True: Colors

Random Thought…

truecolorsstory — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 22:31:54 +0000

I was thinking about different things as I watched my son draw on a piece of paper. Then I asked myself a question.

Click the picture (pretty huge).

Truth Behind True: Colors (Video 1)

truecolorsstory — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:38:10 +0000

The first in the video series where I discuss the book. Enjoy

Welcome!

truecolorsstory — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 22:24:01 +0000

Hello there! I wanted to welcome everyone to the first of what will be several updates concerning the book, my life, and random things of that nature. This won’t be so much a place where I will spill my personal guts, but it will have insight on my mindset and the goals I have for my story.

Let me start by introducing myself.

My name is Jesse Salazar III and ever since I was about five years old I have loved reading, primarily stories on grand adventures and, as I got older, books on self-realization within fantastical settings. All my childhood I was a “video game” geek. I would sit in front of a TV and play Super Mario Bros. for hours on end, and this passion grew into an obsession as I got older.

Finally, around 18 (I am 22 now) , I questioned what it was exactly I liked about video games. Was it the graphics? Sure, the games were beautiful and eye-catching, but even the older games that didn’t look great sometimes fascinated me anyway. Was it the music and sound effects? I mean I do love music. Everything from Classical to Popular Music, but I have never been a pro at any instrument. I love singing but always told I was better solo (so low they can’t hear you!).

So what was left? I closed my eyes, put my head down, and just really sat there and thought. What did I love about video games? I made a list of three things:

1) Figuring them out
2) Watching the adventure unravel before my eyes
3) Sense of control

Those, reading them now, seem very obvious. I think those are the key reasons any of us do anything in life really. We love the sense of excitement from a (good) surprise, we love the thrill of watching our dreams manifest into reality before our eyes, and finally we love knowing we had everything to do with that success.

These are the key reasons I decided to become a writer. From that moment on I decided I wanted to create my own stories, I wanted to share that warm sensation I got every time I found something out while playing a game or felt a part of the story come to a close. I wanted to do that for other people. So I wrote. and I wrote. and I wrote. I have stories posted all over the place online, from video game blogs and fan sties to newspaper websites to even my own personal webpages.

After awhile though, it wasn’t enough. I realized I needed more. It’s one thing to be told by your immediate friends “hey this is a great story”, but it’s another to be told that by someone you don’t even know. That of course would happen when I worked with video games, but I was taking compliments for something I wrote that someone else actually did! That wasn’t the same. So at the beginning of 2008 I decided I wanted to start writing an actual book.

The first “short” story I attempted was pretty good. It was holiday-themed but it was really just getting my feet wet for the dedication a full book would take. I knew it was the direction I wanted to go though at that point so since March 2009 I have been working diligently on this current story, “True: Colors”. I don’t want to share too much yet, but you are welcome to read each of the previews for each of the chapters that the book will have. If you’ve read the entire chapters for the amount of time I had them up for free, I hope you enjoyed the story and I want to thank you for any feedback you may have given me.

But that was simply the beginning of this long process. What you may see as a “continuation” I merely see as warm-up. The drafts you read were raw, unedited, and the backbone for something greater. I am going to take you through the entire process, through written blogs like these, and also video blogs that I will have posted up every so often. I already have about 3 editors looking at this for me but I would always love to have more volunteers come with me along this journey. And once the book is out, it just takes everything up a notch. But that’s for another day.

For now, I want to say welcome. Welcome to the beginning of my career. Welcome to the beginning of an adventure, of a behind-the-scenes look at my first epic tale.

Welcome to the true story of my first book, “True: Colors”. Enjoy the ride.

True Colors, Chapter X

truecolorsstory — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 23:34:49 +0000

I. (red)- Read Now! (opens in new window)
II. (orange)- Read Now! (opens in new window)
III. (yellow)- Read Now! (opens in new window)
IV. (green)- Read Now! (opens in new window)
V. (blue)- Read Now! (opens in new window)
VI. (indigo)- Read Now! (opens in new window)
VII. (violet)- Read Now! (opens in new window)
IX. (grey)- Read Now! (opens in new window)
IX. (black)- Read Now! (opens in new window)

(white)

They attacked sooner than expected. The dead marched over the hill against as a few remaining survivors rallied together. They grabbed anything nearby to fend off the horde long enough for them to reach the last sanctuary on earth. There, it was rumored that a man lived with enough supplies and technology to live out his life in this hell that used to be home. That man’s name was Isaac Munsell, better known to everyone left on the earth as “The Professor”.

Read the FINAL chapter in Jesse’s new book, True: Colors coming Fall 2009!

