of people throughout the decades, so many have lost friends, family members, and those closest to them. I lost a grandpa years ago at the younger age of 69. His loss impacted so many of his large family. Recently, I just lost my grandma. She passed away just after her 86^th birthday but what saddens me the most is she won’t be able to meet her great-grandchild. She was given six months to live by doctors about five months ago and her decline was quick and sudden even though we expected it sooner than later. So saddened to see such an ailment take so much out of someone in just a few days. I’m very fortunate that she did survive to see her great-grandchild via photographs, video and video chat after she was born just two months ago. She didn’t think she would live long enough to be able to see her but as thankful as she was able, I do wish they could have met in person. A couple of months ago, I asked my grandma what she wanted me to tell her great-grandchild when she got older and she said that she wished she could have been around to see her grow up. I’m heart broken. If it wasn’t for the stage 4 lung and throat cancer, my grandma would likely have lived long enough to have been able to meet her great-granddaughter... her only great-grandchild that made her so happy when we told her the news we were having a child. I’m very heartbroken. Only if she hadn’t smoked for six decades or so, cigarettes and electronic cigarettes, she may have lived longer than she did.

Judge a Book by its Cover...

The old phrase as the title of this blog states, “Judge a book by it’s cover”, has been around for a long time. According to Google, since 1946, I would have figured longer... but anyways, often times people do. Whether an actual book or even a movie poster, people need to feel a connection to what they see in order to be interested in the said item. How many of us spent a lot of time wandering around Blockbuster, checking out the VCRs or DVDs on the walls where the primary reason anyone would pick up a movie is what they saw on the cover. Imagine if they had turned around each of the movies where their customers would only see the back blurb? It would be even harder to find a movie. This same goes for books often times but then again, bookstores often show the binding of the books only so that’s when a title makes the book stand out. The same goes for people... so many people say that looks don’t matter (aka judging a book by its cover) and that it’s what’s in the inside that counts but truly, that’s just a small percentage of how interest begins. So whoever says don’t judge a book by its cover, think of how you use this saying on other aspects of life besides books.

With all of that jargon being said, one thing I’ve learned through the years after being first published is a cover does matter. I’m in a lot of Facebook groups as well as other social media groups and see a lot of bad covers. I hate to bash the book based on the cover but a lot of readers won’t even read the blurb if the cover looks “cheap” or unprofessional. I’ve worked with publishers where sometimes they had great ideas (such as Soul Hunters) while others did not. Since I’m not writing any more books at the moment, I’ve focused on re-doing my covers to make them look professional. I’ve studied numerous cover artwork amongst the top selling books and I’m not that good nor have the know how to do that or even the software, I also looked at many so-called cover designers on Fiverr. I’m sure some of them are great, but expensive and something I can’t afford at this moment, but some people’s examples were not good. So, as a writer, be careful if you hire anyone as well as to artwork and studying other covers to make yours stand out. I’ve worked on a few of mine and continue to re-do a couple of others so please check them out! Any feedback please let me know!

Follow the Link below!

https://www.amazon.com/Murders-Prophecy-Benjamin-Mollenhour/dp/0982643659/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3M9NWDP60CAWP&keywords=benjamin+mollenhour&qid=1651914087&sprefix=benjamin+mollenhou%2Caps%2C140&sr=8-1