Next: “Numbers”

True Colors, Chapter IX.

truecolorsstory — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:12:06 +0000

(black)

Nathan sat in the living room with his full attention on his cell phone. The television in front gave the weather, the computer to his right scrolled the latest news, but none of it was his concern. For the last ten years the outside world seemed imaginary to him. He waited ten years for reality to set in. He waited ten years for Isaac Munsell to call him and give him some good news.

Read the entire chapter in Jesse’s new book, True: Colors coming Fall 2009!

Next: White

True Colors, Chapter VIII.

truecolorsstory — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:46:02 +0000

I. (red)- Read Now! (opens in new window)
II. (orange)- Read Now! (opens in new window)
III. (yellow)- Read Now! (opens in new window)
IV. (green)- Read Now! (opens in new window)
V. (blue)- Read Now! (opens in new window)
VI. (indigo)- Read Now! (open in new window)
VII. (violet)- Read Now! (open in new window)

(grey)

If not for clocks, no one would have known it was noon. There was no visible sun in the sky as the clouds did their work and dulled the colors of the world. Rain poured onto black umbrellas that shielded the few mourners that attended Isaac Munsell’s funeral. Nathan was present and though many wished to snap a picture of strong man at his weakest there was no media coverage allowed. He held no expression on his face. Isaac’s death was expected and outright predicted by the man himself; the man from the future. Nathan felt terrible but wasn’t sure why. Was he sad that Issac, his closet thing to a friend, was now gone or was it the feeling that he had no idea what to do next? Only the instructions from Isaac in his final days could guide him. The train of thought took him back to the night before the Mayor’s funeral. It was the last time Isaac and Nathan spoke so frankly.

***

Read the entire chapter in Jesse’s new book, True: Colors coming Fall 2009!

Next: Black

True Colors, Chapter VII.

truecolorsstory — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:40:58 +0000

(violet)

“The date is October 22^nd, 2008. Today we deliver to you the American people the last of our series of interviews with the two main Presidential Candidates. Last week, we aired our interview with Republican Candidate, Senator Terry Matters. Now we turn our attention to the Democratic Candidate, Senator Nathan Stokes. I want to remind the viewing public that these interviews in no way reflect the opinions or political views of our show, our parent company, nor any of our sponsors. Questions submitted by viewers via our online forums, as well as hot topic questions, were chosen. We only wish to share the information on the candidate’s stance, his background, and where he plans to take this country in the future if he’s elected president. And now, here’s Senior Reporter James Ankers’ interview with Senator Nathan Stokes.”

————————————————————————————————-

Read the entire chapter in Jesse’s new book, True: Colors coming Fall 2009!

Next: Grey

“The date is October 22^nd, 2008. Today we deliver to you the American people the last of our series of interviews with the two main Presidential Candidates. Last week, we aired our interview with Republican Candidate, Senator Terry Matters. Now we turn out attention to the Democratic Candidate, Senator Nathan Stokes. I want to remind the viewing public that these interviews in no way reflect the opinions or political views of our show, our parent company, nor any of our sponsors. Questions submitted by viewers via our online forums, as well as hot topic questions, were chosen. We only wish to share the information on the candidate’s stance, his background, and where he plans to take this country in the future if he’s elected president. And now, here’s Senior Reporter James Ankers’ interview with Senator Nathan Stokes.”

————————————————————————————————-

Humble. That’s the word that explains Senator Nathan Stokes perfectly. From his humble beginnings to his spirited campaign for presidency he has always kept in mind that word.

“I’ve always been the underdog, the kid that came from nowhere and amazed the crowd. It comes with ease, and I know that it’s a special tool that not everyone knows how to use. Everyone could run for president, but not everyone does. I’m happy to be in my position, and I can say that I never expected it, but always believed it.”

A man that believes in himself, and his country, was once just a small boy from a divorced family playing “Cowboys and Indians” with his friends, outside this house where he and his mother lived until her untimely death. Elizabeth Stokes, at the age of 45, left Nathan to fend for himself in this harsh and cold world. One has to ask how he survived, and even Nathan wonders that- because he almost didn’t.

“Yes, that was a very rough time in my life, I won’t deny that fact. Just out of high school, I had no clear direction. I didn’t know what I wanted to do or how to do it. My high school sweetheart left me, and I was lost in a haze of terrible choices and bad experiences. However, the day she, my mother, passed away, my eyes were opened. Life is fragile, and special, and we should cherish our lives. We should live to the fullest of our potential and we should have people in charge that will allow us to do so. I would be letting my mother’s death be in vain had I not chosen to help my community, and eventually run the Mayor’s office, while going to school. I wouldn’t allow that, because every single life on this earth is valuable.”

Nathan knows actions speak louder than words, and has lived by every word of what he’s said. Soon after he started going to college to become a civil rights lawyer, he was picked up in a unique work-study by the Mayor of his hometown. The meeting was set up by his mentor and best friend Isaac Munsell, a man that Nathan lovingly calls “The Professor”, who died of a brain tumor two years ago.

“Oh, now you want to know about ‘The Professor’, eh? Haha, well, I don’t know what I could say about the man that would do him justice. He was a close friend- the only man I’ve seen as a father figure my entire life. My father never made an attempt to be there for me. He was a good man, but got lost in his depression, almost like I did. However, I had the will power to continue on, and with help from ‘The Professor’, I was able to realize my full potential, almost. Potential is only useful for so long, though. You have to at some point work that potential and turn it into something else, something useful. Another reason I want to pass this energy bill, and get us off our necessity of crude and foreign oils. We have plenty of potential right here in America, why not start using it?”

That’s a good question, one that DavoEnergy, an alternative energy company, had been trying to answer before its untimely bankruptcy in 1992. With the company still in its infancy, the daughter of the Davo’s president went missing in 1989 and has never been found. The young woman’s name was Devin Davos, a perfect blond that is the high school sweetheart of Nathan Stokes.

“This is a key reason I want to bring up the idea to congress and get more money invested in a cause here. There’s no excuse for throwing money away and at another country when we have so many things here we can solve. I am looking forward to working closely with Mrs. Davo’s and any other private investors or companies interested in alternative energy sources. Maybe in 1992 America wasn’t ready, and who knows what could have happened or what could have been started had we pretended to be ready. All I know is that we’re ready now. We have the tools, and I believe the American people are ready for a change.”

A change is definitely what we’re in for if Senator Stokes is elected President. He’s the younger of the two nominees at the age of 44. But he’s been involved in politics for the last 19 years. After completing college and Harvard Law School, he worked as a civil rights attorney and taught constitutional law at the University local to his hometown for five years. After an unsuccessful bid at the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000, he ran for U.S. Senate in 2004. He won, and the first key victory of his career was his most important. He gained national exposure, and by February of 2007 he began his run at the White House.

“Those were tough years for me. From the time I began going to Law School until now, it all seems like one big blur. I still can’t believe any of it happened, but it all did. I am grateful for the opportunities that the Mayor, and the Professor gave me. That opened my eyes, and gave me guidance and taught me discipline. It went by so fast, but I have learned much. To say I am the same man today that I was years ago would be correct, because I never have changed my stance, and my demeanor. However, with age comes wisdom, and I am indeed a wiser man today.”

A wiser man that knew how to handle the unfortunate death of his former hometown Mayor, which sadly struck a few weeks before Isaac Munsell’s death. He delivered the final words of the ceremony for the man, an event that was recorded and tugged on the heart strings of every person that saw it. Even Nathan shed a few tears, but he handled the situation steadfast, with a strong composure, and never blinked an eye. But are those qualities that make a President?

“Like I said, I’m of the belief any of us are capable of being President. My opponent is fit for the job, you might be, in another timeline. We all have the tools we need to succeed in life. There’s just some of us that know how to use them naturally, some of us that learn how to use them, and some of us that don’t. I believe the American people know which group they are, I believe in them, and I want to work with them to make this country a better place.”

But which category does the Democratic candidate see himself under?

“I’m a simple man, with simple thoughts and simple dreams. I do not ask for much from this world, only from my country. I demand it, because I am an American citizen, and just like every other American citizen; I was born with the tools to succeed. It’s time we start using them, it’s time for change to come to America.”

“I want to thank Senior Reporter James Ankers for that interview. I also want to thank Senator Nathan Stokes for his time, and for your time, our viewers, I cannot thank you enough. We hope that we have answered your questions and concerns fully with that piece, but any lingering thoughts can be posted on our online forums, where I will personally answer questions, comments, feedback, or concerns. After this broadcast, our team will be uploading unaired segments for you to view as well.

Coming up, a controver-”

The TV shut off, and the DVD ceased playing. It was late, but Nathan couldn’t sleep. He sat in the darkness for a few minutes before he heard the door open. It was his wife.

“Nathan, honey, you need to come to bed. Tomorrow’s the inauguration, you can’t look tired and worn out on your first day….” said the woman.

“I know, I know. I got caught up watching one of my interview tapes….It’s sort of funny how they put it together….” Nathan’s voice trailed off in thought, and his head nodded slightly from exhaustion.

“You’re falling asleep as you talk Nathan. Let’s get upstairs, we have a lot of work to do tomorrow.”

“It never ends, does it?”

“What’s that?”

“Nothing, uh, honey…Let’s go to bed.”

Nathan and his wife walk upstairs and went to bed. Despite all his work to be a self-made man, despite everyone believing he did this himself, with no indication of where anything would lead him, be it his “wise” investments or cautious predictions, he knew that he could not thank himself at all. He knew his victory was not his, but rather, not a victory at all. This was not the life he was destined for, just the one he chose. He chose to save the world. Tomorrow, the world would bow to his will and give him his cape. He was a king, lost within a dream, living in a world that saw him fit to reign. He didn’t question the world though, because it was real. There was no denying that fact.

“This is the world I created; I made it real. Take a bow Nathan,” He thought to himself before drifting off to slumber.

Tomorrow, a new king was to be crowned.

True Colors, Chapter VI.

truecolorsstory — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 23:05:01 +0000

(indigo)

Nathan had struggled with religion since he was a child. He was never forced into believing in a higher power, but felt a presence around him all the time. Nathan often wondered why he felt this way. Maybe it was him hoping there was someone else there to guide him and make sure he never took the plunge off that edge where he lived his life. As he drove back to meet up with Isaac, he recalled the only time he went into a church. He couldn’t remember what denomination exactly, but it was a huge cathedral downtown. His mother was at the courthouse, and he wandered down the street and inside the church. In there, people were on their knees, some were lighting candles, and a man at the front was speaking in a different language. He was very confused as to what was going on, but was inclined to kneel at a pew and bow his head.

Nathan prayed.
Read the entire chapter in Jesse’s new book, True: Colors coming Fall 2009!

Next: (violet)

True: Colors, Chapter V.

truecolorsstory — Wed, 27 May 2009 00:05:45 +0000

I. (red)- Read Now! (opens in new window)
II. (orange)- Read Now! (opens in new window)
III. (yellow)- Read Now!(opens in new window)
IV. (green)- Read Now!(opens in new window)

(blue)

The dark blue hue of the sky was interrupted slightly by stars that were sprinkled within it. The city streetlights didn’t take away from the night’s magnificence. A flash of light appeared and then disappeared just as suddenly. Left in its wake was an older man with a metal object around his forearm. He was wearing a skin-tight suit made of fire-resistant latex, an invention of his own after his first less than successful experiment years ago. He searched for a sign that he was in the right place. He saw a small diner at a dimly lit street corner and went inside. A waitress inside acknowledged his arrival, instantly noticing his awkward state of dress. The man waved at her and sat down at the nearby table. No matter how many times he traveled, he could never get used to the feeling of being somewhere else. His eyes caught a newspaper resting three tables down from him. He jumped over to it and skimmed for the date:

JANUARY 15^th, 1989

Read the entire chapter in Jesse’s new book, True: Colors coming Fall 2009!

Next: (indigo)

True: Colors, Chapter IV.

truecolorsstory — Mon, 18 May 2009 23:00:18 +0000

I. (red)- Read Now! (opens in new window)
II. (orange)- Read Now! (opens in new window)
III. (yellow)- Read Now!(opens in new window)

(green)

“It’s a mystery alright, but this is where it happened,” briefed the officer to Detective Minor. Minor had been tasked with investigating all suspicious activity taking place in the upper west side of the city. Usually this quiet part of town was a welcomed change for a veteran to the investigative field of justice. The calm of the cloudy March day matched Minor’s persona. He didn’t blink an eye or furrow his brow as he methodically walked through the crime scene with the rookie officer.

“This is where the body was found? This close to the river? It doesn’t make sense, none at all. Amateurs even know to throw the body in the water. Gotta be something else, doesn’t look like a murder. Doesn’t mean it’s not.”

Minor kept talking aloud even as the officer strayed his attention away from Minor. The detective was making mental notes, and had no care if anyone listened. He wasn’t confused or concerned by his surroundings. Under that bridge or anywhere else, this was a case for him to solve. The only thing that mattered was the question Minor lived by everyday.

“Why?” asked the officer, breaking Minor’s train of thought slightly, enough to grant the young man a response.

“That’s a good question, and my job, and my answer right now would be premature. Could be a homeless situation- you did say the suspect was in torn and tattered clothes, right?” questioned Minor.

“W-Well, yeah, he was sir, but it was a suit- a nice one, minus the burns and tears that is. Plus, the man was clean shaven. He didn’t look like he was from around here. It’s odd, really.”

“Odd? What’s a normal crime to you, officer?”

Read the entire chapter in Jesse’s new book, True: Colors coming Fall 2009!

Next: (blue)